I wonder how many parents are disappointed in certain aspects of their kid’s behavior despite their direct involvement in it? I wonder how many parents cursed in front of their kid but hate that their kid uses profanity, smoked in front of their kid but hate that their kid smokes, etc… Now of course you always want the best for your kid but realistically, how do you teach a lesson that you yourself haven’t learned and how do you have the gall to then hold your child accountable for a lack of wisdom you never imparted? The “kid” I’m talking about here is hip hop.

Now I don’t remember as much complaining about hip hop back in the day when I was young but then again, I’m not a kid anymore and also, there wasn’t an Internets that echoed the most miniscule of complaints from the ends of middle earth to center of the arts. There were only 3 plugs in 1991 (De La Soul) but were the hip hop universe fully interconnected back then, it may have been popular consensus that Nice and Smooth really weren’t that nice or smooth and at times, were a bit of a rickety rocket. This is not to say that they were not good entertainers. This is just to say that a developing art form in its infancy stages is void of subtext and thus, every advent within the budding genre was viewed favorably simply because it lacked precedent. In other words, there was no preexisting style to bite or bastardize and we were more forgiving. But does that mean that it was ALL good?

Artists we loved back then but probably haven’t touched their CD since “then”

1. Das Efx
2. Canibus
3. Lost Boyz

Could it be that acknowledging the perceived flaws in modern day hip hop would mean accepting personal responsibility and our roles in why some of it is currently not to our liking? What exactly are we expecting the prevailing content of hip hop to be when every time someone asks who the greatest emcees are, “Biggie, Jay-Z and Tupac often occupy 3/5 of the slots? And what exactly was the predominant lyrical content of our beloved Mount Rushmore of hip hop? So then why are we turned off by so much talk of guns, money and b*tches when those were some of the golden era’s amendments to the hip hop constitution? Being upset at how hip hop turned out is like being upset at your own life but discounting all the decisions YOU made which led to the current conditions.

Artists we didn’t care for before but consider groundbreaking pioneers now

1. 2 – Live Crew
2. Cash Money / Juvenile
3. Outkast

Are we allowing our emotional connection to that old shit to cloud our current sense of smell? Seems we can only smell the new shit but that old shit that has since dried up and calcified now looks like that good shit but if you really put your hands on it, you’ll soon realize, it’s just old shit. We’ve been resting on our laurels so long that the only thing remaining may be our laurels and that hasn’t really been hearty now has it?

Maybe it’s time to accept some harsh realities…”HIP…HOP… you claim Young Thug is not your child…the paternity test revealed however that YOU ARE THE FATHER!!”

• I love gangsta rap but I hate gangstas
• I love balling but I hate ballers
• I love women but I hate misogynist lyrics
• I love Kanye but I hate Kanye
• I love creativity but I hate change
• I love the golden era but I probably complained about a lot of it to
• I hate gangsta rap except when N.W.A. did it
• I hate drug rap except when Jay Z did it
• I hate lyrics that degrade women except when Tupac did it

STOP HATIN!

Sidebar: Have you ever considered what you would be listening to if there was no hip hop? Keep complaining and you’ll soon find out. Sidebar complete.

Dope
Rating: Unrated
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Directed By: Rick Famuyiwa
In Theaters: Jun 19, 2015 Limited
Starring: Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Kimberly Elise, Keith Stanfield, De’Aundre Bonds, Roger Guenveur Smith, Blake Andeson, Zoe Kravitz, A$AP Rocky, Forest Whitaker, Quincy Brown, Rick Fox, Amin Joseph, Ashton Moio, Chanel Iman.

Official Synopsis : A critical hit and audience favorite at the Sundance Film Festival, in DOPE Malcolm (Shameik Moore) is carefully surviving life in a tough neighborhood in Los Angeles while juggling college applications, academic interviews, and the SAT. A chance invitation to an underground party leads him into an adventure that could allow him to go from being a geek, to being dope, to ultimately being himself. (C) Open Road

5. The Music – A Dope Soundtrack

The movie’s main protagonist Malcolm decides to write his thesis about rapper Ice Cube in attempt to go to Harvard University, so you have an idea what type of music he loves. 1990’s hip-hop will have the soundtrack full of treasures for anyone who still feels that decade did hip-hop best.

This film has a undeniable musical influence with some of the biggest names in music involved in front of and behind the scenes. Co-executive producer Sean Combs is sure to have a positive impact on the soundtrack as well as Grammy winner Pharrell Williams, who composed the original soundtrack for the film, including four songs created for the main characters’ punk band.

4. The Producers – Sundance Buzz

There are many things that can make or break a movie and the people behind the scenes are super important for this type of film. If the writing is off it can make the movie feel like a forced product that lacks authenticity. Movie vet Forest Whitaker is the producer and it looks like he has assembled a great team. The Sundance audience loved this film which is usually a good sign. The sharp and intelligent writing is aimed at a smart well-informed audience that can identify with being a nerd in the hood. You can count on one hand how many films are directed, written, and produced by black men while also being loved by the Sundance crowd. This is truly a rarity that should not be missed.

3. The Story – Nerds In The Hood

With his flat top trying to survive the heat, all Malcolm and his best friends Jib (Tony Revolori, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”) and Diggy (Kiersey Clemons) want to do is be different. In a coming-of-age story, Malcolm and his crew are drawn into the many pit falls of American culture, specifically women and drugs. The always sexy Zoe Kravitz plays Nakia, the reason Malcolm decides to get involved with local drug dealer Dom (A$AP Rocky). Dom plants a knapsack full of cocaine and a gun on Malcolm and crew when the cops come, and the rest is history.

2. The Cast – Well Rounded Mix

Casting the basically unknown Shameik Moore and surrounding him with great talent like Tony Revolori and Kiersey Clemons feels like great chemistry. While learning the lesson of bad decisions, he runs into Lily (Chanel Iman) a dangerous beauty that can lead to an untimely death. His crew also gets to jam in a fully blown studio owned by a rich kid (Quincy Brown) who was born to play this role. Helping them move their newly found stash of drugs is Will played by Workaholics star Blake Anderson, the neighborhood drug authority/expert.

1. The Director – Rick Famuyiwa

This coming-of-age drama/comedy is directed by Rick Famuyiwa, the Nigerian director behind rare gems like Talk To Me (2007) and Brown Sugar (2002). Both of those films give me an idea that we can look forward to a treat here. Both films defiantly capture a mood and feeling that symbolized an era and style.

I’m not a huge fan of romantic comedies, but Brown Sugar stands out as one of the best in that genre. Rick’s eye for casting intelligent hip-hop stars and pairing them with today’s up-and-coming actors gives Dope a chance to become a cult classic by capturing what it feels like growing up in the information age in modern day Los Angeles.

The end of “Mad Men” looms closer, meaning its time to speculate about the fate of our favorite Sterling Cooper characters. The final seven episodes of AMC’s series kick off in April, picking back up with Don & Co. as they head into the 1970s.

Creator Matthew Weiner has remained silent on details about the second half of the seventh season, but we can at least look forward to the new fashions to come. Check out the new Season 7 (part two) photos below, where Don, Peggy, Betty, Sally, Megan (she’s back!), Joan, Roger and Pete look way too cool lounging at a festive summer party (as usual)

Read The Full Story At: The Huffington Post