no hovering Hip hop is freedom of speech. Music has changed, everybody has their own style not all music should sound like pac and biggie.
i agree, though i think a lot of the beef is with hip hop that sounds generic. mainstream tends to also imply generic.
It's just that mainstream rap is chosen as mainstream because it sells, not necessarily because of its merit. So it's not an appropriate genre for any style of music, it's just a classification based on a different way of rating quality. Which is why it's look down upon, get me?
I feel any music that primarily teaches dumbassness (yes that is a valid scientific state of mind) should be looked down upon as such. anyway freedom of speech goes both ways, so it aint like thats the most compelling argument.
"based on a different way of a rating quality"? um.. i'm sor.... What?? Mainstream sells because it's good. The people that have the idea stuck in their heads that the only type of rap that has any "merit" is old school are the ones who are anti mainstream which I find funny. The likes of Lil Wayne are embarrassing but there are main stream talents who actually have the skill for rapping. (Drake, Eminem, Wiz to an extent, and one of the favorites amongst pot heads, Kid Cudi.
Sells because it's good? If we use that merit system, than you must say that Lady Gaga is better than mainstream rap.
Worded perfectly, mainstream is just a way to group stuff that is catchy and appealing on the surface. The same reason Transformers 2 was a box office hit, not because of the story line, or immaculate acting skills, it was for a stellar looking movie with Meghan Fox as the co-star. It doesn't necessarily sell because it's 'good', but rather because of the reason I mentioned above. People may go read a magazine; they're reading but not really reading for meaning, it isn't classified as true literature. Someone who truly grasps literary concepts and ideas, or would like to further indulge in something thought provoking would be more apt to read something by James Joyce of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Hope this makes sense, I'm exhausted
As I stated earlier, times have changed, and people want new music. It's 2011 and rap in general is singlehandedly taking over a large majority of the music industry.
I'm not dissing on rap, in face I love hip hop. So we're on the same page. All I'm saying is that good hip hop isn't good hip hop because it has the highest ratings. A lot of music gets hella ratings. Good rap has nothing to do with how many records it sells or how much radio play it gets. It has to do with personal taste, lyricism, flow, beats, meanings; and not necessarily all of these things, but doing any of them particularly well. Get me?
I agree with OP that music has changed. these days its made by groups of 40yr old guys/girls on imacs, different riffs cherry picked to make one song which is sold to the highest bidding manager, who gives it to his rapper who then releases it. probably starting the song with a little bit of acapella talking "this one comes from the heart yo"
the wrong people get rich..point blank period if i gave my sister a cd of lil wayne rapping rakims lyrics..she would love it if i gave her a cd of rakim rapping rakims lyrics..she would hate it get it? i love hip hop i just hate the mofo's in it. the main audience has shifted to 15 year old girls..why u think eminem is doin songs with Rihanna.
If I think a particular artist sucks, I'll say he sucks. Why do a lot of people these days get offended when you don't like what they're listening to. My opinions shouldn't invalidate other people's opinions. "Okay" should be the only correct response to someone who says the music you're listening to sucks. That's his opinion, you've got yours. Why talk about it anymore? I don't think anyone has ever changed someone's musical taste by giving logical reasons why someone is good or better. They actually play instruments, he actually raps about shit that matters, his music actually has substance. It doesn't mean anything, because music is subjective. If you dig it, you dig it. Even the people who don't give other music a quick listen to see if they like it. Fuck it man, more good music for me
mainstream is whatever the majority of the public is listening to, now just because something is Mainstream does not make it bad, but in the same way does not make it good for example a song can sound good Ex.) No hands but not be good if you actually rate it based on its genre (rap) like if you look at that song its off beat with uncreative rhymes, no meaning and barely any creative rhyming schemes at all. but it sounds good, so it sells, get it?
i just view mainstream music as stuff that's undoubtedly hot when in the club scene... but it's beyond my conclusion as to why they would put it in the radio, music t.v shows, and next to true lyricist.??
money changes everything i like a lot of the new rappers..but the fact u can say about the new school is, the good is outweighing the bad.