Chook Me!

how did good lyricism become unpopular in the mainstream (for hip hop)?

like at the peak of the golden ages, you would get all this insight and flow (public enemy, a tribe called quest, boogie down productions, eric b and rakim , etc.) on the radio and tv, and then later there was tupac, biggie, nwa, snoop dogg - still good. but now it's like lyrically, 85% of mainstream rap is trash and every rapper wants to own a clothing line, and all their singles are ringtones or chick songs with simple hooks and half naked women in their videos. it's like a lot of the best lyrics are found underground. why are good lyrics not really accessible through the radio and tv?

Public Comments

1. because labels only want something that's gonna sale...they don't know how to market good artists anymore and that's sad
2. because back in the day you had to be gifted on the mic to make it. nobody wants to give real artists a chance. every company, radio stations and chief executive wants a money maker, and they are looking for wack artists to get money for them. artists that are real dont even get record deals, and alot of the real artists have to go to an independent label like E1/Koch music.
3. becuz shitty kids who think they know rap(but dont) buy all the SOuilja boii shit and since thast what sells the execs dont wanna sign lyrical genius
4. I blame radio stations, they play the music played in clubs so that people can have the 'hottest' music. Too bad that means that actually GOOD hip hop is harder to find, which means less people are exposed to good music.
5. reason 1 because now if you say "swagga" or get shot you're automatically marketable. you could come up with the greatest metaphors in existence and be a lyrical genius and still not get signed by a major. if you don't mention rims, tits, ass, swagga, or brag about yourself, you're not marketable because you're different. reason 2 the general (hip hop) public aren't interested in lyrics. if the beat is tolerable and you can play it in a club, you're marketable. you could put a baby voice over a drum loop and people would dance to it. that's how far hip hop has fallen since 99
6. It's partially because of what you mentioned, the ringtone industry. Ringtones are going to start outselling albums pretty soon and major labels realize this. If the beat isn't something to make America dance or the hook isn't marketably "catchy" it can't be a ringtone and therefore won't be thrust into the mainstream. Sad, ain't it?