by James Di Fiore

Created on: February 25, 2008

The biggest misconception people have about today's Urban music scene is this - it isn't hip hop. Whenever I read articles that begin from a premise of sounding the alarm on watered down artistry and sexist lyrics, I can't help but wonder why there isn't more of a focus on the actual art-form. Critics seem to be completely unaware of certain truths; like just because a song has a rapper in it doesn't mean it is hip hop. Once you realize this fact you might second guess the notion that hip hop is dead.

A good starting point in understanding the truth about hip hop is knowing that emceeing, or rapping, is just as universal as singing. In other words, singing is apparent in several genres. Rapping, while less likely to appear in a country music song, is not trapped inside one genre as previously thought. Emcees have brought their styles into rock music, electronic music, R n B, pop music and, of course, in hip hop music. This distinction is important because it sheds the stereotypical image of a rapper by those who know little about the culture.

Keeping that distinction in mind, a big misconception about hip hop right now is that it is being represented by commercialized artists. While some commercial artists can still have authenticity in hip hop (Common, Mos Def), other mainstream stars are merely pop acts who happen to rap (Ja Rule, Nelly). A good comparison would be in rock music. There are very few people who would ever dare to put Blink 182 in the same category as the Rolling Stones. Yet, for reasons that have more to due with hip hop ignorance than sound judgment, critics tend to bastardize hip hop by placing an artist like Nelly in the same category as KRS-ONE. It is these kinds of comparisons that raise questions about hip hop's legitimacy, but it is the legitimacy of those comparisons that need to be scrutinized.

The subject of the state of hip hop can be debated for years, but without the proper knowledge and starting point the argument becomes mundane. Hip hop is still growing. Young people from all continents are polishing their craft and trying to get heard. Unfortunately, people tend to judge the state of hip hop by referring to pop acts instead of the culture itself. Until critics learn how to distinguish between these two vastly different groups of artists, the question itself will continue to damage the integrity of one of the most powerful art forms on the planet. Like it or not, hip hop is a global movement and not one that should be defined by pseudo-representatives on music's pop charts.

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