rappers who aint from the hood

[SpLitPerSonaliT]

yo, i have a couple of things i'd ike get your opinions on. I know there aren't many out there at all but what would u guys think of some rappers who weren't from the hood and didn't really live the hip hop culture? What if there was some rapper who never really lived the struggle but he was a dope mc with creative rymes and rapped passionately? would u buy his record? do you think theres certain dues you have to pay or a certain person u gotta be to rock a mic?

Personally I think hip hop is at a point right now where it needs to grow and i don't think you have to be a certain kindof person to use rap to express yourself. hip hop has established itself as its own respectable genre of music and just another form of expression. I think its retarted to say only a certain kind of person can do it because its "our" music.. fuck that that means any hobby or form of expression created by a person with a certain background can only be used by another person with that same background. That kills it because it makes hip hop hella repetitive when practicaly 80% of hip hop songs is talkin about the mcs struggle in the hood... shut up save it.. we all know the ghetto is tough its been said in thousands of songs.. why don't u talk about somthing else and quit complaining oh.. now ur gunna rap about how u've come up and got all the bling and shit.. shut up save that shit too.. i think we need to open the doors for people with different backgrounds so we can hear somthing new and different and give hip hop the chance to grow and evolve

I understand tho.. I can see why hella people would say no this is "our" thing I don't want it to become somthing everyones doing.. shit i'm like that too everyone one loves being part of something exclusive but u gotta be open and except everyone for who they are and whatever their background is and respect it and give it a chance don't jus be like oh those are some dumb white kids who don't know shit or oh that guy is rappin about some dumb shit.. whatever.. maybe if u gave it a listen u mite enjoy it

anyways whats ya'll opinions

 

[Cold Truth]

nah, man, skills is skills- period. end of story.

at least, thats how i see it. if it is dope, it is dope. hip hop isnt about the hood, it is a platform of art just like any other music... the ghettos are a part of that...


but if you are dope, then you are dope.

the problem? what seperates the GREAT ones from the run of the mill, is this: the ability to connect with their fans on a real level. if the people identify with you, then your job is done. no one will care, unless you front. if you go from career smart ass to hardcore gangster in a few months *COUGH*EMINEM*COUGH* then that may make people question you. when busta rhymes went at ja rule, it threw everyone for a loop. BUSTA????? WHAT??????

all i am sayin is that you just be true to who and what you are and you will always find an audience- big or small.

 

[1d3nt1tY]

It is a (mostly) free country, so anyone can do anything they want. There have been many rappers in the industry that haven't seen anything from a "ghetto" lifestyle, plenty of the newer rappers come from homes where mommy and daddy bought dude brand new cars and that's not a bad thing, but will they understand tha struggle at all? probably not. No we don't need to always just rap about bling and poverty or slangin crack or mo murda... but don't slam on those who can pretty much ONLY relate to that either.

We have had plenty successful "non ghetto" rappers, like sir mix alot etc... it just depends on your target audience... If you rap about lawnmowers, don't expect c-murda to come kissin your ass lol


I would say it would be fine to have some suburban kid rappin about mowin the lawn for his allowance... how hard the math test was... or the boss took away dad's timeshare... but I wouldn't buy it...

I have to be able to RELATE to the music... it has to be deep and well thought before I pound it in my car...

What do you mean by "our thing"? I hope you didn't mean for it to sound like it did lol


Rap is open to anyone who wants a slice... the biggest selling rapper in history is white... so don't worry about that. but it has to be kept real, or at least relateable by those who are buying your shit, if you even care about selling it...

I'm not bashin ya, and you can do anything you want with your creative talent that you feel the need to. but make sure you know your target audience.

 

[UnOwn]

nah, man, skills is skills- period. end of story.

I'm with Truth here. You gotta be dope though and that is the key... I don't care where someone came from as long as they crush mics when they grab them and I've heard plenty "ghetto" MCs that couldn't crush a mic with a steamroller...

 

[SpLitPerSonaliT]

yea thats what i'm sayin if u got skill it shouldn't matter on your background, i just know alot of poeple who are hella close minded and think u gotta be a certain someone to hold a mic and another point i'd like to make is that alot of people say nah i woudn't listen to that cuz I don't relate to it.. i think thats close minded i've been listenenin to gangsta rap since iwas 7 i always liked it and i never lived a life like a g.. well i do smoke weed to an o.g status but anyway.. i listen to practically every genre of music around jus cuz u can't relate doesn't mean it won't entertain you, try to be more open to shit u woudn't normally listen to and don't knock it and talk shit about it just because of where the artisst is from cuz music is music it don't matter who wrote it

 

[Tim D]

If hes a dope then it dosnt matter if hes from the suburbs, but if he is from the suburbs and talks about shootin people, and about the ghetto, when he hasnt even lived that liefstyle, then hes fake and i cant support that.

 

[Equality 7-2521]

firstly, lving the "struggle" or ebing from the hood has nothing to do with living the Hiphop culture.

and

paying dues to be an MC doesnt mean having to be a suvivor of the "struggle." it means countless hours with the mic in the hand spitting line after line. it means pen to pad every day. it means working to improve your skills.

anyway to answer you question, i agree with Truth. a dope MC is a dope MC.

and btw, 80% of Hiphop is about the hood or bling bling ONLY if your not looking hard enough for better shit. theres so much out there. dont be lazy.

 

[erkl]

stop worrying about image and more about music thats whats killing this shit

 

[1d3nt1tY]

that's true so true. You are right, maybe I would hear it and be mystified by the vocal flurry. I just know what I like for myself... u kno?

 

[Craig Gantt]

nah, man, skills is skills- period. end of story.

at least, thats how i see it. if it is dope, it is dope. hip hop isnt about the hood, it is a platform of art just like any other music... the ghettos are a part of that...


but if you are dope, then you are dope.

the problem? what seperates the GREAT ones from the run of the mill, is this: the ability to connect with their fans on a real level. if the people identify with you, then your job is done. no one will care, unless you front. if you go from career smart ass to hardcore gangster in a few months *COUGH*EMINEM*COUGH* then that may make people question you. when busta rhymes went at ja rule, it threw everyone for a loop. BUSTA????? WHAT??????

all i am sayin is that you just be true to who and what you are and you will always find an audience- big or small.

Word, you neva know billy jean from Pleasentville may be the coldest mc ever.

On another note this thread is number 666 could be a sign

 

[Cleverwon]

Canibus. Non-hood. One of top 10 emcees of all time in my book.

 

[SpLitPerSonaliT]

i'm glad to see most of you feel me on this subject that it doesn't matter what ur background is as long as ur dope
erkl i don't give a SHIT a bout image i think image should be the last thing that matters when it comes to a song writer but unfortunately the business takes that above all and so do alot of ignorant people out there who think certain people shouldn't be rapping. I guess i started this thread to get the opinion of the people who think you gotta be from the hood and live a certain definition of what the hip hop culture is to be a rapper.. i wanted to see why that person thinks that way cuz thats bullshit to me

 

[MarkN]

background shouldnt be important at all, music of all kind is an art background should have no effect on it !
as long as the mc in question has skills and respects the music who gives a fuck where hes from or how bad his childhood woz ! unfortunately hip hop is probably the worst for everyone trying to be 'real' ! being 'real' is being true to yourself not trying to pretend your a gangster !
Also living the hip hop lifestyle doesnt involve living in the ghetto or being a gangster or bling bling thats just wot certain artist would like you to think !

 

[Loose Cannon]

If they dont live the 'Hip-Hop Lifestyle':meaning: They dont know the pioneers and the 5 elements of hip-hop: Then HEEELLLL NOOOOO.

But if there not from the hood, and they hot, yea.

LISTEN TO THIS: Just cuz they didnt go through the hood/projects/city struggle, it doesnt mean they havent gone through a struggle (unless there rich. rich people suck). But as long as they've had some kind of struggle, they probly got somethin to say. And i wanna hear it.

So my answer is:
YES, unless they dont respect Hip-Hop. If they dont respect Hip-Hop, i say NO.

PEACE

 

[1d3nt1tY]

and please, not too many country music mixes... that would kill me...


I don't want to hear the rap version of my tractor's sexy

 

[classic]

Lets face it

HIP HOP was started by black poor innercity youth. Its cool that people from differnt backgrounds are getting invloved. (im all for the love) But being one of those black innercity youths I can't see hip hop straying far from its roots. The ghetto will always influnce the direction and tone of hip hip

class.,.

 

[Cold Truth]

i dont want to hear "my tractors sexy", ever again, period.

whats wrong wit hstraying from its roots? why do people want everything to remain the same way forever? if yuo ask me, it already has strayed far from its roots, sound wise. it has strayed far marketing wise, productionwise, and lyrically. it has changed and transformed and become new and different versions of itself.

yeha, it did start as a poor innercity art form.. that doesnt mean it should stay there.

 

[AHXBEATS]

Ok.. you don't have to be from the hood, just don't front like you are.. As far as Paying dues, me personally, I don't repect anybody who doesn't know what it's like to be on the bottom. If your on top, good for you. But you'll never get my support, if the shit was just handed to you. You gotta live hip hop. It's a culture. C'mon that's like someone saying there a teacher, but never been to school. Yeah you can still teach someone, but you have know foundation for your information (lol.. That rhymed). You feel me.

X-RAY
"aka" Jewel Avenue OX

 

[classic]

whats wrong wit hstraying from its roots? why do people want everything to remain the same way forever?

sup Cold

im not saying hip hop cant branch out. But there is a limit to how far.
A perfect example is gospel music. Look how diverase it has got in the past couple of years. But the direction of gospel will always be dictated by the church. THe foundation will always be the prasisng of jesus christ. Feel me??

hip hop is the same way.
Hip hop can go world wide and I am happy to see it doing well. But black american inncer
city youth will always determine the direction of hip hop(just like the rest of pop culture). The hood will always be its foundation.


class...

P.s. sorry if i offend some people but this is just my opionon

 

[Manji]

wasn't mos def from the burbs?