30 Things That Hip Hop Needs

30 things hip hop could definitely benefit from, in no particular order:

1. A collaboration between Kendrick, Cole, and K.R.I.T.

2. A Clipse album (or at least song) with a Saint vs. Sinner theme.

3. Another Outkast album

The specifics don't matter as long as it happens

4. A solo André 3000 album (doesn't matter if he raps, sings, or plays guitar and saxophone while musing about life) ... and although it has been a pipe dream for years, it seems as though it may soon become a reality ... MAYBE

5. An Outkast/Nas collaboration (why hasn't this happened in the last 20+ years?)

6. An Outkast/K.R.I.T. collaboration

7. An Outkast/Cole collaboration

While we're at it, 3000 recently said that A Tribe Called Quest and OutKast intended to collaborate on an album ... but for unspecified reasons, it never materialized. Now that Phife is gone, it's just a wish. *sighs*

8. Another Dungeon Family album (that includes newer members like Future)

9. An official Nas/Cole collaboration

10. Legitimate, competitive, nonviolent beef ... artists need to challenge each other and drive each other to produce their best without getting to the point of wanting to cause physical harm to each other.

11. More independent radio stations that don't have playlists dictated by big businesses

12. More artists whose desire to make great art is stronger than their desire to be famous and rich

13. More experimental production, especially with live instruments

14. An actual Awreeoh/Pharrell album (who must we petition to make that happen?)

15. Acceptance of "different" sounds

16. Less misogyny (wishful thinking?)

17. More women (with bars) in the mainstream who aren't thriving primarily off sexuality as a gimmick

They aren't the only ones, but you get the point

18. Substance ... bars that are actually about something would be really nice, ya know ...

19. Authenticity - surely by now it's okay to NOT be a dope dealer/killer, right?

20. Originality and creativity (or do you REALLY wanna see and hear the same thing duplicated constantly?)

21. Balance - some people wanna hear DMX growling and barking, some people wanna hear Drake whining and singing. Sometimes those are the same people. Why do we act like there isn't enough room for both (and everything in between)?

22. Less emphasis on negativity - art imitates life, true enough, but all rappers haven't sold drugs, killed people, and abused women. That being the case, more (honest) music about your actual lives just might be interesting and entertaining.

23. More sampling from unexpected sources (imagine how DJ Premiere could spin a blend of "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" by Bach and "Back Seat" by Atlas Genius)

24. A little less reliance on sampling (which goes along with the experimenting with live instruments)

25. More emphasis on positivity - is there any chance that someone could make an enjoyable song/album about his strong black family?

26. A return to its roots with regard to speaking out against social injustices

27. A Rakim/Big Daddy Kane collaboration

28. A less divisive attitude - old vs. young, old vs. new, us vs. them, etc. prevents people from working together to create and reach wider audiences.

29. MORE CYPHERS

They don't even have to be televised. Just start rhyming!

30. Diversity - hip hop is originally a Black American thing (and ultimately it will always be that), but it won't hurt to accept the contributions of artists from other demographics. Art tends to unify people that way.

There's a lot more we could say, but then where would your input go? The list will never be complete. Tell us what you think.

#BreakBreadBro

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