Idiosyncrasy

I'm going to attempt to stay true to my daily blog themes as much as possible.

Let's delve right into Tuned in Tuesdays. My topic: west coast vs. east coast hip-hop.

A lot of people will say, "you're a small town girl, what do you know about rap?" Well, dear friends, I know more than you think. ;) Lately, I've been listening to a looot of rap and getting in touch with my gangster side. Something about rap just draws me in. I think it's the manner of conveying thoughts into a flowing poetic stream of words that match a beat and rhythm. It's an artform; creative and not so easily done. I appreciate its uniqueness and it's revolution from the 80s into today. Like the LMFAO song said, "They said that rap was a fad/but it surpassed rock and roll."

In the early to late 90s, there was a bit of a conflict between the east and west. It was very prevalent then but kind of died down because you don't see too much of the tension today. Then again, you don't see too many west coast rappers nowadays anymore. I won't get too involved in the history because I myself don't know it completely.

But this does leave an open question... what IS the major difference between west and east coast rap?! After much research and experienting, I've come to a conclusion. The wesy focuses on the musical aspect whereas the east favors the lyrical. If you don't believe be, play a Dr. Dre song and then play a Nas song and you will see. West coast rappers and producers experiment greatly with sounds and instruments, Dr. Dre especially. Every song that man has produced has some sort of usical element which makes them hits. Straight up, what other rappers can have crotales playing their riff and STILL be hard core? West coast hip-hop has a very broad use of melodies and harmonies but lyricaly, ehhh they're a little dry. This isn't to say that all west coast rappers are dry in the mouth. The Game and Crooked I are two very lyrial west coast rappers who can get the music as well as the proper wording down to a T. But that's what, two out of how many? Don't get me wrong, I will ALWAYS love the Snoops like "Gs up, hoes down while you motherfuckers bounce to this." but I will admit, it's not the most poetic of all verses.

East coast hip-hop, on the other hand, is VERY lyrically oriented. A lot of east coast rappers tell stories, Biggie, Nas and Immortal Technique being just a few of the many. Each verse, each bridge, each line is so well-written and straight from the minds of people who have experienced life before the gae of 20. Rappers like Jay, Loso, Biggie, Budden, Wu-Tang Clan, even Q-Tip plus the earlier mentioned all have such clever and effective ways of manipulating the English language in their favor. Anyone who appreciates rap can agree that the east is full of literar geniuses. Musically, though, is a little lacking. If I'm in a zoned out mood, I will listen to east coast rap for the lyrics alone. If I'm in an upbeat mood, I'll turn to something else. I'm not saying they completely lack it, but as compared to the west, the east is clearly more focused on spitting deep lines than they are writing captive hooks. The only rapper I will give major props to is Mos Def; with his interesting array of sound mixed with his symbolic verses, that man is every hipster's gangster escape.

It's a funny situation and reminds me a LOT of that one episode of Hey Arnold! where Dino Spumoni and his lyricist Don Reynolds split up. Dino Spumoni can come up with the most seductive and catching of all tunes, but sucks at the wordage. Don Reynold, on the other hand, has put poetry in motion but has a mediocre and boring beat. Put the two together and they are each other's backbone! I'm surprised there weren't too many collabos between the east and west. They probably could have created gold. One supergrooup that does seem to combine both very well is Slaughterhouse. Every song of theirs has both elements on point. But that's probably because it's a group comprised of a west coast rapper, two east coast rappers and a midwesterner.

Speaking of which, I can't neglect the up and coming midwest hip-hop. The midwest successfully combines beautiful lyrics with catchy tunes that bring them to be another great clan of musicians. Kanye, Lupe, Common, Em... all amazing rappers who have demonstrated an intelligent use of words with a great rhythm to go alonh. Lupe Fiasco is my MOST FAVORITE rapper of all time because, not to be cliche, is real. He and Common can both say what they need to say without lessening their intellect which I think is an important attribute missing in today's music industry. It makes me sad that Lupe is retiring after his next album is released. The rap game needs more souls like him for us avid thinkers who appreciate a scholar.

Since I touched on the midwest, it's only fair I shout out the south's contribution, too. The south has produced some legendary musicians like the Ying Yang twins, Luda, Rick Ross, of course Weezy, Nelly, Mystikal. These rappers remind me of the westerners; catchy but don't say too much. Lil Wayne is probably the only one who has that metaphorical swagger down, but does he ever say much more than "get money and pussy" in a clever way? Some songs, yes, but not too many. As for the rest, they can spit it cleverly, but they never really do say too much.

All in all, each coast and region has their strengths and weaknesses which make them unique and great in their own way. No one region is better than the next because none of them have it ALL. This is my take on the hip-hop game. You may agree, you may not, you may think I need schooling, or you may think I need to stick to my guns. No matter the case, let me have it. :)