Opinions
Has Hip Hop Gone Pop?
Viewing the Billboard Top 10 albums List of 2019 6 out of the Top 10 albums were hip hop albums, while 5 out of top 10 singles oƒ that year were also hip hop singles, and 4 out of the top 10 albums of the decade (2010) were as you guessed, also hip hop. Is this evolving majority reflective of a trend? What does this reveal?
For starters, the Billboard list is one of the most popular record charts in the world, arguably, the most recognizable. It is a list that ranks the most popular music albums and singles, played within the United states and has been around for 64 years. Previously, albums and singles would chart after radio play and album purchases. Now given the digital streaming age albums and singles can chart via streams, although it does take a while for the streams to translate traditional numbers (1500 streams is categorized under Billboard as one traditional play).
The Hip-Hop artists found in the top 10 decade lists and 2019s include Post Malone, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, and Meek Mill. All of which have received significant media coverage, and are stars in their own right, have especially in the 2010’s. Each was highly relevant in popular culture, and music was tied to at least from my experience and I believe others in Generation Z parties, events, trends, and the radio. All aspects that I believe are key signifiers of a evolving hip hop cultural wave laid down by the foundation of Dr Dre, Notorious B.I.G, Kanye West, Jay Z, and Eminem, Rakim, Public Enemy, and A Tribe Called Quest. Music that eventually transcended from its origins and roots to hit all cultures and people from a variety of backgrounds.
However, given the current climate I would say the current state of Hip Hop definitely reveals that Hip Hop is Pop. Not Pop in the negative sense of music that is manufactured by the industry with corny conventions and robotic melodies to reach the masses. But Pop in the positive sense that the music/genre itself is popular because of the artistic merit and creation process behind the music, which intentionally does not follow the formula.
This popularity is also because of the growing accessibility of music (many millennial and generation Z’s mainly stream music) and the dominance of Hip Hop stars within the cultural conversation. This includes but is not limited too hip hop stars constantly trending on twitter, influencers mainly listening to hip hop, the emerging support of hip hop and industry acceptance (Grammy, Brit, MTV, Billboard awards) and global brand influencers such as Nike, Apple, and McDonalds partnering with these stars. Hip Hop has gone Pop, but whether or not this is bad depends on the one who makes stars stars, the listener.
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