Last year I made a bunch of predictions about the coming state of hip-hop, blogging, and hip-hop blogging. Now that 2005 is done, how'd I do? Pretty ok, I think. Let's roll the videotape...
CORRECT Some rap mogul (Dame, Russell maybe?) will co-opt the Street Lit genre. To my surprise it was Beanie Sigle and 50 Cent who made this happen.
CORRECT Every three months a new hip-hop blogger will find popularity by being funny, crass, and disrespectful until they get shunned off the blogrolls by the very people who boosted them in the first place. (Kris Ex, watch out!). The three months part was wrong, but the Kris Ex part was right. In all fairness, it seems some of my more irreverent posts caused people to de-link me too. One blogger even sent me a dear john letter.
WRONG Rakim's album will be forced into being officially released after some saint mercifully leaks it on the internet. This was more wishful thinking, than a prediction. Too bad it didn't happen.
WRONG Hip-hop bands and producers will find a market for instrumental albums, and the press will label this "Rap music for grown folks." What the heck was I thinking?
WRONG Online hip-hop mags both big and
small will incorporate the style and technology of blogging but ignore
the community aspect (outside linking, open comments), and fail. I put this one out there because a couple of hop-hop mags had contacted me to learn about blogging, but each one was allergic to the community aspect of it all. And for good reason- we're a ruthless bunch, at times. However, The Fader uses blog technology and their traffic shot up, while SOHH embraced the whole package and they we had success too.
CORRECT Every major hip-hop label will produce a webfeed (whether RSS or ATOM) that tracks news of their artists, like Sony already does for Nas and Beyonce. SOHH has over 200 rap artist and topic specific feeds, from the Ying Yang Twins to Royce the 5'9. I was wrong about the labels doing it themselves, but it's probably better this way.
CORRECT Someone will make real money off of blogging, but it will be so easy to do everyone will join in and kill the golden goose. Hey, that was me! Blogging pays for my health care, 401k plan, and my comic book habit. I'm surprised no one else has really jumped in. I mean, wouldn't Jay Smooth and Byron Crawford be good at doing a blog site for Ego Trip?
WRONG Indie artists will offer free ringtones to fans as promotion. I'm surprised every underground artist doesn't use the power of free ringtones to keep fans and make fans.
WRONG Video dj'ing will get popular in the trendy clubs and find a place in concerts, yet no one will remember DJ Shadow. Yikes. When's the last time I've even been to a club or concert to see if this is true.
CORRECT Mixtape DVD's will completely overshadow mixtape cd's. Completely. Artists are making music videos specifically to give to Smack DVD and his imitators. A slip up on a DVD is what got Green Lantern fired, and Carmelo in trouble. Those DVD's helped spark some of the t-shirt crazes this year and they've become a preferred place for rappers to air out their competiton. Even SOHH is getting into the game with some video podcasting.
CORRECT "Can't Stop, Won't Stop" will be the must read of the year. Cups up to author Jeff Chang for winning the American book award.
CORRECT Dave Chapelle will fall off, but won't be replaced. I wish it weren't true, but I saw it coming.
WRONG Um...I'll finish my own book. Yes, I have a book in the works. I'm glad this didn't happen. I'm not ready to drop a full length yet. Maybe next year!
"Video dj'ing will get popular in the trendy clubs and find a place in concerts, yet no one will remember DJ Shadow."
When I move on over to NY one of my goals is to find regular work as a dj, and then as a video dj. Two things must happen first: Equipment must mature and get cheaper (it's nearly $3000 to start + DVDs). And venues must provide the proper equipment to facilitate video DJs (plasma screens, proper lighting, etc). This will catch on, I wouldn't count out and attack of video DJs on Manhattan some time in 06.
Posted by: dj mirateck (M Miraflor) | 2005.12.31 at 07:19 PM
I'm looking forward to the next big book of 2006. Chang did his thing, who's going to be next?
Posted by: Laylah | 2006.01.02 at 10:07 PM
Yo, Nice honest review. I haven't read all of your post (I'm still new at this), but I'll be lookin' out. What do you think of positive vibe hip-hop? Do you think it will ever be cool for the emcees like Tribe Called Quest to at least make a showing? I know we have a few out, but we need a balance bad, but the people who listen to lyrics don't support the artists they like.
but anywayz....Happy New Year! one, Donnell
Posted by: Donnell Bell | 2006.01.02 at 10:39 PM
Before you drop a book . . . how about writing 300 words in a row on the same subject? Stay in your lane, youngsta, and know the ledge . . .
Posted by: the izza | 2006.01.03 at 06:50 PM
the izza: I can always cheat and put together a collection.
Posted by: Hashim | 2006.01.03 at 09:11 PM
is that a shot, kid?
Posted by: the izza | 2006.01.04 at 03:25 PM
that was joke to no one in particular.
Posted by: Hashim | 2006.01.04 at 05:21 PM
Wow Hash - It's good to know that somebody is still holding it down on the hip hop blog front. I remember before mine thrived and died it was only Jay Smooth that existed. Crazy. I also remember how I said I would write for you on this site. My, how time and passion have passed.
I always thought that with the audience hiphopanonymous.net had and with the community that included it, I should have given some kind of an explanation for its shutdown. I guess graduating and getting a real job was a big one. But if I really wanted to, I could have kept it up. Honestly it was too easy to just give up. Writing for justice in a corrupted world of hip-hop comes second to living one's own life. Plus the stupidity of countless surfers asking me about "Fitty Cents HoT New Shoes Datz Off Da Chain" got real old, real fast.
So despite my failure to keep the cause alive, it's a nice thought to know you're still working on it. Keep in touch.
Posted by: Jon Hernandez | 2006.01.17 at 05:00 PM
Wow Hash - It's good to know that somebody is still holding it down on the hip hop blog front. I remember before mine thrived and died it was only Jay Smooth that existed. Crazy. I also remember how I said I would write for you on this site. My, how time and passion have passed.
I always thought that with the audience hiphopanonymous.net had and with the community that included it, I should have given some kind of an explanation for its shutdown. I guess graduating and getting a real job was a big one. But if I really wanted to, I could have kept it up. Honestly it was too easy to just give up. Writing for justice in a corrupted world of hip-hop comes second to living one's own life. Plus the stupidity of countless surfers asking me about "Fitty Cents HoT New Shoes Datz Off Da Chain" got real old, real fast.
So despite my failure to keep the cause alive, it's a nice thought to know you're still working on it. Keep in touch.
Posted by: Jonathan Hernandez | 2006.01.17 at 05:01 PM