loosie: words: Resurrect The Art

Resurrect The Art

Loosie takes Q-Tip to task for some decidedly unvivrant remarks.

by D. L. C. | 2002.10.19

I usually don't care about the ruminations of once-glorified rap artists lambasting the very genre that gained them fame. But when Kamaal Fareed - also known to you all as Q-Tip of Tribe Called Quest fame - declared Hip Hop dead, I listened. I didn't agree one bit but I certainly tuned in. Sure enough this man's image has gone through more wardrobe changes than a mannequin, but he warrants a little consideration given his former propensity for churning out classic songs.

It'd be common to say, "Well who in the hell does he think he is?" Way too expectant. If this man wanted to retort from the angle of braggart, you'd be hard pressed to silence him. He's made songs you still recite word for word. Ladies love the voice…brothers dig the blah blah. You know exactly how the lyric goes. Yet his whole career seems to be one huge dichotomy. He was at times both sincere and conflicted. Does he want to be the boho b-boy or the oddly voiced lover boy? Does he want to be the upstanding Muslim or does he want to be a shimmy-shaking, extra-sexy R&B diva gent?

I find it amusing that whenever a revered artist finds some new stroke, they seem to denounce whatever they did beforehand. So many careers have taken a dip in quality because of it (Common comes to mind). Hey, I'm all for an artist attempting to grow, but don't plant weak weeds. If you're going to "come different", it had better be something epic. Tip isn't ever going to be confused with the many lyrical giants of Hip Hop. He clearly made his mark in other ways. He's one of the vets who mattered - perhaps you can argue he still does. I can't blame the man for wanting to change the direction of the art form.

But dead, Tip? As in deceased? Finished? Kaput?That's a mighty big stretch, sir.

I've had the pleasure hear a portion of the Kamaal The Abstract LP. I'm not one to flat out call anything wack but let's say money is in need of reminders, voice lessons and a little air deflated from his balloon. If this is the direction Hip Hop has led him to, he needs to revisit his own catalogue for inspiration. Tip sounds like one of those open mic types who happened to put together his "feelings" on CD. It sounds like he really breathed his being into his new sound. That much I'll give him. I think than rather declare an entire art form (that, mind you, earned him a place in the annals of Hip Hop history) deceased, it'd be more prudent to just do your part to insure that it won't fade. He speaks of Hip Hop being an abandoned art form. I find it odd that he's not more optimistic about the genre that - again - he found his vocation.

Where is this man looking? If you rely on TV and magazines as your inside track to the multi-layered world of Hip Hop, you'd think Ja-Rule is this generation's Rakim.

Those of you reading this could construct a list of Hip Hop artists that would dispute his claim of the genre going the way of the morgue. I just hope Tip's statement doesn't inspire a nation of nitwits into believing that Hip Hop's cruise ship is sinking. It's not going to go anywhere. True enough, we'll have to endure more thug-crooning, ass-wiggling and cameo-laden videos. But I think in the long run, acts that are of a more forward-thinking ilk will enjoy a bit of that success one day. Hip Hop, like any other music, is based on individual choice and preference. Thank heavens for MP3's.