Hip-hop

Hip hop isn’t doing too well as far as the mainstream market is concerned. The days where a popular artist could simultaneously entertain and provoke thought seem so far away they border on the imagined. But they did exist, and those days could exist again.

Here’s a list of 8 things that are currently happening or should be happening to bring about Hip hop’s second golden era. (And no it doesn’t include the bombing of any southern states.)

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8. Alright, Let’s Give Lil’ Mama A Try

Okay, Papoose is a bust, Saigon is apparently throwing a temper tantrum, ring tone rap is dying down, southern rap and all of its sub genres are losing steam; there is no one else. The next generation of Hip hop is on hold, aside from one notable exception: Lil’ Mama.

Now, I know it sounds silly, being that she, for the moment, has proven to be little more than a pop-rap novelty. But her importance lies in what she represents for the children. Lil’ Mama, and her monster, base thumping High School anthem “Lip Gloss,” is more of a throwback to old school boom bap than most would like to acknowledge. Fun, good-spirited rhyming over a hard core, stripped down beat? Come on? If it had been anyone else, a boy perhaps rapping about his sneakers, we’d be singing his praises. And above all, she’s pretty damn nice with hers. Could you imagine Hurricane Chris, Lil’ Boosie or Soulja Boy ciphering for the 2007 B.E.T. awards? I doubt it.

But instead of giving her props, many look at the clean lyrics, high energy, not-at-all-bad-technique of Lil’ Mama with unnecessary disdain. Lil’ Mama, in a lot of ways, represents a clean slate. If her popularity were to take off, she would be an erasure of all the mistakes and horribly embarrassing mishaps of Lil’ Kim, Foxy, and Remy before her. Everyone is holding their breath waiting for Lauryn Hill to uncrazy herself, or for Jean Grae to finally (snicker) blow, but they can’t change the culture. They’re too old. Change has to start with the youth that power the airwaves and the direction of the trends. Lil’ Mama is a “rebooting,” a back-to-the-basics return that is sorely needed for the Hip hop youth.

7. Artists Need to find Radio Alternative

We are living in the last days of radio’s importance to Hip hop. Recently, the SF Weekly published an article about how local radio had played a part in killing off the Hyphy movement. The article accused KMEL 106.1 FM of not only pulling local rappers from rotation over “petty personal beefs,” but also of “ignoring the advice of its own DJs on potential hit records by local artists; [putting] the kibosh on efforts to spread hyphy in other regions; [engaging] in blatant favoritism toward certain artists; and [employing] a two-tiered promotion system for major label and independent acts.” Apparently, the station not only banned local icon Too Short over small disagreements, but also blacklisted upcoming artist Mista F.A.B. This may have indirectly brought the hyphy movement, of which F.A.B. was seen as a flagship artist, to a screeching halt¹.

Sadly, this is nothing new, as local radio – aside from a few exceptions – tends to highlight national trends, while casting local scenes aside. This is momentarily great for the “flavor of the month” on the national plate, but devastating for independent and local artists who have to compete for the little to no airplay remaining. Ultimately, these actions prove detrimental for everyone as trends eventually die and the prospect of creating careers is replaced by the immediate need to make a hit record for a fickle, biased and perpetually changing urban radioscape. For Hip hop to survive into the next millineum, artists will most likely be forced to abandon the short-term benefits of recording for the radio. As Bay area legend, Too Short said in response to the SF Weekly article²:

“… I just wanna inspire the local artists & fans to be realistic & keep hip-hop in our area alive without help from the radio stations. The 1st step is to inform the people who might be concerned. That includes folks who just wanna hear some good gossip & especially friends & family members of artists who think their brother, nephew, cousin or homie could be doing it big on a national level if they had a fair chance.

“I believe in street-level movements creating the atmosphere for national movements & radio is only one outlet to create those movements. If U know that’s not an option then U won’t waste time, energy or money trying to please radio & in my opinion, the fans will love U more if U have popular street songs verses popular radio songs in the early stages of your career. Bay artists have to connect with the streets more than ever now.”

6. Record Labels Need an Overhaul

You’ve heard the stories, the complaints, you’ve read the abysmal sales numbers and chartings, and you’ve probably come to the same conclusion: major Hip hop labels are archaic machines trying to accomplish contemporary tasks with antiquated tools. With the advent of new media, file sharing, downloading, and ring tones, the old idea of a “Major Record Label” has taken a staggering blow. Old reliable cornerstones in the edifice that is the Hip hop record label, have taken to excluding Hip hop artists altogether. Many, such as the legendary Def Jam, have begun bogging down their rosters with “one shot” ring tone artists and more bankable R&B acts. A telling example maybe the story of former President and artist Jay-Z, who left his post after 3 years. Although failed contract negotiations can be seen a reason, it cannot be denied that under the rapper’s control, the label’s abandoning of hardcore Hip hop to build the careers of more pop acts such as Rihanna and Neo, was not met well by fans.

And the problem isn’t confined to Def Jam as companies across the board have been experiencing the downturn in sales they have decided to unload artists as a way of perserving the bottom line. Unfortunately, rather than try to stimulate sales with better products, most record companies go for the easy way out; much to the chagrin of Hip hop fans and purists. If Hip hop is to survive, artists will have to find a way around falling under the indentured servitude of major labels

5. Artists Must Explore Independent Alternatives

For Hip hop to survive the next era, the independent market must become a valid, bankable option for all artists, not just those who are local and lesser known. With major record labels like Def Jam and Interscope seeing less than stellar returns on their projects, more and more artists are being put on the back burner. And we’re talking big names too, not just upcoming hopefuls. Artists like the Lox, Beanie Siegel, Freeway, Wu Tang Clan and all of its members, G-Unit and all of its members, anyone who has been foolhardy enough to sign to Bad Boy, and a host of others are being dropped and/or traded between labels like rookie NBA picks. There is little to no stability in the industry. The best bet for artists, whether known or unknown, is to build local support from their area of origin, and then fly out on their own independently.

There is no guarantee for artists on major labels, which are not in the business of making careers, as much as they are for making hit records. Recently, the growing success of individuals who choose to go independent is starting to become a temptation for artists starving in the majors. The independent route isn’t a new road. Many artists such as 50 Cent and Soulja Boy have taken to handling their own business to create a buzz. But now, what individuals would do to get the attention of major labels, they may have to do as a final result. Ice Cube for example, independently released his album “Laugh Now, Cry Later” to incredible sells, moving approximately 144,000 copies in its first week.

4. Post Alternative Rap Must Survive (Outkast, Lupe Fiasco, Little Brother, Common, ect.)

It is imperative…utterly imperative that Post Alt-Rap survives among its fan base, and hopefully, mainstream music. Also known as Conscious Rap, Alternative Hip hop has often helped rejuvenate Hip hop during the most stagnant stints in the music’s scene. Back in the late 90’s, Rawkus Records’ roster including Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch and them were instrumental in preserving the creative merit of the artform during its “Jiggy” and “bling-bling” eras. But following the record company’s disbanding, the post-alt rap genre had all but vanished, leaving a one-dimensional music scene that began to grow staler with each subsequent release. It is therefore important that this new round of post-alt rappers find whatever is lacking in their marketing plans, production and recording and fix it, because without an alternative, what has become of mainstream Hip hop will inevitably tear the culture apart. Recently acts like Little Brother and Lupe Fiasco have dropped critically acclaimed albums to muted sales. While Phonte and Pooh of Little Brother have gotten the industry run-around, Lupe has seen more mainstream success and attention with his album “Lupe Fiasco Presents: The Cool” creeping to gold status.

The problem with alternative anything is that to earn the label, one must be the opposite of what’s currently popular. That has a two-sided effect. On one hand, you receive the critical acclaim for being original and innovative, but to do so you have to abandon what makes music, according to contemporary standards, sound “good.” Aside from Outkast, few alternative artists have found that middle ground between the two ideas. It is important that someone in this genre do, otherwise the culture could be heading toward a downward spiral of monotony from which no thoughtful emcee could pull it.

3. Lil’ Wayne Needs to Succeed

Groan if you want, but the success of this cat is arguably tied to the future success of mainstream Hip hop. Lil’ Wayne is mainstream Hip hop’s last example of free experimentation. No one, absolutely no one, has taken as many chances on record as Lil’ Wayne and walked away as relatively unscathed. Who else would do a song like “I Feel Like Dying” in mainstream rap? Who else would dare record “Did It Before,” a 3 minute song with basically a 3-word, repeating rhyme? Who else would write a song about falling in love with a prostitute, and straight-faced mean it?! Maybe it’s the drugs, maybe it’s the arrogance, who knows? All that is known for sure is that this spark of innovation, this courage to try things new for the sake of artistic expression, despite the obvious damage done to one’s own reputation is all but lost in today’s mainstream market. To find that type of gall one would have to search the indie rosters for artists that don’t expect to sell any way. You don’t find that in a guy that goes platinum at whim among the young, teenage to 20’s demographic.

The moment of truth with Wayne will be Carter 3. The thing is he’s built this album up to be the end-all of Hip hop releases for 2008. There is no way he can match the hype he and his label have built around this album. If he doesn’t come close, then all of the discord that’s been bubbling under the surface against him will come flash flooding to the surface. This could spell disaster for any other mainstream act that wishes to push the envelope in the way Wayne has. If it won’t sell, most will bail.

Now I know what you’re saying, “So he tries crazy stuff, so what? Why does that make him number 3?” Well, first and foremost, Wayne is one of few creative Hip hop artists who still have a long way to go as far as their careers are concerned. If you look at the other artists who push the boundaries of what we accept as “ill” sonically and lyrically, Dr. Dre, Outkast, Jay-Z, they’re all on their last or next to last albums (allegedly). Wayne is just hitting his stride. He has the potential to push risk-taking as a virtue for at least 10 more albums. Also, Wayne is prolific as hell. Vibe magazine ranked his best 77 songs, not of his career, but of a single year³. In the years since the release of the Carter, Wayne has dropped an incalculable number of mixtapes, collaborations, and free songs just for the sheer hell of it. Giving away music for free is artistically admirable, but as far as the industry’s concerned, it’s blasphemy. If Wayne were to suffer a setback because of Carter 3 not living up to its hype it could bring a crashing end to the positive trends he and his work ethic could’ve set with its success.

2. The Internet Is Changing Everything

Okay, it’s time to be real here. Despite what artists would have you think, despite what bloggers who offer the newest single just leaked to the net would have you think, and despite what your friends, classmates, coworkers who say, “it’s just one song” would have you think, the Internet has all but destroyed what we once recognized as the “Music Industry.”

You see the signs everywhere, not only are record sales down, but artists are getting dropped; record stores are closing; albums are getting pushed back, sometimes indefinitely; and new artists are getting shelved because the feedback from their leaked singles had been less than stellar. Everything’s changed. One of the biggest and nostalgically sad changes has been the loss of that build up and rush to the record store for one’s favorite artist and/or release. That doesn’t happen anymore and as a result, the industry has lost its magic. But there’s also another side to this, because for as many bad sides of the Internet, there are almost as many opportunities for advancement. If you don’t believe me, ask Soulja Boy Tell Em.

Soulja Boy, through his own independent marketing savvy and knowledge of the Internet’s new media, was able to carve out his own career. The Internet has provided every Tom, Dick and Tyrone an opportunity to be heard around the planet. The world is no longer cut off from itself; we’re all listening. The problem is that the industry hasn’t found a proper way of capitalizing off of these tools. Artists such as Chuck D feel it’s the industry’s responsibility to change with the times. In a Senate meeting, the front man for Public Enemy argued against the industry’s attacks on Internet file sharing⁴:

“”Technology giveth and it taketh away, and the industry knows this. …The horseshoe makers probably got upset at the train manufacturers because (the new industry) took away their transport dominance, just as the train manufacturers probably got mad at the airline industry.”

“I think this expands artistry and it’s about adjustment,” he said.

“As an artist representing an 80-year period of black musicianship, I never felt that my copyrights were protected anyway,” Chuck D said. “I’ve been spending most of my career ducking lawyers, accountants and business executives who have basically been more blasphemous than file sharers and P2P. I trust the consumer more than I trust the people who have been at the helm of these companies.

“The record industry is hypocritical and the domination has to be shared. P2P to me means ‘power to the people,’” Chuck D said. “And let’s get this to a balance, and that’s what we’re talking about.”

For Hip hop to survive, it must find a way to make peace with the Internet. Sure some of the magic may be gone, but it opens the door for other moments. The music industry and mainstream Hip hop cannot survive going toe-to-toe with the Internet.

1. The Continuance of the Grown and Sexy Movement

Above all things, it is imperative that Hip hop find a way to grow up and remain financially viable. This is a must. If Hip hop remains a “youth oriented” culture, if it continues to limit its ideology to themes and motifs solely associated with immaturity, and if it refuses to acknowledge older audiences who grew up in the culture, it will die.

Hip hop is quickly becoming cannibalistic, destroying and feeding off its old to keep the youth alive, who will in turn become food for subsequent generations. There is no growth, no ascension. The same mistakes are repeated and nothing is learned.

This is why the “Grown and Sexy” movement is so important. Arguably started with LL Cool J’s “Love You Better,” it involves a more mature look at life, life’s problems and love. Issues involve family, raising children, politics, nostalgia while looking forward, self analysis, and above all acknowledgement of growing older. Other artists that have hitched onto the Grown and Sexy wagon include Common, Snoop Dogg, Outkast’s Big Boi, Cee-lo, LL Cool J (at times), Ludacris and more famously Jay-Z.

Following the success of his “Black Album,” Jay-Z followed up with two albums using this new approach. Jay-Z has appointed himself Hip hop’s elder statesman, scolding the younger generation while intriguing them. He’s now rhyming about love and settling down and although this is great, it doesn’t come free. The majority of Hip hop’s active audience (active in the sense that they are the ones purchasing and downloading music, and making calls into radio shows) are abandoning the artist’s recent projects as much of it is going over their heads. The result is a sales slump that is shocking for someone who normally can go platinum at will. Jay-Z’s latest project, “American Gangster,” although critically heralded, trudged to platinum status after 16 weeks⁵. The album, although similar in theme to Jay-Z’s earlier works, comes from a more mature point of view. So where the bombastic braggadocio once ruled the sentiment, there is a more mellow, nostalgic and often regretful tone that doesn’t lend well to the clubs.

But here’s the thing, the album is doing great among older audiences. If Jay-Z is comfortable with these types of sells, it is possible that he, as well as other older artists, could carve out long-lasting careers catering to this more mature crowd. It’s a natural progression, older artists should be aiming toward older audiences. There’s no reason an artist such as Rakim should be fighting for air time with Soulja Boy. This is why it’s important that not only do older artists aim for markets their age, but there should also be media outlets set aside for them. Currently, aside from satellite radio, there are few if any radio stations or shows for Old School or Golden Age Hip hop.

Someone in the industry has to take the initiative and create these outlets. Whether cable channels, radio stations and shows, or satellite radio stations, something must be provided to these artists so that Hip hop can throw away it’s “expiration date” that says artists past a certain age are no longer good.

Above all other things, if this doesn’t happen the culture will die.

Richard Corey may be reached by email richardcorey1@yahoo.com. Opinions and views stated in this blog aren’t necessarily the views of Hip-hop.net, it’s owners or AddThree Inc.

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¹ http://www.sfweekly.com/2008-02-20/news/the-demise-of-hyphy/

² http://www.mercurynews.com/music/ci_8389741

³ http://www.vibe.com/news/news_headlines/2007/10/weezy_da_fireman/

⁴ http://www.wired.com/gadgets/portablemusic/news/2003/10/60650

⁵ http://www.sohh.com/articles/article.php/13897