Grown Man Hip Hop - Chris "Preach" Smith

Phonte.

I'm going to boldly declare a new genre of hip-hop here and now.

"Grown Man Hip-Hop".

There's many reasons to proclaim that contemporary hip-hop music is just
plain backwards. Studio gangsters rule the airwaves. There's tracks out there
with production as sloppy as a Triple Whopper with cheese thrown together by
a disgruntled teenager. Half of the times some of these modern-day rappers
sound like they're reading 2nd grade phonics assignments on codeine. We won't
even get into the outward appearance. There's some out there who feel out of
place with this new era. Folks who were reared on the 'Golden Age' of the 1990's,
and even those who recall its early days. These are the people who the genre of
'Grown Man Hip Hop' appeals to. (and I'm not excluding the ladies by any means.)

You have to look at the fact that hip-hop is in some aspects, controlled by the
young and brash at times. Look at LL Cool J. Special Ed. Even Lil Wayne. The
older MCs are just that: older. Just like you are. And as much as we'd like to think
we've got enough vigor to roll up in a club and pop bottles and rule afterwork
parties like we used to, heads are past that stage. We've got bills, student loans,
mortgages, car notes. And most importantly, children. Maybachs like you see in a
Rick Ross video don't have child-friendly car seats readily available. You're at a point
right now where you need sustenance in your music. A lot of folks I know have shied
away from hip-hop for other music genres. And that's where this new niche comes
in. It pays respect to the artists who can address these issues and still make some
really great music.

Murs.

For example, look at Phonte. This brother's been putting it down consistently
with Little Brother and as a solo artist, he's become a major star. How many
MC's do you know that can enjoy the fact of being nominated for a Grammy in
the R&B CATEGORY like he was with The Foreign Exchange? Amother shining
example is Ghostface. Ghost Deini has always made music for the grown heads,
and managed to do it in a way that preserved not only his longevity but also
the foundations of the Wu-Tang Clan for quite some time. Raekwon is also an
MC who champions grown man hip-hop. He often speaks about the difference,
likening today's hip-hop faves as 'fast food'. Another MC who deserves mention
here is Murs out of Los Angeles. This cat at one point didn't even curse on his
albums. His catalog is full of thought-provoking tracks, from 'Dreamchaser' to
'Remember to Forget'.

Oddisee.

And for those(like me) who are lovers of the beats, you'll find a slew of producers who can
effectively reside in this new genre too. Take Oddisee from D.C., who has quite the catalog
dating back to his first track with DJ Jazzy Jeff in 2003. The late great Nujabes took the world
by storm thanks to his musical contributions to the hit anime series 'Samurai Champloo'. You
also can't sleep on Kev Brown and Sean Toure-Thames from Maryland either, both whom have
made their mark and made music for the rest of us.

Grown man hip hop is here to stay people. It's music that doesn't help you grow...it helps
you evolve.