Dr. Dre Talks “Compton” (Cover Art + Tracklist) & Why He Never Released “Detox”
- Thread starter CoopDVill
- Start date
That isn't true either - there has been plenty of recent music I personally have liked. Yes, a good portion of it has been trap and drill music over the last 5 years, but on the surface those have little to do with old school hip-hop.
On the surface.
Once you dig deeper, you can trace an unbroken line of succession from early 90s southern rap, which did not come out of nowhere either to those styles today. And that's very instructive. Southern rap is rooted in a rich a musical tradition and has never really abandoned those roots, and this is why it has had such a strong base for so long and has been able to repeatedly reinvent itself while still keeping that connection.
This is in stark contrast to what we've been hearing from the likes of Kanye West (and now Dre too) for more than a decade, which has basically become hip-hop in name and format only, but is in fact pure pop music.
That's the real problem, not "people's tastes not evolving".
Hip-hop used to present an alternative. Now it has not only stopped being an alternative but in the mainstream it has been taken over by the pop music it used to despise, and that's the pop music of the 2010s, which is actually a very degraded version of the pop music of decades ago.
On the surface.
Once you dig deeper, you can trace an unbroken line of succession from early 90s southern rap, which did not come out of nowhere either to those styles today. And that's very instructive. Southern rap is rooted in a rich a musical tradition and has never really abandoned those roots, and this is why it has had such a strong base for so long and has been able to repeatedly reinvent itself while still keeping that connection.
This is in stark contrast to what we've been hearing from the likes of Kanye West (and now Dre too) for more than a decade, which has basically become hip-hop in name and format only, but is in fact pure pop music.
That's the real problem, not "people's tastes not evolving".
Hip-hop used to present an alternative. Now it has not only stopped being an alternative but in the mainstream it has been taken over by the pop music it used to despise, and that's the pop music of the 2010s, which is actually a very degraded version of the pop music of decades ago.
I personally do not see Compton as pop music at all. Sure there are some pop elements mixed in there, but there are also lots of hip-hop elements in there too, along with elements of R&B, electronic music, rock, funk, etc. I enjoy it and find no need to pinpoint it to one genre or another. To each his own.
I like your sabremetic break down of hip-hop usually, but you always forget the key ingredient: money and popularity. This aint 1995 where indie labels were the thing. You wan to talk about evolving (or in this case, devolving)? How about looking at the business and not the music for your conundrums. While there are some artist who are in it for the experience or pleasure, there are 1000X the amount who are in it for the money. And in order to make money, you need to understand who has it and who spends it. Sure as fuck aint Gangsta Loc DuRag from the block...its Johnny Johnson from the burbs (im talking merch/shows....not the actual music itself). And guess what? While some of these Johnny Johnson's like to hear that gangsta shit becuase it pisses mom and dad off, most like Maroon 5 and Taylor Swift. Thats not a tragedy, thats just business.
Props:
DJ Coma and DJ Coma
There's a really good piece on the album to read on Pitchfork. Here it is: The Compton Sessions: How Dr. Dre Created His Comeback | Pitchfork
Quote from DJ Premier:
“Dre recently asked me about the difference between a producer and a beat maker,” Premier adds. “For me, it’s like film: You can shoot all the footage you want, but it’s all about the edit, the final outcome, when the world gets it. That’s what makes you a producer. That’s what Dre does."
Quote from DJ Premier:
“Dre recently asked me about the difference between a producer and a beat maker,” Premier adds. “For me, it’s like film: You can shoot all the footage you want, but it’s all about the edit, the final outcome, when the world gets it. That’s what makes you a producer. That’s what Dre does."
Props:
Rasan and Rasan