Rap Going Downhill?

[Tony Pascarella]

CNN posted an article discussing the declining sales of rap music as well as the violent stereotypes that may be damaging the genre. Check it out right here (http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Music/03/05/music.rapbacklash.ap/index.html). What do you think?

Submitted by darthrupp83

[Steve Henderson]

Rap going downhill

In other news, water is wet...

[mr chainsaw]

In other news, water is wet...

oh snap

but yeah, rap is terrible these days...not like the sugar hill gang

[trindaddy]

In other news, water is wet...


:jawdrop:

[JulieLynn]

well no kidding..i could have told you that.

[dangets]

Nas speaks truth

[chiodos13]

Rap is a joke and anyone can do it. All you have to do is be able to rhyme about anything and know someone who can put a decent beat behind it.

[ror.]

anymore, its just so saturated. Its hard to find hip hop with any substance these days. The beats are all the same and once one guy makes it he brings his whole crew with him, thus leading to other rappers in the mainstrem that weren't actually good enough to shine through and get discovered. There aren't many natural talents in the game right now. Unfortunately there's no room on the labels for them because people like the ying yang twins take their place. Anymore, most of its mindless.

[DeathToSwine]

truee. ^

[TheOtherAndrew]

In a few years, all the good rap will be underground. There's not even going to be that occasional good song any more and it'll be like rock was in the 80s.

[jetsto]

"hip hop is dead"




-nas

[eastcoast-fu]

I wonder how much illegal album downloads are cutting away from these album sales.

[themrmooreexp]

Aesop rock, mr lif, pos, atmosphere anyone?

[rbozz]

Rap sold its soul for spinning rims and gold teeth. There is still good rap out there, you just can't listen to the radio to find it.

Is it going downhill? Possibly, once it became "acceptable" to the masses to listen to rap music then it lost some of its rebelliousness. A lot of people flock to things that are socially unacceptable, and once its no longer on that level then it loses some of its allure. But on the reverse side so much money was flowing into the hip hop labels/artists at some point it was bound to slow down.

You can't keep recycling hte same beats forever and hope nobody notices.

[Ambulance X]

In other news, water is wet...

Also, dog bites man...

[Ambulance X]

Rap is a joke and anyone can do it. All you have to do is be able to rhyme about anything and know someone who can put a decent beat behind it.

Exactly. It takes no talent. Are people finally coming to their senses?!?!

[heartkarl]

Rip Rap

[themrmooreexp]

Exactly. It takes no talent. Are people finally coming to their senses?!?!


listen to someone like saul williams, theres talent in rap, however most people rarely get to hear it these days.

its ignorant to say theres no talent in rap, sure it doesn't necessarily take much to make a rap song, but that can be said about most any genre and doesn't necessarily reflect all songs in the genre because it sucks.

[Tom Good]

maybe it's because a lot of rap is similar in topics discussed and lack of originality. It could be doing what the rock scene has done. People got sick and tired of mainstream rock because it started getting really generic, so they looked for their rock fix from smaller bands (which are subsequently starting to become the more mainstream bands). I think if a style stops being fresh, the sales will start to decline. Also many mainstream rap albums now a days focus on the single. Besides that one single there are very few tracks worth listening to which can hurt an album sale. If you put 5 songs and 10 "Skits" on your album, then people will just get the single from iTunes or something.

[ror.]

Aesop rock, mr lif, pos, atmosphere anyone?

FTW!

[Joe DeAndrea]

If you put 5 songs and 10 "Skits" on your album, then people will just get the single from iTunes or something.

:shrug:
That doesn't stop Eminem.

[Fuce]

Rap sold its soul for spinning rims and gold teeth. There is still good rap out there, you just can't listen to the radio to find it.

I had given up on rap until my friend bought me Black Star (Talib Kweli and Mos Def) a few years ago. That's a damn good cd. I'm a huge Roots fan, too.

[Fuce]

Speakin of the Roots...

GwEMRGJC44M

[WCC335]

I had given up on rap until my friend bought me Black Star (Talib Kweli and Mos Def) a few years ago. That's a damn good cd. I'm a huge Roots fan, too.

yeah dude. black star, the roots, lupe fiasco, k-os. good stuff.

[kennedycurse]

:shrug:
That doesn't stop Eminem.

yea it does, his album sales aren't even close to where they were in the past.Seriously tho some hip hop is still awesome. Krs-one and BDP get as much listening time from me as anything from the last couple of years. and on top of that everyone should own at least 1 album by grandmaster flash

[kennedycurse]

yeah dude. black star, the roots, lupe fiasco, k-os. good stuff.

add dead prez in there too

[TasonJate]

maybe it's because a lot of rap is similar in topics discussed and lack of originality. It could be doing what the rock scene has done. People got sick and tired of mainstream rock because it started getting really generic, so they looked for their rock fix from smaller bands (which are subsequently starting to become the more mainstream bands). I think if a style stops being fresh, the sales will start to decline. Also many mainstream rap albums now a days focus on the single. Besides that one single there are very few tracks worth listening to which can hurt an album sale. If you put 5 songs and 10 "Skits" on your album, then people will just get the single from iTunes or something.

bingo

[genericmadness]

Finally

[chelsea__]

In other news, water is wet...

Aesop rock, mr lif, pos, atmosphere anyone?

oh yes.

[nulemoni]

Clearly there just isn't much deviation with Rap. Just look at the trends in music either mainstream or underground. Rap just doesn't have much of anywhere to progress to.

[SmokieB.High]

rap is crap

[candleguy1142]

fergilicious?

[Kamtin Mohager]

thank god! it's about time this happened!

[The Revisionist]

Mainstream rap, sure. I mean, you could basically right the same album about mainstream pop bands, and of course that wouldn't mean there wasn't numerous talented artists under the radar.

[Talib Scottie]

Rap is now marketed towards white people, hence why 4/5 rap songs you hear on the radio is just a novelty song with some "clever" saying or innuendo referring to sex, drugs, fighting or rims over some dance club beat.

Shit, some rappers / rap groups are releasing three and four novelty singles off of the same CD now.

[DeGausseR187]

finally people have realized that rap sucks.

[Noooobie]

Hip Hop, and rap in particular, were simply gimmicks from the very beginning. That they are declining is the natural order of the world. Think disco music here. Congratulations hip hop, you lasted a good 10 years past when you should have.

[PaintMeBlue]

In other news, water is wet...

hahahahahaha

[Chevy114]

Its like most music these days it's so easy to mass produce it. With mass production of stuff comes good music and bad music thats any genre. Look at rock do Good Charolette and Nickel Back count as good music, no, but does it mean rock is going downhill, no, look at most bands on this site!

[Openyourheart]

Jurassic 5 is pretty freakin' good.........as is Kanye.

[pinklipgloss]

Black Star needs to release another album.

[Teoa_Fes]

Wu Tang Is Here Forever....mofocka.

[WarpSpeedChewy]

I don't like Rap. I like Hip-Hop.

[HoboAdam]

the problem with rap is nobody sings about things people can relate too. its pretty much you come up with a word and say it means this and then everybody buys your album

[asian_rut]

Mainstream rap and hip-hop is terrible right now, yes. I love how a couple of dudes took it as, "Thank God, they finally realized that rap always sucked. I feel great now, let me celebrate by listening to my just-as-generic white dude rock bands because I'm a subconscious racist." As if "emo," "punk," and whatever-core haven't "hit a wall." How many times can you hear a song about the same girl and the same relationshits?

If you want to say rap or hip-hop doesn't take any talent, then I'll hit you with this: it isn't incredibly difficult to pick out three chords, organize them into a melody, and sing your latest Livejournal entry to it. It's all the rage too.

Instead of spinning rims and gold fronts, its skinny jeans and shaggy unwashed hair. Instead of big booty chicks shaking their ass, it's skinny girls with an Urban Outfitters/Forever 21 wardrobe with running mascara. Don't even talk shit. One image is just as ridiculous and overblown as the other one. I'm guilty of skinny jeans and hoodies but at least I admit it.

Don't talk to me about Southern rappers, I know they suck. And no, don't even pull the Lil Wayne card.

[hxchairstylist]

the problem with rap is nobody sings about things people can relate too. its pretty much you come up with a word and say it means this and then everybody buys your album

like "laffy taffy"? I mean, what the fuck????????? That song is the ultimate case in point as to how much rap has declined.

But, Nas, Mos Def/Talib Kweli/Black Star, Common, Atmosphere, Lyrics Born and many others still keep things fairly fresh.

[theguiltyfew]

Black Star needs to release another album.

true that.

[WarpSpeedChewy]

Don't talk to me about Southern rappers, I know they suck. And no, don't even pull the Lil Wayne card.
Even though a lot of crappy rappers come from the South, we are redeemed by Outkast.

like "laffy taffy"? I mean, what the fuck????????? That song is the ultimate case in point as to how much rap has declined.

But, Nas, Mos Def/Talib Kweli/Black Star, Common, Atmosphere, Lyrics Born and many others still keep things fairly fresh.
100% truth.

[mikedumapias]

gangsta rap is not hip hop.

-miked.

[kbauer]

they saturated themselves and got too caught up in living their shallow meaningless lifestyles and rapping about it all the time. seriously rap is getting worse and worse, less creative, its not even rhyming most of the time, like no verses, its just a really repeatitive bass with a repeatitive hook, to try to be catchy.

its happening to alternative music right now too, its just hot, but rap got hot too and alternative will go back into the commercial decline and rap will rise again.

[Punkdc]

What happened at the NBA all star game?

[kbauer]

But, Nas, Mos Def/Talib Kweli/Black Star, Common, Atmosphere, Lyrics Born and many others still keep things fairly fresh.

I dont like Atmosphere but all those other rappers are the only ones I listen to because I believe theyre the only ones that are artists anymore.

[racetothebottom]

to me rap always seems like the same thing. the same videos, the same songs, etc. i do agree that there is some good rap somewhere out there, but the mainstream more popular stuff just seems pointless to listen to now.

[Maniac Moses]

In a few years, all the good rap will be underground. There's not even going to be that occasional good song any more and it'll be like rock was in the 80s.

As the unquestionably most ghetto member of this board, I feel it important that I chime in.


I don't understand your rock comment at all. That makes no sense.

Now onto rap. There are so many good rappers today it's not even funny. There's a lot of bad rap but there is JUST as much bad rock, bad punk, bad indie, and bad everything else. You can't make judgements just by looking at the mainstream. Look at mainstream emo. How would you feel if you were generalized by a bunch of rap fans as a group of kids who basically just listen to Hawthorne Heights and Fall Out Boy. You'd say "Oh but there is so much more!" and you wouldn't change any minds.

There's more good mainstream rap than there is good mainstream rock.

[stay_18_forever]

can't spell crap without rap

[Maniac Moses]

What happened at the NBA all star game?

It became more a showcase of bling than a showcase of talent sadly.

[cory-182]

Rap has always been declining in terms of the crap they sing about. A decline in the popularity of rap is long overdue in my opinion. All I need now is for Hinder to fall off the face of the earth and I will be happy.

[RomeoAGoGo]

Wow, you people are fucking stupid.

Rap sales are dominating.

When was the last time your favorite band sold over 500k?

Even 100k?

[HoboAdam]

Wow, you people are fucking stupid.

Rap sales are dominating.

When was the last time your favorite band sold over 500k?

Even 100k?



are you serious. i would say aleast 20 of the bands commonly talked about on this board sell over 100,000 records. and the point of the article is saying that a couple of years back the top ten records of the year (sales figures) rap was the majority and now it barely gets two in

[ironlionOROKU]

When you diss Dre...you diss yourself.

[stryet]

Hip hop, from my observation, has always been less about the artist and more about the producer. The reason why people are so easily swayed by overtly sexual and violent lyrics is because the beat is good, you can dance to it, and it's downright hypnotic. Dr. Dre's G-Funk was the reason Snoop Dogg was so popular in the 90s, and the Neptunes are the reason he's popular today. This is not to say that hip-hop artists aren't talented, but the fact that the artists are going to superproducers and their trademark sounds says something about their real motives in their "art".

Of course, I can't knock the underground, and I have to give a shout to Zion-I and the Visionaries, two of my favorite groups. They keep production in house, with tight, hypnotizing and danceable beats, and positive lyrics. Like previous posters, good hip-hop is probably going underground, and only those who are really looking for it will find it.

[Steve Henderson]

Wow, you people are fucking stupid.

Rap sales are dominating.

When was the last time your favorite band sold over 500k?

Even 100k?
FOB just went platinum. So did MCR.

Those are the mainstream bands that compete against mainstream rap. Comparing bands mentioned on AP otherwise to mainstream radio rap is retarded. Look underground if you want to go apples/apples.

[cipp299]

there's good rap out there you just gotta look...people mentioned them before...mos def, heiruspecs, pos, atmosphere, lupe fiasco, black star....

[JunkBondTrader]

ambulance X is a fucktard. kid is a moron. there is so much good rap and hiphop out there. and it takes alot of fucking talent to be honest. alot of them talk about important issues. a hell of alot more important than the things bands on this site are tlaking about. tell me....whats the difference between rapping about money than singing about your ex-girlfriend.....i dont see how either are important....therefor when kids on this site say they talk about dumb things i laugh. Clipse, who talks about girls, money and coke are better songwriters than a 95% of the bands on this site.....their subject matter may not appeal to everyone, but the way they write and flow is far superior. they are fucking wordsmiths, and masters of their craft.

the whole rap "sucks" statement is just pure ignorance to entire an entire genre of music that has an interesting history behind it. people on this site think about everything so black and white its pathetic.

lupe, kanye west, common, jay z, ghostface (or wu tang), the clipse, lil wayne, eminem (old), tupac, biggie, nas, the game, mos def......and these are all pretty mainstream.

[Alexxx]

Gym class heroes, aesop rock, atmosphere, outkast, lupe, tree city, and some other HIP HOP. Not rap, is what i listen to. I Think that there is a huge difference. its just the way it is, rappers wear all this jewelry and stuff, hip hop talks about shit that matters. thats what i think the difference is and i think thats why rap is going down the drain. although, hip hop isnt getting all the sales it should either...

[Alexxx]

oh, sage francis. i should've mentioned him first. hes great

[JunkBondTrader]

Gym class heroes, aesop rock, atmosphere, outkast, lupe, tree hill, and some other HIP HOP. Not rap, is what i listen to. I Think that there is a huge difference. its just the way it is, rappers wear all this jewelry and stuff, hip hop talks about shit that matters. thats what i think the difference is and i think thats why rap is going down the drain. although, hip hop isnt getting all the sales it should either...
gym class heroes rap about things that matter?

[Alexxx]

No. Gym class heroes write about funny shit. like cupids chokehold. i dont really like the song but the meaning in great. its saying fuck you to all the bands that write about how they're girlfriends hate them and want to break up with them and stuff. thats a song about how there girls are great. i found those lyrics funny. and if you listen to some older GCH, they've got some pretty deep lyrics. i recommend The papercut chronicles

[redeyes]

individual sales are declining, but i blame that on the rise of choice. everybody in rap wants to rep their hood, and buy dudes from around the way. crucial conflict is a huge deal here in chicago, but would someone from NY even know who they are? Dudes like Jim Jones are selling 300k. What's happening in the rest of the music industry includes rap. Less diamond albums, more gold albums. and is R&B considered rap? because i'm sure they share a similar fanbase.

Rap loves the word "classic" and there hasn't been a classic album in years. when was the last illmatic or 36 chambers? I certainly wouldn't put get rich or die trying on that level, but taht was the last thing that everybody in the hood was listenin too. possibly the game as well.

but keep your ears open for papoose pa--poose.
alert assassins at-large allegedly.

[GiggsOho]

Lyrics from Daydreamin' by Lupe Fiasco:

"Now come on everybody, let's make cocaine cool
We need a few more half naked women up in the pool
And hold this MAC-10 that's all covered in jewels
And can you please put your titties closer to the 22s?
And where's the champagne? We need champagne
Now look as hard as you can with this blunt in your hand
And now hold up your chain slow motion through the flames
Now cue the smoke machines and the simulated rain
But not too loud 'cause the baby's sleepin
I wonder if it knows what the world is keepin
Up both sleeves while he lay there dreamin
Me and my robot tip-toe 'round creepin
I had to turn my back on what got you paid
I couldn't see half the hood on me like Abu Ghraib
But I'd like to thank the streets that drove me crazy
And all the televisions out there that raised me"


That right there is exactly what the rap game is. In a verse. It's sad that all the good MC's can be named on one hand.

[robsmith]

add dead prez in there too

dead prez are terrible. Ignorant racists.

[JunkBondTrader]

No. Gym class heroes write about funny shit. like cupids chokehold. i dont really like the song but the meaning in great. its saying fuck you to all the bands that write about how they're girlfriends hate them and want to break up with them and stuff. thats a song about how there girls are great. i found those lyrics funny. and if you listen to some older GCH, they've got some pretty deep lyrics. i recommend The papercut chronicles
i put more stock into the clipse. who write about coke, but are far better writers. and way more talent.

[Alexxx]

True, giggsoho, sad, but true...

[Rest_Easy]

there are a billion rap albums a week it seems. How can the market keep up? Tis guy releases a cd then does a collaberation with this guy then the remixes come out then this other person wants in and.... geez. Enough.

[GiggsOho]

[quote=redeyes;5886760]
Rap loves the word "classic" and there hasn't been a classic album in years. when was the last illmatic or 36 chambers? I certainly wouldn't put get rich or die trying on that level, but taht was the last thing that everybody in the hood was listenin too. possibly the game as well.
[\quote]


What about College Dropout? That album was a totally different direction for hip-hop, basically showing the struggles of today's MC. Wanting to sound like a true MC, but having all the lavishes of life thrown at you.

[JunkBondTrader]

Lyrics from Daydreamin' by Lupe Fiasco:

"Now come on everybody, let's make cocaine cool
We need a few more half naked women up in the pool
And hold this MAC-10 that's all covered in jewels
And can you please put your titties closer to the 22s?
And where's the champagne? We need champagne
Now look as hard as you can with this blunt in your hand
And now hold up your chain slow motion through the flames
Now cue the smoke machines and the simulated rain
But not too loud 'cause the baby's sleepin
I wonder if it knows what the world is keepin
Up both sleeves while he lay there dreamin
Me and my robot tip-toe 'round creepin
I had to turn my back on what got you paid
I couldn't see half the hood on me like Abu Ghraib
But I'd like to thank the streets that drove me crazy
And all the televisions out there that raised me"


That right there is exactly what the rap game is. In a verse. It's sad that all the good MC's can be named on one hand.
Pusha T....crazy fucking flow.

Fear him, as soon as you hear him
Upon my arrival, the dope dealers cheer him
Just like a revival, the verse tends to steer 'em
Through a life in the fast lane, like German engineerum
No serum can cure all the pain I've endured
From crack to rap to back to sellin it pure
For every record I potentially sell in the store
It's like Mecca to the dealer that's sellin it raw
So many deceive ya
I'm on touch with the Keys, move over Alicia
I force feed ya the metric scale
Rap's like child's play, my show and tell
Within each verse you see the truths unveil
They manufacture proof as they lie to themselves
Puppets on the string like a yoyo
Bouncin like a pogo, they prayin I never go solo

[Alexxx]

i think its all an opinion. you may think some writers amazing, even if they dont talk about all these real life issues, just stuff in the hood and there gangs and stuff, which are real life, but not to me. im not into gangs, i dont live in the hood. that kind of stuff wouldnt matter to me. so ya, i think its all an opinion

[ThatGuy]

Mainstream rap and hip-hop is terrible right now, yes. I love how a couple of dudes took it as, "Thank God, they finally realized that rap always sucked. I feel great now, let me celebrate by listening to my just-as-generic white dude rock bands because I'm a subconscious racist." As if "emo," "punk," and whatever-core haven't "hit a wall." How many times can you hear a song about the same girl and the same relationshits?

If you want to say rap or hip-hop doesn't take any talent, then I'll hit you with this: it isn't incredibly difficult to pick out three chords, organize them into a melody, and sing your latest Livejournal entry to it. It's all the rage too.

Instead of spinning rims and gold fronts, its skinny jeans and shaggy unwashed hair. Instead of big booty chicks shaking their ass, it's skinny girls with an Urban Outfitters/Forever 21 wardrobe with running mascara. Don't even talk shit. One image is just as ridiculous and overblown as the other one. I'm guilty of skinny jeans and hoodies but at least I admit it.

Don't talk to me about Southern rappers, I know they suck. And no, don't even pull the Lil Wayne card.

this first paragraph is pretty much truth.

[Tony]

Mainstream rap and hip-hop is terrible right now, yes. I love how a couple of dudes took it as, "Thank God, they finally realized that rap always sucked. I feel great now, let me celebrate by listening to my just-as-generic white dude rock bands because I'm a subconscious racist." As if "emo," "punk," and whatever-core haven't "hit a wall." How many times can you hear a song about the same girl and the same relationshits?

If you want to say rap or hip-hop doesn't take any talent, then I'll hit you with this: it isn't incredibly difficult to pick out three chords, organize them into a melody, and sing your latest Livejournal entry to it. It's all the rage too.

Instead of spinning rims and gold fronts, its skinny jeans and shaggy unwashed hair. Instead of big booty chicks shaking their ass, it's skinny girls with an Urban Outfitters/Forever 21 wardrobe with running mascara. Don't even talk shit. One image is just as ridiculous and overblown as the other one. I'm guilty of skinny jeans and hoodies but at least I admit it.

I was about to write this exact same post. Thanks for saving me some keystrokes!

And for all the folks whose posts use "rap" and "crap" in the same sentence, get some better fucking material.

[Iamhome]

Rap wont decline. People like to shake what their momma's gave them in the club. No matter how many bands write songs telling people to dance, they aren't based around the rhythms that actually make people want to 'get krunk'. Also, since rap is such an easy genre to bob your head too, the tunes are used quite frequently - IMO the number of times you hear a song has a direct relation to how much you will like it (if it is good).

[kennedycurse]

; and there hasn't been a classic album in years. when was the last illmatic or 36 chambers? I certainly wouldn't put get rich or die trying on that level, but taht was the last thing that everybody in the hood was listenin too. possibly the game as well.

but keep your ears open for papoose pa--poose.
alert assassins at-large allegedly.

true words there. i never even thought of it in those terms. there have been lots of good or really good albums, but nothing that is a true classic, that people will still care about in 10 years...

[Kotz1]

Rap hasn't been the same since Public Enemy, NWA and Run-DMC were in their prime. You know, before rap was "MTV'd".

[Steve Henderson]

gym class heroes rap about things that matter?
On Papercut Chronicles they sure did. Suicide, homophobia, violence, and a ton of other comtemporary social issues.

That said, their new record is awful, disposable garbage.

[Alexxx]

Their new record isnt horrible, its catchy. the lyrics arent about the same subject matter, and i bought the cd expecting them to be. But it does get the job done when i just want something i can hum to for the rest of the day. when i want some good thinking lyrics, i put in papercut chronicles. But ya papercut chronicles had some greatttt cd's addressing big subjects

[CrenshawPunch]

Anyone seen the trailer for the ICON video game?

[jetsto]

yo yo yo, this thread is wack. peace, im out

[Bury Your Head]

We can only hope the decline keeps going and going

:)

[ThatGuy]

On Papercut Chronicles they sure did. Suicide, homophobia, violence, and a ton of other comtemporary social issues.

That said, their new record is awful, disposable garbage.

i think they wanted to make the rent

[ihello]

rap is in decline because everyone is trying to be like the last guy, and not like something new. that's why the real guys- jay-z, atmosphere, aesop rock, ludacris (originality in verse and cadence, not image) stand out. the oversaturation will end up in a back-lash eventually.

[over rated]

You can't keep recycling hte same beats forever and hope nobody notices.

apparantly nickelback thinks you can.

[soundofthebrown]

nas said it best

[R3DLiN3]

Eventually Hip Hop will come full circle and come back to its roots; like in the late 80's and early 90's.

[bradyreier]

theres only a handful of today's rappers that i can listen to.

[Tony Pascarella]

On Papercut Chronicles they sure did. Suicide, homophobia, violence, and a ton of other comtemporary social issues.

That said, their new record is awful, disposable garbage.Agreed on both parts. I did an interview before I worked here with Travis and we talked about The Papercut Chronicles and some of the subject matter, specifically the issue of homophobia. It was a pretty interesting song and his explanation as to why he chose to write it gave me a new outlook on the band. I just wish the second album had been up to par. Get rid of the shitty guests who whine on their songs, and bring back what they did well with TPC.

[Hainzey X]

I don't like Rap. I like Hip-Hop.

Bingo !

[Tony Pascarella]

apparantly nickelback thinks you can.People continue to buy it, so the idea is "why change a profitable thing?" If Nickelback ever tried to deviate from their current style, I think they'd dissolve their fanbase almost entirely. I dislike their music, but those types of bands are a necessity in this industry. They keep it afloat; sales would have been down a lot further if bands like Nickelback and Evanescence didn't sell 3 million copies last year. It costs a lot less to promote an established artist with a built-in fanbase of millions than to sign a nobody and try to promote them to the same level.

There will never be "no Nickelback" in the industry, as sad as it is. Limp Bizkit faded out, Linkin Park took their place. Linkin Park faded out, Nickelback took their place along with Three Days Grace.

And that's just--what, the past five to seven years?

We need A&R and executives at the major labels to look past the bottom line and see the industry as a whole. But that won't happen (obviously) because they'd lose their jobs.

Remember, the music industry is one giant (bloody) cycle. Before Fall Out Boy and Blink-182, there were The Beatles and Elvis Presley. (And yes, I appreciate that neither of those artists will ever outsell their predecessors, but that has to do with technology, the music-buying attitude, and also the population breakdown, I believe.

[Alexxx]

Bingo !
No i already said that...There is a difference and i like the hip hop better

[Alexxx]

warp speed chevys right though, hip hop is better

[danfrank]

jedi mind tricks

thats all that needs to be said

[THCmike]

Gangsta rap will go the way of 80's hair metal. As did all all of the other styles of music that forgot about art and focused on image or following trends in music, and stopped being creative.
It seems though people are too willing to hate and either forgot or dont really know the true classics of rap and hip-hop alike.

[FUCKDIRTYWIPES]

Wow, you people are fucking stupid.

Rap sales are dominating.

When was the last time your favorite band sold over 500k?

Even 100k?
the shins did, and i belive the band on your avatar has put up quite the numbers...

[legalize]

rap<hip hop

know the difference.

[thatwasamoment]

kill whitey

[Sleepaway]

I wish we could go back to hearing 90's hip-hop.

[iamj]

immortal technique is a genius.

[kbauer]

On Papercut Chronicles they sure did. Suicide, homophobia, violence, and a ton of other comtemporary social issues.

That said, their new record is awful, disposable garbage.

Ive said a lot of 2006 releases were garbage and people have like wanted to fight me about it but everyone seems to agree with me and you on Gym Class Heroes and Cruel As School Children, horribly dissapointing.

They tried to be like Hollywood Undead because they were the "alternative rap" group tearing up the myspace charts, so GCH put up a record that mirrored those jackasses lyrics which were all about myspace, banging scene skanks and getting drunk and or high.

I want to call them sell-outs for that.

[LillieDesigns]

Saul Williams is amazing, but the problem is that i can't name anyone else in the rap scene that is also amazing. Maybe Clipse.

[kbauer]

Gangsta rap will go the way of 80's hair metal. As did all all of the other styles of music that forgot about art and focused on image or following trends in music, and stopped being creative.
It seems though people are too willing to hate and either forgot or dont really know the true classics of rap and hip-hop alike.

In the sense your talking about, it did like 4 or 5 years ago, maybe even earlier. But its hung onto its shallow ways so long because it was continuesly marketed and the mainstream only listens to what theyre are marketed. Also I think the decadence of rap is a sign of everyones admiration of wealth and materialism. But now things like "grillz" are becoming nothing but a joke and a reason for retarded scene kids to put tin foil on their teeth.

But a lot of the popular bands on here are already well on the hair metal path. Local metal bands maybe, like The Devil Wears Prada, or pop punk bands like our favorites Cute Is What We Aim for. Theyre all catering into the shallow trend marketed to teenage girls and picked up by some confused teenage boys all looking to fit into something with their hacked hair cuts, girls jeans, bandanas, camo, cocaine and Sidekicks.

Mainstream music is more shallow and worse than ever, with Death Cab, The Strokes, The Shins and now I guess The Arcade Fire really being the only alternative music of substance to look to, if not the only bands of substance to look to at all.

It is all a cycle and things are starting to turn.

[Steve Henderson]

Ive said a lot of 2006 releases were garbage and people have like wanted to fight me about it but everyone seems to agree with me and you on Gym Class Heroes and Cruel As School Children, horribly dissapointing.

They tried to be like Hollywood Undead because they were the "alternative rap" group tearing up the myspace charts, so GCH put up a record that mirrored those jackasses lyrics which were all about myspace, banging scene skanks and getting drunk and or high.

I want to call them sell-outs for that.
Truth.

[Hainzey X]

No i already said that...There is a difference and i like the hip hop better


Sorry, i was'nt aware that you owned the rights to the word "bingo."
please dont sue me.

[captainamazing4]

man, its sad to see this happening. there's only a few good rappers left :[

[thewk]

bitches ain't shit but hoes and tricks.
lick on these nuts and suck on the dick.

[foisol]

Mainstream rap and hip-hop is terrible right now, yes. I love how a couple of dudes took it as, "Thank God, they finally realized that rap always sucked. I feel great now, let me celebrate by listening to my just-as-generic white dude rock bands because I'm a subconscious racist." As if "emo," "punk," and whatever-core haven't "hit a wall." How many times can you hear a song about the same girl and the same relationshits?

If you want to say rap or hip-hop doesn't take any talent, then I'll hit you with this: it isn't incredibly difficult to pick out three chords, organize them into a melody, and sing your latest Livejournal entry to it. It's all the rage too.

Instead of spinning rims and gold fronts, its skinny jeans and shaggy unwashed hair. Instead of big booty chicks shaking their ass, it's skinny girls with an Urban Outfitters/Forever 21 wardrobe with running mascara. Don't even talk shit. One image is just as ridiculous and overblown as the other one. I'm guilty of skinny jeans and hoodies but at least I admit it.

Don't talk to me about Southern rappers, I know they suck. And no, don't even pull the Lil Wayne card.

Best post in a long time...

[kbauer]

bitches ain't shit but hoes and tricks.
lick on these nuts and suck on the dick.

Somehow Ben Folds covering that song worked better than anything Ive ever heard before.

[emerypearl]

oh, wow.

this made me laugh a little actually

[RandomHero1230]

do they take into account the fact that rap completely sucks dick these days?

[-Aaron-]

I'll just continue to listen to Eric B and Rakim, De La Soul, and A Tribe Called Quest.

[DeGausseR187]

Mainstream rap and hip-hop is terrible right now, yes. I love how a couple of dudes took it as, "Thank God, they finally realized that rap always sucked. I feel great now, let me celebrate by listening to my just-as-generic white dude rock bands because I'm a subconscious racist." As if "emo," "punk," and whatever-core haven't "hit a wall." How many times can you hear a song about the same girl and the same relationshits?

If you want to say rap or hip-hop doesn't take any talent, then I'll hit you with this: it isn't incredibly difficult to pick out three chords, organize them into a melody, and sing your latest Livejournal entry to it. It's all the rage too.

Instead of spinning rims and gold fronts, its skinny jeans and shaggy unwashed hair. Instead of big booty chicks shaking their ass, it's skinny girls with an Urban Outfitters/Forever 21 wardrobe with running mascara. Don't even talk shit. One image is just as ridiculous and overblown as the other one. I'm guilty of skinny jeans and hoodies but at least I admit it.

Don't talk to me about Southern rappers, I know they suck. And no, don't even pull the Lil Wayne card.

rap has always sucked...its much easier to make fake beats then even play 3 chords, whereas the most creative rap song of all time doesnt take nearly as much talent as the best rock song of all time. Everything about rap is fake..from the spinning rims to the gold teeth to the beats and to the lyrics..i bet half of the rappers dont know shit about living in a "ghetto" and being pimps. Find a rapper who actually writes metaphors (like Jesse Lacey) instead of straight up G lyrics about the same ho's, pieces and drugs. Yes, most emo music is about a girl..but idk if you know nothing about music, or just ignorant..but music for the past 60 years has been about girls and love. Rap is the only music that talks about the same pointless story about the streets. So go ahead and call Led Zeppelin "emo" if you want since most of their songs were about love and girls. Rap has nothing on any type of rock.

[drivethruaz]

Rap is unbelievable dumbed down now
I do believe there was only two solid rap albums for 2006
Hip Hop is Dead and Doctor's Advocate
everything else was just lousy attempts( if that)

now it's all about the fucking stupid dances, and other stupid shit
Im just gonna finish here, I could go on for hours on how fucked up rap is right now

[LilRyan732]

Why does rap take all the punishment?

Rock is going downhill.
Metal is going downhill.
Country is going downhill.
fucking Jazz is going downhill.

Music in general is going downhill, rap isn't the only one. This is a way for CNN to single out one troubled genre (out of many) and illustrate its shortcomings.

[DeGausseR187]

Why does rap take all the punishment?

Rock is going downhill.
Metal is going downhill.
Country is going downhill.
fucking Jazz is going downhill.

Music in general is going downhill, rap isn't the only one. This is a way for CNN to single out one troubled genre (out of many) and illustrate its shortcomings.

actually all music except for rap is thriving. Look at all the rock bands like brand new and that whole scene..everyone is getting played on the radio now..how can you say rock, or metal, or country are going downhill...music is thriving