#NoNewFans [Editorial]

Before I leave for work every morning I pick a CD (Yes a CD, you know, a compact disk) to play for the 10 minute ride. While shuffling around my unorganized mountain of albums I have in my car ranging for Kendrick's debut and now Grammy nominated disk good kid, m.A.A.d city

to Pete Rock & CL Smooth's Mecca And The Soul Brother, I found Kid Cudi's latest album Indicud. Car listening time is crucial for me. Indicud passed the car test already, (simply meaning, how long can you listen to the album before you have to skip a track during ride) but listening to it today began what Kanye might call a stream of consciousness (or a rant). This editorial's intention is to help you think about what happened musically in 2013 through a series of question. Gather around kids.

2013 was a lukewarm year for hip hop music. For example, Pusha-T had the entire hip hop community patiently waiting for his debut album My Name Is My Name only to reach a little over 75,000 in first week's sales according to HipHopDX.com. 

Any and every hip hop artist you can think of release an album this year such as Danny Brown, A$AP Rocky, 2 Chainz, Dom Kennedy, J. Cole, & Mac Miller, but how many albums had any longevity behind them? Arguably there were not many breakout artist that caught major attention or devoted listener's loyalty as years before. Don't believe me? Ok, fine, what album have you listened to the majority of this year that seemed perfect? And when I say perfect, did it pass "the car test?" Could you relate to it emotionally, did it have a song to turn up to as well mellow you out? Did it blow your mind lyrically? Are you still trying to decode message within the music? Whatever you look for in hip hop music, did it fulfill each and everyone of your requirements? 

Artist made albums for their established fan base this year, let me explain. If you were a fan of Big Sean, Hall Of Fame was Big Sean at his Big Seaniest. If you were a fan of Drake, Nothing Was The Same Was The Same was Drake at his Drakiest. 

Artist stuck to their identity this year, they knew their fan base and market, and delivered to that demographic directly. Not saying it's a bad thing, but once an artist no longer has anything to prove, the music reflects the attitude. And that was the attitude I felt throughout the majority of 2013.

I hear you, "Slik, why do you have such a high standard for your hip hop music." My reply to that statement is why not? Do you not realize the power music in general has? Do you not realize the voice and the responsibility each artist accepts every time they record? It's cheesy but true. For example, as a sophomore in the industry Kendrick Lamar continues to set a standard no one has reached yet. Of course the Grammy win would be the icing on the cake and an exclamation point to my argument, but to this day no one has put him in his place since the critically acclaimed "Control" verse. 

We should demand artistry. The state of hip hop is filled with quantity over quality. Mixtapes  and singles are released almost everyday but what value do they hold? Do you remember where you were for Kanye's Good Friday series?

 Do you remember the joy, excitement, and fulfillment that came from each song released? Did you get that same fulfillment this year? I've asked a lot of questions, but think about them. Where did 2013 go wrong and how can we use the short comings for a musically gifted 2014.