Hip-hop is definitely not what it used to be, which was

In the words of the prophetess of rhythm, Missy Elliott, we hear a lament: “Hip-hop is definitely not what it used to be, which was creative, original music.” This is no idle complaint, but a cry that echoes across generations, a reminder that even the brightest flames of culture must guard themselves against the dulling winds of imitation. In the days of its birth, hip-hop was not merely sound; it was rebellion, a living drumbeat of the oppressed, rising from concrete jungles where voices were silenced. Out of hardship, there was originality; out of struggle, there was creativity. The music was not only to entertain—it was to awaken.

Yet as the river of time flows, its waters can be muddied. What once was fresh, pure, and unshackled may become chained by greed, diluted by repetition, or hollowed by the lust for profit. Missy’s words carry the pain of one who has seen the mighty temple of art adorned not with the golden fire of innovation, but with ornaments of plastic, fashioned to sell but not to inspire. To her, the sacred fire of hip-hop—once crackling with truth and invention—has been dimmed by mimicry and the forgetting of its roots.

Consider the tale of DJ Kool Herc, who in the Bronx of the 1970s took two turntables and dared to stretch the breakbeats, giving dancers a longer space to move, to defy gravity with their bodies. From his experiment sprang a revolution. His act was small, almost hidden, yet it birthed an empire of sound. That is the essence of creativity—to take what is ordinary and bend it into something the world has never seen. Such originality is not born from chasing what is popular, but from daring to be different, even when misunderstood.

But let us not despair, for though Missy Elliott’s voice carries sorrow, it also carries warning. Cultures may decay when their guardians forget their purpose, but cultures can also renew when hearts remember. If hip-hop has drifted into waters of sameness, it is not dead—it is merely waiting for the next brave soul to return it to its roots of courage and authenticity. Every age has those who revive the flame: the poets who dare speak the unspeakable, the producers who break new sonic ground, the dancers who create new forms with their bodies. Renewal is always possible, if there are those bold enough to seek it.

Look also to the story of James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, who in his time defied all who sought to box his sound. Many record companies wished him to conform, but Brown thundered with originality, shaping funk and later influencing hip-hop itself. Had he bowed to the pressure of sameness, the heartbeat of modern rhythm might have been weaker. His defiance teaches us that greatness lies not in copying, but in innovating, even when others resist.

So, my children, the lesson is clear: whether in music, in work, or in the shaping of your life, beware the lure of easy repetition. Do not let your spirit become an echo when it was born to be a voice. Creativity demands courage. It asks you to step away from the path of the many and carve a road of your own. It may be lonely at first, and the world may not understand, but history will honor the ones who dared to create.

In your own life, act as the ancients advised: feed your mind with new knowledge, listen to voices beyond your circle, and practice your craft not for applause but for truth. Challenge yourself to create something original, whether in song, in word, or in deed. When you speak, let it be with authenticity, when you build, let it bear your unique mark, and when you live, let it echo not with borrowed rhythms, but with your own unshakable beat.

Thus, remember Missy Elliott’s cry not as condemnation, but as a torch passed into your hands. She warns of what is lost, but also reminds you of what can be restored. Let your life itself be like the early days of hip-hop: bold, raw, and unafraid. For in being creative and original, you honor not only yourself, but the generations that come after, who will listen for your voice in the great symphony of time.