Why is that a bad thing? If I, as someone who knows nothing about the genre, wants to find out what it's all about, isn't it better to start with contemporary bands that are still active so that I can get a feel for the current state of the hip hop scene? All else being equal, I prefer to discover new bands that are still putting out material and touring to discovering 'new' bands where the last member died 1998.
It's not totally terrible, but I do think its lacking without some Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul or maybe even The Roots for example - its quite Rap based and Rap != HipHop.
His last album included collaborations with some of the most legendary producers in rap/hip hop including Statik Selektah, DJ Premiere, and the Roots. In fact, the Roots collab featured a previously lost beat from J. Dilla, another legend. It's a strong album that any true fan of the genre would appreciate. He's also a great sonic and lyrical bridge between the 90s style and modern day. His current album features Schoolboy Q, Styles P, and J.Cole, among others, and is unabashedly political and, at times, quite poignant. I just wanted to reply to your comment so people wouldn't be influenced by your uninformed opinion. In many ways, people who reminisce about the 90s and think rap/hip hop has changed too much or died, might be reinvigorated by Joey. I also challenge you to give him another listen :)
Why is that a bad thing? If I, as someone who knows nothing about the genre, wants to find out what it's all about, isn't it better to start with contemporary bands that are still active so that I can get a feel for the current state of the hip hop scene? All else being equal, I prefer to discover new bands that are still putting out material and touring to discovering 'new' bands where the last member died 1998.