Dumbing down lyrics

[BugzR.I.P.]

Yo, Im getting sick in tired of mc's who have mad skill but dumb down their lyrics to sell records.I have one huge ex.
1.Eminem-dude can spit some crazy lyrics (see infinite),one of the best to ever touch a mic,but lately hes been dumbing down his lyrics.Now Im not saying go back to how he was before,instead try to incorporate those sick lyrics into his new flow.

Its not just em thats doing,there are so many rappers doing it, and its starting to piss me off.I just wanted to say what is on my mind.

[Choppa]

"If skills sold truth be told/
I'd prolly be, lyrically, Talib Kewli/
Truthfully I wanna rhyme like Common Sense/
But I did 5 mil- I ain't been rhymin like Common since/"

Every mainstream rapper does it, so just face it. You want real shit then listen to indepedent/underground music.

[Mycall]

^^^

Werd

But some mainstream is good too.

[2ndroundko]

It is annoying. Thats why at least half of my cds are underground / semi-underground artists.

[Naimenar]

hahaha, as soon as these commercially bound candy wrappers are on the shelf, their lyrics get about as deeps as a dinner plate....

Not even em's got the michigan lake covered, come on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[idegadmaster]

It really is a shame that lyrics arent incorporated into commercial rap. The only commercial album I bought in the past year was Kanye. Hes not the most lyrical but he actually has meaning in his rhymes. All my other albums are underground or semi-commercial(semi-underground) rappers.

[Tone Riggz]

well, it is ultimately a business move...generally, people want to hear good beats; these commercial artists can't get too complex or overshadow the beats or else they might lose a lot of their audience...

not to mention that there are certain topics and ways of rhyming that work in commercial rap, as opposed to underground rap where you'll see a whole slew of different styles, content, flow, etc...

and its not just commercial recordings...when mtv's dfx show had those battles, breez evahflowin said that he had dumb down his lyrics, and not get so complex with it, or else the audience (especially an MTV DFX audience) would lose him in the lyrics...

[K*12*CARTER]

the best rappers only dumb down for there singles...jay-z for example

[Choppa]

I've heard some Eminem songs with bad lyrics that weren't singles. "Go 2 Sleep" is one example. As for Jay, he even admits that he doesn't rhyme as well as he could on ALL of his songs, not just the singles. Check "Moment of Clarity."

[Justin Kinch]

kweli:
"if skill sold truth be told/I'd probly be richer than Jay-Z/truthfully I wanna rhyme like common sense/next best thing I do I song with common sense"
I still love Jay-Z tho, matter of fact, I'm listening to that line right now

[NastyMC]

^^like how kweli flipped that line. not to get off of topic but i think kweli's next release is gonna be crazy

[Duce]

The main fact here is mainstream rap has nothing to do with lyrics. The success of artists has only to do with their appearance, or how catchy the hook and beat is...Period. Sure there are a few mainstreamers out there that actually seem to care about their lyrics, but as been said, they still know to put a few of those songs on the album.

We are to the point now that people can put a song out featuring the same word being said 56 times, and sell it like god damn candy.

See: Lil Jon

He's a prime example here..Yea, I dont mind listening to Kings of Crunk in a club, but it's not hip hop..and it's severely dropping the bar of what is currently being accepted as mainstream hip hop. All you have to do is get Lil Jon to yell 'What, Yeah, Okay' in your song, and sure enough you'll sell...hell you can use words that nobody knows the true meaning to...and get them to sing it.

See: Skeet


I'm not as much complaining here as just making a point that the public eats that shit up, so anybody that wants to sell will worry 2x more about their beats and getting the Eastside Boyz on a track than their lyrics..Real hip hop is out there, you just gotta look under the surface of mainstream rap.


Oh, and BTW..

























































Skeet means cum.

[Naimenar]

no schit, mainstream rap is commercial rap, mainstream rap themes are now days directed commercially also, seems like the congress stepped up in the free speech in music?" after eminem i bet.............white washed world i won the bet, fucked up future, i got money on it.............now about music, it's all in the heart of the person feeling it, not who can put words together and sprinkle some frooty loop track with sound effects to sell it, it partially matter in looks i believe for women, men they all get there, don’t forget, these people listen to the beat, then the lyrics, it makes sense to them they feel it, they feel it you’re rocking a concert, but that don’t mean take the money and move on up from the poverished ghetto that made you...............ahhh exactly, you shit in that ghetto in the most polite way you gonna live there too, why were you made, why where you made to do that, ok so if you plan on it, then best believe to keep your character solid and make a real worldwide statement is best...........and the content better be deep, otherwise, yaw’ll can sell like dirty chips by the dozen, from detroit to ludacris, who’s the queen of hook lines and dance music, only.....................true music stays with Pink Floyd, Beatles, Doors, Al green, Jurreau, benson, yeah BB King too, they didn’t do it for the money did they?, i thought so, they did out of passion, so take it that these days these lames, are sleazy brains, conning you and at the same time blinding you, I personally rather be seeing really good, so that i can live my daily life and go about my quest till the end of time.............

[Drex]

This from a Ghostface interview, he addresses the whole dumbing-down of lyrics situation:

"...Ain't no disrespect, but the average person don't wanna hear lyrics no more. They just wanna shake their ass. So if you wanna play dumb, I can play dumb, too. I'm not gonna bust my brain, actin' like I gotta write a Malcolm X dart, because right now, the people are simpleminded..."

On-point to some extent, but I think artists that do this (dumb down lyrics) forget they have a base of core fans who really check for their lyrics and content...not just wanting to shake their ass in a club.

[englishman]

Its Got To The Point Where I Dont Even Buy Most Commercial Shit Anymore. Most People Who Claim To Floow Hiphop Aint Even Heard Of People Like Kweli (most have now because he was on College Dropout). Its Groupie Shit.

Ghostface Had It Right When He Said The People Are Simpleminded. Thats Why Alot Say 50 Cent Is Better Than Lloyd Banks. Personally, I Aint Into G-Unit, But I Like Banks, Because He At Least Has Some Decent Lyrics (just the punches, i aint talkin deepness here).

Most Are Blind To Lyrical Skill, Its Based On Image, There Are PLENTY Out There Who Could Do A Way Better Job Than Most Mainstream Rappers.