To follow up, Outkast is redefining what rap is. The new double album is part soul, part tongue-in-cheek parody of older music, part rap, and all good.
I note no one seems to get the 50 cent reference.
And Vaskez, I've been a rap fan and going to concerts since the days of Too Short, NWA, and Public Enemy. I don't know what you mean by "noncommercial" and "hard core" as opposed to what's out there now. Is Eminem hard core? Probably, it don't get much more hard core that talking about raping your mother or murdering your wife. But, he's certainly commercial. Is 50 Cent hard core? I mean he WAS a real gangsta and he DID take a few bullets -- but he's also certainly commercial and he's definately trying to make music accessible to the mainstream. Let's not forget that every every every rapper makes his music to sell to people.
