Questlove: "When Hip-Hop Is Everywhere, It’s Nowhere"

With the release of The Roots eleventh studio album, Questlove has been very vocal on the state of hip-hop and the black culture as a whole. Last month, Quest spoke out about hip-hop failing black america in a five-part essay series on Vulture, in which he focused on the change and demise of Black culture. Just yesterday, the Drummer Boy sat down for a Q&A with Vulture, to extrapolate on the matter. Last year, the music industry experienced lowest five week stretch in Soundscan history, and this year is turning out not to be any better. When asked "Do you really think hip-hop is losing steam?"

Quest partly responded partly by saying: "When hip-hop is everywhere, it's nowhere. In the aggregate, the genre isn't challenging culture or channeling change in any real way, and it's even losing steam as a commercial concern. Look at the brute sales numbers. Ten years ago, it wasn't uncommon for major albums by major hip-hop stars to sell 3 million copies. Now the commercial heads aren't doing big numbers anymore. Big Sean went from selling more than 300,00 copies to under 150,00. 2 Chainz moved more than 600,000 of  Based on a T.R.U. Story, but was down to 250,00 for B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time. Rick Ross, for the most part, held steady as a gold-selling artist between 2006-2012, with albums in the 550,00 to 750,00 range, but his last time out he got to 300,00. Future's Honest, one of the most highly touted and advertised releases of the year, moved 11,000 copies in its third week on the chart, and has only sold 85,000 overall so far." Quest makes a very good point, but real hip-hop is still recognized. Obviously Jay Z, Kanye West, Eminem, T.I., Lil Wayne, Drake and a couple other big wigs will always be platinum selling artists. But, when you have Kendrick Lamar going platinum on his second LP, and J. Cole going platinum back to back, its clear that "True Music" speaks for itself. Every one of those albums Questlove mentioned were over hyped, and under delivered. All of those artists now how to make hit records, but none of them, know how to make classic albums. We are at the beginning of a new golden age in hip-hop. While the masses who are into the "turn-up, rachet" fad that is still infecting the radio and club scene, real hip-hop heads are not buying those records. The fad of a false life, and bull$h!t materialistic music has peaked and is slowly coming to an end. Hip-hop is everywhere now, and while it is a travesty that the entire black culture is throw under its umbrella (when it is exactly the opposite); once artists like Chance The Rapper, Ab-Soul, Joey Badass, and TuT, become household names, there will at least be a more politically active and socially responsible light shined on the culture. Here is the link to the Vulture Q&A and The Roots recent interview on The Breakfast Club.

P.S. We have Mariah Carey's new album, a new mixtape from Slaughterhouse, and new singles from Nicki Minaj, Michelle Williams, Rico Love, and Jurassic 5. 

Mariah Carey – Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse (Deluxe Edition)

Slaughterhouse - House Rules

TuT ft. Kilo Brown - You Not Ready

Nicki Minaj – Pills N Potions

Michelle Williams ft. Beyonce & Kelly Rowland – Say Yes

Rico Love – Bitches Be Like

Jurassic 5 - The Way We Do It

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