Hip-Hop Artists Shouldn’t Get Tenure

By: Alex Harris

Turn on the radio, and all you hear are songs about go-go dancers, Patron, and Gucci flip-flops.  Sure, rappers are just like anyone else when it comes to money: they want more of it.  What bothers me, is that in order for rappers to get more of it, they don’t necessarily have to work as hard as they did in the past.  If you or I had the proper connections, we could walk into a recording studio, devise a catchy hook (with the help of a songwriter), concoct an enticing beat (with the help of a producer), and sing (with the help of a vocoder), and walk out listening to our song in some 11th grader’s Scion tC.  Understand what I’m trying to say?  Of course, there are still real talents out there:  Jay-Z, Kanye West, Common, Mos Def, and Jadakiss to name a few, but their music is too often overshadowed by the likes of Soulja Boy and Sean Kingston.

Now, I’ll be the first to say I thoroughly enjoy listening to Lil’ Wayne, ranging from his days with the Hot Boys to The Carter I and The Carter II.  However, I’ll also be the first to say that his first Rock album, titled The Rebirth (which is scheduled for a November 2009 release) won’t be very typical of Lil’ Wayne.  Granted, Dwayne Carter’s success as a multi-faceted rapper shouldn’t prohibit him from exploring distinct styles of music; I just wish it wasn’t rock music.  If you’re a fan of Lil’ Wayne, you’re a fan because of songs like “Hustler Muzik” and “Hit Em Up” not “Prom Queen” or “Hot Revolver.”

Let’s face it, if The Notorious BIG tried to sing “Gimme the Loot” over a rock sound, or Tupac Shakur rapped “I Get Around” with a hook from Robin Thicke, I firmly believe that people would not listen to it.  Sure, we’re not living in 1994, but that doesn’t mean we should listen to our favorite rapper just for the sake of listening.  Let’s just hope The Carter IV makes up for what should turn out to be a mistake.