By: Amanda Anderson-Niles
Hip Hop has clearly changed a lot of over the years, and nowadays the genre seems to be influenced by trends and lacks the originality it once had. More so than anything else, most of today’s most popular rappers have decided to forgo rapping about real issues and instead rap about material things and cause controversy with their insensitive lyrics. The new shift in the genre has caused rappers to lose multimillion dollar endorsement deals and even become targets for boycotts and petitions. There also seems to be a surge in referencing popular drugs and rapping about them as if taking them is cool, and this in itself has caused many to question if Hip Hop has gone too far. “Molly” is an example of a popular drug that has become a staple subject in today’s most recent rap lyrics. And according to rapper Kendrick Lamar, it really shouldn’t be considering that he feels it waters down Hip Hop. Kendrick tells Sway of MTV News when asked why he flashed the words “Death to Molly” at the end of his “B*tch, Don’t Kill My Vibe” video:
“You know, I like trends. In high school, we had the button ups. You know, Jay-Z did that. Cool trend. The jerseys, cool trend. Air Forces. And sometimes, you have the trends that’s not that cool. You may have certain artists portraying these trends and don’t really have that lifestyle and then it gives off the wrong thing. And it become kind of corny after a while. It’s really about keeping Hip Hop original and pushing away the corniness if anything.”
He also explains why he feels the constant rapping about Molly waters the culture down:
“That’s one of those things that waters it down when everybody constantly keep using this term or this phrase…putting it in lyrics. It waters it down. It waters the culture down. It’s really just time to move on.”
Check out the clip below:
This dude is wise beyond his years.
And plus, rapping about Molly to me was not cool anyway. That sh-t kills people everyday. That’s just like rapping about aids.
Please do not allow Erykah Badu to deflower you Kendrick!
Huh?! Spill the tea!
Well rumor has it Erykah is wanting to “join his team” but Kendrick hasn’t moved on it because Erykah is too “fertile” and she needs to hop on the pill before he smashes.
I need for Erykah to stay the hell away from K Dot. Every rapper she has ever smashed ends up being messed up after the fact. Ugh.
Damn! I hope he doesn’t do it! She’s already ruined Andre 3000!
LOL right!!!
Oh goodness. Lol.
Love this dude!
I honestly wish rappers put more thought behind what they are rapping about. Their words influence their listeners and most of them are just yapping their gums about things they never did.
Kendrick speaking that truth yet again.
Agreed!!!
My fave!
Love this guy…