Something rappers need to realize

[acgrundy]

It seems every rapper thinks that they have the talent to go platinum and be a huge superstar.  And yes, that is a great mentality, very ambitious.  But the realism of the matter is that very few rappers make it to that status.  I think many of these westcoast rappers just need to come to that realization, and be satisfied w/ being able to make money off making music.  Think about how many no name rappers try to cater their album towards the mainstream audience, yet dont' have any promotion, and still end up no names and don't sell shit.  Meanwhile, they actually dissapointed their already small fanbase, and most likely lost fans.  Either that or they just never put out an album because they keep waiting for the perfect deal.  Crooked I is a great example of the latter.  Dude is just not gonna blow up.  He has a ton of skills and talent, but he just doesn't make songs that fit the audience that is going to buy millions of cd's.  He just needs to drop an album for his real fans, and keep it directed to please them.  That is why I got a lot of respect for rappers like MC Eiht.  Sure his records may be pretty damn boring nowadays, and nothing new, and relatively below average...but...he has always kept his music for his fanbase.  He hasn't gone off track and sold out and done some wack ass pop shit tryna gain 12 year old girls as his fan base.  He don't try and make songs for the radio today.  He still drops that gangsta shit.  While it may be boring and nothing new, I think its better than say Warren G's latest album or Bad Azz latest album or many rappers in the bay, where they just try to capitalize on what is popular and selling right now.

[WC Iz Active]

 

[Antonio_]

It seems every rapper thinks that they have the talent to go platinum and be a huge superstar.  And yes, that is a great mentality, very ambitious.  But the realism of the matter is that very few rappers make it to that status.  I think many of these westcoast rappers just need to come to that realization, and be satisfied w/ being able to make money off making music.  Think about how many no name rappers try to cater their album towards the mainstream audience, yet dont' have any promotion, and still end up no names and don't sell shit.  Meanwhile, they actually dissapointed their already small fanbase, and most likely lost fans.  Either that or they just never put out an album because they keep waiting for the perfect deal.  Crooked I is a great example of the latter.  Dude is just not gonna blow up.  He has a ton of skills and talent, but he just doesn't make songs that fit the audience that is going to buy millions of cd's.  He just needs to drop an album for his real fans, and keep it directed to please them.  That is why I got a lot of respect for rappers like MC Eiht.  Sure his records may be pretty damn boring nowadays, and nothing new, and relatively below average...but...he has always kept his music for his fanbase.  He hasn't gone off track and sold out and done some wack ass pop shit tryna gain 12 year old girls as his fan base.  He don't try and make songs for the radio today.  He still drops that gangsta shit.  While it may be boring and nothing new, I think its better than say Warren G's latest album or Bad Azz latest album or many rappers in the bay, where they just try to capitalize on what is popular and selling right now.

Man that's true, but i think you used bad examples (the only right one is Bad Azz, probably). I mean Eiht has nothing to prove, nothing to loose. It's easier for him (already a legend) to keep it strictly for the fans. He's a 39 years old with a few bullets left, and he's just using them the way he should. But Crooked is hungry. He was the most anticipated rapper (probably still is?) from the West, he got skills, he's probably the best MC at the moment, and he's in a situation where he needs an album (selling platinum) to be dropped. His fans wants him to make it. Just to say: "I told y'all". You know what i mean? I feel bad for him, man. I don't think he's selling his soul. He's just trying hard to make an album out. And about Warren G, he's 36 being in the rap game for 15 years. I think he just tried something different, on his last album. The one who sold his soul is probably Bad Azz. But it was mostly Snoop who "ruined" his album tho.

[WestCoasta]

yea I know what you're sayin

some of these guys need a reality check, or less yes men

that's why I like the guys who go indy and sell about 100,000

it's funny too because lots of fags around here think that's a flop

the only guys on the west that can talk that platinum shit are really Snoop and Game  

who else did okay numbers?  E-40 did, but he had to go pop to do that

[WestCoasta]

Crooked is hungry. He was the most anticipated rapper (probably still is?) from the West, he got skills, he's probably the best MC at the moment, and he's in a situation where he needs an album (selling platinum) to be dropped. His fans wants him to make it. Just to say: "I told y'all". You know what i mean? I feel bad for him, man. I don't think he's selling his soul. He's just trying hard to make an album out.

but what Acgrundy is saying is that it doesn't matter, Crooked I isn't gonna sell platinum no matter how good it is

there's no reason to be holding back, loads of people will burn it, it will have some okay sales on the west, and that's it

nobody else will care and it matters nothing, he'd sell like 200,000 at the very most

might as well go indy with it, why waste time with a big label?

[Antonio_]

Yeah. Well i don't know, man. Rap is so fucked up these days.

[Tanjential]

rap's aways been fucked up. music's always been fucked up. the whack poppy people always have breaks and the dope artists get screwed. been that way since day 1.
it's like doc said, it's always been like that but you have to be transcendent of that. "it's just great SONGS man"
-T

[Z the laidback Virus]

What Bad Azz album are you actually talking about?
It could be me but wasn't 'Executive Decisions..' his last album? Snoop wasn't even involved on that one, so you obviously can't blame him for that failure. I guess you are talking about 'Personal Business'? Bad Azz sold his soul there? Au contraire, mon frere. It's a great album and it really doesn't have a mainstream guestlist, does it?

[Oklin]

They shouldnt just try to make music to make money... they should make music because they love it.. and they shouldnt try to hit the mainstream, they should make the music that they think is hot. But okay if they are stupid idiots, mainstream IS what they think is hot

[Diggfinger]

It seems every rapper thinks that they have the talent to go platinum and be a huge superstar.  And yes, that is a great mentality, very ambitious.  But the realism of the matter is that very few rappers make it to that status.  I think many of these westcoast rappers just need to come to that realization, and be satisfied w/ being able to make money off making music.  Think about how many no name rappers try to cater their album towards the mainstream audience, yet dont' have any promotion, and still end up no names and don't sell shit.  Meanwhile, they actually dissapointed their already small fanbase, and most likely lost fans.  Either that or they just never put out an album because they keep waiting for the perfect deal.  Crooked I is a great example of the latter.  Dude is just not gonna blow up.  He has a ton of skills and talent, but he just doesn't make songs that fit the audience that is going to buy millions of cd's.  He just needs to drop an album for his real fans, and keep it directed to please them.  That is why I got a lot of respect for rappers like MC Eiht.  Sure his records may be pretty damn boring nowadays, and nothing new, and relatively below average...but...he has always kept his music for his fanbase.  He hasn't gone off track and sold out and done some wack ass pop shit tryna gain 12 year old girls as his fan base.  He don't try and make songs for the radio today.  He still drops that gangsta shit.  While it may be boring and nothing new, I think its better than say Warren G's latest album or Bad Azz latest album or many rappers in the bay, where they just try to capitalize on what is popular and selling right now.

yes I agree, the reality for most rappers is that they are "has-beens" as far as the mainstream audience is concerned. To have had a hit record about 7,5,3,2 or even 1 ago aint shit....these people forget about that stuff and want something new. Therefore my hat is totally off for Snoopy and Dre who has managed to maintain there statue in the rap bizz-

But really - what is the acknowlegdement of people really worth?? F- that, I think any west coast rapper who still has a fan base and still manages to make bread should just be satisfied and enjoy life 


PS. Warren's last album was a monster though

[khang]

this is a good topic because of two things, it points out that there are major differences between people who are true to themselves and people who change their image because they feel that more people will like it more so they can get more money. 

if you look at Snoop and Dre, they didn't change anything to fit into 'mainstream'...they just made their sound what it was and people loved it and it made them rich.  they naturally had it on their own.  they had their struggles in reaching for the top but they stayed consistant and eventually became two of the biggest names in rap

    if you think you have it then you think you have it...there's nothing wrong with that.  there's nothing wrong with shooting for the top.  if i believed i could do better than just 'getting by' in the music business then i would do my damn best to reach my full potential.  I wouldn't settle for something less than what i knew i could do better in, that in itself is selling yourself out short.   

on the other hand, it's wrong to try to be someone else.  if you're not true to yourself, then what good is your success?  you can spit all the bubblegum rhymes you want but when it's all said and done you're just a puppet for the mainstream. just a replica of what's already been done, that's not Dre and Snoop, eminem, or the game... that's just being satisfied with making money off being someone else.  there's a difference.  you can be true to yourself and be successful if you just believe in yourself.

[acgrundy]

What Bad Azz album are you actually talking about?
It could be me but wasn't 'Executive Decisions..' his last album? Snoop wasn't even involved on that one, so you obviously can't blame him for that failure. I guess you are talking about 'Personal Business'? Bad Azz sold his soul there? Au contraire, mon frere. It's a great album and it really doesn't have a mainstream guestlist, does it?

I'm talking about Executive Decisions.  Personal business is a dope album.  Bad azz is a dope rapper.  I was really looking forward to executive Decisions, but then was highly dissapointed.  The album is garbage.  I never said bad azz sold his soul.  He catered Executive Decisions to try and reach a broader audience.


Here is a point some of you are not getting.  I don't think any artist should sell themselves short.  If you really believe you got the talent to be a platinum rapper, then by all means go for it.  But you need a lot more than just your talent.  You need the financing, the big name producers, the promotion, the big label.

Here is my point w/ Bad Azz and Executive Decisions.  He catered the sound of that album to reach a wider audience, maybe a more pop/hiphop audience.  However he didn't have any big name producer, who knows what label he was on, and he pretty much had no promotion at all.  Hell I have never even seen the album in stores.  How the hell is he suppossed to reach a wide audience w/o any of this?  Nobody, other than his hardcore dpg fanbase, really knows who he is,still after dropping this album.  So take me, part of his small hardcore dpg fanbase.  I was pretty much really disapointed w/ the album, so now, I could care less about his next album.  Meanwhile, I highly doubt he gained any of the fans that buy Jay Z, or Lil' Jon, or Nas or what have you.  If Bad Azz couldn't multiply his fanbase w/ Personal Business and the heavy help of snoop, well face the facts, he is not meant to be a superstar platinum rapper.  Not everyone in the NBA has the success of Micheal Jordan, Kobe Bryant, or Shaq.  Thats just how it is.  Ain't nothing wrong with being a Rick Fox, or a Scottie Pippen. 

[Diggfinger]

if i believed i could do better than just 'getting by' in the music business then i would do my damn best to reach my full potential.  I wouldn't settle for something less than what i knew i could do better in, that in itself is selling yourself out short.   

^^ and so you should my friend!! We all have to live and feed our potential with the necessary ambitious, which will ultimately allow us to get anywhere we want to be here in life  

[Z the laidback Virus]

What Bad Azz album are you actually talking about?
It could be me but wasn't 'Executive Decisions..' his last album? Snoop wasn't even involved on that one, so you obviously can't blame him for that failure. I guess you are talking about 'Personal Business'? Bad Azz sold his soul there? Au contraire, mon frere. It's a great album and it really doesn't have a mainstream guestlist, does it?

I'm talking about Executive Decisions.  Personal business is a dope album.  Bad azz is a dope rapper.  I was really looking forward to executive Decisions, but then was highly dissapointed.  The album is garbage.  I never said bad azz sold his soul.  He catered Executive Decisions to try and reach a broader audience.


Here is a point some of you are not getting.  I don't think any artist should sell themselves short.  If you really believe you got the talent to be a platinum rapper, then by all means go for it.  But you need a lot more than just your talent.  You need the financing, the big name producers, the promotion, the big label.

Here is my point w/ Bad Azz and Executive Decisions.  He catered the sound of that album to reach a wider audience, maybe a more pop/hiphop audience.  However he didn't have any big name producer, who knows what label he was on, and he pretty much had no promotion at all.  Hell I have never even seen the album in stores.  How the hell is he suppossed to reach a wide audience w/o any of this?  Nobody, other than his hardcore dpg fanbase, really knows who he is,still after dropping this album.  So take me, part of his small hardcore dpg fanbase.  I was pretty much really disapointed w/ the album, so now, I could care less about his next album.  Meanwhile, I highly doubt he gained any of the fans that buy Jay Z, or Lil' Jon, or Nas or what have you.  If Bad Azz couldn't multiply his fanbase w/ Personal Business and the heavy help of snoop, well face the facts, he is not meant to be a superstar platinum rapper.  Not everyone in the NBA has the success of Micheal Jordan, Kobe Bryant, or Shaq.  Thats just how it is.  Ain't nothing wrong with being a Rick Fox, or a Scottie Pippen. 

Thanks for clarifying that, but still, why do you mention Bad Azz having 'Snoop's heavy help'? At the time, he didn't. Snoop had basically left Bad Azz without mainstream exposure since 2001. He hasn't been on a Snoop-album after that, and Snoop himself hasn't been on an album by Bad Azz since 'Personal Business'. I know we have the Welcome to the Chuuch-mixtapes but really, how much exposure did those give to the people featuring on them?
Bad Azz was without Snoop's help then.

Of course, keep in mind that this is a technicality. I do not disagree with your message itself.

[Episcop Cruel Cvrle]

Crooked is hungry. He was the most anticipated rapper (probably still is?) from the West, he got skills, he's probably the best MC at the moment, and he's in a situation where he needs an album (selling platinum) to be dropped. His fans wants him to make it. Just to say: "I told y'all". You know what i mean? I feel bad for him, man. I don't think he's selling his soul. He's just trying hard to make an album out.

but what Acgrundy is saying is that it doesn't matter, Crooked I isn't gonna sell platinum no matter how good it is

there's no reason to be holding back, loads of people will burn it, it will have some okay sales on the west, and that's it

nobody else will care and it matters nothing, he'd sell like 200,000 at the very most

might as well go indy with it, why waste time with a big label?

Cant say how much Crooked I will sell, nobody knows that. One thing i know is that u gonna be surprised by the quality of songs on BOSS album thats coming, its not some battle rappin ish, its just pure high classy lyrics over dope dope ass beats, damn even inhouse producers like Gittum outdone themselfs. You aint gonna be frogetin about that CD in one-two weeks , that shits gonna bump in your stereo for a looong time, beliveee that. Shits coming this year so i cant wait for us to comment on that together.