Music/Sad

"I was literally told for 'The Show Goes On' that I shouldn't rap too deep," he said. "I shouldn't be too lyrical. It just needs to be something easy on the eyes. Like a record company telling Picasso that we don't need these abstract interpretations of life, where people have to sit down and look at it and break it down. It was better to paint the Upper West Side lady and her poodle so everyone could look at it right away and understand what was going on. I felt like I was painting poodles."

Lately all my favorite hip-hop artists have become like this. Eminem, with his disgustingly robotic/commercial Recovery album. Jay-Z, every album since Black album. Lil Wayne, every album since Carter 2. All shit shit shit.

It greatly saddens me when I not only see people judge these artists by their commercial albums, but they actually think the shit is dope, or that the artist is complete trash. In fact, I'm sure many of you are reading this and thinking I have horrible taste.

Imagine watching Michael Jordan when he's 22. He's dunking from the freethrow line, averaging 38 points per game, and dunking on 7 footers everywhere. You become a fan for life. Fast forward 15 years, and Jordan is still playing at 37. He can hardly dunk anymore, primarily shoots jumpers, and can hardly play defense. You see your little cousins wonder what's so great about him, while watching casual fans get excited simply because he's Jordan, paying no attention to his skills.

Hip hop is full of 37 year old Jordans. Being a true fan of hip-hop has been tragic the past ten years, and more and more fans are having to rely on underground/indie music to get their fix of songs that, you know, actually require thinking and mental processing. Unfortunately, underground artists lack the charisma and relevance for me to give them more than a couple dozen listens.

Add Lupe Fiasco to the list. Personally, the most tragic of all, as his second album, The Cool, is the smartest, most well put-together rap album I've heard since the 90s. His new album, Lasers, is boring and played out, and clearly assembled by the record companies, not designed by Lupe.

I feel like I'm living my life through my memories, and a lot of it has to do with music. I must be an idiot to keep looking for fulfillment in places that have long since dried up.