Is anybody interested in amazing producers 6ft above the ground?
Sounds like an odd question on first read, but g'head and re-read that jawn. Before you answer that, let me hit you with one more oddly phrased question. How many people were gigantic fans of Dilla before his body was filled with formaldehydes? I'm sure plenty of people will say yes and I'm also sure that it won’t be nearly enough.
This is not a rant about artists being appreciated more after their death. That’s something I think I understand. I believe it’s natural to miss something you are sure you will never experience anew. This is; however, a rant about how hip hop fans insist that the only way an amazing artist will receive his/her due respect is posthumously.
James Yancey has been in the game since 92. 92! He was on his mp when I was still tryin to steal on the sandman and find the light-up Destro. Let’s do some simple math. Dilla was nice from the jump, (which we have learned was 92), he got progressively nicer for 14 years, right up to his death (2/10/06). So from 1992 to February 10 of 2006 when do you think he received the bulk of his due respect? The answer to that question is February 11, 2006.
This delayed respect comes from underground hip-hop fans, long time dilla heads and collaborators who never really bigged him up as the genius that he was in the way that he deserved. Oh they all showed up to write lengthy retrospectives; however, during dilla's life some of the same cats allowed some pretty shady crediting goins-on to take place.
I blame the nature of underground hip-hop’s fans. As much as I hate labeling "types of hip-hop" beyond good or bad I have to place the blame on the fact that "underground" hip-hop fans seem to be convinced that this style of music was nicknamed this cuz it sounds cool or something. In fact this style of music is called this because the sh*t don’t get purchased!! Mainstream hiphop and underground hiphop are polar opposites because of sales figures, not style. If everybody copped slum village cuz they liked two singles from it and downloaded D4L's lps and loved em but never bought em, D4L would be underground and SV would be Pop.
Fans of Hip Hop suck at being fans. Buy your favorite artists stuff! Why didn't dilla projects go "plat a whole bunch of times" to quote Jigga. backpackers dont buy records. They should be called trackjackers. When an artist’s fans dont buy his/her records he has to adapt and attract a different group but when this happens people call them a sellout. But I digress... Fans of pop music are excellent at being fans!! When they like a m***** F***** they do numbers!! you cant name a critically acclaimed but poor selling boy band can you? How many pop princesses are there? Madonna is 75 years old and she's still doin "like a virgin" numbers. Plies has done more numbers than black milk!!!! That simply should not happen no matter the circumstance!!! Black Milk is an incredibly talented producer and rapper and Plies...well...Plies?! again, I digress...
People who loved dilla but didn't support him get the screw face. Your the reason why extremely talented artists struggle. Those who declared dilla the greatest only after his death, or Funeral Fans, (as they will be known here on out), are the worst. However that’s a problem that can be easily remedied. If you like an artist. Buy their music! Buy it from Itunes, buy it from stores, how ever you get it just buy it. You like it right? THEN BUY IT!!! Don’t be a plague ass nigga. Taking what you like and not giving back. Hip Hop parasite ass niggas siphoning off the source (not the magazine). This just dries up the good hip-hop. Companies need to see that this style of hiphop can be profitable before they invest in it enough to make it mainstream again. Now before anybody says it, no I’m not trying to ghost ride the delorean back to 94’. I just want this trend of “Critically acclaimed but poorly selling” “legends” to end before we have another underappreciated legend that dies with more fans than sales.
How many of yall have ever heard of Kev Brown. Those that have you already know what the deal is. His music is crazy!! Appreciate him now! How many of yall like Black Milk? Cop his stuff now! I promise you it wont bankrupt you.
I bump into Kev Brown from time to time. He is the most humble, deserving dude I have ever met!! I actually bought “I do what I do” from Him! Lol. He’s an incredible talent that should be recognized as such without having to murk himself.
Rant semi-over...lol
....oh there will be more.
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