1. Dude, again, you don't have to make watered down corporate rap because you have mainstream distribution. Why do you keep making it about that?
Public Enemy made "Fight The Power" with "mainstream distribution". Kendrick Lamar makes "Blacker the Berry" with "mainstream distribution". Lupe Fiasco has spent his whole career making real ass Hip-Hop with "mainstream distribution".
Guys like Jay & Puff PURPOSELY made MTV friendly watered down street hop for the purpose of making White kids buy their music. THAT is why it's a sellout move.
2. No, real street nikkaz don't need the game watered down for them. Did the streets feel "Illmatic"? Yeah. Did Nas need to "dumb it down" for real Hip-HOp heads? No.
What about "36 Chambers"? "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx"?
Of course not.
Jay wanted to sell pop star records. HE ADMITTED THAT. He admitted that if it was up to him, he'd always been rapping like Talib Kweli or Common, but he makes too much money making watered down pop/gangsta rap, so he does that.
3. If you did all that shyt and still have no concept of what Hip-HOp culture is, then you're an even bigger clown than Jay is.
4Mos Def didn't make "Ms Fat Booty" for White kids in the suburbs
5Rakim didn't hop on a Jody Whatley record for White kids in the suburbs.
6What is with you new nikkaz who don't understand HIp-Hop culture?
7Now , if Mos Def hops on a Britney Spears record, THEN it'd be a sellout move
8If Rakim jumps on a New Kids on the Block record THEN it'd be a sellout move.
Selling out is dumbing down/watering down your music to appeal to a more "mainstream" audience.
Jay-Z built his career on that. Rakim & Mos Def did not.
1.I never said you HAD to make anything. My point was if you give up rights,owner ship and over 80% of your record sales for a boost into mainstream viewership,THEN YOU ALREADY sold out.
That's worse than owning your company and making a handful of party records to promote your album. Which is usually full of lyrical gems like The Greatest rapper alive gives us.
2.Did the streets feel Illmatic,not really. Maybe a few queens bridge streets and other east coast purists. But it flopped in real time. nas himself was disappointed. Which is why he switched up immediately and start Getting jiggy like BAD BOY records. Hell, he switched up before jay did.
"
[Verse Three]
This goes out for those that choose to use
disrespectful views on the King of NY
fukk that, why try, throw bleach in your eye
Now ya braille in it, stash that light shyt, or scalin it
Conscience of ya nonsense in eighty-eight
Sold more powder than Johnson and Johnson
Tote steel like Bronson, "Vigilante"
You wanna get on son, you need to ask me
Ain't no other king in this rap thing
They siblings, nothing but my chil'ren
One shot, they disappearin
It's ill when, MC's used to be on cruddy shyt
Took home, "Ready to Die," listened, studied shyt
Now they on some money shyt, successful out the blue
They light weight, fragilly, my nine milly
make the white shake, thats why my money never funny
And you still recoupin, stupid {*echoes*}"
nikkas really think THEY make the rules.
What if some old school hip purists thought it was corny or a sell out move to sample vocals and not just the drums or not just the groove?
Would you ride with that? Can't knock the hustle bro.
3.Jay-z handled this rap game better than anyone ever. Though my favorite is Pac.
4.
5.Who cares,nikkas can do what they want.
6.We covered this already. born in the 70's. fukked with all aspects of the culture in the 80's.
7.fukk mos def. Who cares. You're not the sell out rule maker.
8.Cause they're white? New kids (as corny as they are) were closer to hiphop than jody watley