been listening to public enemy and ya it’s hard to not feel like there is stagnation in hip hop rn

@SOLARIS @GodzillaMinusOne

So the thing is (funny u mention immortal technique, vol. 2 was a childhood fav lol) have yall actually listened to some of your fav politically conscious rappers recently?

If you listen with today’s educated brain that has read on things and maybe even experienced s***, more times than not, a lot of ya political rappers was just not accurate on many things (there are exceptions like The Coup and dead prez)

Thing is the 80s and 90s didnt have the internet or a @theconsciouslee ig reel to put you on game with all that’s going on in the world. You “could” argue we prolly the most informed we’ve ever been in human history. The new “conscious” is introspection and rapping about how you feel and your own thoughts and feelings/pain.

It would be seen as redundant in the current state of things and also rappers realize the whole “hey look up to me as your role model” is just not a feasible role model with things like the internet (imagine if ice cube had a “this you?” on instagram that would never let him live down the problematic Black Korea track?) so why risk that s***?

Kendrick Lamar might be living proof of why politically conscious niggas see all the criticism he’s dealt with through his career and go “nahhhh, I’m not touching that lol.”

(Chuck D in an early interview also said rappers shouldnt be seen as the leaders and it should be people within the community)

Also would yall niggas really listen to them?

Rappers either sold out to the racists or too p**** to speak out cus it’ll f*** up the money

Rappers ain’t about the art no more

Rxpapi/nephew

Na he's anti semite lol and he was before Ye

Even in his prime he was pretty blatantly anti white people/jewish and super pro black. Plenty of lines like "cause you let a jew break up the crew". I mean this is the cover of a classic album

I think education plays a big role. Iono much about how much worse or better the school system in America is now a days. But I hear every other year about books being banned and taken off shelves or w.e at schools.

Something had to change. Cause back in the 80's and 90's young mfs would come into the rap game sounding like they were 30 year olds, mentally. Cube was young af when NWA started, Pac was 20 when he wrote Changes and Brendas Got A Baby, Nas was 18 when he made Illmatic. I simply could not picture a teenager, or even a young 20's rapper making music that impactful right out the gate in today's world. Even if they wanted to and it was cool, I don't know if the capacity is there anymore.

Tbh I can't think of much other than ghais

i definitely feel you.

I guess there's just always two sides to the coin here. While I do agree we are in an age of vast information, there's also just a lot of misinformation as well. Personally, and perhaps this is just how I see it, that regardless of how front and center the news is, music, and art as an extension has always had a place in making sense of the world around us.

And I get it, being political and saying the "wrong" thing can be detrimental. Many rappers in the 2010s era have had there run in with saying something and getting criticized for it.

I still advocate for saying SOMETHING rather than completely avoiding the subject for fear of scrutiny. but I understand that that isn't always in an artists best interest... thinking about Lupe going on CNN (or Fox?) and saying he didn't like Obama.

It's a tough line and not every rapper is equipped with the ability but like I said, I'd appreciate even the attempt at trying to make sense of the world thru your art than idk... acting like everything is A OKAY.

I'll throw the 10k guys and affiliates like MIKE, Navy, Mavi, and Pink Siifu but like dude above me said, introspection is definitely more the vibe than getting political

I have some issues with the song and video but I'll always appreciate the attempt. like he didn't have to make this but felt compelled and moved to and that means somethin man

I was gonna say them. And Armand Hammer too

i've never really gotten into armand hammar/billy woods but tbh I should. also thinkin guys like quelle chris, open mike eagle...

Yes and Yes. Mike is actually a socialist if you listen to his discography. Woods as well.

Mach Hommy speaks on issues for Haiti, but that doesn't seem important for many Americans unfortunately.

Then you have Ka and Roc Marciano who are more street conscious type of rap. Its much deeper than it appears at a glance

real for mach, i've been learning a lot about haiti lately so mach's music is def hitting different for me as of late.

never got heavy into ka or roc but both a conscious guys from what i've heard.

Woods makes some great socially consious stuff that is very focused on the current zeitgeist. This song and especially the second verse is a great example.

public enemy as good as they are, if a group like that came out today you are 1000% calling them preachy (and not so much you specifically but the "proverbial you" in another dimension that never heard of a PE before)

The names being mentioned itt (mach hommy, billy woods, armand hammer, MIKE, etc.) paint a picture that there is political consciousness but it's less overt. The audience don't wanna be treated like 3rd grade students in a classroom or have moments like this happen

I know an old southern nigga that went to FAMU as history majors that HATE white folks, and he says a lot of this information is not accurate lol.

Mach Hommy doesn't also explicitly speak on Haiti's issues all the time. And it's a language barrier thing with him breaking into the language that many of us just don't understand

IN ADDITION, the hotep/woke community of influencers (e.g. pedo polight, umar "school never getting finished" johnson, tariq "kflex" nasheed) did a great job at making consciousness just look bad. Look goofy, now because of those individuals it's lampooned to laughs because folks overcompensated horribly for the vaccum of black "leadership" (I say in quotes, cause niggas in the 90s was looking up to scammers like Dr. Sebi and Malachi York as leaders )

hip hop was so entrenched with that community to an extent it was like adspace. Sorta like how Jay Electronica has turned into nothing more than a Louis "I got Malcolm X killed" Farrahkhan groupie and mentions him more than his own daughter.

back cover of Doomsday showing DOOM and Subroc (RIP to them) on Malachi's compound.

If you're f***ing with that new Chris - E l u c i d and everything he's associated with, including Armand hammer (they got a tape not on streaming called those who control the weather, really long and good). If you like MIKE this is the next step. I can't remember if there's political talk from Edward skeletrix but he'd fit in there (but with more blonde/endless influence)

Christ Dillinger has songs where he heavily critiques politics, he's on some other artists new song that dropped today talking about NATO and the UN. Of course rxk nephew too but you gotta know the songs (all American terrorist, slither conspiracy - can't name the others like those off the top)

Jpeg I think kind of half asses too much of his political talk but he does touch on it

Id reccomend trying to get into hardcore music. Or noise rock. Chat Pile is real easy listening and had the best political album of 2024 and 2022 with cool world & gods country

Crass, brainbombs, ratm, sleaford mods, straw man army - all sound very different but have great political points to make

Consumer culture has been my favorite current political band for a while now too (aside from chat pile), great noise rock, should be releasing a new album this year

You can listen to the band torture too if you want a challenge lol. You get to decide what the lyrics are yourself! Racetraitors newest record is very political, touches on the Palestinian conflict a ton, but they're very heavy grind so not for everyone like torture (who's slam)

If you hear Rass Kass "Nature of the Threat" you'll be like "damn, this man rapping with so much conviction, AND in chronological order too! " then you really pay attention to the bullshit he's kickin and

Yeah the 10k/slums adjacent artists are more introspective than political to me but they do have a few bars here and there.

I think UK hip hop might be more politically conscious than the U.S in recent times

First time listening to Vol. 2 post college and dawg I'm like "Immortal wtf you talm bout"

You Never Know still one of the greatest storytelling tracks ever.

And also b4 any "black empowerment thread" ass niggas accuse me for talking "agent talk" for tryna downplay political consciousness. Let me reiterate, dead prez is family to me. First concert I went to when I was too young to go to concerts was a dead prez concert in georgia cause family was involved with the show lol.

even they not pushing the same type of content they was back in '98. stic.man is more making workout rap, still conscious but more focused on how to be healthy.

There is a zeitgeist that has made it so any rap that isn't just less than 3 syllable word using and "carti/future type aesthetics encased in rAgE beats" or just drill, then it's not getting prioritized on the playlist.

But if overtly politically conscious hip hop worked the way folks claim it has, we would already have been in a better position in the 90s or even 00s (one of jadakiss big singles is "why"). So the niggas that are pushing consciousness, it's not that they don't lack the ability to do it overtly the way Public Enemy or Paris could, but it's moreso the fact that...it just doesn't work.

Ghais said himself he hates/dislikes there will be no super slave because it felt like he was just ranting/writing essays.