Versatility. On average, neither side has it like they should. I'll break this down.

Big Pun, Jay-Z, Royce Da 5'9" even. They've all blazed a club track or 4. The "real hip hop" comes into play in how they deliver it. Pun in particular could take that subject matter, and not only murder it wit his flow, he had clever shit goin on throughout (100% w/Tony Sunshine) lyrics. Cleverness. Somethin Pun, Jigga and a few other artists deliver. Snoop.... Occasionally says somethin clever, but its usually tha same cliched shit he's been sayin since Death Row fell off. Pimpin, smokin, 64's, fine. If Battlecat ain't doin ya beats, I don't wanna hear it. Basically, it ain't real hip hop if it was created completely from the "Sell records Fast" formula. U know how it goes. Platinum in the video. Benzes and Bentley's are out now. Escalades and Navigators are in. Pop Cristal and smoke weed. Fuck a lotta ho's, and pimp a few. Tell everybody what u got. Then they wonder why underground rappers speak on it and call it jealousy. Underground rappers concentrate on it cuz thats all the mainstream artist talks about. Not real. No thought put into it. Only a gimmick 4 groupies. The artist might not have even written it. They basically sell a Neptunes or Timbaland beat wit another muh'fuckaz face on it cuz a beat is all they really sellin. The way the 2 sides attack each other really bothers me. Like, how many people in here have said Eminem or Nas sold out? My man Nelly said this best. 2 be Pop means 2 be Popular (duh). Every artist wants this. Why do u want 2 be in the business and not be popular. It borders on the King that marries his daughter 2 the neighbors prince 4 the sake of tradition. She doesn't wanna fuck him, much less does she love him. But because thats what this society believes in, its just gotta be done. So if I blow next week, I lose my Freestyle Fellowship Membership. Not that I changed anything. Just that I relocated from the projects 2 tha burbs. Nas ain't real cuz he's got money and can afford tha big house on the hill that everyone wants? If u make millions of dollars, its not logical, nor is it safe 2 stay in the hood. Stick around Compton wit a sky high bank account so niggaz can rob yo ass. Yeah right. The question is HOW u become popular. Eminem, as far as I can tell ain't changed a damn thing. Or were u all expecting him 2 do what canibus did and release a whole album of battle raps? He had his "gimmick" of pissing people off, fine. I can understand that, cuz thats a personal mission of mine. Piss some people off. I can tell, he kinda likes 2 be the bad guy. Its fun. He's Popular. But he didn't trade any of his talent away 2 get there. And he's truly encompassed every aspect of the game people respect. Realness. Lyrical dexterity. Even a talent 4 storytelling and imagery. And if the Eminem Show wasn't indication enuff that he's starvin 4 respect, u just plain hatin. (Did I just say the H word?) Changing your style 2 go pop is the problem. Sometimes, I think the question could be whether or not some of these artists had anything 2 offer 2 begin with. I hear Cashmoney was a little grimier before they got big. Grimey don't make u real. Baby don't even rap 4real. Ghostwriter on damn near every verse. My thought is "If u can't do this, why are u here?" He oughta do what Suge does (what Diddy shoulda done) and stayed behind the desk handlin biz like he's supposed 2. Gangsta don't make u real. Grimey don't make u real. Battlin don't make u real. Real hip hop is creative. Clever. Versatile. Thought provoking. Fun. Its Nigganometry. It's I Gave You Power. It's So Many Tears. It's What You See is What u Get. It's Girls, Girls, Girls. If u can incorporate any or all of that into your style, u're real. And on that note.....

"/I'll get twisted off a 5th of Sprite and fuck yo image/"
-Venom Tha Tiger Dragon