Hip-Hop is a revolution in thought and culture. When you think of the movement in that way, then you know it has been known to produce dramatic changes in society. It has also spawned a plethora of trends that seep well into America’s main vein. Some of these fads aren’t so good for the lifeblood of such a creative and vibrant generation.
We present “The Top 10 Worst Fads In Hip-Hop History.”
HIP-HOP HOUSE (HIP HOUSE MUSIC)
House music swept the nation in the late 80’s. It was like the new disco. People slowly started to loosen up their b-boy stances a bit and dance. But, as is always the case, some people took it overboard. After the Jungle Brothers hit it big with “Girl, I’ll House You,” the entire Hip-Hop community saw an opportunity to get some recognition. There were some good ones like “Stomp” by K-Yze and Queen Latifah’s. But, then there were really bad ones from Hip-Hop favorites like Craig G’s “Turn This House Into A Home.” Most disappointing was underground hardocre act EPMD droping…”It’s Time To Party.” Sigh. There was a period where everyone had the obligatory house joint on the album. Thank the gods that era is in the dirt.
Example:
Exception:
King Sun was one of the hardest rappers out in the late 80’s. Somehow he managed to craft a club banger with “On The Club Tip,” and still maintain credibility as a Five Percent brother and intimidating figure.
HAMMER PANTS
They were unlike anything we had ever seen, unless you saw your old, drunk uncle relieve himself in his pants and watch them sag in the nastiest way possible. Hammer Pants. There were those that loved them and those that hated them. And then there was another category: those that wore them. Those that actually went out and purchased the silky looking (but probably rayon) drawlz. Now, this isn’t a slight to MC Hammer, the iconic rapper that created the look. He was doing him. While everybody wasn’t appreciative of his style, they had to respect (at some point) the power, influence and sales that were generated by his Hammer Pants.
Example:
Exception:
When you really look back at the legacy of MC Hammer, he deserves commendation. He deflected disses from everybody from Run DMC to 3rd Base to Redman, and proved to be one of rap’s biggest success stories. And he did it wearing the loosest pants in rap history.
HORRORCORE
At one point, Gangsta rap just wasn’t hard enough for Hip-Hop. Like, seriously, shooting people just wasn’t gory enough. Now, unlike Hip-Hop House music, Horrorcore has a lot of notable acts that put out some good music and still do. Think Brotha Lynch Hung, Esham and Natas, Ganksta N-I-P (who ghostwrote some of Geto Boy Bushwick Bill’s songs), The Geto Boys and The Gravediggaz. These guys were doing the music before Entertainment Weekly came and gave it a name. As soon as it was called “Horrorcore,” it turned into our worst nightmare. When Russell Simmons tossed his cousin into the fad, we knew the party was commercially over and the macabre was on the surface to be cannibalized.
Example:
Exception:
Ganksta NIP never had a rap video. He was relegated to nothing but underground love. Yet, one has to ask, “Did he need a rap video for that things he rapped about?” The answer is no. His rhymes were cinematic enough.
SKINNY JEANS AND EXTRA SMEDIUM CLOTHING
There are some fads that Hip-Hop flat out rejects and has rejected for years. Suddenly, there is a paradigm shift that signifies “S**t changed” and you didn’t get the memo. Some say it started with Kanye West and others say it was Europe. Either way the Skinny Jeans and Extra Smedium (extra small and medium) clothing movement still continues long after it was assumed that cats like Kanye and John Legend were lonely advocates. No, they freed everybody’s sense of the fashion faux pas. (Editor’s note: these are the extreme and unfortunate opposite of the MC Hammer pants movement.)
Example:
Exception:
Cats like Lenny Kravitz and Seal… they can do this and we won’t say a word. Rock on, dudes!
GETTING ARRESTED AS ALBUM PROMOTION
Sure, this is a stretch as a fad. Still, rappers and their marketing teams have made getting arrested a strategy in their promo push. Rumors have flown for years that exects at major labels have plot and planned deviant behavior for rappers to engage in just to promote an album.
Example:
In August, Rapper Yung Berg was arrested in New York for possession of a handgun, possession of marijuana and “menacing” a limo driver. Now, the rapper must live in a “bizzarro” world because, according to tmz, he “took” the charge for his buddies a mere two days before his debut album dropped. These stories have carried on for years and years and now seem to be petering out. Thank you!
Exception:
When T.I. got arrested before the ’07 BET Hip-Hop Awards, people dismissed it as a stunt…for about two seconds. Soon, it was clear that Tip had gotten into a real mess. Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms arrested Tip on charges of buying three illegal machine guns and a couple silencers. It was far from the smartest move and equally far from the phoniest.
Part 2 Cometh Soon – faster than you can say “Can’t Touch This”
