Subjective Joy

I'm getting a little forced into a corner here on Lil Wayne. I do think he's a touch overrated and I am no fan of "Lollipop". I also understand that Nas is consistently listed in the pantheon of great rappers by his peers. He certainly is capable of doing very interesting things with language. This is why I didn't claim to be an expert on hip-hop. I do not consume it ad hoc. I tend to like what I like, but I'm will not claim to be well-versed in all of the intricacies and history of the genre. I will say that just because a rapper or group was important doesn't mean that their current material is still important.

As far as old-school hip-hop, I appreciate it a great deal but, you're right, I do not listen to it of my own volition very much. I love "Paul's Boutique" but I'm not sure that counts. I will listen to the song you recommended.

If we are talking about depth and meaning, I think we can interpret this in different ways. For instance, I love the Ghostface album "Fishscale" in part because of the several tracks that represent a tired old rapper sill slinging rocks. It may be a touch disingenuous but there is a depth to his story-telling. There is a sadness and a reality that comes across. It may not be touching per say but it is meaningful (he lost a lot of this on "Big Doe Rehab"). The Streets "A Grand Don't Come for Free" is just a masterpiece. The story telling is consistent and it wraps up in a beautiful little package at the end. I genuinely feel like that album told me something about life, about the relationships people have and the small lies and confusions that break them apart. That album moves me.

I think my specific problem with Nas, and this may not be fair, is my sense of his genuineness. I gotta say I've heard "I Can" and I wasn't impressed. Maybe the sentiment is nice but it doesn't feel real to me coming out of his mouth. Like I said this isn't particularly fair and is completely subjective. But I don't feel passion from Nas, I feel pseudo-anger, pseudo-humor, pseudo-political interest, etc. I suspect we're going to have to agree to disagree about this.

I will take your bet on Lil Wayne, especially when compared to 50 Cent. However, this is going to come down to our differing views about what is "conventional" and my previously referenced views on rappers being genuine. There is no joy in 50 Cent's music and besides "In Da Club" no songs that really matter.

Anyway, I'm enjoying this discussion a great deal and it is leading me to a bunch of good tracks.