Public Enemy: 'Jay Z, Snoop Dogg and Drake are not real hip hop'
Flavor Flav and Chuck D discuss the state of rap
- Clean Bandit
by Andrew Trendell | Photos by WENN
Tags: Public Enemy
Public Enemy have spoken out about the state of hip hop - saying that while there's great rap music, the likes of Jay Z, Snoop Dogg and Drake are not 'real hip hop'.
Talking to Gigwise backstage at Kendal Calling after they stepped off stage, hip hop icons Flavor Flav and Chuck D spoke to us about whether hip hop has become too consumerist and lost its message.
"I think the element of hip hop left when rap music started being created on a slow tempo," said Flavor Flav. "It's just stayed there for years. Right now, a lot of rap music today is being created at very low tempos. There's no more of that 'wave your hands in the air like you just don't care' - you know, something that makes you wanna get out there and breakdance."
He continued: "Rap music has lost that element right now, mainly over in America. There's not to many great hip hop records out there, but there are some great rap records. L'il Wayne is making some great rap records, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Ludacris, Jay Z, Kendrick Lamarr, 50 Cent, Snoop - everybody is making great rap records, but it's not hip hop.
Chuck D added: "If you love hip hop, ask yourself why. We've done it around the world for 26 years in 90 countries and we have our reasons - but we think it should be along the lines of Bob Marley, Bob Dylan and Bobby Womack. It should be able to cover all aspects.
"When it's just about 'I got money and you don't have money', that's just taking advantage of the naivety of people."
Below - watch our video interview with Flavor Flav discussing 'real hip hop'
