OK, for my first post on ZP i have to add some more commentary to my boy Riz post about how awful hip hop is in recent times. I want to make it clear that the only reason we write these posts is because we are hip hop fans, and we want to get it back to what it used to be, so don’t get it twisted like we’re hating on the game, it’s just that hip hop can use some serious mouth to mouth. I wonder what Flex is thinking when he’s dropping his patented bomb and some dude named Maino comes on? Really Flex, all of you old school cats who dj on Hot97 can not be impressed with this.

First things first, why is rap more about shitty beats and T-Pain auto-tuner singing than actual content and lyrics? You seriously can not tell me that any rapper you hear on the radio can even hold a flame to anyone coming from the late 80′s early 90′s movement, unless they are still from that golden era, still rapping today. Even then, you can’t convince me that Nas right now can even hold a flame to Nas in 2001′s “Stillmatic”, let alone his classic “Illmatic.” 1994 was hip hop’s pinnacle year, and pretty much since 2001 nobody seems to care about content or lyrics anymore…why? I do think the influence of dirty south rap has done terrible things for the game…when i think of shitty rap songs, for some reason Ying Yang twins come to mind, i don’t really know why…i also think a lot of it has to do with the fact that these guys just don’t give two shit’s about rap, they just want money…everyone is out for the money, but most cat’s at least respected the game…simply put, this new breed doesn’t.

Now don’t get me wrong, i do like listening to mindless pop so i can rip it up in the clubs as much as the next person, but let’s keep it at that…mindless pop. me and my boys don’t mind listening to Weezy F. Baby every now and then because the dude is just a ridiculous persona, there’s no denying his charisma and stage presence, which are commendable attributes of a rapper, but i don’t think anyone’s flying off the handle saying his lyrics are classic. he’s just a funny ass, interesting dude.

I was talking with my boy about the current state of hip hop and he came up with a very interesting theory. Follow me… seeing that music is an ever-evolving art form, rap has currently evolved into it’s 80′s glam rock phase, if you compare what rap is doing now I think it’s pretty comparable to what rock was doing in the 80′s, basically just going off the charts with some out-of-this-world trash that is merely a phase, again there can be a few gems in there, but very few and far between. The auto-tuner is a great example of this, i can appreciate artists pushing the envelope and trying out something new, but when something doesn’t work, just put it to rest…let’s not use this in another rap song…ever…again.
I also think it’s pretty telling of our times when one of rap’s ‘rising star’s’ is this douche Asher Roth. I’m sure you have all heard his awesome, original new song “I Love College.” ok, so let’s take a look at verse one of this great song.

i wanna go to college for the rest of my life
sip bankers club and drink miller lite
on thirsty Thursday and Tuesday night ice
and i can get pizza a dollar a slice
so fill up my cup
lets get fucked up
im next on the table
who want what
i am champion at beer pong
Allen iverson Hakeem Olajuwon
don’t even bounce, not in my house
better hope you make it
otherwise you naked

“who want what?” what the fuck are you talking about dude? “i am champion at beer pong, allen iverson hakeem olajuwon.” ummmm, hey, douche, that doesn’t even rhyme!! regardless of that point, i hate to burst your bubble, and no disrespect to AI, but he doesn’t have any rings bro, he’s not champion of anything, so just fucking stop it, please. let’s start off with baby steps…how about rap songs at least make sense to get things moving in a positive direction.
So, for now i’ll stick to my ipod and wait for the return of Em to at least shake things up, or Dre’s much anticipated “Detox” to knock down the doors again. Until those albums get released, if they ever even hit the shelves, I guess I’ll be waiting for rap’s version of Nirvana…

Turn on your radio, and tune into your local hip hop (shitty rap) station, and listen for a minute. If you have any real sense of musical taste, you will be acting like Alex from Clockwork Orange, after he is “reformed” of violence. Todays music is something to get sick over, and if you are a hip hop fan from the mid 90′s and earlier, you probably constantly feel like your ears are bleeding when your forced to listen to the radio. The main problem is that its hard to pin point exactly when and where things got so shitty. Was it when rappers started to use that funny mic shit? Was it when everyone wanted to be Jiggy? Maybe it was when rappers stopped filming videos in apartment stair wells, and started shooting them in the front seat of Lamborginis and Phantoms. Theres probably a million different things your can attribute it to, but honestly, the main factor, undoubtably has to be….college kids and college parties. Hear me out. I am not crazy. I dont think.

Think back on your greatest college party memories. If they are anything like mine they go something like this. Tons of middleclass white kids, a heap of cheap alcohol, and super loud rap music to get things live. When your in college, what else do you really care about other than getting drunk, hitting on girls, and jamming to loud upbeat tunes. When party rap hit the scene and became huge, it was engulfed by college students who could give two shits about the lyrics, but were only concerned with how good the beat was. Rappers didnt even care about the lyrics. They started just throwing stuff together, knowing it didnt matter. Example.

” You can find me in the club, bottle full of bub, momma I got what you need if you into taking drugs, Im into having sex, I aint into making love, so come give mea hug if your into gettin rubbed”

What the fuck?

So lets recap real quick. Rapper from Southside Jamaica Queens, whos been lit up with 9 gun shot wounds, is rapping about giving people hugs, while at the same time admitting he isnt about that soft love making, but would rather opt for the hardcore animal fucking. Contradiction? Fuck it, the beat was hot 50!

How about this one?

Now I ain’t sayin’ she a gold digger (When I’m in need)
But she ain’t messin’ wit no broke Niggaz (She steal me money)
Now I ain’t sayin’ she a gold digger (When I’m in need)
But she ain’t messin’ wit no broke Niggaz(I gotta leave)
Get down girl, go ‘head get down (I gotta leave)
Get down girl, go ‘head get down (I gotta leave)
Get down girl, go ‘head get down (I gotta leave)
Get down girl, go ‘head

Who wrote this? It seems like its an argument between 2 80 year old black dudes in the south during the turn of the century.

What tends to happen is that people start to like these songs based strictly on the memories that they are associated with. People like shitty rap music, because it reminds them of the time in college they funneled 5 beers consecutively, pumped that hot new Nelly album, puked, rallied, did shots, fingered a chick in the hallway, and woke up covered in Elios pizza. By all accounts, you have to chalk that up as a solid night, but does an entire genre of music have to suffer because rappers started to make party albums?

I cant really call it. Ill just do my part to support good hip hop while occasionally sneaking in the time to pound beers and freestyle with friends over a Weezy beat. Fuck it. Im only human. YA HEARDDD.

After you graduate college and move into the real world, things start to get blurry. At first, the feeling of having a job and getting paid a steady check is something very rewarding. You feel like you have accomplished something, and have joined the ranks of the everyday stiffs who help our country move forward (or recently, backward). You even have lofty dreams of moving up the corporate ladder and taking on the world. Thats a good goal, and certainly an even better attitude, but thats not what you REALLY want.

What you really want is to do something you love. To wake up everyday like your 5 years old and its Christmas morning. To feel like your not only making a difference in the world, but in your life. The main goal for every person should not be how much money you amass during your life time, but how many smiles and personal triumphs you accomplish along the way. People need to realize what turns them on. What makes them tick, and run with it. If you live your life as a dreamer, all you will ever be is just that. You need to find your passion and grab it, hold it tight, and realize thats why you are alive. It bothers me when I hear someone wishing for Friday, or complaining about it being Monday. You slowly realize that the more Fridays you wish for, the more weeks you are casting away as unmemorable. The main purpose of living is to look at everything around you, everyday, and find happiness in it. To find things that make you feel more alive and grateful that you have a chance to experience them. I read a quote from a dude who made his dream come true, by shredding everyday.

“Work harder and smarter than the next guy. Be open to any and all challenges that come your way. Strive to make other peoples lives easier, not your own. Believe in what you do, and do what you believe. Be prepared for anything. Hold yourself to the highest standards imaginable in every aspect of your life. Be kind to everyone you encounter, and remember that the joy is in the journey. Each time you get to where you want to be, a new destinations will entice you, so you better be ENJOYING THE RIDE. ”

This song makes me grateful for my friends. It reminds me that we all have the same passions in life, and we all really want the same thing. To be happy, to shred, to laugh, and to live.

I first heard about The Felice Brothers a few months back in a review that I read in Transworld Snowboarding. They bring a very folksy sound to the table, and no I’m not talking about country. The story telling music thats mellow to listen to. If you ever were into Dylan or Neil Young you will like these guys. The song below, Frankies Gun is actually kind of a rip of Knocking on Heaven’s Door but good none the less. If you dig it check out “Love Her Tenderly” another goodtime jam by them. Also, I’m not sure who this ballbag in the video is I was just trying to find the music and this is all that was out there, no need to pay attention to him.