Message Oriented Rap & Hip-Hop

[Soot and Stars]

Hip-Hop at it's best is something that's always been message oriented. It's one of the most socially conscious, at times politically driven, journey inside the psyche of the artist, message driven with a purpose genres since perhaps the 60's. Ever since "The Message" came out by Grandmaster Flash came out rap had a purpose aside from the boogety beats on the dance floor. Rap battles are linked to the Dark Ages according to recent accounts of what is called Flyting so it may be ingrained deeper into world culture than we realize. Like top 40 Rock though serious message driven Rap was doomed to be watered down for the masses back to it's beats and became for of a glamour and riches staples. Perhaps like the grim reality of Kurt's suicide for rock the realism of two famous rappers dying changed the world's desires for the realities of street life and ghetto culture. Just like wild frontman throughout rock 2Pacs attitude and freewheeling lifestyle got him into trouble where life imitated art. Still his work like many other rap artist were cautionary tales and displayed a dichotomy of good and evil within one person. Tales of appreciating family during rough childhoods and opening up to how woman were treated in his own culture were very aware and showed a sentimentality burrowed deep inside an expansive world of seedy urban life and "do what it takes" survival mentality. The last rap artist to really create many of these elements for the masses and succeed was Eminem showing that a Caucasian could also reach out to the disenfranchised. Eminem's struggles with his own family, his girlfriend and mother of his child told about things many could relate to albeit in the darkest realms of his mind. Still it was honest and that's what Rap and Hip-Hop has been missing. In the past decade right up until now there's been new talent being birthed to write like poets and examine both the world society around them and the deepest pockets of their minds. It's becoming a good time for the genre. Here I offer for the small pocket of Rap and Hip-Hop fans new or old to post their most relevant tracks in which their was a strong message involved!​

 

[Soot and Stars]

This is one of my current obsessions in Hip-Hop. He's been buzzing under for quite a long time now. He reminds me of Eminem in his manic vocal approach with a sense of humor that borders on an insane cartoon character. He raps without a filter about many different subjects and like the BEST of rappers takes everything to task including himself. He may be too crazy to ever get over as he seems to go his own path and switch gears at the risk of career sabotage. Any artist who delivers a whole one two punch slamming the modern generation viciously and doing it in a way too close to home won't be earning their pocket change no matter how well aimed. These two tracks though, one of the aforementioned, are part of his Ill Mind series. The most recent, Ill Mind of Hopsin 7, takes one of the most powerful stabs at religion and struggles with faith and God I've ever seen. Seriously, you watch and listen to this and you feel like you are experiencing the real struggle like it's theatre and not just music. It's real and that's what Hopsin brings that not just rap but music has been missing largely in the popular conscience.

The Ill Mind of Hopsin 5


The Ill Mind of Hopsin 7
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