The Roots are absolutely a good example of a group I would call hip-hop. The Black-Eyed Peas have always seemed like a hybrid of dance and hip-hop/rap to me more than straight up rap/hip-hop.

Then a group like Gnarles Barkley or OutKast comes in and combines everything and no ones sure what’s up or down anymore. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. In fact, it’s great. Mixing and playing with genres is what made David Bowie so great. It’s what made Beck the Bowie of our times, and it’s what keeps many artists fresh.

And yes, the flashy is mostly mainstream, but even some of the current mainstream flashy were once alternative and indie rappers. The best example here is the Black Eyed Peas. For those that do not know, they had two (pretty good) albums before Elephunk hit big and everyone was singing “Where is the love? (feat. Justin Timberlake)”. Now they were never a serrious group; it’s not like they were singing about how there are people on welfare or anything, but they were never the “lets sing about slapping hos and doing drugs” rappers either. They just made fun dance songs. At least not until Fergie joined the group and they released Elephunk. Then they embrased the mainstream and the flashy-ness. They recorded “Let’s get retarded” and {shudder} “My humps”. It’s almost like their whole sound changed when they went flashy. This is a shining example of an indie group going flashy, but is this the way it always is?

You’re absolutely right about Jay-Z, and I didn’t mean to suggest that all rap is meant to be danced to at a club. What I should’ve said is that a lot of mainstream rap/hip-hop — particularly since 2000 — seems to have that aim. Jay-Z has always been good at combining the two, as you say. Still, this album is less dance-party friendly than his others, I think.

“But this isn’t Rolling Stone, and I’m not about to give 4 stars to any album from any veteran of any genre only because they’re a veteran.”

Thank God. And thank God this isn’t pitchfork and you do the complete opposite and give a 4.5 (out of 10) to any album from any veteran of any genre only because they’re a veteran.

“More than anything, rap of 2000 and beyond is all about being flashy. The drug-dealing, crime committing lifestyle is still there, but it’s not the focus anymore. Lately it’s all about the women, the cars, the watches, the champagne that come as a result (Clipse anyone? Oh, I’ll get to them). Rap has been as much about partying and dancing as dance music.”

I was trying to think of an example to use to prove you wrong here, but I keep on contradicting myself. But I think I’ve got something: Not all rap post-2000 is about being flashy, or the women, the cars, the watches, etc. Post-2000 we’ve had a rise (at least to a certain extent) in the alternative rap scene. Artists like Jurassic 5, The Roots, Mike Skinner/The Streets (I call him rap), Dizzee Rascall (however it’s spelt), etc etc have downplayed those elements (the spoils of the genre if you will) and taken radically different approaches, showing political sides, urban problems and offering profound opinions on topics not often seen in rap. In fact, these artists are harping back to some of raps important pioneers, specifically Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, who used the genre to showcase the problems of the black communities. Now of course, this has gotten tainted as well, as the flashy performers took on these issues. Nas, Kanye, Jay-Z, Eminem, etc. (And here’s where I contradict myself and agree with you) These performers didnt always rap about partying, instead offered the more serious topics, but skewed them with their own flashly elements. Kanye West talked about Jesus and how he’s absent from rap songs, and that he cant get commercial success from rapping about him, yet aside from subject matter, Kanye did absolutly nothing different than Puffy. No one has made Jesus more flashy than Kanye West.

And Im pretty sure I’ve just invalidated my own point again. Look what happens when I just go rambling on. Taylor, this is why you were such a great editor: if I submitted this to you, it would somehow magically end up coherent by the following Thursday.

“This isn’t music to play in the background at a club, this is music to listen to. It may not be his forte, and it may not be what rap is supposed to be all about.”

Jay Z has always had a ballance between music made to be listened to and music for the clubs. While “Dirt off your shoulders” would be a great dance hit, “99 Problems” would be the most important and personal song of the year. It is one of his fortes; Or rather, it was.

And as I rambled on about before, rap has always had that personal and and important aspect the was meant more for the analysising than dancing. From “The Message” and “White Lines” to “Stan”. Rap has proven to be just as versitile a genre as rock and soul before it.

“dear rappers, stop with the fucking skits already. love, Taylor T-Sides.”

Here Here! Honestly, they’re just stupid and childish now. “The College Dropout” and “Behind the Front” are two of my favorite rap albums and I always have to skip ahead when ever a skit comes on. They’re not clever, they’re just bad.

This has been another installment of Billy making no sense at 3 in the morning. I hope you all enjoyed it.