Did looking at the numbers hurt the game a lil bit?

[Kill Dat Noize]

I feel like back in the day, numbers weren't really all that important. What was hot was hot. Obviously certain acts were selling more records and having more of their songs chart, but all in all I feel like those kind of things weren't really a topic of discussion as much as it is today.

Numbers play a BIG role in the current hip hop climate, especially in the eyes of the fans. It's almost like some rappers aren't even taken seriously because they failed to sell X amount of records or because they couldn't get a single poppin. It's like it doesn't even matter if YOU like it... but rather the main focus is on whether or not OTHER people like it.

It's just a bit odd that whenever people discuss the "hottest" rappers in the game these days, coincidentally they're all usually the best selling and/or most popular rappers as well... as if that's some type of requirement or some shyt. Not the art and not the music. It's like if you ain't on MTV on the regular you don't even count.

I dunno maybe I'm just lookin back at the past through rose colored glasses, but I feel like the people back then big upped what they were actually FEELING and not just what was SELLING. And that's why the 90s had so much classic shyt.

 

[OnlyInCalifornia]

Well when a rapper is constantly talking about how rich they are and driving Ferraris in St Tropez but put up a 40k first week we can easily write them off as being liars

 

[Suge Kniight]

ima hurt the Game when i see him

 

[OnlyInCalifornia]

Bad alias is bad.

 

[Lil Bape the PostGod]

all that golden era shyt flopped

 

[Prae]

I feel like back in the day, numbers weren't really all that important. What was hot was hot. Obviously certain acts were selling more records and having more of their songs chart, but all in all I feel like those kind of things weren't really a topic of discussion as much as it is today.

Numbers play a BIG role in the current hip hop climate, especially in the eyes of the fans. It's almost like some rappers aren't even taken seriously because they failed to sell X amount of records or because they couldn't get a single poppin. It's like it doesn't even matter if YOU like it... but rather the main focus is on whether or not OTHER people like it.

It's just a bit odd that whenever people discuss the "hottest" rappers in the game these days, coincidentally they're all usually the best selling and/or most popular rappers as well... as if that's some type of requirement or some shyt. Not the art and not the music. It's like if you ain't on MTV on the regular you don't even count.

I dunno maybe I'm just lookin back at the past through rose colored glasses, but I feel like the people back then big upped what they were actually FEELING and not just what was SELLING. And that's why the 90s had so much classic shyt.

I don't get that vibe, at least not on this forum. Especially considering all the Nas fans, when Nas is selling the least of all the bigger names today

J Cole's album released 6 months ago has sold twice as many records as LIG, released a year ago

 

[Chief]

ima hurt the Game when i see him

 

[scuba]

Well, the sheep mentality of the target audience is obviously not going to help foster creativity of a music genre.

Then again, I have never met a regular person who had any idea about sales numbers of any artist. However a lot of normal folks I have met definitely know and care about when they perceive an artist is 'hot', its just that the perception of how 'hot' an artist is is not based directly on sales numbers, but instead radio play, radio promos, videos, etc...