“Things Done Changed”

Article by Dorian A. Brown

When speaking of the war of words between KRS-ONE and Nelly, I believe that the term "generation gap" applies here. KRS-ONE allegedly implied that Nelly was not “real Hiphop,” and Nelly replied that he was “number one.” I think that most logical people would probably overlook this when it comes to Hiphop because the genre is so young. But think about it. KRS-ONE hit his prime, in terms of popularity, during the middle 1980s to middle 1990s.

At that time, Hiphop was still trying to gain credibility as a musical art form. To do that, artists of the time made it a point to stress the other aspects of Hiphop culture: breaking, graffiti, freestyling, language, fashion, etc. These were the things that made “true Hiphop.” However, these were also all the things that made it commercially viable. (Note: Most rap artists were signed to small, independent record labels during this period).

Now it is the new millennium. Hiphop is marketed on a worldwide scale. (Note: Many of the top rap artists are now either signed to major record labels or to independent labels distributed by major ones) It's time for us true heads to face the grim reality: RAP HAS BECOME POP MUSIC. Many of the rap artists today are probably not battle emcees. Nelly admits that himself. They're probably not in it for the love of emceeing.

They do it for monetary gain and notoriety. “More Money, More Cash, More Hoes!!!” Rap is not about the self-statement of Black youth the way that it used to be. It's about making a hit song that will sell millions of records and make millions of dollars. KRS-ONE is just from a different era.

It reminds me a lot of sports. For example, in basketball, you hear the older players, i.e., a Charles Barkley, saying how the younger players, i.e., an Allen Iverson, don't respect the game. In baseball, the "baseball purists" don't like inter-league play.

The question I have is why would KRS-ONE attack Nelly in a verse on a song? The fact that Nelly is enjoying a considerable amount of fame perhaps makes him an easy target. Lyrical warfare sells records. Ask Nas and Jay-Z. I truly hope, though, that this is not KRS-ONE's intention.

I am really hoping that his offensive was a legitimate attempt at Hiphop cultural criticism by Kris. Because my feelings would really be hurt if one of the greatest emcees to ever cast his shadow over the crowd had to resort to making “answer records” to jumpstart his career. And then I'd get over it and go out and buy it.

Contact: Dorian A. Brown DABrown@stlcc.cc.il.us