buckshotstheone
10-11-2010, 04:50 PM
Today I look at how you can be the best rapper in the world lyrically but if no one knows you then you really ain't shit
http://www.reppghhiphop.com/2010/10/11/talent-does-not-equal-relevancy/
I frequently get into discussions with people about the hottest MCs out, the most talented artists, or any other way of defining what’s good hip hop and what’s bad (word up to that Waka Flocka album haha).
We all have our own personal tastes and while some are based on years of dedication to an artist’s entire catalog, other people just like what’s hot and could give a fuck less about the unreleased demo from 2004 with an extra verse on a later used track. Proving how good an artist is to someone who may not have the same standards for taste is a difficult task especially if you’re sifting through random freestyles looking for one hot line instead of having that go-to track that has universal appeal. Basically there’s a huge difference between being a talented MC, and being a relevant rapper, and in the end the latter always wins.
I like plenty of artists who the rap world for the most part doesn’t give a fuck about (http://www.cdn.urbanmusicdirect.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/memphis_bleek.jpg). Whether they choose to be underground or just haven’t been able to break through on a mainstream level, they’re still incredibly talented and clearly have the ability to entertain enough people that I’ve somehow stumbled upon their album somewhere and felt the need to check for anything new they drop, but that has nothing to do with their relevancy to hip hop in general. You can be the biggest Moka Only fan on the planet but you’re gonna have a hard time finding other Moka fans unless you go to his shows or hang out on some underground hip hop forum page. My boy Vega X got a dope ass album out right now with his group Guerrilla Alliance (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSMXpa1YRak) but I wouldn’t go off talking about how out of all the releases this year that their album is the pinnacle of hip hop, imma tell you that the Roots got it, or Big Boi, or hopefully Kanye. But that’s not to say an album like “Revolutions Per Minute” isn’t a solid release, it’s just that Talib Kweli is never gonna have a commercial smash (again) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WEqr1zDq5s) like Fabolous consistently does.
Far too many hip hop fanboys are such dickriders of their favorite artists that when the discussion of who the best MCs in hip hop right now comes up they are always listing off people who most rap fans haven’t heard much from and who a general survey would show most people haven’t even heard of, yet these clowns will defend them like they are the best rapper to ever touch the mic (pause) and sometimes will get highly offended if you try to tell them that Fabolous, right now, is better than Lupe Fiasco, because Fabolous actually drops albums where as Lupe just talks about how awesome he is and has his boys bitch slap the white dude (http://goodmusicalconditions.blogspot.com/2010/05/rumors-around-academy-lupe-fiasco-gets.html) from 2DopeBoyz (http://www.2dopeboyz.com/).
It’s not wrong to say that some rappers are more talented than others, but talent doesn’t just come from lyrics, it comes from making music that appeals to a wide audience. It comes from being able to make songs with hooks and 16s instead of just rapping for as long as you feel like to the point where I’ve stopped paying attention cause you needed a break for a hook like 22 bars ago. So when I say T.I. is better than Cymarshall Law it’s not necessarily because T.I. is better lyrically, it’s because some of you just saw that name for the first time and are like “who?” I’m not saying a rapper is better because they’re famous, but taking into account everything that matters with regard to an MC, talent means nothing if there is no one there to hear it.
So when the discussion comes up about who the top rappers are, relevancy is always key, and so there’s no need to get offended if MC Underground Punchline Extraordinaire (Papoose, who’s #milkcartonstatus again btw) doesn’t make the list because at the end of the day homeboy is forgettable, and all the hot freestyles in the world can’t make a solid album that we can hold up with the other classics of today, so either understand the conversation you’re in, or go back to the wall at some 30 person show and act like you know everything, cause then you’ll be as relevant to hip hop as your favorite rapper.
http://www.reppghhiphop.com/2010/10/11/talent-does-not-equal-relevancy/
I frequently get into discussions with people about the hottest MCs out, the most talented artists, or any other way of defining what’s good hip hop and what’s bad (word up to that Waka Flocka album haha).
We all have our own personal tastes and while some are based on years of dedication to an artist’s entire catalog, other people just like what’s hot and could give a fuck less about the unreleased demo from 2004 with an extra verse on a later used track. Proving how good an artist is to someone who may not have the same standards for taste is a difficult task especially if you’re sifting through random freestyles looking for one hot line instead of having that go-to track that has universal appeal. Basically there’s a huge difference between being a talented MC, and being a relevant rapper, and in the end the latter always wins.
I like plenty of artists who the rap world for the most part doesn’t give a fuck about (http://www.cdn.urbanmusicdirect.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/memphis_bleek.jpg). Whether they choose to be underground or just haven’t been able to break through on a mainstream level, they’re still incredibly talented and clearly have the ability to entertain enough people that I’ve somehow stumbled upon their album somewhere and felt the need to check for anything new they drop, but that has nothing to do with their relevancy to hip hop in general. You can be the biggest Moka Only fan on the planet but you’re gonna have a hard time finding other Moka fans unless you go to his shows or hang out on some underground hip hop forum page. My boy Vega X got a dope ass album out right now with his group Guerrilla Alliance (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSMXpa1YRak) but I wouldn’t go off talking about how out of all the releases this year that their album is the pinnacle of hip hop, imma tell you that the Roots got it, or Big Boi, or hopefully Kanye. But that’s not to say an album like “Revolutions Per Minute” isn’t a solid release, it’s just that Talib Kweli is never gonna have a commercial smash (again) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WEqr1zDq5s) like Fabolous consistently does.
Far too many hip hop fanboys are such dickriders of their favorite artists that when the discussion of who the best MCs in hip hop right now comes up they are always listing off people who most rap fans haven’t heard much from and who a general survey would show most people haven’t even heard of, yet these clowns will defend them like they are the best rapper to ever touch the mic (pause) and sometimes will get highly offended if you try to tell them that Fabolous, right now, is better than Lupe Fiasco, because Fabolous actually drops albums where as Lupe just talks about how awesome he is and has his boys bitch slap the white dude (http://goodmusicalconditions.blogspot.com/2010/05/rumors-around-academy-lupe-fiasco-gets.html) from 2DopeBoyz (http://www.2dopeboyz.com/).
It’s not wrong to say that some rappers are more talented than others, but talent doesn’t just come from lyrics, it comes from making music that appeals to a wide audience. It comes from being able to make songs with hooks and 16s instead of just rapping for as long as you feel like to the point where I’ve stopped paying attention cause you needed a break for a hook like 22 bars ago. So when I say T.I. is better than Cymarshall Law it’s not necessarily because T.I. is better lyrically, it’s because some of you just saw that name for the first time and are like “who?” I’m not saying a rapper is better because they’re famous, but taking into account everything that matters with regard to an MC, talent means nothing if there is no one there to hear it.
So when the discussion comes up about who the top rappers are, relevancy is always key, and so there’s no need to get offended if MC Underground Punchline Extraordinaire (Papoose, who’s #milkcartonstatus again btw) doesn’t make the list because at the end of the day homeboy is forgettable, and all the hot freestyles in the world can’t make a solid album that we can hold up with the other classics of today, so either understand the conversation you’re in, or go back to the wall at some 30 person show and act like you know everything, cause then you’ll be as relevant to hip hop as your favorite rapper.