I grew up during an
era where artists, and fans alike placed a premium on lyrical content. An artist who did not possess lyrical
prowess, confidence, and a certain level of authenticity did not stand a
chance in being respected. Note: I did not
say that he or she could not sell records.
During this golden era, the likes of the Notorious B.I.G., Nasir Jones,
Jay-Z, Tupac Shakur, Big Pun, Big L, Mos Def, Dead Prez, OutKast, and many
others were assaulting tracks and raising the lyrical bar. Sadly, during the mid-2000s, artists realized
that having a great hook, or great production was enough to guarantee, or at
least, provide a fighting chance at commercial success. This "dumbing down" of the culture caused many
people to proclaim that “hip hop was dead.”
But, as of late, I have noticed a resurgence of bars and real hip hop. Specifically, during the first quarter 2017, some
of my favorite emcees have been hard at work.
Cyhi
the Prynce
Cyhi is a super
talented emcee.
If you have not listened to him, do yourself a favor and listen to his
mixtape series titled Black Hystori Month.
He kind of reminds me of a southern Royce Da 5’9”. If you know anything about hip hop, you will
recognize the kind of compliment I am paying this brother. He has been around for a few years, but has
not dropped a solo album yet (sounds a lot like Jay Electronica, SMH). A few weeks ago, he released a new track
titled “Nu Africa,” which gives me some hope that he actually plans to give us
a full studio album this year. This song
is creative and he provides interesting food for thought to the masses. To my surprise, he even released a video
along with the song to appease us old head hip hop fans.
Rick
Ross
Rick Ross is likely not
a person you think about when you think about bars. However, when I think about consistency, at
least during the last ten years, you will be hard pressed to find a more consistent artist. Almost like clockwork, when Ross
releases an album, you can count on: (1) great production; (2) solid lyrical
content (although not on par with Kendrick or Cyhi); and (3) a well-organized project. In my opinion, his latest project, Rather You Than Me, is one of his most complete
projects to date. And, it is the best
hip hop album I have heard during this New Year. Of the many standout tracks, I really like Apple of My Eye, Santorini Greece, and the Game
Ain’t Based on Sympathy. If you have
not picked up this album, you need to do so ASAP.
K.Dot
Kendrick Lamar is one
of the best emcees in the game. His
first album, Good Kid Maad City, is a classic.
That said, it is very hard to follow-up a classic album with another
classic. And, I can honestly say that
Kendrick did not do so. However, he is
still one of my favorite newer artists.
He has an amazing flow, great lyrical content, and impeccable delivery. Also, to boot, everything I have heard about
him suggests that he is authentic and very humble. Recently, he released two singles that have hip
hop heads going crazy. The first track
is titled “The Heart Part 4,” and is
widely considered to be a jab at Big Sean.
This song is dope and I appreciate him pushing other artists to be
competitive--kind of like he did with the song Control. He followed that release
up with another song titled, “Humble,”
which is also very good. I believe his
album is set to be released on April 7, 2017, and I am excited to see what he has to offer.
Peace
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