Because of technology, rappers should be MORE concerned with quality... not less

[Kill Dat Noize]

It's 2014. We got itunes. We got pandora. We got spotify. We got a COMPLETE music library ready to go at the switch of a finger. I could be your listenin to your wack album and then jump ship right in the middle if I want to and go listen to somethin else. Somethin better. Somethin classic. All with just one click.

Rappers didn't have that battle back in the day. When DMX dropped his CD you listened to it cause you had no choice. Not only did spend money on the shyt but it's not like you were about to ready to switch out the disc every time a wack song came on. You hit skip and it was onto the next one... but you still listened to the rest of the album. It's not that we had more of an attention span back then, it's just that there were less things fighting for our attention... and so you were much more lenient when it came to listening to an album.

But shyt now it's a whole different ball game. I could listen to WHATEVER I WANT right now. I don't gotta worry about what discs to put in the CD changer. I don't gotta worry about what CD's to bring with me on a trip. Right now I could bump WHATEVER I FEEL LIKE. If I wanna bump Doggystyle I could bump Doggystyle, and if in the middle I feel like bumpin Stillmatic... I could do that too.

So if you're an artist in this day and age... THIS is what you're competing against. You simply cannot afford to be droppin an album with like 17-18 songs and have only like 4-5 of them be any good. You don't have our full attention anymore. And the only way you're gonna be able to KEEP our attention is by putting out quality. Gone are the days when we have to put up with your B and C efforts. If you're not bringin your A game on damn near every track... DO.NOT.BOTHER.

 

[NotaPAWG]

Never thought of this, good point.

But honestly. .personally, if I think a couple songs off an album are wack, I just delete em and it doesnt affect my opinion on the release. Especially if there's 12-14 other songs that are dope to me. I'll still rate it well.

On one hand, technology is a curse, but on the other its a blessing.

For instance, I can reaarange a tracklist.. We have the options now to change shyt around to our personal liking

For me, its good. But at the same time, its taking away from artist responsibility and putting it in the listeners hands

 

[thunderlove]

top thread

 

[Yoda]

that's why I only listen to artists like Blu and likeminded artists.

 

[Kill Dat Noize]

But honestly. .personally, if I think a couple songs off an album are wack, I just delete em and it doesnt affect my opinion on the release. Especially if there's 12-14 other songs that are dope to me. I'll still rate it well.

Yea but think about how much stronger of a statement that same album would have made on your first listen without those few weak songs.

I know these guys spend tons and tons of time in the studio and they work real hard on this shyt, but I believe you have to be honest with yourself and have the discipline to cut the tracks that aren't up to par. When you're putting out an album it should contain only the best of the best of those recording sessions. Only the most inspired tracks.

 

[bangedher_wholesquad]

yeah well the most talented ppl should deserve the spotlight too.

but that don't happen for the most part.

 

[The Black Jew Jew Review]

It's 2014. We got itunes. We got pandora. We got spotify. We got a COMPLETE music library ready to go at the switch of a finger. I could be your listenin to your wack album and then jump ship right in the middle if I want to and go listen to somethin else. Somethin better. Somethin classic. All with just one click.

Rappers didn't have that battle back in the day. When DMX dropped his CD you listened to it cause you had no choice. Not only did spend money on the shyt but it's not like you were about to ready to switch out the disc every time a wack song came on. You hit skip and it was onto the next one... but you still listened to the rest of the album. It's not that we had more of an attention span back then, it's just that there were less things fighting for our attention... and so you were much more lenient when it came to listening to an album.

But shyt now it's a whole different ball game. I could listen to WHATEVER I WANT right now. I don't gotta worry about what discs to put in the CD changer. I don't gotta worry about what CD's to bring with me on a trip. Right now I could bump WHATEVER I FEEL LIKE. If I wanna bump Doggystyle I could bump Doggystyle, and if in the middle I feel like bumpin Stillmatic... I could do that too.

So if you're an artist in this day and age... THIS is what you're competing against. You simply cannot afford to be droppin an album with like 17-18 songs and have only like 4-5 of them be any good. You don't have our full attention anymore. And the only way you're gonna be able to KEEP our attention is by putting out quality. Gone are the days when we have to put up with your B and C efforts. If you're not bringin your A game on damn near every track... DO.NOT.BOTHER.

Absolutely agree with this observation.

I'd say this is true in everything now. Not just music, but movies, tv shows, books, comedy, everything is competing with everything for our attention.

This is the downside of "anyone can make stuff now," there's way more stuff.

 

[Danie84]

An artist can still get away with 18 songs on an album if the content's cohesive and quality Then again I'm a 90s kids that grew up listening to CDs from front to back And, you can count on one hand, the new rappers that can make a complete album from start to finish The rest of them, you already know the jig is up by the second verse

 

[mobbinfms]

It's 2014. We got itunes. We got pandora. We got spotify. We got a COMPLETE music library ready to go at the switch of a finger. I could be your listenin to your wack album and then jump ship right in the middle if I want to and go listen to somethin else. Somethin better. Somethin classic. All with just one click.

Rappers didn't have that battle back in the day. When DMX dropped his CD you listened to it cause you had no choice. Not only did spend money on the shyt but it's not like you were about to ready to switch out the disc every time a wack song came on. You hit skip and it was onto the next one... but you still listened to the rest of the album. It's not that we had more of an attention span back then, it's just that there were less things fighting for our attention... and so you were much more lenient when it came to listening to an album.

But shyt now it's a whole different ball game. I could listen to WHATEVER I WANT right now. I don't gotta worry about what discs to put in the CD changer. I don't gotta worry about what CD's to bring with me on a trip. Right now I could bump WHATEVER I FEEL LIKE. If I wanna bump Doggystyle I could bump Doggystyle, and if in the middle I feel like bumpin Stillmatic... I could do that too.

So if you're an artist in this day and age... THIS is what you're competing against. You simply cannot afford to be droppin an album with like 17-18 songs and have only like 4-5 of them be any good. You don't have our full attention anymore. And the only way you're gonna be able to KEEP our attention is by putting out quality. Gone are the days when we have to put up with your B and C efforts. If you're not bringin your A game on damn near every track... DO.NOT.BOTHER.

I agree that we are bombarded by a million things every second of the day, but you are making it sound like getting up and changing CDs was like walking through snow barefoot. It really wasn't that big of a deal to flip open the book and grab some Mobb Deep (or some other classic shyt).
You are right about having to think about what CDs to bring with you on the trip. I used to have the smaller book to take with me.

 

[Mr. Somebody]

If you dont have close to 100 Tight songs in your catalog you're irrelevant.

 

[Buckeye Fever]

I'm about to start my own genre of music.

Top secret shyt.

See yall oygeeoygees at the Grammys.

Crain croots.

Schmazhalahkrahm.

 

[Kill Dat Noize]

I agree that we are bombarded by a million things every second of the day, but you are making it sound like getting up and changing CDs was like walking through snow barefoot. It really wasn't that big of a deal to flip open the book and grab some Mobb Deep (or some other classic shyt).

It might not have been a big deal but chances are you were less likely to do it.

These days if you're not feelin a joint you could just hit shuffle and your ENTIRE library is ready to go.