Robbie Ettelson has often been described as an East-Coast Elitist by his many detractors, although ironically he considers that title to be a badge of honor. Having founded Unkut.com, and the Salute To Weed Carriers blog, in addition to the subsequent splinter cell organization known only as the Conservative Rap Coalition (often described as the 'FOX News' of rap blogging), Robbie is renowned for championing all that is non-progressive and anti-social in hip-hop."
No Sell Out
Are Whiz Khalifa and others selling out for mass appeal or just evolving as MCs
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During the initial Pop Rap explosion of Hammer and Vanilla Ice, to call someone a sell-out or trying to cross-over was the worst possible thing you could accuse a rapper of doing, pretty much today’s equivalent of being labeled a snitch or a former correction’s officer…Shit’s done changed, obviously, as even selling music has become a struggle, but the concept of selling-out on your original musical vision or style has become more common-place than ever.
Take ya boy Wiz Khalifa, for example. Dude started off making backpack rap over soul beats on his 2006 debut Show & Prove, but as soon as Warner Brothers signed him the following year he made the god-awful ‘Say Yeah’, which was a Euro-beat based shot at the Pop Life. After sitting on the shelf at WB for a couple of years he reinvented himself as a tattooed stoner who liked to sing as much as rap, a move which seemed to work a charm as he was named both ‘Rookie of the Year’ in The Source and part of XXLMag’s ‘Top 10 Freshmen’ in 2010. He’s now established himself as Snoop Jr. with his whole ‘Black & Yellow’ movement, which is great since it means he can afford to drop somewhere in the vicinity of $720,000 to post bond for himself and his failed weed carriers after he got nabbed by the beast in East Carolina…The question remains: does his musical ‘evolution’ from Backpack Rap to Pop Rap to Stoner Rap indicate that Wiz is a calculated opportunist who jumps on whatever bandwagon he spots speeding past or the natural progression of a ‘talented musician’?
Or how should we judge the massive change in the sound of Kidz In The Hall, who entered the game with their Souls of Mischief remake ‘Till The Wheels Fall Off’ in 2006 (on Rawkus Records, no less). That didn’t really get them anywhere, so they came back on some Hipster shit with throwback 80′s beats for the second album with stuff like ‘Driving Down The Block’, before deciding to do jump on Drake’s jock with fruity ‘feel-good’ songs like ‘Take Over The World’ from last years Land Of Make Believe LP. Did they sell-out on their original formula because they weren’t moving the units they needed to, or did they suddenly have the courage to make soft-ass songs once they saw the positive public reaction to Drizzy?
Not to say that anybody is asking rappers to keep making the same album, over and over again (unless you’re Too $hort, where anything else would be uncivilized), but are you rapper dude’s so incredibly insecure that you don’t feel comfortable releasing music in 2010 that doesn’t include auto-tune on your raps or a ‘throw ya lighter up’ keyboard beat? Worried that other rappers will point and laugh at you in the street if you don’t feature at least 40% of your album attempting to sing poorly? Concerned that chicks won’t dance to your song in the club if you don’t have tiny drum machine beats? By all means get paid, but try not to get played while you’re doing it. Oh yeah, and grow an effin’ pair of stones while you’re at it…
Best blog I’ve read in a looong time, excellent job.
…or you can not listen to them at all dumbass
I believe 2 Pac said it best, “Make music for the bitches, cause the niggas follow what the bitches like”.
Or something like that.
Daammmmnnnnn (jeezy voice)
Somebody pissed dis nigga da phuck off
I would say that Wiz was growing as an artist 2006 was 5 years ago I believe he was still a teen so you will mostly like change styles from your teens into your 20′s. And as a teen your more impressionable especially to major label scrutiny.
As for Kidz In The Hall I just saw a video with the producer Double-O where he explains they got away from samples because of clearence problems. Not to mention the fact that now that they dont use samples, the music can be used for tv programs on mtv vh1 etc so it gets them another check.
If you want to see the video with Double-O its at Allindstrom.com
Or sellin out like the very magazine you work for who used to have innovative reporting that gave took over the disappointed Source readers and those who use to follow Rap Pages about 14 years ago but now is just a publicity vehicle for interscope. This whole blog is a fail since this dude is a white guy and the very consumer these black artists sell out to…then a few years later they become purists and feel they can tell people what’s what, always pickin on easy targets. The reason you even listen to Hip Hop is because someone sold out so they can catch your ear.
Note to all rappers: stay broke re-doing shit that niggas was doing since “the Golden Era”, never find a new trend that you can comfortably fit into your arsenal, or Robbie won’t like you anymore
or how about…
dear rappers…don’t worry about what the “now” popular trends are, cultivate YOUR version of music, this is the reason fans connected to you in the first place.
Bottom line, be a leader, and not a follower.
Thanks,
The $ykotic Don mcCaine
Notice how I did it w/o alienating a group of people due to bias? You went straight at the OGs…not cool…search Wiz on XXL, them are his peers saying the same thing Robbie’s saying, not ol’ heads…
Thank you, im 21 and still know you have to respect how hip hop started and what its meant for. Hip hop in it of itself is about being yourself and not selling out – MLK wanted a nation of leaders not mindless money seeking followers
Hahaha yo stop hating on robbie you obviously haven’t seen the genius that is unkut.com. Robbie these xxl readers are the wiz khalifa and wayne fans maybe this post would be better suited for unkut!
well he is right. that is why hip hop is dead. because of faggot fans that like wayne and wiz
If people start making music for the love of it again then this wouldnt be such an issue. Kids got shit mixed up nowadays with being popular/famous. Back in the day l made beats and spat a few freestyles for the love of the game, not with an eye on the prize to being famous.