It’s an interesting issue that often times comes up.
Respect for the game. That, like any ambiguous statement, has a dubious sort of answer. How is respect for anything disseminated? I imagine the best place to start would be with a simple definition.
Esteem; a feeling or attitude of admiration or deference towards somebody or something.
The state of being admired.
Thoughtfulness; consideration
An individual characteristic or point.
But which would apply here? The first definition has promise.
The issue you often hear from the older heads in hip-hop is that the younger generation of up-and-coming hip-hop artists have “no respect for the game”. I have regularly found both truth and fault with that particular statement.
Why or how can I be divided? I’ll tell you now.
The truth part stems from the fact that nowadays some rappers would rather rely on profanity, airborne wads of currency, and beautiful women with bubble butts and little else to make the point or sell their songs. That aspect shows a little less than reverence for what they first set out on. Granted hip-hop has always been mostly misogynistic when it came to women but there was a bit more cleverness in it in previous generations. These days ‘bitch’ and ‘ho’ have all but become synonymous with a woman. That would be part of the disrespect.
My deference comes from this point. Those same older heads are critical of how the new generation does certain things. As I once said hip-hop must evolve if it is to continue existing. In that respect new blood is showing a certain level of respect by walking new paths with a decades old genre. You cannot in good faith expect hip-hop to stay exactly the same as it was at its inception. An infusion of that old school now and then wouldn’t go awry. But for the most part anything new that can be added while still honoring the sentiment of true hip-hop is usually a great thing.
Look, it’s an issue and an issue can be argued either way. I don’t claim to have the right answer for this sort of thing. All I have is my humble opinion. I can hope that maybe when you read this you can see the points and maybe understand what it is I’m saying.
Respect is there, either way you look at it.
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