Beatles & Led Zep albums went to #1 on the charts in their heyday. Current releases of old material from the vaults and the like, when released, still go to #1. Thus, the people who liked it then liked it now. Biz Markie, Sir Mix-a-Lot, Candyman, etc. all had albums or singles go Top 10. Would a release of any of these bands unreleased tapes go top 200? No. Thus, the popularity, regardless of size, is not retained. Ergo, Beatles and Zep had and still have huge following. Old school rap had a following, and no have a much smaller following.
I dare say more people both the latest Beatles comp than bought Sgt. Pepper in its initial run.
And there’s a name for the music Zamfir plays, that doesn’t make it popular. And I’m sure there are circles of people out there who assume Zamfir is big all over the country, just because they like it and their friends like it.
But again, you can have the last say, I respect your view, but agree to disagree.
I’d just like to say that I just got back from (last night) a Del Tha Funky Homosapien concert. That guy is pretty classic (1991, I Wish My Brother George Was Here), and he still kicks ass. He did not only his newer Deltron stuff, but also some Hieroglyphics, Souls of Mischief, and stuff from No Need For Alarm. He even did Mr. Bobalina. Anyone remember that song? Awesome.
The point of this post I guess is mostly just to gloat over an awesome concert experience, but also to note that he pulled quite a following from our upper class, whitewashed little town here. I think when we’re talking about relative popularity of rap and hip-hop, we’ve gotta look at not just race, but generation.
Ok, I thought of a simple more direct approach, using race:
Would you agree white people are into classic rock just as much as they are
current rock- maybe more so into classic rock? Yes? Ok.
Would you agree that Old school rap is nowhere near as popular as current
rap, among black people? Yes? Ok.
Then the OP was soliciting opinions as to why that is, and got some great ones- rap fans not into nostalgia, current rap better than classic rap (unlike rock), rap evolving into a whole different entity, etc.
No, I do not agree that they are just as into classic rock as current. Especially in the age group that we are addressing. But I bet you more of the younger black kids will know who The Sugar Hill Gang was than the younger white kids will know who The Yardbirds are.
Again, no. You are making assumptions based on. . . well, I’m not sure on what.
Again, I do not agree with the premise of the OP. Amongst those who listen to and like rap, old school is just as popular as classic rock is to those who like and listen to rock.
I’ve reread the OP twice now, I’ve reread your posts, and I’ve searched through the thread as it stands to this point. Prior to you bringing it up, the only reference to race made at all was a joke that msmith made early on. I don’t think race has anything to do with the point of the OP. Let’s try this another way.
Say that 100 people, of varying races, who are fans of modern rock are surveyed about whether they currently purchase and/or enjoy listening to classic rock. Then 100 people, of varying races, who are fans of modern rap are surveyed and asked whether they currently purchase and/or enjoy listening to classic rap. The OP, as I understand it, is suggesting that there would be more affirmative responses in the first group than in the second. The discussion then turned to trying to define “classic rap” so that we could perhaps come up with a valid comparison.
What does race have to do with answering that question?
IMO, the first big hits of rap did not display any less musical ingenuity than the first big hits of rock n roll (such as Rock Around the Clock.) However, they didn’t display much more, either. I’d rather listen to early 80s rap hits than most 50s rock hits, and this is coming from a person who likes indie and classic rock much more than hiphop.
Speaking of hiphop, I wonder another question: why is “classic” hiphop less popular than other classic genres? You know, the stuff they were breakdancing to that didn’t have words all the time and sometimes even was sung rather than rapped. If there were a good compilation of early hiphop dance I’d buy it: it’s much more dancable and timeless than modern rap “dance” music they try to foist upon everyone in clubs these days.
Classic rock stations: usually 60s/70s
Classic soul: usually 60s/70s
Old school rap: You want to name some rappers from the 70s? :dubious:
In fact, have you even listened to the “Classic soul” station long enough to state that they never play rap? If you listen to classic rock stations that play songs published after 1981, you’ll hear psychadelic, acid, heavy metal, hair bands, new wave, stadium rock, grunge, alt-rock and the artists who never fit into any neat slot, such as The Beatles or Peter Gabriel.
Rock is a catch-all term, and I suspect that Soul is similarly used as a catch-all term. If you are going to equate Rap to any white musical style, I would equate it to Punk. Like Rap, Punk came out of a severely economically depressed area and was originally more about the rage and despair of that situation than it was about making pretty music.
My local Clearchannel station actually has an old-school hip-hop show on Sunday nights. They play really early stuff, from 1980 and such, and also rarities and early tracks from groups like Public Enemy and Run D.M.C. It’s a good show.
The problem with the OP is that he is comparing 80s rap to 60s rock. That isnt fair. Since rap is still “new” a better comparison would be early 90s rap to 60s rock.
Wait a little while and everyone will start calling 90s rap the classic era of rap. Just like everyone forgot about rock music before the Beatles.
I know many people who already call the 90s the classical era, thanks to Jay-Z’s “Reasonable Doubt”, Nas’s “Illmatic”, Biggie’s “Ready to Die”, and so on.
Given the state of rap now (lets not get into a debate about this, please?), it is easy to say that the 90s have been rap’s Golden Age.
I was flipping through InHD the other day and saw this 90 min show ‘Hip Hop in the Hamptons’ featuring a chap by the name of Fabolous and his posse.
Thankfully, most of the 90 mins focused on the gang drinking 1800 Tequila (the sponsor) and doing interviews, preparing the stage, practising their rhymes. It was awful. From start to finish. No redeeming value. Yet I watched the train wreck from start to finish.
Anyway, this dude sells records. Is ‘Fabolous’ representative of ‘new rap’? This may help answer the OP’s question.
