If you was a rapper, would you sell out??

Pervis

imagine that you're a rapper who just dropped a debut album. your shit got a lot of critical acclaim, but it really didn't sell well at all and most heads ignored it. What would your next move be?


Would you continue to focus on making art, knowing that you're never going to be a big artist and most of your albums will flop...


or would you go all out commercial and get as much money as you can, even though the quality of music will suffer and a lot of your albums will most likley be trash?

Babaaa

I would not sell out if I could make a living out of shows/touring/ghostwriting etc...

The Recipe

INB4

"If skills sold, truth be told, I'd probably be, Lyrically Talib Kweli, Truthfully I wanna rhyme like Common Sense, But I did 5 mill' - I ain't been rhyming like Common since."

"What would you rather be underpaid or overrated?"

Snake Griffin

In before "I dumbed down for my audience to double my dollars, they criticize me for it but they all yell holla"

semi-auto-mato

i guess i would sell out...depends on how you look at it. my album would have radio friendly songs, a club banger, and a track for the ladies. the classic formula that works. the rest of the album would be geared towards my core audience.

ice_cold

I'd make any damn song I want

P. Town

Money >>>>

Cause the rest of that shit is all subjective and opinion anyway

gns

I would say sell out.

But if you're an artist then your craft is personal to u...so I guess I'd do double albums one for my core and commercial for the craccas.

If labels ain't tryna hear that, then, a mixtape for my fans and a crossover album for the radio....see joe budden

In the end its about the moola, fuck niggaz they ain't loyal and fam gotta eat.

sapp08_2001

Id stay independent that's for sure. Make my dollars from shows, appearances and all dat. But as far as sellin out to become more famous? Nah.

MrWise

I'd have to be on my Curren$y, stay independent and build my own fanbase. Touring like a Mutha too

Lab Baby

Selling out/catering to a larger demographic is dead anyway. Word to Bubba Sparxxx, Soulja Boy, Chingy, Yung Joc, Mims, Mr. Jibbs, D4L, Franchise Boys, Yin Yang Twins... you get the picture.

MF_Doomerville

Whatever route nas took. He's been eating off of hip hop for 20 years.
Longevity >>>>>>

Ill take his L's too. He's had a great career.

32DaysOfInfiniti

If you are already getting critical acclaim, I say just keep doing what you are doing... Chances are you will stop getting the little praise and sales you are already getting if you were to switch your whole style and "sell-out"

For instance nobody praised Pitbull or Flo Rida before they sold out, so them changing didnt really hurt their credibility.

Monizzle14

can we lock this thread concept tho shits getting old as fuck

scrapper1

Hell yeah.. muhfucka, i got bills..

Rahlow

Yes, I'd dance like Hammer and simp with singy-song tunes like Drake

choppa_style

If I'm in signed to a label that's funding my project then yeah I'd water it down to recoup some sales.

If I was just making music for the hell of it no I would not.

twatgetta

We all would. Money changes everythang. Especially when you ain't the one cutting the damn check.

twatgetta

MF_Doomerville wrote: »

Whatever route nas took. He's been eating off of hip hop for 20 years.
Longevity >>>>>>

Ill take his L's too. He's had a great career.

Nas took the "I'm broke as fuck and been rapping since 1989, but at least I got my homies" route...

Not a good look overall. No Grammies, No Kelis, just that same cracked tooth hollerin " Queen's Bridge".. whatever.

rip.dilla

ice_cold wrote: »

I'd make any damn song I want

Cosign.

Personal creative control of an individual's artistry is so under-appreciated.

And stay independent.

Bklyn's_OX_KING

No. I would probably have a neutral rap career like Talib Kweli. I wouldn't mind making 100k-300k a year and do 5k-10k shows. I would be cool with a two family midsized house and would definitely have a house somewhere in the Caribbean because you don't really own your shit living in America.

Top Cat

yep

RawAce

I guess
I dont see why you wanna be in the music business jus to do bad business.
I would make what I felt.
Im not gonna miss the chance to do a different type of song because fickle ass rap fans catch feelings.
Rap fans change wit the weather.
Pop music money is forever.
Word to Flo-Rida

konceptjones

No. Illmatic was critically acclaimed, yet it took nearly two years to go gold and well over 7 and a half years to go platinum.

I can live with that.

Monizzle14

Niggas act like no lie you can choose your own fate drive by the fork and the road and go straight on some jay z renegade shit.

"Well if i was a rapper i would be like nas" or "if i was a rapper fuck it ill be ignorant and make chief keef like music." but most rappers don't get to choose what they be once they make it the label does. and if you disagree go ahead and try to drop a album that gets noticed without label backing 9 times out of 10 that will fail even if your talented.

Niggas act like if they was a rapper (Even with talent or cool concepts) they can just easily be a nas or chief keef or whatever they desire. Its not that easy. That why the thread premise is in a sense pointless. If you was a rapper 95% of yall niggas wouldn't even make it far enough to flop.

ParallelRhymes

I used to say no...now I'm 100% positive I would. I wouldn't sell out with my money and buy dumb shit though. Sell out and invest heavily.