Serious question about HIPHOP today

[Uturn]

I don't mean to go on but seriously now, why do kids recognize as Lil Wayne as a good rapper today? I even hear people saying Lil Wayne is the best rapper alive! I've argued with friends a zillion times about how bad he is as a rapper, but I still can't convince them! Infact i've even had replies such as 'go listen to his lyrics' are they actually serious? they even repeat a couple of his lines, and said 'how can you say these lyrics suck?' lol. they think it's actually good lyrics!... I've even played some guys like Big L, Gangstarr, KRS One, and they even claimed it sucked!!

In my opinion Lil Wayne is more on the pop side than anything else, he isn't really a rapper, just a phony. This also applies to the likes of Gucci, Soulja boy, Pitbull, can these guys even be classed as rappers? I think it's an insult to class any of these guys rappers! It seems the level of intelligence has dropped in hiphop today, youngsters don't seem to actually get real hiphop either.. is there any such thing as 'hiphop' in today's commercialized music?

[Freelancer]

As we well know one of the major points in rap is the social awareness, sometimes it functions as a good newspaper article that raises questions and opens eyes. Sometimes it gives people a real picture of the urban enviroment while sometimes it's pure poetry, existentialism and so on.

The mainstream media doesn't want this sort of message on the air anymore (add reason here) and it's proceeding to dumb down everything, dumbing down people in the process and giving them false values in life (add bling and repetitive tracks here), promoting mediocrity as an all around success.

The generations that missed out on the greats like KRS, Gang Starr, Big L and are in their teens now (aka don't have a mature way of thinking yet) won't find them at all interesting because they're not used to this kind of music. It's not as easy to sink in.

[dj Ramos]

im 18 and about all my friends listen to drake and lil wayne....absolute ****, i only liked 2 songs by wayne...fireman and sky is the limit. everything else is garbage and idk how ppl take those 2 rappers seriously.

for rap i just listen to Immortal Technique, Atmosphere, AOTP, JMT, King Syze.

Pitbull i dont consider rap to me hes just club pop stuff.

This is why i moved to rock genre like 3 years ago, Rap sucks **** now.

[BoxingTech718]

Kids today are dumber the effects of more tv and less books.

[Piper the Great]

Wayne is a good rapper and dude not dumb at all. he switched his style up after carter 2 which is about the time the rap game switch to swag over skill. he said it himself that this is not the type of music he wanted to make but its the music thats feeding his family. imo its the fans fault for going crazy over everything that he says to the point he have in his mind "i can put whatever out and they will love it". personally i havent listen to much wayne since carter 3.