Comments on: It’s Bigger than Hip-Hop

By: kizzmm

kizzmm — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 22:08:29 +0000

You gotta meet people where they are. Analogies tie us all together. Noah's flood story also present in the Mahabharata is what gained me my first Hindu friend. As such – when we want to *testify* to the impressionable children about the perils in our music, we must be familiar with it, we must quote the misogyny-murder-stereotypical negativity, throw it back to our kids and help them realize that their eardrums deserve much better.

By: kizzmm

kizzmm — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:08:00 +0000

You gotta meet people where they are. Analogies tie us all together. Noah’s flood story also present in the Mahabharata is what gained me my first Hindu friend. As such – when we want to *testify* to the impressionable children about the perils in our music, we must be familiar with it, we must quote the misogyny-murder-stereotypical negativity, throw it back to our kids and help them realize that their eardrums deserve much better.

By: kizzmm

kizzmm — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:08:29 +0000

By: Fouad

Fouad — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 17:24:00 +0000

dropping ill rhymes on geopolitics and the failures of neoliberalism to some kids with trust funds in schenectady is what it’s all about!
okay, seriously…i think it’s even somewhat simpler than that. hip hop started off as culture/art. at some point, it became very marketable. when it transformed from art to business (it’s still art, don’t get me wrong), the incentives changed. dropping gems at ciphers about how drugs were destroying the inner city was definitey keeping it real, but it won’t sell. well, not as much as joints about 21’s spinning. and while i truly do not enjoy hearing bullshit rap, i also understand that in any business, it is about making a profit. so, i can’t completely hate on guys like jigga and diddy. i just don’t dig them. whatsoever.
once hip hop crossed over into a marketable business, it was going to change. record labels aren’t trying to promo kweli, the mighty mos, or dead prez anywhere near the level they will for 50 or jay-z because they are too intricate and complex for mainstream suburban america to feel completely. the simpler/stupider/more outlandishly silly the message is, the more units it will probably move. so, really, the thing about hip hop that changed is the money. if there is a way for more non-bullshit hip hop to sell on the level of its more bullshitty version, it’ll move back to its roots. at which point, i’m sure the government will just ban the music altogether.

By: Fouad

Fouad — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 17:24:00 +0000

dropping ill rhymes on geopolitics and the failures of neoliberalism to some kids with trust funds in schenectady is what it’s all about!okay, seriously…i think it’s even somewhat simpler than that. hip hop started off as culture/art. at some point, it became very marketable. when it transformed from art to business (it’s still art, don’t get me wrong), the incentives changed. dropping gems at ciphers about how drugs were destroying the inner city was definitey keeping it real, but it won’t sell. well, not as much as joints about 21’s spinning. and while i truly do not enjoy hearing bullshit rap, i also understand that in any business, it is about making a profit. so, i can’t completely hate on guys like jigga and diddy. i just don’t dig them. whatsoever. once hip hop crossed over into a marketable business, it was going to change. record labels aren’t trying to promo kweli, the mighty mos, or dead prez anywhere near the level they will for 50 or jay-z because they are too intricate and complex for mainstream suburban america to feel completely. the simpler/stupider/more outlandishly silly the message is, the more units it will probably move. so, really, the thing about hip hop that changed is the money. if there is a way for more non-bullshit hip hop to sell on the level of its more bullshitty version, it’ll move back to its roots. at which point, i’m sure the government will just ban the music altogether.

By: Dancewithme2

Dancewithme2 — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 15:23:00 +0000

I agree. Remember a while back when I began my series on HIP-HOP? What happened to me finishing that series? I’ll tell you one thing – it was harder than I thought it would be. The lines between the two are not so clear in 2006. There is a lot of cross over – back and forth. The truth is – unless you sell records – you cannot be heard.

By: Dancewithme2

Dancewithme2 — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 15:23:00 +0000

By: Mo

Mo — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 14:36:00 +0000

Mmmmmm, Weeeeell now (That’s all I have to say)

By: Mo

Mo — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 14:36:00 +0000

Mmmmmm, Weeeeell now (That’s all I have to say)