Lyrical content of mainstream music isn’t what it used to be. A majority of artists today are constantly putting out songs regarding shallow subjects, such as sex, fame or fortune, and use vulgarity to garner interest in music.

But as catchy as a chorus or clever a verse may be in these songs, it pales in comparison to the oldies.

In the past, the music industry was brimming with fresh new talents.

Journey, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Michael Jackson, Tupac and A Tribe Called Quest are only a few of the many big-name artists and bands that are still being talked about today.

Their success is not only rooted in the overall quality, sound and creativity they brought to the table, but the depth and content of their lyrics as well-something artists of today are failing horribly at.

The songs by many of these artists were relatable to a degree, because many talked about the struggles and successes of everyday life.

Today’s artists are too caught up in advocating the good life and partying to worry about being relatable to their listeners.

Rap is one of the more obvious examples.

One can admit Tupac Shakur wasn’t exactly the greatest role model for the youth or even adults for that matter. But despite being a “gangster” rapper of the 90s, he took the time to acknowledge the people that meant the most to him.

“Dear Mama” was one of Sharuk’s more heartfelt.

The song painted a vivid picture of his mother’s unconditional love for him despite all of his faults, be it substance abuse or crime.

Kanye West released a similar song dedicated to his mother titled “Hey Mama,” which he performs at the end of every concert as a dedication to his late mother.

To his credit, West is one of the few artists of this generation who can convey a meaningful message within his music.

This was evident in his albums “College Dropout” and “Late Registration,” but since then he strayed away, spending the majority of his time bragging about his fame.

His ego has grown exponentially since his first album.

Now to tackle the vulgar mess rap has become.

More often than not you’ll hear at least one over the top rap song a day, teeming with enough expletives and demeaning language toward women to make your grandparents blush.

Tyga’s song “Faded” is a prime example of thoughtless banter mixed together with an idiotic hook.

The main hook of the song “My n—- I’m faded,” is repeated over and over to the point of being irritating, while the verses boast of his ability to get any woman he wants in bed in a disgustingly provocative manner.

The thing is, rap artists of the past didn’t need vulgarities to be interesting.

Pioneers in the rap genre like Run DMC, Grandmaster Flash and Kool Herc were able to put out songs with little to no cursing.

They were dependent on lyrical wordplay more so than anything.

The lyrics were well thought out and felt like the artists put time and effort into crafting their songs, as opposed to today’s lyrics that lack substance.

The same problem lies in R&B.

It’s all about sex and no love nowadays.

Trey Songz is one particular artist guilty of this fault.

Songs such as “I Invented Sex,” “Sex Ain’t Better Than Love” and “Dive In,” convey nothing more than testosterone-fueled lust.

Compare this to artists like Babyface or Boyz II Men that sang songs about love, heartbreak and everything in between.

There was of course the occasional sex song, but it wasn’t the only thing they were focused on.

But let’s not limit it to only to hip-hop and R&B.

Take your favorite genre and compare it to the music of the past, and you’ll quickly be reminded of just how bad song lyrics have become.

Artists and audiences alike need to realize this, because at this rate everything will be nothing but catchy hooks and choruses with little to no message to take away from it all.

 

Chris can be reached at: [email protected]