Ten Ways to Save Hip-Hop: Common

I love rap, but I do agree with you. I relize how much of an influence it is, because it was A influence when I was younger. I listened to old school and underground New Orleans Rap, along with B.G. and lil wayne after lil wayne left Cash Money Records.
Now, I strongly believe that the Rap music is almost taking over Hip/Hop trying to show our Generation what "cool" really is, and by listening to it more as time passes the more it will play, which leads to a critical, persuasive choice of music for the young one's to be listening to.
Over 4 decades ago Gangsta Rap was rapped and reconized by Eazy-E, Snoop Dog, and w/ Dr. Dre is. In the rap music there was a lot of fighting over territory and who is more real. People loved it, and it pursued by many talented rap artist's, turned out to be a "Hit" for A reason, but not knowing how much of an impact it unraveled to be. Is gangsta rap going to take over Hip/Hop?? I hope Studio gansta's with there amazing flow arn't going to ruin many youngster's. Rapping about Sex, Drugs, and Money and letting it be playing repeatedly on the radio is uncalled for. There not even doing half of what their rapping, they are saying what "we" want to hear "Studio Gangsters". We are letting Generations of kids thriving for knowlege and growth to be brainwashed that acting and thinking in such was is okay.... Lately on the radio being playing has been more rap songs than ever. Studio gangster's are getting paid HUGE by singing, but are over doing it and training young people these unethical ways of life.
The Generation below us is going to be strongly influenced if we don't change some of what is aloud to be heard on the radio. Drugs, Money, and Sex is not going to get us that far in life independently if thats what everybody starts going by...

yeah i stopped listening to Rap or Hip Hop in 2006 it used to be the only thing listened to but now i listen To Spanish Electro Rock, and Chicano Rap.

Hip Hop used to mean something now its just something people listen to , to be like the rest, its a commercial world Movies today suck, (Remakes of old movies or Cartoons,), T.V sucks(Reality Shows) ,Music(Repeating Hooks that make no sense) Video Games are the only thing that is Fresh and New and exciting.

Common? Common what? Hip Hop doesn't need to be saved. If it's dying, let it die. It is music of absolutely no value, whose sole purpose is to make wads of money for the thug who "sings" it, not to mention provide him an income from royalties based on his songs being used for TV commercials. But then again, everyone is entitled to my own opinion.... :)

Personally common is one of my favorite rappers of all time. I love his relaxed and deep lyrical style and i completely agree with his opinion on the hip hop industry.

Hip Hop is live and its heart is beating nicely but it wont be that way for long -- The issue is that the commercialised hip hop is brainwashing and manipulating the masses, and the REAL material does not get exsposed enough to the majority. Hence why many people don't like hip hop as they just see the T-Pains, Kanye Wests and Lil Waynes of the industry.

Corporate America has found a way to control a specific market, which was once niche but is now pretty much mainstream in many countries. Hip Hop had its facelift and got the liposuction it didn't need, and as a result has been transformed into a money-making platform for rich companies to capitalise off of.

The only reason non-commercial or underground hip hop is even keeping the true aesthetic of the genre alive is the current freedom of the internet...once that's gone, then hip hop will be officially over.

First of all people need to stop acting like hip-hop is gonna die. If it does die then you, a supposed hip-hop fan, have nobody to blame but yourself. The music needs fans to support it. If you want the true artists to be around then buy the damn CD in the store or purchase the download online. Remember that music, as with all other things, is subject to the demands of the free market economy. If you want artists like Common, NAS, MOS Def, and the like to keep making music then put your money in their pockets and turn off the radio when they play Soulja Boi. Instead of getting mad at Lil Wayne for making songs and truckloads of money, get mad at yourself for not supporting the real artists.

Hip-Hop is dying, Sales are a getting slow. And most importantly kids are moving on from it, me being a black kid I can tell you that black kids are even getting tired of Hip-Hop. I agree with one guy a while back who said Hip-Hop was done after Public Enemy, and I agree that Publice enemy was one of the last great groups(besides OutKast of course) It's time to give up the ghost, find a new genre, and stop sucking Hip-Hop's nutts all your life. I hate seeing corny ass _____ people trying to be hip-hop now days. It's just a trend now, and it's going to lose it's time in the lime just like every other genre before it.

I dont think hip hop is dying... but its certainly not in the mainstream culture anymore. Mainstream rap (not hip hop - hip hop is a form of art) is an abomination to me now. I cant even listen to the radio anymore cause scum like that loser Solja Boy and Plies and whoever else sounds like he or she fell far short of a high school diploma are getting all this play. I mean really, young people (many my age unfortunately) have no standards anymore. Im still trying to figure out why people think Rihanna has talent (must be the haircut). I love real hip hop (common, a tribe called quest, de la soul, Mos Def...), and there are a few good new artists like Wale (shoutout 2 SE, shoutout 2 UPTown!!) and Drake and Asher Roth... but its sadly not a part of mainstream music anymore. And maybe thats a good thing. These artists can be more creative that way, and make music to express themselves and not just to make money and get hoes and all that bullshit.

By some thinking I would have thought Hip hop died a long time ago..but thankfully I know better...Common, The Roots, Outkast and several others hold it down and keep it alive, but for the most part I don't place much value in todays HH scene when I got the little boys whose world view is the club last night, the hoes they hittin, and whatever round the way story you've already heard before..over and over. Hip Hop has gotten for lack of a better word mundane with the same type always vying for a top spot that means less than it did before.
Keepin it real..cursing up a storm, tales of sex and drugs don't bother me, but when what you say and how you say it are no different than the last guys cut and your whole LP consists of nothin but that then it has become a trend and thats when the artform becomes endangered of losing power and the best power hip hop had began diminishing a long time ago.

If you wanna deal drugs, go deal 'em and leave the mike alone, get them hoochies off the stage, stop sellin your soul in a contract for an endorsement and stay the hell outta the VIP section cause thats where the problems always start anyway and be different.

lol, save it from myspace

Mainstream hip-hop/rap is crap. It's the same dumb thing over and over again. I'm tired of hearing about all this money and hundreds of women...I don't care anymore. I'm a broke college kid...can't relate. So, I hope that it either changes and grows up (especially by accepting underground artists who actually make music about relevant and interesting things) or completely dies off....

that's my two cents

for those that say hip hop is dying and the fact that sales are down proves that, i say it's a sad day for music when you judge the success of any genre by the numbers it posts. if you need me i'll be listening to some dubstep.

hard to find?

Whatever. He's a corpo marketing tool just like most other mainstream rappers... helping sell clothes for Microsoft, sell mp3 players, blah.

i think the best type of music is Hip Hop....its not about nigga this, bling that, and ho's in different area codes. Its about life, and love for the game of rythm and ryhme. hip hop is a soothing way to handle your feelings....with a dope beat. its in the swagga of the artist, and is indeed REAL art. any one can spit ryhmes about peoples momma or cars and retarded shit like solja boi. People like solja boy and akon, etc. have no real talent, other than the talent to make weak people follow their repeating ryhme, that makes NO sense. Mos Def, Common, Talib Kweli, Erykah Badu, John legend, Q-tip, OMG thats what im talking about. those are REAL artists,,,,real hip hop in its finest. I dont believe lil wayne is hip hop or should ever b put in that category. he's too into himself and not the people. granted, he is a good artist, but a Rap artist. ther are rappers who rap in rap music, and MC's who rap Hip Hop music. Much love to Common and the things you do. I wish MTV and BET actually played music instead of reality show bull shit. i wanna see music live on and not get pushed aside by "blah blah blah of Love" or "Charm school", or even dating shows.

Hip Hop is a beautiful thing, its not dead or gone...its just in a place where the right people can find it. Wish more people knew more about good music.