Mainstream Rap: A Rapper’s Quick Rise & Even Quicker Fall

It’s become a way of life to scroll through the iTunes store searching for an artist you like, a song you heard on the radio, or an album everyone’s been talking about. But how many times do you pay your 99¢, turn the speakers up loud and wait for the disappointment? Don’t worry we’ve all gone through it. The anticipation, the hype, the expectations, are all blown out of proportion by societies beloved media. Haven’t you had enough? Isn’t it time to say, “F#*k iTunes” and go against the grain. As a fan of rap, I’ve gone through this more than I’ve wanted too.

“I don't like anything in the mainstream and they don't like me.”

Bill Hicks

The late comedian and musician Bill Hicks is right. I’m tired of this mainstream bullshit. My Weezy albums no longer sound the same, knowing MTV and VH1 are overlooking his greatests works that he purposely disperses free.

Drake was great, before he got on stage at the VMA’s. Lil Wayne may be doing something about by dropping new underground mixtapes even while he’s behind bars. We all appreciate the work rappers put into their music, but to really understand their efforts, listen to the stuff they wrote when they didn’t have dollar signs in their eyes.

http://www.myvido1.com/wVWhmTkV0dwEGMKd0UqNWP_drake-2010-mtv-vma-performance-fancy-ft-

Wiz Khalifa, he’s my boy. I’ll never forget when he was at Floyd’s in the summer of ’09.

“C’mon lets go to the concert!”

“Who the hell is Weez Kalifa?”

“Wiz Khalifa, asshole! And he sang this.”

Scrolling through my iPod playing my friends a few of his songs from his underground mixtape Flight School and watching their faces change with confusion made me realize how mainstream was ruining rap. The walk to Floyd’s was the loneliest walk I’d probably ever taken, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the show. What it did do, was cause me to stand up against MTV’s #1 single or scroll through the charts to downloads the hottest rap song. Instead I went underground, something Wiz Khalifa, like Weezy, encourages. The two of them drop mixtapes like they get tattoos.

With my “F#*k iTunes” attitude embedded deep into my mind, I decided it was time to stand up and do something, whether it made an impact or not. Searching underground music forums like wegotitfirst.com or mediazoneja.com, listening to DJ’s and artists no one even thought about listening to until they were plastered all over the billboards with their names all shiny and bright. I’m proud to say I’ve never paid a cent for a song in my life because mixtapes are FREE! I’ll still be supportive when you decide to forget the time they scrolled through my iPod and responded with “This is shit!” or “Who’s Tinnie Tempah?” but now claim Khalifa has always been your favourite rapper. Music is music and everyone is passionate on different levels when it comes to their favourite artist or song.

VS

My argument may seem to lack support, but look at this way. What was better? No Ceilings, Lil Wayne’s most downloaded mixtape, or his highly anticipated, yet highly flammable and burnable studio album The Rebirth? Society may not have cared that The Rebirth flopped, because it’s Lil Wayne, but from the perspective of someone who’s listened to Weezy since the 16 yr old dropped “Tha Block Is Hot” it hurt to see the effect mainstream had on ‘the best rapper alive’. Mainstream is a trap for a rapper's demise.

It's not anything to completely change your iTunes library, but mainstream isn't for everyone. Except Lady Gaga, without mainstream Gaga, or 'GooGoo' as I like to refer to hear as, would have no way of inspiring this new line of meat accessories for women made by Onch Movement. Yea I'm not joking. I just find it sad that the media, which seems to be reflecting society in a completely different way to how I see it, controls the rise and demise of artists, specifically when it comes to rap.