Regardless of what they say to the contrary, most rappers do what they do to make money. It’s the dream of these guys to make it big. They want to be a household name, they want to really own the things they say they own, and do the things they say they do. In order for these artists to make the big bucks, they usually need to do big numbers in the stores. Obviously, you do this by getting lots of people interested enough in your music to buy it. The problem? Too many of them “keep it real” by delivering music for the streets.
Many “street niggas” and fools on internet forums (hereafter refered to as e-thugs) criticize artists like Eminem, 50 and G-Unit, Kanye and others for going commercial and “selling out”. They hate it when a song by one of those “sellout” artists is all over the radio and TV. Meanwhile, maybe a fraction of a percent of those same people actually go out and purchase the albums of the artists they claim to respect (i.e. the artists keeping it “real”). Yet artists still try to garner respect from these self-proclaimed critics and release music that they think these critics will like. They release music with overly complex lyrics that take 10 listens to understand, songs with so much “substance” you’d think you were reading “War and Peace”, and hooks that consist of nothing but a repeated line from one of the verses. Why bother? Sure your critics will say how “deep” and “lyrical” you are. They’ll claim you represent true hiphop, then go and download your album. Meanwhile the sellouts are still selling.
Why are these other artists selling? Because they’ve branched out and are reaching a broader audience with their music. Criticize the catchy hooks, sing-song flow and banging beats all you want, but this is why they’re rich. The average person listening the radio will keep skimming channels unless they recognize the song, are too lazy/unattentive to change the station, or are immediately drawn in by the sound of the current track. Hot lyrics aren’t going to do this folks, but banging beats and smooth hooks will. This listener gets drawn into the music, and THEN can appreciate the style and complexity of the artist a couple of listens later. If you can’t get them to listen, how are they going to appreciate yo ass?
I can’t count how many times I’ve listened to a new CD in the car and skimmed through 80% of the tracks. Later on I’ll probably listen to those tracks and like a good portion of them, but they didn’t have enough of the initial appeal to draw me in. This is what the so-called sellout artists do on their CDs. Kanye West’s first album was a pure banger because he delivered heat consistantly. The hooks were hot and the beats were banging, and THEN he hit you with the deeper tracks, and by that point you were already drawn into the album. The same could be said of 50’s first Interscope release “Get Rich or Die Tryin’”. Tracks like P.I.M.P., In Da Club, and If I Can’t were powerhouse records that bumped in the club, appealed to the masses and got people to buy the CD.
Now, I mean no disrepect to the artists who take their lyrical game seriously and haven’t the time or desire to put a mainstream polish on their records, but you can’t expect to do big numbers unless you do. Joe Buddens? The nigga’s hot, but he won’t blow without a good mainstream single. Beanie Sigel, Jadakiss, Common—All good lyricists, but they just seem to lack what it takes to bring them that mainstream success. Jay said it best: “I dumbed down for my audience and doubled my dollars/ They criticize me for it, yet they all yell holla”
Take a tip from me guys, drop your street bangers on mixtapes, and put the records that’s gonna bump in the club on your LPs
COMMENTS
aal of those wack cathy songs make money but can u relate are u ballin and driving 90,000 cars thats not real hiphop
i do understand where ur coming from, cuz it is partially few. but there are a few rappers that managed to make sum decent profits while still maintaining their "street cred." jeezy, game, (maybe dipset as a whole), fab, and even wheezy sumwhat. i definately agree that rappers shouldn't have to refrain from club bangers and shit just to appease the e-thugs, and that many of the respectable rappers don't make the cake they deserve (joe crack, d block, nas, and countless "nameless rappers" to name a few.) I would even suggest that one wouldn't have to maintain any kind of street prescence to keep the streets and the label happy. where rappers really fall off is when they produce a constant stream of lines about what they do/did in the streets, that is either proved wrong, or at least heavily refuted by sum of the more respected mcs. all and all hip-hop is takin a crazy turn, and it does seem that "dumbin down lyrics" and "learnin how to snap" will put you where you want to be (financially) sooo much faster. 1
It's up to us to sweep these comercial song making niggas under the rug.look what happen to big daddykane he went pop and we stop fucking with him and he 1 of the nicest to ever do it.If we stop buying that wack shit they won't do it no more,and if they still do numbers just throw em in the white people music category,they'll stop trust and believe everything big gotta be accepted by the hood first.Fuck money anyway, this shit is a art first and foremost,an artist value goes up after they prove their skills.
fuck wut you say its bout money
Ya'll people just don't understand that it's Hammertime right now. True music always comes back full circle and has it's chance.
The artists that are relevant right now will be broke and forgotten about tomorrow. You will laugh at them and ask yourself; "why did I like that bullshit" and ride whoever's hot at the moments dick, whether their complex or not!
I think papoose will be one of the few artists where they are really lyrical and conscious and still sell cd's, he already got the 1.5 mil deal just off his mixtapes, theres no tellin what hes gonna do next cuz hes already done everythin on the mixtapes which are good enuff to be on an album
Papoose doesnt really make hot songs... tho there more of a freestyle... iv heard a couple songs with pap on em and their nice, BUT its papoose and songs arnt really his style
honestly making excuses for a rapper being wack and spewing dumb lyrics is the last thing we need in hip hop right now. We need great lyricists with REAL shit such as Ras Kass, Common, Chino XL, Asheru, Esoteric, Eyedea, and Little Brother. They dont sell too much but they truly represent what hip hop should be. 50 cent is a joke and only in it for the money an not at all for the art!
FUCK RAP MUSIC! HIPHOP MUSIC FOREVER!
No disrespect but if one were to listen to a mainstream commercial track like Soulja Boy, obviously the lyrics aren't meaningful and great. Society nowadays tends to listen more to the useless, dense and brainless music. Aside from our payed "Media" pushing at every corner, trying to entertain our youth and keep us less informed with reality tv shows, Miss America Pageants etc... (not to mention more people are expected to vote more for the American Idol Winner, then vote for our next President), its not wonder why great lyricists like Talib and Ras Kass dont get attention, nonetheless awareness. People aren't used to hearing that kind of mental penetration. Aside from the music being extra CRISP, they are STILL keeping it REAL. Their voice is speaking the truth about the important things going on in the world. Dont get me wrong, sometimes its kool to have those feel good tracks where you wanna just speak whatever it is thats on your mind (all apart of being an artist) but when you get to rappin about the strippers in the club, and the size of your rims... its not what it should be about..TRUE, money is involved, who wouldnt want to make money doing what they love...But when one gives up what they love for money, that's when artists stop keepin it "REAL" and become Sell Outs. Sounds hypercritical, I know...but when you have a family and their are mouths to feed, their's nothing more "REAL" than that.
i D0NT REAlly liK^E PAP00SE BUH i GiVE HiM PR0PSZ..HE SNAPPED WiT DAT "AlPHABETiCAl SlAUGHTER" S0NG. && 0N SUM REAl SHiT ANyB0Dy WH0 CAN PUll SUM SHiT liK^E DAT G0TSZ T0 BE REC0GNiZED. HE RiPPED DAT SHiT. MAK^iN iT All MAK^E SENSE, DATSZ SUM RAWNESSZ Ri THERE =]