Hip-Hop is a powerful force. Its voice reaches millions and popularizes so many things on a regular basis. Rappers have been unofficial spokesmen for countless brands, products, trends, and styles over the years, and that is something that shows no signs of slowing down. On the flip side though, Hip-Hop can ruin things easily too.
In a culture that prides itself on being cool, edgy, and fresh, “out with the old and in with the new” in Hip-Hop is routine. However, sometimes rappers go overboard with things and end up doing more harm than good while trying to be hip.
Recently, Hip-Hop has ruined privacy with all the talk about Adrienne Bosh. But this is not the first or last time that Hip-Hop will ruin something.
As the saying goes, “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions;” rap is no exception. And so, AllHipHop.com made a list of 10 things that Hip-Hop ruined.
Hip-Hop Ruined Rap Collaborations
There was a time when rappers would collaborate and fans could simply enjoy the records that were made. “The Symphony,” “Flava in Ya Ear (Remix),” “The Grand Finale,” and the list goes on. But eventually the focus for discussions about collaborations became, “Who got who?” instead of “Is this a hot song?” Not to say the former can’t be a discussion point, but it shouldn’t overshadow everything. Hip-Hop is competitive enough as it is. Can’t we all show a little U.N.I.T.Y.?
Hip-Hop Ruined Happiness
Being disregarded as a rapper because of lack of ability is one thing, but being written off for not being “tough enough” is absolutely ridiculous. There’s a reason DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince won the first Rap Grammy ever. Hip-Hop has been significant in expressing struggle which is important. However, it’s also necessary to acknowledge the more pleasant things in life too because that is what makes overcoming any struggle worth it in the end.
Hip-Hop Ruined Writing Down Lyrics
Ever since it became common knowledge that Biggie didn’t write his rhymes down, countless emcees have adopted that approach. But few emcees can compose raps from memory like Biggie did and so the fact that other rappers don’t write their rhymes down is reflected in the quality of the music that’s recorded from memory. If only one of the greatest wasn’t so damn good, rappers that followed in Biggie’s footsteps could’ve helped Hip-Hop sound a lot better than it does sometimes.
Hip-Hop Ruined The Black Power Movement
In the late 80s and early 90s, there was a movement of Hip-Hoppers that were decidedly conscious. Led by the likes of Public Enemy and KRS-One, these rappers pushed the line on social commentary and pushing the race forward. Then came N.W.A, with a bunch of talk about n##### and b######. They changed everything and while they had a few social bones in their body, it was later revealed that it was mostly Ice Cube.
Hip-Hop Ruined Intimacy Between Men And Women
Once upon a time, LL Cool J wrote a song called “I Need Love.” In 2012, 2 Chainz wrote a lovely song called “Birthday Song,” where he proclaimed all he wanted for his birthday was a “big booty hoe.” These days relationships are the equivalent to finding a spot and hanging out. 2 Chainz is only one is a milllion rappers to reduce the women to a couple of body parts. Damn it, Hip-Hop. A slow song ain’t so bad….
Hip-Hop Ruined Body Art
Tattoos are used as a reminder of something significant by way of inking the skin. But they are permanent and, in many cases, available for the world to see. While some get tattoos for more conventional reasons, rappers have been known to go left field with it and turned something special into something silly. For a few examples of such instances, see Gucci Mane’s ice cream cone face tattoo and the red stars inked on Birdman’s head.
Hip-Hop Ruined Spelling
Tell the truth…you tend to spell the word ludicrous “ludacris” like the famous rapper! Or freakin’ fabulous Fabolous. Fab, the rapper, had the nerve to spell it wrong in his first 100 songs, permanently ruing that name. But it doesn’t stop there. Rappers and Hip-Hop have consistently mutilated very reasonable words for no real reason. Back in the day, “the” was “tha” – FOR NO REASON! Tupac, the don, loved to replace “s” for “z” in just about everything (i.e. Better Dayz). We collectively took the n-word with the “er” and added an “a” – and somehow it mystically turned into a term of endearment. Nowadays, this affliction that started in the 80’s has kids texting illegible sentences in the name of youth. No, its just p###-poor spelling.
Hip-Hop Ruined Retirement
There have been many rappers over the years (Too Short, Master P, Jay-Z, just to name a few) that have said they were retiring only to return to rap within a few years after first hanging up the mic. Could retirement be a marketing tactic? Or is it just a way to fall off gracefully if the “last” album flops? Either way, a rapper has yet to return from retirement and catch a second wind that exceeds their first.
Hip-Hop Ruined Auto-Tune
When Cher used Auto-Tune for her hit “Believe” in 1998, that could have been the end of it. But with the emergence of stars like T-Pain in the late 2000s, a lot of Hip-Hop artists got in on the Auto-Tune craze. Kanye West even recorded an entire album using it. Eventually, it was run into the ground because it went from a cool effect to gimmick. Hip-hop literally hasn’t sounded the same since.
Hip-Hop Ruined Video Vixens
Sex, drugs, and rock and roll. With that in mind, one would think that rock music ruined models more than rap. However, that isn’t the case. Supermodels Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell, among many others, have made appearances in music videos for rockers and then gone on to achieve worldwide fame and lengthy careers in the limelight. Rap video models, on the other hand, write tell-all books (Karrine Steffans), go to jail (Kat Stacks), and join the real estate industry (Melyssa Ford) after the cameras stop rolling.
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