No Respect For Those Who Respect Hip Hop’s OGs: Why One Ambitious Outlet Still Needs To Hustle.

Did you read the article that said hip hop’s veteran artists get no love?

Here’s the article. It basically compared aging rock bands to hip hop acts, lamenting the fact that “Public Enemy is somewhere right now playing a theater and kicking ass, while Rush is reaping millions to suck in an arena.” The author blamed the sad, sorry state of hip hop radio and media (which I have long campaigned against myself) and the corporate bastardization of the genre/culture as the main factors.

I get what he’s trying to say. And while I do think those factors exist, and are very important to speak on, I think applying them to this issue, was a waste of time.

One big reason why hip hop’s OGs don’t get a lot of respect is, in part, because people keep saying hip hop OGs don’t get a lot of respect.

It’s one of those things that sounds like it’s true, so it’s easy to believe and repeat. But to be fair, ’70s arena rock and ’80s/’90s Golden Era hip hop are two very different beasts, in terms of the music business. I’m not really surprised rap veterans aren’t filling gigantic stadiums, as extremely few ever did that to begin with. But I see plenty that are out and about, touring, appearing on festival stages and hitting up overseas arenas.

Now, is there ageism in hip hop? Sure. Generational gaps to deal with? Yes.

But comparing the “staying power” of hip hop’s OGs to rock’s heavy hitters — a genre with a completely different history — is overly simplistic.

This article then becomes just a somewhat-narrow-minded opinion piece, masquerading as an expose.

(While I can spend another entire opinion piece of my own on how those kinds of “articles” on highly trafficked, non-hip hop sites, do more to hurt than help, I’ll try and stay on track.)

Here’s the thing.

Fans of rap that isn’t in current Top 40 playlists need to stop looking to mainstream “hip hop radio” and “hip hop media” for the answers.

Hip hop is JUST getting to be old enough to be able to figure out how to juggle generational differences. The reasons why that hasn’t happened yet on a widespread basis are complex, but truthfully, are as much “real hip hop heads'” fault as it is any greedy Rule 4080 corporate executive.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kX2SR7JorUw]

Late last year, I attended a concert at NYCB Theatre at Westbury (many might know it as the old Westbury Music Fair).

Big Daddy Kane. Rakim. Biz Markie. Slick Rick. Doug E. Fresh. DJ Mister Cee.

Lineup factor: Bananas.

Prestigious venue. Definitely not a hole in the wall.

Relatively inexpensive tickets.

The place didn’t sell out. Who’s fault is that?

Yes, in part, media (hip hop media is 99.9999% a shitty joke. Doubt many even knew about it). Yes, in part, radio. (99.999% of hip hop radio is focused on commercial, modern music). Likely, bad promotions. Cheap. Corner cutting.

But there was a concert. With Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, Biz Markie, Slick Rick, Doug E. Fresh and DJ Mister Cee. In a sizable venue. Not a bar. Not a club.

So it makes me ask:

Are PEOPLE doing enough to FIND and SUPPORT alternative media that DOES support those artists and that DOES promote those venues and shows?

Of course, when an author calls out hip hop media, I want to agree. I’ve been calling hip hop media shitty for years.

But I launched and maintain media outlets that actually aren’t shitty, and that cater to the type of folks who are clapping it up for the author of this article.

We’re not the only ones, there are a few others, but we do great work, especially regarding New York hip hop.

Instead of complaining about the media that doesn’t give you what you want, we need you to seek, find and support US so we can in turn tell YOU what the others won’t!

Basically, we need you to make some kind of effort. Like how we all used to make damn sure we were sitting at the radio with a blank cassette at 10pm on Friday.

We also need promoters of these OG events to stop cutting corners on marketing and promotion, and PAY for some advertising, instead of thinking flyers done in MS Paint and Facebook invites are enough. This supports us and helps us grow, which helps get the word out, which helps fill seats.

But it doesn’t happen enough.

So yes, sure, we can blame radio, the bastardization of the commercial rap business, hip hop’s snakes from within, the younger generation and all that…

But Black Thought and Pharoahe Monch played Brooklyn Bowl last night alongside a dope NOLA brass band, and I’ll be there to see the God MC Rakim tonight after a really good indie rap show/fundraiser for a hip hop education and cultural exchange organization in Manhattan.

And I made sure my audiences were aware about these things.

So it’s easy for someone to write about how much hip hop media and radio and the business sucks when it comes to this sort of thing.

What we could really use is someone writing about how some of us don’t.