The Singles Bug

[Ese Torsido]

A lot of people on the DubCNN forums are pissing me off. I'm hearing members saying shit like "Omar Cruz needs a hit single if he wants to conquer the rap market," or "Snoop Dogg's S.E. is shit, he's singing now," or "when is The Game gonna release a single." I'm FUCKIN' tired of it.

When I got into music, I remembered singles being more than just spitting catch phrases and having a memorable melody. Singles were songs that showcased the artistry of a musician at their best. Repeat: at their best. It was a song that symbolized the true meaning of their entire album. For example, when Dre released "Nuthin' But A G Thang" with Snoop as a single, he didn't do it because he had to, he chose this single as a means of expression. He said, (and not in those words) "This shit is gonna fuck the clubs up." He knew in his mind that this single was gonna make big numbers. He predicted right, and it worked.

Nowadays, singles have lost all meaning. Love songs dominate the airwaves; rap is oblivious and no where to be found. In the old days, songs like "Back In The Day," "California Love" and "It Was A Good Day" were readily-made west coast classics with mass appeal by strenght in reflection of one's self. Today, those same mirrors are now displaying a more pop-orientated form of hip hop. Trends are becoming a more powerful force in the music industry (take the Hyphy movement), so is the power of love (Any Sailor Moon fans out there? Anybody?), and the most recent of trends, the vice-gripping vocal enhancer, the vocoder. For the record, all these things I described - they were hitmakers when they came out for the first time. Now, they're overdoing the shit like a 60-year old woman wanting out of sexual intercourse. It's no longer music that attracts the artist and their album, it's music made to attract a fad. I don't support that at all.

And now, I'm hearing people saying, "We need a west coast single to get back on the map." Guess what? SINGLES ARE DEAD. The only thing west coast artists are able to create or concoct today are songs that develop a "buzz." People get buzz and singles confused big time - a "buzz" is just a positive or negative reaction to a particular single that is currently being promoted. People think "Gangsta Music," for example, is the definitive single to Omar Cruz's upcoming album. It's NOT - neither he nor Lulu nor Rome made that announcement yet. And I trust in those dudes that the song they'll choose to promote their album as a single will be one that people can look back to five, or ten years from now, and say, "Oh, this single was the shit!"

Guys - a favor - from now on, do not use the word single in your posts unless it is one the artist feels comfortable with. Industries are losing out, mom and pop stores have drowned, and so have the fans of hip hop.

It's anime, baby.

[R1ZE]

But singles are a way to get buzz. Without a successful single, you likely won't get the backing from your label to go do interviews and make press appearances that contribute to getting your name out there.

[Dre-Day]

When I got into music, I remembered singles being more than just spitting catch phrases and having a memorable melody. Singles were songs that showcased the artistry of a musician at their best. Repeat: at their best. It was a song that symbolized the true meaning of their entire album. For example, when Dre released "Nuthin' But A G Thang" with Snoop as a single, he didn't do it because he had to, he chose this single as a means of expression. He said, (and not in those words) "This shit is gonna fuck the clubs up." He knew in his mind that this single was gonna make big numbers. He predicted right, and it worked.

Nowadays, singles have lost all meaning. Love songs dominate the airwaves; rap is oblivious and no where to be found. In the old days, songs like "Back In The Day," "California Love" and "It Was A Good Day" were readily-made west coast classics with mass appeal by strenght in reflection of one's self. Today, those same mirrors are now displaying a more pop-orientated form of hip hop. Trends are becoming a more powerful force in the music industry

i agree that the single has lost its value.

but you have to realise that gangsta rap/westcoast music was "hot" during the 90's, so the situation you described above was already going on.
i agree with you about the examples of great singles, but what you said is your opinion, it's not a fact(i may be stating the obvious, but it's better to avoid confusion).
trendfollowing in music is not something from the last few years as i've before; after all, the music is also a busines. so major labels adapt to a certain trend ( in the 90's this was gangsta rap).
the speed of the process may have been faster in compared to the 90's ( i think that's because of multiple factors; like the internet, the amount of major labels decreasing  while the few ones left only got bigger so their influence have increased).