When I was 17....
So I'm checking out this When I was 17 from MTV where you have artists talking about what happened to them at the age of 17. For me I am watching three people who aren't even stars at this point is the first problem I have with this show. These three in this episode haven't done anything in the game to make themselves stand out. Watching this also gets me irritated because it affirms what I have seen from these artists in their short time in any sort of celebrity light: Tyler the Creator is a jackass who just wants attention; Big Sean some dude who doesn't have a personality, just an average dude trying to live off of high school fame; and Kreayshawn is the realest one but even she doesn't have any real reason for her assholery.
I would like to see MTV stop just catering to young people and do more to give some history and backstory to them about hip-hop in general if they're going to do this. Have Nelly on there with Tyler and throw in someone who was a minor player like Nicole Wray or something. The point is when you're doing something like this you need to tie it in with the past. for someone to say "A Milli" was their inspiration in high school is crazy, it's not history it's not a throwback, it was freaking 2009!
Part of the biggest issue I see with hip-hop and it's growth or lack thereof is shows like this. Too many outlets pander to the younger demographic and don't showcase the progression of hip-hop the same way they do with rock groups. You can still hear young rock fans talk about the Stones or Hendricks or what they all brought to the game. In hip-hop no one cares that Lil Kim was the first Barbie, they just know Nicki is hot now.
When I was 17 Ruff Ryders Volume 1 came out and getting it a day early was some hot shit. Guerilla Warfare also dropped and it was the real golden time for the original Cash Money and DMX dropped his second album of the year in December. Hell Eve, Foxy Brown, and Charli Baltimore dropped albums and Eminem dropped the Slim Shady LP. That was some shit at 17 when you talk about being influenced. This leads me back to the MTV episode, it's not a bad show, but to have it based around people who haven't done anything yet reinforces this "I'm special because I say so" attitude too many young people have today. You want to be special, make something out of yourself but I'm not patting you on the back just for existing.
Get More: When I Was 17, MTV Shows
I would like to see MTV stop just catering to young people and do more to give some history and backstory to them about hip-hop in general if they're going to do this. Have Nelly on there with Tyler and throw in someone who was a minor player like Nicole Wray or something. The point is when you're doing something like this you need to tie it in with the past. for someone to say "A Milli" was their inspiration in high school is crazy, it's not history it's not a throwback, it was freaking 2009!
Part of the biggest issue I see with hip-hop and it's growth or lack thereof is shows like this. Too many outlets pander to the younger demographic and don't showcase the progression of hip-hop the same way they do with rock groups. You can still hear young rock fans talk about the Stones or Hendricks or what they all brought to the game. In hip-hop no one cares that Lil Kim was the first Barbie, they just know Nicki is hot now.
When I was 17 Ruff Ryders Volume 1 came out and getting it a day early was some hot shit. Guerilla Warfare also dropped and it was the real golden time for the original Cash Money and DMX dropped his second album of the year in December. Hell Eve, Foxy Brown, and Charli Baltimore dropped albums and Eminem dropped the Slim Shady LP. That was some shit at 17 when you talk about being influenced. This leads me back to the MTV episode, it's not a bad show, but to have it based around people who haven't done anything yet reinforces this "I'm special because I say so" attitude too many young people have today. You want to be special, make something out of yourself but I'm not patting you on the back just for existing.
MTV now stands for Millennial Television meaning only caters to Generation Y.
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