Where is it written in the by-laws of hip-hop, that the artist must be saying something?

While I'd agree that deeper and thought provoking subject matter do, in fact, make music better (generally), every song doesn't have to have some bigger message. And therein lies my hip-hop dilemma.

It took me years to actually develop an appreciation for lyricism and that was only after I was all "crunked" out.

I don't know if it was my upbringing in the South or my group of friends but less than a decade ago, you were way more likely to catch me rapping all with Project Pat than Pharoahe Monch. Sure, there Outkast and Goodie Mob were in my musical picture and I loved them but if I was about to ride out or party with a car full of friends or just chill on the porch, "Git Up, Git Out" would only make you feel like bum.

It was only after I got to college and made a conscious effort to study the discographies of hip-hop legends that I realized there were pieces missing from my hip-hop puzzle. You can also mark that time as the birth of my music snob era, but there was always that soft spot.

After the musical awakening from groups like Tribe, .... I set out to spread the gospel, urging my younger cousins and peers to put down the Three 6 Mafia and pick up some De La Soul. That maybe Illmatic would forever replace Pastor Troy in your CD changer. I can't tell you if it worked or not but I'm guessing it didn't but even with that knowledge I still realized that DJ Paul & Juicy J were still some of the most underrated producers in hip-hop, that Master P's hand in putting the South on the map was under appreciated and that in certain scenarios, Crime Mob is a better play than Capone & Noreaga.

The crusade for "real" hip-hop continued. I was regurgitating the hate of old hip-hop heads who told me that certain artists were trash and inferior. I literally handed younger family members Dilla albums as my little way of sharing hip-hop with them. Forced them to ride in a car with me and listen to every word of Nas albums, only to realize I was doing exactly what I hated when I was high school.

Nothing was more infuriating than to hearing someone completely discredit the music I loved as "noise" or "a bunch of niggas that ain't saying shit" back in the day. There's nothing wrong with just listening to something that makes you feel good. Everything doesn't have to be some hip-hop, it's just a fun to just party. Nobody goes to the club to hear all those lyrics, people just want to see the girls move.

It's extremely easy to take just about any Southern record that comes my way and completely pick it apart but I do make an effort to remember that I used to be in the shoes of the person they made this for. So while the message may not be anything earth-shattering or substantial, it may not even be anything positive, I get it loud and clear.

Who cares? It's music. Why so serious?