Westcoast Stars Not Talented Enough

[Mickaveli_#1]

In the late 80’s / early 90’s westcoast had significant rap stars who were also on screen and had controversy fuelled by the media. Ice T at a time was in big screen movies gaining popularity in time for his westcoast release. And his known reputation for being a gangsta allowed other (self-claimed) gangstas to come out into the rap industry. They used the media as a tool to gain exposure – not to take anything away from the talent these guys had. Ice T’s smooth sales allowed others from LA to come out. It opened doors for a lot of youngsters to fill the space there was. N.W.A. came out and gave a glimpse of never-before seen tales from the streets of Compton.  

When N.W.A. broke up many thought the end of gangsta rap – yet it was only beginning. DeathRow was just round the corner. Each N.W.A. star seemed to be doing different things which the fan base and press knew about.
Movies like New Jack City (about a street gang big enough to take the mafia) and constant media attention to stars like N.W.A. Too Short, Richie Rich etc. Rap was no longer ordinary rappin. This was the real – it was like the news, and like most news. News stations tend to compete with one another. Westcoast rap seemed too harsh and a little bit real for higher class peoples to call rap. It’s like turning on the news and seeing a report on 20 people killed – no one likes that yet what Jennifer Lopez has her hair like at an award show makes the front page where as the 20 slayings are stuck in the back somewhere or a small column in the middle with no picture – as if its trying to hide the real news about the world. That’s the stage (not just westcoast but)Hip Hop’s in at the moment, know what I’m saying. The real news get’s misplaced to glamourise fake’s that don’t care much for the society we live in. Nelly for example never really makes real tracks to give back to the community at all. He’s rappin bout being “#1” and “Dilema” about a relationship with a girl. – he’s a pop star , yet given the same exposure and air play as a top pop star.

We know how much 2Pac cared for the community but he unlike many right now was SMART. He knew exactly how to play the media. Look at the spitting incident. The movies and he never too quiet when the camera was on him. He spoke truth but in a way that made you notice. Hanging out the car window with the middle finger.

What the bottom line is. Hip Hop is at a stage (and has been) if you wanna sell and gain exposure – you gotta be controversial. Use the media as a tool. Westcoast rap aint dead, never has been. It’s always been the same just we don’t have nobody stepping up that could or WANTS to use the media as a tool. Until that time don’t expect the return of tha west anytime soon.

[Trauma-san]

The climate's changed though, back then, hiphop was interesting to the media, now, it's all mtv and radio.  If mtv won't mess with you, and radio won't play you, you have NO promotion.  If MTV don't wanna play the new DJ Quik Video, he ain't gonna sell anything.  Simple as that.  BAck in the day, MTV made dre/snoop/cube/pac etc. big out west, because they cooperated.  The artists had the promotion at their disposal, they could use it. now they dont' have those liberties, nobody wants to give them promotion, except for a few people.  

Look at Snoop's last album, he promoted it as best he could, but what else could he do? I saw commercials on t.v. for it, I saw the video on mtv and bet, a lot, I saw tons of copies in stores, posters in stores, I saw Snoop have his own t.v. show on mtv, I saw him at awards shows, I saw him on bet rapcity, I saw him perform live on jay leno, and ANOTHER mtv show (2 dolla bill);  He pulled out a ton of promotion, and STILL didn't sell.  

[Mickaveli_#1]

Because Snoop has fell off a lot over the years.

But it aint just about if MTV likes you it'll play you. It’s also to do with the company your signed with. When 2Pac signed to deathrow he had money coming in plus Interscope (used to be great at promoting their artists) was promoting his sh*t and allowing him to have TV spots for videos and special air play (some comes at a price – aint nothing free in this world no more) But look at independent artists. They only release like one or two videos from an album where as Dre’s 2001 saw 4 videos. Either way more westcoast artists are becoming independent. You can be independent and sell 100,000. You can be a star and sell double platinum and be more well known but that independent star will be making more money.
I think it’s the industrys fault for pushing many talented acts to go independent.

[Lil Jay]

why a fault? its better for west coast rappers to go indy, look at warren g, he was signed to one of the biggest labels and got no promotion at all. he's a oG in this game, plus talented but they didnt support him and dropped him cause he didnt sell. but how is he supposed to sell records if they dont promote him? (no tv ads ads, only 1 video etc) oh and dre had 3 videos btw, not 4