"srsly poptimists need 1x CRASH COURSE in contemporary hip-hop"

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

(That's the Lex speaking)

1. Do we? Or "Do you?" I should say, since we're a loose clumping of individuals innit.

2. GO ON THEN! What's the best hip-hop you've heard this year?

Comments

NOW here's a question

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

When does something stop being RnB and start being Hip-hop?

Of the tracks you mention above, I absolutely love P Diddy & Keisha, and Eve's Tambourine - but I'd say they were RnB. Focus on music and vocal performance rather than lyrics/rapping/chopping up samples.

OK - first see my comment above about my personal reaction to lyrics. Now, an example: Lil'Mama's Lipgloss. VERY sparse arrangement, just drums, clapping and Lil'Mama herself talking (i.e. not singing) - because there's no music for me to judge the song by, I *have* to listen to the lyrics. And guess what, she's poppin'! And this draws attention to the repetition & the pace of her words. Is this rapping? Is it hip-hop? Almost certainly. There's a TERRIBLE part of my brain that does the calculations as follows:

Lil'Mama = pretty girl, good at dancing, talks about school, boys and fun
Lil'Mama = not an angry dude talking about money, guns, drvgs, cars or hos
Hence Lil'Mama = RnB, not hip-hop.

Re: NOW here's a question

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

r&b = singing
hip-hop = rapping

basically! I mean these days the two genres intertwine so much that on lots of r&b songs there's a guest rap, and a guest r&b chorus on hip-hop songs, but then I just mentally box it according to whoever the lead performer is. It really bugs me that LOADS of people insist on referring to Akon as a rapper - he does not rap! ever!

I guess 'Last Night' is probably more r&b as Keyshia dominates it despite being the guest. 'Tambourine' and 'Lip Gloss' are definitely hip-hop, there is no singing on either.

Re: NOW here's a question

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

also Lil' Mama is talking about "hos", just not in so many words! (where ho = female one does not like, as opposed to actual prostitute.) And she uses her lip gloss in the same way that older male rappers use guns and drugz ie as a status symbol, something that confers power and superiority on her.

Re: NOW here's a question

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Good answer! :)

Re: NOW here's a question

[koganbot]

Lil Mama is definitely hip-hop; so are the Eve and the Diddy. There are purists who'd argue against those tracks being hip-hop on the basis of their being too much fun, but these people would also argue against crunk and snap being hip-hop in favor of people like Talib Kweli. In any event, when Mariah did her duet with ODB in the early '90s, and TLC came along, that changed the game. Also, if you listen to southern hip-hop you'll here that it's not exactly shunning dancehall and Miami bass and techno and house in its sound. But then, hip-hop from the start was into using any sound it could get its hands on.

Re: NOW here's a question

[koganbot]

In other words, in answer to your question, don't be too concerned with dividing hip-hop from r&b or you'll be missing too much of the great action. "What's Luv" from '01 or so was a crucial track, a hug 'n' thug; it was credited to Fat Joe but Ashanti was just as crucial to the sound, and I can't make any sense of trying to divide it into either r&b or hip-hop. The "rhythmic" stations in the U.S. advertise themselves as "hip-hop/r&b."