Ludacris and Big Boi weigh in on hip hop is dead debate

Whateva happened to the North, it was only a matter of time...I don't want to comment on NAS's statement coz it all can be taken out of context. But as for the last couple of comments about the North & South, when we're talking about "North" then we're really talking about "NYC", coz though there are a few other catz over the yrs that have came up from other areas like NJ and PA, but overall majority of catz that are considered "north" or "east" have been from NYC. And for the longest that how it has been, with no real attempt by NY to build up or give an exposure to the rest of the "North" or "East" (whateva you wish to call it), NYC has for the most part been about "NYC" and for the most part putting on catz just from "NYC" and ignoring the rest of the region for YEARS. Granted it's the choice of "labels" (and a number are in NY) about who gets put out there in the public after a while you have to admit that the public starts to react in similar fashion, and then the sentiment is that if you're not from "NY", you're not good enuff. So my sentiment is that while NY "held the keys to Rome" for the longest they did "themselves" for "themselves", and supported just "themselves".

While the South has for a minute been building themselves up (also going thru the same thing as others not from NY were going thru up North) slowly exposing hip hop from their region, and then stopped trying to come up thru the "North and West" to get into the game, and just did their region. Now it's not just GA and FL, it's TN, NC, TX, LA, MI and they're all supporting each other. ATL may be the hip hop capital of the south, but you don't have to be from ATL to make it in the South, they give mad love to their whole region and support to the fullest.

NY did no such thing for the North...they may started the game, but they sure didn't look out for it in it's backyard. Now hip hop in North is dead and she didn't even get a chance to be heard fully.
 
California said:
if hip-hop is dead why is the south dominationg ?? that argument doesnt make sence . and if theirs any link between the fall of hiphop and the rise of this ignorant trash, it would be that one caused the other
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dominating what? east's top sellers are doing better then souths top sellers right now, nas isnt only talking about the music he's talking about the image and how it changed.
 
This quote basically describes it.

"The truth is, for years hip hop culture has been compromised. The artistry has taken a back seat to marketing the sensational -- east coast/west coast feuds and despicable displays of capitalism. Meanwhile women and the preservation of life have continued to be devalued on a street level. Hip hop isn't even rebellious youth culture anymore. It's what grown ass millionaires use as an excuse to be gaudy. Welcome to the hustle n' no flow era of the culture."

Enough said. Sorry don't know who said it.
 
the story i posted is jus explaining how two southern artist think (even though they not the best out of the south thats between T.I. and Lil Wayne) but artist should not be blamed for hip hop dying or its imminent death its the people that buy the albums that promote that industry kid fake hip hop bull sh!t......at the end of the day its not one simple answer to a possible problem like this(or wat problem the people make out of the situation) now i dont want this sh!t to die out like people are sayin it will if shi!t continues to go like this.....Hip-hop is my life i love hip hop and if it dies today tommorow or ever a peice of me will die with it so we as a nation of people who live alike and live on the same principles should come up wit a serious plan to help this....cause the niggas that listen to rap aint hip hop hip hop is a lifestyle and i really dont kno another way to live, so wats poppin fp wat can we do??
 
Go independant and make good music. AND TOUR AND DO SHOWS!!

Sell on CDBaby, reach Itunes.

Hit overseas, they respect the CULTURE for the sake of the culture more than america, we (majority) respects the culture only for the sake of money it will bring in, thus ruling out whatever branches of Hip-Hop that don't bring in as much as the current stuff...
 
PlanetHitzProduction said:
This quote basically describes it.

"The truth is, for years hip hop culture has been compromised. The artistry has taken a back seat to marketing the sensational -- east coast/west coast feuds and despicable displays of capitalism. Meanwhile women and the preservation of life have continued to be devalued on a street level. Hip hop isn't even rebellious youth culture anymore. It's what grown ass millionaires use as an excuse to be gaudy. Welcome to the hustle n' no flow era of the culture."

Enough said. Sorry don't know who said it.
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Samething I been thinking!:cheers:
 
well lets handle this.......like im serious lets get som est. artist to help this we can come up wit like propaganda tellin people not to support commercial sh!t i got some webspace i jus need to find some flash designers i really wanna get this poppin
 
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ALIASTrP said:
well lets handle this.......like im serious lets get som est. artist to help this we can come up wit like propaganda tellin people not to support commercial sh!t i got some webspace i jus need to find some flash designers i really wanna get this poppin
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Lol, good attitude but might not wanna do it that way.

It starts with a good product, that people will want to spend money on and buy. Until you have this.....100% of it, don't worry about the next steps for anything lol.

Because you the artist/producer/indie label owner MUST know your fanbase. Just as Chris Brown is marketed to the teen female category, your brand of vintage ATCQ/Dilla inspired tracks will not hit the same market, but the nostaligic crowd in their late 20's early 30's will respond.

College radio is a good opt also.

Gotta get smart. But remember, good music BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE.

Mainstream puts image and marketing before everything else. It's our (indie) turn to put music first and show that it can make a substantial profit gain in our own markets.

Which might be 70,000 sold. A flop to mainstream, a gold mine to 9th Wonder and crew. (as example)
 
cold said:
i think both jay-z and t.i have went platinum already and nas and jeezy are heading for the same first week number's, 50 cent is one of the biggest selling artist since he has came out.

what artist do you know of selling alot?
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If you don't realize that South Based artist are by far the most successful artist at this time you don't belong in the arguement. But to name a few Outkast, Paul Wall, Chamillionaire, Dem Franchise Boyz, Nelly, T.I. Bun B, Ludacriss, Young Jeezy, Rick Ross, The Yin Yang, Lil Wayne, Juvenile, Young Buck, Bow Wow(who I HATE) Young JOc, and Young Dro. Most of these are New Artists and the South continues to build stars. New York does not. If not for the greatest coming back. NY would not have dropped a Plat artist all year. Hip Hop started in NY but the rest of the country has caught up, much like the interantional community has surpassed the USA in hoops.
 
maybe this just me..

but i don't classify by region.. if u wack in the south... or u wack in the north.. or ur wack in the east.. or the west.. or ****in zimbabwe...

UR WACK

i put dipset (NY) in the same category as a lot of snap music.. now personally i dont believe their message is one i want to hear and neither is D4L's (ATL).. (doesnt mean other people don't want to hear it.. cuz they obviously do)

the mainstream is called the mainstream.. cuz thats what it is.. be an individual listen to what you like.. and stop worryin bout everybody else's record sales
 
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Immortal Technique said (and I paraphrase): "If your album sells, it's not because of luck. It's because everyone is as dumb as f***"
This is how i feel about a lot of Southern hip-hop, and that doesn't include some of the notable rappers such as, Ludacris, Lil Wayne, T.I., just to name a few.
 
come to the bay area, the south sound dont reign here, we stay local. we have love for our local artist and support them to the fullest. its all home grown, i dont even know why you all triip off that. we should all be locked up in our basements trying to create the next sound! lets push the next envelope..
 
I still REALLY don't understand how the south is running things when 50 Cent and Jay-Z pretty much outsell singularly 90% of those southern artists COMBINED.
 
what Nas obviously means by "Hip Hop is Dead" is that the eras of socialistic, consciencious hip hop with a messege are pritty much gone. The mainstrem hip hop is about deep bass, women, ice and money. I think "hip hop is dead" is an overstatement, hip hop is injured right now, compromised..but not entirely dead. Nas kind of overemphasised this and some people misinterpreted it.
 
In related news, the music industry is forcasted to have a 1% increase in revenue from 2005-2006 (despite all the claims that illegal downloading will kill the industry!) after seeing a 1% loss in revenues from 2004-2005.

Hip-hop sales were down around 10% from last year last time I checked. It's not dead, just broke an arm.
 
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i wonder how many people actually sat down and listened to Hip Hop is Dead. i think most people are missing the concept, confusing sells with talent and **** like that. if you're a true nas fan, then you know that you really have to sit back and listen a couple of times to his albums...

not just pop it in and listen to which tracks have "hot" beats and catchy phrases. everyone wants a quick fix.

i dont know if hip hop is dead, but it saddens me when i see how the UNSEEN FORCES flawlessly compromised the culture and turned it into a joke here in the USA...and the majority is still deaf-dumb-blind to what has happened.
 
As I've said before, you don't have to be a nas fan to be a hip hop fan. You can be a Jeezy fan who are any of us to say that makes you any less hip hop? So sales do nothing but reflect the state of hip hop. The reason why is because the true fans are the ones buying the sh*t.
 
2leji2quit said:
what Nas obviously means by "Hip Hop is Dead" is that the eras of socialistic, consciencious hip hop with a messege are pritty much gone. The mainstrem hip hop is about deep bass, women, ice and money. I think "hip hop is dead" is an overstatement, hip hop is injured right now, compromised..but not entirely dead. Nas kind of overemphasised this and some people misinterpreted it.
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nas was one of the first rappers who started pushing "hip hop" to where it is now. i remember him rocking designer suit in his videos and rapping about million dollar bets and fast cars, so he kind of directed the content of hip hop. hip hop isnt dead, the underground society is huge, it might by mc's that dont sell a million plus but after the show you can go chop it up with these cats without being pushed around by bodyguards. TRUE hip hop is in me yall...im hip hop!!!!
 
There is a Reason that more than half of the top 100 Billboard songs for the last 2 years were in the Hip Hop, R and B and URban PoP category, and it's certainly not because it's dead!
And allot of R and B and Urban Pop has Allot of Hip Hop Cameo's.
Since Uban music shifts it's flavor every so many years, who's to say what Hip Hop is anyway, it seems like someone is stuck on a definition of hip hop acouple years ago and won't let go!
 
choice1 said:
come to the bay area, the south sound dont reign here, we stay local. we have love for our local artist and support them to the fullest. its all home grown
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That's what I really like about the Bay area. I wish it was like that where I'm from. I bet 90% of the Hip Hop "fans" where I'm at can't name one single local emcee/group.
 
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