Joe Budden - Who Killed Hip Hop? lyrics

rate me

Yeah, I'm doin all these interviews

Everybody wanna know what I think about the state of hip hop

Wheather I think it's dead or not?

The question ain't wheather it's dead, It's more like, it's more like,

Who killed it, and when?

Can anybody pin-point the day it went wrong I mean I use to blame reggeton'e

I can't front I thought all that was corny

Was it ja's fault Lil' mo said she ain't get paid for put it on me

Look Bring it up and dude's get on some coise shit

Was it t-pain with that funny voice shit?

Or was it lil' wayne with that funny voice shit?

The whole game did grown that funny voice shit

I can't tell when it happend,

Was it when lil' jon show dudes you could sell without rappin

Was it laughy taffy I thought that they was kiddin

Shorty loe said they no I didn't

Dancin became cool again then came walk it out

But I ain't know what the fuck nigga's was talkin bout'

Unit' kicked game out they ain't give a fuck

Then we seen the same shit happen to buck

It was a few year's ago but I remember the summer

50' made fan's start lookin at the number's

A&R's won't take risk's they won't sign nigga's

The worst swag came out started to blind nigga's

Rap dude's want reality shows and my dumb ass is thinkin that reality sold

Did it start with the ipod? or when rappers had to pay dj's for them to do they job?

I mean All the content is the same it won't differ

Everybody sold some drugs and pulled triggers

The more you think about it you just gon' get sicker

And why the fuck nas wanna call shit "nigga" Nigga

Was it when the wu broke up?

Pac, big, pun, went to sleep never woke up

Lupe was doin a tribute and choked up

And some of these stupid ass fan's like so what

Some of them they ain't educated

And fuck blamin the south we ain't segragated

I mean... was all good around the kiss and beans shit

Took a left turn around the kiss and green shit

Maybe it all started when rock-a-fella parted

Way's... it's natural the shift talk fame

How must everyone one last one of dude's shit on dame

Kinda got that in common I can dig that pain

When they gave jay a desk and suit

They finally gave a rapper a chance to come exucute

But something told me the suits at the tables was hurtin

They fired everybody labels started mergin

As far as sales the decline is strong

Ask the experts they'll say that the climates wrong

I mean some nigga's pride is gone

I peeped it when nigga's started puttin fake diamonds on

You can tell a dude I spit better than you

But then he'll say I'm richer for whatever I do

I seen all this comin I knew what we was in for

Back when eric sermon had jumped out the window

Was it when mase retired and couldn't hack it

Tip could he just needed some more ratchets

Dj's, producers, one's that get us the farthest

Said fuck rappers and they became the artist's

I gotta talk candid

Did we start havin issues around the same time jimmy and cam did?

Was it when chingy thought he ain't need ludacris?

The Next album found out that that was ludacris

Papoose and clipse both survived inked it with jive then gettin jived

Then the man j-hood rep the d-block gang

Then I seen dude draggin his d-block chain

Or did one hit wonder's change it all along?

They made labels only wanna sign a dude's song

And you really don't know shit if you think the fans pick the video's on 106

I'm just statin the truth...

Did it start when fox stayed in the news more than she did the booth

Or was it when lil' kim stop explotin sex?

And what the fucks up with dmx I hope dude's straight

Have an opinion and they gonna say you hate

I can't front I'm missin the old' clue tapes

The underground sunk further

The fed's was on irv so the inc dropped murda

I never blame fab, jeezy, rick ross

This shit get lost when shyne went up north

I'll never understand the hip hop police

When hip hop is what hip hop need's to police

These blaent ass radion attempts sound so bland

Twista kept tryin to re-create slow-jams

Did we send the wrong message with our slang?

As broke nigga's blowin they rent to make it rain

So you walk in give a bitch a few 20's

And she'll smurk her face up lookin at you funny

This chick told me she only take new money

"NAH" I snatched my shit back so fast

Or did it start when rappers said fuck it?

Sacrificed music started rapin they budget?

Nothin wrong with dudes bein candy and pop somethin

It was wrong when JOC hit the candy shop!

We buyin our own records maybe no-one's to blame

Or we a buissness that we can't afford to maintain

The 2nd week show that boy that numbers ain't high

I hate to break it to ya numbers always lie

Or when ortiz signed to aftermath?

And now he's feelin the aftermath

Was it fight klub fuckin with them battle rap's?

But not too many of em' gettin signed after that!

I mean... some can stay aflot

A million busta albums he still not mentioned with the g.o.a.t

Fuck lookin for answers time will tell

Was it when def jam didn't wanna re-sign L?

A 15 year old told kass was ass

Rather than spaz all dude could do was laugh

Or was when the whole east coast fell off?

Or got comfortable maybe dude's was too well-off

The more nigga's said that they ain't write down lyrics

The more it started to sound like they didn't

But do whatever you can to keep the light's on

But dumb it down just became the dylan

Honestly I ain't know what to think?

A few years ago we had the young kids wearing PINK

I can't blame the fans for not knowin a damn thing

When we trained them to be this way

I mean showed whatever to sell with no limits

Since the early 90's sold em' a false image

And when some shit come that don't fit the mold

It's like a mole nigga you won't even do gold

They watch the videos...

See you on the corner with a whole bunch of people and think that you hood

They turn on the tv and see these video pigeons

And they think these niggas girls really look that good

I mean they get so many free verses

When the album drop's shit is more like a bonus

Why pay for it? why tape own this?

With one click of a ouse they could own it

I mean some of them are fooled so easly

By whatever we say or show em' on tv

But that was all part of the plan

Or was it when eminem made stan I swear some of these fan's

They put they whole life on the line

It's like they can't like more than one rapper at a time

Less about the product more about the digits

Is it buissness we got less fans and more critics

Maybe we at a cross

Canibus made one of the dopest diss records but some still say that he lost

I ain't believe my ears when niggas tried to tell me

That krs wanted a rap beef with nelly

If rap was alive we be tryin to be the best rappers ever

NOT THE BEST RAPPER ALIVE!

But you won't get accepted at all if you ain't street tough

Onyx was the hardest till' sticky got beat up

Now I'm a thug how's I gotta behave

If I wanna be paid if I wanna see praise

You know somethings wrong when nigga's is gettin shot

And you gotta sit and wonder if the whole things staged

IT AINT REAL NO MORE

Or did we just expand on our audience maybe we appeal to more

Or do we just think that ya'll gettin dumber

We tried to make gettin older gettin younger

Did we lose our hunger somethings gotta give

Did we out grow our selfs is hip hop for kids

If it is...

They turn on mtv cribs and think that's where these motherfuckers really live

Or was it when lauren hill dropped a classic

So did the fugee's till wyclef tapped it

Songs don't do nomore this shit's shockin

Seen it when lean back had the whole world rockin

Now it's fuck the bars if your hook is fly

So we look at crooked I with a crooked eye

Us dope ass rappers ain't seein no dough

If everythings commercial wher the fucks the show

But anybody makin a dime I'm gonna wish well

Still we took a big L losing big L

Or was it when you tube came in the game

Now nobody's from they livin room can make a name

Or when the indies like koch came and blew up

Nigga's at the majors they litteraly threw up

Too some it ain't fun no more

You know it's fucked up when dmc don't talk to run no more

Too many ego's like we ain't one no more

Shits predictable niggas ain't stunned no more

We startin to see shit we never seen before

At one point we even had the magizines at war

Or was it street dvd's like smack

Showed just how stupid your favorite rapper would act

This shit get lifeless when mtv made a list of the hottest and ignored the nicest

Changed the whole stee-lo

I mean the average fan never heard of a goodie-mob or a cee-lo

But they heard of gnarlys barkley

And dr. carter still say we got a heartbeat

I ain't gonna lie I was scared to death straight up

Started hearin rumors of an outcast break-up

I was that ain't true it sounds desperate

Then started seein big boi and 3k seperate

Had periods we was drier then the desert

Are we all killin this shit is it a group effort

Are we alive and well or barely survivin

Is it RnB's fault them nigga's is thrivin

Then alot of people go and blame limewire

I don't think it's downloadin dog the limes tired

The the fans just get tired of the outcome

One dope single and a bullshit album

So they share albums with each other

Or was it master p with them ugly ass album covers

Or when we started appearin in the news

Timberland said they ain't want black nigga's wearin they boots

I mean... I know it got foggy atleast blurry

When the label dude got knocked out by keith murray

Or was it when we became obsessed with the brand names

Had the kids tryin to buy shit that they can't name

And some think the evidence is ample

Did it start when puff took advantage of the sample

Is it all water downed with no fire

If you had enough money you could buy a ghost-writer

Or the diamond district jacob the jewler

Had to buy his watch to be looked at as cooler

And fuckin with them trends

Our stupid asses wasted a hundred grand on shit that ain't even in

Look is the game now as bad as it's ever been

It's not ringtones just the songs that they represent

I heard all em'

Sad part I wouldn't reckonize most of these niggas if I saw em '

I can't explain it I don't know what to tell ya'

Now goin gold is looked at as a failure

Maybe old cats in charge just wern't able

Dj's is spinnin now with no turn table

Maybe the fans are just bored of us

Or maybe there ain't enough room for all of us

It's like even a friendship will stop at a point

Mike jones went platinum off of slim thugs joint

But there's so many ways to get fuckin rich

Superhead caved off by just suckin dick

Did we sell out just to get into demand more

Did we go against everything we use to stand for

Both the likely

There's two sides of the coin who you rollin with soldier boy or ice-t

Some niggas wanna sit around and complain about

Id rather analyze see how it came about

If we could rewind the world

We wouldn't have to watch flava flave try to find his girl

Look today it's all about marketin a promo

I remember VH1 was just for old' folks

But no ma'am

If I ain't know better I would think that mix show is now programmed

We let the power of a dollar anilate us

How the size of our chain gonna validate us

It's too simple they can't think that we really deep

I JUST HEARD CHRIS BROWN ON THE A-MILLI BEAT

Saw a video corny lookin ass niggas

Grabbed the remote tired of lookin at niggas

But that let a nigga know that if we ain't dead

That we just half alive maybe brain dead

Did it start when capone left nore

Nah he went to jail that's a whole different story

Or maybe somethings really wrong with our ears

Obie trice got dropped so much for cheers

Females emcees they don't ever hit the target

Somebody said they seen amill workin at a target

The sad part is we already lost remi

Or did we go wrong when evey eve got skinny

What's up with jackie o rah digga that I can't figure

Trina ain't been the same since "Nan" nigga

I know it had to do somethin to his heartbeat

When lady a rave started doin steve harvey

I know we caught a little trauma

Somewhere between yo yo boss and lil' mama

Alotta females found another way to extort

Most of our video models have turned escort

Do anything to see dough...

So they'll exchange sex with an artist or director for a lead role

Or should we get back to basics

Where's the rakims or the master ace's

The big daddy caines or did we never recover

From dre' not bein on the side of ed lover

Or when rap dudes started signin they friends

Instead of goin out and tryin to find nigga's with skill

Seen it when d-12 put out purple pills

And while the whole hood laughed them niggas sold a mill

Some of us ain't prepared for somethin so lukerative

I just heard yung berg say some stupid shit

Like we almost took one in the torso

When each bone thugs member took they own crossroads

Some disagree some gotta see the same

Or maybe hip hop died on aaliyah plane

If it relocated where did it move too

I still love her the way commom use too

Or did bill o'riley come fuck up the spirt

With negitive remarks about everybodys lyrics

Spend all this time dissin us

Nigga you 95 years old motherfucker shouldn't be a listener

Lost jam master who was tougher then leather

Or did it start when trench was fuckin pepper

As our jeans got tighter and our tee's got longer

I'm tryin to figure which age group do we belong ta

Or did we all go astray the second dr dre left n.w.a

In my opinion we was on easy street when he was beefin with eazy-e

Or did we get fucked up when producers found a way to cheat

Signin unknown niggas to start makin they beats

If you sell your own shit it gotta go for cheap

Let's put my name on it so the price increase

Or is it cause ery'body so self centerd

Is the reason itself that hip hop ain't centerd

Or had we already seen this shit with our own eyes

When rico suave, hammer and vanilla ice

Everybody want in the game So in return...

Got label executives fuckin they interns

And anybody lookin at that new vibe bracket

Should see that they don't know a thing about this rap shit

Or maybe we should have stopped bein proud...

When there was no more raukus and no more loud

Tried to get conscience around voe to die

So they made it look like all our vocals lies

As the years go on it's like we keep gettin more voids

We got lost when we lost one of the lost boys

I knew we was impersonanatin the frauds

Then kay slay slapped my man at the awards

Regardless it's all for this artist

Runnin with awnin rodgers who act like they never left the projects

Who do we wanna target...

Will they put an uncle murda cd in a wal-mart or a target

We got the nerve to not wanna hear ras-kass

Or fuck with vick get silly and act trash

I fel ashamed when j-kwon told me he don't like raekwon cause he stole his name

Was back when everybody in the club got tipsy

Now every contract gotta be 360

So fuck eatin better scrape the plate

Now every beat gotta have atleast an 808

Did the lights get dim when we first heard MIMS and said

Another new york rapper on the souths tip

Is it over-crowded...

They keep sayin if it's so fucked up then do somethin about it...

I doubt it

It's just one thing they don't understand

That job is way bigger than just one man

Or maybe all of these pleas that it's deceased it falls and this shit is right where it needs to be

Maybe we built on somethin that will last forever

Seen face and ghetto boyz just got back together

Maybe no one can stop us...

Even other genres now jock us we even do songs with the rockers

How's that the feelin...

Kanye is amazing wayne just sold a million we closer to a ceilin

God we in a coma...

But we the only buissness you can excell with no diploma

Technologyu changed made everything simple

Myspace is now a dude bio slash demo

Aside from this fact we generating more money

We took it global and penetrated other countries

So let's celebrate sip some criss'

Some more shit we embrace just to end up diff

Go and buy the bar out so we can all get bent

Let go cop a bunch of cars just to still pay rent

Or here's another bright idea to entertain

Let's go and put our face on the bottom of a chain

Or some of us just nigga rich with nigga money

Well jews keep laughin look at these niggas dummies

So hip hop should be a steppin stool

Till we find another road we can step into

Some of us doin movies as a matter of fact

But some plan to never stop life after rap

I mean AH...

As a whole did we stop movin further

Around the time snoop dogg went on trial for murder

Or was it scarface creatin these clonies

30 years later everybody still tony

Maybe anybody complainin is deranged

Can you expect somethin to grow and not change

We socially acceppted deviated our own route

It's simplified we all sold out

I think I figured out who's to blame

We started out obama ended up mccain

So we kurt kobained ourselfs if we defeated

So next time they ask who killed it tell em' we did