Although I will say that hip-hop is in an upswing overall, I have been saying for about 2-3 years now that we are in the Green Ribbon Era. What is the Green Ribbon Era?

Remember when you were in grade school and all the classes would have track and field events for recess or after school? You would compete in relays, the 100 meter dash and maybe long and high jump. There were only 3 actual ribbons to earn; Blue for 1st, White for 2nd or Red for 3rd…Those were the winners or the ones who excelled in the competition. Then you had the Green Ribbon. The Green ribbon was given to 4th Place on down. The Green Ribbon says “I showed up, I signed up, Im here and I finished”. It doesn’t mean you are good at what you did, it just assured you that you went home with something to commemorate the moment….That’s what hip-hop is to me right now. There are entirely too many people in the game getting acknowledgement and a break just for being here and people support and pat these cats on the back just because they either can’t do it or are inspired to do the exact same thing the exact same way.

To clarify my statement I will now go into some of the things I have seen or have been told that lets me know we are in the Green Ribbon Era.

Lil Boosie is the New Pac

If Chief Keef moves 55,000 units first week it will be a big accomplishment cause albums don’t sell like they use to.

J. Cole’s Born Sinner is a Classic

Lil Wayne been putting out trash the last couple years….but he is a Legend though and one of the best to ever do it.

Good Kid M.A.A.D City is a classic [Album was out for 8 hours]

Rick Ross is the best Rapper out with the best team yet there is not ONE Platinum RAP plaque in their crew. Omarion is still the biggest star on that Roster.

Trinidad James is actually saying something…you just got to listen to him.

Future is a GREAT song writer

People played the hell out of Duffle Bag Boy…but thought 2 Chainz just came out 2011 and don’t like him

The fact that Drake Waka, Ace Hood or Meek Mill can come out with a flow, sound or song and then 1,000 Aspiring rappers will have a remix or their own rendition within 2 hours of its release.

I am so happy that originality is setting in and making it hard for wave riders and subpar participators to even get acknowledged. You can buy all the views and followers you want. When you throw a show and only your girl and SOME of your homey’s show up, we already know what time it is.

The Green Ribbon mind state is so confusing that even the people in it confuse themselves. I dont want to hear  people say “The Yeezus album is horrible lyrically” when the ASCAP Songwriter of the year for 2012 wrote the following

“She got a big booty, so I call her big booty”

“First I bag back, Louis bag packed, Where’s Paris Hilton? Where’s Kat Stacks?”

There is no respect for the OG’s, the great bodies of work and the real people who have put in work over time to make the game what it is today. I wish Born Sinner would have dropped last summer..Maybe Nas would have done 2 million…

All the above is why I feel a lot of people’s stance and or opinion on music and hip-hop does not matter. I am by no means the end all be all authority on what is music and what is hip-hop but I do understand the importance of listening and understand the art of music. I don’t buy albums to compare, criticize and critique it with previous work or what’s hot now. I listen to see exactly where that individual is right now in there life and times. Some of you don’t even understand that some of the music you are passing on and disrespecting is bigger than the actual genere you are trying to box it in. Hip-Hop is Global and has been for a while. Some of you havent registered the fact that some of your favorite artist are overseas still seeing hundreds of thousands and or millions of dollars performing music that they put out up to and over 10 years ago. The appreciation/depreciation game is so different across the water. It’s bigger than your local Target and Best Buy racks..believe that if nothing else.

If doing and accepting basic or subpar traditional hip-hop is what makes you popular, great and gives you an IN….I want out! I beg all who love hip-hop to hold your dollar to a higher standard and open your mind to a world MUCH BIGGER than hip-hop every once and a while.

Let’s get rid of the Green Ribbon Era, Pronto!