Ill Mind of Hopsin

Marcus Hopson, better known as Hopsin, is one of the better lyricists of our generation of rappers.   After starting his own record label he burst onto the scene with his series of songs known as "Ill Mind of Hopsin," most of which describe his opinions on certain aspects of life. His best song is Ill Mind of Hopsin 5, a song I definitely think is worth listening to. He mentions how the current generation of kids is so obsessed with using drugs and alcohol and having sex that they have lost their grasp on what really matters. The beat is well produced and Hopsin is spitting about real issues with our current generation. The other Ill Minds sound similar and he never fails to hit right on impending social flaws. He is definitely worth a listen and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to hear good rap music. 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=hRVOOwFNp5U

G.O.O.D. Rap

So it's apparent that the meaning of good rap/hip-hop music is ambiguous.  Here's what I think good rap music should contain: catchy hook, thoughtful rhyming, intelligent lyrics, and a beat that won't make the listener fall into a deep sleep. Here's what a lot of "rap" is nowadays: annoyingly repetitive lyrics with a somewhat catchy hook that eventually makes your ears bleed because of it's overuse, and lyrics that a 10 year old could understand. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of good modern rappers who still make great music, some of which include Childish Gambino, Chance the Rapper (this dude is the next big thing), Kendrick Lamar (yeah), Hopsin, and occasionally Drake (although plenty of his songs are meant for swagfags with emotional issues). And then of course there are the legends who will always be the kings of rap like Tupac, Biggie, Eminem, Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, and the old Kanye.  Now this list contains 11 rappers, all of which had/have some serious talent in either producing and/or rapping, but there are countless other "rappers" who are popular for being catchy but whose music is neither dense nor meaningful. In other words these artists will not leave a legacy behind them. Rappers like this include 2 Chainz, Juicy J, Lil Wayne, Trinidad James, and plenty others that I can't think of at the moment. Without them though we would not be able to determine whether or not a song or artist has some quality. Contrary to popular belief I don't think rap is currently facing a depression, I think it's a time where new rappers are starting to make names for themselves.  

Preconceptions

You're lying if you say you've never had a preconception about anything. The world is made up of preconceptions, depending on which region of the world you're from. Anyone who has not been to Texas and stayed for an extended amount of time has a preconception that we all ride horses, have super strong southern accents, and say "y'all" all the time (the latter being somewhat true with all southern states).  People who have never been to Italy think they all love pizza and spaghetti, and talk in the typical "Italian mobster" accent. In reality, preconceptions can be true, but the majority of them are exaggerated due to exposure of media that heightens the stereotypes. A lot of people have not been to Italy or Texas, so they have no way of knowing whether or not the stereotypes they were presented are credible, therefore they assume the preconceptions are true. 

Drake

Drakes new album "Nothing Was the Same" recently leaked about a week before it's official release date. Being a moderate Drake fan I had to check it out, and I actually really enjoyed it. My favorite songs are Wu-Tang Forever, All Me, and Furthest Thing. His voice sounds as good as always, and whoever produced it knew what they were doing. By far I think this was Drake's best album where he sings the majority of the time. His melodies are beautiful. Him and The Weeknd have the best voices in hip-hop in my opinion. 

Chance the Rapper

One of the most intelligent, fluid, relevant rappers of 2013 is the not-so-up-and-coming rapper, Chance the Rapper. He burst onto the rap scene with his 2nd mixtape "Acid Rap," where he is known to have been on LSD while recording about 40% of the songs. The entire mixtape is amazing. Chance's lyrics are some of the most clever lyrics I've heard since Eminem.  Some might find him to be a bit of an acquired taste, but in my opinion he is the best rapper under 24 years old, and has a very very bright future. It's always kinda cool that he was trippin on acid while recording awesome music. 

youtube.com/watch?v=QRv2_zAPrhc

The Beatles

Although I had previously said I'm not a huge fan of older music, I actually did enjoy listening to The Beatles' first album.   Paul is very easy and enjoyable to listen to. My favorite song was probably the last one, Scream and Shout, mainly because it the most upbeat song on the album and John definitely killed it.  I feel like the length also made it more enjoyable, there wasn't much repetition of lyrics or spaces without vocals (both of which are wildly popular in modern mainstream music). I came in to class today thinking I would be dreading listening to The Beatles, but left feeling like I wanted to listen to more of them. 

The Weeknd (yes that's how you spell it)

One of the artists I have recently started listening to is The Weeknd. He's sort of a mix between Pharrell and a pre-pubescent boy, with a voice similar to an angel. Most of his popularity has come from featuring in songs with popular artists including Drake, Juicy J, and Wiz Khalifa, but has come out with a couple of solo albums. If he ever comes to Austin, and I'm not aware that he is anytime soon, his show is definitely something I'd want to attend. A lot of his songs sound similar, but with the voice close to that of an angel, it's definitely not something to complain about. 

youtube.com/watch?v=tfrWuiQ4QNc

youtube.com/watch?v=O1OTWCd40bc

Elvis

As a 90s kid, I wasn't exposed to Elvis very often, unlike my parents who grew up listening to the rock legend. Because of how highly my parents talked of Mr. Presley, I always had respect for him, without knowing why. Like I mentioned in one of my other blogs I don't particularly enjoy listening to music from back in Elvis' day. It's most likely because of my inability to grasp the historical context of Elvis' accomplishments, or the outdated feel I get when listening to him. Personally, I respect Elvis as a recording artist but not as a role model. He was known for his drug use and with the popularity equivalent to Justin Bieber he wasn't an ideal person to look up to.  All in all Elvis Presley made a huge impact on music, and for that he should be known as one of the most influential rock legends ever.