How Conscious Rap Lost Its Cool

[@polymerizedrecords]

There's no ceiling to conscious rap. Most rappers just aren't able to make music that's both entertaining and musically engaging AND carry a message. I've told people time and time again that carrying a message is amazing, but at the end of the day, the music must stand itself as a musical piece, not just as an intellectual way of conveying your message. Kendrick has done it time and time again, so it's definitely possible.

[@maroon9273]

Kendrick makes it engaging and unique.

[@Radgamekiller]

outkast did it all

[@imanigordon6803]

@@Radgamekiller Outkast put the whole south on the map with there creativity and message. You got to have both

[@tfromcali89]

Kendrick did that with Swimming Pools, Poetic Justice and others.

[@chaunt100]

So we get drill trap and mumble rap which is trash

[@KolydoscopeMusic]

Although I tend to lean towards rappers who have a bit more substance to their bars, I think hip-hop is at its best when it’s a blend of the two. Being able to entertain while offering fresh, introspective, and substantive ideas will always reign supreme.

[@jayc5756]

Exactly. You will definitely like my man B. Shadow then.

[@d2dar459]

💯 Hip Hop, in my opinion, always has room for both, either separately or together. Its supposed to reflect the reality of the world and that has more than just one dimension.

[@christianryan9989]

$uicideboy$ was a group I didn't take too seriously when people said their music "saved them" because their music didn't reflect that to me but after listening to them, I understood that beneath the surface everything they wrote about was introspective of their struggles with depression and addiction. I think it's cool and creative how artists are starting to sandwich thought provoking lyrics into catchy, bouncy music so they can entertain you as they get their point across. It's as if they're trying to tell you that just because these problems exist doesn't mean you can't have fun in the moment.

[@joryyungsta]

💎

[@Ajspecial1000]

J Cole

[@vega9912]

Conscious rap will never die. It takes a certain amount of maturity and growth to fully appreciate it. I hit a point in my life where conscious rap help motivate and inspire me… can’t be listening to degenerate shit all the time.

[@johndoeiii9767]

💯🤝 Me neither. 2Pac, Lowkey and Immortal Technique. My Top 3 conscious rappers. 2Pac had intentions to flip on the industry. To politicize the streets, like the Panthers. His contemporaries didn't have the same foresight. Unfortunately. 2Pac is to Hip-Hop what Marley is to Reggae. #OutlawImmortalz 🗣️ #Wailers 🗣️ _"Cape Malay" / "Cape Coloured"_ from Cape Town, South Africa 🇿🇦 #TheCapeOfStorms 🌊 #TheCapeColony ⛓️ #TheCapeFlats 🏚️

[@PaidKilla]

I think I got conscious lyrics . Paid killa -make it right Check it out

[@nizzle428]

i feel you. i love young thug and lil baby, but there’s times where i just want to put on some denzel

[@vijaz5559]

Weakling

[@junyaiwase]

seems like by time you reach that growth its too late for the artist.

[@jasonbryant6357]

Denzel Currys is fucking amazing. It's weird to me the hip hop community doesn't embrace him more

[@TokyoBalletReprise]

Cause he’s more experimental than your average rapper.

[@hiphopmadness]

Stay tuned, we have a video coming out about Denzel on Monday

[@xanv8051]

I still don't understand why it matters it means it's not for em why do i want to make sure other appreciate what you do, hold it while it's clean and golden asking for a hoard to admire your gold is foolish.

[@jesuspernia8031]

He’s so fucking good

[@TeamLegacyzx]

Denzel is definitely one of many artist that should definitely be embraced. He’s amazing asf

[@jamesk8926]

Conscious rap isn’t going anywhere it just isn’t mainstream anymore, but the artists that make it are still successful and have longevity. Isiah might’ve sold 40,000 The first week, but that’s more than what a Fivio or a Coi Leray did last week and those are artists who have major backings.

[@PaidKilla]

I think I got conscious lyrics . Paid killa -make it right Check it out

[@RASHFORDatl]

Coi and fivio aren’t as established as Isiah yet?

[@user-ju4ew6hn1i]

Fivio or Coi is bad as examples they might make mainstream music but Coi is heavily hated and Fivio is a drill rapper but no drill artists put numbers (album-wise) at least when alive.

[@imanigordon6803]

Fivio and Coi are Fairly new artist Isaiah been in the game a while though

[@RASHFORDatl]

@@imanigordon6803 !!

[@charlesdigloria693]

Conscious rap will never die. 2Pac, Common, Kendrick, Cole, Nas. Their music is timeless.

[@HRDRZ]

Public Enemy, Tribe Called Qwest, Blackstar...

[@pansexualdickhaver6878]

@@HRDRZ lil pump lil uzi vert SixNine

[@consciousrap2]

Facts. Timeless music

[@HRDRZ]

@@pansexualdickhaver6878 😂😂😂

[@HotTaiCurry]

Bro…Like Water for Chocolate is forever in my rotation

[@BabsW]

Conscious rap will always be respected by the real

[@JDolla93]

I agree 💯

[@AfricanEmpress01]

Truly truly. I don't listen to it often 90s rap was filled with concious rappers, and am somewhat out of touch this past decade. But it will remain and entertain. Always been RnB first and in my older years am more connected to concious RnB. However, concious rap. Love it. Always have Always will. Concious music full stop(•)You are loved. P.E.A.C.E

[@Hakeemthabeen888]

This the problem with “ conscious “ rap and conscious rap fan…. Everything is real even the “fake “ and the shit lost its cool most conscious rappers are one dimensional and boring

[@CelestialQuincy]

@@Hakeemthabeen888 yea you probably seen being educated as boring. Your brain only like gun and drug bars I assume

[@DontDrinkthatstuff]

@@AfricanEmpress01 It was popular because hip hop was different. It was more overtly pro-black.

[@dieselclockwork]

I’ve always been driven towards conscious rap. There’s definitely a line you cross when you make too much of it and it comes off too preachy for some people, but even then, at least the music has substance to it. I started rapping and producing because I wanted to make other people feel the same way my favorite conscious rappers made me feel. I don’t only rap in that box but I feel like conscious rap has its time and place in every artists discography when used correctly. But too much of anything can be bad and can even come off corny. At the end of the day though, some people love conscious rap and others just want to vibe out and not learn any new perspectives they didn’t have before. I get both sides of the coin completely. To each their own. I think it will make a comeback eventually. Although all this J. Cole slander lately makes me think a little different 🤨

[@khyleehannon2246]

Look up Make it right By that artist paid killa & thank me later on ‼️ 💎

[@77vansx]

The only conclusion i came up with for cole slander is people might be intimidated by him 🤷‍♂️

[@naraiancepeda826]

Just easy, Don’t be a degenerate when you can be anything, My people look up to astronauts, scientists, dokters, Not clowns.

[@joeysherrett]

It’s going to come back. People are getting healthy and mindful again

[@desmondclark3193]

Yeah especially with all these annoying drill rappers.

[@johndoeiii9767]

2Pac had intentions to flip on the industry. To politicize the streets, like the Panthers. His contemporaries didn't have the same foresight. Unfortunately. 2Pac is to Hip-Hop what Marley is to Reggae. #OutlawImmortalz 🗣️ #Wailers 🗣️ _"Cape Malay" / "Cape Coloured"_ from Cape Town, South Africa 🇿🇦 #TheCapeOfStorms 🌊 #TheCapeColony ⛓️ #TheCapeFlats 🏚️

[@dfredankey]

@@desmondclark3193 they have their place as well I just wish the violence would be spoken about INSTEAD of being glorified

[@chasekallure]

Word.

[@SwoleTommyPickles]

people have been saying this for years now & never been right

[@TheFettman13]

Hip hop wouldn't be what it is without conscious rap. It's a core building block of the whole greater structure of it. It's in the DNA of hip hop. Nothing corny about it.

[@jman1562001]

Conscious rap hasn't lost its cool. Clearly cole and kendrick have proven you can be self aware and be on top of the charts. But imo beat selection and your production is everything. It can dictate the flow and the content and drives the interest of the people if it bangs. A lot of artist in the so called conscious category rhyme over production that don't have that umph to it. We will never get a 2pac type because he was an authentic man with his own unique story that married his subject matter to great production

[@PaidKilla]

I think I got conscious lyrics . Paid killa -shut up or kill me Check it out

[@Vcksn]

I agree with this. I love conscious rap but conscious rap without a good beat is just boring. Like you said Kendrick and Cole make it refreshing to hear because their beats and production is out of this world.

[@CaptainDingleberry]

These are all facts.

[@THEVIDEOARBITRATOR]

People always do that though. People bring up conscious rap or real hip hop and always bring up the same 2 people. So conscious rap has 2 heartbeats left.

[@jman1562001]

@@THEVIDEOARBITRATOR it is what it is.....you have to make an impact musically to get attention, so when a so called conscious rapper gets some bangers and marries it with good content, we will see them succeed. Look at nipsey hustle. He a decent rapper, but was very self aware and was a certified gangbanger but his music and production was on point. This is music, great music with dope lyrics wins out.

[@DavidStarrUSA]

Conscious Rap tells stories. It is the spoken history of hiphop.

[@PaidKilla]

I think I got conscious lyrics . Paid killa -make it right Check it out

[@skeyesk2717]

🕊

[@boondoggle4820]

Some of the best rap from the 80s and 90s was so-called conscious rap, or had strong conscious elements, from KRS One to Public Enemy to A Tribe Called Quest to The Roots to 2pac to Nas to OutKast and many others. The thing that they had in common is that they were dope both musically and lyrically, so their music still makes for a strong listen today.

[@DontDrinkthatstuff]

The thing they had in common was they were extremely pro-black and figured rap was leading towards a type of coherent nation for black people or revolution (Nas & Outkast aside). The problem is that didn't happen and now hip hop has been subsumed by American mass media. Gangster Rap destroyed conscious rap.

[@trystanottosen3608]

@Don't drink the Kool-Aid go tell that to big pun, fat joe, b-real, immortal, AZ, Em, or any other major MC at the time that wasn't on that shit.

[@jeanemlicar]

Can’t forget Conscious Hip-Hop acts such as Hieroglyphics,Organized Konfuzion,Blackstar,the Pharcyde,L.O.N.S.,Freestyle Fellowship,Mr. Lif and plenty more.

[@ASAPLOS187]

Tupacs music will NEVER die I'm 28 and still bump his music . He was the one who introduced me to selling albums even when dead. His ass still went #1 from the grave time after time.

[@Historicutuber]

He’s the Got

[@BG-mn6di]

Most influential rapper ever..he’ll never be caught. Like Jordans influence in basketball

[@hotpockets69]

Of course his albums went #1 after death, that's how this genre tends to work unless you're an artist who's still coming up on SoundCloud/DatPiff. You're just another guy until you die. If 2 Pac were alive today, no one would be hailing him as "the GOAT." He did nothing special lyrically. No wordplay, no creative flow or rhymescheme. No punchlines or charisma. He would be more obscure than KRS-One. Dude was just fortunate enough to be placed right in the center of a coastal beef.

[@barneyjenkins8097]

@@hotpockets69 he lost his life that’s not lucky. And culturally pac broke so many barriers so he would still be remembered. He would be the most culturally important death or not. Weather it’s his music or movies or political movements. More than a rapper.

[@farleymarly2575]

@@hotpockets69 lyrically he wasn't the best. But message wise he puts everyone away. I remember when I used to travel alot in my young days and as far as Asia to Europe and Africa where English wasn't well spoken people were listening to PAC. His music went beyond the hood I'm not saying he was goat. But what I'm saying is only a few rappers I've seen have done that. Eminem NWA pac believe it or not Cypress hill drake etc not all are conscious rappers but their music somehow broke barriers internationally. Sometimes wordplay is too much for the common person world wide to understand but these guys I've mentioned just connect with people on a different level. But the way PAC connected with these people I've never seen that in my life time as his conscious rap was so simple for people to understand.

[@DexrayRobinson]

Music is cyclical. People said the same thing back when the bling era started to take hold, but in 2012 conscious rap was completely mainstream. It’ll be back in the mainstream soon enough

[@markl5998]

Hope not, that preachy stuff is for the birds

[@ShadowZomber88]

@@markl5998 lol

[@DexrayRobinson]

@@markl5998 I’m more of a daylyt man myself

[@Ntrinzc]

Both eras died for a reason, its not real music like tupac

[@kaliduncanel3356]

I don't consider Cole and Kendrick conscious rap really. There relatable non-gangsta rap.

[@vonpoevii]

Conscious Rap didn't lose its cool, the industry systematically refused (and continues to refuse) to promote it like it does everything else.

[@sickofguysnamedtodd2293]

Because they don’t want black folks to think. They’d rather just use us as a source of entertainment. We can dance and sing for them like a minstrel show but if we start thinking..thassa no no

[@DontDrinkthatstuff]

@@sickofguysnamedtodd2293 Yes because "the system" made rappers embrace gangsta rap. "The system" made black people like shitty rap music lol. Hip Hop was doomed from the start. The truth is mass audiences always will gravitate towards more easily digestible songs/music. It's always been this way with any type of music and hip hop is no different. Hip Hop being some liberation out of America for black people was always a pipe dream lol. You can't build a revolution off music.

[@sunflowersamurai10]

This 1000%. I swear people are blind, it aint got anything to do with music. Record labels back in the 80s hyjacked hiphop and promoted the shit out of the "gansgta" role to pop culture. If you wanted to make money as a rapper you needed to play to that role non stop, whilst in the public eye. Things have improved, you can choose other characters to cosplay as now as a rapper but the same principle applies, it is all an act, one big marketing ploy. Hiphop has become a global industry not a cultural movement, like it was originally intended, "conscious" rap is just our attempt at keeping that same spirit alive, yet even that has been commodified now.

[@sunflowersamurai10]

@@DontDrinkthatstuff no, record labels and the mass marketing of the music industry did. Whilst i agree that most people only care for music on a surface level, to say that gangsta rap was an organic evolution of hiphop is laughable. Hiphop didn't gain traction from blacks, but from the majority white audiences lmao.

[@DontDrinkthatstuff]

@@sunflowersamurai10 "no, record labels and the mass marketing of the music industry did." - Uhhhh hello?? This is part of the music industry - hence why I said you can't build a revolution off rap music. The system will ALWAYS commodify any type of music that's popping. "Whilst i agree that most people only care for music on a surface level, to say that gangsta rap was an organic evolution of hiphop is laughable." - It was. This naive view of Hip Hop being some pure expression of Afro-centricity is dumb. Hip Hop came from the streets and was always connected to that street element. "Hiphop didn't gain traction from blacks, but from the majority white audiences lmao." - Huh???? Are you really claiming hip hop wasn't popular in the black community before whites started listening?? Seriously?

[@dangallant4704]

I think the idea of what a “conscious” rapper is, is a box of hip hops on making. It’s associated only with rappers talking about these large external issues. But a lot of the younger rapers (many who have enjoyed commercials success) are conscious in a different way. they are talking about issues such as depression, mental health, drug abuse, and insecurity. I don’t see that as any less conscious than what the generation before them did.

[@jaychulo.F]

That’s because when people hear conscious rap they just think lyrical rap it’s like they don’t understand the word 😂

[@d2dar459]

@@jaychulo.F Yeah. Lol. "Conscious" is just having an intelligent perspective or accurate insight about something besides urself and ur life

[@IllMatic97]

@@jaychulo.F lyricism is important little brother

[@jaychulo.F]

@@IllMatic97 I know it is

[@ReallyShortOpinions]

@@jaychulo.F When I hear Conscious Rap, I hear The Roots, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common, Lupe Fiasco, Etc.

[@AnitaHanjaaab]

I’d have to disagree. Conscious rap will never die.

[@LonerBecause]

Facts!

[@chuckiemyers]

Notice the title saying "lost its cool" not "conscious rap is leaving" No one right now wants lessons being rapped into their ears album after album

[@Quinja-TheCrownPrincess]

Exactly it's the spirit of Hiphop and it will always be here! What is hiphop without thought, consciousness, and soul.

[@ThePeacePlant]

It won't ever die. But it will always be rare. I just started listening to regular hip-hop because you either have to listen to old hip-hop to have conscious hip-hop in your Playlist or you have to wait for someone to release it

[@yokaigypsy]

It will never die, but people don't really care about it. They don't want to hear it on the radio and they're not bumping it on the streets.

[@traplover6357]

Conscious hip-hop is such a weird term cuz it can excuse people with bad bars with the "as long as it's a good message" compliments, when coke rappers like Pusha T can outrap these people.

[@MALCOLMXTASY]

‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️

[@maroon9273]

Pusha T, grieselda (Conway machine, Benny butcher and Westside gunns) and ect resurrecting mafioso rap. With conscious rap, it mostly not about rapping skills and abilities. What makes it conscious is the message regardless of the rapper skills.

[@PuffinPass]

You listening to the wrong cats if Pusha T can out rap them, there are plenty who get the conscious label that would put Push to shame. I mean it is just as easy to say all these new rappers are just autotuned mumble rappers with no pen...but I know that isn't true and there are some great examples within the latest wave.

[@maroon9273]

@@PuffinPass who you got for w battling against pusha t? I got kendrick, j cole, king los, Lauryn hill, common, guru, phife dawg, immortal technique, rass kass, nas, krs one, outkast big boi (90s and 2000) and andre 3000 and lupe.

[@PuffinPass]

@@maroon9273 well I am gonna roll with RTJ, XClan, Gangstarr, Aesop Rock, Atmosphere, Sage Francis, Cudi. And more than a few from your list as well.

[@DEM40S]

Being labeled a conscious rapper really limited my collaborations and put me in a box that is taking a lot to get out of

[@crabbuckets7506]

I think Denzel has a perfect formula. He can make a banger and still make you think.. while throwing in some naruto themes at the same time. Dude gives me MF Doom vibes sometimes.

[@jesuspernia8031]

Hell UNLOCKED felt a lot like Madvillainy

[@MalikWill]

Big Fax one of my favs fr

[@beth-bi9yv]

I definitely believe the record companies are happy to stomp down on conscious rap. They don't want artists to realise their power, they just want profit.

[@zombieboy937]

That makes no sense, if conscious rap was profitable than the record companies would be all over it... but there not. The record companies follow what consumers want, and based on the numbers conscious rap is not in demand.

[@shaneharun9571]

I think apart from the conscious rap label that saba has, the opportunities he has are limited because he's independent which is a huge factor in his success but his music is great

[@Benger2185]

Conscious rap will never lose It’s cool. Ever. Remember, timeless music not only holds Weight but STANDS the rest of time 🔥🔥🔥🔥.

[@Dontdoit_]

It never lost its cool, it just never was the biggest aspect of rap. It was vibes, a small conscious movement, lyrics/flow, and back to vibe. Conscious rap has always been a background form in the industry and usually utilized by the rappers that focused on lyrics and flows in their albums and not singles.

[@rambooo2534]

Growing up rap was literally about who had the best verse on a song, rappers trying to outdo one another on each other’s songs. Now it’s literally all about killing each other 😒

[@haydenmaybro1788]

I like Cole and Kendrick. The main reason I don't listen to this type of hip hop as much is cuz the beats get boring. Same thing with trap lately. Great production with a meaningful message is what I look for in this, so that's why I like Cole and Kendrick

[@jesuspernia8031]

Check Denzel out

[@abhirupan7630]

Check Denzel and JID

[@LIL5LIME5TAR]

the good conscious rappers, like kendrick lamar, can serve as both a vessel to educate people, and also as a typical trap artist to play at a party

[@TransparentEclipse]

As someone who has always enjoyed melodic rap more than any other kind of rap, I always respected conscious rappers. It takes a certain understanding and skill to make music that is both good and informative. It’s a talent. I’ll never enjoy it as much as the vibes I get from melodic rap, but I feel bad it isn’t more popular than it currently is. It’s great more often than not

[@mylurr12]

Yeah hip hop definitely started out as party music for people to dance to. It’s also the only genre I ever see with this dilemma. I never hear people talk about conscious rock, edm, country etc. It’s weird that there’s that stigma with hip hop where some people see it as either conscious or trash.

[@the.old.kanye.]

punk rock music was political and then decades later pop punk popped up, and now there's no new rock band that is a household name

[@mylurr12]

@@the.old.kanye. yeah good point. It seems to me like rock really faded from the mainstream eye because like how innovative can you really be with rock? That’s one of the reasons I love hip hop, it can be anything.

[@phabiorules]

@@mylurr12 I think rock can be innovative, it's just harder to since they don't often expirement with new instruments (some drummers are now using a tech pad like a D.J along with drums, which has created a new sound). Regarding your stance on conscious EDM, and country though, I'd say EDM never really has a consciousness aspect because it is party music, and it never really has been. Country however does have a big discussion behind it though. Country music used to be for the heart and soul of America, and would often reflect the struggles of the poor and lower status. There is a discussion about how mainstream country is all about drinking beer while riding a tractor with the love of your life. If you do want Conscious country though, check out Sturgil Simpson as he introduces new sounds to the genre. He also has songs like "A call to arms" which criticizes the U.S military (something against mainstream country music). I'm not even a fan of country music, but he is pretty great.

[@phabiorules]

@@the.old.kanye. The funny thing is, the most prominent rock bands now aren't even American. Måneskin, Rammstein, Sabaton, aren't are household names really, but are getting a sizeable amount of fans in the states (which is pretty rare).

[@mylurr12]

@@phabiorules oh interesting. I’ll take a look!

[@professuhx504]

Every generation from now to the year 3000 and beyond will ALWAYS have a place in Hip Hop for concious rap just as much as there will always be a place for purely entertainment based rap. There will ALWAYS be things going on in the world that are effecting people's hearts and minds that will serve as great content for rappers to address.. BUT the only thing I feel won't change anytime soon is the media spending most of it's marketing dollars on the superficial/negative side of Hip Hop versus the more progressive/prolific/conscious side of Hip Hop. The appetite for concious rap has not died only the marketing and presentation of it in mainstream media.

[@taylorhorner1065]

Love these vids man. I never realized how disconnected I was listening to rap as a young man. Thank you. Great respect for ya.

[@xtracurlyfries]

honestly I kinda of blame Logic for the conscious rap being corny for the new generation. He was doing too much for this albums that would 'change everything' and then be bombed with mid comments and leave everyone overall disappointed. It's important to recognize the importances of Good kid maad city and TPAB and it can't be easily copied while remaining true and not PREACHY.

[@PaidKilla]

I think I got conscious lyrics . Paid killa -shut up or kill me Check it out

[@wiseguy240Winston]

Dam leave that man alone already lol

[@miraclelamb8073]

eminem kinda flopped it too

[@malum9478]

that ain't even remotely fair to place all of that on logic's back

[@seanholmes5173]

Nah you tripping g

[@loveinthematrix]

This is America was number 1 on Billboard 100 for 15 Weeks. The music video is what cemented that. You have to be incredibly strategic to get conscious ideas to a mainstream level at this point. It’s definitely possible tho

[@cosinguspalpatine4449]

Lupe Fiasco, Immortal Technique, Akala, and Lowkey. The MOST conscious rap.

[@rolliemosley]

That's why I still maintain Pac was the 🐐. He never was really a street Thug like in his Death Row days. At his core he was really a conscious rapper. Pac was the only conscious rapper I ever really saw where you could play his conscious songs @ partys and in the hood. A lot of conscious rappers struggle to make it truly in the hood.

[@TornaitSuperBird]

Tupac was a theatre kid. He wrote and recited poetry regularly.

[@johndoeiii9767]

2Pac is to Hip-Hop what Marley is to Reggae. #OutlawImmortalz 🗣️ #Wailers 🗣️ _"Cape Malay" / "Cape Coloured"_ from Cape Town, South Africa 🇿🇦 #TheCapeOfStorms 🌊 #TheCapeColony ⛓️ #TheCapeFlats 🏚️

[@mapulematjila7282]

Salutas 🎭

[@mdptg1990]

Substance is most important in hip hop whether it’s conscious or not. For instance, K Dot never attempts to preach to you - most of his music revolves around street shit & growing up in Compton - the affects that has had on his life after leaving Compton. People will call him ‘conscious’ because his music contains a lot of substance - but make no mistake, he’s not trying to be like Talib Kwali

[@SkyBlew]

Conscious rap lost its *"cool"* when it became *cool* to glorify destruction and stupidity on a consistent basis. There's no *BALANCE* anymore. Yea you're not gonna wanna listen to conscious music when you're trying to party etc, but it seems there hasn't been any room for consciousness at all really. And if we only mention Kendrick & Cole, then that's not enough. It's only a handful of those type of artists, compared to the *MASSIVE* amounts of artists who are the opposite. *No substance, or anything.* Thankfully there are a good amount of conscious rappers still out there, you just gotta search hard for them. There's always gonna be someone out there fighting the good fight. So conscious hip hop will *FOREVER* live on.

[@DontDrinkthatstuff]

Entertainment is all about money at the end of the day. America is all about money at the end of the day. Obviously it's horrifying but this is the way it is. Conscious rap is dead because it doesn't make money or sell. It only ever made sense when hip hop was a predominantly black artform and even then it was niche within that genre of music. It will never return.

[@Kanyes-alt]

Yo sky blew love your music man all I got to say is keep creating and keep doing your thing all peace and love I’m out❤️

[@noladomous]

I like the assessment. But one could also argue that conscious rap was never cool to begin with. 2-Pac wasn't primarily a conscious rapper. His raps were more focused on militant Afro-centralism.

[@jalencotton5577]

I agree, but could that not be seen as black consciousness?

[@maroon9273]

Militant with street mentality and aggression.

[@noladomous]

@@jalencotton5577IMO no because conscious hip-hop focuses more on imparting wisdom in a holistic manner usually denouncing violence. Militant means one does not reject violence or the notion of it. Kinda like "Fight the Power" by Public Enemy

[@thisismobius]

I agree Pac first two albums were militant not conscious.

[@meyonoplay8558]

Thank you!

[@sammysweet4154]

I think hip-hop went from for the culture to for the masses. The masses don't want to hear it and it's sad cuz they need to hear it the most

[@3nim3nimabl3]

Conscious rap can evoke emotions alot of people might be trying to repressed, when alot of us just want to listen to a banger that gets our mood up

[@deontaymarshall5704]

Tupac was good at mixing all the elements of rap he gave us some of everything that's why his music has such heavy replay value. Tupac didn't limit himself Pac literally rapped all angles of life. His music will never die out it's highly relevant for current times.

[@Tonecupone04]

When I think of the negatives of C Rap, it can range from narcissistic or out of touch with the listener's mindset. It almost reads like a PSA rather than a insightful look into the trials and tribulations of the artist/ world at large.

[@cuoy13]

You can be an entertaining conscious MC. Kendrick and Cole are examples of that.

[@Catchmarley]

Kanye west first album college drop-out was the perfect example of blending conscious rap n popular rap . That was a master piece !

[@NoirNameless]

Conscious rap to me has been taboo for a while to the audience. Around 2011 Kendrick Lamar, and J Cole were 2 of my favorite rappers. I got laughed at for liking them at the time, because they fell into the conscious rap category and not rapping about what we heard in the radio constantly. Sadly, it’s still like this because conscious rappers to me are outnumbered by everyone else that isn’t conscious. So it’s harder for conscious rap to flourish in a big way. Which isn’t a bad thing, but I wish it was bigger, and done a bit more genuine instead of only talking about a topic when it’s convenient to a rapper because of a current situation.

[@Based_Proletariat]

The people laughing are dumbed down.

[@mackl8305]

Right. ppl always bring up kendrick and cole as if it isnt rare for guys like them to become the biggest artists out. Theyre sort of anomalies to todays mainstream

[@benl8962]

If somebody laughed at you for liking more intellectual music its says alot about them

[@jayc5756]

@@benl8962 Exactly

[@jayc5756]

@@benl8962 Exactly

[@numbersix9468]

walking the line between art and ideology is tough. mess around too much and you come off preachy or high on yourself. good art usually doesnt tell you what you should or shouldnt be thinking; it questions, suggests, or inspires

[@croy1317]

I think some artists in every lane can be lyrically Heavy and potent. It just gets watered down by all the mainstream artists and wave riders that follow the trends without lending anything to rap as a whole

[@khyleehannon2246]

Look up Make it right By that artist paid killa & thank me later on ‼️ 💎

[@MaruTheGreat]

Let’s be honest - conscious rap fell out of favor w/ a mainstream audience because it’s not as marketable as pop rap and party music. And when you have yt label executives and yt A&R’s effectively gentrifying modern rap music and pushing their own ideas on where hip-hop is going (*coughs* drill music) then you’ll see a sharp decline in meaningful, conscious rap music.

[@namelesintelect4016]

Thank you for mentioning the drill music comment. I don't care whether tells true stories are not 99% of that is trash

[@markl5998]

Let's be honest. Conscious rap fell off because people don't like being preached at by some self righteous millionaire. See J Cole

[@tyronewill8632]

@@markl5998 That & the basic fact that ppl don't like the unsugar coated truth on average. Especially in the West/America where alot of folks for example are allergic to unsugar coated historical truths in general. So it really lowkey boils down to a hatred of the truth in the grand scheme of things. In favor of the American dream/illusion/delusion/lies

[@namelesintelect4016]

@@markl5998 your comment is silly and unenlightened. Having things that you stand for besides getting money is part of the framework of being a man. If black men spit about anything but drugs basketball or rap they get called preachy or lame.

[@hotpockets69]

Let's be honest - the only people that seriously care about conscious rap are ones that don't actually read anything throughout the day. Otherwise, it's boring to listen to. And stop blaming white people. White people have always owned Atlantic, Sony, Warner Brothers, and Interscope, and there's always been different sounds of the genre showcased.

[@Jinnypots]

I believe one of this issues is conscious rap is always linked to boom bap and soulful beats. People feel you can’t be conscious on a beat with that “bounce.” When Talib linked with Gucci, it put me and other southerns onto him because he floated on that beat like I’ve never heard him do elsewhere.

[@Kal-El207]

Rass Kass - Nature of the threat Greatest hip-hop song of all time. Found out about it in HS, I never forgot it. It’s mentally stimulating and extremely interesting to listen to. Conscious ain’t dead, it just takes a level of wanting to learn about life to appreciate it.

[@mikaeldaskiewicz1516]

The 7 million or so monthly listeners on Spotify (alone) that Denzel Curry has is by no means insignificant, but I continue to be confused as to how he is not way, way more big. If his skill and effort equated to props and fame, he would be one of the most major globally right now.

[@bp2000k]

I think conscious Rap will never die but i see many many rappers nowadays who don’t want to do conscious Rap Bcs they want to be hot, gangsta & rich. And the most annoying is that many ppl lable conscious Rappers as corny when it comes to bring real positiv shit on the tracks. Like Tpain said: „DO SOMETHING ELSE! WE GOT ALL THAT MUSIC WHAT U WANT!“

[@Grandmaster_Vic]

I remembered I was at a Chappelle Show last year at the Foxtrot Theater in CT. I remembered at the end of the show, Talib Kweli came to perform a couple of his older hits but I felt kind of sorry for him. As I was reading the room, not a lot people were jamming to his music. Maybe It could be cause of the younger generation or not alot of rap fans but still it’s kind of sad how Conscious Rap is looked at. The only Conscious rappers who REALLY made it are Kendrick, Cole, and PAC

[@rogerkeith3516]

I grew up on conscious rap and New York rap when I was young. Both have emphasis on lyrics. It always seems like conscious rap is falling off. It felt like it was falling off back then in the early 2000s when I was listening to it. But the older I get and the more my taste in music has changed I realize most rap fans want to have fun. Conscious rap isn’t very fun. It is for lack of better term too “condescending and corny”. I would add preachy. ATL and H-Town sounds took over because it’s more fun. And frankly it more so resembles actual music. Most conscious rappers the beat and the song takes the back seat to lyrics. Look at other music genre’s conscious artists. Your Bob Dylans. Your John Lennons. Their lyrics are usually just a couple of bars per verse. And their message was shrouded in mystery and metaphor. Very thought provoking. Most conscious rappers have to have braggadocio. Tell you how dope their rhymes are and how important their message is. All on the nose stuff. Hans Christiansen once said “Music Speaks when words fail.” Well you’re defeating the purpose of the whole art form when you make it too wordy and preachy. It’s almost cringe. To be honest I’m not much of a rap fan anymore. I used to be.

[@SWNewYork315]

This infatuation with street culture caused conscience rap lose its cool.

[@chuckiemyers]

Well 1 it's conscious not conscience and 2 that kind of rap became extremely boring. No one can do it at high margin level of personality or taste besides kendrick.

[@SWNewYork315]

@@chuckiemyers Thanks for the correction, Grammar Police.

[@chuckiemyers]

@@SWNewYork315 Conscience

[@iAintSayDat]

Some people watch the news and read books. When they turn on music they wanna turn down and turn up not hear again what the just read. Truth of the matter is an inordinate amount of conscious rappers put message over art, are condescending, corny, hypocritical or ignorant and frankly are just not that talented, but they always have the phony excuse that people just don’t want the real. The victim complex of some conscious rappers in 2022 coming out of the era of Cole and K Dot is ridiculous. These guys just aren’t good enough.

[@PaidKilla]

I think I got conscious lyrics . Paid killa -shut up or kill me Check it out 🥶

[@oddishhonor]

You mean like cordae?

[@iAintSayDat]

@@oddishhonor Cordae not even the best example to me. Hopsin, Lupe, Public Enemy, X Clan, dead prez. I could keep going and going. Shit, I think Nas is the greatest rapper to ever live, and even when he goes conscious he can get shallow, vapid and stupid.

[@Based_Proletariat]

^Or maybe society is just too dumbed down. Sadly people would rather listen to low frequency garbage than expand their mind beyond the acceptable margins of discussion and thought.

[@Based_Proletariat]

@@iAintSayDat Sadly too many don't want to Think or take a honest look at the world around them...that says a lot about them..sheep are going to and want to stay asleep.

[@Catchmarley]

I would had never been inspired to rap if it wasn't for conscious rap .

[@kazonikz]

I like that the discussion here on comments are complementary to the video, it helps elucidate more the subject, what a great community

[@LUCKY-me7gx]

Elegant Intuition made a video about Kendrick Lamar basically saying it’s a new wave. It’s going to be a minute before we really see another conscious rapper blow up.

[@PaidKilla]

I think I got conscious lyrics . Paid killa -shut up or kill me Check it out

[@keaganmcallister4681]

Just give me good music Give good production Good flows on the beats And if you have the skills good rhyming and great bars on the beats And if you can do all that while sending a message even better But don't the let message over shadow the art A good message delived with Bland beats and average sub par lyrics doesn't make for good hip hop

[@UltimateMoralizer]

As a conscious emcee, I agree with that!

[@morse2x]

Conscious rap isn’t dead but the time for it being mainstream is over. Gangsta rap is what’s hot again.. every rapper has all talked about sliding on they opps. Even the thug r&b rappers like MO3, Rod Wave, Morray, Derez De’shon etc.

[@PaidKilla]

I think I got conscious lyrics . Paid killa -shut up or kill me Check it out

[@bruh.3598]

That’s not gangsta rap

[@morse2x]

@@bruh.3598 that is gangsta rap.

[@mikexstad1121]

As a white guy from an upper middle class Minnesota suburb, conscious rap was a window outside my sheltered world. I think now more than ever conscious rap is needed in the world, but maybe our media sphere is oversaturated with activism. I dunno

[@DontDrinkthatstuff]

So essentially you were a white person influenced by conscious rap because you yourself had no culture? Gotcha.

[@mikexstad1121]

@@DontDrinkthatstuff I guess that's one way to look at it lol

[@8600PM]

The next wave of “Conscious Rap” won’t be called that. It will be more subtle and appear right before your eyes. No one will see it coming.

[@thefaketyrhee]

💯💯💯💯

[@Cass_Unfiltered]

🔥🔥🔥

[@lootbaglex3612]

It’s already happening with earl, navy blue, your old droog, maxo

[@wolfhailey8432]

@@lootbaglex3612 don't forget mach-hommy, Clyde Cyrus, redveil, etc

[@DontDrinkthatstuff]

@@lootbaglex3612 Nobody knows any of those bums

[@twodeepupyours508]

Lyrical substance being taboo is so on point 👌

[@GotNextVideo]

Arrested Development put a pretty big stink on conscious hip hop for a minute, because Speech really was a condescending dude who spent most of his time lamenting the "unenlightened". Guys like Pac and Kendrick knew how to walk that line, how to talk about the streets but still have love for them, still be a part of them. That's the formula. You can't take an outsider posture or you sound like you're ntalkong down to people.

[@misfittv313]

I'm glad you mentioned arrested development because people love to blame "gangsta" rap for the downfall of "political" rap. When gangsta rap came on the scene artists like public enemy was still popping. But when arrested development came out that's when you started to see political rap fade away from the mainstream. Arrested development definitely put a stink on it

[@GotNextVideo]

@@misfittv313 Yeah but Public Enemy did kind of follow that moment with Give it Up, which was very much a kind of anti-gangsta "stop coonin" lecture, and while it was a fairly big hit, it was also the last one they would ever have. Time wasn't kind to conscious rappers who talked down to the community like that. I think a lot of that stuff blew up because it resonated with white people, who found gangsta rap threatening or distasteful and liked hearing a black voice co-sign those feelings.

[@ScruFaceJeanOfficial]

Top 10 KZbin page for sure

[@BrooklynEwms32LAKERS]

Can't Believe That KRS 1 wasn't even given any Props in this Piece.. His Bars still bring things that deal with Reality...& Even though "My Philosophy" is 33yrs old..He Speaks Volumes on Today's🤭 (C)rap & 😴R.I.P. H.O.P.

[@s.4275]

he gangsta rapper.his 9mm went bang remember

[@IVdarealonly]

Lupe has been a perfect example of how to out that kind of thing together

[@ensightanime]

Tupac will forever be the goat 🐐 at least to me anyways, always been my favorite. Huge inspiration & I feel the most impactful hip hop artist of all time, I can only imagine how huge he'd be if he had survived. R.I.P

[@ballpoint7887]

I love conscious rap. My favorite rapper is Nas, and I'd say he's as close to the definition of conscious rap as you can get.

[@reksio2214]

Nas is Trash 🗑️

[@luv3835]

im a conscious rapper... , ye, kendrick, cole, jay, nas, etc its not dead just alot of people dont know how to convey a message and make it sound good

[@deletingyoutube2306]

It ain die, I still play everybody in that thumbnail

[@GenerationfleX897]

KRS ONE, public enemy, x clan, common and many other gifted MCs were mostly conscious but still got love and respect from the hood. Unfortunately conscious rap is automatically seen as corny now due to brainwashing from so called industry powers that be. But there are still plenty conscious voices doing the thing with the mic just gotta stop depending on the commercial outlet to fulfill our taste.

[@kheprineteru4990]

This is very accurate. Tupac and Nas are the only ones that were mainstream that legit could hold up every banner. But also it is for us to buy and support artist that do non violent or pimp records

[@T.H.E.O.R.Y.]

Again, it never did. This vid goes hand in hand with the "corny" vid. I know HHM is making a point but I'm simply countering any and all who the vid is really made for: those who can't stomach rap being more substantial than the trappings it brings.

[@classicola]

if Tupac was alive y’all would’ve been calling him corny too

[@onlyhalfbad333]

Conscious rap is to make you think, feel and give you inspiration and substance. Mumble and club rap are nothing more than a good beat with no substance. Ones for life, the other is for the club.

[@johndoeiii9767]

💯🤝 2Pac, Lowkey and Immortal Technique. My Top 3 conscious rappers. 2Pac is to Hip-Hop what Marley is to Reggae. #OutlawImmortalz 🗣️ #Wailers 🗣️ _"Cape Malay" / "Cape Coloured"_ from Cape Town, South Africa 🇿🇦 #TheCapeOfStorms 🌊 #TheCapeColony ⛓️ #TheCapeFlats 🏚️

[@SoullessWRLD]

Good lyrics doesn't mean Good Music Bad Lyrics doesn't mean Bad Music

[@T.H.E.O.R.Y.]

@@SoullessWRLD that is definitely a good point. Unspoken truth bc it's rare what you said actually happens.

[@johndoeiii9767]

@@Rambomathie Lowkey's a real one🤝

[@the16blackmeccas68]

Good music is universal no matter what label that you put on it. It is What it is.

[@MovieMonkez]

The energy is cyclical we’re watching a new gangsta rap era soon the counter culture equivalent like how the ATCQ and early Kanye’s countered the NWAs n 50 cents of the time. We’re gonna get that soon

[@PuffinPass]

It will come back into fashion again, it happened with the late 80s/early 90s when gangster rap took over. The "conscious rap" never really went anywhere, it just went back underground for a couple years then came back out again. When people get tired of all the hype music they are going to need something to nurse the hangover.

[@mackl8305]

I feel like most concious rappers just choose boring beats.. the old school concious rappers used to choose beats that were still jamming or at least really beautiful sounding

[@abd-bm3cd]

If this was in a cartoon scenario, I can imagine a gangsta rapper punching a conscious rapper in the 3rd eye

[@THEVIDEOARBITRATOR]

When making these videos people always neglect how society overral has declined and how this has impacted music. People want to hear drug bars because everybody is drugged out and depressed. People like to dance because people are depressed. People also have low attention spans. Our education system has crumbled. Believe it or not the appreciation of deep lyrics, lyricism and figurative speech requires a good attention span and a certain degree of intellect. People these days lack both. The industry stuff and how it impacted the sound is a factor and has impacted the music but in my opinion its scratching the surface. Society has declined so the music has declined.

[@adamlawson5021]

Kendrick is the prime example of how to do this right in modern times. I may not be a Black man in America, but I am over half native American and it speaks to me on very profound and poignant levels. All respect due to the greats.

[@tfromcali89]

Most people nowadays are looking for a bop or the turn up. The rap audience nowadays are miseducated and dont sit down and think about the music they hear. Conscious rap will never die, period.

[@PaidKilla]

I think I got conscious lyrics . Paid killa -shut up or kill me Check it out 🥶

[@nateolison7553]

It depends on who you talk to. A LOT of people dismiss conscious rap and think it's corny. Drill music is the soundtrack to life for 95% of the kids I work with. They don't fuck w/ Kendrick, Cole, Kanye, Jay, Denzel, Cordae, none of them. They high key don't even know who they are. On occasion they rock w Chance but I think a lotta that is cuz I stay in Chicago. NoName stopped rapping cuz she didn't want to keep performing for predominantly white audiences on tour. So it's a real thing. Jidenna, RTJ, Tyler the Creator, & Denzel stay in rotation these days and I only got a select group of friends who share my tastes.

[@LanceMcClaren]

It’s crazy that we brand talking about something conscious when the 5th element of the culture is knowledge. It’s insane 😂

[@Allmightee1]

I’m glad y’all started this out by mentioning PAC FIRST but well explained the conscious sub genre will never totally die out but now it’s streams and more generic trap rap getting mostly play on the radio etc but who knows it’s gonna be more rappers that genre for years to come and will be successful so we’ll see

[@VertigoOfficial]

At some point this genre hit the ceiling. There's way too many rappers that try to convey useless and corny messages that were repeated thousands of times. There's still some huge players that dabble in this stuff, but rn we have vibe renaissance. It's all about the sound.

[@malum9478]

wack ass rake

[@shawtyboy3199]

I love "conscious" rap as I appreciate song with valuable content and pri Provacative opinions. I think the problems are maybe marketing? Honestly I never heard of any of the suggested entertainers.. 🤷

[@Nicholas5801]

Corporations/record labels rather have you rock out to music that doesn’t free you from your vices and would rather trap you into being consumers and trying to live a wasteful life style. Look what happened to all the mumble rappers that were shoved into our faces, real rappers had to reclaim the territory from those clowns. Like KRS one said this music is folk music, doesn’t belong in the hands of the greedy.

[@T-MacIsRevolutionary]

I think conscious hip hop will always live on i do conscious hip hop myself and what i think conscious hip hop has more then mainstream is courage and heart It started underground and it will remain rich in its unique sentiments

[@AYOSLIDE]

I’m actually glad Noname fall back from music cuz her tweets or rants really made her clueless & ignorant for all the wrong reasons. She definitely a talented woman that a lot of people sleep on but her attitude towards things can be seen corny to some.

[@rileythompson2578]

That brush-off right there is one of many reasons I think Denzel Curry is so underrated amongst the hip-hop community. I see him as a great example of somebody who has quality content while still being able to stay relevant with trends, but not in a way that’s just clout chasey or annoying. He makes songs that bang but also have more “conscious” lyrical content without it being patronizing. If hip hop has yet to embrace him I have no idea why that would be the case.

[@c33j4y6]

Anybody who dislikes this genre needs to Rethink a lot of things. I'm starting to think people like specific people just because they have "views" & "clout" instead of TALENT. For this genre of Rap it takes Intelligence to come up with Punchlines, Metaphors, Wordplay, Incorporate a story or even a deeper message. You need to work on your voice, delivery & pronunciation while remembering the flow. This takes SKILL and this takes TALENT. With some new music now a days rappers are literally dependent on auto-tune to sound good while they mumble about Popping Percs & Gang Violence all sounding completely high out of their minds. This doesn't take talent, ANYBODY can mumble nonsense and put auto-tune over it to "sound good" there's literal videos of Babies & ANIMALS "sounding good" with auto-tune, it's too the point where people are literally listening to a Robot. And even though sadly Hollywood Rap Culture Glorifies Violence to keep people as Statistics at least have these rappers sound Intelligent I'm not saying all Auto-Tune rappers don't have Talent and can't spit. There's numerous videos of Auto-Tune rappers that can spit Boom Bap and have Lyrical Ability. This is sad to me because they have so much Potential show Talent but it's probably their Label that's holding them back so they stay "Mainstream" even though there's TONS of botted views in the Industry (Travis Scott being a Major One) Remember these Rappers are taking your money every time you listen to their song, I want that money going to a Rapper that puts in WORK and time into their craft.

[@DonJulio1942]

It’s not that people dislike it i for one love conscious rap but I mainly listen to straight gangsta rap but the issue is nobody really wants to hear all time about black trauma, Racism and politics save that for another time it’s like this imagine if you have a friend who always talks about depressing ass shit during the times you just wanna vibe and chill like we’ll talk about that at a later date but right now let’s just chill and talk about happy shit for once that’s basically what conscious rap and reason why so many conscious rappers aren’t so big because that’s all they talked about look at 2pac he a conscious rapper but he also rapped that gangsta shit same with No Limit they rapped about Gangsta shit but they also had songs that was more towards conscious rap As far as mumble rap goes it’s definitely finna lose it’s cool soon because just like how Gangsta Rap isn’t as popular as it use to be

[@dirtydeeds4free553]

I heard only a single song from immortal and... The fact it took me so long to hear it blows my mind. Dude is a beast with words and lyrics and tears at your heart. That and blind fury, a fucking blind weird ass white dude that spits so hard yet cant fit what we see as a rapper, he is so far underground i can only find his shit on KZbin. Both are underrated for sure

[@johndoeiii9767]

2Pac, Lowkey and Immortal Technique. My Top 3 conscious rappers. 2Pac is to Hip-Hop what Marley is to Reggae. #OutlawImmortalz 🗣️ #Wailers 🗣️ _"Cape Malay" / "Cape Coloured"_ from Cape Town, South Africa 🇿🇦 #TheCapeOfStorms 🌊 #TheCapeColony ⛓️ #TheCapeFlats 🏚️

[@Trudon]

Nas Tech Styles p

[@johndoeiii9767]

@@Trudon We can agree to disagree. Respect🤝

[@Trudon]

@@johndoeiii9767 I like ur list I was just giving mine

[@NoName-yy3wb]

@@johndoeiii9767 I've never heard of lowkey.

[@johndoeiii9767]

@@NoName-yy3wb Check him out. He has a song with Immortal Technique, "Voice of the Voiceless". Most recently he had a song "Heroes of Human History". Other classics include "Terrorist", "Obamanation", "We Will Rise", "Iraq2Chile", and countless others.

[@SharmV]

I want to listen to a story of the struggle because it’s relatable, most of us aren’t in the 1% but we dream to be there but without getting stomped on.