When reading about what Public Enemy’s Flavor Flav and Chuck D have recently declared to Gigwise about hip hop and rap, I got to ask myself,…. Yeah by the way what’s exactly the difference between the two? These two words are always used to describe the same style of music, a style I am not really found of, but a very important one in today’s culture. I was probably not informed enough to understand why Chuck D declared that Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar’s music may be good rap but is certainly not hip hop. This is exactly what they said:
Flavor Flav: ‘There’s no more of that ‘Wave your hands in the air like you just don’t care’ – you know, something that makes you wanna get out there and breakdance. Rap music has lost that element right now, mainly over in America. There’s not too many great hip hop records out there, but there are some great rap records. Lil Wayne is making some great rap records, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Ludacris, Jay Z, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent, Snoop [Dogg] – everybody is making great rap records, but it’s not hip hop.’
Chuck D: ‘If you love hip hop, ask yourself why. We’ve done it around the world for 26 years in 90 countries and we have our reasons – but we think it should be along the lines of Bob Marley, Bob Dylan and Bobby Womack. It should be able to cover all aspects. When it’s just about ‘I got money and you don’t have money’, that’s just taking advantage of the naivety of people.’
My first surprise is wow, no Kanye? Seriously I got what Chuck D means, rap may be a style of music, but hip hop is more than this, it’s a message and a life style. However, the line between the two is often very blurry as nobody seems to pay attention to this distinction anymore. Beside distinction in tempo, I want to focus on Chuck D’s idea and what rap pioneer KRS-One declared ‘Rap is something you do, but hip-hop is something you live’.
It is not the first time Chuck D criticizes rappers for their cheap materialistic oriented-lyrics, but why did hip hop and rap become so dissociated? Both styles were born in the Bronx streets out of poverty and frustration, and were originally focusing on social issues, giving a voice to the young African American generation. But what happened? Why did socially and politically engaged hip hop shift to this very successful crap idolizing wealth, bling, sex and consumption that we hear all the time? Is this glorification of money, cars, wealth and fashion the definitive victory of the American consumerism? If there is a current disconnection with the origins of the movement, it’s sad to see how the movement has lost its goal and function, Chuck D is old-school and he is very right. Admire as much as you want the Jay-Zs of this world, the thing is that they have totally lost touch with reality and killed hip hop,… their lyrics couldn’t possibly be taken on a satirical sense for a second since they all drive Lamborghinis and live in castles in real life. They are now businessmen, hang out with the establishment, or better, are part of it: Kanye West sees himself as the new Steve Jobs and Jay-Z hangs out with Obama and snob Gwyneth Patrow. From counter-culture to gangsta-rap to mainstream music hijacked by consumerism and marketing, the American hip hop movement seems to be dead. ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’ sang Gil Scott-Heron, not only there is no revolution but Jay-Z is endorsed by Samsung or HP, 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg by Reebok or Pony.. and they all do it! If a revolution starts, it will not come from capitalist hip hop or may be it needs to reinvent itself at one point. I guess Chuck D is right and wrong, rap is also a lifestyle, a lifestyle focusing on instant success, sex, power and money… But isn’t it the current American dream? It’s just not the lifestyle Chuck D had in mind.