Recently we've heard opinions from OG rapper Scarface, as well as new-comer Iggy Azalea on old White men running the music/hip-hop industry. Now, another vet rapper, Killer Mike, discusses the ever-changing rap game, although from a different perspective-- that of the rappers in the game. Killer Mike addresses the surgence of White rappers, and how he sees this affecting hip-hop.
Killer Mike, who was interviewed on the Combat Jack Show alongside his producer and fellow rapper in Run The Jewels, El-P, explained that as he sees it, new White rappers brought "self-pity" to rap.
"I think what White people brought was self-pity," Mike said. "Not you in that [talking to El-P] but a lot of the new White rappers just brought that. I'm sorry. It's no disrespect. Complaining about a parent and shit is cool but I'm from a community where mothafuckas lost both of their parents to crack. Mothafuckas didn't even know their... Like, my grandmother raised me. I never knew my mom and dad. So I feel that. And I think that, as a Black audience, we appreciated it because it was something different but that don't make you more in touch with your feelings than me."
Killer Mike continued to explain his stance, "I'm not saying that experience isn't worthy. I'm not saying it isn't valuable. I'm just saying that it's not special because every human being experiences love, pain and letdown. Your thing is no more special. A lot of times, as Americans and in this country, we feel like our suffering makes us special. You're special because you're a human being. How you deal with your suffering can make you extraordinary. Are you going to use it for self-pity or are you going to use it to help others?"
Not to end on a negative note, the ATLien said that he respects any emcee who gets behind the mic.
Check out Killer Mike & El-P on the Combat Jack Show below (via HHDX).
