Hip-Hop & Rap---The views of an ardent fan

I was first introduced to the hip-hop/rap genre of music in grade 5, thanks to my elder cousin. He was listening to the Marshall Mathers Lp, and i happened to listen to it while he was away(since he did not allow me to listen to it back then). After that moment, my life changed completely(for the better).

I personally feel that this genre of music is one of THE most creative & spellbinding ever (I wont compare it to the other genres, especially Rock & others ; in this blog at least). It is, according to me the best genre to spread your thoughts, ideals & feelings to the world, in the form of rhymes. This genre of music can take many forms, right from the commercial songs for the clubs & the public at large(50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, Drake etc), to the lyrically horrorcore songs (Army Of The Pharoahs, Jedi Mind Tricks etc), political songs (Immortal technique, Lowkey), knowledgeable songs(Krs-One, Rass Kass, Canibus etc) etc. Not to mention the different regions like the East & the West Coast. Thus, this genre isn’t specified or made predictable.                                                     (above): Hip-Hop Hall of Fame              

Hip-Hop is a continually metamorphosing genre. In the 1980’s, it mainly consisted of the so called old school groups & rappers like Big daddy Kane, Public Enemy, Rakim, Run DMC etc. This time was the golden age where the emergence of hip-hop as a genre was underway, & underway fast! Then in the 1990’s the emergence of Gangsta –Rap sparked off with the help of NWA & its members-Dr Dre, Ice Cube, Eazy-E etc. This time also saw the emergence of Tupac & the Notorious BiG (who, even after they passed away, are considered to be amongst the best rappers ever). The 90’s also saw the birth of many others like Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Tech N9ne, Krs-One, Nas, Jay-Z, Chino XL etc. This was a time where the genre went global, because this was the time where the rappers started making more globally appealing songs, apart from the songs for the strictly hardcore rap fan. So people actually started becoming aware of what rap music actually was. Then after 2000, many other great rappers like Immortal Technique, Vinnie Paz emerged from a slumber. They basically created the more politically oriented form of rap & hip-hop(where Krs-One & Chuck D left off). Eventually, came the punchline & metaphors related hip-hop where the song is based on clever lyricism & witty puns (Slaughterhouse, Lil Wayne etc)

                                             (above): Eminem

                                            (below): The Anthem featuring Eminem, Tech N9ne, Chino Xl, RZA, Krs-One , Pharoahe Monch & others.

                  

Now, i will give a brief insight on Eminem, who is my favourite rapper &, who, also happens to be my idol. Marshall Mathers aka Eminem aka Slim Shady is according to me one of the only people who can actually inspire millions. He grew up in Detroit, where people did not hear & did not want to hear a white person rapping, because of the age old stereotype that said that only African American people can rap or that, the rap genre is exclusive to the African Americans. The great thing about Eminem is, apart from his unmatchable talent, is that he actually beat most people at their own game; he stood his ground & never lost his focus, even though half the people he knew were against him. Technically, it was much easier for an African American to become a rapper, than a white person becoming one, MUCH easier.His first album was Infinite which did not do well since he was still new to the game. But soon after,he  came under Dr.Dre’s wing & released three classics-The Slim Shady LP, The Marshall Mathers LP(his best), & The Eminem Show. So he overcame all obstacles & look where he is now. Even after becoming a success, many tried pulling him down. His best friend, Proof passed away in 2006, after which Eminem went into depression, almost died of a drug overdose, BUT, came back strong in 2009, with Relapse(though it did not do as well as his previous albums). Then he dropped Recovery after a year which broke all records globally.Now, with the release of Hell:The Sequel, he is again at the top of his game. The reason he is my idol is that, no one, apart from Tony Montana, inspires me this much towards my eventual goal of success. Each time i am feeling down & out or downright lousy, i turn on my ipod, & he comes to my rescue.

Now getting back to the genre as a whole; these days unfortunately, people have forgotten what hip hop/rap means. In other words, they misconstrue & have a completely different perception  of it. For example, when  I talk about hip-hop/rap, the first thing that comes to these people’s mind is Sean Kingston, Beyonce, Akon etc. People , i  feel, should do some more research so that they are able to differentiate between Rap & R&B & Pop music. People should also not have a stereotypic attitude towards this genre. For example, in  school & college, whenever i have mentioned this genre to then, they say, “oh! I hate rap”...I ask, “but why?”....they reply, “because all they do is swear & talk about women & jewellery”. Actually what they have heard is a more commercial side of hip-hop & not the proper side. I am sure that after they listen to the proper “underground” artists like Immortal Technique, Vinnie Paz etc, they will change their minds.

                                          (below): just a glimpse of Indian Hip-Hop (Brodha V)

As an ardent fan of rap & Hip-hop, i also write lyrics & have rap battles, sometimes, on facebook. Fortunately, this genre is spreading like wildfire in India. There are many noticeable groups like MWA,

   

(above):Lowkey & Immortal Technique perform Voiceless of the Voiceless

 Mumbai’s Finest, as well as many others. People in India have become aware of this phenomenon called Hip-Hop. Even people who do not have bands, rap battle online with the help of many groups on facebook, the most noteworthy being Insignia. I do hope this beautiful genre continues growing in India & throughout the world.

Peace

References:

http://mobcup.net/browse/wallpaper/0/downloads/hip-hop

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=slim%20shady 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiudIr0pAr0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hWeAEhIIN0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxCWiYFkvTg

The Hopeful Transition of Bollywood(from clichés to riches) & the age old comparison with their English Counterparts

 When we stumble upon the word “Bollywood”, accidently or not, what comes to our mind? Is it Govinda dancing in front of a large crowd in Switzerland, hence making a fool of himself? Is it Shah Rukh Khan sticking his arms out in a really corny romantic flick? Or is it Sunny Deol screaming “Tareek Pe Tareek” in a courtroom? Dont worry....im not going to restrict your option to one like KBC or any other such show. All the above mentioned options can be the correct answer.

Now don’t you get me wrong, im not an anti Bollywood species or a sycophantic movie critic. Im just an ordinary person who has just completed his college studies & wants to share some thought provoking thoughts with you, the reader. 

Since time immemorial Bollywood has been spawning the most lacklustre films to hit the screen. Unfortunately many of these pathetic films have been dubbed as “classics”. With this particular “infamy”, i am sure that the creators of the Oxford & Merriam Webster dictionaries will have trouble digesting this particular food for thought on how their favourite word has been degraded so obnoxiously. The actors of the yesteryear simply couldn’t act! As simple as that. The olden day films made as much sense to me as those banned(thankfully) Saas Bahu serials. 

Getting back to the present- What breaks my heart is that directors have the audacity of making films like Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, I Hate Love Stories, Singh Is King, Rajneeti, Dostana, Anjaana Anjaani, Break Ke Baad etc etc etc...& calling them films for the “youth”. Wonder which section of the youth they refer to-maybe between ages 1-10. Plus, the worst part of this comedy is that most of these films actually become hits! I literally wanted to visit every theatre premiering those films & just SCREAM OUT ALOUD!

Now comes the catch. People actually compare Bollywood to Hollywood (even though the only Hollywood films they have watched are Clash Of The Titans, Step Up & other such useless films). There was one incident where i was discussing films with one of my colleagues, and what he said was, “Who wants to watch The Godfather, when we have our own godfather in the form of Amitabh Bachchan in Sarkar”..........Really?... & i had this debate in college where a classmate of mine said out aloud ,”in Bollywood we have films like Race which oust the Hollywood films”....again......Really?

Hollywood has many great classic films like The Godfather Trilogy, Shawshank Redemption, A Clockwork Orange, Citizen Kane, Goodfellas, One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest, The Good.. The Bad.. and The Ugly, Pulp Fiction, Psycho, Casablanca etc , & also many new age greats like The Departed, Inception, The Black Swan, Mullholand Drive etc......and by the way, im NOT trying to be snobbish. I just wanted to get some things clear which im pretty sure many people were pretty hazy about. Most Bollywood films are rip offs of their counterparts because the main idea here is “if a movie is a hit in the west, it is bound to become a hit in India” For Example, the recent film Rajneeti was a complete copy of The Godfather, & unlike Ram Gopal Varma who actually had said that The Godfather inspired him to make Sarkar, the film makers did not even have the decency to admit that they had copied it. Instead they stuck onto their idea of the film being “original”.

Then on the other hand, people like Akshay Kumar get celebs from Hollywood to do a cameo in their films. After he does that, people again start the inevitable comparison between the two. Instead of making incomparable comparisons with their English counterpart, i feel that Bollywood should wake up from its long ignorant slumber; It should concentrate on making “movies” & not money.

                                                           (Below): I am an ardent fan of The Godfather ( i have watched it at least 25 times, only second to Scarface, which i have watched 67 times)

                                   ^  Al Pacino's magnificent performance in Scent of a Woman

Nevertheless thankfully, not all is lost. Bollywood has surprised me in these past few years. Some directors & producers are actually paying heed to the criticisms Bollywood is facing today & making very good films. A few years back, a film called Kaminey was released. I was surprised as to how good the cinematography was. It reminded me of a Quentin Tarantino flick. Very nicely crafted.  After that, 3 Idiots also had a very iron-clad & heartwarming theme which was directed towards the youth of the country. Then came Delhi Belly; This film really took me by surprise. I was delighted at the bold step that Bollywood took in crafting this film. Don't go by the cussing, my friends (Goodfellas uses the F-Word more than 400 times & its one of the best films ever made). Everything, from the cinematography & the script to the acting & the direction was perfect for a Bollywood film. In fact, i felt it was one step ahead of Bollywood. I feel that films like these should be made more often so that one day i may even delete this blog & post another one saying how much Bollywood has improved.

Peace.

References:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUE4v1rUpSM