REPOST FROM 10/08: Hip Hop on the brink. The Wayne effect. IT STILL APPLIES

(reposting after numerous convos years after Waynes huge success with artists that simply arent Wayne..)
From 10/08.. it still applies today
as the record industry scrambles to understand, and in return copy the success of lil wayne, I got to thinking.. will anyone study it with depth as opposed to skimming the surface.. I can see executives rearranging their marketing plans to flood the market with mixtapes, guest features and internet webisodes all the while missing the entire point.. their artist isn't lil wayne. I also imagine that most of these executives wont even listen to waynes album to gain any insight beyond the surface.. what is it about wayne as an artist that connects. They will all point to the success of "lollipop" which without question was an integral part of breaking the glass ceiling of a million albums sold. But if theres one thing we have learned over the past year is that singles alone don't guarantee soundscan bliss.. will flo rida even get a second album? We also learned that superstars with massive singles don't always translate.. Snoop who had one of the biggest songs of the year and a highly rated tv show .. listening to waynes album is the simplest way to peek into what makes him stick. Outside of the monster hits, theres depth, theres pain in his voice, better yet theres an actual voice.. hip hop has lost that undeniable voice.. the hunger on 50 cents get rich or die trying, the open book genius of Em's Marshall Mathers LP, the sound of NY in Rakim/Jay/BIG and of LA in Dres Chronic.. emotion, pain, struggle, and artistic freedom to express themselves in a way that defines who they are and where they've come from. Authentic.. we have lost the understanding of the power of authenticity. This will come as a shock to some but I attribute soulja boys success to authenticity.. sure it might not be everyones cup of tea or idea of what is "real" but soulja boy is exactly who he is and he connected with a younger audience that believed him because he wasn't faking it, he was simply being a teenager and made music his way.. sure enough there were 25 artists who tried to copy what he did and failed..
Hip hop has become a product. Like everything else that makes people money the market was flooded with knock offs and the shift to artists and music that "sounds" like hits as opposed to "feel" like hits. Hair metal all over again. Pointing fingers is futile because everyone has played a part- from the labels to the artists to the management to the public..
It's the emotional connection that matters.. otherwise the music just lives in the mind. Yes songs that sound like hits can work.. but what does work mean? Most often the publishing companies are who win. Radio plays the thin songs over and over and kids buy the single and ringtone, with no interest of finding out anything more about the artist because there was no emotional or authentic connection. Its candy. The public simply understands that these songs are solely a quick fix, a way for record labels to high five each other over being most added or in the top 10 on various charts.. yippeeeee!!! Now there is a business here and I dont wanna diminish that in any way. Its called pop music and it has thrived for as long as ive been paying attention. From The Pussycat Dolls to Hanna Montana there is millions upon millions of dollars to be made, but I’m referring to music outside of the mainstream.. the music that reminds us we are alive, music with a voice.. Bob Dylan, Rage Against the Machine, Eminem and now lil wayne remind us that there is also a lane for music outside the pop world. Yes some of these artists can walk in both lanes but they wouldn't sell what they do if they didn't keep a foot in both. They are smart enough to know that and have too much to say to simply become a "product." We are a country of stuffed emotions and music has always been an outlet for that energy... I remember being a very angry teenager and listening to Metallica was like listening to a friend who related to the pain that I was experiencing but had no idea how to deal with.. it never added to it, in fact, it let a little air out of the ball inside of me each time I listened.
Back to lil wayne.. lil wayne hasn't lost his voice.. his pain and ability to express himself in his OWN unique way resonates behind the passing landscape of radio play. He is a rock star, he is a drug addict, he is conflicted and you can sense his struggle, his voice carries that energy with it as it pumps out you speaker.. and he taps into peoples emotions in a way that feels real.. feels authentic.. feels like freedom for a short while until life on lifes terms returns to smack us all in the face.. So I would suggest to those who have already pressed up 25000 mixtapes to flood the streets with an artist that is as thin as paper.. stop.. save your money and maybe even go the pop route… if you want to tap into the true reason why wayne sold a million units find an authentic talented artist which something to say.. with persistence people WILL listen.. they might even sell a million albums one day