Debate about KRS-1s material over the last 20 years

[Waxer]

Sup all!  I got into a debate on FaceBook with Pogo and an old mate... it turned into a really interesting thread and I thought I'd repost it here to see your responses, here it is in all it's glory (tried to do a screengrab, couldn't get higher quality, (in firefox right click then left click view image)


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http://www.facebook.com/discoscratch?v=wall&story_fbid=143554925655955

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Very interesting, let me know your thoughts!

[Lovegrove]

It's that old problem again isn't it. Things aren't as good as they used to be. Surely it can't JUST be nostalgia that makes the old stuff better?

I hadn't listened to any of KRS's stuff since Boom Bap until a couple of days ago... like PE recently I checked out stuff on Spotify to hear what I'd been missing.

And like PE, again I was disappointed.

I don't understand why things change so much. It's still down to beats and rhymes... the ingredients haven't changed!

Maybe it's too easy to skip tracks and not repeat listen to LP's over and over like we used to back in the day... maybe if I do that I will grow to love the new stuff like the old stuff.

I don't know what makes today's hip hop audience tick... but I've got no love for a lot of the stuff I hear, and when it's from someone I used to love, it's a little bit sad.

I listen to a lot of new music... just hardly any of it is hip hop.

I understand artists have to move on with their direction, but how does that work with hip hop... al it is, is beats and rhymes man!

[chris zero]

Like LG I haven't really heard much of KRS' output since the boom bap era. I think hip hop is no different to most other forms of music though, in that artists only have so much good music in them. I'm struggling to think of anyone who has been putting music out for 25 years, who later output is as good as their earlier stuff.

Having said that though, I saw him a couple of years ago at Rock City in Notts and he blew the place up! He was exactly as good as I hoped he would be, incredible stage presence and I knew most of the tunes too! Unexpected bonus too was that his hype man was the Incredible Busy Bee (of wildstyle fame), who got a nice little section to himself. He seemed to be onstage for about two hours and totally owned the place...so big up KRS...just please get a decent producer in next time.

[Lovegrove]

It seems a common point that the MC skills don't die, just wack beatzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Maybe too much computer programming / live instrument business going on.

Golden era sound is just drum machine and samples right?