January 5, 2024

Hip-Hop Producer Pete Rock: ‘We Lost Our Integrity Chasing The Money’

"The bag as they say has become the problem and the focus point in the culture. Makes it corny when yall make it about money"

There are some people involved in the culture of hip-hop who, over the years, have become either frustrated and/or just sick of the direction that the music genre has taken in recent years. Although it’s not a new argument, it seems that some people who came in at the beginning stages of hip-hop turning commercial are now the “old heads” seemingly complaining about what used to be.

Mount Vernon’s Peter Philips, known to the hip-hop world as Pete Rock, is just the latest artist to make his thoughts known.

The Mecca and the Soul Brother recording artist posted a video clip of another industry legend, Erick Sermon of EPMD, speaking about the current state of hip-hop. Sermon discussed the evolvement of the culture and named earlier hip-hop heads who helped the music change in a way that made it progressive. He states that what we hear today isn’t hip-hop.

“I just think that Hip Hop is just not Hip Hop,” he said in the video clip. “I just think that they should change the name. No disrespect, but that’s not what that is.”

“Hip Hop can evolve, but this is not evolving.”

Pete gave his thoughts while agreeing with Sermon.

“They should change the music to WTF 🤦🏾‍♂️ tryna create a narrative that aint working. Pile driving the culture straight in the ground. We created real history! idk what da hell they creating today but it damn sure aint history or hip hop thats a fact.”

“We lost our integrity chasing the money. The bag, as they say, has become the problem and the focus point in the culture. Makes it corny when y’all make it about money smh 🌽 Everyone extra sensitive about opinions smh. Soon as you have an opinion you’re a hater automatically lol. Clown shit 🤡 we all out here working to make better music. Why dont try and do the same thing.”

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Okayplayer reported last year that Common revealed that he and Pete Rock were working on a joint album that would be dedicated to ’90s hip-hop.