Traditional Media USA Today is now picking up on Rap’s Demise. Although CD sales are obviously down this year, rap sales are down 33% from 2006, twice the decline for the industry overall, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Established rap stars no longer are sure things in sales. During the past nine months, Jay-Z, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, Diddy and Nas released albums, but only those by Jay-Z and Ludacris have sold at least 1 million copies in the USA, and only Diddy is still on the charts.
There are signs that many music-buying Americans — particularly the young, largely white audience that can make a difference between modest and blockbuster sales — are tiring of rappers’ emphasis on “gangsta” attitudes, explicit lyrics and tales of street life and conspicuous consumption.
Rap pioneer KRS-One, who just released Hip Hop Lives with fellow legend Marley Marl, offers a blunt explanation: “The music is garbage,” he says. “What has happened over the past few years is that we have traded art for money, simple and plain, and the public is not stupid.”
In 2006, rap sold 59.1 million albums, down 21% from 2005 and 27% from 2004. Sales are trailing those for country albums (75 million) and heavy metal (61.6 million) — genres that rap formerly overshadowed.
Rap is no longer a dominant player in the industry. This year’s top-selling albums thus far are by American Idol rocker Chris Daughtry’s band and jazz chanteuse Norah Jones
and heavy metal (61.6 million) — genres that rap formerly overshadowed.
wow ! no wonder RoadRunner had licensed MetalMind records to reissue our 1988 album.it will sell in small numbers but this should be fun.
Quickchange
Circus Of Death
I think there will be a groundswell of “intelligent” rap coming at us before long… There will always be fans of hip-hop out there, but they’re obviously tired of the ‘bling-bling’ shite that’s dominated the airwaves over the past few.
Think Souls Of Mischief, De La Soul-style acts.
Victory Records replies with:
lets sign more of the same sounding emo bands
- i made that up
Look at the illegitimate market for it– as huge as ever (P2P, mp3 blogs, mixtapes). You can’t just look at Soundscan #’s and say that nobody cares about hip hop. Fans of a particular genre don’t just stop caring. Its just not that simple…
The “General Public” stopped caring. Rap was dominant in the mainstream, not anymore. Thats the point.
The figures explain it fairly well..
rap sales are down 33% from 2006, ‘twice’ the decline for the industry overall, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Of course Rap has an underground following, but its no longer NEWS Worthy. The Gansta in the streetz with the bullet holes in the head are no longer million dollar stories. In that sense, people no longer give a shit.
Who cares if people are buying it or not. I know the newest Nas album is great and Evidence released a great solo lp as well. Common and Kanye’s are already fire!
Look for more lighter, looser rap and hip hop artists to gain ground soon. Consumers are tired of the heavy beats and low bass in crunk music. Real drums will start replacing drum machines and beats will feel more varied. (Both Kanye West and Common could be considered the precursors to this) They won’t be the same beat on a synth the whole song. I’m hoping M.I.A. and comes to the top in this. (http://pitchforkmedia.imeem.com/video/GnalkB_z/boyz/) That song’s pretty addictive and I’d be dissapointed if it didn’t become popular. The Go! Team and Spank Rock are other possible artists.
Blackalicious and Jurassic 5
I don’t listen to much rap, but those 2 groups, and everyone involved in those groups, consistently deliver high brow hip hop with integrity.
im tired of people saying listen to rap like common.he is racist who raps about how black people are oppressed.That and i have never heard a person bumpin common or any other non gangsta rap from there car.people say intelligent rap is on the rise but dont understand that gangsta rap is rap music.if people are tiring to the gangsta side of rap music it is doomed.imagine hearing a white guy or hispanic bumping common from his 12s in his car.lol.if wont happen,ever.
“… and only Diddy is still on the charts.”
Press Play was #172 on the 06/16 chart and dropped off the following week.