What's your favorite song out right now, think long are hard about it, you got it, ok, now fast-foward a few months into the future, hell, even a month into the future. will that still be your favorite song, would it even be a song you play?
The biggest problem with Hip-Hop & R&B music now a days is that nothing is timeless, if fact, everything is as forgettable as it ever was...
It seems that the industry is a fast food restaurant, you place your order, so what do you feel like eating? A Southern Feast, a Northern Entrée, or how about West Coast Meal. When you get your order its looks great, you eat and it taste good and then a couple hours later, your hungry again.
What happen to ambiance of restaurant music, the meals you would sit down and enjoy, the one that you'd tell your friends about and would remember for years to come?
Think Post-Black Black Album Era, 2005, (probably the last classic album in hip-hop) nothing has come out that quite captured your heart in a way that that album did and previous ones before.
What was the last R&B classic? this is even more difficult depending on your preference, but in my opinion it would be Ne-Yo In My Own Words (2006) and since then everything has been elevator music.
now don't get me wrong, there has been great music made past these time periods (Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor, Corinne Bailey Rae "Self-titled" (if you wanna count that) but my definition of classic is somewhat strict, I want it to be unforgettable, so sadly I'll leave those out
So now, what are we left with??? A bunch of artist and music which may be good for the time being, but completely irrelevant by the time our kids come around.
I remember when my parents use to play Michael Jackson & The Isley Brothers, and my older brothers played Biggie, Tupac, Nas, Jay-Z, Lauryn Hill, Mary J.....now its my turn, what do I have to offer to my younger youth.
T.I., Jeezy, Kanye, Nas, Jay-Z, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Lauryn Hill, who are all great but have all past their primes a bit and some who technically aren't even my era, we kinda stole them, so were left with? Lupe Fiasco, Lil Wayne, Drake, Beyonce, Keri Hilson, Ne-Yo, The Dream, Gucci Mane & Trey Songz. I like SOME of these artist ALOT, but look at the list, does it really compare?
But I think Drake said it the best in one of his songs "Do you do it to make a profit or do it to make a difference" Its a great question to ask? why do people make music now a days? What’s they're agenda? Do they even care if they're remembered or is it simply for revenue.
They might not care but sadly I do, so I guess I'll be the guy at the party who has no gift of his own to give, so he just signs his name on the birthday card of someone elses present, and hopefully they think it was my gift too
