I had a conversation with a group of young hip-hoppers recently. The subject was why does it seem like the south is dominating mainstream hip-hop? From radio airplay, album sales to simply the trends: the grills, the dances, the oversized tees, can we truly pinpoint what it is that is keeping the dirty south on top?

Based on the stats from Billboard.com, only one northern artist is on the list with a hot single or album at the moment: Mims. But the south currently has several southern artists who are holding their region down that includes Unk, Rich Boy, T.I., Young Buck, and Young Jeezy to name a few. Again I ask; why there aren’t more artists from the north listed? (more…)

Let’s get real people, as much as I agree with banning the use of negative words such as nigger, hoe, bitch and others from hip-hop music and our speech in general, I believe this is a small issue compared to the much larger one we have as black people.

We as a race of people in this country are being held by a racial stronghold and eliminating a few words from our music will not free us; eliminating the root of the problem will. (more…)

Below are the thoughts of Wise Intelligent on Interscope Records’ “lyrics committee”:

About a week or so ago, rapper Young Buck made an appearance on New York’s Hot 97′s Angie Martinez’s show to promote his new album “Buck the World”, the first single of which is incredible (I love that record).

You know, it was pretty much your typical rap interview except for one revealing exchange in particular. This was when Young Buck spoke of a record addressing Police Brutality that unfortunately did not make the record? It was said in the interview that Interscope Records (home of Dr. Dre’s Aftermath, Shady Records; Eminem, G Unit; 50 Cent, Loyd Banks, Young Buck; The Lox; Jada Kiss, Styles and Sheik, amongst others) has an official “Lyrics Committee.” (more…)

We had a long talk last night, at times it was very intense; border-line argument. I told her that I missed our past. The love she held in her heart, the inner beauty that made her special.

I told her that I didn’t agree with her recent decisions regarding career and personal goals. I told her that the tight knit relationship we once had, was fading. How we got to this point is apparent. (more…)

New trends and slang words are invented everyday in this ever changing world of hip-hop. One that I find intriguing is the term “dumbing down,” or “dumbed down” in reference to how hip-hop in its current state is being down-graded so that a younger audience can truly understand and appreciate the music. You must be kidding me.

So let me get this straight: Are we saying that all of hip-hop is stupid as in a lack of intelligence? Or are we making a point that just the “pop” type hip-hop that we hear and see through various mediums lacks intelligence? To some degree, I agree with the latter, but I believe just like with everything, there’s more that meets the eye. (more…)

If one more person sends out an email, a Myspace bulletin or does a song dubbed “Hip-Hop is Dead” or anything of the sort, I swear I might go crazy. When something is dead it no longer exists, it is a memory, a dried tear on your pillow and from what I can see, hip-hop is no where near dead, nor is it dying.

Thus the reason why I titled my last album “Candy Medicine” because I believe that hip-hop is simply sick and needs the care and attention from great hip-hop artists, underground, middle-stream and main-stream to bring it back to its healthy state. What state is that you ask? The state when you personally fell in love with hip-hop. (more…)

In celebration of the MTV Brain Trust’s newest debate over the “Greatest Hip-Hop Groups of All Time,” I’ve decided to pick my top ten groups of all time with two or more MCs. Ten bucks says MTV doesn’t even mention half. Either way, check out the broadcast Sunday, March 4 on MTV2.

1. Black Star
2. Living Legends
3. The Roots
4. Outkast
5. Fugees
6. Dead Prez
7. Digable Planets
8. Public Enemy
9. Blackalicious
10. A Tribe Called Quest

Honorable Mention: Wu Tang Clan, De La Soul, Gangstarr, Goodie Mob, Jurassic 5, NWA, Run DMC, Beastie Boys, Dilated Peoples, X Clan.

I met this dude once, claimed he was into real hip-hop. I actually bumped into him quite often. The first time we met was in the mid-90’s, sometime before the beginning of what some call the “downfall” of hip-hop. He was new to my block and claimed to be a strong advocate of the hip-hop culture.  Well, he was at first, but boy how people change.

When he first came out to the neighborhood park he seemed to be a cool cat. He had his CD Walkman with the huge Sony headphones, the baggy jeans, the unlaced black Timberland boots, an over-sized tee and backpack full of dope hip-hop. From appearance alone, dude seemed down. (more…)

This morning, driving into work, a recurring idea popped into my head, “Why aren’t I wearing any pants?”  No really, I wondered why don’t producers get more credit?  This isn’t just about producers, in general, getting recognized, because now, more than ever, producers are getting shine. 

Kanye West, Timbaland, Pharrell and others have made sure of this.  But when I see a video on MTV (or at least from what I remember when i DID watch MTV), I don’t see a producers name in the intro credits.  Why is that? (more…)

I’m not gonna lie, I’m a complainer.  I excel at the art of complaining.  If there were a 200 meter dash of complaining, I would be Michael Johnson.  I don’t take pride in this fact, most people usually frown upon it.  But there is one thing that I complain about often and do so whole heartedly: the shit I hear on the radio. 

Now don’t get me wrong, I do like some of the music that I hear on the radio, even the Hip Hop; but hearing Hi-Tek’s, “Where it Started At,” fitty-ele’en hunded and eight times in a day really wears out the song.  And as far as pop hip hop music goes, 90% of that garbage, I cannot listen to.  I suspect many fans of Hip Hop Linguistics feel the same way.   So I take an active role in not listening to the radio. (more…)