wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Comments

• [1] James from new york March 25, 2008 - 12:10PM

  As long as Del's around Hip Hop is just fine.

  
  
• [2] B.C. from Bronx March 25, 2008 - 12:33PM

  As rap and hip-hop culture became more commercially viable, I always told my friends that rap music will become this decade's version of rock during the 1970s and 80s.

  In the 1970s, "corporate" rock came to symbolize major labels taking all the thill and excitement out of the burgeoning rock scene. And when the L.A. metal scene started to rise during the 1980s, the major labels and MTV capitalized by making a mockery of the music and taking out the teenage angst which made rock "rebel music".

  Same with today's rap. It's essentially homogenized and lacks excitement. There's a great underground scene which record companies claim isn't commercially viable.

  Rap is not dead. It's top 40 rap and it's ringtone, psudeo-urban artists that are dying.

  
  
• [3] Mr. T from Hollywood, CA March 25, 2008 - 01:52PM

  The real golden age of rap was in the early 90s - A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Brand Nubian, Digable Planets, etc. It's been mostly downhill ever since...

  
  
• [4] Paul from NYC March 25, 2008 - 02:04PM

  The commercialized, sold-out to the principles of original Hip Hop version referred to as Hip Pop may be waning in commercial popularity. Make no mistake. Hip Pop is but an evolved child of the movement of Hip Hop.

  Hip Hop however remains alive and well in the underground world. When something becomes "mainstream" and when money is the driving force creativity and a commitment to the principles of its inspirational beginnings suffers.

  I guess it raises the question of how successful Hip Hop has been?

  
  
• [5] John from Bklyn March 25, 2008 - 02:07PM

  Kelefa Sanneh continually wastes ink on and apologizes for the worst of current gangsta/bling obsessed hip-hop. The scene isn't dead—it never has been and never will be. The Times and The new Yorker are mainstream. If you want interesting, thoughtful stuff, you have to dig deeper.

  And what ever happened to humor in hip-hop?!

  
  
• [6] birder from brooklyn March 25, 2008 - 02:13PM

  i agree with everything he's said. i listened to hip hop non stop for years but it got so boring. everything sounded the same. then you had all the mf dooms making stuff that was barely music. i went back to heavy metal. thats where its at these day for me. take a look at what bands like mastadon are doing. although i thnk i'll get the del record today.

  
  
• [7] Rick from Brooklyn March 25, 2008 - 02:29PM

  Speaking of the music industry and the conventions of Hip Hop remind me of the Ani DiFranco lyrics:

  and the music industry mafia is pimping girl power

  sniping off sharp-shooter singles from their styrofoam towers,

  and hip-hop is tied up in the back room with a logo stuffed in its mouth

  cause the master's tools will never dismantle the master's house

  
  
• [8] lynda from new york, ny March 25, 2008 - 02:35PM

  (1)

  K. S. is a personable fellow but he is just a music critic. You should interview more musicians.

  (2)

  As for the death of hip hop, you can apply that same thinking to the death of rock, rap, classical, country.

  (3)

  Kayne West is boring.

  Hancock deserved the Grammy.

  (4)

  hip hop is not dead...It’s a cultural phenomena like all art created by Black people. It is duplicated, and enjoyed across the globe.

  (5)

  What is dead are the out of touch RECORD COMPANIES. Which is what your program should be on...maybe later?

  Also please note the other member of UGK died of sleep apnea when he was found dead in his hotel room....

  
  
• [9] a. hammagaadji from new york March 25, 2008 - 02:43PM

  As a 47 year old African male not of the "hip hop generation" and living in this country for most of my life, this programme confirms my alienation from this form and the people around it. I can not abide it and I do not care if it is performed in Hindi, Wolof, Zulu, Mandarin, Saami, Basque, Cree or Esperanto. Moreover, this globalization does nothing to foster real solidarity. The history has been of other people appropriating African American cultural inventions but still looking at them through the lens of white Americans ie as n*****s. And so it continues with this hip hop.

  
  
• [10] slept from brooklyn March 25, 2008 - 02:57PM

  "Not to underground to make you stop when you mingle"

  Buckshot / Blackmoon 1993..

  and since then the masses haven't gotten any smarter, the A and R's any less brainless..

  Hip hop made its departure from the mainstream in roughly 96 -97.. And has surrived quite fine since,,

  its a life style of creativity.. and has nothing to do with money, and as soon as it does, you have nothing to do with hip hop.. Kanye, nothing.. little who? nothing.. rap yes, hiphop no.. As long as we pass the real foundation and ideas of this culture to our kids, well it doesnt really concern us..

  
  
• [11] slept from brooklyn March 25, 2008 - 03:03PM

  (4)

  hip hop is not dead...It’s a cultural phenomena like all art created by Black people. It is duplicated, and enjoyed across the globe.

  im sure you were just making a blanket statement, cus if you were there, you would know, puerto ricans, whites, asian, and blacks ran together.. wrote on trains, battled and lived.. and created this, so when ever the avant garde creates something its duplicated and sold..

  peace..