I wholeheartly disagree with that statement. When it comes to hip-hop, one
of my all time favourites are still from the UK. Urban Species (with
serious rapping, btw), Dodge City Productions, Brothers like Outlaw, Katch
22 etc., you name it. Furthermore, these rap groups were always very
instrumental, meaning having live instruments, like Dodge City Productions.
For me, that was the best time in hip-hop, when groups discovered jazz and
live instrumentation. Sorry, I am not into old school that much, but I
simply love the combination of spoken words and phat groovy music in the
background.
And when it comes to hip-hop in the US? Forget it! It's getting on my
nerves, to be honest. Of course you still have quality products, like the
new Rakim (which is great IMO), Organized Confusion, Diamond, and all the
underground hip-hop culture, but besides that everything is only focussed
on money. And therefore, you don't have new ideas, fresh things happening
in hip-hop. Ask yourself, when did you buy an American hip-hop album on
which you thought "Wow, that is pretty cool what they were doing on this
track." I can't think of one.
And when it comes to new ideas, Europe (and esp. England) are always on top
of things. But you are at least in one thing right. I haven't heard
anything good in hip-hop from England in the last months. But it doesn't
matter. I still have Dodge City Productions on CD.
Just my 2 cents.
Peace, Gilbert