Hip Hop is for kids and not grown folks! Older heads encouraged to respond.

I had a conversation with someone, and they were significantly older than I am 31 years older, to be exact. They were talking about a dinner party they went to, and they said the party was real nice and didn't feature "hip hop...that kid music". I won't lie, I was offended by it, but I let it slide because they were significantly older than I am. How do you feel about hip hop being classified as "kid music"? Has this sentiment ever graced your ears? How do you feel about it and how would you respond to that kind of response?

It is, for the most part, kid music.

At a respectable dinner party you're not playing hip-hop. Or any overly profane music for that matter.

Funny thing is that when I was a kid I thought when I became a grown up I'd would have to give up 4 things :riding my BMX--okay I had a Huffy, playing with toys, playing video games, listening to rap music. Welp, I'm still playing video games.

Anywhoo, its hard for any medium to appeal to adults and kids without being labeled "Family-friendly" and thats just a code word for FOR KIDS. When something is edgy and it appeals to kids its looked at as something that is corrupted kids like Heavy Metal and certain video games. Some ppl don't think that there are a lot of adults that enjoy these things or that the adults who do indulge in these activities
need to grow up. Like video games, that will always be labeled as kids stuff. You hear these phrases like "The games these kids are playing today are too violent". Yet, the average gamer is 24.

The music biz knows the silver lining is with the youth. Espeacially with hip hop nd pop music alltgether. The target audience is pre-teen to teenagers. I remember when Cam'ron was dissing Jay-Z and said J don't have any appeal with 15 year olds, like the older audience is not important.

I feel there is rap for kids and rap for adults. I know adults that listen to some kiddie ass type rap. But its usually just to get right for the night or just for the ride. They are out of touch with mature hip hop. because they only know what's on the radio.

Kev and Trotter hit the nail on the head, and got right to the point of the thread. It's crazy when some adults don't know the difference, so they stay young by listening to terrible hip hop they find on the radio.

Sounds like I'm going to have to school them the next time I get the chance to.

Rappers know they havta appeal to kids (the youth). They constantly shot out the youth and say things like "Teach the truth to the young Black youth". But other music dont have kiddy attachments like Jazz, Blues, Country, R&B, Rock N Roll. Rock N Roll use to but as of the last decade it has become less popular with the youth and now considered grown-folks music. Now there are certain artist in a genre thats music is aimed at kids like Hannah Montana with Country and BYK with R&B. But ultimately they fall under the POP banner. But hip hop is looked at as almost xclusively kids music. Like when adults listen to it they must step outside themselves cause this music wasn't meant for them. Rap will never be considered grown-folks music.

"young black youth"

After all these years I just caught that

I mean, it's pretty tough for anyone over the age of 25 that isn't a criminal to relate to tales about drug dealing, robbing, etc. And unfortunately that is most of mainstream rap nowadays, that and stupid dance/sex songs.

The demographic for rap is probably younger than any other other than boy bands/teenie bopper pop music.

The other thing nobody has brought up besides regular profanity are the racial epithets, the various forms of bunny, and to a lesser extent honkey/turtle/etc. In mixed company it's just not friendly music a lot of the times, and the radio friendly music is geared towards children.

There's a very very small niche for rap that doesn't glorify crime/negative stereotypes and is "mature", or grown folks rap, and even some artists who do it, like a Cormega, still have their drug raps at age 40 or whatever.

A lot of times rap music can be embarrassing. Like at a family ruin we were listening to the Gap band and my 22 year old sister rolls up playing Young Jeezy real loud. Mainstream rap in general is degenerate music. Why is it so popular? The same way Basketball Wives is popular. People are drawn to silly shit.

Well I'm 36 and to be honest, when I was younger I thought I might eventually grow out of listening to hip hop but I've found out it doesn't work that way. I still love it and figure that I always will. People just like what they grew up listening to I guess. It started with The Beastie Boys, Run DMC, Whodini, and Kool Moe Dee in 86 for me. Just like with my Father who grew up listening to Classic Rock and still prefers to listen to it. It just seems to me that you like what you grow up with.

Alot of the new rap I just can't get into. Alot of hip hop artists right now have no talent whatsoever, they just appeal to kids. But my Golden Era hip hop will never get old to me and artists like Brother Ali, REKS, Kendrick, everyone from Mello Music, etc....are still making some quality music.

E.Taylor hit the nail on the head....co-signage 100%


The hip-hop that I grew up with actually inspired people and promoted intellectual growth...even my mom found some that she liked, and at the time the music (hip-hop) was just considered a fad music, but the messages were so powerful and the production so groundbreaking that even her generation had to respect it...

now as hip-hop has grown older so has it's audience, so being a grown ass man doesn't mean that you stop listening to what you have grown up on.....it's that the new generation isn't doing much inspiring, and is lazy due to technology...and this combination has hurt the craft of creating really good, awe inspiring hip-hop.....there is no doubt in my mind that this stuff on the radio in 2012/13 is for kids....that much I think we can all agree on...







Busta is a funny, but real dude right here!

Busta is just as guilty though. He has been as bad as everyone else recently. Arab money? C'mon son!

SteveT wrote:

Busta is just as guilty though. He has been as bad as everyone else recently. Arab money? C'mon son!

He's still trying to make money himself....like with most old school artists

Fat Joe
Cool J
Jay-Z
Cube
Rakim

and a whole lotta others are trying to get paper from their music and they have had to dumb it down to appeal to people just like you stevie white......is it the right thing to do?? NO WAY but that doesn't mean it isn't being done.....Nas, Chuck D and KRS-One to an extent have not succumbed to heads like you stevie and for that they are to be congratulated...they are still keeping it 100% for the most part about hip-hop THE ARTFORM...but let's be real....these heads like just you stevie don't appreciate nor purchase hip-hop like that, hip-hop is all about the latest, hottest thing and thats what is "relevant" to people like you stevie....stuff that is "new and hot" being made by "new and hot new artists"....you've said this many many times before too.....

don't purchase hip-hop like that? only care about new and hot? where did i ever say that, LMAO.

baby bubba did Sandy knock you senseless mayne? i am sure you and i have spent comparable amounts, if not you spending less on hip-hop this year, so stop that.

and as for nas, he only reformed recently, he was one of the worst at selling terrible stereotypes and fake gangster lifestyle.

Jay-z? don't make me laugh. cube been making movies for white kids for years, so uh, nope. fat joe is a worthless, sell out, DITC won't even let him on their album P.O.S.

SteveT wrote:

don't purchase hip-hop like that? only care about new and hot? where did i ever say that, LMAO.

baby bubba did Sandy knock you senseless mayne? i am sure you and i have spent comparable amounts, if not you spending less on hip-hop this year, so stop that.

and as for nas, he only reformed recently, he was one of the worst at selling terrible stereotypes and fake gangster lifestyle.

Jay-z? don't make me laugh. cube been making movies for white kids for years, so uh, nope. fat joe is a worthless, sell out, DITC won't even let him on their album P.O.S.

Have you ever heard of R.I.F.??


Reading Is Fundamental...


You reacted so fast without reading anything that I said that as usual you have made a complete ASS of yourself once again...hey Stevie whats wrong with you mayne?? for real I'm concerned my dude that something is wrong...and you're the type of cat who needs to be watched after what we just witnessed up in Newtown (R.I.P. to all those children by the way...a damn shame) and just a further indictment to this wack ass generation....next time stevie just fuckin read Beavis mmmkay??

D.Powell wrote:

SteveT wrote:

Busta is just as guilty though. He has been as bad as everyone else recently. Arab money? C'mon son!

He's still trying to make money himself....like with most old school artists

Fat Joe
Cool J
Jay-Z
Cube
Rakim

and a whole lotta others are trying to get paper from their music and they have had to dumb it down to appeal to people just like you stevie white......is it the right thing to do?? NO WAY but that doesn't mean it isn't being done.....Nas, Chuck D and KRS-One to an extent have not succumbed to heads like you stevie and for that they are to be congratulated...they are still keeping it 100% for the most part about hip-hop THE ARTFORM...but let's be real....these heads like just you stevie don't appreciate nor purchase hip-hop like that, hip-hop is all about the latest, hottest thing and thats what is "relevant" to people like you stevie....stuff that is "new and hot" being made by "new and hot new artists"....you've said this many many times before too.....

Who's the one who can't read baby bubba?

And bringing up the CT shootings like that is really in poor taste Powell. Not that I'm surprised by you doing it, because you're you, but really? Might wanna re-think that one.

Hip hop has an immature mantra. Anywhoo, I grew up on it and know that it can be very sophisticated music. Its complex, theres no way one can kick lyrics with the intensity of Megalon and play an instrument. Ive seen rap grow-up. My favorite artist as a kid was Prince.
I liked him more than any rapper until RUN DMC's King Of Rock dropped.

The Ct shootings....The Aurora Shootings......The Congresswoman shootings......The Va Tech shootings are all very real things Beavis and done by your lost generation....to me this generation is just LOST....in terms of well EVERYTHING...and I'm not sure who's fault it is....is it the parents?? is it the schooling system?? the internet?? the environment?? I just don't know....


anyway back to the subject at hand.....which is your NON reading self....

"Jay-z? don't make me laugh. cube been making movies for white kids for years, so uh, nope. fat joe is a worthless, sell out, DITC won't even let him on their album P.O.S."


if you read what I originally wrote I called those heads sellouts already....I said that they DUMBED DOWN their product...

the way you're putting it is like I didn't say that already at all....R.I.F. got the point Beavis?? good!

my generation? lol, how do you define generations baby bubba? i'm 29 in a few months, so unless you're 50ish, you're my generation baby bubba!

SteveT wrote:

my generation? lol, how do you define generations baby bubba? i'm 29 in a few months, so unless you're 50ish, you're my generation baby bubba!

I guess I thought you were a teenager, my bad!

Revue wrote:

I had a conversation with someone, and they were significantly older than I am 31 years older, to be exact. They were talking about a dinner party they went to, and they said the party was real nice and didn't feature "hip hop...that kid music". I won't lie, I was offended by it, but I let it slide because they were significantly older than I am. How do you feel about hip hop being classified as "kid music"? Has this sentiment ever graced your ears? How do you feel about it and how would you respond to that kind of response?

I’m 30 years old. Is that an older head? It feels like it because of the same thing you’re talking about. It annoys me as well. I only have a few friends left that still listen to hip hop and they don’t even buy cds any more. I buy more than ever because I actually have money now compared to when I was a kid…..over 2000 cd’s…..all hip hop…..99% bought new

I get shit from my friends about the music I listen to because they think I should have grown out of it. Plus I’m white so they think you are trying to be black or act black because you love hip hop. When we’re having beers it’s always “not this shit again” and back to whatever is cool for white people my age to listen to. I’m usually outnumbered so they win ha

I’m not going to fake an interest in shit I don’t care about and pretend I don’t enjoy something because of my age/race to fit in like a teenage girl. I like black music, asian food, jewish comedy and white, black and mixed race asian women. I have never seen a hot arab women. Racist?

The same way my old man grew up listening to Bob Dylan and still liked that when he grew up is the same thing with me and Wu-Tang, Redman etc. You can’t really help what appeals to you. It just does

Somebody that is not a hip hop fan would call it “kid music” because they only hear what’s on the radio/tv and honestly, a lot of it is. But a lot of shit appeals to kids and older people and there is a lot of great hip hop on offer that would NOT appeal to kids.

I did think I would grow out of it but I haven’t. Gangsta rap doesn’t appeal to me as much anymore but I still enjoy some. I enjoy Cuban Linx the same way I enjoy watching Scarface of Goodfellas. It’s just entertainment. Plenty of old people like watching those films.

I can picture myself listening to The Roots, De La into my 40s. It Takes A Nation Of Millions will not stop being classic music because I’m 60. Just do what you feel, like what you like

Is Cool J really a sellout? I don't know. From the start he always had that song for the radio 'I Need Love' balanced with 'I'm BAD'. Into the 90's... Mr. Smith had 'Hey Lover' and Who Shot Ya?'. His radio tracks just got weaker and he didn't have much of the other

I really doubt i will enjoy Public Enemy as a white 60 year old though. It would be getting embarassing then. I will probably enjoy a cup of tea and a biscuit

Rez'82.

30 is not older. In fact I'm 32. There are some heads on here who are older than that, and I was hoping to get their responses, as well as everyone else's. I agree with everything you said. also. I joke with people and say that when I'm an old lady, the kids will still catch me bumping The Roots or something like that. I don't see myself growing out of hip hop, however I don't ever see myself listening to or purchasing the stuff that kids listen to like Tyga, Chief Keef, Big Sean, etc.

On the subject of being classified as"old."
It's funny now. I didn't consider myself old until I overheard some kids at work talking about "back in the day when Gnarles Barkley was doing his thing". I chimed in and mentioned that he used to rap under the name "Cee Lo Green", and they were like What? Who? Really? And then I mentioned Goodie Mob, and they were in shock and awe. lol The kids are so young that when they refer to records, they call them "Vin-l" (pronounced like "fennel", but with a V to replace the F"). I get a kick out of it.

I don't think LL would be classified as a sellout. He had his tracks that catered to women, and he worked that angle even when he did 14 shots to the dome. I think he knows who his audience is, and he has a firm fan base, so he's more interested in making them happy.

rez'82 wrote:

I really doubt i will enjoy Public Enemy as a white 60 year old though. It would be getting embarassing then. I will probably enjoy a cup of tea and a biscuit

Lol, I can understand that. Maybe you could pass it down to your grandchildren.

rez'82 wrote:

Is Cool J really a sellout? I don't know. From the start he always had that song for the radio 'I Need Love' balanced with 'I'm BAD'. Into the 90's... Mr. Smith had 'Hey Lover' and Who Shot Ya?'. His radio tracks just got weaker and he didn't have much of the other

If you look at how LL started in the very beginning of his career (Radio) to now then yes he is a sellout too...he is also a hip-hop legend, but he has effectively over the years "dumbed down" his music.....he has had his own sitcom, been in mainstream movies and is now on NCIS.....much different from the hood kid straight outta Farmer's Blvd-Queens who was smoking weed and wearing the now legendary Kangol........of course he like everyone else has gotten older so he is not doing the samethings he used to do, and it is all about making money thats why it's called the music BUSINESS, so I understand why he and Jay-Z and Ice Cube and many others have done what they have done...in my eyes they are still some of the best to ever do it.....






thats vintage...street Cool J right there.....he sounded like that somewhat on Bigger and Deffer but as he got older and got his formula$$$ for success together more he would move further and further away from that sound...the lyrics stayed tight but the production style changed.....Jay-Z would never again sound like he did on Reasonable Doubt...it happens with most great artists....some though like KRS-One, Nas (IMO, he still sounds like he's in Queensbridge projects even though he is a multi millionaire), And a few others to me have kept it street over the course of their careers...even Rakim switched it up with all the singing and r&b gloss he had on seventh seal.....so artists do change especially if you been Blessed to have been in the game long enough to be allowed to change.....

Yeah some people seem to get growth mixed up with selling out. I am weary of any artist that has been around for a long time that sounds the exact same way they did when they 1st came out.

I'm the only one of my little crew that still buys rap music also. That use to bother me a little but now I could care less. Rap music is my music of choice. So God willing when i'm 80 and someone catches me bumping Death Certificate oh well.

i don't consider selling out a bad thing necessarily - everyone does to some degree, and as long as it's not a harmful message, who cares? we all have mouths to feed.

I was at a bar last night. One with those jukeboxes and we were playing old school jams, shit like Rick James, Whodini, Run Dmc. Some joker plays Love Sosa by Chief Keef and we shook our heads. One cat said these new rappers have no identity. He hit the bullseye.

Dang! Trotter wrote:

I was at a bar last night. One with those jukeboxes and we were playing old school jams, shit like Rick James, Whodini, Run Dmc. Some joker plays Love Sosa by Chief Keef and we shook our heads. One cat said these new rappers have no identity. He hit the bullseye.

I agree with this. A lot of artists are concerned with being able to sell units, so they develop a persona, an act, theydo what they are told and hope for the best. ##ThatsTheShitIDon'tLike...smh.

Revue wrote:

rez'82 wrote:

I really doubt i will enjoy Public Enemy as a white 60 year old though. It would be getting embarassing then. I will probably enjoy a cup of tea and a biscuit

Lol, I can understand that. Maybe you could pass it down to your grandchildren.

Ha i missed this comment..... would you really take a hip hop rec off your grandpa?

Female hip hoper..... favorite mc's? albums? do you like Bahamadia?

Revue wrote:

I had a conversation with someone, and they were significantly older than I am 31 years older, to be exact. They were talking about a dinner party they went to, and they said the party was real nice and didn't feature "hip hop...that kid music". I won't lie, I was offended by it, but I let it slide because they were significantly older than I am. How do you feel about hip hop being classified as "kid music"? Has this sentiment ever graced your ears? How do you feel about it and how would you respond to that kind of response?

I don't see any reason to be offended by it really... but I guess I don't know how they said it or what exatly they were meaning by it... But different generations are just that... they're different... just as we look at a lot of the music today and shake our heads I'm sure that's what they were doing too. If they meant kid music and have in mind maybe back more toward when it started when it was young people on the streets getting creative and trying to have a good time.. then I can see how a much older person can say that. Also with the egos and bragging in found rap music, it could be seen by them as immature which goes hand and hand with being young.

rez'82 wrote:

Revue wrote:

rez'82 wrote:

I really doubt i will enjoy Public Enemy as a white 60 year old though. It would be getting embarassing then. I will probably enjoy a cup of tea and a biscuit

Lol, I can understand that. Maybe you could pass it down to your grandchildren.

Ha i missed this comment..... would you really take a hip hop rec off your grandpa?

Female hip hoper..... favorite mc's? albums? do you like Bahamadia?

1st bolded comment:
Since hip hop wasn't around when my grandparents were young, I wouldn't because they'd have no idea what hip hop is, however, I've taken other music recs from my grandma when I was a kid. Most of her music collection was on point!

2nd Bolded comment:

Some of my favorite albums:
ATLiens-Outkast
Liquid Swords-GZA
Hard to Earn-Gangstarr
Kolage-Bahamadia
Book of Human Language- Aceyalone
A Piece of Strange-Cunninlynguists
Still Standing- Goodie Mob
The Evil Empire of Everything-Public Enemy
Illmatic-Nas
Wrath of the Math, and the Sun Rises in the East -Jeru the Damaja
How I got Over, Things Fall Apart, and Phrenology- The Roots
Below the Heavens-Blu and Exile
Main Ingredient- Pete Rock and CL Smooth
Blessed Be the Poor, and Talented Timothy Taylor- Wise Intelligent
Erick B and Rakim- Paid in Full
LL Cool J- 14 Shots to the Dome

Favorite artists (known and unknown):
Jean Grae
Bahamadia
Ghostface
Phonte (of Little Brother)
Black Thought
Chuck D
Billy Woods
Brother Ali
Deacon (of cunninglynguists)
Andre 3000, and Cee Lo (back when they rapped, but Cee Lo can sing, so I still like his music)
Hi-Fidel
K-Rino
MF Grimm
Zen Garden

^^^ i love you

My girlfriend likes the fugees "but only that killing me softly song" and she likes Will Smith - Gettin' Jiggy With It. What a stupid bitch