Before we get into this, let’s get a one thing straight. I’m not here to talk about how Hip Hop fans are so damn fickle that we treat our legends like garbage, unlike just about every other genre of music (The Rolling Stones and Madonna are still touring). No, one of my colleagues took care of that one for me already [click to read]. But that doesn’t mean I’m letting you suckas off the hook, either; because the truth of the matter is, the reason Hip Hop is suffering isn’t because of lackluster artists, or even greedy labels – the reason Hip Hop suffers is because of you. The fan.

For those of you who couldn’t make it to the second paragraph without flooding the comments section with responses like “UR JUST A HATER” and other similarly intelligent statements, I thank you, because you’re only proving my point. The thing that sparked this editorial is, in fact, the comments section. There was a fairly recent news piece on our site recently about Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin defending Jay-Z’s inclusion in the Glastonbury [click to read]. Basically, uppity Oasis guitarist had his panties all up in a bunch because he believed that Hip Hop has no place at the traditionally Rock festival. In come Gwen and Chris, superstars in their own rights, calling Jay “the best musician on the planet.”

Put a one in the “win” column for Hip Hop fans, right? I mean, not only is Jay extending the reach of Hip Hop to a completely new audience, but he’s being supported by one of today’s most successful musical artists and his similarly successful actress wife! This is huge for Hip Hop, right? Mainstream recognition on a global scale in the face of adversity – that’s what the culture’s all about…right? Wrong.

Instead of embracing this monumental turn of events, the readers left comments like “So now we got white people telling us who the best rapper alive is” and “wtf they know bout hiphop...biggie is the best rappa in history and lil wayne the best rapper alive.”

Here is where I make my plea to the fans: open up your eyes and stop being so damn close-minded! Who gives a flying fuck about whether or not Jay-Z is the best?! That’s not the point! The point is trying to expand the reach of Hip Hop to people all over the world, but that’s never going to happen – because of fans like you. How is Hip Hop supposed to grow if the people who are supposed to be fans focus on completely the wrong shit? Hell, I won’t be surprised if the comments on this piece turn in to a Jay-Z vs. Nas debate. Instead of praising Chris Martin and Gwenyth Paltrow, we automatically assume they have no place in Hip Hop. Never mind that Chris Martin has produced songs for both Jay-Z and Kanye West, because that’s not the point either. The point is we as fans – as participants in this culture that we claim to love – are completely ungrateful for anything good that comes our way.

Instead of expanding our tunnel vision to view Hip Hop from a global perspective, we shun outsiders. Never mind that Rock helped birth Hip Hop (ever hear of a little song called “Walk this Way?” Look it up, youngins), or that we continuously sample music from other genres to make our own – we should just say “Fuck everyone else” and let Hip Hop shrivel up by not letting others breathe new life into it, right? Because that’s what you’re doing. Yes, let’s all continue to argue about whose city is the hardest, and which coast makes the best music, and remain ignorant of the world around us – that’ll show those smug rocker cats who’s boss! Meanwhile, the music we love grows stagnant as the months pass. Big fucking sigh (© CappaTheGreat).

Now don’t feel too bad, folks – you’re not the only ones who refuse to take responsibility. Recently, Hip Hop legend Ice-T (arguably the most gangsta rapper in his heyday), went on a tirade on a mixtape about 17-year-old sensation Soulja Boy:

“Fuck Soulja Boy! Eat a dick! This nigga single-handedly killed Hip Hop…That shit is such garbage man,” said Ice-T. "We came all the way from Rakim, we came all the way from Das EFX, we came all the way from motherfuckers flowing like Big Daddy Kane and Ice Cube, and you come with that Superman shit? That shit is garbage.”

Now, let’s forget for a moment that Ice-T is a 50-year-old man telling a kid who isn’t even out of high school to eat a dick, and let’s forget that Ice-T has brought us such thought-provoking additions to the culture as Vh1’s Rap School. While all of that is hilarious, it’s not the point. The point is, Ice-T is blaming a kid who literally stumbled onto mainstream success by making a simple, catchy song on his MySpace page…for being successful. But really, is it a legitimate claim? Unless Soulja Boy either buys all of his own ringtones or has mind control powers, it’s the fans’ choice to make them successful. This brings me to my final point: have some gotdamn standards. Continued on page 2 »