Hip hop is dead (?)

You want some of this?

In taking a course on popular music, of course not everyone will agree on certain things. Me being the pain in the ass that I am, do not agree with most people on most things and I remain quite vocal about it. So we were quarreling about the status of hip hop today. It seems like a big chunk of people believe that hip hop is a dying genre because it isn't what it used to be. Well DUH. How is music supposed to evolve? The world changes as do people, interests, ideologies etc...

They say it it has changed because no one really sings/raps/talks through a synthesizer mouth piece thing (cough* Kanye, T-Pain, Lil Wayne) for a cause nowadays. Back in the 60s-80s, people wanted to fight the power, represent the working class, support equality. Punk was the same way. Its content may have changed, but we still call it punk music today. In hip hop, one can see two paths emerging within the genre:

One sees the 50 Cents rapping about their bitches and their bling, busting caps in whatever they see fit. You know the drill. These are they guys that many claim have killed hip hop and if they were the only hip hop artists to exist right now, I would half-heartedly agree. Yes they channel elements of old school hip hop (i.e. extreme sexism) but they lack a passion and a connection to the music. If this is the route hip hop has gone, I still believe it is hip hop. Who has the right to decide the essence of this genre?

So there are the "Gs" and what I will call awesome-urban-artists (AUA for short. pronounced Owaaaaaaa). Think Mos Def, The Cool Kids, K'naan The Roots (on Jimmy Fallon, everyday. Awesome) and so on and so forth. These guys keep it so damn cool. They're melodic, creative, lyrical and NOT ghetto fabulous. ATTENTION: You can rap about the ghetto without sounding like an asshole. I see a lot of the old school in them without the "I'm a convicted felon" flare. This IS hip hop at its finest.

Yes I am a white girl writing about hip hop but who'se to say what people can/cannot listen to and get inspired by. Hip hop is a large part of African American culture/history but it has become bigger than that. Anyone can appreciate it however they relate to it. Lets be a little less ignorant and a bit more open minded, thanks.