Hoodie Allen

I don’t really know what I’m doing blogging about a rap artist but here I go. Although I wouldn’t normally analyze music under the genre of rap, I feel that rap is fine in casual listening. I think if you don’t look too deep into the song, you can bob your head to the catchy beat and generally relax. Just as a preface to this blog: I know very little about this genre because I tend to stray away from such types of music. Just recently, though, some of my friends were talking about the Hoodie Allen concert a few days ago and I wanted to know what all the buzz was about. And given that the whole point of this blog page is to expand on my musical horizons, here I go.

Hoodie Allen is a very interesting character with an intriguing background. I think that it is refreshing to see an artist who has worked his way up to the top instead of relying on others. Hoodie’s story is what makes him different from many rap artists presently and it has completely changed how he conducts his music career. In the actual songs themselves, Hoodie is not much different than the legends of present rap. They all talk about nonsense and their lyrics have slowly degraded. What makes Hoodie different is that he grew up with a relatively normal life. He found his affinity towards music and making beats and has become an independent artist. This is astounding because present-day music is so focused on money that most artists would be forced to sign on to a record label. This down-to-earth vibe appeals to many of Hoodie’s fans. Additionally, a lot of Hoodie’s music can be downloaded (legally) with payment being optional. This relaxed outlook on the business of music makes Hoodie seem much more focused on the actual content of his songs rather than money. This passion for making music mixed with perseverance is what made Hoodie Allen a relatively popular rap artist in the past four years.

After listening to a variety of his music over his musical career, I’ve noticed that I actually tend to like his earlier music better than his most recent hits. I think that as Hoodie became more exposed to the current rap world, it began to mold his music into something a little more stereotypical for the genre. One of my main objections to rap in general (and indirectly some of Hoodie’s later hits) is the fact that they simply use swear words to fill the space and convey negatively influential messages. I think they use swear words because they are incapable of producing meaningful lyrics that might actually add something to the song lyrically. Rap too heavily relies on their sick beats to drive their songs (and their sales) when, I feel that substantial lyrics might add depth to their hollow singles.

The reason why Hoodie’s original songs were better than his later ones is the fact that he avoided using so much derogatory terminology. He mixed a short (slightly electronic at times) verse among a lyrics that weren’t anything special but did their job of supporting the good beat without over utilizing swear words. I think Hoodie was also more apt towards experimenting with actual singing. His current singles have shifted more towards the style of rap that I don’t appreciate as much because there is almost NO talent exhibited. I know that Hoodie is capable of creating a pretty catchy song as illustrated by all of his singles, but I still can’t bring myself to look past the lyrics when I’m heavily analyzing the songs. Songs like “Fame is for Assholes” are pretty catchy due to the beats but when you stop and listen/read the lyrics you have to take a double take sometimes. This is the norm of modern rap so it’s not that surprising to a majority of audiences but I tend to not appreciate it as much.

Check out “Fame is for Assholes” and see if you think the lyrics also outweigh the catchiness of the beat. Don’t get me wrong, though. There are a lot of aspects that I like in this single. Unlike other artists, he still maintains a certain level of rhyme and creativeness that adds at least a little spice. But, for the most part, listeners aren’t going to listen to Hoodie (or any rap artist for that matter) for the lyrics.

One last intriguing thing about Hoodie Allen is his style of rap. It differs so greatly from others that it’s hard to classify. His voice is so drastically different than the stereotypical low, deep voice of modern rappers. His almost whiny voice makes his songs stand out and become easily recognizable. The juxtaposition between his higher voice/wimpy look and the vile lyrics/sick beats makes his songs very astounding to analyze. Check out one of his earlier hits though and compare it to the previous songs. Like I said before, people listen to rap for the beat not lyrics and that’s why Hoodie and all these rap artists have become so successful.