Talent Vs. Luck

[Richard Tracey]

9 minutes ago, GuesSs said:

Kendrick, Chance, j.cole, Kanye west, Logic, Tyler the Creator, Joey Badass, Isiah Rashad, etc. I could go on and on there are plenty of rappers doing their own thing outside of what is mainstream. You hit the nail on the head Jenn

 

Seriously Kanye West is a sell out who can produce any old crap now and people will lap it up - he plays to the hype... and that is coming from someone who has his first 3 albums and thought he was a breath of fresh air when he arrived.

[Richard Tracey]

13 minutes ago, Jenn said:

no no.. i'm not a big fan of rap. i love the beats and i love the art of words and i really need to be in the mood to listen to it. but if you listen to them--this is going to be a huge statement and might piss a lot of people off so dont kick me off this site!--it's almost the same raw emotion you get from classic rock.. just modernized. 

Me and the guy I work for in the studio were talking about DNA by Kendrick, and how it's one of the best beat changes that we've heard in a while. he goes offfffff in that song.. it's nothing but jaw dropping really..

 

but. It's definitely not for everyone. 

 

The thing is the song was probably written by a producer and others as well as Kendrick who probably wrote most of the lyrics. A lot of these beats might have been created by someone else and they have 'bought' them to make the song. The person who created the beats gets no recognition as they have sold them and the artist/producer get all the glory. That kind of thing happens a lot, especially now-a-days.

[Just1L]

34 minutes ago, GuesSs said:

Rock would be an example of a genre of music than hasn't evlolved because it has lost it's cultural impact, and their hasn't been a new popular band in ages. The most popular rock bands today were also the most popular rock bands 20 years ago that is not evolution.  

 

21 minutes ago, Richard Tracey said:

And Rock is Rock it isn't meant to evolve

 

Rock doesn't need to change much musically, but lyrically it does need to change. A strong message sparks most musical movements. If I had the face, time and energy of youth I'd try my best to take a crack at it.

[Richard Tracey]

Just now, Jenn said:

that's very true.. I haven't done enough research on Kendrick specifically, but I know that beats gets tossed around like they're a free for all unfortunately  

 

So where do you think music is gonna go next Richard?? like mainstream stuff.. 

Cause I was also talking to the guy about it and we both have no idea

 

Jenn, this has been getting discussed for at least 10 years. I have read so many views on this and the feeling is that consumers will go back to purchasing music again, but only once the industry makes it worth while. That may be incentives for purchasing instead of streaming. There are so many things you could do to make it that the artists are rewarded correctly for their hard work, which is not happening at the moment due to streaming. Some artists are already trying to do this through the Crowdfunding route and to some success.

 

The feeling from the tech world is that the internet will reach a certain point and then the public will backlash against it. Look at the amount of people who come off Social Media as they have got fed up with it. We have discussed previously about the amount of vinyl purchases that have picked up over the past couple of years and it is increasing year on year to the point Sony are creating a new vinyl pressing facility to cash in on the resurgence.

 

Music like fashion is cyclical and repeats every couple of decades. The 80's are back in vogue again and have been for a while, just like the 60's were back in vogue in the 90's due to the kind of music coming out of the UK (e.g. Brit Pop).

 

I feel we need something fresh and the music industry as a whole is killing itself because it is not moving forward, it is not looking ahead for a way out of what is happening. Artists cannot rely on ticket sales from a concert to survive, they need to make money from the albums as well. All that will happen is artists and bands will dwindle away to proper jobs () and we will be left with the banality.

[Just1L]

3 minutes ago, Richard Tracey said:

The feeling from the tech world is that the internet will reach a certain point and then the public will backlash against it. Look at the amount of people who come off Social Media as they have got fed up with it.

 

This is what my message would be about. I've harping about it for roughly 5 years now. But for me it's not about getting rid of the internet. It's about fixing the problems that the internet has caused. The internet is, IMO, just being used wrong. Not for everything, but in a lot of ways.

[Richard Tracey]

Just now, Jenn said:

I know.... it's just so fun to talk about... and so many things that could happen. 

 

Damn I hope the late 2000s come back... that was one of the best modern times for music for me.. and I just got into it over the past couple of years

 

Jenn - if you want to hear innovation and forward thinking music, then listen to the artists/bands coming out of the UK and Europe (especially Germany) from around 1977 till 1987. Some of the music created around then was truly breathtaking, beautiful well thought out and clever (there was a lot of shit as well I might add). 

 

Have a listen to Alphaville if you haven't heard of them. They are from Germany and were excellent.

Listen to early Icehouse who were from New Zealand/Australia.

 

That's just a starter for two...

[Richard Tracey]

Just now, Just1L said:

 

This is what my message would be about. I've harping about it for roughly 5 years now. But for me it's not about getting rid of the internet. It's about fixing the problems that the internet has caused. The internet is, IMO, just being used wrong. Not for everything, but in a lot of ways.

 

That's kind of what they are saying - it's not that they want the internet to cease, just get smarter and rid itself of all the baggage and issues.

[Just1L]

1 minute ago, Richard Tracey said:

 

That's kind of what they are saying - it's not that they want the internet to cease, just get smarter and rid itself of all the baggage and issues.

 

It'll be no small feat getting Pandora back in the box.

[Richard Tracey]

Just now, Just1L said:

 

It'll be no small feat getting Pandora back in the box.

 

Just like getting baby in the corner!!

[Just1L]

1 minute ago, Richard Tracey said:

 

Just like getting baby in the corner!!

 

NOBODY does that!!

 

 

R.I.P. Swayze

[GuesSs]

59 minutes ago, Richard Tracey said:

 

I don't think there is any reason to discuss this further, there is a whole movement out there who feel exactly like I do about the current state of the music industry. What you say above, I will never change your mind on. The subject has been discussed several times on this site about how to get people to hear your music and stream it if it's on any of the sites. It is incredibly difficult without backing even for indie artists who have some kind of publishers backing them. All theses acts that you mention have mega money behind them and people pushing the buttons and pulling the strings. Your favourite genres haven't evolved they hit a point and stopped growing, which is why it all sounds the same. Yes it is popular, but that doesn't mean that it's good. It's like the conversation we have had on here about how most songs are written by committee or the same writing partnerships. They sound the same because that is what is selling I hear people say, well I am sorry but that is a poor excuse for making everything sound the same. Try to experiment, show intelligence in your music and if it is good, people will still like it.

 

I can assure you I am not bitter, I just want other artists to get a fair crack at making it as every other copycat artist getting thrust into the limelight.

 

To get the kind of numbers that you quote, there is a label or someone behind them - if not then every artist would be able to get those numbers.

 

And Rock is Rock it isn't meant to evolve

I guess we are just going to have to agree to disagree. You don't need record labels in this day and age and that's just the truth. I can name countless artist that release free projects and make their money on the back end trhough streams and selling merchandise but I doubt you've heard of them. It's not that hard to make it without a label. If you have `1000 fans willing to pay $100 through show ticktets and merchandise that's 100k right there not even counting streaming money. No label just 1000 fans who like what you represent and wanna support you. 

 

What you keep failing to realize is labels aren't doing what they used to. They aren't breaking artist. They are very lazy. They are going on soundcould and youtube and seeing who has built a solid following on their own that they can capitalize on. They have built a buzz for themselves already and that is how they get the labels attention. The labels look at the social media following, the engagment, the streaming numbers and then decide to chase after them.  Those acts I listed have mega money behind them now but most didn't start out with it. They built up their own deddicated fanbase themselves and that's how they got labels attention. Some eventually partnered with labels because they figured I can keep making 100k a year or i could just partner with a label and make more. Some chose not to because they are content with where they are at. The point is you don't need a label

 

Yes your right hip hop has totally stopped growing. It's no longer relevant or breaking records in music lmao. Stop it and wake up.  I literraly said just because it's popular doesn't mean it's good but it does indicate it still is culturally relevant and is continuing to evolve considering how long it's been a juggernaut in music. Lil wayne was the most popular rapper in 2007 now in 2017 he is hardly relevant and other rappers are more popular. Why is that? because it has evolved and new artist are continuing to emerge and is why rap in 2017 sounds different than rap in 1997. 

 

It's not just about music. Someone with horrible music will make it ahead of someone with incredbile music if that person with incredible music doesn't know how to brand themsevles and get an active and passionate fanbase. That's just how it is. And i agree which is why rocks core fanbase is 40+

[GuesSs]

1 hour ago, Richard Tracey said:

 

Seriously Kanye West is a sell out who can produce any old crap now and people will lap it up - he plays to the hype... and that is coming from someone who has his first 3 albums and thought he was a breath of fresh air when he arrived.

Hmmm and why did you think Kanye was a breath of fresh air when he arrived. Could it be because he was different than the other rappers at the time. Wait but that can't be true because that would mean that hip hop evolved lol. ANd you don't get the context. I listed Kanye (and a bunch of other rappers who you neglect to mention) because he does not sound like everyone else.  For better or for worse (prob for worse at this point) no 2 Kanye albums sound the same and he is always experiemental in his music (except on his most recenet album).  If is tagnant name me a few rappers that sound like kanye 

[GuesSs]

1 hour ago, Richard Tracey said:

 

The thing is the song was probably written by a producer and others as well as Kendrick who probably wrote most of the lyrics. A lot of these beats might have been created by someone else and they have 'bought' them to make the song. The person who created the beats gets no recognition as they have sold them and the artist/producer get all the glory. That kind of thing happens a lot, especially now-a-days.

Actually the person who created the beat is given credit. Al the producers for every song are mentioned in the credits of the album.  I agree producers not getting credit is happening more and more but that's also because a lot of rappers go on youtube and type "free drake type beat" and just download that. So many producers put up free beats online to be used by anyone that if you're a rapper you could easily make a whole album and not pay for a thing

[Richard Tracey]

4 minutes ago, GuesSs said:

Hmmm and why did you think Kanye was a breath of fresh air when he arrived. Could it be because he was different than the other rappers at the time. Wait but that can't be true because that would mean that hip hop evolved lol. ANd you don't get the context. I listed Kanye (and a bunch of other rappers who you neglect to mention) because he does not sound like everyone else.  For better or for worse (prob for worse at this point) no 2 Kanye albums sound the same and he is always experiemental in his music (except on his most recenet album).  If is tagnant name me a few rappers that sound like kanye 

 

When I said Kayne was a breath of fresh air, I meant that it felt he was trying to do something different and not sound like all the rest. He then became like all the rest and fell away from what made him feel different. Jay-Z is heralded as a fantastic producer and artist - I find him mediocre at best - there are so many other artists doing what he does, but better. Eminem was a breath of fresh air and he quit when he realised he had said all he could say as that artist. He then took time out before coming back, but he wasn't the same, as he rode the shock element for a long time and I also liked his music. I liked what Dre was doing around that time as well.

 

That doesn't mean that hip-hop evolved, it meant someone tried to do something different and then ended up like the rest.

 

Kayne now believes he is bigger than God and will just produce anything and release it. This has been commented on several blogs on the internet and why there was a massive backlash against him a couple of years back.

 

You talk as if hip-hop is always evolving. Since the 80's when it started, it was groundbreaking then went on a journey through the 90's when it was total shock factor and then the 00's when some decent artists appeared who started to produce the hip-hop that is still going on till today. You have Grime and Trap, that try to do something different, but that is just introducing elements from other genres, making them a bit darker and harder lyrics, but underneath all of that it is still the same. They rap. There are only so many ways you can rap, I don't care what anyone says, you can be aggressive, sweet, but at the end of the day, it is just you talking fast or slow. I listen to some artists now and I have no idea what they are rapping about, I cannot make out the words, it is just a mess of incoherent words that don't mean anything or the same lyric over and over again. And don't get me started on how many times you hear the 'N' word in the songs now. It is getting beyond a joke. It is becoming a parody of what it once was and once something becomes a parody, it is time to call it a day.

 

As for telling you a few rappers who sound like Kayne, I've no idea of any names as it is just songs I hear on the radio when I listen to it, or from TV. I don't pay any attention to them anymore as they all blend into one song. I also feel this way about Country music incase you think I am just having a go at hip-hop.

 

 

[GuesSs]

I don't think consumers are going to go back to purchasing music because music comes out to frequently now. I'd have to spend  about $50 a month just to keep with everything because music is constantly being pumped out.  People barely want to pay for streaming services because so many artist have exclusivity deals that if one artist you like has a deal with TIDAL and another with spotify you'd have to pay for both services and that can become costly as well. The best thing about the internet is that artist don't have to rely on labels. When you are signed to a label whatever profit you make gets split between multiple people leaving you with just a fraction of what you earn. If you release your stuff independently you keep all the money for the most part. It definetly has it's place. Artist can also sell merchandiser and make a lot of money that way. Some music producers sell drum kits, VST Presets, and MIDI loops etc and make money that way instead of just thrugh beat purchases. The possibilities are endless it comes down to creativity.

[Richard Tracey]

25 minutes ago, GuesSs said:

I guess we are just going to have to agree to disagree. You don't need record labels in this day and age and that's just the truth. I can name countless artist that release free projects and make their money on the back end trhough streams and selling merchandise but I doubt you've heard of them. It's not that hard to make it without a label. If you have `1000 fans willing to pay $100 through show ticktets and merchandise that's 100k right there not even counting streaming money. No label just 1000 fans who like what you represent and wanna support you. 

 

What you keep failing to realize is labels aren't doing what they used to. They aren't breaking artist. They are very lazy. They are going on soundcould and youtube and seeing who has built a solid following on their own that they can capitalize on. They have built a buzz for themselves already and that is how they get the labels attention. The labels look at the social media following, the engagment, the streaming numbers and then decide to chase after them.  Those acts I listed have mega money behind them now but most didn't start out with it. They built up their own deddicated fanbase themselves and that's how they got labels attention. Some eventually partnered with labels because they figured I can keep making 100k a year or i could just partner with a label and make more. Some chose not to because they are content with where they are at. The point is you don't need a label

 

Yes your right hip hop has totally stopped growing. It's no longer relevant or breaking records in music lmao. Stop it and wake up.  I literraly said just because it's popular doesn't mean it's good but it does indicate it still is culturally relevant and is continuing to evolve considering how long it's been a juggernaut in music. Lil wayne was the most popular rapper in 2007 now in 2017 he is hardly relevant and other rappers are more popular. Why is that? because it has evolved and new artist are continuing to emerge and is why rap in 2017 sounds different than rap in 1997. 

 

It's not just about music. Someone with horrible music will make it ahead of someone with incredbile music if that person with incredible music doesn't know how to brand themsevles and get an active and passionate fanbase. That's just how it is. And i agree which is why rocks core fanbase is 40+

 

But you are talking about a few acts that this has happened with and then they have had a lucky break. It is probably easier for a hip-hop artist to get this kind of following given where they grow up and the scene in their area. Look at where Kendrick Lamar grew up and the people he knew and was surrounded by. That would have helped and influenced where he was going. So he would have had help. He certainly got the help of a local music company before he made it big. That is why so many artists grow from these areas, but a very small fraction of them will get any kind of followers. Why, because they need to have something about them to get ahead of the others, there are so many trying their hand at it as they have seen what can happen if you make it. But the fanbase comes initially from that scene and then builds. They have a network in place in a lot of these cities and they will help each other out, play records in their stores, on the local radio etc. Not everyone has that kind of networking, but the hip-hop community do, so it helps.

 

You could look at any artist who gets to a certain age will be pushed aside by the newbie coming through. Boy bands are like this, they are adored by all the little teen girls until they get too old and then the next one comes along and takes their place. It doesn't mean they are evolving or that they are better than what came before, because the music is almost always the same (except maybe some advancement on technology), as again it is a formula that they think works. But the reality is, you could put a boy band together with 5 really good looking guys, produce the song to make them sound like they can sing and play any old shit song and it will sell, why, because it is the look the kids are buying into, not the music. That is why when the kids grow up, they gravitate towards better, more thoughtful music (or they should!!).

 

But, you have actually hit the nail on the head, it is about branding and most hip-hop artists are about the brand, but that is what it is failing. When you start putting the brand above the music, then the music becomes secondary and the music should never be secondary.

[Richard Tracey]

9 minutes ago, GuesSs said:

I don't think consumers are going to go back to purchasing music because music comes out to frequently now. I'd have to spend  about $50 a month just to keep with everything because music is constantly being pumped out.  People barely want to pay for streaming services because so many artist have exclusivity deals that if one artist you like has a deal with TIDAL and another with spotify you'd have to pay for both services and that can become costly as well. The best thing about the internet is that artist don't have to rely on labels. When you are signed to a label whatever profit you make gets split between multiple people leaving you with just a fraction of what you earn. If you release your stuff independently you keep all the money for the most part. It definetly has it's place. Artist can also sell merchandiser and make a lot of money that way. Some music producers sell drum kits, VST Presets, and MIDI loops etc and make money that way instead of just thrugh beat purchases. The possibilities are endless it comes down to creativity.

 

And this is what we were just discussing. This is wrong. It should never be about what the artist or music publishers/companies want, it should be about what the consumer wants.

 

Start treating the consumer fairly and as if they are the one that matters, then they will start treating you fairly.

 

I mentioned about the amount of crowdfunding that goes on. That is artists who are fed up with the music industry and looking to do it themselves. They offer something extra to their fans or people who want to buy into the new album. That is what people are wanting, it is something unique.

 

You are very blind to what is happening. What is going on is very bad for the music industry and leaves it stagnant. Why should something benefit a chosen few, to the detriment of others?

 

TIDAL will fail - why? because it is a vanity project by one of the biggest egos ever to grace hip-hop. It was purchased to make even more money for those artists and the buying public have seen through that and voted with their wallets staying in their pockets.

 

I think you need to have a look at other discussions on this forum where this topic has been covered many times about releasing your music independently, it is not as easy as you think to become as big as some of the artists you have been mentioning without assistance.

[GuesSs]

3 minutes ago, Richard Tracey said:

 

When I said Kayne was a breath of fresh air, I meant that it felt he was trying to do something different and not sound like all the rest. He then became like all the rest and fell away from what made him feel different. Jay-Z is heralded as a fantastic producer and artist - I find him mediocre at best - there are so many other artists doing what he does, but better. Eminem was a breath of fresh air and he quit when he realised he had said all he could say as that artist. He then took time out before coming back, but he wasn't the same, as he rode the shock element for a long time and I also liked his music. I liked what Dre was doing around that time as well.

 

That doesn't mean that hip-hop evolved, it meant someone tried to do something different and then ended up like the rest.

 

Kayne now believes he is bigger than God and will just produce anything and release it. This has been commented on several blogs on the internet and why there was a massive backlash against him a couple of years back.

 

You talk as if hip-hop is always evolving. Since the 80's when it started, it was groundbreaking then went on a journey through the 90's when it was total shock factor and then the 00's when some decent artists appeared who started to produce the hip-hop that is still going on till today. You have Grime and Trap, that try to do something different, but that is just introducing elements from other genres, making them a bit darker and harder lyrics, but underneath all of that it is still the same. They rap. There are only so many ways you can rap, I don't care what anyone says, you can be aggressive, sweet, but at the end of the day, it is just you talking fast or slow. I listen to some artists now and I have no idea what they are rapping about, I cannot make out the words, it is just a mess of incoherent words that don't mean anything or the same lyric over and over again. And don't get me started on how many times you hear the 'N' word in the songs now. It is getting beyond a joke. It is becoming a parody of what it once was and once something becomes a parody, it is time to call it a day.

 

As for telling you a few rappers who sound like Kayne, I've no idea of any names as it is just songs I hear on the radio when I listen to it, or from TV. I don't pay any attention to them anymore as they all blend into one song. I also feel this way about Country music incase you think I am just having a go at hip-hop.

 

 

It's very clear your hip hop knowledge is very limited. Kanye didn't start sounding like the rest until Life of Pablo and that is his most recent album. I also notice all the examples of rappers you used were in their heights from 2005 and down which means you don't have much understanding of hip hop in it's current form.  After Kanye west released graduation he came out with 808's and heartbreak which was him singing and rapping for most of that. Prior to that album rapping and singing wasn't something being done in hip hop. But because kanye did it on that album it gave way to artist like Kid Cudi and Drake who were heavily influenced by that album. That is called evolution. 

 

And what kind of arguement are you making lmao. That's like me saying at the core of country they are just singing and and playing guitar. Or at the core of metal they're just screaming as hard as they can. Here let me help you out. Tyle the creator (who's most recent album sold 90k in the first week with no radio songs) most recent album was all about him talking about how he feels empty despite how successful he is, feeling like he has no friends,  and him coming out of the closest. He's not talking about what veryone else talks about and he sold a lot funny how that works. Logic made an album talking his struggles being bi racial and how racism is ridiculous and we should all come together and he sold over 100k first week. On J.Coles newest album he was telling the story of a man who was involved in thug culture but then fell in love, had a daughter, and wants his daughter to understand that he became a real man the day he decided to turn his back on all of that and love her. He sold over 600k first week and has gone platinum. The highest selling rap albums this year aren't even trap albums. So what are you talking about? Yes there is a large number of mumble rappers who talk about nonsense but those rappers aren't the most popular in terms of sales.  To give you some context Kodak Black ( A very popular trap rapper) only sold 71,000 units. Yet tyler the creator a gay rapper talking about boredom, emptiness, and lonliness out sold him and he doesn't get played on the radio like Kodak. Crazy how that works.

 

You even said yourself you can't name rappers who sound like kanye you just go by what you hear on the radio and tv. You aren't in tune with what is going on in hip hop which is why you shouldn't speak on if it is stagnant or not since you aren't familiar with the most popular rappers who don't promote violence and drugs. I also think all country sounds the same but I don't actively listen to it. So for me to say something like all country sounds the same and hasn't changed would be ridiculous if I don't even listen to the genre lol

 

[Richard Tracey]

18 minutes ago, Jenn said:

The rapping in Despacito is unparalleled. 

 

Jenn, I watched Kanye at Glastonbury last year (I think it was last year) and he was god awful. I actually felt embarrassed for him and most of the comments on social media were the same.

 

But, if you heard the commentators talking you would have thought it was the best performance they had ever seen at Glastonbury. They hype up the main acts as they pay a lot of money for them to come and they want them to come back. Adele was the same the year she did it, absolutely terrible, kept forgetting her words, talking to the audience for most of the performance. If I had paid money to go and see her, I would have wanted a refund. But again, they talked as if this was amazing and wow, she talks to the audience, what is she like, she is such a nice person. You have paid a lot of money to see her sing her songs, not to listen to her prattling on about a load of crap and then getting medical people to go into the crowd as she thinks someone isn't feeling well!!!! - I'm not sure I imagined that happening or not, but it feels bloody real.

 

I know it feels like I am having a right old moan about music today, but I am just annoyed at where the industry is going. I lOVE music and I want to see it survive, but I also want everyone to get a fair crack at the whip. I listen to so many different types of music and always have, but that comes from the diversity in music when I was growing up and what I was able to listen to.

 

As I keep telling my daughters - open your ears to new possibilities.

[Richard Tracey]

3 minutes ago, GuesSs said:

It's very clear your hip hop knowledge is very limited. Kanye didn't start sounding like the rest until Life of Pablo and that is his most recent album. I also notice all the examples of rappers you used were in their heights from 2005 and down which means you don't have much understanding of hip hop in it's current form.  After Kanye west released graduation he came out with 808's and heartbreak which was him singing and rapping for most of that. Prior to that album rapping and singing wasn't something being done in hip hop. But because kanye did it on that album it gave way to artist like Kid Cudi and Drake who were heavily influenced by that album. That is called evolution. 

 

And what kind of arguement are you making lmao. That's like me saying at the core of country they are just singing and and playing guitar. Or at the core of metal they're just screaming as hard as they can. Here let me help you out. Tyle the creator (who's most recent album sold 90k in the first week with no radio songs) most recent album was all about him talking about how he feels empty despite how successful he is, feeling like he has no friends,  and him coming out of the closest. He's not talking about what veryone else talks about and he sold a lot funny how that works. Logic made an album talking his struggles being bi racial and how racism is ridiculous and we should all come together and he sold over 100k first week. On J.Coles newest album he was telling the story of a man who was involved in thug culture but then fell in love, had a daughter, and wants his daughter to understand that he became a real man the day he decided to turn his back on all of that and love her. He sold over 600k first week and has gone platinum. The highest selling rap albums this year aren't even trap albums. So what are you talking about? Yes there is a large number of mumble rappers who talk about nonsense but those rappers aren't the most popular in terms of sales.  To give you some context Kodak Black ( A very popular trap rapper) only sold 71,000 units. Yet tyler the creator a gay rapper talking about boredom, emptiness, and lonliness out sold him and he doesn't get played on the radio like Kodak. Crazy how that works.

 

You even said yourself you can't name rappers who sound like kanye you just go by what you hear on the radio and tv. You aren't in tune with what is going on in hip hop which is why you shouldn't speak on if it is stagnant or not since you aren't familiar with the most popular rappers who don't promote violence and drugs. I also think all country sounds the same but I don't actively listen to it. So for me to say something like all country sounds the same and hasn't changed would be ridiculous if I don't even listen to the genre lol

 

 

And how many rap artists are there at the moment? You mention a few.. a few who are known and have a fanbase, so they can sell a decent amount if their fans know the album is coming out. 

 

Kayne was singing and rapping way before that and yes, my knowledge of hip-hop isn't what it used to be, there is a reason for that, because I am not impressed with anything I have heard for a while. It is good that some rappers are talking about interesting subjects, but is that the norm?

 

I totally agree with you, I think all country music sounds the same and there is actually discussion on the internet about this. There is a blog/video about the biggest selling country songs in the last 10 years are all the same song!!!

 

I say hip-hop is stagnant because I haven't heard anything different for a long time, anything that makes me think, wow that is good and go out and buy the album.

 

You like hip-hop, that is your genre and clearly your musical love, so you will be bias towards it, just like I love 80's music and will defend most of the music created back then to the hilt. But I am also a realist and I know there was a lot of shit released in the 80's, but there was also so much variation and groundbreaking music created as well. All the artists were labelled the same, but they nearly all sounded different. And just like I believe now, it became stagnant and a lot of the artists realised this and tried to move on, or just left the industry all together. It has been the same way for years. Musical periods grown and fade away for something else to take it's place. We had New Wave, Synthpop, Electronica, Rave, Dance, Brit-Pop, Grunge - all genres that were huge at the respective times, but all faded away when the music started to sound the same. Things need to die to allow others to grow.

 

Maybe, just maybe, the new much more interesting version of hip-hop is waiting in the wings to appear, but it can't until the current one dies and let's something else take it's place for a while.