Why do mixtape rappers>retail mode?

[Complexion]

So much wittier, creative and obviously inspired with the spirit of hip hop in full effect. Contrast your favorite rappers best mixtape jams on one side vs the same from retail and you'll know which way the scale tips.

Why is this? Its not just one or two artists either, pretty much across the board it seems to be the standard. Is it because its all about showing out for the heads vs chasing hits or something else?


What you think?

 

[Turbulent]

Labels have more say in the retail album.

 

[Hoshi_Toshi]

When you let old white execs put their stamp on a young black form of expression it turns into commercial bullshyt only meant to dominate top 40 charts.

 

[old pig]

When you let old white execs put their stamp on a young black form of expression it turns into commercial bullshyt only meant to dominate top 40 charts.

just beat me to it.

 

[maxamusa]

Being a young man in the mixtape era was so lit....last time it felt "real"

 

[Double Burger With Cheese]

Albums have budgets and rollouts and much more expensive, so the label is gonna be more hands on in the decision making process, and commercial appeal will be factored in more. Mixtapes for the streets. Albums for the masses

 

[Complexion]

Thats a valid point but it doesn't account for how dramatically some of the rappers styles shift between the mediums. Mixtapes generally have a heck of a lot more skill and especially charisma on display vs retail which is often very dumbed down in comparison or exceedingly formulaic.

Labels play a part in this as they'll reject a draft and throw their bit in as they're writing the checks but time and again even when said artists have gone independent it still happens on retail projects so there are other factors at play beyond the obvious.

 

[Double Burger With Cheese]

Thats a valid point but it doesn't account for how dramatically some of the rappers styles shift between the mediums. Mixtapes generally have a heck of a lot more skill and especially charisma on display vs retail which is often very dumbed down in comparison or exceedingly formulaic.

Labels play a part in this as they'll reject a draft and throw their bit in as they're writing the checks but time and again even when said artists have gone independent it still happens on retail projects so there are other factors at play beyond the obvious.

I mean, a lot of times when rappers record, they don’t know where the song is going. Or they may have a mixtape in mind or be in album mode, but those songs don’t end up on that particular format. I’m not a major label, but I have one and operate like one on a smaller level. Me and my partner got an artist and we fund all this shyt. We done recorded about 20 songs in the last 2 months with a EP in mind. But then it it evolved to an album. And now it just evolved to we just gonna drop some singles first instead of an album. Probably try and get a few songs on some mixtapes from some DJs we know. But all these songs were initially recorded with a ep/album in mind

 

[maxamusa]

I mean, a lot of times when rappers record, they don’t know where the song is going. Or they may have a mixtape in mind or be in album mode, but those songs don’t end up on that particular format. I’m not a major label, but I have one and operate like one on a smaller level. Me and my partner got an artist and we fund all this shyt. We done recorded about 20 songs in the last 2 months with a EP in mind. But then it it evolved to an album. And now it just evolved to we just gonna drop some singles first instead of an album. Probably try and get a few songs on some mixtapes from some DJs we know. But all these songs were initially recorded with a ep/album in mind

whats your rollout strategy from an investor standpoint?

 

[QU Hectic]

Raw, Unfiltered, Gritty >>>>>

 

[Complexion]

I mean, a lot of times when rappers record, they don’t know where the song is going. Or they may have a mixtape in mind or be in album mode, but those songs don’t end up on that particular format. I’m not a major label, but I have one and operate like one on a smaller level. Me and my partner got an artist and we fund all this shyt. We done recorded about 20 songs in the last 2 months with a EP in mind. But then it it evolved to an album. And now it just evolved to we just gonna drop some singles first instead of an album. Probably try and get a few songs on some mixtapes from some DJs we know. But all these songs were initially recorded with a ep/album in mind

Cool, its good to get a perspective from someone in the field.

To me there is a marked difference though, as mentioned. So many artists have given away solid gold hits for free on mixtapes only to release a brick on retail that sounds nearly identical to their last disc.

Lots of rappers careers would've been quite different with alternative track selections. I don't think anyone can deny this which is why the label aspect doesn't make sense because a hit is a hit when you hear it and it happens to much to be coincidence. A word, by the way, I don't believe in.


Speak on your business strategy and model if you wish as well as reason for investing, overall vision etc as I'm always interested in anything creative.

 

[bigdaddy88]

mixtape rappers get to, say what they want , rap over anything without (generally) worrying about sample clears, get any features etc..........

 

[The Eliminator]

On the mixtape,you just pull up a beat,talk your shyt,song done,onto the next one until there's enough material
On an album,seeing as it counts under label obligations,there are more hands in the pot,more people urging the rapper to make the ''turn up record'',the ''ladies record'',the ''introspective record'',etc.There is a lot of legal shyt that needs to be straightened out,sample clearances,feature clearances,make sure it's all good.

 

[tremonthustler1]

On the mixtape,you just pull up a beat,talk your shyt,song done,onto the next one until there's enough material
On an album,seeing as it counts under label obligations,there are more hands in the pot,more people urging the rapper to make the ''turn up record'',the ''ladies record'',the ''introspective record'',etc.There is a lot of legal shyt that needs to be straightened out,sample clearances,feature clearances,make sure it's all good.

to add:

on mixtapes, you're making that material to satisfy a niche fanbase. Album mode, the label wants to appeal to everyone, including those who otherwise wouldn't check for your mixtapes.

This only goes away once a label concedes that you no longer have the potential to appeal to everyone OR if you become one of the handful of tastemakers in music.

 

[Legal]

to add:

on mixtapes, you're making that material to satisfy a niche fanbase. Album mode, the label wants to appeal to everyone, including those who otherwise wouldn't check for your mixtapes.

This only goes away once a label concedes that you no longer have the potential to appeal to everyone OR if you become one of the handful of tastemakers in music.

True. A lot of times, artists have kind've made it seem like the album is them making music because that's their job, but mixtapes are the music they get to make just because they want to.

Additionally, I'd imagine that a lot of mixtape tracks are tracks that were fully intended for an album, but got cut early/late in the process due to sample clearance, A&R making the call the song doesn't fit, or a variety of other reasons.

There's also likely been plenty of cases where the artist was directly or indirectly asked or forced by the label to get themselves hot to get an album budget greenlit, or to get a delayed album pushed out.