I Got A Story To Tell

Welcome to Monday's blog, I apologize once again for not dropping a Throwback Thursday blog last week but something came up. Don't ask me what just know I had other business to attend to (nebby ass people all in my damn business).

Other is past weekend I was kicking it with a few of my friends @E_TRELL, @DaReal_McCoy, @_Motaw, @JodyChocolate, and @OBoi. (Follow all my niggas on Twitter by the way) While we were out enjoying our Saturday night getting drunk, we started to reflect and go down memory lane on when we were in college. All of us but @JodyChocolate went to Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania and we were just sharing funny stories from our college years. While sharing these classic mostly drunk college stories, we got on the topic of hip-hop stories and our favorite hip-hop story songs. Some shared their opinions on what they thought were the best and others just sat back and listened. Great debate and fun times, there's no denying that.

Sunday morning following the discussion we had on hip-hop stories I decided to listen to some of the classic stories that I grew up listening to. Songs such as:

Nas "Undying Love" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97YblmsvEAg

B.I.G "I Gotta Story To Tell" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6df0rha_Opw

Jay-Z "Meet The Parents" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ5A2aKmZhI

and a few others.

Then a question came to me, why don't current rappers tell stories anymore? Is it a lack of creativity, a lack of the audience caring about story telling, what is it? All of the great rappers can tell stories, people such as:

B.I.G
2Pac
Jay-Z
Nas
Slick Rick
Scarface
Snoop
and the list goes on...

Any rapper can just talk that shit, speak on how much money he/she has and how fast their car is; but telling a story is different. Telling a story is starting from page one giving your listeners a time, setting, plot, and going from there. Telling a story is just like writing a paper, having an intro, body, and conclusion. Painting that picture and making a 4-5 minute song seem like a mini movie is truly a talent, and that's why all the great rappers have the ability to tell stories. Artist such as Drake don't tell stories he tells scenes from "Day's Of Our Lives" with all the emotional fallopian tube music. If I wanted to hear some love shit I'll listen to Mary J. Blige b, and not saying all stories have to be gangter or street but got damn Drake pull ya tampon out son! Majority of his music is "I got cramps" music, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is harder than a Drake album. Meek Mill dropped a very dope story titled "Tony Story" on his latest mixtape "Dream Chasers", I personally think Meek told that story very well. Nonetheless from that not too many rappers tell stories.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that rappers need to expand their topic choice and get back to the basics. I personally don't want to hear an album full of stories but I also don't want to hear and album full of songs like "Round Of Applause" either. Balance is needed in order for an artist to maintain greatest and be around for more than two-three summers. Because there's nothing worse than watching an artist struggle more than a cockroach in a puddle full of bleach water, just because their music lacks diversity.  Having a club banner as your single makes sense, that's how you grab the listeners attention but it's what you do once you grab their attention that's what counts. Sharing a story of personal experience is always better than creating a fictional tale, because true fans of good music appreciate when they can connect and relate to an artist.

Tell me what you think follow and @ me for your feedback @Rell_Mac

Do current rappers lack the talent and creativity to tell stories or is there just not a market for it now and people don't care to listen to a story?

While we're on the topic of stories listen to this, it just might save your life!

Joe Budden "Secrets" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCKIEPxh7nw

Written by Rell Mac (@Rell_Mac)