Is Hip Hop dead?

Since it was started by the legendary DJ Kool Herc in the Bronx during the 1970’s, hip hop has since taken many shapes and forms. The worst of those forms undoubtedly being Crunk since it divided the many sons of hip hop’s ‘Father Abraham’.
Rapper Nas’ prophetic message that ‘Hip hop is dead’ seems to be coming true. With snappy beats, verses shorter than hooks and auto tune being the order of the day in modern songs.
In my 12 or so years of listening to hip hop I could not help but recognise a change as the years went by. At first, artists such as KRS-One and Rakim would constantly drop knowledge for their devotees. Fast forward to today, an age where listeners are force fed songs on the most random of topics. A song about making out in the club seems relevant these days.
Thankfully there is a market for some of us who refuse to associate with such utter rubbish. Enter underground hip hop, where opening books is regarded as more important than opening legs. Yes there is a realm beyond the Lil’ Wayne’s and Soulja Boy’s, that is where artists like The Last Emperor, Killah Priest and Canibus, to mention but just a few, reside.
Underground hip hop continues to flourish, even when its commercial counterpart struggles to find itself. Is hip hop dead? I have no straight answer for that, all I can say is that it is underground.

By Tshegofatso Masoba.