Rap album sales down 21%

[Tux of Borg]

Link

 

Sales of Rap Albums Take Stunning Nosedive

Thursday , March 01, 2007

 

NEW YORK —

Maybe it was the umpteenth coke-dealing anthem or soft-porn music video. Perhaps it was the preening antics that some call reminiscent of Stepin Fetchit.

 

The turning point is hard to pinpoint. But after 30 years of growing popularity, rap music is now struggling with an alarming sales decline and growing criticism from within about the culture's negative effect on society.

 

Rap insider Chuck Creekmur, who runs the leading Web site Allhiphop.com, says he got a message from a friend recently "asking me to hook her up with some Red Hot Chili Peppers because she said she's through with rap. A lot of people are sick of rap ... the negativity is just over the top now."

 

The rapper Nas, considered one of the greats, challenged the condition of the art form when he titled his latest album "Hip-Hop is Dead." It's at least ailing, according to recent statistics: Though music sales are down overall, rap sales slid a whopping 21 percent from 2005 to 2006, and for the first time in 12 years no rap album was among the top 10 sellers of the year. A recent study by the Black Youth Project showed a majority of youth think rap has too many violent images. In a poll of black Americans by The Associated Press and AOL-Black Voices last year, 50 percent of respondents said hip-hop was a negative force in American society.

 

Nicole Duncan-Smith grew up on rap, worked in the rap industry for years and is married to a hip-hop producer. She still listens to rap, but says it no longer speaks to or for her. She wrote the children's book "I Am Hip-Hop" partly to create something positive about rap for young children, including her 4-year-old daughter.

 

"I'm not removed from it, but I can't really tell the difference between Young Jeezy and Yung Joc. It's the same dumb stuff to me," says Duncan-Smith, 33. "I can't listen to that nonsense ... I can't listen to another black man talk about you don't come to the 'hood anymore and ghetto revivals ... I'm from the 'hood. How can you tell me you want to revive it? How about you want to change it? Rejuvenate it?"

 

Hip-hop also seems to be increasingly blamed for a variety of social ills. Studies have attempted to link it to everything from teen drug use to increased sexual activity among young girls.

 

Even the mayhem that broke out in Las Vegas during last week's NBA All-Star Game was blamed on hip-hoppers. "(NBA Commissioner) David Stern seriously needs to consider moving the event out of the country for the next couple of years in hopes that young, hip-hop hoodlums would find another event to terrorize," columnist Jason Whitlock, who is black, wrote on AOL.

 

While rap has been in essence pop music for years, and most rap consumers are white, some worry that the black community is suffering from hip-hop — from the way America perceives blacks to the attitudes and images being adopted by black youth.

 

But the rapper David Banner derides the growing criticism as blacks joining America's attack on young black men who are only reflecting the crushing problems within their communities. Besides, he says, that's the kind of music America wants to hear.

 

"Look at the music that gets us popular — 'Like a Pimp,'," says Banner, naming his hit.

 

"What makes it so difficult is to know that we need to be doing other things. But the truth is at least us talking about what we're talking about, we can bring certain things to the light," he says. "They want (black artists) to shuck and jive, but they don't want us to tell the real story because they're connected to it."

 

Criticism of hip-hop is certainly nothing new — it's as much a part of the culture as the beats and rhymes. Among the early accusations were that rap wasn't true music, its lyrics were too raw, its street message too polarizing. But they rarely came from the youthful audience itself, which was enraptured with genre that defined them as none other could.

 

"As people within the hip-hop generation get older, I think the criticism is increasing," says author Bakari Kitwana, who is currently part of a lecture tour titled "Does Hip-Hop Hate Women?"

 

"There was a more of a tendency when we were younger to be more defensive of it," he adds.

 

During her '90s crusade against rap's habit of degrading women, the late black activist C. Dolores Tucker certainly had few allies within the hip-hop community, or even among young black women. Backed by folks like conservative Republican William Bennett, Tucker was vilified within rap circles.

 

In retrospect, "many of us weren't listening," says Tracy Denean Sharpley-Whiting, a professor at Vanderbilt University and author of the new book "Pimps Up, Ho's Down: Hip-Hop's Hold On Young Black Women."

 

"She was onto something, but most of us said, 'They're not calling me a ######, they're not talking about me, they're talking about THOSE women.' But then it became clear that, you know what? Those women can be any women."

 

One rap fan, Bryan Hunt, made the searing documentary "Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes," which debuted on PBS this month. Hunt addresses the biggest criticisms of rap, from its treatment of women to the glorification of the gangsta lifestyle that has become the default posture for many of today's most popular rappers.

 

"I love hip-hop," Hunt, 36, says in the documentary. "I sometimes feel bad for criticizing hip-hop, but I want to get us men to take a look at ourselves."

 

Even dances that may seem innocuous are not above the fray. Last summer, as the "Chicken Noodle Soup" song and accompanying dance became a sensation, Baltimore Sun pop critic Rashod D. Ollison mused that the dance — demonstrated in the video by young people stomping wildly from side to side — was part of the growing minstrelization of rap music.

 

"The music, dances and images in the video are clearly reminiscent of the era when pop culture reduced blacks to caricatures: lazy 'coons,' grinning 'pickaninnies,' sexually super-charged 'bucks,"' he wrote.

 

And then there's the criminal aspect that has long been a part of rap. In the '70s, groups may have rapped about drug dealing and street violence, but rap stars weren't the embodiment of criminals themselves. Today, the most popular and successful rappers boast about who has murdered more foes and rhyme about dealing drugs as breezily as other artists sing about love.

 

Creekmur says music labels have overfed the public on gangsta rap, obscuring artists who represent more positive and varied aspects of black life, like Talib Kweli, Common and Lupe Fiasco.

 

"It boils down to a complete lack of balance, and whenever there's a complete lack of balance people are going to reject it, whether it's positive or negative," Creekmur says.

 

Yet Banner says there's a reason why acts like KRS-One and Public Enemy don't sell anymore. He recalled that even his own fans rebuffed positive songs he made — like "Cadillac on 22s," about staying away from street life — in favor of songs like "Like a Pimp."

 

"The American public had an opportunity to pick what they wanted from David Banner," he says. "I wish America would just be honest. America is sick. ... America loves violence and sex."

[IDBillzFan]

Sales are down because no one pays for music any more.

[MattyT]

Sales are down because no one pays for music any more.

It is ironic that an industry that promotes a genre of music that preaches thuggery of the highest-order would then turn around and get their panties in a twist when the listeners of said genre don't play by the rules and pay for the music.

 

Smack yo B word and deal that crank....just don't steal music.

[stuckincincy]

Sales are down because no one pays for music any more.

 

Perhaps the salutary fact that rappers and their acolytes have a bent toward murdering each other contributes in some small way.

 

At least, one could hope.

[RuntheDamnBall]

Sales are down because no one pays for music any more.

Bingo. I'm sure it's down as much as rock sales or anything else. People are looking for trends to talk about and write articles about. There are some fine hip-hop albums being made but they aren't and were rarely ever the kind that sold millions.

 

The whole music industry is a complete joke.

[RuntheDamnBall]

Perhaps the salutary fact that rappers and their acolytes have a bent toward murdering each other contributes in some small way.

 

At least, one could hope.

And viewed through the same narrow lens rock music is all about sexual innuendo, devil-worship and hedonism. Just sayin'. If you don't like what's out there you find something else. In many genres of music I think you can find some true art.

[erynthered]

Bring Back Disco!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bartshan-83]

"The American public had an opportunity to pick what they wanted from David Banner," he says. "I wish America would just be honest. America is sick. ... America loves violence and sex."

 

BINGO.

 

But everything in this world is cyclical...and rap is no exception. The weak lyrics, catchy hooks have had their day for awhile now, but as the sales show, it is getting stale. The consumer controls (to an extent) what is popular and what will be tolerated through his dollar. The excessive self-promotion, violence glorification and misogyny that has dominated rap for the last few years is approaching it's boiling point. It will pop, and the style and content will swing back another direction. Then in 5-10 years it will change again. Nothing new...just the way it goes. The only thing that makes this example unique is the fact that the sales' drops are not simply caused by the publics boredom with the current flavor of rap music. It is also backed by a movement that protests the messages of rap music from a social standpoint. Rap isn't selling as well because:

 

A. People are tired of the same sht (which is no different from people being tried of disco or hair metal)

B. People believe the current style of rap is socially damaging and protest it from this angle (not entirely unique to rap music, but also not universal among music styles of the past).

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

I like the Fresh Prince. He raps happy.

[GG]

Sales are down because no one pays for music any more.

 

True, that. But the reported 21% drop in rap sales is greater than the general decline of packaged music. Along with rap being absent from the top 10 list, points to a saturation.

 

No big deal in the GG household.

[smokinandjokin]

They be trippin!!!

 

I agree with RTDB, the entire industry is a joke...

 

MTV hasn't shown a video in three years. The only form of music on Music Television is in the background of shockingly horrible 'scripted reality' shows involving high schoolers driving Range Rovers to their $400,000 Sweet 16 party. Sadly, American teens are eating this schit up.

 

The Real OC 2007- Sunshine, surfboards, no job, hot car, and hangin with the sexy cool kids in an ocean front mansion (the parents are always gone, apparently.) followed by drinks at the bonfire on the beach.

 

Yeah, that's reality alright....

 

The Real Buffalo 1995- A 16-year old smokinandjokin gets home from school (on the bus,) takes the dog for an hour walk, shovels the driveway, asks dad to use his car to take the girlfriend to the movies, dad laughs, S'n'J rides bike to girlfriend's house, they walk to the movie theater, make out for two hours, walk home, try to sneak into her house quietly so I can play some sticky finger on the couch, her dad comes downstairs to chat and stare down S'n'J, S'n'J gets intimidated and gets on his bike to go home, hits a pothole and flattens the front tire, walks bike home, gets inside and sees a note from dad that says, "I'll wake you up at 6:30am- you're helping me remodel the bathroom tomorrow." S'n'J takes the dog for another walk and calls it a night.

 

Why didn't I get a damn show???

[Buftex]

Sales are down because no one pays for music any more.

 

 

Not sure if/how it is related, but I read something the other day that music sales at chain music stores were significantly down, but up in independent music stores. I work at an independent store, part time, which is about to celebrate its' 25th anniversary. Other than post 9/11 (which lasted about a year and a half), the stores' sales have never been down from the previous year...some people are still buying music!

[GG]

Not sure if/how it is related, but I read something the other day that music sales at chain music stores were significantly down, but up in independent music stores. I work at an independent store, part time, which is about to celebrate its' 25th anniversary. Other than post 9/11 (which lasted about a year and a half), the stores' sales have never been down from the previous year...some people are still buying music!

 

It's likely because the independent stores have carved out a nice niche catering to a particular crowd that enjoys the experience of going to the store as much as actually buying something at the store. Unfortunately, the independents' experience is too small of a factor to impact total industry sales. The departures of Tower & HMV from the retail scene was a big hit, while Walmart & other big boxes don't stock full catalogs.

[stuckincincy]

Bring Back Disco!!!!

 

Da*n right!

[RuntheDamnBall]

It's likely because the independent stores have carved out a nice niche catering to a particular crowd that enjoys the experience of going to the store as much as actually buying something at the store. Unfortunately, the independents' experience is too small of a factor to impact total industry sales. The departures of Tower & HMV from the retail scene was a big hit, while Walmart & other big boxes don't stock full catalogs.

A lot of people who enjoy the tangible music-buying experience are going with vinyl, as well. Here in Greenpoint/Williamsburg I believe 3-4 new shops that cater to vinyl buyers just opened, in addition to a few old reliables. Tough business, though. And new vinyl is dwindling. Mostly used business.

[Lurker]

Bingo. I'm sure it's down as much as rock sales or anything else.

 

Overall music sales are down only 6%.

[RuntheDamnBall]

Overall music sales are down only 6%.

In one year. How much did rock fall in past years? I remember the 'rock is dead' cries a few years ago, due to poor sales. True that may be, but the fact is the genres, like someone else here has said, are cyclical in their popularity.

[KD in CA]

Maybe it was the umpteenth coke-dealing anthem or soft-porn music video.

 

 

I don't think it was the soft core videos. That's the only part of rap that I like.

[RayFinkle]

Thugs finally figured out how to use the net.

[justnzane]

i get a good crack out of recent rap, just because the talent level has dropped immensely (huge dropoff from mid '90s to now), and the songs that are topping the rap charts are usually about how they getting paid for the song and how they got 22's on their Hummer. The rappers basically promote a style of life that most people can't identify with and more importantly can't afford. the ones who have stuck w/ the rap lifestyle end up either dead or broke as hell because they spend all of their money on the material possessions like ice and chrome. I think this is the backlash saying that "i am not going to let untalented rappers try to exploit black people"