10/18/07 - New rap stars find success fleeting

Im Oh So Serious · 10-18-2007, 05:00 PM

NEW YORK - Despite a double-digit sales slump and mounting public criticism, rap has not lost its ability to create monster hits — but the fresh-faced artists who make them seem to disappear by the time the next smash registers on the charts.

For the most part, however, what these artists haven‘t been able to sustain is their own success.

"It‘s all about making the hot song for right now, but the artists who will stand the test of time like myself are about making records, not songs," he added. "You got to make a quality album so you can hold people‘s attention. It‘s like a movie. If you make a movie that got (only) one good scene, ain‘t nobody gonna go see it."

Young Dro, on Warner Music Group Corp.‘s Atlantic Records, had everyone doing the "Shoulder Lean" last fall, and his ringtone sold more than two million copies. He hasn‘t had a top 10 hit since. And while Rich Boy‘s "Throw Some D‘s" was so potent even Kanye West did a remix, the Interscope artist has been pretty much M.I.A. on the charts since then. The ringtone went platinum, but Rich Boy‘s debut album has sold only 354,000 copies.

"That‘s just a business mind-set for the record companies ... instead of artist development, they‘re looking for that," says Jermaine Dupri, president of urban music at Island Records. "It makes the record companies not want to artist-develop the groups anymore because that‘s what they‘re into — they want to try and sell as many ringtones as possible."

"He doesn‘t have another one? At least one more?" 50 Cent said in a recent interview, blaming it on the lack of artist development on the record label‘s part. "And then you‘re surprised that people don‘t want to spend their money on CDs anymore?"

But it‘s not only record labels who are looking for ringtone raps to boost their coffers. Some in the industry blame rappers who are increasingly whipping together simplistic, catchy songs aimed at the ringtone market.

"Right now the state of where we are at in hip-hop, it‘s different," 50 Cent says. "I don‘t think they want the lyrics to be complex — they want it to be simple, catchy. The Southern-based artist can be credited (with) that, because they‘re dancing, so now your record has to pretty much be catchy. It doesn‘t have to be super content, extreme content. It has to have a good rhythm to it and dance."

"People don‘t want to go to a club and hear (about) people getting shot or hear about your life story," he says. "People want to ... have fun and dance and party."

"When I did my album, I went into the studio (thinking), ‘I gotta have each song on here where it will be good as a single,‘" he says. "I believe I came out with an album full of singles, so I‘m good."

Though Dupri admits that there have been times when he‘s signed an "ringtone act" (Dem Franchize Boyz were his group when he was president of urban music at Virgin), he says there needs to be a balance between acts signed simply for ringtone success and long-term prospects.

"You have to try and play both sides of the game," he says.

But for all the concern about what the future holds if the industry focuses on ringtone rap stars, Platt sees an even more worrisome aspect of their success.

"If it wasn‘t for these singles blowing up, and some of the digital downloads and the ringtones, it‘s kind of scary of where the business would be at this point," he says, noting the rap genre‘s 21 percent sales dive in 2006. "It‘s a Catch 22. It‘s not selling albums, but it is helping drive the genre further because there‘s been no big (new) artist to carry it."

MURDAGAME · 10-18-2007, 06:59 PM

WOW 150 posts in under 5 days...... you social life must be great

THE GHOST · 10-18-2007, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MURDAGAME

WOW 150 posts in under 5 days...... you social life must be great

LOL THAT KID IS A 14 YEAR OLD WHITE KID FROM LONG ISLAND WHOSE PARENTS ARE DOCTORS. HE HAS NO FRIENDS, HAS YET TO TOUCH, OR EVEN SEE PUSSY, ASIDE FROM ON THE INTERNET, WHICH IS CLEARLY HIS HOME.

ON YOUR MOTHER. SHE REALLY SHOULDA SWALLOWED YOU

mid block02141 · 10-18-2007, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D-BLOCK 354

LOL THAT KID IS A 14 YEAR OLD WHITE KID FROM LONG ISLAND WHOSE PARENTS ARE DOCTORS. HE HAS NO FRIENDS, HAS YET TO TOUCH, OR EVEN SEE PUSSY, ASIDE FROM ON THE INTERNET, WHICH IS CLEARLY HIS HOME.

ON YOUR MOTHER. SHE REALLY SHOULDA SWALLOWED YOU

lol ur a clown

THE GHOST · 10-18-2007, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mid block02141

lol ur a clown

lol your from massachusettes

Lyricall Asassin · 10-19-2007, 02:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D-BLOCK 354

LOL THAT KID IS A 14 YEAR OLD WHITE KID FROM LONG ISLAND WHOSE PARENTS ARE DOCTORS. HE HAS NO FRIENDS, HAS YET TO TOUCH, OR EVEN SEE PUSSY, ASIDE FROM ON THE INTERNET, WHICH IS CLEARLY HIS HOME.

ON YOUR MOTHER. SHE REALLY SHOULDA SWALLOWED YOU

u critisized somebodys Age, when u just proved how old u are...

U are really a CLown...a

mubu_CHRONIC · 10-19-2007, 03:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MURDAGAME

WOW 150 posts in under 5 days...... you social life must be great

66.07 posts per day....lmfao....so watcha know about that 516 crew homie

topballer87 · 10-19-2007, 03:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MURDAGAME

WOW 150 posts in under 5 days...... you social life must be great

LMAO...............

str8outlaw187 · 10-19-2007, 05:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MURDAGAME

WOW 150 posts in under 5 days...... you social life must be great

LOL SOMEONE JUST GOT

.. YOU KNOW THATS REALLY "GAYME IS A QUEER" RIGHT?...HE ONLY POSTED THIS CUZ IT HAS A QUOTE FROM 50...

Im Oh So Serious · 10-19-2007, 10:14 AM

Lmao I Don't Give A Fuck How Many Posts I Got , I Wouldn't Be Here All Day If I Wasn't Getting Payed For It.

The Maestro · 10-19-2007, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D-BLOCK 354

lol your from massachusettes

that made my day

MC B STREETZ · 10-20-2007, 12:00 AM

okay.......

Blue-Da-Vinci · 10-20-2007, 06:15 AM

haha how tha fuck you getting paid for this shit

10-18-2007, 05:00 PM	#1
Im Oh So Serious Banned Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: I WHIP PUSSY, DON'T LET PUSSY WHIP ME. Posts: 372 Repped: 39 Repped 1,109 Times in 76 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	10/18/07 - New rap stars find success fleeting 10/18/07 - New rap stars find success fleeting NEW YORK - Despite a double-digit sales slump and mounting public criticism, rap has not lost its ability to create monster hits — but the fresh-faced artists who make them seem to disappear by the time the next smash registers on the charts. For the most part, however, what these artists haven‘t been able to sustain is their own success. "It‘s all about making the hot song for right now, but the artists who will stand the test of time like myself are about making records, not songs," he added. "You got to make a quality album so you can hold people‘s attention. It‘s like a movie. If you make a movie that got (only) one good scene, ain‘t nobody gonna go see it." Young Dro, on Warner Music Group Corp.‘s Atlantic Records, had everyone doing the "Shoulder Lean" last fall, and his ringtone sold more than two million copies. He hasn‘t had a top 10 hit since. And while Rich Boy‘s "Throw Some D‘s" was so potent even Kanye West did a remix, the Interscope artist has been pretty much M.I.A. on the charts since then. The ringtone went platinum, but Rich Boy‘s debut album has sold only 354,000 copies. "That‘s just a business mind-set for the record companies ... instead of artist development, they‘re looking for that," says Jermaine Dupri, president of urban music at Island Records. "It makes the record companies not want to artist-develop the groups anymore because that‘s what they‘re into — they want to try and sell as many ringtones as possible." "He doesn‘t have another one? At least one more?" 50 Cent said in a recent interview, blaming it on the lack of artist development on the record label‘s part. "And then you‘re surprised that people don‘t want to spend their money on CDs anymore?" But it‘s not only record labels who are looking for ringtone raps to boost their coffers. Some in the industry blame rappers who are increasingly whipping together simplistic, catchy songs aimed at the ringtone market. "Right now the state of where we are at in hip-hop, it‘s different," 50 Cent says. "I don‘t think they want the lyrics to be complex — they want it to be simple, catchy. The Southern-based artist can be credited (with) that, because they‘re dancing, so now your record has to pretty much be catchy. It doesn‘t have to be super content, extreme content. It has to have a good rhythm to it and dance." "People don‘t want to go to a club and hear (about) people getting shot or hear about your life story," he says. "People want to ... have fun and dance and party." "When I did my album, I went into the studio (thinking), ‘I gotta have each song on here where it will be good as a single,‘" he says. "I believe I came out with an album full of singles, so I‘m good." Though Dupri admits that there have been times when he‘s signed an "ringtone act" (Dem Franchize Boyz were his group when he was president of urban music at Virgin), he says there needs to be a balance between acts signed simply for ringtone success and long-term prospects. "You have to try and play both sides of the game," he says. But for all the concern about what the future holds if the industry focuses on ringtone rap stars, Platt sees an even more worrisome aspect of their success. "If it wasn‘t for these singles blowing up, and some of the digital downloads and the ringtones, it‘s kind of scary of where the business would be at this point," he says, noting the rap genre‘s 21 percent sales dive in 2006. "It‘s a Catch 22. It‘s not selling albums, but it is helping drive the genre further because there‘s been no big (new) artist to carry it."

10-20-2007, 12:00 AM	#12
MC B STREETZ YAYO'S ADVOCATE/HYPE MAN Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: FIND ME IN YA CRIB WIT DA NINA WHERE DA MONEY AT Posts: 18,199 Repped: 3,566 Repped 21,974 Times in 2,200 Posts Neg Reps: 58 Neg Repped at 51 Times in 45 Posts	okay....... __________________ "I'M A LOUDMOUTH NIGGA BUT MY RUGER SILENT" -TONY YAYO A.K.A TALK OF NEW YORK "ALL YAYO ENEMYS ARE ALL OF MY ENEMYS" - MC B STREETZ A.K.A YAYO'S NINJA

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10-18-2007, 06:59 PM	#2
MURDAGAME Banned Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: California Posts: 233 Repped: 13 Repped 180 Times in 15 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	WOW 150 posts in under 5 days...... you social life must be great

10-19-2007, 10:14 AM	#10
Im Oh So Serious Banned Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: I WHIP PUSSY, DON'T LET PUSSY WHIP ME. Posts: 372 Repped: 39 Repped 1,109 Times in 76 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	Lmao I Don't Give A Fuck How Many Posts I Got , I Wouldn't Be Here All Day If I Wasn't Getting Payed For It.

10-20-2007, 06:15 AM	#13
Blue-Da-Vinci New Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Everywhere Posts: 1,344 Repped: 434 Repped 552 Times in 59 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	haha how tha fuck you getting paid for this shit