posted 03-03-2003 05:53 PM              

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These are the big ones that come to mind, but if you want to add more to the list, be my guest. If you can list any 'gangsta' rapper, you get bonus points. Paraparappa doesn't count.

Queen Latifah
LL Cool J
Coolio
Ice Cube
Ice-T
Eminem

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posted 03-03-2003 10:14 PM              

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I don't get it, who is supposed to be added to the list. is this a list of good rappers, responsible, over-hyped? I'm trying to find similarities between the list presented so I can figure it out myself, but it's not working. Please elaborate

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posted 03-03-2003 10:51 PM              

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aka frustrated brotha..
never mind, already answered in the titled
I think there's a difference between selling out + faking it, or milking a dead cow. Getting popular + takin it places wouldn't constitute sellin out to me, but here are my votes.
Queen Latifah-good pioneer, happened to have success spurn off of career. These newest attempts at trax, not quite selling out, more following the pack, and not being able to hang with this new age thug-hop.
LL Cool J- another pioneer, publicly acknowledges he's not in control, stated in interviews that the artist works for the label not the other way around, they tell him (and everybody else) what to do, ... that he was made to do his wannabe thuggishness for a while or they wouldn't sign him, said they won't let him just rhyme about being the phattest mc(old-school style). Only stuff he can still do that's him is that mushy ass I need Love type of shehite. Worked back in the day but I'm tired of seeing him lickin his lips at the camera. Let him battle mc, that's what he's good at. But that's not the current fad so marketers don't think it'll sell, doesn't fit into their gameplan
Coolio- has no business whatsoever in the rap community. Can't put him on the list either, can't sell out if you never had the goods. he was a pawn from day one.
Ice Cube+Ice T- Still can't say sell-outs, just old-timers hanging on to old glory, and what works. Neither is thuggin, too busy makin movies, maybe waaaaay back in the day, but not anymore, richer than a monstasucka(watch tv edits of r-rated movies, hilarious). They're just trying the same ol formula that worked in the past, milkin' a dead cow.
Eminem- Can't call him a sellout either, he came in with good rhyme skills, always talked about garbage, still does, just very talented at doing so. Haven't seen any rhyming childrens books come out of him yet, then I'd put him on the list.
The main ones I'd call sellouts are the new ones (post '94 approx) that still push the thug crap, knowing what it does, and still doing it anyway. Especially lil kim and all the other new girl mc's reading male mc lyrics, just shakin their ass for the videos. Once Big Music figured this thug-hop could make big money, they just found artists who could fit in that pattern, that's where you get the irresponsible, dmx's, chump-daddy/diddy, all that b.s. For a while Big Music's idea was to push hip-hop in the goth direction, like the gravediggas, etc.. Just didn't fly very far, not too many "urbanites" ready to put on face paint and chill in cemetaries like them crazy devil worshipping munchacrunchas. Remember after Das Efx came out with their innovative sound, every artist for the next 2 years had bum-stickity, wiggidy diggidy in their trax. Even though Das didn't get pushed much after.
These current styles are developed and planned to make money, they aren't developing naturally. Marketers aren't innovators, they follow patterns that they see have worked in the past..translation: they copy what was done + make the new artists follow the old mold to make money in a predictable fashion. This new crap is all branched off of NWA stuff, the well just hasn't run dry yet. Morphed a lil w/ Wu-tang, but still the same family.

Oh sorry, back to the list, just about anybody that emerged after '95 that you hear on the radio gets put on my sellout list. The ones claiming they thuggish. Radios get paid to play certain trax. It's why you always hear the same stuff. Wanna hear artists, + underground talent, gotta get the DJ underground mixtapes, it's the ONLY way. Sorry I can't even name the new ones that would be on my list, don't even pay attention anymore, it's all the same old spit.

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