Does Sex Sell Hip-Hop?

Fortune Magazine published a revealing article about the movie business, which found that Hollywood focuses more attention and money on sex and violence filled flicks, even though they are not as profitable as family movies. A quote:

This trend- G-rated movies are good for business but underproduced; R-rated movies are bad for business, and yet overdone--is something that has been driving economists batty for the past several years.

This surprising fact got me thinking about what sells in hip-hop and the larger world. We all have heard that "sex sells", and that's true. But marriage also sells, and there's a billion dollar event, book, and counseling industry based on marrying people and keeping them that way.

Porn sells, sure. But the Bible also sells, and so well that it doesn't even get listed on bestseller lists anymore.

People spend hundreds betting at casinos. But people spend tens of thousands betting on college.

Jerry Springer sells, And so does Oprah, times ten.

Byron Crawford sells. And so does Jay Smooth, plus some.

50 Cent sells. And so does The Black Eyed Peas.

Diddy sold in the 90's. And so did The Fugees.

If marketed correctly, what can't sell? So, I'm suspicious when rappers tell me they have to make a certain type of music in order to be popular. Jay-Z codified the thought when he rapped about wanting to "Rhyme like Common Sense", but I think it's a false rule of hip-hop, just as is it in the movie business. It's just another myth, like the evil corporate influence in hip-hop that I wrote about last week.

I'm also suspicious of hip-hop media pros who keep telling us they must place this or that violent and misogynistic rapper on their magazine cover in order to sell. Every mag story needs to be well done in order to capture the interest of the audience. However, for instance, the Hurricane Katrina stories that appeared in hip-hop mags like Vibe, The Source, and XXL were boring, weak, and outdated, as if all the editors didn't think this would be a story that could sell and refused to put enough resources behind it.

Compare that to XXL's thorough coverage of Proof's shooting. They scored exclusive quotes from the Shady Records family, including Eminem, and even found a witness to the shooting who spoke to the mag before going to the police. I'm sure that issue will sell well, and not because the killing of one negro is a more compelling story than the killing of hundreds in New Orleans, but because the right resources were put into making the story great. My old psych professor taught us about self-fulfilling prophecies, and I think the Proof shooting vs Hurricane Katrina coverage fits the description.

Now, let me put this in bold for the skimmers - I'm not claiming that sex and her cousins don't sell in hip-hop or that positive content should be created just for the sake of it. Instead, any good hip-hop song, magazine, or product will sell, if it has the right story to market it with, word to Seth Godin. When our hip-hop heroes tell us otherwise, they're ether being dumb or calling us stupid, but what they're saying doesn't match the truth. They're also leaving plenty of money on the table, by relying on only one way to hustle. And, if controversy is the only thing you know how to make pop, then you're not much of a writer, or emcee, or whatever else.

Comments

[jdid]

but the problem is in the marketing. the labels never seen to put the money or the time into promoting the conscious rappers or the non-controversial hip hop artists. So how can they sell when no one is pushing their product.

[P-Matik]

How is Proof vs. Hurricane Katrina a self-fulfilling prophecy?

[P-Matik]

Plus I wasn't surprised by the effort on Proof (RIP) by XXL. Damn, ain't XXL a Shady Records subsidiary or something?

[Bol]

This could very well be Hashim's best post since the infamous "Kris Ex called me a faggot" post.

[P-Matik]

Actually, I was told that the Hiero crew were guests on Rap City last week. I don't know exactly what to make of that one yet.

[IB]

Negativity may not be the only way to sell records but its probably the easiest way to sell records. From the artists perspective its their best shot.

[Hashim]

IB, I don't believe it's easier. There are dozens of former crack dealers in the mixtape scene waiting to get a deal, wondering why their career ain't popping like 50 Cent. It's not easier for them.

[IB]

Hashim, when I say the negative route is easier what I mean is it looks like you've got a better chance of success going the route of being a 'gangsta rapper' rather than a 'conscious rapper'. I can think of maybe a few successful conscious/positive rappers that come up after 99 (there was a period of conscious rap that seemed to end around that time). I could probably list dozens of successful gangster rappers (or pimp rappers or otherwise 'negative' rappers) that have come up in that same time frame.

There seems to be more demand for negativity.

[TM]

Concious rap is a hard sell because the moniker concious suggests an air of superiority, which pushes innovation to a stalemate - the hood isn't looking to get talked down to, and the other side thinks they're here to save the world.

Heiroglyphics on Rap City? It's about time - the Hobo beef is old news and Opio needs to eat.

[Candy Minx]

I wonder if it is more of a case that when it comes to art, literature, music you know STORYTELLING in general if sex, violence just aren't a matter of being themes that are easy to explore lifes dynamics. Like I think the best novels involve life and death, and nature and how to live. In many ways, life and death isssues ARE conscious work...isn't that the basic survival? I think what I'm trying to say is that in any medium, movies, music, art...the really great stuff is far and few between...I mean with life and death and morality. It's kind of like the easy path is to make art and music sensational...it is age, talent and experience and maggic that can pull off a morality tale but not talk down to us...and yet grapple with lifes biggest themes, like truth, justice, love, honor, death, birth...

Interesting topic, always enjoy reading this blog and all the links...thanks for your thoughtful contributions to the blogland!

Cheers,
Candy
http://gnosticminx.blogspot.com/

[Hashim]

"There seems to be more demand for negativity."

Then do you explain the popularity of the "positive" - G rated movies, marriage, church, Oprah, and the Red Cross?

People buy things that are compelling. What makes them compelling?

1. It has to be good

2. It has to be marketed correctly

I think sometimes when a rapper is positive, they may forget about being good or getting the right type of promotion. Or when hip-hop media sees something positive, they don't think it can sell, so they forget about making it good or marketing it, and they fulfill their own prediction

[Rajel]

"Then do you explain the popularity of the "positive" - G rated movies, marriage, church, Oprah, and the Red Cross?"

You took his quote and totally put it out of context. He said that line after talking about rap music. You bring out examples are don't do anything to disprove his statement that there seems to be more of a demand for negativity in the rap business, because your examples of positivity don't relate to the rap game.(Church and marriage are the two closest) Although I will agree demand can be dictated to a degree by the supplier.

[ashley]

If you're a young rapper whose number one objective is to make bank and get famous, it's likely that you'll think you need to fit the current mold to achieve that. And, as we can all see, the current mold involves lots of sex and violence. I mean, Clipse talks about how rapping -- battling and freestyling -- aren't his real occupation; "I'm more at home with the chrome" he says. Gangsta first, rapper second. And clearly he makes money off it. Marketers see that, latch on to it, and pump people through the system who can continue to make money off that image.

But there are lots of people who are into rap for the love of the music and culture, not just for the money, and I think their music benefits from that. Unfortunately marketers aren't very concerned with quality or originality, only with making money. And right now the safest way to make money in rap is to project a dangerous image.

[dirtydope]

What exactly is positive rap?

The foundation of hip hop is the street metaphor therefore: Rappers talk about fun and free sex, drugs, and violence.By nature, being in the streets is gritty so the themes follow suit.

Hip hop is dominated by youth. Most young people are not into the church, they don't wanna be preached to. Most people under 25 are not married or in serious romantic relationships(if you're not married you're just fKing.) Most youth in America don't give a flying FK about civil rights (that's so mom and dad's generation). Everyone already knows selling and abusing drugs comes with inheirent risk. What do we need to re-enforce as positive rappers?

Should we rap about going to college?? Fking white girls and getting drunk, that would be my great college song(positive?)Toby Keith has a song out about "getting drunk and being somebody", I juxstapose country music with rap just to state the obvious: no one gives a shit if Country singers or EMO bands, or weepy college bands sing poitive songs. Why are rap artist under such critical fire?? Why are they the mouth piece for Blacks in America?

May be if we had positive rappers we could stop trying to gain true socio-econmic and political power and just focus on the music. We give entertainers way too much power and leverage in our(Black)community. Sounds like the slave master's plan of reverse psychological brainwashing is paying off.Can't we just take Laffy Taffy for what it's worth, a great song to shake ya ass to between living, loving and doing the "right" things in life.

[Gonzadexproshoot]

Whazz up?

Who can vouch for them? Anyone even heard of them? - http://steroidssupplier.com
i have heard they r good. let me know how it goes..

Thanks bros

[Casino Espanol]

No, Hip Hop sells sex...

[shay]

i know this crazy canadian does.
Check out the video of what he did with
Iggy pop's nightclubin.

http://www.myspace.com/dsisive
eenjoy:]

[itsme]

What sells H/hope is the music. The sex is the iceing on that @ss (lol)
www.candyeighteen.com

[ifesound]

what sells hiphop or just music in general? see my personal view here if we are talking about rap is that firstly whoever the rapper is should be real and true to themselves whoever they are you get me? not everyone is gangsta for one but if you are you should tell it like it is in my opinion and if you aint you should tell it like you are and not pretend to be something you aint for purley just a image, thats 1view i have. truth sells wether its positive or negative it is all in the marketing yeah. What would be nice to see is something brought different to the table because like anything for example if you ate nothing but crisps everyday for years and years on end you'd be pretty damn bored of it after a while wouldn't you? wouldn't anyone? it should be about the passion and love of the music for sure the way i see it, and also people that can relate to whatever it is your talking about, because if people can relate to you they will want to hear you more and you'l have their interest in the first place. You can grasp someones interest by being simply yourself, and yeah misery does tend to sell more as a whole purley because the way i see it is that the whole world seems to be in a state of depression.

[ifesound]

i also think we live in a very violent and depressing world a lot of the time and im not saying this is linked to rap or anything neccessarily but a lot of people wether they would admit it or not have violent minds which stems from as early as the cave man days. i myself am a writer/composer/musician/producer and rapper unknown yet but the thing is predominantly although money is tight it has always been formostly about the music and the love of it for me. music as a whole is a way of expressing our most inner darkest thoughts and feelings also are inner most loving and bright thoughts and feelings, sometimes it is purley just bringing out emotions that could be just how you feel at that particular time, not neccessarily something you would do, or be into on the real but on the real at that moment in time thats what you felt and what you thought, music is a fantastic form of reflecting you and your moods, can talk to you but it dont make you do anything good or bad in real life only one person has control of you and that really is you. And thats the way i see it. Its too easy to blame music for what people actually do, the most powerful thing is our own minds. your own mind can make or break you. why does it have to be someone who is just a contraversial rapper or a non contraverisal rapper? why can it not be a mixture of the two? a bit of variety never harmed anyone lol well not that im aware of!? peace out

[Jeff Paul Internet Millions]

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