K_Shootz_Den I feel you mann! I'm not much of a a Hip-Hop/Rap fan but it isn't just that Genre that is currently suffering. Even mainstream R&B, Reggae and Jamaican Dancehall music (genres amongst my collection) are being bombarded with artists that broadcast utter nonsense to the listening audience. As dejayou30 says '..those lame generic rap songs strike chords with so many college kids...'. Its all to do with money and, just as importantly, keeping listeners locked in a particular frame of mind. Attacking the young minds via audio and visual hypnosis is all I see. Ensuring young folk adapt a totally materialistic lifestyle of fast cars, jewellery, greenbacks and bitches.. cus females that buy into that mode and play up to it R bitches while the dudes call themselves dawgs. Rather be an animal with ice than a person.

Big ass record comapnies won't put much effort into marketing the likes of Dead Prez, Immoral Technique, and Mos Def because their lyrical content is such that it can infringe on the objectives of those record companies. The best rappers talk the truth about the times and environment they live(d) in. They spoke/speak of stuggle and strife and what they think the government is upto. They sent/send a message in the music. Often these artists would empower and influence the listener to get up and do something positive. Instead, we have rappers chatting about that which will oppose much of what traditional artists stood for. It's all about Bling Bling, Biatches, Booty Shakin, Shooting Up a Next Man and his Crew, and general BEEF between numerous shit heads.