In a Time magazine article published this week, Ta-Nehisi Coates speculates on the rapid decline of hip-hop record sales, down 44% since 2000 and moved from 13% of all music sales to 10%. She tracks the rise of 1990s rap entrepreneurs, which arguably reached its apotheosis in 2001 during the height of enterprises such as Roc-A-Fella, No Limit and Bad Boy, through to the industry's current diminution. The article interviews some insiders, such as Steve Rifkin, the CEO of SRC Records, who stick to dubious platitudes about rap music needing to "get more creative." It mentions Russell Simmons, who recently made an admittedly half-assed call for rappers to start censoring themselves as well as cut down on the flaunting of their wealth.
Maybe a bit more convincing is the Roots' manager Richard Nickels, who claims that hip-hop has lost some of the excitement it gained during the 1990s' gangsta rap. "You had these black guys who came out and had guns. It was exciting to white kids ... It's collapsing because they can no longer fool the white kids." Q-Tip suggests "In rock you have ... all these different strains. And there are different strains of hip-hop, but record companies aren't set up to sell different strains." Coates' overriding paradigm is that rap is a product that needs to be updated. What do you think '' is this correct way to think about the hip-hop problem? Does the term 'gangsta rap' even apply to today's rap? Would ditching the bling-blang and foul language or 'maturing' boost sales?
Hip-hop's Down Beat [TIME]
Hip-hop sales decline, "white kids" no longer fooled
Posted in:
HIP HOP IS DEAD
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HIP-HOP
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HIP-HOP LIVES
11 Responses
August 22, 2007 at 2:26 p.m.
| Steve |
How about this? Stop making music purely for a ******* profit?! All rap is nowadays is a beat and a catchphrase ("This is why I'm hot" anyone?). Go back to "Low End Theory" and "Illmatic" and people will care again. |
August 22, 2007 at 3:33 p.m.
| jlaw |
To Steve- Albums like that are made constantly. You not knowing they exist is not the same thing as them actually not being in existence. But since I don't just want to hate on what I found to be your useless, unthoughtful comment, here are some artist making great music.... Little Brother, Aesop Rock, Cunnilynguist, The Coup... there are many more, but I will stop hear and allow you to believe when you find them that you discovered the hip hop. |
August 22, 2007 at 3:42 p.m.
| China |
I think Snoop Dogg taking up a reality show doesn't help anything. |
August 22, 2007 at 5:29 p.m.
| Mike Krolak |
"Fear of a Black Planet" sold 5 million copies. No way the Coup could ever hope for those numbers today. It's not because they don't deserve it, it's just that labels aren't interested in pushing that viewpoint anymore. They, as Nickels said, basically perceive hip-hop as one whole, and they haven't yet figured out how to split it up yet.Much of those huge sales in the late 80s/early 90s were based on hip-hop's perceived shock value. That inevitably wore off, and now all you have is either art, which labels don't think they can sell, and pop music with catchy hooks that happen to sound "urban," so let's call it hip-hop and sell it that way. jlaw is totally right when he says those great art records are still being made, it's just that they're not being pushed to our attention as they were 20 or even 10 years ago, because no one's trying to sell it to a wide audience. There are more indie labels, but the big labels -- which own so much more of the market with every merger -- won't take the chance, so the good stuff gets marginalized. |
August 26, 2007 at 12:09 p.m.
| Ryan |
Mike, you make an important distinction between "art" and "pop" music, but I disagree with you about major labels. They are quaking in their boots right now because they have a cumbersome, arcane business model based around moving units which is becoming less and less profitable. The kind of people that still buy records, rather than buying MP3s or AACs from iTunes or downloading them from P2P, are looking for music of a higher caliber than major labels can offer.The issue isn't that high-quality, relevant music doesn't exist, and it isn't really about major-label market share. The issue is that the good music isn't getting heard. This is both institutional and cultural. Radio, which is vastly owned by Clear Channel, is going to play whatever has gotten the stamp of approval from their cartel with the RIAA and the other old boys clubs. On the cultural side- well for the sake of contrast, let's look at indie rock. The concept of "wack" isn't nearly as prevalent - it's acceptable to experiment and break from the mold, and many fans are willing to pay for music that is more interesting than it is aesthetically pleasing. Not the case with hip hop. There are hip hop nerds for sure but the hip hop they listen to may as well be lumped in with indie rock. It's basically a subset of that listening demographic: music nerds. And a large chunk of those listeners are bedroom producers themselves.Crunk took the grit out of hip hop, and whatever you call the stuff on the radio and at the clubs now took the excitement out of crunk. Hyphy was looking promising but "Tell Me When to Go" was the first and last that radio heard of it. With this generic club garvage, we're left with boring lyrics, cookie cutter beats, recycled synth patches, completely forgettable melodies. Pure formula. That's not hip hop, that's an inbred cousin. What's worse is that everyone seems to be afraid to deviate from the formula.I think the only thing that can save the sorry state of hip hop is the return of the DJ. Someone who can take the stuff on the surface that everybody knows and mix it with the great music that nobody knows or remembers. There's one (or 20) in every town, but for now it's mostly the nerds that remember their names. If they can gain as much widespread appreciation and recognition as the MC, as it was in the 80s - and really, DJs work a lot harder - things will be looking up. |
September 17, 2007 at 11:12 a.m.
| 80's Rocker |
Ok so im not so into the the whole Hip Hop thang, BUT I have been around long enough to see forms of music come and go. anyone remember Disco? Just for the record, I do appreciate some Hip Hop music, Im 45 but have 3 kids that are 15, 14, & 11 so I hear plenty of Hip Hop in my house, And I will admit I'm much more of a "80's Band" person myself. HOWEVER I do have an open mind and like SOME Hip Hop, (IN MY OPINION) I feel that current Hip Hop is has gone from an "ART FORM" to strictly a (SHOCK VALUE) medium. Its a matter of who can out, BLING, HO, PIMP, SHOOT, DRUG DEAL, STEAL, who! .... who can be most shocking! ... not much content, just played out.Lets look back, 60's The Beatles Shocking!!!! ( long hair) and a lot of Beatles sound a likes (Result: Played Out)70's Pink Floyd, Elton John, Fleetwood Mac & Disco / Different styles but simaler (Result: Played Out)80's Hair Bands, New Wave, Metal Bands / Different styles but simaler (Result: Played Out)90's 2nd generation country, Rap / Hip Hop Different styles but simaler (Result: Played Out)America has historically moved on to the next thing, so while the debate of Hip Hip and its current state is debated, I just look at it this way, Nothing stays on top forever, at some point its "NEW" and after 10 or 15 years no matter how good or bad the music is (subject to opinion) people just need change. Who is to say Jimmy Buffett sucks, or Bob Seager or Springsteen or the Dixie Chicks suck? ...or.... Nototious B.I.G. or 50 cent suck? .... when in reality all the names mentioned contributed an important part in music history!But the one thing I have noticed in Hip Hop music as of late is this, I find that very few Hip Hop tracks my kids as well as there friends, DO NOT LISTEN TO THE ENTIRE TRACK, this indicates to me that the songs are just "played out" I can hear a song from the 80's bands (admittedly my thing) but I will sit in the car till its over, just cus I don't want to turn off a good song in the middle!However my kids, as well as there friends rarely if ever listen to an ENTIRE song. So from my view point, it seems like Hip Hop is just running its natural progression. |
September 28, 2007 at 11:56 p.m.
| Anton |
Hip hop is played out, but so is pop music in general. "My humps, my lovely lady lumps"? Everybody's singing and rapping garbage. Now, don't get me wrong - Fergie neither sings nor raps well - she's just another MTV pin up. She's hot, sure, but so are Rhianna, Katherine McPhee and plenty of others. The problem is, I can get the same entertainment value out of any of their videos with the TV's sound on or off. In other words, when you eliminate the MUSIC from the equation, the package doesn't change - it's all pretty pictures. It's fair to blame the record companies - anybody who would deny that they're a bunch of clueless greedy clowns is probably a record company employee! Look at the history of pop music: The Beatles, Ray Charles, The Who, The Temptations, David Bowie, Elvis Presley, Elvis Costello, Aretha Franklin, Willie Nelson, Steely Dan, Stevie Wonder - pop music used to have melody and meaning. It was limited to the radio format, for sure, but you could easily find music that moved you - deeply. Then the 80s happened (a decade which also saw the rise of MTV) and good music quickly faded from the equation. It was replaced by formulaic crap - recycled musical styles (punk, disco, hair metal, etc) that offered nothing new creatively.My point? I guess it's to say, don't just blame the record companies. Blame MTV too - and hope that the many sources of Internet music will help us all find music that is truly innovative - or at least, worth listening to. |
December 20, 2007 at 1:06 p.m.
| NehemiYah Yisrael |
The Death of Hip Hop. An artform that evolved from reggae which evolved from R&B. Record Labels, radio stations, MTV, BET, and spineless wanna be mcees to name a few have all conspired to murder the voice of an oppressed people. Remember when biting (stealing another mcees lyrics) was illegal and dishonorable? Remember when even artists like Too Short would make sure to include some conscious material on their albums? NWA is often credited for the rise of gangsta rap, but guess what...those were real musicians,and real poets. Ice Cube knew how to tell a story and how to construct a sentence. Dre can tell you the difference between a gate and a compressor, between a C and a D note. Todays aspiring artists don't study literature, music, or even the history of the gangsters they desire to be. You never here an mcee rappin about being like Mire Lansky...they all wanna be Capone or Gotti. The main reason for this is the success of hip hop. With it's success Corporate America had to get a piece. Once Corporate America got involved the bottom line became money. "Who cares about Grand Master Flash's message? If you rappers want to be on my label and receive adequate marketing you will fill the status quo" Rappers have taylored their lyrics to what they perceive the audience wants, and what the audience wants is strictly controlled by what record labels, radio stations, and video channels push. The underground is always the voice of the people! Hip Hop has ceased to be an underground culture. I used to love her like common, but I must admit I no longer no what to do besides tune out. |
January 5, 2008 at 6:18 p.m.
| Kramizm |
Hip Hop used to be like a good meal for a starving child - nourishment for the soul.Now it has been turned into sonic equivalent of the Big Mac -In one end and out the other. Its exactly like what happened to Funk as it got commercialised into Disco - read up kids, the parallels are scary....We keep making the same mistakes.50cent is for frightened little boys who want to act like gangsters in their G Unit Hoodies and hats -i see them everywhere!! |
June 9, 2008 at 3:24 p.m.
| juice2 |
@ 80's Rocker....Now there is an insightful and well thought out post. This is someone who's been following music for a long time and has seen all the trends come and go. He's absolutely right. People just move on...Yes, there will ALWAYS be a dedicated following by the hardcore fans, just like there is in Jazz and Blues ect., but as far as 'mainstream' goes, after 10-15 years it just gets 'old' and 'played-out'. The true artists of the genre will never loose thier legacy, and will always be respected, but the days of thier mass appeal are over. Even so, they'll always have thier own corner of the market and dedicated following and the one hit wonder wanna be's will just fade in time. So, to put it plainly, yes, Hip-Hop's 'time' in the international spotlight is over...snd so life goes on. :) |
Over the past few years lot of hiphop fans have been more interested in mixtapes than in albums it seems. This could result in a decline in album sales.