Who's Selling Out? Going Mainstream

Hip-hop was birthed from underground roots, starting as a raw form of art that emphasized expression and self reflection. Many argue that as hip-hop moves into the mainstream spotlight the culture is being perverted into something much more shallow. The term "selling-out" is an expression used to describe an artist who has changed their style in order to gain fame, money, and notoriety.

According to Forbes hip-hop "generates over $10 billion per year and has moved beyond its musical roots, transforming into a dominant and increasingly lucrative lifestyle." For mainstream hip-hop, money is a huge influence.  Rappers are becoming less of artist and more of walking billboards.  "Rich as Fuck" by Lil Wayne and 2Chainz is great example of bragging about money.  Music videos allow for the listener to view the lifestyle these artist are expressing.  Product placement is very prevalent in these videos, brands names are both shown explicitly and in a less noticeable way. Cars, sunglasses, clothes, jewelry, and alcohol seem to be a constant theme of this product placement. 

And why not?  These "artist" are getting paid by all these sponsors and making a very comfortable living. Yet, do they lose their style? Their originality? What are the drawbacks of selling-out?  Well, once under a certain label, a performer is expected to project a distinct lifestyle. Wiz Khalifa is commonly criticized for selling-out, yet he has many fans who claims he has not.  Wiz got famous pretty quickly, with this fame came wealth, and money can change anybody.  The web series "Day Today" is essentially a camera following Wiz Khalifa as he goes about his daily life.  The newer videos are quite popular, but many do not know that these videos started before Wiz was famous at all. To see the difference in lifestyle between the first video compared to the latest is incredible. Obviously he has more money now, but has that monetary gain changed his personality and style too? In the first video he is working on one of his first mixtapes Flight School and in second video he is on his latest tour, The 2050 tour.

Mainstream media has become a huge influence in the new digital age.  Rap can be heard through many different outlets and spread to may new audiences.  Corporations are taking notice of this and the growing popularity of hip-hop and using it to market.  This is the reason why so much money is coming into the hip-hop industry.  Other than shows and album sales, these artist make their money off of corporate endorsements. A recent example of this is the partnership between Mountain Dew and Lil Wayne. According to Forbes it is a

 "multi-million dollar deal, and that the pact is for one year with an option for more. Jackson also said that the option provides for the possibility of Pepsi and Mountain Dew bankrolling an original film with Lil Wayne.  The deal is the biggest in Mountain Dew’s history, and the executives on hand last night in Austin were gushing about their new star."

Wayne is famous for his style which made him famous. The classic auto-tuned Wayne with his notorious language and style was a creation of his producers and label.  Lil Wayne seems to change this style however, almost evolving, in hopes to stay current and fresh whilst entertaining his old fans also. 

The first video is "Go DJ" released in 2004. Notice Wayne's clothing, a simple tank top, bandanna, and baggy pants with very little to no product placement. Some would say this is before Lil Wayne "sold-out"

In this video, "Lollipop" by Lil Wayne, you can see how the budget and production quality for the video has obviously gone up. This song was released four years after the "Go DJ" and there is a noticeable change in style. Also, he is seen wearing a suit, designer sunglasses, and riding in a limo.

"On Fire" by Lil Wayne is an example of another style change.  Wayne went through a somewhat weird "Rocker" stage, where many of his songs including dark tones, electric guitar, and a live drum kit.  This was genius although, because it related Wayne to a different genre and brought in a new fan base and of course, money. Notice his clothing also, this is when skinny jeans were first coming in as a fad, he is wearing dark clothes and attempting to look almost like a punk rocker.

The final example is "My Homies Still" by Lil Wayne.  This is one of his more recent songs, that is paired with a music video that could easily cause an epileptic seizure. His lyrics and the video show Wayne's new ''skater" style.  The new style is paired with his brand Trukfit which is market toward his fans but also skateboarding fans. 

Mainstream hip-hop is a result of money and incentives for the artist. That is why it is not uncommon for an artist to change their style. In the end, it is their job, and for some the goal is money and fame as a rap artist. There is hope for artist who do not want to sell out however. The growing popularity of online free mixtapes allows artist to gain a fan base without a large label signing them. This allows for creative freedom and keeps the art in hip-hop.

Style

Style is not just a simple thing that an artist has. It is a complete mixture of voice, technique and content. Many M.Cs have those qualities but each one of those qualities can be replicated from another rapper or M.C.  Another way in which one could describe style is by repetition which seems easier to understand than a complete mixture of 3 different elements. Another ingredient in which style is made of is geography, where the artist is from. The west coast style is different than the east coasts style but that doesn't mean that the west coast won’t enjoy listening to the east coasts rap. Style is a simple word but a complex idea.

In our reading from the Poetics of Hip-hop, Daniel Levitan stated that style was repetition. Style is when the three elements of voice, technique and content become predictable because it has been repeated. And the listener can listen to the rapper or M.C and know who is rapping simply by being able to identify the three elements. Style has two points of views, the listener and the artists. From The Poetics of Hip-hop states the style from within involves the way an artist produces a work of art, the sum of the choices that result in the formation of an artistic whole. Style is a bunch of choices that the artists make. Those choices become more easily identifiable after repetition.

Geography is also an interesting factor in style. In the 1990’s the difference between west coast and east coast rap was great. The rapper Dr.Dre was dumbfounded to discover that his album was being played in New York just much as in L.A, which brings up the controversy of… Do traditional styles divide a region? Regardless of that the responsibility of individual artists to define personal styles out of a combination of their individual genius and the influences that surround them. Ethnomusicologist study music from all over the world and they pick out different styles from all over. As an ethnomusicologist they have to hear styles and say where the music was from which is kind of like figuring out what makes that music sound like it’s from that place. And that reason is style which is a combination of voice, technique and content.

I really think that this beautiful way to end my blog which is a quote from because it makes me actually think, The poetic s of Hip-Hop.” Rap may be the music of the street corner rather than the conservatory, but mastering its verbal art requires as much attention to craft as the most rarefied forms of artistic expression. So while raps spirit is unquestionably revolutionary, its form is traditional. Rap style is always balanced somewhere along this axis.” I thought that quote is a great way to explain style not only because of the metaphors used but because it let me think about the quality of rap as an art form and how an artist’s style comes from their life experiences simply.

What We Say and Why We Say It

Analyzing What We Say and Why We Say It

For me, words are a form of action, capable of influencing change.

Ingrid Bengis

The power of language is simply unlimited.  Any given sentence can change in meaning purely by changing the inflection and tone with which it is spoken.  Rap artists have sparked all sorts of controversy because of their lyrics and the implications behind them, as music is a very influential medium for the messages they are conveying.  Often times, artists say very controversial things in order to grab our attention but  there is a deeper meaning or even subliminal message.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hMSucrhQ3M

Eminem’s “Criminal” has been hailed with having some of the most controversial rap lyrics of all time and is considered to be extremely homophobic.  It features the line "My words are like a dagger with a jagged edge/That'll stab you in the head whether you're a fag or les...Hate fags?/The answer's yes" much to the dismay of the GLAAD community.  His response? He was just trying to get a rise out of his audience and he doesn’t give much more than a passing thought to the word ‘faggot.’  This is evidence that any publicity is good publicity.  Sometimes artists say provocative things just to grab their audience’s attention and with no intention of actually offending them. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKhUV8IrKPg

Childish Gambino’s “Bonfire” used to resonate with me as a song that made light of a national tragedy, the alleged murder of Caylee Anthony by her mother Casey.  The line “made the beat then murdered it- Casey Anthony” is a tongue-in-cheek response to an absolute monstrosity.  Upon further investigation, I don’t think that Donald Glover (Childish Gambino) is actually approaching the topic satirically.  He’s using this line to draw attention to what he believes was an unfair acquittal.  Lines about events that are taboo call the most attention and are most affective at reaching an audience and rousing emotion. 

There are plenty of examples of songs that we have discussed in class that for whatever reason have stirred up chatter.  It is proven that artists use lyrics as a gimmick to get the audience’s attention when really they believe in something else entirely.