The Future of Hip-Hop
Hip-Hop is about 30 years old and in those 30 years it is debatable on where it stands right now and what direction it is headed as we go spinning into the 21st Century. There are many different opinions on the State of Hip-Hop right now. Some say Hip-Hop has never been stronger because of records sales, a slew of labels owned by current and former artists, the success of crossover raps stars like Jay-Z, 50, Eminem, Nelly, LL, etc. There is a large fraction of Hip-Hop fans that point to those very facts as some of the main the reasons Hip-Hop has "lost its soul." But what will become of Hip-Hop in the next 5 years? What about the next 10? Will the popularity of the pimp lifestyle, serving jail time, and getting shot ever fade? Will New York produce anymore Hip-Hop stars? Will Hip-Hop as a whole ever band together to help our other poor communities the way many of them did after the Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita disasters? Will the artists ever decide to start asking some of these major record labels to make investments in the Black and Latino communities? Will "Conscious Hip-Hop" become as popular again as it was in the days of Public Enemy, X-Clan, Brand Nubian, etc? Should Hip-Hop artists form a union to help them get better deals from the labels? Should labels help its artists with financial planning advice and fiscal responsibility? As much as we love Hip-Hop there are many many things that could make it so much better. If you were the "Commissioner of Hip-Hop" and had the power to change 3 things about the music and/or culture what would they be?
April 28, 2006
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I think these labels get a pass on community service. How are they going to make artist give to their communities if they don't provide a good example. And they make more dough off the records than anyone. I agree with Beezy that I wouldn't eliminate some of the more simple MCs out here. It is their right to make music and hear their tunes on the air. Satellite radio solves those wack Program Director problems. I BARELY listen to FM radio anymore. Sirius and XM both have a few Hip-Hop channels where they play a much wider selection of hip-hop. If I was Commissioner of Hip-Hop there are three main things that I would implement.
1. Make sure artist received no less than $1 per record sold. Plus put a cap on the profits the labels can make once the artists have paid the label back for promotion, distribution, studio time, etc.
2. Financial Planning advice and health & life insurance for all artists paid for by the labels and the artists (70/30 label/artists).
3. Make sure songs like "The Whisper Song"; "Getting Head" were NOT played on the radio or on video shows before 10pm. No 7 yr. old boy or girl should know these songs.
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