One of the most important things you will do in life is find a career. For most people this means you will find an environment that you feel comfortable in and work on something that you’re at least semi-interested in.

You will thrive under these circumstances and most likely work in that field for at least twenty years. You will hopefully attempt to accomplish as much as possible with your job.

Basically there is no alternative to this lifestyle. Whether you’re an employee of McDonalds or a famous rapper. Though one profession is more lucrative than the other. You will still work to live within your means.

Now the question I was contemplating today. Is a funny one. Its pretty hard to judge as well. There is no correct answer to it. I’m just going to give you perspective on it.

Does money equal success in life? Honestly, there is a multitude of correct answers for this inquiry. Now I’ll tell you my opinion than bring it full circle with the current state of hip-hop.

The amount of money that you make can determine your living arrangements, how many vacations you take, levels of stress, and many other things.

Does any of that equal success though? Not in my opinion. Let me tell you, how I reached that conclusion.

Dictionary.com, defines success as “the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors.” That’s their main definition for the word.

When you think of success you obviously think of money. That’s how our society has betrayed it.Luckily words are just used to express thoughts.

I define it as being prosperous in life.Having a rich life doesn’t mean that you have to make a million dollars a year. It means you have to live life to the fullest.

Than you have lived a rich experience. Living life to the fullest means not always dwelling on the negative.

Adventuring your different levels of enjoyment. Becoming more diverse and expanding your knowledge in my opinion. If you do all of the above.You have accomplished a lot.

Which leads us into the actual point of this blog to talk about hip-hop! I basically went on that little rant to give you a metaphor of how mainstream hip-hop is not successful in my eyes.

Even though hip-hop is making hundreds of billions of dollars.

While I think the underground is living life to the fullest and being successful. If that means that a few rappers have to work a real day job and than get home to rap. Than that’s all it means.

Money doesn’t equal success. The only way you (hip-hop) can be successful is to expand your horizons. Remember someday you (hip-hop) won’t exist (Hip-Hop Is Alive Now).

Everything has an inevitable extinction. When you’re looked back upon how will you (hip-hop) be defined? Will you be deemed successful by the amount of fortune you attained in your life time.I’d like to think not.

The only thing that determines success in my opinion is the amount you accomplished. Do you know how much money Shakespeare had? Most likely not. Do you know he was one of the greatest writers in this planets history?

Most likely. Its not a coincidence his acts are still played six hundred years later. You think Mike Jones will be played six hundred years from now? Nope. Do you think Nas’s lyrics could be observed six hundred years from now? A possibility?

I will finally conclude. Does it matter that hip-hop has been commercialized in way that was never intended. Absolutely. Should real hip-hop fans be angry at the fact. They have the right to be.

Does it congregate hip-hops success. Not in my opinion.

As long as we have real hip-hop being created. Real hip-hop won’t be dying anytime in the foreseeable future. Real hip-hop will also be successful at least in my eyes.

Authors note: From now on I will be referring to real hip-hop and hip-hop separately. I won’t distinguish them by underground and mainstream.

I also am not attempting to misconstrue hip-hop and rapping. I am just looking at rap under the microscope this week.

I will look at the actual culture in later columns. I could go for days about it.

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