Is Hip-Hop Too Accessible?

So the homies Rizoh at The Rap Up and Sleezy Trees at Jump The Turnstyle posted this digital video tidbit of actor-turned-rapper Joaquin Phoenix. Apparently, the LIV Nightclub in Miami Beach's Fountainbleau Hotel actually let this bearded lunatic on a stage with a microphone and things got ugly. And I'm not just talking bout his grizzly adams.

First, Phoenix gets riled up by an antagonistic night clubber, then jumps off the stage to confront dude. You can't really see anything, but the fight isn't the point - it's the fact that a venue actually let him hop in the spotlight for this.

I'm not mad that he enjoys hip-hop music at all. Personally, it's cool to see people of all colors and levels of sanity appreciating and bumping this glorious art form. I truly believe that anyone can rock to it if they give it an honest listen.

It's just that he thinks he can participate directly in creating hip-hop music when he's not fit to, it's quite obvious. Not many people are. That's why it's golden when someone actually can.

But lately the game's been saturated by so many gimmicks and one-hit blunders that anyone with a laptop, ProTools and mic can claim to be an MC. Man, I bet Biggie, Jam Master Jay, Big Pun, Pac, Big L, J Dilla and all the other ultra skilled hip-hoppers we've lost are turning over in their graves right about now.

I'm merely ranting at this point, but I'll come back to my main point. MCs, DJs, Producers, Hip-Hoppers, Journalists, Bloggers, and anyone else down with the art, we need to institute some barriers to entry so that the quality is upheld in hip-hop. If not, we'll just be a loose community struggling to survive.


I wanna know what you all think. Is hip-hop too accessible? Should we be responsible for running checks and balances on MCs, DJs etc?


Almost forgot, here's some real tracks that get my stamp of approval. Keep on keepin' on, Peace!


3/12 Blog Hits:

Links in the CBox --->

Brother Ali - Talkin' My Shit

Drake - November 18th (Chuck Inglish Remix)

GLC ft. Kanye West & Keyshia Cole - We Don't Care [Unreleased]

Marvin Gaye - What's Going On Remix prod. Beatnick & K-Salaam

Saigon - Spit prod. Statik Selektah

Saigon - The Rules CDQ prod. Statik Selektah

Statik Selektah ft.-Kali, Glasses, Malone, Termanology- Rollin Down The Freeway

Tanya Morgan - So Damn Down