Record Sales does not make a Good Emcee

Just addressing an an issue I see play out many time on youtube.

Song in background is Raw Life by Foreign Exchange

Thanks to Emceemaka for providing perspective. Check out his page:

Today, America is going through a ton of economic problems and people in this country are suffering ... just like they were in the early 70's when Hip Hop originated in the Bronx. Hip Hop was established as a way to escape the poverty, corruption, and the many other problems those facing poverty lived on a daily basis. Even though the "escape" was momentarily, kids could dance (B Boy), rhyme (emcee), bomb (Graf), or beatbox. Day after day, they would practice, rewrite, pratice some more, rewrite some more, until they toned and perfected their skills. Eventually, the art form soared.

By the 80's, an emcee was an emcee. People lived Hip Hop. It came from the struggle and those who lived it, understood it. In the early to mid 90's, it continued to advance but emcee's continued to tone and master their rhyming skills. In the mid 90's, record executives realized that Hip Hop was not going to disappear therefore, let's (Universal, Sony, Columbia, etc...) begin to sign more of these artists ourselves and make money. It becamse all about the money. The art was no longer important.

Why is Wayne selling millions ...? Because those kids in this country, who ARE NOT Hip Hop ... those who listen to the same play list radio runs on heavy rotation, are fooled but could afford to buy the albums and mimic a culture they have no idea about. They don't know the likes of a KRS or Kane, but in so many rich or well off white neighborhoods, there are groups of kids at parties bumbing Soulja Boy and mimicing the cultures who started and founded Hip Hop and suffered and struggled but they don't know about these struggles. They have never lived it nor could they understand it. They think it's cool because Power 106 or Hot 97 says, "Where Hip Hop Lives." They watch the videos and buy into it.

If you go into the ghettos or the average neighborhoods in the inner cities all across this country, you might find some kids listening to this trash but they are not buying the albums... they can't afford it.

Hip Hop does not sell nearly as much as it used to or is supposed to. Hip Hop is lived. True Hip Hop fans search for it, find it, have gatherings like Rock the Bells and unite and enjoy. Lil Wayne and Soulja Boy and all other young, arrogant artists will never be allowed in a true Hip Hop venue. They could sell all they want but record sales will never define the talent of an artist. Wayne knows this and although he claims to be the best rapper alive, he hides from the likes of Mos Def and others who challenge him to a battle. He knows himself that he does not have near the skills needed to stand victorious.

Keep Hip Hop Alive!

One,

Maka

Category:

Music

Tags:

• hip hop
• rap
• emcees

[TheTitansno1]

And alot of Lil Wayne fans try to justify records sales as a legit reason to why Wayne is good...Lil Wayne is weak, he's only average at best. Even if record sales dictated how good a rapper is, Lil Wayne aint got shit on Eminem or Jay Z.

[alanmorrison1986]

most people who enjoy the better artists are intellectual enough to know how to illegally download music.....the majority of these record sales white middleclass teens who have an expendible income and are simply following the popular trend....views are molded by the media and most people just follow the status quo and go with the norm....it is alot easier to find a carter cd in the store than it is to find a madlib beat konducta album.....who is to blame though?....it is up to us

[SalomonModes]

This is a good post for young heads that don't know about the underground. These guys with massive record sales probably do work very hard at what they do, but their skills rarely satisfy me, personally. Thanks for the post. If you want to check out some hiphop inspired by the early 90's era, check out my music on SalomonModes

[elektrinate]

yes slapping with brinks indeed, I think the coming years are going to slap many mainstream empires with a brick

[RnBrealist]

The fact that Soulja Boy can go platinum to me is proof that you don't need any talent to sell records. Just a gimmick, some catchy beats, and a good marketing strategy that's geared towards the right audience(little kids, females, white people etc.). Anyone who tries to justify how good someone is by the numbers they do is an idiot. Point, blank, period.

[bukeecano]

@alanmorrison1986 Word up man! i totally agree

[WiseUp89]

@cKooLaiD311

Metaphors are great and all,

but if you don't have delivery it doesn't really matter how great your metaphors are because the execution isn't on point.

but i get what you're saying,

to me Pun is a lyrical beast,

I like the fact that his vocab is outta this world

i get tired of these nursery-rhyming-Dr.Seus-vocab having rappers

I think there was an interview long ago with Pun where he stated he read the dictionary to expand his lexicon, that's some real shit

[cKooLaiD311]

@WiseUp89 yea i agree...but yea to me pun isnt really a metaphore giant hes jus good at vocabulary and flow his wordplay is jus like normal and anything else he does is normal his flow and vocab is jus out of this world....thats why i said how come you jus picked pun.....but yea wayne is terrible...

[WiseUp89]

@cKooLaiD311

"One egg short of the omelet / Simon says shoot a nigga in his thigh and leg

And tell him ketchup like mayonnaise" --Lil wayne

just one of the reasons why he is just a terrible rapper.

[WiseUp89]

Shaq went platinum... that doesn't mean he's good.