What exactly does "underrated" mean in 2015?

[H. Selassie]

With the way that the digital age has made musical media so accessible to the point where videos and music can be released through the Internet and social networks without any help of a major label being necessary, how exactly can anyone be underrated? When an artist puts their shyt on Twitter, Soundcloud, and YouTube for people to check out...it's right there for literally BILLIONS of people to stumble upon. People either love your shyt of they don't.

"Underrated" is the most loosely used term in Hip-Hop next to "classic". People are so quick to throw it out there without discretion. I think it's a convenient excuse fans use for artists who lack mass appeal or the ability to make music that resonates with large audiences.

 

[H. Selassie]

So what exactly constitutes underrated? Not selling records? Not being mentioned as more people's favorite artist?

I think most artists are perfectly rated at the level of their musical quality and output. If someone's music was just so uncontrollably great that more people had to hear it, they would.

 

[CrimsonTider]

It's used to refer to an artist who isn't referred to as people's favorite artist like you said

It's a stupid term

 

[fReShBeAtS]

when i say undrrated i mean tht the artist imo dont get the shine he deserves considering the quality of his music.

 

[H. Selassie]

when i say undrrated i mean tht the artist imo dont get the shine he deserves considering the quality of his music.

I hear that but I feel like using the term "underrated" holds people at fault for not giving the artist more credit simply because it's YOUR OPINION that the artist deserves it.

Maybe that artist just doesn't grab other people's ears the way they do yours, know what I'm sayin?

 

[fReShBeAtS]

you got a point breh! BUT most of the time people dont chek for lesser known artists. they only fukk with popular well known shyt plus they dont look for fresh new talent or just aint into music that deep cuz they workin or whatever and dont got the time to look up every artist. I just made a post today about LE$. hes off the hook and i used the term underrated in the thread title cuz he puts out quality shyt but nobody talks about him. im sure if other people would get into his shyt or would know of him he would get more props.

 

[H. Selassie]

I agree with you on the popularity thing. Some casual listeners are sheepish and only check for something because a lot of people talk about it or the radio plays it.

But for true music fans, I think the overall objective is to satisfy your personal musical tastes. And I think it's safe to say that most people listen to the stuff that they like.

 

[The Ruler 09]

If you think quality = sales that's extremely naive. There are plenty of peope who would be rated higher should they be put in that position. If you have a mass budget for promotion and marketing that will drastically affect brand awareness and sales also, you may be excellent but not enough people may know about you or be fans, therefore you are either overlooked or underrated, also marketing propaganda greatly effects people. People are quite easily brainwashed in a variety of ways.

 

[The Ruler 09]

I agree with you on the popularity thing. Some casual listeners are sheepish and only check for something because a lot of people talk about it or the radio plays it.

But for true music fans, I think the overall objective is to satisfy your personal musical tastes. And I think it's safe to say that most people listen to the stuff that they like.

The majority aren't true hardcore Hip Hop heads, they are casual music fans so they get their music from radio, TV, media etc not more underground sources. Also the media plays a large role in what they deem as great for the most part.

 

[CrimsonTider]

I agree with you on the popularity thing. Some casual listeners are sheepish and only check for something because a lot of people talk about it or the radio plays it.

But for true music fans, I think the overall objective is to satisfy your personal musical tastes. And I think it's safe to say that most people listen to the stuff that they like.

You consider people on here "true music fans"? Artist only get convo around them on here until they get popular as well

 

[H. Selassie]

If you think quality = sales that's extremely naive. There are plenty of peope who would be rated higher should they be put in that position. If you have a mass budget for promotion and marketing that will drastically affect brand awareness and sales also, you may be excellent but not enough people may know about you or be fans, therefore you are either overlooked or underrated, also marketing propaganda greatly effects people. People are quite easily brainwashed in a variety of ways.

Oh most def, it's much easier for artists with the big machines behind them in terms of initial presentation, but people are not going to continuinely patronize something that they don't genuinely like.

Maybe I'm giving people too much credit, idk.

 

[The Ruler 09]

Oh most def, it's much easier for artists with the big machines behind them in terms of initial presentation, but people are not going to continuinely patronize something that they don't genuinely like.

Maybe I'm giving people too much credit, idk.

They're brainwashed to like it, or feel like they need it, or to fit in, it's like having the new trendy/in thing. Of course some people genuinely like the music, but often there's sweeping masses who like what's in, and what's in is often what is positioned and pushed to be in.