It\u2019s funny how some of these shows come together.<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t set out to do an all hip hop show for this week\u2019s edition of solipsistic NATION<\/b>. I just picked songs I\u2019ve been grooving to. As I started flowing the songs together for the mix I realized that they were all hip hop tunes.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s remarkable about that is that I\u2019m not a fan of most hip hop that comes out these days. I\u2019m one of those people who thinks that some of the best hip hop came out of the 80\u2032s and early 90\u2032s. Oh, sure, there has been some great hip hop since then but I really feel that rap was hamstrung when it became next to impossible to secure the rights for sampling or the bits that come from the deejay. Laying down the most rudimentary beats backed by a cheap keyboard rarely makes for a good song. I miss the sonic brilliance that came from Hank Shocklee<\/a> and Pete Rock<\/a>. I celebrate turntablists like Mix Master Mike<\/a> and DJ Q-bert<\/a> who defied the restrictions layed down by entertainment lawyers so they could create the best music possible. And yet here I am putting out an all hip hop show. I guess it\u2019s time for me to set my prejudices about my feelings about today\u2019s hip hop aside.<\/p>\n Photo Credit: \u00a9 Guilhem Reinaud<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n