GZA Compares Gun Violence In Hip Hop To Wildfire: "Put Them Out Or They Spread"

GZA: "hip-hop started (initially) to stop violence."

GZA understands the paradigm shift we are undergoing, and the weight it carries on our musical choices as artists. The founder member Wu-Tang sat down with the Miami New Times for an exclusive interview where the discussed the evolutionary path of hip hop. What differentiates GZA's account of current day, from say.. the words of Rakim or some other Generation Xer, is an understanding of material consequences.

When asked if he thought we were living through a golden age for rap, GZA laughed in the face of his correspondent, well not exactly, it was phone interview, and the person who asked was merely probing for a sensational response. Once GZA regained his composure he said, “Nowhere near, it’s not even the silver or the bronze age (right now)."

GZA has noticed an infinite regression in lyricism. He broke it down like this: "I’m not knocking producers or the artists nowadays. Some of the stuff sounds good and some doesn’t, but it’s just my opinion. But I think, lyrically, there’s been a regression."

The legendary chessboxer reserved his greatest concern for the violent state of alarm in the hip hop community. The interviewer cited the deaths of Jimmy Wopo and XXXTentacion as examples of this perceived state of unrest, to which GZA issued a warning in the form of an analogy."Hopefully, it’ll (violence) cease to exist at some point," GZA agreed. "Of course it has the potential to escalate, it’s a fire. And what happens with fires? Either you put them out or they spread."

[via HotNewHipHop]

Method Man Calls Atlanta The New New York

In addition, the Tical album creator spoke on the breaking down of race and gender barriers in Hip Hop. Meth also addressed modern male Hip Hop stars - like Atlanta's Young Thug- embracing androgyny.

"It’s cool when one person is doing it, and you say, 'OK, that’s his thing,' but then when it becomes a trend…They’re basically doing what rock ‘n’ rollers did with the fingernail-painting, the long hair, jumpin’ in the crowd—they want to be rock stars now. Be that, but don’t call it hip-hop. I think it’s different, but it has its place," said the 47-year-old.

Meth continued, "Would I rather sit there and listen to Rakim at a concert? Probably. I would love to listen to Rakim all day on my radio. But nowadays, if I’m at a concert, I’m gonna see Kendrick, I’m gonna see Rae Sremmurd, I’m gonna see these artists that turn up the way I would be doing if I was makin’ that kind of music."

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Rakim Says He Is A Fan Of Wu-Tang Clan & Jay-Z Movement

Rakim says that he is a fan of the "Jay-Z movement" as he appreciates the new direction that hip-hop is moving in.

The veteran MC has been working on the follow-up to 2009's The Seventh Seal but has also been keeping on eye on the ever-changing game. "I'm a big fan of Jay-Z'swhole movement," he told Complex.com.

"I'm a big fan of Eminem. I'm a big fan of people like The LOX, Wu-Tang Clan, and different rappers like that. Just watching from afar, knowing where it came from, to see where it's at now and see how rap impacts the world is unbelieveable."
"It's a good feeling to see that it's still a major genre in music."
Are you positive about the current state of hip-hop?