Hip-hop had times where a flashy image or an image that wasn't street got the attention of radio and MTV / BET. But after the Jiggy era, things split into Jiggy and underground. In the past it was fairly common to be a fan of radio hip-hop and hip-hop that flew under the radar. But after the Jiggy era hit, underground heads would rather be caught dead than to admit they liked someone like Jay-Z and a fan of Ma$e wouldn't listen to someone like Mos Def or Common.

Hip-hop became impossible to self-police and it also became cookie-cutter and more disposable.