I'm Too Old For This #$%&!

What's happened to Hip-Hop? nowadays its wannabe thugs dressing like a bunch of Carlton Banks preps, grown men dressing like women, and grown women dressing like men! I know I sound like the 1800 tequila commercial, but sometimes that's how I feel when I listen to rap music today. Gone is the Hip-Hop of my youth. Gone is the innocence and youthful exuberance that rap music brought out of me. Gone are the days of watching BET, Yo' MTV Raps, and Video Music Box to catch the latest videos. About a month ago, I saw that Lethal Weapon was available on DVD. My favorite line from that movie is the Danny Glover "I'm too old for the shit!" lament. I saw that and immediately thought about where I am with Hip-Hop. Just as with many things, the cultural epicenter of cool in society has taken on a new face. It has reared its ugly head in fashion, television, and the way we communicate with each other. I use to think that "thuggin' it out" would remain in style until it became ridiculous to be a 50 year old thug. My 17 year old self could never have foreseen a day when wearing skinny jeans and tight plaid button ups with eclectic colored Chuck Taylor's would be the standard for swag. When I was in high school, or even in college in the early 2000's, this look would have been met with not only derision, but also ethnic and homophobic slurs questioning your sexuality. The minute I uttered that last statement aloud, I had an epiphany; I'm too old for this shit! I haven't been in high school in a decade. It's been 15 years since the Bulls last won a title. The last time FUBU was popular, LeBron James was a high school senior!

Maybe this is simply a sign of my maturity as I reach my 30's. It seems only right that I transition to a more refined, professional Bryan as I continue to aspire to reach the goals that I have set for myself. I remember at a party 8 years ago, I had a 30 year old white woman tell me that she no longer listened to rap music. When I asked her why she said she had outgrown the genre. Am I simply outgrowing hip-hop as the songs become more childish? Is it a forgone conclusion that I will distance myself from the music and culture that I grew up with? Will I become the guy yelling at the young bucks that they don't know real music compared to the good ole' days? In some ways, I already have become that guy. At the same time, I can't let go of hip-hop! The culture is ingrained in me since the late '80s. Talent and innovation is the hallmark of good music. I can respect Drake, Machine Gun Kelly, and Kendrick Lamar the same way I do Eminem, Jay-Z, and Nas. While you will never catch me wearing Levi's skinny jeans and Vans, I respect the cultural shift to the younger generation! Much like my generation wanted to be respected and not berated for our culture, I will do the same. While I may be too old for this shit, once something is in your blood, it never goes away.