Commercialization of The Hip-Hop Persona

[Kontents]

Why 50 Cent Sells Records: Commercialization of The Hip-Hop Persona

Article by: brooklyniteOne

I am usually immersed in Hip-hop culture. I listen everyday, I speak it, live it, and I love it. But I must admit that most of the Hip-Hop I hear nowadays does not appeal to me. As this dislike began to grow I have tried repeatedly to synthesize these feelings and reasons for my dislike and discontent into a coherent stream of consciousness.

I have watched Hip-Hop grow from being dismissed as a fad and laughed at as young cats did backspins and kicks on cardboard in the lobby of my apartment building growing up in the 80's to a multi-billion dollar force. How did this happen? How has this affected the music?

Chances are we have two very different views of what we consider real Hip-Hop. Chances are you think mainstream artists like 50 Cent creates Hip-Hop music. I disagree. He is popular. He creates 'Pop Music' for the Billboard charts.

Only certain 'types' or profiles of Hip-Hop artists can sell as many records as 50 Cent sold. He sold 10 Million plus with his first debut record "Get Rich or Die Tryin." Look at it like this, if you do not fit the profile chances are pop culture will not embrace you. Let’s think, 50 Cent is muscular, talks about sex and his "Magic Stick", black on black crime, and so forth. The whole image is mostly physical, almost animal like. Nothing mental or spiritual is relayed or embraced. Consider the mainstream embrace of 50 Cents image and its ties to the traditional American racist depiction of the strong athletic, and ultra-sexual black male.

A hip-Hop artist almost never makes a hit unless what is relayed is animal like, and by that I mean dealing in the realm of basic survival and things. "I will shoot you before you shoot me." "I need that, look I have this." In today’s world the animal is the most widely accepted profile of the Hip-Hop artist. In other words, that which focuses on the animal and physical needs over the mental and spiritual. The physical is accepted. Things. Getting Shit and having shit. Now think back to 50 Cent who said in a recent interview on Fuse "I don’t know why they don't call me a conscious rapper, I’m conscious of everything I say." I believe him. I believe he is consciously playing the role making himself that image pop culture can embrace. But does this make him a great Hip-Hop artist. No.

In no way can you equate record sales with quality. His new release "The Massacre" is garbage. Great music taps into life, makes you feel something and think. Thriving in real life is about knowing that we have physical needs and desires but at the same time we are here for a reason beyond those physical animal needs. We are here to develop our minds, and bodies. Good music takes you to that place in between the physical and spiritual/mental.

As a result of this rush of commercialism in hip-hop and due to the fact that only this once side of life, the physical, is embraced by the music industry and pop culture, the Hip-Hop music that is readily available and accessible via mass media is one sided and hollow. There is no soul in it. It's mostly about things, sex, and that of the animal. Its one sided. The mass media readily embraces this profile and that’s what is pushed and that’s what sells. So as money becomes a greater part of Hip-Hop and it is important to realize that money should not become it. Just as money is an important part of all our lives, but it should not become you and does not make you who you are. Selling more records does not make you the best emcee. No, "The Massacre" is not better than "Streets Disciple." "Get Rich, or Die Tryin" is not better than Ice Cube's "The Predator."

Regardless of who is rapping on your TV commercial, or who appears on your new Hip-Hop magazine cover, know that real Hip-Hop is from the streets; it carries and is born of the spirit of the underdog. The underrated, authentic and unpopular emcees like Styles P will always be what real Hip-Hop is about and chances are the best Hip-Hop will never fit the accepted pop profile and will never see the top of the Billboard music charts so stop looking.

 

[Fury]

good post..i like ur view on this hole shyt its on point..but i def disagree wit 50 cent being a consious rapper cuz theres nuttin conscious about him. but its tru we shud stop lookin at the charts cuz who we want willnever be on there cuz if u aint sexually appealing to the audience and dont give girls more boooty anthems to make em look dirtier than they already do then u aint gonna make the the top 10 charts..unless u got pharell or dre dancin in ur video than u mite have a shot..

 

[Relic]

Great Posst!
Really couldnt have put it better.
50 cent obviously never listened to PE or X-Clan commin up if he thinks he is conciousness rap.
Part of being hiphop is rebellion against the mainstream, so TRU hiphop heads really sorta rebel against this Clear Channel/Interscope conspiracy.

I love Gangstar but I wonder if I still would if they were as jammed down my throat like 50 is??.....Yeah I would, cuz Guru speaks reality..lol

But the obvious thing here is as Ive said before that the fuckers pushin this shit REALLY ont care about or undestand in my opinion the actual hiphop force.
Additionally, speakin on the spirituality plane of hiphop, I feel my artist does that and in fact could lock that market down if it exsisted, but tryin to even develop that market amoung all the 50 pennies of this world is REALLY hard.
Snoop tried that shit on blue Carpet and it didnt sit right with me.
You cant be a pimp killer then go to church on the same album and not raise my eyebrows but the point of the song was taken tho.
Great post tho!

 

[Mikemaster G]

Kontents, u fucking genius

Hey Kontents
U should be the voice of Hip-Hop
The post that u have made make me realize about the Hip-Hop game
50 Cent is a sucessful commercial rapper but not a lyrical MC like Nas or Jay-Z
U should create a blog on teaching up-and-coming rappers about what real Hip-Hop is
I just got to say again, U ARE A FUCKING GENIUS

 

[Relic]

Hey Kontents
U should be the voice of Hip-Hop
The post that u have made make me realize about the Hip-Hop game
50 Cent is a sucessful commercial rapper but not a lyrical MC like Nas or Jay-Z
U should create a blog on teaching up-and-coming rappers about what real Hip-Hop is
I just got to say again, U ARE A FUCKING GENIUS

It was written by "brooklyniteOne"..just so theres no confusion.

 

[Ash Holmz]

ehhhhhh .... i cant agree here .... some good points but .... this is more of the same talk i hear evryday from angry people mad that common doesnt sell more than 50 cent.... people need to stop writing these bullshit articles and make some hot music is my take on this... by hating and complaining its actually making people like 50 more popular and succesful .. 50's whole career is built off of people hating his guts ... if he didnt have so many enimies he wouldnt be where he is today.. when 50's buzz gets low .. whats the first thing he does? .. picks a fight... no diffrent than paris hilton or lindsey lohan doing some wild shit just to stay in the news... all these hate articles and talk aimed at rappers like 50 just make them stronger .... the best way to stop these current trends and practices you see in hip hop is to just shut it off and pay it no mind.. ignore the shit instead of hating.. the person that wrote that article honestly sounds like hes whining to me .. he sounds like a baby

 

[Mikemaster G]

It was written by "brooklyniteOne"..just so theres no confusion.

Thanks for the correction mayne

 

[Relic]

ehhhhhh .... i cant agree here .... some good points but .... this is more of the same talk i hear evryday from angry people mad that common doesnt sell more than 50 cent.... people need to stop writing these bullshit articles and make some hot music is my take on this... by hating and complaining its actually making people like 50 more popular and succesful .. 50's whole career is built off of people hating his guts ... if he didnt have so many enimies he wouldnt be where he is today.. when 50's buzz gets low .. whats the first thing he does? .. picks a fight... no diffrent than paris hilton or lindsey lohan doing some wild shit just to stay in the news... all these hate articles and talk aimed at rappers like 50 just make them stronger .... the best way to stop these current trends and practices you see in hip hop is to just shut it off and pay it no mind.. ignore the shit instead of hating.. the person that wrote that article honestly sounds like hes whining to me .. he sounds like a baby

lol, sorta like how Joe Budden just "Went away"..
I mean he did, the song flopped after all the money spent and that was it.
BUT Altho I hear ya Ash and dont disagree I liked the article, whiny though it may be.
I bet the guy who wrote it doesnt even make trax..lol

 

[Kontents]

It was written by "brooklyniteOne"..just so theres no confusion.

HAHAH that's funny, Yeah i didn't write the post i found it, and found it a very good point of view, But it is just a point of view.

Kontents.

 

[mikemat]

I agree with Ash on this one. I'm tired of this argument of underground cats hating on mainstream artists. When did 50 Cent ever claim to be Hip-Hop? I think he classifies himself as a rapper and that's that. Also its just an opinion that Street's Disciple is better than Get Rich or Die Trying and personally I like GRoDT. What makes them different is presentation. Nas has been rapping a long time and he is a good WRITER but not a great RAPPER. He sounds pretty much the exact same in all his songs and his presentation is very boring, music is about sound not just lyrics and making a catchy hook and interesting flow should be equally important. 50 Cent is great at hooks and interesting flows which is why he is so big.

I'll probably catch heat for this but I honestly think Nas is very boring, he is basically pop nowadays anyway. He just thinks of some sad emotional issue with todays society and makes a song about it so people feel like they can't not like the song. I'm tired of him saying Hip Hop is Dead too, its not dead, there are tons of hip hop artists and just because they arent on MTV people think they aren't there. But then if they got to MTV they wouldn't be very hip hop now would they?

 

[Chrono]

seen the wite rap show"? i 1st didnt agree with nas's sarcastic album name BUT ITS TRUE. I realized I dont make hiphop music.. i do me. ]



in the future,.. poetic works from the soul should be IT, if not it will die as a fad
trust me.


much respect to my fam

 

[Kontents]

I agree with Ash on this one. I'm tired of this argument of underground cats hating on mainstream artists. When did 50 Cent ever claim to be Hip-Hop? I think he classifies himself as a rapper and that's that. Also its just an opinion that Street's Disciple is better than Get Rich or Die Trying and personally I like GRoDT. What makes them different is presentation. Nas has been rapping a long time and he is a good WRITER but not a great RAPPER. He sounds pretty much the exact same in all his songs and his presentation is very boring, music is about sound not just lyrics and making a catchy hook and interesting flow should be equally important. 50 Cent is great at hooks and interesting flows which is why he is so big.

I'll probably catch heat for this but I honestly think Nas is very boring, he is basically pop nowadays anyway. He just thinks of some sad emotional issue with todays society and makes a song about it so people feel like they can't not like the song. I'm tired of him saying Hip Hop is Dead too, its not dead, there are tons of hip hop artists and just because they arent on MTV people think they aren't there. But then if they got to MTV they wouldn't be very hip hop now would they?

this aint heat, but 50 cents hooks are only as good as they are because of Dre, 50 didnt have the catchy style of hooks back in the day which makes him soo good now in main steam is because dre said "dont say it like that.. Say it like this"

 

[bigdmakintrax]

Being that old skool cat whose first roomate in College actually had a role in the movie Breaking, I must say you either have to embrace the changes and accept the fact that hip hop has constantly changed since day 1.....you look at the old LL cool J video, I'm Bad....you see him going into the label exec straight off the street....getting his contract and being looked at by guess who...???? some label execs looking to exploit him and make money....I really don't agree that 50 cent is somehow not hip hop, and regardless of the way his life played out on the streets or people that dont really know, his life was not a fantasy or some made up scenario in the suberbs of the corn fields of iowa..LOl...flat soda, kool aid and stale bread are common to anyone in poverty or in the hood and getting rich or die trying is a real theme and whether its positive or not does not really define whether its real or not....being real is the only criteria I think....so who cares how his shit has been packaged by some label.....??? be mad at the label and the people that choose to promote and produce the songs and market and sell them, and by the way many of them having never stepped foot on a block, drank flat soda or seen a corner store if there is anyone guilty of being fake and delusional it's the people that suck the blood from the artists and run labels and forget about any aspect of realism in the product....

Don't get me wrong I love the old skool even Before Common became the Bar somehow of what hip hop is and how it should sound.

so lets be honest hip hop has been commercialized just like everything else as soon as the executives realized there is money to be made from it....

to me an authentic story put to song, whether positive or negative can be considered hip hop....it can be used to motivate, segregate or unite, it's up to the listener to decide where to put it after that.

 

[dfine]

i agree yo. true dat

 

[Relic]

Good Point BigD...

 

[trinidad]

this aint heat, but 50 cents hooks are only as good as they are because of Dre, 50 didnt have the catchy style of hooks back in the day which makes him soo good now in main steam is because dre said "dont say it like that.. Say it like this"

Not to pick a fight so dont take it that way but THIS IS A FALSE STATEMENT.

Jam Master JAy taught 50 how to make a song hooks have alwyas been hi strong point since b4 dre listen to the music. Aside from that 50 or even snap music is hip hop jus as much as common is Hip Hop is a culture wit may sub genres under it jus cuz it dont have a message doent mean it aint HIP HOP. its jus different than wat some "purist prefer" honestly ppl need to wake up any way evrything Pre 1986 is trash jus like most of the stuff post 1999 is also the foundation of hip hop was laced on SIMPLE rhymes and dance beats all the MC did was literally move the Crowd and Hype up the DJ who was god Back in the day the same way the producer is now. Rappers aint become any thing serious till like 86ish when the MC pecam a lyricist.

MC/ rapper = Move the Crowd, Master of Cerimony - (busy bee, Run DMC ect, Franchise boys and all them jokers)

Lyricist = Was dropping some science dropping, some complex flows some jus straight rhyming they ass off (Nas, Kool G rap, Kane KRS ect.)

my bad fam jus venting i just c it like this Im tired of all this hip hip is not this and is that shit, cuz for real look at the history we jus going in a circle back to the beginining whe it was jus a bout dancing an bs a flash give it a year well be back in 87 again whe Lyricists came up and dj/producers went down in the back ground .

 

[Relic]

Im sorry but the pre 86 MC's didnt sound as ignorant as the "MC's" now adays IMO.

Oh I agree there was alot of crap, but it was new and didnt have any rules and people were trying to figure out what it was and how it was gonna go down , there were elements of electronica and house and jazz and all that, so there was an EXCUSE in my opnion for all the John Wayne Raps and Refrigerator Perry and that crap.

Now adays ,to me, many mc's just sound....stupid personally , like they are mouth breathers when the mic is off.By now the formula should sound way tighter.
But I wont disagree totally with you either , the fact is that rock aint like it was in the 50's either and there are many genres of it now and Im glad to see that hiphop as morphed into somthing that is undeniably alive and well in its many forms, when they claimed it was a fad at birth...

I just think ...Well I already said what I think..lol

 

[dfine]

you know what it is, any MF with some dough can put out a CD. It's like 80's dance music.
that decade had nothing but one hit wonders and gimmick songs.

 

[shadeed]

Nobody and I mean nobody was talking down on 50 when he was on the mixtape circuit building up the G-Unit buzz. It confuses me how people can aspire to be in the business, but yet resent those who have made it to the top of that same business.

This is the music business, not the "music friends" or the "music lover's club". Marketing and image are a big part of selling records. Common has a stylist and a publicist too.

The music business is probably the only form of business where the majority of its participants lack a general idea of how it operates.

I can respect labels like Def Jux, Pyscho + Logical, etc. etc. because they were formed with an ideology of how hip hop music is "supposed" to sound, but in order to bring that vision to life, your business IQ has to be higher than the average artist signed to a major.

50 did in four years what the majority of artists haven't accomplished in 10-12 years in this game. If you aspire to make it in music, LEARN from what he's doing right and incorporate that into your own plans.

 

[Cold Truth]

we all forget that... 50 made catchy songs. for better or orse, a catchy song is almost always a sure thing in the record business.

sometimes, people can over think a thing, and the result i this article.

in so many ways, the 50 cent image can be a bad, poisonous thing to hip hop as a whole....
but take a second and look at the thousands of dipset clone rappers who basically spit abut the same things and arent going anywhere

it's a LOT of folks that arent going anywhere and using the same image as 50 cent... the same talk, from the same places, and arent doing a damn thing. 50 epitomized the concept that great beats+marketability+catchy hooks generally=success.

what good is marketability if your songs arent in the heads of the people long after they heard it?