What is commercial hip-hop???

[FuriousMusic]

Can anybody explain to me what commercial hip-hop is? My understanding of it is something that hits mainstream america. If this is what it means then my problem with this is how do you gain popularity without being conciderd a sell out.As an artist and a producer you dont sit down with intentions of saying this pile right here is for my commercial jams and this pile right here is for my street jams atleast i dont anyway. I just dont understand when they call an artist commercial if there stuff is in heavy rotation. Here where i live they have artist like lil john, lil flip, petey pablo in heavy rotation on top 40 radio stations and nobody can tell me thats commercial music. So maybe someone can help me understand what commercial is?

 

[Equality 7-2521]

well commerce = buy sell and trade

so i guess commercial Hiphop is Hiphop the shit that tops the charts, since the charts show what is selling and what will sell. Alot of the time, these kinds of "artists" will compromise their music to be rich. so in answer to your wuestion about how to get popularity without being concidered a sellout.............all you have to do is do your thing as dope as you can and hopefully people will dig it.

 

[1d3nt1tY]

I don't think most people would say that just because someone is in heavy rotation then they sold out...

BUT

The reason why so many peole call it commercialized is because the industry is real fuggd up on this... any more you don't really need talent, all you need is someone who knows the industry head of such n such a record company that has all the hooks you need and unlimited capital. It's not what you do or how well you do it, it's about who are you willing to brownnose.


Underground is done without band aids on faces or other stupid gimmicks as such and usually requires ALOT more talent to make the people bob their heads to your stuff, thus the reason for much more respect.

I know at least 15 people who are considered underground who have more talent than anything currently on the charts but will be slept on for all times sake cuz their not willing to bend over a desk for some old bastard.


Hope this helped understand the underentide of hip hop culture.

 

[sYgMa]

To me, commercial hiphop is when someone makes a beat that has the "sound of the moment", or the "flava that is hot right now" ... Sometimes, it's done very tastfully, sometime, it's just crap.

Regardless, if the beat is good, it still IS good, but, to me, that's commercial hiphop, because if the beat is made that way and that the artist has the $$$$ at hand, he's almost certain to hit the charts.

If you dont want to fall into that category, just make what you want to do, not what is "in style right now"

 

[erkl]

i wanna know why Del has never been in heavy rotation, other than his appearances on gorillaz tracks..
hes been around for ages and has put out tons of hot, and catchy shit.

 

[1d3nt1tY]

I KNOW. del. damn. long time huh.

he did have a video way back in the day...

 

[erkl]

hes had lots of videos, the one u saw was prolly mr. dobolina
on Elektra

 

[1d3nt1tY]

yup. I remember his group... 93 till infinity, at the helm, and many many other classic trax that went unnoticed by this lame ass industry

 

[Equality 7-2521]

i wanna know why Del has never been in heavy rotation, other than his appearances on gorillaz tracks..
hes been around for ages and has put out tons of hot, and catchy shit.

hes only in heavy rotation underground for the simple fact that hes a conscious MC.

 

[FuriousMusic]

The group was Hieroglyphics and the album was 93 til infinity i think i wore the letters off that tape. Man its bringing back memories.

 

[inrctyhoodmusic]

comercial hip hop is the music that get's tons of air play makes a lot of money and broke artist and producers(not directed at anyone from illmuzik) hate on it in any way they can because they're not making any money

 

[JP hardboiled]

Commercial Hip Hop/Pop is "music" that is more business than art/music.. you can be sucessful and not be commercial 2Pac wouldn't be commercial cause he was an artist who expressed things bout life..DJ shadow though not that well known, is still known and just does his thing without compromising, and making a "hot track" that will be hot today but gone tommorrow.. when you think ARTIST you should think people like Barry White, Killah Priest, they have soul and express life and didn't conform, but their art is immortal because it has soul. when you think commercial just think fakes like 50 cent, Jay Z..they're more concerned with money than with creating art, and I don't think we're going to be labeling their "music" as classic in our futures. Commercial Hip Hop/ Pop is when you become plastic and lose your artistry..but you can be successful and a REAL artist..look at most rock bands..that's how hip hop should be but it's all glamor and glitz now..Hip Hop is more like fake/silicon Pop music now.

 

[Shonsteez]

Underground is done without band aids on faces or other stupid gimmicks as such and usually requires ALOT more talent to make the people bob their heads to your stuff, thus the reason for much more respect..

WEll SAID....

I think you can basically live by this equation nowadays too tho - MTV = COMMERCIAL POO

 

[StressWon]

comercial hip hop is the music that get's tons of air play makes a lot of money and broke artist and producers(not directed at anyone from illmuzik) hate on it in any way they can because they're not making any money

I dont think that cats hate because it makes money! Okay, maybe some do, but alotta cats, myself included,,,are mad that this is happening to a culture we all share. A culture derived from peace and unity and expresion. Now its looked at as a violent and drug infested and negative,,,,and while that most of that is true (unfortunatly) people don't dee the other artists that don't get rotation and MTV Videos. And that is because some cats won't change there artform for a dollar. Plus, mainstream "artists" (loosely) aint even makin as much money as they state they are. After its all said and done, an average artist makes 3 to 4 dollars off a CD sale. If ya go Platinum (1Million sold) it is a nice payday,,,BUT, ya still gotta pay Uncle Sam and thats HALF! It's still a lotta cash, but look at it this way,,,,,,,,


Watch cribs on MTV....

If these cats/chicks/groups put out an album 0nce every 2/3 years and it goes platinum,,,thats about Lets say 5 Million Grossly for two years. After taxes,,,,take off a lil more then half,,,thats about 3 Mill,,,NICE! But wait!!!! You have a house that costs close to a million? Okay its paid for, but in that big house ya got Big Utilities! car insurance on all the rides. Ya "Bling Bling" bill! Nights out spendin money......Bottom line......

...after gettin paid for shows,,,,ya got a lil dough,BUT Platinum isnt guarenteed the next time. And even though you can sell multiplatinum records,,,,Doent mean ya got crazy loot! Don't let these industry MCees fool ya,,,,they gettin robbed by the labels. Those houses on Cribs,,,,Most of them are RENTED,,,Jewelery,,,RENTED,,,Cars for Celebrity Car Shows,,,RENTED! For what? Glamour and the Bling Efect. The labels are the ones makin the dough,,,,,why do ya think every artist that comes out owns a fuckin record label! LOL

Sometimes its not about the money when it is! (I feel like Confucious!)



1



Stress

 

[FuriousMusic]

Yeah i understand what your saying about the culture, but its never going to the same. It started out on street corners or house parties rapping over a beatbox or breakbeats. Now adays it about pc's and mpc's.Sorry but i have to disagree with hardboiled on this one about pac if you gon call jay-z and 50 commercial you got to put pac ion that category. Maybe not at the begining but towards the end he was about the money too. Then you said pac raps about life i can back 50 up but man half of the black album was about life.I just came to a conclusion that commercial is being something your not to get loot.Like when puffy had the lox's he created this bubble gum act and it just wasn't them or even with mase cause if you listen to all the mix tapes he was always calling himself murder mase and rapping about violence.I just think alot of people get that commercial tag for making a boat load of money.It's always about the money weather your making music in your basement with a cracked copy of FL studio or your in a million Dollar studio.

 

[God]

Commercial hip hop is music that appeals to a wide audience and provides significant return on investment.

It is any of the most profitable genres of hip hop that the markets consume at a greater rate than any other subgenre of hip hop.

What type of hip-hop that is commercial can change. From gangsta rap to dirty south. It is about the ability to make money off the music.

And YES it is music, and there is nothing wrong with making money off it.

Sincerely,
God