hip-hop Curbain

Pretty Ricky circa 1980-something

I spent some time with an industry vet the other day who gave me an interesting take on the current state of Hip-Hop.
He said that Hip-Hop is currently in its hair band stage. T&A with no real value on innovation or content. Party. Enjoy yourself and move on.

Now this wasn’t some big mouth blogger with no chops or some Hip-Hop Nazi with a chip on his/her shoulder. This was a real dude who is responsible for classics from the golden age, the most bubble gum pop you can imagine, and in some small way the Pussycat Dolls. I am not going to blow him up but if you know me and follow those hints it ain’t that hard to figure out.

Anyway, I thought he made a good point. No matter how you cut it we can all agree that no one is out here is trying to be the next Rakim. Crime Mob are no cultural innovators. It’s probably not anywhere on their agenda. Getting paid is first, second and last. Now in each era in hip-hop you can find the blood thirsty capitalist, for sure. And even your favorite underground artist on some level is dying to floss. But what we are seeing is relatively unprecedented. What we are seeing is Hip-Hop’s version of Whitesnake, Poison, Motley Crue, and Cinderella.

From wikipedia - you make the call:
Generally, glam metal has hedonistic lyrics, often focuses on sex, alcohol, and drugs. Many glam metal performers became infamous for their debauched lifestyles, long, teased hair (hence the alternative hair metal tag) and use of make-up, gaudy clothing (chiefly consisting of tight denim jeans, spandex, leather and headbands), and accessories
The visual aspects of some glam metal bands became thought of as appealing to music television, particularly MTV when it was launched. During the mid-to-late 1980s, glam metal tracks were in heavy rotation on the channel.

Lose the tight denim jeans and spandex and there you have it.

What also strikes me is these hyper masculine figures in both genres with these feminine characteristics that defy their macho image. Spandex and hair spray then, giant women’s earrings and purple furs now.

But old farts (like me) take solace. Our Kurt Cobain is coming. The Hip-Hop equivalent of Grunge is bubbling somewhere in the South Bronx, or Raleigh or Tulsa. If I have learned anything as that as Q-Tip said “Daddy, don’t you know things go in cycles. Bobby Brown is amping like Michael.”



More from wiki, wiki, wiki:
In the early 1990s glam metal's popularity rapidly declined after over a decade of success…Bands who were termed "grunge" such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains (who, ironically, started as a glam metal band) started supplanting glam metal's popularity in 1992. As grunge grew to greater success, many glam metal bands discovered that their labels were no longer supportive. Many major labels felt they had been caught off-guard by the somewhat surprise success of Nirvana's Nevermind, and had begun turning over their personnel in favor of younger staffers more versed in "alternative" music.