[Op-Ed] 10 Hip-Hop Terms I Want To Return

Damn, this brings back memories!

via CraveOnline

I think we can all agree that Hip Hop is pretty much a joke right now. What started out as one of the biggest American cultural movements since Jazz has spent the last ten years or more decomposing into a parody of itself. What was once industrious and varied has become boring and repetitious. Hip Hop as a movement and an art form is decaying and dying before our eyes.

In my opinion the greatest era of Hip Hop was 1984 – 1995. It’s not that what came before 1984 was not great, or that there haven’t been a few bright spots since 1995, but as far a consistent level of talented and diverse artists nothing comes close to those years. It was also a time that seemed devoid of all the violence that goes hand and hand with Hip Hop now. If there was violence in those days it was usually addressed in a negative light by the top artists of the genre (see Self Destruction). In this modern Hip Hop era it seems violence not only tolerated but also encouraged. I would like to see a movement back to the more artistic era of Hip Hop but I realize that has to come in small steps.

To jump-start this idea I’ve compiled a list of the ten Hip Hop words or sayings I would love to see a come back into the vernacular. Language says a lot about a person or a cultural movement and these terms helped define Hip Hop when it was at its zenith. Read along, discuss and add your own words or sayings if you want to.

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10. Vic: This was a term that meant to steal from somebody. It doesn’t make a lot of sense but it has a great ring to it and you really get the idea of what it means. “Yo they vicked by sneakers” or “I’m gonna vic that wallet”. Granted it’s not a friendly term but it’s effective and paints a great picture.

09. Fly: If something was really good, really cool or a girl was really pretty it/she was “Fly”. I loved this term because it gave the idea that something was so cool it was above us all, in the sky looking down at us. It’s a lot more interesting of a term than “Hot” or “Tight” which lacks any real originality or punch to it. It was also a term for women involved in Hip Hop termed “Fly Girls”. For more on that check out the Boogie Boys song “Fly Girl”.