Has hip hop lost its magic to you?

[FreeSpeech]

OK, I love hip hop more than any genre, always will. However, to me, it's lost its magic a lil. When I was probably like 10, I first heard Bad Boy For Life. Man, that song was so good. Back then, even coming up with 2 syllable rhymes was real impressive to me. I was literally amazed that they could make a song that good. To me, every rapper was a god, they had some inate talent that made them untouchable. Yes, I liked some better than others, but hip hop as a whole was some mystical legion of superhuman musicians (with some exceptions, I always hated some dudes like Master P).

Nowadays, it's like I learned the secret to the magic tricks. I know how they do it. I can write good multis, I could probably even right a great Eminem verse (provided he was the one rapping it of course). I still love hip hop, but it just isn't as magical, everything can be explained through wordplay, multis, whatever. It's almost like it's a science. Yes, the music still amazes me, but in the sense of "damn, that was a really clever rhyme with a lot of meaning over a dope beat" as opposed to "wow, no one else could do this, ever".

IDK, I'm kinda rambling, but I feel like ignorance was bliss. I'm happy I can experience deeper lyrics and more meaningful songs, but sometimes I wish I could just listen to whatever MTV was bumping and be amazed still.

[Aligator]

no. look at all of the rappers out. eminem jay z nas wiz kalfa lil wayne jeezy chamillionare

[12characters]

No, it hasn't.

[dead prez]

Basically you understand the technicalities behind the genre, but I really don't see how that impedes you from enjoying the genre any less. If anything it should make you enjoy it more, all your post seemed to indicate was that you're no longer able to enjoy abysmal music because you have standards, sort of like how I'm no longer able to enjoy some of Wayne's best songs any more now that I introduced myself to a wider array of Hip Hop.

I can understand this feeling if you overplayed Hip Hop or if you feel like you've listened to everything the genre has to offer (believe me there are people who probably came close to that) and felt like everyone doesn't have their own sound any more and are just jocking the sound of producers like Pete Rock and Rza. Meh

[Atone]

Hip Hop will always have it's magic for me, i'm always finding new artist's that i like

[Devil'sAdvocate]

Nope.

look at the active artists.

[Maybe]

no. look at all of the rappers out. eminem jay z nas wiz kalfa lil wayne jeezy chamillionare

Too easy....

[Slim Fiasco]

In that sense definitely yes. Being an MC myself it's much harder to get impressed like that and get excited as I used to because as you said, I've figured out a big portion of it and it's much more interesting when there's a mystery behind it. However there's a whole other magic to it because now I can be a part of it in a better way and contribute as an artist. I really enjoy it when I finish a verse, go record a song and eventually get feedback for it. And If/when I get to perform at shows or release an album that would be even more wonderful. Also there's always new music on the way from artists I like so there's something to look forward to, and we all know how cool it is before something new from the likes of Eminem drops.

[Wallace]

When we are younger, we use to overrate things, just because of our age.
See how older people tell you that their age was the best in terms of everythin, includin' music. Of course it wasn't, cuz good music happens overtime and bad music too.

It might be somethin' personal. For me, music as a whole got even better when I learned to play keyboard and drums and listened to thousands of songs, instead of just some dozens from time to time... now I can select the best ones. And music, for me is greater than ever, even when it's hard to find somethin really special. When I get it, it's like findin a gem in the desert. It's even better than when i just got my favorites from listenin to whatever was playin around.

Music, as everythin', can be attached with certain feelins. The yourger you are, the better your feelings usually, so you felt music better. If you really discover, how i discovered, how to really feel music at least as much as when younger, you'll realize what I mean.

It's too much to listen to today...

[8milestyle]

I think its just that when you're younger, EVERYTHING sounds/seems better. Shit, walk into a Toys R Us and that shit is small now, back then it used to be a castle. That slide you used to love, that hill you used to sled down? Still the same size, but now you're more mature and realize it ain't all the great.

I feel like you've just matured more in the hip-hop realm, and now you're experiencing the same thing. I get it if I overplay hip-hop. I gotta intermix some other genres into my listening.