One of the lines used by Joe Budden is “All the content’s the same, it won’t differ/everybody sold some drugs or pulled triggers,” which directly relates to the quote we used to open this post. Throughout the past 15 years or so, even if you weren't considered a "gangsta rapper," almost every artist has felt like they had to at least include this gangsta bravado in order to garner recognition. No matter who you were or what you represented, you still had to let people know that you the "heart" to kill somebody. You still had to tell people how much "weight" you were carrying. This feeling that it's necessary to have this image has really poisoned the music and made everybody sound the same. However, another problem arises when artists don't try to to just sound like others, but continue to re-create their own success. 

Budden also says “These blatant a** radio attempts sound so bland/Twista kept tryin' to recreate ‘Slow Jamz’.” I don't want this to be a knock on Twista at all, but so often artists are scared of not receiving the same recognition as they had with previous songs, so instead of trying to reinvent themselves and experimenting with the music, we hear the same style over and over again, which makes both the artists and the music boring. The reason I respect Kanye West so much is because he pushes the envelope. He isn't afraid to have fun and experiment with different styles, sounds, artists, even visuals. If we can get back to having fun with the music, then we would see a lot more greatness coming out in the music.

Finally, when Joey says “They can’t think we’re really deep/I just heard Chris Brown on the ‘A Milli’ beat,” shows just how much creativity we have lost. The fact that so man R&B artists (because Chris Brown isn't the only one) think that they can now rap means that the complexity and creativity has been lost. It means that rapping is so EASY now, that anybody can do it! It's really disappointing that it has come to this, but unfortunately it is a situation that we have to do deal with, and until we get back to MCing, we will continue to have it.

The complexity, creativity, and originality haven't necessarily been lost, but it surely has diminished. Until artists start getting back to making the music they want to make instead of what the mainstream accepts (which is what made it mainstream in the first place), not too much will change. 

What are your thoughts on the originality (or lack thereof) in hip hop? Are we starting to see more of it?  Will we continue to see less of it? Leave your comments and thoughts and of course you can e-mail at straightouttahiphop@gmail.com. 

Peace.