London:
American hip-hop star Jay-Z believes hip-hop has become mellower over time because of modern artists' use of marijuana.
The 40-year-old 99 Problems hitmaker says the genre has changed over the years to become less intense, and thinks that is due to the drug consumption of some of his peers, reported Q magazine.
"Public Enemy were a great force in the 80s. Chuck D wasa powerful speaker and a great thinker. The intensity of lifeon the street in the 80s is right there in that mix. Hip hopsounds get mellower in the 90s, when people started smokingmore weed," she said.
The star also said that movies have been a huge influenceon his music as they helped him make sense of the crime-riddenarea of New York he grew up in.
"I think films are a major influence on any rapper. Oneof the ways you deal with your surroundings is almost toimagine you are in a drama on the big screen. It sounds crazybut it can help you survive to see yourself in terms of astory.
"You could write a whole book on what hip hop has takenfrom The Godfather and Scarface and all those gangsterfilms," he said.
The 40-year-old 99 Problems hitmaker says the genre has changed over the years to become less intense, and thinks that is due to the drug consumption of some of his peers, reported Q magazine.
"Public Enemy were a great force in the 80s. Chuck D wasa powerful speaker and a great thinker. The intensity of lifeon the street in the 80s is right there in that mix. Hip hopsounds get mellower in the 90s, when people started smokingmore weed," she said.
The star also said that movies have been a huge influenceon his music as they helped him make sense of the crime-riddenarea of New York he grew up in.
"I think films are a major influence on any rapper. Oneof the ways you deal with your surroundings is almost toimagine you are in a drama on the big screen. It sounds crazybut it can help you survive to see yourself in terms of astory.
"You could write a whole book on what hip hop has takenfrom The Godfather and Scarface and all those gangsterfilms," he said.
