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Hip-Hop's Shelf Life Atop American Music Culture
Posted on 8/22/22 at 2:18 pm
Posted on 8/22/22 at 2:18 pm
As a bit of a spin-off of the thread concerning an "old man" ranting about today's popular music, I ask, "When, if ever, will hip-hop die?"
I ask this not begrudgingly, but rather out of pure, cultural curiosity. Big band, jazz, and rock and roll were cited as forms of music that once ruled the day, only to fade into obscurity. Will the same fate befall hip-hop, someday?
Let's say hip-hop's reign atop the pop charts began in 1988 with the advent of "Yo! MTV Raps." That gives it roughly 35 years on top, by now. Will it's influence ever wane? What might cause that, or what might keep it at the forefront forever?
I ask this not begrudgingly, but rather out of pure, cultural curiosity. Big band, jazz, and rock and roll were cited as forms of music that once ruled the day, only to fade into obscurity. Will the same fate befall hip-hop, someday?
Let's say hip-hop's reign atop the pop charts began in 1988 with the advent of "Yo! MTV Raps." That gives it roughly 35 years on top, by now. Will it's influence ever wane? What might cause that, or what might keep it at the forefront forever?
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Posted on 8/22/22 at 2:43 pm to Hoodie
Rock music, in its various permutations, has been a driving force in the popular culture since about 1955. Let's say for the sake of argument that it ceased to be relevant in the mainstream in 2015. That means its cycle lasted 60 years. So hip hop could still be around for a while.
This post was edited on 8/22/22 at 3:14 pm
Posted on 8/22/22 at 3:12 pm to Hoodie
As long as Eminem is still the king I don’t see it going anywhere. He basically invented rap and has always been the best at it
Posted on 8/22/22 at 3:14 pm to Hoodie
Rap will never go away, because it appeals to the lowest common denominator of our Ids. It makes us dance, and it touches our inner desires for debauchery. By us I mean the collective us, because I personally don't listen to that shite (mostly lol).
Posted on 8/22/22 at 3:15 pm to el Gaucho
He was also the hardest MF'er around too. He was about to show Moby some knuckles that one time.
Posted on 8/22/22 at 3:18 pm to TheTideMustRoll
It's an interesting question.
Rock & roll's longevity had a lot to do with it's 'outlaw' rep, since it was associated with the 'criminal' (mostly black) lower classes initially, then the white working class, and then the hippies, then the punks. The beginning of the end was when it became embraced by the corporate culture, which probably started in the early-to-mid-80s as the white boomers came fully into power.
Hip-hop/rap supplanted rock not long after as the 'outlaw' form of musical expression. Due to the reputation of many of its top practitioners, it still maintains that 'rebellious' cachet amongst the younger music-consuming generations.
But I wonder if the radical transformation taking place in the US populace as whiteness declines in power and influence (leaving nothing concrete to rebel against) and a hodgepodge of other cultures fight for dominance will eventually lead to it returning to its initial narrow demographic niche of urban blacks.
Rock & roll's longevity had a lot to do with it's 'outlaw' rep, since it was associated with the 'criminal' (mostly black) lower classes initially, then the white working class, and then the hippies, then the punks. The beginning of the end was when it became embraced by the corporate culture, which probably started in the early-to-mid-80s as the white boomers came fully into power.
Hip-hop/rap supplanted rock not long after as the 'outlaw' form of musical expression. Due to the reputation of many of its top practitioners, it still maintains that 'rebellious' cachet amongst the younger music-consuming generations.
But I wonder if the radical transformation taking place in the US populace as whiteness declines in power and influence (leaving nothing concrete to rebel against) and a hodgepodge of other cultures fight for dominance will eventually lead to it returning to its initial narrow demographic niche of urban blacks.
This post was edited on 8/22/22 at 3:19 pm
Posted on 8/22/22 at 3:19 pm to Cdawg
Yep. Music critics say rap is like the mountains. Mostly black, but white at the top
Posted on 8/22/22 at 3:21 pm to Midget Death Squad
quote:
Rap will never go away
It will never go away in the same way that classical, jazz, big band, and rock will never go away. Those genres will always exist and will continue to find artists and audiences who enjoy them. But it will not remain the king of the mainstream the way it is now. Something will replace it. There will eventually come a generation that will say, "Ewww, rap, that stuff is for old people," and will gravitate to something new.
This post was edited on 8/23/22 at 7:45 am
Posted on 8/22/22 at 3:37 pm to Midget Death Squad
quote:
Rap will never go away, because it appeals to the lowest common denominator of our Ids. It makes us dance, and it touches our inner desires for debauchery.
You could say the same thing about many musical genres, including rock.
Posted on 8/22/22 at 3:37 pm to el Gaucho
Posted on 8/22/22 at 3:42 pm to shutterspeed
quote:
You could say the same thing about many musical genres, including rock.
not really. Rock has had its ups and downs in regards to mainstream pop charts, but rap has held king for decades. Rap and "pop music" will always dominate the pop charts, because they both appeal to our most base desires. You'll have the outliers in country and rock show their faces in there every so often, but they will fade to the background again.
Posted on 8/22/22 at 3:48 pm to TheTideMustRoll
It’s true. It’s amazing to think, as a 49 yr old, that RHCP and Metallica is now “old people” music…also, as a metal head, it seems to me that metal is at a 20 year low point in terms of popularity. Once the Nu Metal garbage fizzled, it’s been a struggle…
Posted on 8/22/22 at 3:49 pm to Hoodie
Whatever is passing for rap today with the auto tune/voice effect crap over the same beat and saying the same boring dialogue is a far cry from what used to be something that passed for music. Not sure why this shite is so popular but everyone is playing it in their car and it is awful.
Posted on 8/22/22 at 3:52 pm to themetalreb
It would be surprising to see any form of metal reign atop the pop charts again, but we have seen Metallica gain footing with younger listeners based on their ties to "Stranger Things."
Posted on 8/22/22 at 5:48 pm to FearlessFreep
As long as one white person is still alive, a certain demographic will have something to oppose.
Posted on 8/22/22 at 6:26 pm to el Gaucho
quote:
Music critics say rap is like the mountains. Mostly black, but white at the top
You can say this about way more than rap lol
Posted on 8/22/22 at 7:22 pm to Hoodie
Hip hop/rap has been a scourge upon music and this nation. I’ve despised it from day one.
Posted on 8/22/22 at 8:46 pm to genuineLSUtiger
Yes it is now, but early hip hop is actually quite good. It has been bastardized over the years though.
Posted on 8/22/22 at 11:51 pm to Hoodie
quote:I know as little as I have to about rap, but I personally don't date its taking over until after Grunge, the last rock movement to be be big in the US. Steve Van Zandt called Kurt Cobain "The Last Rock Star" -- a figurative but intriguing designation.
Let's say hip-hop's reign atop the pop charts began in 1988 with the advent of "Yo! MTV Raps."
All things must pass; even the Eternal Sphinx slowly fades into dust. Eventually white kids will hear rap as "Dad Music". For me the significant question about rap's durability is: what could take its place?
Rap is a musical form that requires neither singing nor the playing of an instrument. Even the most primitive two-chord punk required at least a month or two practice on the guitar. And rap's hegemony in the black community has resulted in generations of blacks never taking up a musical instrument -- sort of like babies unborn due to abortion.
What could possibly follow rap? Logically it could evolve into rapping w/o a beat or a beat w/o rapping -- perhaps shows where a DJ plays beats but doesn't rap. Someday there may be "concerts" where each audience member is plugged into his own personal device, listening to a broadcast from the stage (or outside the venue?) -- no performer at all.
Posted on 8/23/22 at 1:36 am to TheTideMustRoll
Not near soon enough to suit my tastes. Unfortunately I think we all will have to suffer through that shite for many many more years until kids start throwing that shite to the side like hair metal was done.
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