One can only hope. But during my lifetime, every time a ghastly pop music fad has faded it has been replaced by something even worse!

On the other hand, more serious kinds of music have had an opportunity to be heard and spread because of the technical advance of the CD. CD's can be published economically in far smaller numbers than vinyl. So maybe someday pop music itself will be a thing of the past and hundreds of genres of good music will all be easily available.
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I myself have never been particularly fond of hip-hop, but i'll try to answer without allowing that to influence my analysis.

In my eyes, hip-hop and rap are very similar, the primary difference being the singing vs speaking concept. Both make use of catchy, energetic, and frequently synthesized rhythm lines, that are naturally easy to keep time with, and promote dancing and moving. This in my opinion is why hip-hop ever caught on to begin with. this is also one of the main things keeping it alive today.

One of the primary symbols of hip-hop is the gangster, but this image has changed over the years. The gangster used to be a symbol of rebellion and strength and stuff. he was a guy you didn't want to mess with.

After hip-hop caught on, suddenly everybody wanted to be a gangster. Unfortunately for the gangsters, this meant that extremely white'n'nerdy gangster-wanna-be's began giving them a bad name. High schools across America are now filled with kids of all ethnicities dressing like gangsters, and talking the talk, and really just giving gangsters a bad name.

gangsters and hip-hop/rap are intertwined, and the fall of one leads to the fall of the other. it is my belief that the gangster is on the fall.

people are holding less respect for the guy with the chain and the doo-rag singing about wads of cash, reppin his crew, and slappin' dem hoes. Frankly, the crooner with the acoustic guitar is now rising as he melts the hearts of America with his gushy ballads.

Hip-hop is not dead, i think it is just slowly dying. trends fluctuate, and as hip-hop makes its gradual exit, something will creep in right behind it.
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Hip Hop is unique in the sense that it's a relatively new genre of music. Eventually I personally believe it's going to be broken down in sub-genres thus relieving artists of the pressure to "keep it real". I'm an NYC hip-hop loving kid that grew up in the 80's and 90's and i know that era was, indeed golden, but i can't come to reasonably expect that era to auto-magically re-appear. Times have certainly changed, but there are pockets of people doing creative, singular things that can certainly polarize hip-hop as a genre. Because it's so i new , we're currently fortunate enough to see the creators of the genre speak on it's progression and, to some, deterioration, but to others, flourishing of the genre.

But as a genre of music --- Hip-Hop is and will never be dead homey. I really don't need to link you or anyone,because it's something, as a fan, you should be able to answer yourself.

IMO, Joell Ortiz is the truth. He is the Hip-Hop I remember.
Source(s):
Like De La Once shouted --- Me, Myself and I.

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Yes. See video.
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Do you mean hip hop music?... or the Hip Hop culture?...

Musically it isnt dead. Rap is only one element of Hip Hop. The whole movement of Hip Hop is longterm. Look at what the Hip Hop culture has done. Its basically changed the way the whole wide world works. racial conflict, fashion, the passing of knowledge, artwork, and most noticeably... music.

Hip Hop will never die. its like rock n roll.... it will never die, it will only reinnovate itself in the years to come.
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No, there's a million and one rappers out there trying to break in. A constant stream of new voices going into each branch of Hip Hop. Hip Hop isn't dead but like any art it goes through eras and phases. Wu-Tang was an era because they inspired the music so much. Some Hip Hop eras lack originality and others may even have too much. But the likes of MF Doom, Madlib and other Stones Throw artists prove that Hip Hop is still dynamic, fun and dope.
Source(s):
off the dome

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