Hip-Hop Is Dead by Nas

Album: Hip-Hop Is Dead (2006)

Charted: 35 41

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Songfacts®:

This song refers to the lack of originality and lyrical meaning in mainstream hip-hop music. Nas feels that while early hip-hop was about social change, today's hip-hop is about materialism and degrading women.
This samples "Apache" by The Shadows and "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" by Iron Butterfly. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Sam - Portsmouth, VA, for above 2
The song was produced by and features will.i.am. The Black Eyed Pea explained to The Boombox in a 2012 interview that he and Nas weren't saying the genre of Hip-Hop was dead, rather they were, "talking about it from a business standpoint." He added: "I don't see a lot of artists raking it in from radio and sales off Hip-Hop."

Comments: 4

Domenic from Martinez, CaWhy do all these rap "artists" take samples from good songs and make garbage?
Randy from Trenton, NjIn "A Milie" by Lil Wayne one line states "if hip hop is dead I am the embalming fluid". Also on "Mr.Carter" Jay-Z has a line referring to Lil Wayne as his heir also stating that young Carter should go further go harder and if not then why bother? Perhaps saying we could look forward to a Nas Vs Lil Wayne feud. Considering Nas Vs Jay-Z feud was ended more out of necessity than want. Just saying something to think of in regard to this song. I personally agree that hip hop needs a slap in the face to wake it up and honestly a big mainstream feud might do it.
Steve from Archbald, PaThis is (to me) a slap in the face to all the rappers that are degrading and materialistic Nas has been called a hip hop pioneer knows what hes talking about
Isaac from C-town, OhThere was a large amount of backlash by popular hip hop and rap artists after the album was released, mainly because it claimed that the music being produced by these artists is not real hiphop. For example, a featured artists on the remix of jim jone's "we fly high" says "hip hop ain't dead, it just took a couple shots".

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