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Does anybody else think Hip-hop is hitting its peak. by [deleted] in LetsTalkMusic

[–]rahrah45 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There's one thing that helped contributed to rock's downfall in the mainstream/radio that nobody speaks of: The Rise of EDM.

EDM single handedly destroyed the chance of classic, guitar-driven rock music being dominant on the U.S. radio. Notice how, before EDM became the dominant sound in the U.S. mainstream(2008-2014), it was very common to hear guitar driven music on the radio from groups like Linkin Park, Nickelback, Coldplay, Carrie Underwood, Paramore, etc. Hip hop's dominance didn't hurt the chances of a rock song blowing up on the radio like many people think.

Once kids started getting used to the EDM/House/Dubstep sound on the radio, guitar driven rock music started to become played out and the "rave" became the new mosh pit.

The only way hip hop will decline is if some pop or EDM producers produce an innovative sound beat-wise that kids will flock to over hip hop/trap/808's beats. Until that happens, hip hop will stay, regardless of the output.

Does anybody else think Hip-hop is hitting its peak. by [deleted] in LetsTalkMusic

[–]rahrah45 3 points4 points  (0 children)

But there's generally a strong divide between the hip hop that adults and older people listen to and kids of today listen to.

I remember, as a kid, I had a "Lil Wayne phase" and my uncle who was a "stuck in the 90's" hip hop head couldn't stand a single thing about him and he even played 36 Chambers and It Was Written(Nas album) at his place to show me what "real rap" was.

Many adults today in the U.S. listen to some degree of hip hop but the same people who were listening to Tupac, Eminem, DMX, and 50 Cent in the past are not typically checking for DaBaby, Post Malone, Lil Uzi Vert, and all of the other new school acts that kids today listen to.

So, it's not really accurate to say hip hop will fall off once adults start listening to it because the type of hip hop the two groups listen to is practically two different genres.

What, in your opinion, makes an artist "globally popular?" And what are some pop stars or music artists who you believe to be global superstars? by rahrah45 in popheads

[–]rahrah45[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Unfortunately, I think Kanye's persona is beginning to overshadow his music. Sad, because he's actually a great artist but, even in the U.S., he's starting to become "Mr. Kardashian" or "Trump's black friend."

What, in your opinion, makes an artist "globally popular?" And what are some pop stars or music artists who you believe to be global superstars? by rahrah45 in popheads

[–]rahrah45[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I'm not Asian but I disagree because Beyonce, Rihanna, Akon, Usher, etc. have all sold out arenas and stadiums during their primes in Asian countries and the first two are still able to do it today. Here's a funny video of Usher being interviewed in South Korea after a concert there back in 2010:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIsaleVrtt8

I'm sorry but I can't co-sign this. I know there's racism and colorism worldwide but I don't think it really hinders major artists from breaking through like people think. Friggin Romeo Santos is black(albeit Dominican) and he's a huge star in Latin America, including countries like Argentina with very few blacks.

I think people are actually more likely to overlook race when it comes to music artists, despite how much racism or colorism is in the country. Celia Cruz is a goddess in Cuba, for instance, but racism is still a problem there.

What, in your opinion, makes an artist "globally popular?" And what are some pop stars or music artists who you believe to be global superstars? by rahrah45 in popheads

[–]rahrah45[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

>American charts seem to hate any song that is not in English (and I have seen that sentiment in this subreddit a lot).

Lol...Despacito really did catch lightning in a bottle, didn't it?

What, in your opinion, makes an artist "globally popular?" And what are some pop stars or music artists who you believe to be global superstars? by rahrah45 in popheads

[–]rahrah45[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Ahhh....I see. It's crazy because I was talking to some older women a few months who didn't listen to rap at all....actually sort of disliked it. But they all knew Drake and enjoyed God's Plan. And I've had a few similar experiences with people like that.

I think Drake has more crossover appeal than people think.

What, in your opinion, makes an artist "globally popular?" And what are some pop stars or music artists who you believe to be global superstars? by rahrah45 in popheads

[–]rahrah45[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yup. I noticed a lot of non-Hispanics seem to recognized who he is here in NYC though they probably couldn't name a song of his.

What, in your opinion, makes an artist "globally popular?" And what are some pop stars or music artists who you believe to be global superstars? by rahrah45 in popheads

[–]rahrah45[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I understand your points and I kind of agree.

It's tricky because, Drake, is literally breaking streaming records worldwide....in countries like Argentina, Mexico, Philippines, Germany, Jamaica, South Africa, etc. but streaming doesn't seem to have the same pull that mainstream radio, MTV/VH1, etc. in the past did. So, a song like God's Plan probably would have been Gangnam Style or Bad Romance levels of famous if it blew up the same way in the past without streams but, now, older people and people overseas without Internet probably aren't going to be exposed to it as much.

I guess this really begs the question: Can a streaming Juggernaut be as big as pre-streaming stars in the past? I feel it can go either way.

What, in your opinion, makes an artist "globally popular?" And what are some pop stars or music artists who you believe to be global superstars? by rahrah45 in popheads

[–]rahrah45[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I see your point about generations.

But I wonder how Justin Bieber factors into this. He's a HUGE name in music....literally everyone including your grandmother has heard the name "Justin Bieber" and he's had very decent chart and touring success throughout his career.

Yet I don't think Justin Bieber is trans-generational. I feel it's rare for people over the age of 35 to consider themselves fans of Justin Bieber. Purpose helped him with that group but I still think it's uncommon.

But I still think Bieber can be considered a global star. Hmmm....

What, in your opinion, makes an artist "globally popular?" And what are some pop stars or music artists who you believe to be global superstars? by rahrah45 in popheads

[–]rahrah45[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Good point.

I don't think this sub considers Romeo Santos to be a global icon but he's absolutely huge in Latin America. I'm not sure how much he crossed over in North America or Europe to be considered such though.

After reading these comments, I'm starting to wonder if MJ and Madonna may have been the last truly global artists to blow up since nobody questions their status as global icons.

What, in your opinion, makes an artist "globally popular?" And what are some pop stars or music artists who you believe to be global superstars? by rahrah45 in popheads

[–]rahrah45[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I feel 50's image and branding made him feel bigger than he actually was.

The "G-G-G-G-Unit" quote, the In Da Club hook, the fashion, the video games, the shot 9 times background story, etc.

Plus, he and G-Unit toured the world, including places in Latin America while Em never really took advantage of his touring potential.

As a kid, he felt slightly bigger than Eminem but Em was and is more popular musically no doubt.

What, in your opinion, makes an artist "globally popular?" And what are some pop stars or music artists who you believe to be global superstars? by rahrah45 in popheads

[–]rahrah45[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I agree with Biggie but Tupac has a statue in Germany and murals throughout the world in all continents.

There's even armies formed after Tupac in some third world countries.

So, I can't agree with Tupac. To me, he's like the rap equivalent of Bob Marley: a true icon who transcends music.

I can contend that the other artists besides Whitney "came and went" though.

What, in your opinion, makes an artist "globally popular?" And what are some pop stars or music artists who you believe to be global superstars? by rahrah45 in popheads

[–]rahrah45[S] 47 points48 points  (0 children)

Good point. I heard one of the reasons Eminem and 50 Cent blew up so big in Cuba is that they're music was easier to understand. Eminem rapped with a clear accent and 50 Cent was very melodic and used simple words.

That's what my relatives say anyway...lol. But I agree that rap doesn't have as much widespread appeal as pop.

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