Why do cats like Jay Z still make commercial pop singles?

[Tom]

As an artist I understand that theres a difference between making the art that you WANT to make and making stuff that you know will sell. Alot of artist have a hard time with the business side of it and usually discard it all together (Which I feel is what Nas has done as of late)

I still don't feel like Jay is actually making the music HE really wants to make. Even at this point in his career.

 

[Capitol]

NYSOM was his biggest single.

So? Album didn't sell the most. Wasn't critically acclaimed. Wasn't a classic. Wasn't even good really. Didn't elevate his career. Didn't make him a household name. You're going to call this his biggest album because of one song?

 

[Black Ant]

He thinks if the youth keep up on his music that he himself will remain youthful.

He needs to accept that he's and give it a rest.

 

[FRIED MASON]

I just feel like at this point Jay has no real reason to cater to that crowd anymore unless he's a diva type fakkit who actually loves pop rap records or someone who just wants attention

Look whose coattail he be riding...

Look at his corny illuminati gimmick...

He might very well fit your description...

 

[Real]

As an artist I understand that theres a difference between making the art that you WANT to make and making stuff that you know will sell. Alot of artist have a hard time with the business side of it and usually discard it all together (Which I feel is what Nas has done as of late)

I still don't feel like Jay is actually making the music HE really wants to make. Even at this point in his career.

your wrong. He's making the music he wants to make. Thats why he's so successful.

 

[Tom Foolery]

He's a dikk riding fakkit, He loves the attention.

 

[KingOFKings]

He probably knows if he starts going conscious, he'll start to lose out on all of his endorsements and projects outside of rap.

 

[TLR Is Mental Poison]

Cant make anything else

 

[Still Benefited]

Bcuz when artist like Nas flops y'all will say "who cares the music is quality"....when a artist like Jay who y'all expect commercial hits from doesn't deliver on those hits y'all will laugh and mock his lack of buzz,call him irrelevant....wouldn't matter if he made a album that wuz on the same level RD lyrically and BP production wise...you nikkas got em trapped is your answer,its your fault....I expect his heard the Nas adulation this time around,heard his name slandered after that BP3 album...he's due for a classic after droppin the last dud.

 

[tremonthustler1]

As an artist I understand that theres a difference between making the art that you WANT to make and making stuff that you know will sell. Alot of artist have a hard time with the business side of it and usually discard it all together (Which I feel is what Nas has done as of late)

I still don't feel like Jay is actually making the music HE really wants to make. Even at this point in his career.

You don't know that though. It's not like Jay-Z's up on stage singing songs he doesn't want to sing or make music he doesn't want to make. Just because Jay-Z isn't out there making the music that you prefer doesn't mean he needs to do that. You mean to tell me Jay-Z's in the studio recording "Illest Motherfukker Alive" thinking "man I'm just not into this?"

As far as Nas goes, Nas does what Nas wants to do just like Jay-Z does. He still makes music for the intent of selling records and gaining attention towards his projects. That's fine. That's what artists do. What Nas ultimately determined was that he has a very loyal fan base and 20 years in, he knows what they want and any new fans that he picks up along the way is a bonus.

 

[CrimsonTider]

he doesn't need the money tho, rap money is baby money to JAY at this point

You think Jay z is the only one that makes money off of a Jay z record?

Hit records keeps the record labels eating as well.


Hit records are a most important thing to a music career.

 

[TLR Is Mental Poison]

Hit records are a most important thing to a music career.

Not necessarily. The most important thing to a music career is whatever the artist considers the most important thing to be

 

[Jesus Is Lord]

Maybe because he wants to. Why not? What does it matter to you? Don't buy it. Dudes way too critical, he gotta stop putting out music because of what?

 

[CrimsonTider]

Not necessarily. The most important thing to a music career is whatever the artist considers the most important thing to be

Most important thing is money. The best path to money is making hit records.

With hit records comes tours, features, etc.

 

[tremonthustler1]

Cant make anything else

Bullshyt. Some of his best songs are the ones where he's surprisingly introspective. He could sit there and record a bunch of songs like Regrets, You Must Love Me, Where Have You Been, etc. but it flies over your head. He records songs like that on damn near every album. If you're opting to ignore that and instead bytch about the other songs, that's on you.


The problem you guys have with Jay-Z is that for someone who has the kind of power, influence and presence, he doesn't go out of his way to take major risks with his music, opting to remain consistent to what he knows works. It frustrates y'all that he's unwilling to reach the pinnacle of his profession and then once he's there turn into Professor Griff.

What makes this very hypocritical is that these same people that want Jay-Z to be more cutting edge than what he is criticize Kanye West til kingdom come because he's all over the map with his ideas (and most of the time his ideas turn out to work well and it adds something to hip-hop)