Why artists don't make good music anymore

[krysolite]

naw i'm just bullshitting. artists still do. but not like "they used to". right.
so i was reading this cuz i was interested in why the fuck there were so many artists from the bay or w/e on dj shadow's album the outsider.

this is what he said (as found on wiki)

"Repeat Endtroducing over and over again? That was never, ever in the game plan. Fuck that. So I think it's time for certain fans to decide if they are fans of the album, or the artist."

and people hate cuz the artist is doing what he wants. and people say the artist isn't being true to himself. or some shit like that i would assume. ya i don't expect people to reply to this thread, but just read this and think "hmm true"
peace.

 

[Shonsteez]

Wait so whats the point of this thread? Are you debating why Shadow made the album?....Not dissing or anything, i just dont get it i guess....

 

[UNORTHODOX]

Wait so whats the point of this thread? Are you debating why Shadow made the album?....Not dissing or anything, i just dont get it i guess....

I second this

 

[KurtisRich]

Huhhhhh??

 

[Sanova]

and people hate cuz the artist is doing what he wants. and people say the artist isn't being true to himself.

Don't know shit about dj shadow so i'm out of that.

but in response to the quote:
People are fans of albums, imho. Example, if someone thinks 50 isn't being true to himself since he came out with Get Rich or Die Trying, they are wrong. He's not being true to the way he portrayed himself in that particular album; but he had tons of wack shit before that album.. Artists do what they do to keep making money doing it. That is usually happens with the one hit wonders.. they probably think "this is wack, i had much more fun when i was doing it for fun." hint hint.

Just my input.

 

[Ominous]

"and people hate cuz the artist is doing what he wants."

I don't think people hate the idea that artist is going what they want. I just think people hate the end product. If you listen to all of DJ Shadow's early work, he had a certain content to him. But then he changes gears and he hooks up with a bunch of Bay artists and then wonders why the people who used to listen to him stopped.

If Nas flipped over to Country music, would you keep buying his stuff because you are a fan of Nas?

No.... you'd buy it if you liked it. Like Sanova said, fans are usually a fan of the album.

You are not a hater if an artist grows/changes and you stop following them.

I have done this with several artists. Prince. Common. Andre 3000. Redman.

When those artists do something I like, I will follow them again. Like Common.

 

[Ominous]

Early Shadow:




New Shadow:



Read the comments people are leaving.

 

[Kontents]

This is a continuous topic for some reason.... We have so many threads that go off about "why music sucks now" or "why are there so many sellouts"

krysolite is there anything specific you are referring to in this thread or you just posting about why YOU feel music has to much garbage in it?

 

[Sucio]

Once you are in the game, it becomes your profession, just like any other business. If you sell cassette tapes and VHS to start your business and it becomes profitable, you keep selling it as much as possible. Now when the business asks to change to CDs and DVDs, even though a few people like the old versions, it would be more profitable to make the switch. The game is the same way. A few people frown on digital recording as supposed to analog saying the sound isn't as genuine enough. You must do what it takes to continue to be profitable. If Nas made another Illmatic, his songs won't play on the radio. It wouldn't get a lot of exposure - won't sell records, which isn't profitable for the business. If he does something that is a little more relevant today (lyrics and production). He will sell more records, which makes the business more money.

If people stop buying the music you think sucks or isn't music at all, the business will change. But until then, the "quality" of the music will continue to decline or remain static.


DON'T FORGET PEOPLE!! THIS IS A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR BUSINESS!!! YOU ARE IN BUSINESS TO MAKE MONEY!!

 

[Benny BuKu]

The problem is everyone "tries" so hard to sell....they all end up sounding the same because they do what appears to be hot. So you may make some short term money- but only a few can continue to do what's hot and stay there. The ones who make a lasting impact create their own lane- they don't imitate what's already been done- instead they are innovators and not only make money, but are remembered for their music. They will be looked back on like The Beatles, Wu-Tang, Nirvana, Rage, Tribe, Mos Def, Talib etc. But those who just wanna follow the trends end up like Vanilla Ice, Fred Durst etc. And alot of these fly by night rappers will end up like the latter. I just heard some shit on XM by "OJ the Juiceman" and "Gucci Man" that had me rolling. Like, "that's what's hot in the streets?"

 

[manguino]

"hip hop is dead!"

 

[Shonsteez]

I really dont think hiphop is dead tho.

A lot of this mainstream shit is getting a bit ridiculous and the industry is still in the midst of a huge transitional period due to technology, etc., but there's still a massive under toe of good music out there as well, the unfortunate side is that it requires a grip of effort to actually get a hold of.

You really have to dedicate yourself to the eternal hunt of good tunes these days otherwise all your limited to is the narrow outlets you rely on in the first place such as the Radio or TV.

But yeah, the current state of whats defined "HOT" right now through your standard traditional outlets are in the shitter right now without a doubt.

Theres a revolution a-brewin' right now me thinks tho.

 

[BobCarter]

You can either be a musician or a businessman. I feel like artists reach a crossroad when deciding whether to make music geared toward a general audience or to make music to express their thoughts/ideas regardless of outer influence. Nowadays in the stereotypical music market it's increasingly hard to find a compromise between the two.

Before beginning a work of art, do painters or sculptors plan to make something to conform to a general audience or do they just get down to business, working towards a final product which may or may not appeal to the mass public?

On the radio, on MTV, or any other mainstream outlet, artists are most likely going to be producing material that the people want to hear. Maybe not the real hip hop heads on illmuzik but the market of people who wants and need to purchase the albums.


The following is my belief (Feel free to dispute it):
The artists that judge music based on its popularity and measure their success through record sales are going to gear their music (usually with the urging and influence of record company execs/associates) to please the the largest mass audience possible. Unfortunately for the creativity and advancement of music as we know it, this tends to be middle class teenagers and younger kids between 10-15 years of age or the club-going younger women in their mid-20's. This is the social demographic which is the most insecure about themselves and rely on music to either express themselves or conform to the listening habits or their peers, as suggested by the media. These teens are exposed the most to the media which inevitably brainwashes them into believing that fame and record sales equals success. These are the teens who ask their parents for the money to buy the albums of the artists, not because they truly want to give their money to the band/artist that made the album, but because they haven't figured out how to pirate it yet.

Most importantly, music on the radio nowadays is being made to be club-friendly or dance-friendly. I go to college and have been at many parties where girls will be grinding each other listening to Lady Gaga going nuts and absolutely enjoying themselves. Have you ever tried going up to the iPod and changing the song to something realer like Wu-Tang, Lupe Fiasco, or Blackstar? It's an instant flop that makes you feel like Mr. Buzzkillington and almost ruins you.

It sucks that many people aren't "enlightened" or "aware" or all of this but that's just how it is. But more people than ever are becoming wearing of the inhibiting vice-grip that the media and corporate music and progress seems to be being made.

 

[Sucio]

^Word.

You can't bump O.C. at a party and expect the females to grind on you.. You gotta play Weezy...Gotta play "in da club" You gotta play those joints because that's what they like...


And if you don't play what the females like...You're going to be a failure.

 

[Sanova]

Early Shadow:


New Shadow:

Read the comments people are leaving.

Ooooh shit i couldn't even watch/listen to the second for more than 30 seconds after it turned into a super hypified laffy taffy or something.

 

[God]

You can either be a musician or a businessman. I feel like artists reach a crossroad when deciding whether to make music geared toward a general audience or to make music to express their thoughts/ideas regardless of outer influence. Nowadays in the stereotypical music market it's increasingly hard to find a compromise between the two.

Before beginning a work of art, do painters or sculptors plan to make something to conform to a general audience or do they just get down to business, working towards a final product which may or may not appeal to the mass public?

On the radio, on MTV, or any other mainstream outlet, artists are most likely going to be producing material that the people want to hear. Maybe not the real hip hop heads on illmuzik but the market of people who wants and need to purchase the albums.


The following is my belief (Feel free to dispute it):
The artists that judge music based on its popularity and measure their success through record sales are going to gear their music (usually with the urging and influence of record company execs/associates) to please the the largest mass audience possible. Unfortunately for the creativity and advancement of music as we know it, this tends to be middle class teenagers and younger kids between 10-15 years of age or the club-going younger women in their mid-20's. This is the social demographic which is the most insecure about themselves and rely on music to either express themselves or conform to the listening habits or their peers, as suggested by the media. These teens are exposed the most to the media which inevitably brainwashes them into believing that fame and record sales equals success. These are the teens who ask their parents for the money to buy the albums of the artists, not because they truly want to give their money to the band/artist that made the album, but because they haven't figured out how to pirate it yet.

Most importantly, music on the radio nowadays is being made to be club-friendly or dance-friendly. I go to college and have been at many parties where girls will be grinding each other listening to Lady Gaga going nuts and absolutely enjoying themselves. Have you ever tried going up to the iPod and changing the song to something realer like Wu-Tang, Lupe Fiasco, or Blackstar? It's an instant flop that makes you feel like Mr. Buzzkillington and almost ruins you.

It sucks that many people aren't "enlightened" or "aware" or all of this but that's just how it is. But more people than ever are becoming wearing of the inhibiting vice-grip that the media and corporate music and progress seems to be being made.

Cosign.

Selling out is the compromise of self-indulgence with something the masses want to hear.

If you want to make a hit, write a love song that a 16 year old girl can relate to or lyrics your dumbest friend can understand.

If you want to be an underground god. Flip the verbals, but know that your audience is small.

 

[krysolite]

to those who were asking "why are you posting this".

maybe i meant it more for people to see what dj shadow did.

i know some of you should know how his music was before. u blaze, kick back with some dj shadow. or if it's late at night. or just to relax.
i don't know why he went this route when i think he would have had more success doing what he kept doing. or at least collaborating with people from the east or mid-west. it's like, when you listen to his earlier works, the last thing you would have expected are some hyphy artists or w/e that sub-genre is called. i mean on one of his older tracks he had mos def featuring. i dled that last album and was surprised to the extent of thinking this was a possibly a collaboration album or an album that he "hosted" for publicity or w/e. but this is HIS album. and he posted that comment. making me wonder if this was his original intention, or if it's a newly discovered interest. it's kinda like ominous said, nas switching to country.

i guess i gave this thread the wrong title lol. i posted this up on here right when i found out without even really thinking what i was trying to say so my bad.

i was expecting more of a "WTF?"

 

[Shonsteez]

I meant no offense homie, seriously...It was just the way you wrote it originally...I get where your coming from tho.

I was a long time Shadow fan up until this album as well so I feel your pain...Its the old "If it aint broke, dont fix it" scenario.

In regards to the album, i dont really know why he went that route since he was very successful for a long time doing what he did best - be Shadow. So i dunno man, maybe he always wanted to rock an album like that but his typical records that were released everytime were another part of his interests??...Well never know i suppose.