Wesley Pipez

What can I say...I'm a hip hop junkie...I've been listening to hip hop since I was a kid...and its funny to think that I grew up listening to my Dad's heavy metal and classic rock...I guess its really the idea that even music genres go through a period of social acceptance, as we struggle as individuals to be identified by our creative inspirations. How we dress, what kind of music we like...My Dad got a bad rep growing up listening to rock and heavy metal...because at the time, people who listened to that kind of music were labeled because the music was new...the culture, the style, the whole movement...almost every form of important music in history has gone through these classifications and changes everything from jazz in the 30's to rock'n'roll in the 50's all the way to punk music in the 70's and heavy metal in the 80's....leading right up to Hip Hop in the 90's right about the time many of us were growing up...we all choose a personal anthem, something to live by...whatever we feel defines us...music is one of the most important choices we make in these early years...hip hop was something people thought wouldnt last, especially after breaking out of the 80's into more aggressive forms...people have a perception about hip hop based on which kind they heard first...and thought, its all the same..."all that gangster crap" but there was so much more out there...and while hip hop owes a lot of it success to the gangsta rap movement...it was more of a stand that had to be taken to say hip hop is here to stay...explicit lyrics...and that parental advisory sticker...having its own shows on music channels to say "okay here's your 30 mins of rap now lets wrap it up" The controversy with certain artists was just fuel to the fire...to the people who thought this whole east coast sound vs. west coast would tear it apart. With it's emergence into the true mainstream...with certain artists finally becoming full blown celebrities...other things crept back in...elements of hip hop that were there in the beginning...breakers and graffiti were all over the music videos and commercials, these were things most people thought died out in the 80's. Even the Dj's were becoming just as popular as the MC's...but what was it all for? I was happy that this culture had finally broke free of its many stereotypes...that even my Mom wouldn't change the station on the radio when a rap song came on...But what the hell was it turning into? A cashcow, and everybody was trying get in on it...even groups who I'd listened to way back in the day were trying to get a hit with Puffy? But why? That part is easy, these people had paid there dues, head been putting out albums since the late 80's and weren't nearly as popular...they wanted a piece. When people used to make fun of the music we listened to growing up...it was at this point in Hip Hop...that I was actually ashamed of it...don't get me wrong...I was happy for everyone who had success...but just didn't listen to it anymore...and to this day still can't even throw on an old album and feel the same way about all these artists who in thier lyrics talked about "keepin' it real" and "its not about the money cars and clothes" they sure had me fooled. I remember when I could go to a music store in a mall and find good albums right next to eachother...it all used to be good...When I discovered the underground it was thanks to the groups that also disagreed with this new era of hip hop...So make a comparison...the late 80's heavy metal and the late 90's hip hop acts...These groups were flashy, had an artificial sound, took the look of the music culture and super stylized it into something it wasn't. And where did all those heavy metal big hair leather pants bands go...where did puffy and his space suit rappers go? I bet you can't remember half of them...and if you do remember its that one get rich quick single they put out...and not a word of the rest of the alblum...I packed my love of hip hop up and stood on the sidelines watching the circus spin out of control...beneath the surface of it all is a kind of hip hop that I can't even describe to people when they ask what I listen to...yes, for the most part its underground hip hop...old school sounding new school true school you've heard that...but there are so many different styles out there...I can sometimes only respond with "I don't know" Its just good music, hip hop influenced and inspired...but an outsider wouldnt know what hit them. Its hard, political, philisophical, raw, abstract...sometimes the lyrics don't even rhyme but when you listen its unmistakeabley hip hop. Many artists i've listened to have evolved their sound and you can see them listed under indy rock...but what about indy hop and electro hop...wait...because thats just it, you can't separate Hip Hop in any form from what it already is, but I'll make an exception with what you see on TV with the kind that I listen to...but lets just call that what it is...the commercial rap...Pop music and nothing more...and Underground hip hop should take its rightful place back and solidify Hip Hop's entire culture for the future...because presently...its still in the back seat and I've been defending it all these years and I'm still waiting for people to open their minds to it and see that all these rappers on tv are destroying Hip Hop and everything it once stood for. Expression. ..