Defining Moment in Hip Hop

I go in a lot of times when it comes to music because I view music as a personal passion of mine. No I am not a rapper, dj, producer, hype man, promoter, or any of the above I just have a ear for good music always have and I always will...some have even gone as far as to say its a gift of mine but that's not to say everyone will agree with my musical tastes but if you know me you know I don't expect everyone to agree with me at all times. The reason for this blog is because of the new Jay-Z song D.O.A. (Death Of Autotune), now before any clicks the X button like "damn not someone else talking about that song" just bear with me because that's not what this is about, it's just the springboard. Aside from really liking the song & the over all direction that Hov took it musically the song has a bigger impact than just that. Hip hop has always had what I like to call "Defining Moments" and Jay-Z has been a part of many of them in his own right (Beef with Nas, truce with Nas, Hard Knock Life tour, selling out the Garden etc) and this one is no different. Think about it for a second when was the last time everyone got hype with something pertaining to hip-hop in this manner, blowing up blog sites, people fighting and having E-arguments over it, that means musically it had an impact and whether you like it or not that is what it was supposed to do. It's not the lead single (that's going to be a song with Drake so they say which again is another smart move by Hov), its not even radio friendly its a wake up, similar to Lawrence Fishburn yelling at the end of the movie "School Dayz" WAAAAAAKE UUUUUPPP!!! Music got stale and stagnant and whether you like it or not Jay kicked it up a notch, like for instance how many rappers do you think are out there right now writing bars over that beat (shit some of you reading this are probably in the lab cooking up some crack lol) and then there are going to be songs with guys saying death to this and death to that (like skinny jeans, dyed hair on a man, skulls & all that bullshit)...all kinds of silly shit, and why because Jay-Z voiced his opinion about something which is what hip hop is supposed to be, an art form of expression. I can hear it now, someone is going to make a song saying "Death To Jay-Z' or old rappers or something like that because that's what people who aren't creative do, they complain about something then copy it in one fell swoop. Hip hop is a flooded market I mean you can't turn anywhere without someone passing a demo at you, without going on YouTube and seeing someone standing out in front of a store spitting off the top but that is a gift and a curse. As a lover of music I love hearing good music, I have heard my share of it from things friends of mine in my day to day life let me hear to various tracks from some of my dudes on Twitter (such as @DontBeASkeptik & @MAS_LO) but I have also heard my share of garbage too. The purpose of the song was to say its too much and that's how I feel about a lot of stuff its just too much, the coonery, fuckery, or whatever kind of "ery" you want to apply. Hip hop as a whole needed this song as a defining moment because we were being let down time & time again by the likes of such songs as "Do The Ricky Bobby" or "Halle Berry" and we needed some real music not all this dance flick bullshit I see with the singles coming out (Stanky Leg or Swag Sufring). Call him old, or whatever you want but Jay is solid ALWAYS & music is supposed to be timeless but only those that create good music will understand that one. Could any other rapper right now shit could any of you have released a song on Friday then performed it on Sunday with the crowd knowing all the lyrics...I highly doubt it, could any of you be able to stand in the face of hate and constant ridicule for being the top dog in the game but never waver from who you are or what you represent (also applies to my boy Kobe Bryant who is about to shut all you "he can't do it without Shaq" haters the fuck up)...see that's the part that hip hop is missing the most that "YOU" element. Stop telling me who you want to be, tell me who you are...don't be like the next man be your own man. Hip Hop used to stand for something it used to live with defining moments throughout the 80's and the 90's but now they are almost nonexistent i mean what do we rely on now as a defining moment "Balling" or "Turn My Swag On"...*SMH*. Here are some things I consider defining moments in hip hop over the past few years...Nas/Jay-Z truce at the 'I Declare War" concert, Kanye West releasing 808's & Heartbreaks knowing the backlash he would receive (great album to me personally), Lil Wayne selling 1 mill in the 1st week (tainted to me by the fact that he pays ghostwriters), Nas's "Untitled" or "NIGGER" album, there are a few others but I've talked long enough. I say all that to say this hip hop & true fans of hip hop needed D.O.A. whether you agree with me or not, don't believe me look around on the web, look at the stir it has caused both positive & negative, look at the angry rappers all tight cuz now they will be afraid to go in the studio and use it in fear they shit may not sell & look at the happy rappers & DJ's that have been tired of it as well. One man has enough power with his voice to cause all of this & that's why I say D.O.A. is a "MOMENT" not a "RECORD"....do you think people would have cared if Jim Jones (who I will annihilate in my next blog) or Soulja Boy would have made a song like that....in the words of my favorite rapper from the beginning of the "Change Clothes" video...."NOPE"

"I wake up HIP HOP got to sleep HIP HOP dream about HIP HOP cause I am HIP HOP" - Joell Ortiz