River, Hip-Hop

Forked from the scope of the music world, Hip-Hop music can further be organized into two different classifications: mainstream and underground.  Hip-Hop’s mainstream artists are among the most affluent and well-known musicians alive today, and are responsible for most of the “pop” rap music heard on the radio. Underground Hip-Hop artists are, obviously, the opposite. Mainstream music cascades in a swift progression, fueled by the attention of millions and luxurious commodities available to only the most successful artists. However, there are more distinctions between the two groups other than their status of wealth and popularity. The reason there is such a dichotomy is because of the nature of the songs. The mainstream music is inspired by the artists’ lifestyles, enlisting complex beats and samples that are only available to artists of their stature. Underground artists rap over simple beats, made most frequently from a bass guitar’s constant rhythm, with a light accompaniment of a snare drum or piano.

Both categories have their strengths, and are equally important to the genre. In order to see the differences between them, we can look at two songs. Kanye West’s “Lost in the World” is featured on his masterpiece, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Its polished production quality, multifaceted sampling and emphasis on the instrumental render the song utterly mainstream. In contrast, “De La Souls” by P.O.S is distinctly underground. The beat is extraordinarily simple, the chorus adopts a punk-rock tone and it stresses the lyrics, instead of the instrumental.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb0Vub0i9O0&feature=related

Kanye’s finale incorporates a hook from folk singer Bon Iver. While making MBDTF, Kanye spent a few months in Hawaii, where he invited all of his featuring artists (among other friends) to spend time collaborating and recording. Only the most prominent musicians can afford retreats such as this one. “Lost in the World” has a long introduction; Kanye doesn’t even start rapping until almost two minutes into the song. This sophisticated beat represents mainstream because of its catchy, pop style and contrasting tones.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKUt5g1AiJ8

“De La Souls” could not be more different. P.O.S. writes a deep and powerful message in his song. Personally, I love it because it exemplifies the intelligence embedded in Hip-Hop culture. An ugly, unfounded stereotype of Hip-Hop is that rappers are always ignorant, brainless fools who acquire wealth without any talent or moral conscious. Rappers like P.O.S. blatantly disprove that typecast. He proudly states, “I raise a black fist but won’t say (the N word) in the things I write, and I don’t say (faggot) because I don’t think it’s right.”

When asked to choose my preferred tributary, I struggle in finding the exact answer. I appreciate the redeeming qualities in both types, and am proud to profess myself a fan of all sorts of Hip-Hop artists.