Hip Hop Roundup Vol. 1

There's a lot of reasons rap, for the large part, is absolute shit right now. The blatant contradictions, the focus on largely superficial values, and the well-known cliches and stereotypes that still permeate and discredit the genre all contribute to how low rap has sunk. Even well-established rappers like Jay-Z (on this year's "Death of Autotune" track) and Nas (on his 2007 album, "Hip Hop is Dead") don't offer much relief or creative guidance in their self-awareness. With hip hop coming closer and closer to the absolute pinnacle of self-parody, the most interesting things coming out in rap these days are antithetical to the gangster heavy God complexes that have eaten away a once formidable genre.

D-Sisive : Let The Children Die


Canadian rapper, D-Sisive, made a name for himself in the early 00's with a handful of singles that got him a fair amount of press and radio airplay. Despite that, he all but disappeared entirely after his father's death in 2001 until he resurfaced back on the scene last year with his album "The Book."

"Let The Children Die," his second release in two years, is a dark album driven by D-Sisive's dissatisfaction with the current state of hip hop, his socioeconomic status, and the aftermath of his father's death. Its an album vulnerable in its conviction and a refreshing blast from the braggadocio of lesser rappers. On "Wonderful World," below, D-Sisive discusses the nature of injustice.