Do you agree that hip hop would've been better off if it never went mainstream?

[Existential]

I didn't even NOTICE that I posted this in TLR, this should be in the booth!

 

[PlainSight]

Hip Hop as a musical genre would have been better off if Hip Hop artists and specifically black Hip Hop figures had more control over the product. When big labels got hold of the product, the money talked - but there was arguably more money to be had in not giving in to them.

Hip Hop will never be in bad enough shape that it can't prosper - but the gap between it's roots and the future need to be bridged. Mainstream was bound to happen for Hip Hop, just we weren't the ones who capitalized financially.

Having said that, internet gives a lot of people more power and control over the product.

 

[Jhoon]

You guys want it every way. You can't be a commercial then decree commercialism is wack.

 

[Originalman]

I feel like hip hop would be in a much better place if it was mostly an underground genre. Back when people were focused on the craft, the quality, the meaning and the passion behind it.

So would R&B. Mainstream destroys art forms because the big labels and the mainstream folks don't care about the art form. It is disposable shyt to them.

 

[LevelUp]

subs to this

 

[Couth]

Idk.

You could argue either point.

If hip hop had never gone mainstream maybe you would have less mediocre artists. Most artists that blow up now a days are strictly in it for monetary gain. Hip hop is an investment at this point. Not something people do cuz they love the music.

But on the other hand, if hip hop had never gone mainstream a lot of influential artists may have never picked up a mic. If there was no money in hip hop you think 50 cent woulda started rapping? You think keef woulda started rapping? You think biggie woulda started rapping? Majority of the greats were in it for the cash too.

 

[Existential]

Idk.
Majority of the greats were in it for the cash too.

Hmm. Makes me wonder who ever really did it for the love, or if that's just BS that people say. We all want money drugs and bytches, right?

 

[LadySimone]

Nope. Cats not respecting the ART FORM hurt hip-hop. Some respected the art form even though they miss the import.

I don't think the two are mutually exclusive. As have been noted the black community lack of a code translates into hip hop. Regardless of how irreverent NWA was they would have never been on a record dissing Emmit Till like swamp nikka lil Wayne. We got our icons elders and martyrs being dissed by rappers. There is a lot of disrespect of black culture and peoplehood in hip hop now. But we would never diss the larger society in iur music. We adhere to their values and not our own.

 

[DaylitoJames]

Mainstream hip hop was cool until the "Soulja Boy era" was created and became popular.... that and all of the fukkery after that we could have been better off not being mainstream at all

 

[CrimsonTider]

I feel like hip hop would be in a much better place if it was mostly an underground genre. Back when people were focused on the craft, the quality, the meaning and the passion behind it.

Theres not only 1 type of hiphop and thats what you people don't seem to get.

Everyone does not want to hear rap with some sort of message in it or telling us how bad poor people have it.

Some people want to hear rap that makes them dance, some want to hear rappers talk about larger than life shyt to inspire them.

So The place hiphop is in is a perfect place.

Im tired of "the rap I like Isn't popular so something is wrong with hiphop threads"

 

[CrimsonTider]

I think having a white audience messed up hip hop. The same placating black folks do socially and politically is the same thing we do with our music. Black people need to start making music for black people ONLY!

No one has ever mad Rap music for a white audience. Just because white people like and support rap doesn't mean it was made for them.

Nope. Cats not respecting the ART FORM hurt hip-hop. Some respected the art form even though they miss the import.

What does respecting the art form mean?

I don't think the two are mutually exclusive. As have been noted the black community lack of a code translates into hip hop. Regardless of how irreverent NWA was they would have never been on a record dissing Emmit Till like swamp nikka lil Wayne. We got our icons elders and martyrs being dissed by rappers. There is a lot of disrespect of black culture and peoplehood in hip hop now. But we would never diss the larger society in iur music. We adhere to their values and not our own.

How was that a diss to Emmit Till?

Mainstream hip hop was cool until the "Soulja Boy era" was created and became popular.... that and all of the fukkery after that we could have been better off not being mainstream at all

There was nothing wrong with Soulja boy era. He made a popular songs that served a purpose to be fun and carefree. Just because its something you can't appreciate doesn't not mean it was bad or fukkery.

 

[HollowPoints2]

Drakes only gettin so much airplay on the radio because he's a JEW and the industry is controlled by JEWS.

Hmm. Makes me wonder who ever really did it for the love, or if that's just BS that people say. We all want money drugs and bytches, right?

So you are ok with holding people back from profiting? We see mainstream as to popular and washed. Yet its an artists opportunity to make serious money. Yes underground rap is typically better, but alot of the times they have 9-5 jobs or side hustles because you cant cash out while doing it, especially if you want to help others along with yourself. Do I like Drake? No, but is Drake financially set as well as many of his family and friends? Yes, so I say.

Hmm. Makes me wonder who ever really did it for the love, or if that's just BS that people say. We all want money drugs and bytches, right?

2pac did it for the love.

 

[Existential]

Theres not only 1 type of hiphop and thats what you people don't seem to get.

Everyone does not want to hear rap with some sort of message in it or telling us how bad poor people have it.

Some people want to hear rap that makes them dance, some want to hear rappers talk about larger than life shyt to inspire them.

So The place hiphop is in is a perfect place.

Im tired of "the rap I like Isn't popular so something is wrong with hiphop threads"

But when it's all fun and carefree, when it's all dance, something is wrong. If it was all super deep and introspective tracks, I'd probably (but not really really) be like "where are the lighthearted tracks?"

The real problem is how the different areas that can be explored aren't balanced. People should have the impression that rap is an extremely diverse genre, because it is. But if you ask most people what hip hop is generally about, they'll more likely than not give examples of ignorant bullshyt and relatively few will know about the real Art in this genre. That's no good. There are not enough examples of real Art in the mainstream is all I'm trying to say.

I agree with you that everything has a time and a place, but I don't agree that hip hop is in a perfect place. If it were more diverse in the mainstream, it would be in a better place artistically.

 

[LadySimone]

No one has ever mad Rap music for a white audience. Just because white people like and support rap doesn't mean it was made for them.



How was that a diss to Emmit Till?

.

I suspect some oppositional defiance from your post. You really going to obtusely ask why linking your sex stroke to the beating death and torture of a child for not deferring to an adult white female is horribly offensive?

Making post racial rap isn't accommodating the white audience?

 

[CrimsonTider]

But when it's all fun and carefree, when it's all dance, something is wrong. If it was all super deep and introspective tracks, I'd probably (but not really really) be like "where are the lighthearted tracks?"

The real problem is how the different areas that can be explored aren't balanced. People should have the impression that rap is an extremely diverse genre, because it is. But if you ask most people what hip hop is generally about, they'll more likely than not give examples of ignorant bullshyt and relatively few will know about the real Art in this genre. That's no good. There are not enough examples of real Art in the mainstream is all I'm trying to say.

I agree with you that everything has a time and a place, but I don't agree that hip hop is in a perfect place. If it were more diverse in the mainstream, it would be in a better place artistically.

Those people are not a fan of rap and opinions shouldn't matter in the least bit.

There's art to the fun and carefree songs. Its takes talent to get millions of people from all different backgrounds to dance and have fun to your song.

1st of all mainstream rap was never diverse and 2nd the place rap is in artistically is 100% fine.

I suspect some oppositional defiance from your post. You really going to obtusely ask why linking your sex stroke to the beating death and torture of a child for not deferring to an adult white female is horribly offensive?

Making post racial rap isn't accommodating the white audience?

Can that line be seen as offensive? Yes! but it wasn't a diss.

No, most rap isn't accommodating the white audience.You rappers like Flo rida who's goal is to make rap music than can be solely consumed across races (I have no problem with that)