First Person Op-Ed #4: El Gant
Are We Finally “Taking It Back”?
For the past nine or 10 years, most of us who have a passion for hip hop music have either been hearing or saying the same thing. Its been resonating through countless clubs, lounges, magazine articles, and average, everyday discussions amongst hip hop connoisseurs. It has even caused many people over the age of 24 to give up and move on to a new genre of music. “Why can hip hop be the way it used to”?
Well it can’t, and that’s a good thing. Music is a constant evolution and if Wu-Tang, or Black Moon back in the day put out seven consecutive albums that sounded the same you would probably have complained about that too. The problem is how it has evolved. The problem also lies with the time and place that commercial radio decided what sounded “mainstream”, as opposed to what sounded “underground”. Obviously once this occurred, the two were regarded as differently as Heavy Metal and Michael Bolton.
When hip hop was in its infancy stage, dope was dope, and DJs played whatever was hot. This is what kept hip hop evolving as well as it did, and the lack of has since left it stagnant. So who’s to blame? Who cares. As long as there’s hope, we have something to look forward to, instead of going back to the store and buying all of our favorite CDs from 10 years ago over again after beating them up throughout the 90’s.
Change only comes when the people and not the business decides to dictate what’s dope and once again it appears as if it’s starting to happen. You want proof? Look at the numbers. Mainstream urban acts are putting out disappointing numbers and doing even worse on tour. Meanwhile, The Roots are selling out Radio City Music Hall two consecutive nights, and Jay-Z is boycotting Cristal.
Could it finally be happening? Are we finally “taking it back”? It’s too early to tell. But the rumbles of disgust appear to boiling over and everyone who works in this industry will agree that if we all want to make a living off of the music we love and contribute too, songs about nothing can only generate money for so long.
Message El Gant and tell him what you think
By El Gant on 7/6/2006
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[8 comments]
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posted by: Stephanie on 07/6/2006 at 11:17 am
Great Commentary!
posted by: BILL COSBY on 07/6/2006 at 11:17 am
I agree with some of your views but you stated that “Mainstream urban acts are putting out dissapointing numbers and even doing worst on tour”. Although I agree with the 1st part of that statement because it is indeed a fact, but I’d like to dissagree with the 2nd part about them doing even worst on tour”, the fact remains that tours are 1 of the few areas where mainstream acts are still getting successful numbers. Not as much as before but in comparisson to the big decline in album sales, tours are overall doing ok.
I Blame the decline in the Urban music industry on dumb, egotistic, uneducated, dumb (again) staffs that are put into these crucial positions. Hand over the marketing and promotions aspects of the urban music industry to the Advertising firms on Madison ave. Cuz these G.E.D seekig staffers at the labels are incompetent and not knowledgable about anything outside of the Source Magazine and XXL. So how can we ever expect them to adapt to the ever changing business and digital landscape.
posted by: twineyeam on 07/6/2006 at 11:17 am
I agree, it’s the golden era of hip hop that is attracting new headz/new dj’s who are actually interested in “Ressurecting” this era. As a hip hop buyer for a dj vinyl store week after week my reports reflect purchases from the early 90’s and prior… The: Common’s, Roots, Black Moon, Wu Tang Clan, Mobb Deep, Pharcyde, Tribe Called Quest, Pete Rock/CL Smooth, Nas and so forth surpassing vinyl sales of current artist. Week after week, I’m purchasing the same titles from these artists, why?, because it is what it is…real hip hop, concious hip hop, whatever you want to call it. My purchasing reports reflect that the youth too, want something else than the radio rotation, because that’s all it is, radio joints with no shelf life, better yet, no resale value (with some exceptions). With artists like the Pharcyde; they will always make a working living off of their music. It may be from college town to college town - european city to european city, however these artists year after year make a decent living off of “dated” songs, but the evident is apparent, good hip hop is good hip hop.
posted by: BILL COSBY on 07/6/2006 at 11:17 am
TWINEYEAM, YOU STATED THAT “Common’s, Roots, Black Moon, Wu Tang Clan, Mobb Deep, Pharcyde, Tribe Called Quest, Pete Rock/CL Smooth, Nas and so forth surpassing vinyl sales of current artist. Week after week, I’m purchasing the same titles from these artists, why?”
COULD IT BE THAT THE CONSUMERS OF THESE SPECIFIC ARTIST ARE MORE THEN LIKELY OVER THE AGE OF 25 AND HAVE MORE DISPOSABLE INCOME AND ARE MORE FINANCIALLY STABLE THEN THE YOUNGER CROWD. KEEP IN MIND THAT THE YOUNGER CROWD ARE MORE TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCE THEN THEY WERE A DECADE AGO. TODAYS KIDS DONT WASTE THEIR MONEY ON CD’S, INSTEAD THE DOWLOAD THEM FOR FREE OR PURCHASE THEM ON WEBSITES LIKE Itunes. THAT WOULD ALSO BE THE CAUSE OF THE OUTCOME THAT YOU STATED.
posted by: Stephanie on 07/6/2006 at 11:17 am
I agree with you Bill. But, I also think that El Grants assertion that “songs about nothing can only generate money for so long” is the cause for differences in buying habits.
posted by: twineyeam on 07/6/2006 at 11:17 am
Bill:
Excellent point about the kids downloading. However more frequent than not, it is the younger consumers that I see buying these titles, wanting to learn more about these artists that they “missed out on” due to them being in diapers
(ok maybe not diapers). And yes, the the vinyl market is so tiny, but I guess the point that I’m trying to make is that a craving for this music re-exists and as long as these artists are still coming out with albums 10 years strong, the youth will still go and purchase previous albums whether its from their local record store or from I-tunes. And the sold-out tours are sold out for a reason even if that kid did download a ” I Used to Love H.E.R” track free on-line, you can bet if she/he likes it enough they’re at the 18 & over tour stop 
posted by: Andrew on 07/6/2006 at 11:17 am
I would have to agree with El Gant…not only because he presents valid points, but he is just so darn cute!!!
posted by: Angry Black on 07/6/2006 at 11:17 am
El Gant spits hot fiyah!