> > My biggest problem is
>with the concept of "alternative
>rock" radio. Seems like
>at its core the term
>really means "music for whites"

In reality you could say that about everything in this country. Skateboards, Chess, Haute Couture....

>- it's a genre without
>any clear musical definition.
>And these white bands often
>use hip hop to get
>over.

funny you should use get over? Do you not think some of these guys are being sincere? Or it all a calculated scheme?

<I snipped everything I agreed with>

>though I would never put
>that label on it myself.

I like true and real because they are so often used and abused and never distinguished.

>Helps me understand a little
>better what you were saying
>over on the lesson about
>your disappointment with "underground" heads.

That didn't really have anything to do with race or underground heads per se. Just elitism in general.

>Popular in a relative sense.
>Those guys were lucky to
>go gold. When gangsta
>rap took over the sales
>figures tripled, didn't they?

Not compared to Hammer and Vanilla Ice. Right now I think the best selling hip hop album of all time is the Score at 17 million worldwide. And I wouldn't even relegate those to being anomalies, but I do get your point about the "hardening" of hip hop since Straight Outta Compton came out.

The fun in hip hop, digital underground, biz markie, is pretty much dead.

>The big labels didn't keep
>the conscious artists around too
>long once G-funk hit.

I wouldn't make that argument. After G-funk, the expectations rose for conscious artists. They couldn't sell the same #'s anymore.

>I think the labels seemed
>more interested in taking chances
>in the late 80's -
>early 90s. There was
>a lot more diversity in
>what they were promoting.

I would say the exact opposite. Before the Chronic, you had to be from NY. You had a few folks like NWA, Ice T, 2 live crew.. But by and large everything came from the 5 boroughs, and if it didn't it sounded like the 5 boroughs. Listen to old Geto Boys or Compton's Most wanted. When the Chronic dropped, it inspired a nation of mc's to get on the mic, as well as A&R's to look outside of the classic NY sound.

>But I think their business practices
>were shady to say the
>least.

All of business is like this. Unfortunately many of our mc's don't see any other aspect of the American economy.

A lot of
>times, they didn't give these
>artists time or space to
>grow,

Which is really an industry perspective on hip hop. Alanis Morrisette had 6 or 7 albums in a completely different style until she became the voice of female angst.

Maybe hip hop runs on novelty more so than image and artisan ship. That could either come from the fact that the audience always wants the latest and greatest, or that the industry pushes the latest and greatest.

> Show me a conscious
>rapper from that era, and
>I'll show you someone who's
>bitter towards a record label.

True dat.

>I tend to
>have an immediate negative reaction
>to materialism, largely because it
>was so rampant in MY
>community growing up. I
>can actually see how valuable
>their example would be to
>black folks who are used
>to seeing whites in a
>position of financial power.

And they talk about it ad nauseum. But they have all sorts of other elements to the music.

>But, are Cash Money laying out
>a GOOD framework for other
>black businessmen to follow?

Start local and have the majors come to you? Definitely.

>For instance, what does buying
>platinum jewelry and having diamonds
>set in your teeth tell
>young people about money management?

If you got it, flaunt it? This seems to be the main criticism people have against Cash Money. I don't really have an argument against it, other than to say it's economies of scale. The underground cat who spends 70 dollars on an triple 5 soul record bag is probably equivalent to BG hooking up a Navigator. (although a Bentley is a horsepower of a different color)

> What does buying (ok,
>renting) expensive European sports cars
>say to their audience about
>putting money back into their
>own community?

Perhaps that is not the best way. It certainly isn't the practice of most of middle and upper class black america in reference to the working class black america. It sets up an interesting pattern. Black mc's from suburban well educated households are interested in giving back to a community that they are not from, where as black mc's from the "hood" really want to move out of it as quick as possible.(despite what you hear about keeping it real)

>Oh, and that's funny that I
>heard your show in Austin.
> You know what they
>say, six degrees or whatever.

quite ill. they're talking about the K-Otix on the other board. I remember when they were called the Maad House. I used to buy my hip hop records from their producer.

peace
k. orr

http://breddanansi.tumblr.com/