It is fairly evident that the hip-hop of today is primarily pop music. The primary discrepancy between today and the nineties which were the purported "glory days" of hip-hop are fairly straightforward:
First, there was actual A&R and talent scouts involved in artist development. Once an artist cleared this hurdle it was on to whether or not the album they made contained hit songs. If it didn't, then it likely wouldn't get the marketing money to push the album from the record company.
This formula filtered out a tremendous amount of garbage artists from having their album even seeing the light of day.
Also, messaging surrounding the release of an album of the publicizing of an artist was extremely tight, since the only forms of media were traditional media outlets like MTV and magazines. This made it possible to control marketing and messaging in the nineties around a core group of artists receiving recognition.
There was less access to the actual hardware and software capable of making hip-hop music at that time, which filtered out the folks that weren't serious, or didn't have people believing in their stuff to pony up money for the recording of an album. This filtered out many folks as well.
I must admit, however, there was a lot of crappy hip-hop that was released in the nineties. I think we're looking at nineties hip-hop in the same way rock enthusiasts look at the sixties and seventies as the "golden era" of rock.
Today, record labels don't develop an artist. They try to find the next person with a buzz, like Chief Keef, give him a couple million and hope to see if he cashes in for them.
I personally think it is rather shitty for artists and producers these days. There's no question Lady Gaga's album would've sold 15-20 million copies domestically if it was 1998. I think she barely cleared three million domestically. Lil Wayne would've likely went eight to possibly 10x platinum on Tha Carter III. LMFAO would have sold an easy three to five million singles of each of their hits if it was the nineties.
I can go on and on, but the financial return on a minor hit just isn't there as it was in the nineties, so a lot of artists and producers are feeding on scraps when it comes to the industry itself.
If you have a fucking problem with hip-hop then why don't you do something about it though? That's what I say. Find an artist. Develop them. Manage their career. Produce them. Talent agents and record companies are HUNGRY for new shit. You just have to do their job for them. If you don't have money, find someone to invest in your management proposal.
I can't tell you how many times I hear, "I need a new Justin Bieber, there are so many good-looking folks who can sing and dance but don't have a hit song to save their life." Well fucking make that song. Or "I wish I had the next 2PAC, someone who the streets can relate to in a way that 50 Cent did with GRODT."
Find that fucking artist and spend your time producing them. Follow new trends, too. Add some new shit, make it cool. Make it marketable. Create a pitch deck on why you think your artist will provide a return for a record company or agency.
Get fame first and the money will follow. That's my motto.
