T.I. gives props to artist like Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and Big Sean but beyond giving credit where it’s due. He doesn’t feel the same way use to about Hip-Hop, and just might decide on leaving the game.
Says T.I.
No disrespect to any of the new talent that’s coming out, ‘cus there are a lot of guys that I tip my hat to and I salute their success like Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and Big Sean. There are a lot of cats out there that are grinding and doing it the right way, but there are a lot of things going on out there that quite honestly are a contradiction to what I’ve always stood for and represent. I just feel like in some ways the game is going in a direction that I can’t follow, and I always told myself when that day comes I won’t become the old man talking about ‘Hip-Hop in the old days’, I’ll just find me something else to do.
“The authenticity has diminished in the game, now it’s about what sounds good. And nobody is doing any fact checks, you know? And nobody is getting called on their bullsh*t either. I feel like the level of integrity that I have been able to maintain throughout my career, 11-12 years, I’m going to continue to maintain that same level of respect, that same level of integrity and I’m not going to compromise that for anybody. And if the day comes where the things that I represent ain’t really marketable, ain’t really fashionable to the consumer of the day, then I’m going to break.
I can completely relate to what Tip is saying, I often feel that way sometimes when I’m checking out music from certain artist. It’s not that the game is dying, it’s just in the middle of redefining itself.
10 years ago, a rapper 40+ years old still rapping would be absurd but you look at Jay-Z and his career is bigger than it’s ever been. Consider someone like Nas who has a new highly anticipated album dropping in a month, he’s been rapping for 22 years and he’s still as good as when you first heard him.
You have to consider how young the genre still is, It’s just now starting to divide itself into many sub-categories and that will divide the audience and they’ll gravitate to what they can relate to the most. Cats are rapping over Dubstep and Dance beats now and it’s totally normal.
Some do it extremely well, like Lupe Fiaso.
In the next 2 years your going to identify a good 20 or more artists that are going define the next chapter of Hip-Hop.
Don’t quit yet Tip, you still have allot of good music left in you.
Thoughts?
Hip Hop Music
