State of Hip Hop Discussion (Contribute)

[Hatter]

How do i feel about hiphop? there is alot of good music out there, there is also alot of bad music, but the bad music makes you apreciate the good, also im glad that there is something in hiphop for everyone, if you wanna be a "dope boy", chess player, swag surfer, there is probably a artist that caters to you.

 

[JokerzWyld]

^^^^^^^i have to cosign that man.

The art of hip hop is broad enough to accomodate all listeners, however, the business side of hip hop is lagging behind in the worst way. Radio and video outlets aren't balancing the music they play, i.e. too much Weezy and not enough Talib Kweli. Likewise, the industry doesn't promote the artists equally. Rick Ross can receive more promotion than Nas even though they are on the same label.

I personally don't listen to the radio or watch BET/MTV for music or release date information, but many people do. Most of those people aren't even aware of the music that's out there. Many more people believe that what's on the radio represents hip hop as a whole and it doesn't.

I do think that hip hop is better than it has been in a while, but the business side needs to step it up and put artists out there and portray hip hop in it's entirety.

 

[fresh.k]

Likewise, the industry doesn't promote the artists equally. Rick Ross can receive more promotion than Nas even though they are on the same label.

I personally don't listen to the radio or watch BET/MTV for music or release date information, but many people do. Most of those people aren't even aware of the music that's out there. Many more people believe that what's on the radio represents hip hop as a whole and it doesn't.

I do think that hip hop is better than it has been in a while, but the business side needs to step it up and put artists out there and portray hip hop in it's entirety.

I agree with most of what you're saying however from a business standpoint, Certain artist's music is simply more acessible than others, and if the point of owning a label is to make money you're gonna put out a Ross before a NaS. Simply put Ross makes more business sense. Now ifyou got a boutique or indie label like a Duck Down or Stones Throw then perhaps the purpose is less to put out the most profitable artists than it is to put out what you might like more, but even on them labels...the artists that sell more get more promo. It's really about numbers.

The business side of the Music industry in general needs to change. In all honesty Sellin CD's and owning peoples music is pretty much a collapsed enterprise. Most of the Giant record labels expertise is in marketing and promotion, they should change their business model to Stricktly being that.But thats a discussion for another time.

All n all if rappers were smarter and wanted to think outside of the box (stop chasing the record deal cause these day's it ain't even worth it) hip hop could really open up but because most outlets save the internet are controlled by the big 3 they're only gonna funnel their product theough the pipeline.

 

[BackInWhite]

I honestly don't give a dam. Neva have and neva will. If some good music is out i'll cop it. If not, so be it. Shit don't affect my daily routine none what so eva.

word
fuck hip hop
i listen to what i like
if it falls under the hip hop category, so be it
if not, so what?

 

[JokerzWyld]

I agree with most of what you're saying however from a business standpoint, Certain artist's music is simply more acessible than others, and if the point of owning a label is to make money you're gonna put out a Ross before a NaS. Simply put Ross makes more business sense. Now ifyou got a boutique or indie label like a Duck Down or Stones Throw then perhaps the purpose is less to put out the most profitable artists than it is to put out what you might like more, but even on them labels...the artists that sell more get more promo. It's really about numbers.

The business side of the Music industry in general needs to change. In all honesty Sellin CD's and owning peoples music is pretty much a collapsed enterprise. Most of the Giant record labels expertise is in marketing and promotion, they should change their business model to Stricktly being that.But thats a discussion for another time.

All n all if rappers were smarter and wanted to think outside of the box (stop chasing the record deal cause these day's it ain't even worth it) hip hop could really open up but because most outlets save the internet are controlled by the big 3 they're only gonna funnel their product theough the pipeline.

I read what you wrote and i hear what you're saying. I don't think it makes sense to sign an artist if you aren't going to promote them correctly. I don't even have to use Nas, i can say the same for The Roots or Ghostface. Ghostface's music is closer in content and production to Rick Ross, but Rick Ross gets more promo than Ghostface? That shouldn't be and that's my issue. I used Nas as an example because a lot of people I know didn't even Distant Relatives was released until i said something about it. I don't get paid to market Nas' product, the label does, and yet people are hearing about his album via word of mouth rather than posters etc. On the flip side some artists get commercials and outrageous radio play, etc. on the same label. If you don't believe somebody is profitable then release them from the label. Don't stifle their career because you are to inept & incompetent to do your job. Look at Atlantic and Lupe Fiasco. An album shouldn't be marketed by a protest. That situation should have never gotten that far.

 

[mr. 8163]

I was just thinking about this shit today. I feel bad for the state of Hip-Hop because of what people see on TV and hear on the radio. They see and hear the commercial side of Hip-Hop and think that's what it's all about. A bunch of non-rapping, unintelligent, so-called coke slanging, gun bussin', in and out of jail fuck-ups. The general consensus among people that listen to other music besides Hip-Hop is that it sucks, and it's guys like Wayne, Gucci, Wacka, Jeezy, Plies, and any other rapper of the sort that gives Hip-Hop a bad name. The commercial Hip-Hop has eclipsed the underground because of airplay. The saddest thing i've ever heard a "rapper" say was in "Hood Nigga" when Gorilla Zoe said "this rap shit is easy, every beat I get, I murk".......to me, that says that just any and everybody can hop on a fucking record and say that they are a true rapper. Even somebody with absolutely NO, NADA, ZILCH, ZERO talent. I give props to 50 Tyson for trying despite autism, but what the fuck is he doing on a record? And Antione Dodson.......it's a fucking sad day when a dude who danced into traffic and got hit by an ice-cream truck, and a faggot who made a damn fool out of himself on national television can get a pass in Hip-Hop. I feel sorry for J.Cole because I honestly feel that he's not gonna get the proper shine that he's supposed to, because of dudes like Drake, Wayne and the rappers I mentioned above. They all suck, and I don't care what anyone says. And this.......right here.......is my.......swag, FOH! Soulja Boy is a fucking joke to the name of Hip-Hop. Dude sounded like Stevie off of Malcolm In the Middle. I said all that to say this, I feel that Hip-Hop has fallen waaaaaaaaay off, and pretty soon people are going to forget how it started and just remember all this buffoonery, and clowning like we're in a fucking minstrel show.

 

[usmarin3]

I'm excited for it, i feel as if there are a bunch of young up and comers and new blood entering the game and started to get the mainstream shine. Truth of the matter is there has always been wack niggas in rap, even in the 80s and 90s, what happen was hiphop lost it's balance when the machine started aiming for the lowest common denominator (people who like to feel and not to think) and started making music for them. That's how you get the imbalance of only hearing one type of music, but at the end of the day we can bitch all we want, but until the fans demand better and start supporting the better artist, the machine is gonna continue to feed you nonsense.

Oh yeah, i feel like most of these labels are primitive and out of touch, they don't know how to build artist anymore (artist development) and just throw out artist and hope they stick. There are alot of great artist who didn't do too great when they first came out (A Keys, TI,etc).

 

[TANGLUNG]

It’s another one of those threads that will always turn out the same no matter what.

 

[Ounceman]

I feel that hip hop is in a great place. there's music out there that caters to every subset. but whether or not the consumer takes advantage of that will be contingent on whether or not they are impelled enough to go out and actually look for it. technology has been both a curse and a gift to hip hop. Yes its evolved so much to the point of where anybody can purchase an inexpensive digital audio workstation like fruity loops and a cheap mic to basically compile an audio track. regardless of how talented (or in this case lack there of) that person might be. but its also at a period to where anybody can discover an artist at the convenience of their fingertips touching a keypad. So the state and quality of hip hop(and music in general), might have declined commercially as time progressed. but the fact that u have to dig deeper to find good music makes the discovery all the more appreciative. and isnt that how u find true gold anyway?

 

[tbone 11]

i think you could say hip hop is on the downfall and hip-pop is on the way in BUT you could also say that hip hop is headed in the right direction. the thing is, the radio, tv, etc. dont taylor to hip hop heads. they taylor towards the majority of listeners. im sure everyone on this forum can think of someone they know who is by no means a hip hop fan but they probably know the song Crank That. is that right? hellll no but unfortunately that is the way it is. hip hop is turning into a global thing. Lil Wayne is a household name, which is cool BUT imo the carter 2 is better than any other work he has put out. hes turned into nothing but a punchline, simile, metaphor rapper because the average music listener is gonna hear something clever on the radio and it will stand out to them. on the positive side of things, there are so many artists coming up with crazy potential. yes there is alot of garbage flooding hip hop right now but when it comes down to it you can probably name more artists with genuinely good music coming out right now than garbage rappers.

 

[BoscoDeSoto]

there can various views on this one...just trying to see if there is a common point that everyone agrees on

 

[BoscoDeSoto]

Up this thread

 

[TRILLip Brooks]

rap is in a good place, if you don't like it listen to something else

 

[TRILLip Brooks]

bump.......

 

[tp3]

I'm hoping that hip hop will turn around but from a mainstream perspective its on life support. I really don't see how anybody could say any different. Numbers are down across the board and hip hop is no longer the #1 selling genre of music like it once was. People always say that hip hop is going global now and I don't understand why because hip hop has been global. Its not even at its biggest most successful time yet people act like there's something new going on in hip hop now that wasn't in the past. The buffoonery,

I no longer get excited to hear anything on the radio or tv because I already know its gonna be some untalented artist with the same flow, same sounding beats, saying the same thing, wit the same look. There's absolutely no creativity in the mainstream aside from a handful of artist. Like I said in another thread this is the era of the disposable, interchangeable, throw away rapper.

The buffoonery has also curved my taste for hip hop. All this twitter and world star beef and rappers showing how lame they are in real life by fuckin known groupies and then getting exposed is killin it for me. The shit is a circus now. The gender issues are also a concern for me. Men dancing and dressing like woman is just ridiculous. I know its the younger generation but i'm only 27 and i'm not wit it.

 

[nyst8ofmin]

hell yea. just started getting dj gigs again and forgot how much fun it is. i just got all the new 'club' music and cant wait to shut the club down. i got a dope playlist and im amped!

 

[runningwolf1980]

i was worried but with the hip hop but now im fine...."rosewood"

 

[BoscoDeSoto]

I think the game is going to see a turn around and reinvent itself....i think lyrics will be important again

 

[5th Letter]

I'm excited for it, i feel as if there are a bunch of young up and comers and new blood entering the game and started to get the mainstream shine. Truth of the matter is there has always been wack niggas in rap, even in the 80s and 90s, what happen was hiphop lost it's balance when the machine started aiming for the lowest common denominator (people who like to feel and not to think) and started making music for them. That's how you get the imbalance of only hearing one type of music, but at the end of the day we can bitch all we want, but until the fans demand better and start supporting the better artist, the machine is gonna continue to feed you nonsense.

Oh yeah, i feel like most of these labels are primitive and out of touch, they don't know how to build artist anymore (artist development) and just throw out artist and hope they stick. There are alot of great artist who didn't do too great when they first came out (A Keys, TI,etc).

let me add that rap is headed into a better direction now than it was in the mid 2000's, during that time we were fed bullshit like Unk, Kia Shine, Jibbs etc, now we are seeing new artist like J Cole, Drake, Wale, Asher Roth etc on the come up, I think the future of hip hop is bright.

for things to get on track their needs to be balance again, however if the labels refuse to show balance then i hope cats like bob and drake will be prominent.

 

[JokerzWyld]

I think the game is going to see a turn around and reinvent itself....i think lyrics will be important again

I'm hoping for the same. When Waka was talking about how nobody wants to hear lyrics, he was absolutely right. You can sell a mil without saying anything on a track. Look at songs like "Turn My Swag On". I see people like Slaughterhouse, Jay Electronica, J. Cole, etc. catching buzzes on the underground scene. If those artists can capitalize off of that buzz they can have stellar careers. But i can only hope.