"I think it is a personal and suicidal shot in the chest for any emcee who believes themselves to be a dope contribution to this musical genre, having put out any music that can be regarded as classic and/or culturally influential, on any level, to even remotely think or say that 'Hip Hop is dead.' To do so, is a postmortem suicidal abortion, whereby the very mention of their creative works is put to death retroactively to the very conception and inspiration of the projects themselves." 

Only if a listener is gazing into the coffins of radio-selected playlists that often cater to or steer the ears of a particular audience, ignoring the gargantuan-sized catalog of Hip Hop music of yesterday and today, could a person even remotely think to say "Hip Hop is dead." The only other reason for saying such is because he or she only thrives off a Utopian-contemporary view of the culture. Meaning, the listener only gets joy from NEW records to tickle their unappreciative, quick-fix fancy, motivated by the idea that every artist should fit into a monolithic, cookie-cutter, standard of his or her personal liking. 

The problem with that thought is that it defies what Hip Hop (particularly the music element) is about.  I know, having grown up in the 80s and 90s, that biting someone else's style was an absolute no-no, especially if wanting to maintain any type of street or cultural credibility. I mean, it's one thing to be "wack" (or considered as such), because that is based on opinion (even if widespread). But to be considered "wack," with the added element of fraudulence, wittingly stealing someone's style and persona, was enough to get laughed into ill repute.

So, what exactly is dead about Hip Hop?

The  feeling of deadness can come out of the unrealistic expectation that neither people nor music will evolve over time, even into lanes that go in far different directions than they have gone before, creating a web of diversification unanticipated by people who tend to cry for a freedom they have no idea that "free spiders" can spin. Certainly, you cannot expect for every emcee/rapper to be of the same caliber, with the same desires, rapping about the same things as everyone else-- even if the content fits within the confines of your personal box of what is appropriate and acceptable. But if that is your type of cookie, baked into that ignorance is the intolerable and ridiculous spice that absolutely no one can and will make music that you personally do not like. 

Where is the deadness?

Hip Hop is no more dead than a person is totally dead simply because there is piece of dead skin peeling off the bottom of their calloused foot gained from running to and from the local record store that managed to survive the streaming threat. One part of something being dead does not make the whole thing dead. A few parts of something getting more notoriety, money, and/or radio play, does not make the essence or root defunct.

Let's Be Honest!

See, if people were honest, and really dug deep into their hearts, and faced the truth, they would tell you that they are jealous that there are possibly more listeners and supporters of music they don't like, desiring music that they don't make, and putting their money into those things. But Hip Hop's vitality should not be predicated on the attention given to it. That's dangerous. My life does NOT depend on people paying attention to me. (It can certainly add to it, but it is not based on it.)

Perhaps in college, with the "Advanced Personal Opinions 303" course that I inadvertently enrolled in by constantly opening my mouth to give them, possibly feeling that all music in Hip Hop needed to fit my criteria of what should and should not be heard or even played, was I less mature than I AM now. But maturity--- especially because I AM also an artist--- has groomed me to be less critical of the music and yet more apt to using the "advanced" technological implementation of the "stop" button, to live a life that is MUCH more focused on peace and bullshit-mitigation, than 1) picking through all the things I know I DO NOT LIKE, and 2) throwing the whole thing away, when there are still artists that I DO. Thus, with an opinion or without one, I simply turn off what I choose not to listen to-- in the moment or perpetually. For me, it's that simple.  And this is indeed what is keeping Hip Hop alive--- to me and in me. 

"I AM THE LIFE in Hip Hop!"

Because I AM just as much a fan-listener of music as I AM an artist/ emcee/ producer of it, I take the very aggressive and very personal position that Hip Hop could never be dead--- because I AM ALIVE. I attribute the vitality of this genre to my PERSONAL enjoyment of it and engagement in it. If I never made another beat or wrote another lyric... if my favorite emcees and musicians never drop another single or full-length album... if I never attended another concert or festival, the music I enjoyed as a pre-teen, teen, and young adult, on up to the nearing 45 middle age I AM blessed to see, still continues to produce life to my soul. I AM THE LIFE in Hip Hop!

"Come...Choose Life or Death."

Do you know there are certain types of foods I have only tried once, and never intend to eat again? Well, there are. The cool thing is that I have the choice to either try to eat them again, perhaps prepared by someone else or with something else, with a hint of hope that I might now like it; OR simply remain static in my resistance of never eating it again. And thus I do with music. 

THE EASY STUPID

No, see, people do "the easy stupid" of claiming something is "dead" when they cannot control all the outcomes of it. Many relationships have been thrown away because one person could not control the other, thus ruling the whole thing DEAD. And rather than really digging deeper (often with some religious, spiritual, or psychological help) making adjustments, seeking to understand the other side, infidelity creeps in, and/or divorce results. (This is in no way to shame divorcees, as I am one two-times over.) I can easily address this, because not only WAS I the dead person in my first marriage, but I treated my ex-wife (who I do share a great friendship with NOW, thank God) like SHE was the dead one.  It was I who could not appreciate what she was to me, as I was MORE focused on everything and everyone BUT HER. (Yes I AM willing to put my personal business out there to make a point.) You may be focused on the wrong things--- in fact, I'm certain of it.

So unless a person is allowing themselves to be dead to the APPRECIATION of records that will never go away, as long as someone has access to them, and are willing to put them out; Hip Hop could never truly be dead.  The question is, what are you doing, or willing to do to find and feed on the music that once gave you life? Because much like a divorce, wherein two people, though alive, are dead to each other in bodily covenant, Hip Hop might very well be alive and thriving, while YOU are the one who is dead.

And even with that, I believe, with the right mindset and attention to your favorite music (no matter how old), even your life can be revived or resurrected.

Bash "BE!" Journey is a Hip Hop emcee, producer, writer, author, and podcaster, using several different monikers, but is best known as "The Royal Priest".