Why The West Will Not Blow Up...

[shadycent]

if any gangsta rappers wanna go mainstream they will have to seel out in order to have there music played on tv or radio cuz da lyrics are too hardcore and everyother fuckin word is blanked out. since the consumer which is us like the way that gansta rap is goin why would we want them to go mainstream then it would be a bunch of ja rules and shit. i like the way the music is going in the west its so thugin and i dont think that going mainstream would help it i think it would hurt it

[SGV]

the topic is about west coast cats blowin up.  Lyrics are last when it comes to blowing up.  Nelly, ja rule, snoop, dre, missy, lil bow wow, fabulous all sell a shitload of albums.  None of them have any lyricism to speak of.  Ras Kass has very dope lyrics, but hardly anyone knows who he is outside of cali.  when's the last time you heard a really lyrical song on the radio, mtv, or at a club/party?  thats what it takes to blow up.  constant radio, tv, and club play.  If you don't get that then you are not gonna sell there is no question about it.  When's the last time you heard Del on the radio, or ras kass at the clubs, or saw a crooked I video?   Eazy E had some of the simplest lyrics ever, yet he was extremely popular.  I think having simple lyrics these days actually will help you blow up, because its mostly kids buying rap music these days.

What about someone like Eminem? Nas? They're lyrical and they're selling.

[shadycent]

ya wat about them though there from the east coast but they are dope i was jus listenin to nas the other night. they have dope lyrics but em has come up from a battle carrier not like the style in cali. nas is from new  york ans has his own original flow that no one in new york can really touch except for 50 cent who is now following em's lyrical flow and is making killer music because his beats are from cali from dre.  

[SGV]

ya wat about them though there from the east coast but they are dope i was jus listenin to nas the other night. they have dope lyrics but em has come up from a battle carrier not like the style in cali. nas is from new  york ans has his own original flow that no one in new york can really touch except for 50 cent who is now following em's lyrical flow and is making killer music because his beats are from cali from dre.  

50 can touch Nas? LMAO. I'm not even a Nas fan, but that's a HUGE lie. Nas would make 50 look like a foo.

[SGV]

What I want to know is this. Why is it when the West cats talk about G shit, it's able to be played on the radio or tv. But, you got cats like The Lox, Mobb Deep and Beanie Sigel who are talking about slanging, murdering and robbing and they're getting much radio play.

[budsmokeronly]

What about someone like Eminem? Nas? They're lyrical and they're selling.

I'm not saying if your lyrical you won't sell, but if lyricism is your strongest point more than likely your not gonna sell well.

I don't think I need to explain how much else eminem and nas got going for them besides lyrics.

[shadycent]

man 50 can rhyme in a total differeent way than nas does. if nas rhymed like 50 he wouldnt be half as good and if 50 rapped like nas it would be shitty

[SGV]

I'm not saying if your lyrical you won't sell, but if lyricism is your strongest point more than likely your not gonna sell well.

I don't think I need to explain how much else eminem and nas got going for them besides lyrics.

Nas' strong point is his lyricism. Point blank. If it wasn't, then Illmatic wouldn't get brought up so much. Em's strong point is his skin color first, then his lyrics second.

[shadycent]

why jus cuz hes white. wtf is that about. he is one of the strongest mc's out there right now if someone gets at him he gets back at them 10 times harder

[SGV]

why jus cuz hes white. wtf is that about. he is one of the strongest mc's out there right now if someone gets at him he gets back at them 10 times harder

LMAO. The last part I find funny, but I won't touch that.

Eminem is so popular because he's white. People like Ras Kass, Pharoahe Monch, Chino XL, they all have the same amount of skill that Em has, but they're just looked at as other emcees. If Em was black he'd be Ras Kass.

[shadycent]

i dont think so man jus cuz ur white dont mean shit. look at vanilla ice he was a bitch that no one liked and he did shitty he had no talent ems got some krazy talent and ya ras kass has some krazy skill but jus cuz an emcees white dont mean thats why he's makin it big thats jus fucked

[budsmokeronly]

Nas' strong point is his lyricism. Point blank. If it wasn't, then Illmatic wouldn't get brought up so much. Em's strong point is his skin color first, then his lyrics second.

nas has a tight flow and delivery imo.  also he has made songs such as If I Ruled the world, you can hate me now, street dreams, and more.  these songs were very popular nationwide and they got lots of radio and tv play.  they had some really catchy hooks and the beats were good.  You can play any of those songs in the club and hella people will get into it.  

eminem has dre behind him.  all his first album singles have been super radio and mtv friendly.

again I am not saying a good lyricist won't blow up.  You need a lot more than that.  You could bring out a genius when it comes to lyrics, but if the beats suck and his voice and flow is boring then not many people are gonna like it.  You also gotta have a super hot song that millions of people are gonna bump.  

like I said I like sly's album.  it's not a bad album at all.  but its not outstanding at all either.  the beats are not bad at all, but not one is amazing.  his voice and flow are fine too, but again nothing out of the ordinary.  There is hundreds if not thousands of rappers out there trying to get big.  You have to distinguish yourself away from everyone else in order to make it big.  Rappers have these things to do it with:

beat
flow/delivery
lyrics
concepts
voice
energy

If you are only gonna be strong in one  or two of those areas, and want to be big, lyrics is gonna be one of the last things to make you big.

Luniz- operation stakola is certainly not as lyrical as judgement day.  but imo, (and many other peoples) it is a much better album.  It is a lot more entertaining and fun to listen to.

[teecee]

Admittedly, i do not usually agree with Ac Grundy, but almost everything u have said in this thread is right on the money.

Props to g funka also!

SGV SGV SGV

EMINEM IS NOT ONLY POPULAR BECAUSE HE IS WHITE!!!  THAT IS A LOAD OF FUCKING BULLSHIT!!!   EMINEM is popular because he makes commercially friendly music and has catchy singles.  

I personally like Pharoah, Ras, and CHino more than Eminem, but when it comes to making popular music they do not have the talent that eminem has, point blank.  None of them have ever made a song even a tenth as catchy (thank god!) as Without Me or Lose Yourself, and that is the end of the story.  U can make excuses saying its because of Dre or cuz ems white, but in reality he makes music accesible to the average music listener, and that is a huge market.

I AM GLAD chino, ras and pharoah dont make music like this, why do you want them to blow up so bad SGV?  

Blowing up has tons to do with marketing and connections, but it cant be overlooked that u have to make something catchy and accesible to more than just your neighborood.

Artists like E40 and Suga Free and Yukmouth, while talented and putting out quality music, do not have styles that everyone is gonna love.  WE LOVE IT CUZ MOST OF US LOVE WEST COAST SHIT, so we are all biased.  But if you were new to hiphop and of course most kids are gonna like a song like In Da club or Without me over Quarterbacking by 50 cent or some Acey Alone song!!!  Anyone who thinks otherwise is too wrapped up in there love for the west, the underground, the underdog, or all of those three together!  peace

[M Dogg™]

I think the west, like the other coast, is going to blow up with updated production. Shade Sheist, Nocc'Turnal, Light's Out by WSCG, Dr. Dre, Baby Beesh, WC and others have updated the sound and have seen increase in sales. When the other lyrist upgrade, it'll be all gravy. And also they don't have to sell out and go R&B, Jay-Z, Nas, and others have done a good job of updating their sound, and keeping their traditional vibe to it. It's 2003, a new millennium, artist like Ras Kass, Chino XL, Pharoah, Yukmouth and others shouldn't feel bad by making sounds that are up to date. After all, in 1993, everyone else had to change with the new sound Dr. Dre made, and in 1999, everyone then updated production techniques that Dr. Dre introducted. Although maybe holding out on updated 'till Dexot is the best thing... lol

[Bomb-A®]

i dont think dre can help anyone shoot to fame, as good as he is.
eminem and 50 were helped by dre but they both kinda made it on their own.
eminem was unique and very talented and 50 was making a lotta noise even before he signed with aftermath/shady. why didnt truth hurts blow up even witha single like addictive? i honestly dont think hittman would have sold shit if dropped an album on aftermath.
i still have hope tho. maybe he'll drop the game album soon and he'll be accepted.



peace