^^^Aye.

Though my taste in hip-hop varies, it does edge towards the 'underground'. But if it sounds good, then so be it. Whatever it is (and that goes for all music, not just hip-hop..). Open mind n all that..

Fuck A BackPacker.....

They talk about mainstream like it's a STD!

Listen to what you do and everyone else will listen to what they do........ just shut the fuck up

I happened to see this on a online magazine and is kinda goes with this subject, and got some points in it too if you read it.....And answer alot of question about this shit........

quote:

Confessions of a Reformed Backpacker
By Jerry Barrow


I used to be a backpacker, but it was in more of the literal sense. I actually roamed the grounds of my college campus with my book bag filled with bootleg mix tapes and the rare CD purchase. This was circa 1992 when most of today’s proclaimed “backpackers” were still trying to write in script letters. Jansport, Carhartt, and Champion were the brands de jour. Yeah, we were worse than Jigga when it came to the labels. And contrary to what some mags say, this was THE year for hip-hop after ’88.

The world was blessed with albums from Eric B. and Rakim, Gang Starr, and Heavy D, plus debuts from Redman, Das EFX, The Pharcyde, Pete Rock and CL Smooth (not counting the EP of course), Dr. Dre, Grand Puba and Diamond D all in the same year. The East was in the house (ohmigod!) and this is what we did in ’92, even though we had fun in ’91. Among my many prized possessions were these little $4 drugs called maxi singles: “Scenario,” (with the instantly classic remix featuring the gulliest of the gully, the late Kid Hood), Das EFX’s “Microphone Checka” (with the equally sick Pete Rock remix to “Jussumen” on the flip side) and Black Sheep’s “Strobelight Honey” (with the crazy cartoon horn remix that still works wonders on the stair master).

In a pre-Napster world this is how “backpackers” got down. We supported the culture by dropping an occasional Lincoln for the cause to keep Pete Rock in the lifestyle to which he was accustomed. Now, understand something. This was hip-hop because that’s all there was. This was the stage the music was in THEN. No doubt that it is still better than 80% of the drivel that creeps past our airwaves these days, but we embraced it because of what it was, not what it WASN’T. We didn’t gather in the hallways listening to Ron G while brothers got their hair cut because we hated “commercial rap.”

It was because Hot 97 didn’t come in that clear in Middletown, CT and the local radio station was bootie, bootie, bootie. “Real Hip Hop” wasn’t defined by obscurity, lack of sales or resistance to crossing over. In fact, The Green Eyed Bandit himself told me that EPMD’s “Crossover”(a song about NOT crossing over) was their biggest crossover single—ever. Go figure. Consider that at the root of the word “commercial” is “commerce”, which loosely means to sell some shit. So, once you commit your songs to a tape or CD and try to sell that shit, guess what? You’re a commercial MC. Get over yourself.

Street corner ciphers in hoodies and Timbs are a fundamental PART of the culture--not the whole culture. Don’t forget that early on, MCs rocked arenas in leather pants and cowboy boots. But I don’t see cats running back to cling to that era. All I can see are cats running around the east village of NY stepping on the hems of their jeans with skate boards in tow dictating what is or isn’t “hip-hop.” Fuck ya’ll. If you’ve never tweaked a TDK tape with a #2 pencil, you ain’t a real backpacker. If you never recorded over a yellow Compu*Tech tape with Mr. Magic’s rap attack (and fell asleep in the process catching maaad commercials), you ain’t a real backpacker. If you cant’ tell me what was spinning on Red Alerts turntable in the “Bridge Is Over” video, you’re not a real backpacker. (yo, Aqua Boogie, I smell a list coming on…)

My point is for you cats to find your own shit. Backpacking was cool but even Buckshot and Puba (the co-fathers of the back pack phenomenon in my book) would kill for a plaque right now. Hip-hop is moving forward and so should you. The underground is a school that you are eventually supposed to graduate from. Not relish in super senior status. Just because you don’t sell, doesn’t mean you’re deep. You might actually need to repeat a course or two. Get a tutor. I heard Plug 3 is selling lessons on Ebay. Granted, novice MC’s should DEFINITELY pay their dues in the underground, but it should not be the goal of MCs, or our culture, to languish in obscurity. You guys have it so good right now. You can damn near make an album on a computer in your house. You don’t even have to dig in the crates for rare vinyl (though it is fun as hell). You can do a search on Morpheus for Cal Tjader (and a copy of Pro Tools) and get all the shit you need. Learn how to make good SONGS. Take hip-hop to a new level. Please. And for Christ’s sake, young’n, pull ya pants up.


Jerry Barrow is a commercial journalist for AllHiphop

^ got damn.

lol.. at plug 3 lessons.

lol@ tdk tapes and number 2 pencils.

yep that was backpackin in it's golden era.

jansports with the 53432493409 strings on the zippers.

word to jerry barrow.

^^One thing that I got out of that, how are we to respect people that show time and time again that they lack that respect. Case in point the many incidents involving either money and/or jail time, so this is who we are to respect, the fact that they made it into the industry and are willing to do almost anything for money? Sorry, but I cannot respect an idividual that has no respect for the music itself.

Do I hate mainstream hip-hop? No necessarily, there are a few good quality artists out there that are pushing good music, moreso over they respect their fans and the music itself. I will remain a backpacker, thus they are the roots of the hip-hop genre and the music is just better =P

^you obviously did not read or understand the post.

well I need another post so.................................

my bad man, I was repling to a few other things and trying to keep the thought of your post in my head, guess I went on a tangent =P


love...

Yo I agree with alot of what is being said in the first post... But to say that all rappers that make it to MTV are sell outs... Sometimes you have to do what your fans want... I know 50 and he is no sell out he has been shot at and he has had his share of shit... He came from the streets and he spits about the streets... There is nothing fake about it.

^^^Cats just automaticly start saying that shit becasue you getting dough. It's really a no win situation, so you just gotta be like fuck'em.

I think id do what i could do .to make a living doing what i love...no shame in feeding your family bruh

word, it's all just music, and the masses typically like the dumbed down catchy music. it's all in what you personally like. no one type of music is ruining the whole. like what you want, and make what you want.

^^^word. Its all about what your feeling inside, then you just add a dope beat onto it all that you feel fits the situation or the content of the lyrics...all about letting out what your feeling man...and if you gotta feed your family who gives a fuck, dont matter what you do with your money, and going to mtv isnt exactly selling out...just be makin more cash, getting known worldwide, and havin fun meeting new rappers an shit...

yeh precisely, just listen to what you listen to, unless yous a bitch, no1s gonna be able to stop that

people always gonna like different types of music, no use arguein about it within the hip hop genre

I used to be a backpacker, till my backpack fell apart while I was walkin on the road about to catch a bus because of it I missed the bus. Embarrassing