In a period where the music world is almost arguably overtaken by hip-hop/rap (just look at billboards top 10 singles this week) it may or may not dawn on anyone except the true hip hop junkies that the rappers staking claim to billboards top tier are repeats. I’m talking about Kanye, Jay-Z, and, maybe, T.I. and of course you have the ever so not so rare appearance of someone else, who never really makes the cross from 'hustling the streets' (underground) to fame (multimillion contract), I’m talking about the likes of Akon, The Game and 50 Cent. Although some may argue with me about 50 Cent, just look at the record sales of 50 vs. Kanye, who was the clear winner, really? 50 Cent (Ayo Techno...but wait, Justin made most want to listen) vs. Kanye (Good Life, Flashing Lights, Stronger...). Nowadays, what does it take to really stay on top, not for just a song or an album, but for years, like Jay and Kanye?
This leads me to the Village Voice article by Tom Breihan (Flo Rida, Lil Boosie, and the New Mechanics of Rap Stardom) which debates why rappers aren’t exactly making that crossover from DJ Unk-ness to Kanye-ness. Has the switch from the earlier popular lyrical focus on political prowess to “self-referential”, material obsession to blame or is it the inability for “a younger rapper to capture the imaginations of large audiences when those audiences are totally unwilling to buy music in significant numbers […]”? Content vs. willingness to purchase?
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