LYRICIST... THE LOST ART BY: Y.L.

LYRICIST.... It is often talked about what happen to the REAL LYRICIST in the HIP HOP world. As I was riding down the highway on a road trip I had grabbed a few mixtapes for the ride from the local CD man. I went on my trip listening to TRAPTV.com -presents- STYLES P "Large on the Streets" & DJ F SHARP -presents- Top 5 Dead or Alive pt.3 "Jay-Z" both mixtapes are real good riding music. It brought to my mind how lyrics are now absent from a lot of Artist...... The HIP HOP game is now more about gimmic for sale purpose more than anything. In Real HIP HOP artists incorporated a message in their song instead of throwing lines together that rhymed. This is the main concern with hip hop artists today with many old school hip hop fans, artists, or "true" hip hop fans saying that rap has faded away from the lyrical concept of hip hop. Being a 80's baby the artist I came up on (Big L, Big Pun, 2pac, Biggie, AZ, Nas, Rakim, Jay-Z), to them it was a HONOR to be a LYRICIST.... Which always brings up the BIG QUESTION???? IS HIP HOP DEaD???? Which was brought on by the Great Nas himself... The answer to that question is simple NO.... but LYRICISM is! HIP HOP has TRANSFORMED into a money making machine. No longer is it cool to have WORD PLAY... Yet it is better to have a CATCHY TRACK or use AUTO TUNES to alter your voice to make a hit. Whether you chose to RESPECT it or not HIP HOP has CHANGED!!! LYRICISM is no longer at the TOP of THE LIST!! ~Y.L.