I rewatched Beat Street the other day, and was inspired by the vibrance of early Hip Hop culture. The authenticity, the creativity-- the IMPORTANCE of originality... How it used to be blasphemous to be called a "biter"...
Juxtaposed to how gray and monolithic [mainstream] Hip-Hop has become in recent years...
I share your sentiment. Maybe this shift is for the best. Hopefully now Hip-Hop artists (and producers) quit chasing the next trend, and dive inward.
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 killing regional diversity is such an underrated turning point. When every market started playing the same ten songs, hip hop lost the geographical identity that made it so dynamic in the first place. Your point about influence mattering more than charts is spot on, the culture's real power never lived in metric anyway.
I feel this 100%. It's the chance for the genre to grow not die. I believe some amazing music will be made in this era. The charts never mattered.
Excellent article.
I rewatched Beat Street the other day, and was inspired by the vibrance of early Hip Hop culture. The authenticity, the creativity-- the IMPORTANCE of originality... How it used to be blasphemous to be called a "biter"...
Juxtaposed to how gray and monolithic [mainstream] Hip-Hop has become in recent years...
I share your sentiment. Maybe this shift is for the best. Hopefully now Hip-Hop artists (and producers) quit chasing the next trend, and dive inward.
I'm excited for this new era.
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 killing regional diversity is such an underrated turning point. When every market started playing the same ten songs, hip hop lost the geographical identity that made it so dynamic in the first place. Your point about influence mattering more than charts is spot on, the culture's real power never lived in metric anyway.