THE DECLINE OF RAP STARS. & WHY RAP GROUPS DETERIORATE….
BY: KOFI MONTANA ASUMAN
Try to name all of your favorite Rap artistes from the ‘90s and ‘00s.
Instinctively, most of us can rattle out many names to run out of breath before actually
needing to think. Acts such as Nananom and TH4 Kwaches inevitably slip your mind. A fleeting thought of Nana King somehow reminds you of Reggie Rockstone and then, u start looking for your “Makaa Maka” album. A man from Dansoman City might favor Wutah, while my Oseikrom players will demand more respect for Akyeame.
Now try to list your favorite artistes from any time after 2010. Need a minute?
Don’t even bother. Just accept the grim, Twilight Zone-ish reality. It’s about time we acknowledge this dearth of new artistes in the genre that gave us M3nsa and Blitz the Ambassador.
Despite the presence of some captivating talents such as Afriyie (a former member of the beloved Dansoman collective Wutah) M.anifest and Asem an undeniable sense of dissatisfaction pervades much of Hip- Life’s core audience these days. Traditional Rap fans, who are stuck-in-the-‘90s (myself included, to an extent) often attribute that lingering disenchantment to an abundance of superficial subject matter and simplistic rhymes. But the artists mentioned above, and a few not mentioned here, easily nullify such thoughts about the current scene.
Never mind a debate about the substance and standards of one rap generation versus another. It’s not about preference-based conclusions; it’s about Hip-Life missing something significant—one of its most important, elemental aspects. This unprecedented void of traditional Hip Life groups provides an explanation, a partial one at least,- for the perception of inferior quality.
To be fair, we’ve seen the rise of some praiseworthy groups recently, such as Keche and 5Five. But they’re groups, not crews.
When I reminisce on 4x4 from when they first started as a group about ten years ago, I realize that the then, newly formed “group” had actually ended a fairly significant drought of new Rap groups. As a collaboration of established soloists, we were already somewhat familiar with their capabilities when they were with Buk Bak. Aside from 4x4 and a few other crews, Hip Life hasn’t seen a debut from any significantly capable crew since Samini was still called Batman.
Instinctively, most of us can rattle out many names to run out of breath before actually
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| Nana King - Back to the Future |
Now try to list your favorite artistes from any time after 2010. Need a minute?
Don’t even bother. Just accept the grim, Twilight Zone-ish reality. It’s about time we acknowledge this dearth of new artistes in the genre that gave us M3nsa and Blitz the Ambassador.
Despite the presence of some captivating talents such as Afriyie (a former member of the beloved Dansoman collective Wutah) M.anifest and Asem an undeniable sense of dissatisfaction pervades much of Hip- Life’s core audience these days. Traditional Rap fans, who are stuck-in-the-‘90s (myself included, to an extent) often attribute that lingering disenchantment to an abundance of superficial subject matter and simplistic rhymes. But the artists mentioned above, and a few not mentioned here, easily nullify such thoughts about the current scene.
Never mind a debate about the substance and standards of one rap generation versus another. It’s not about preference-based conclusions; it’s about Hip-Life missing something significant—one of its most important, elemental aspects. This unprecedented void of traditional Hip Life groups provides an explanation, a partial one at least,- for the perception of inferior quality.
To be fair, we’ve seen the rise of some praiseworthy groups recently, such as Keche and 5Five. But they’re groups, not crews.
When I reminisce on 4x4 from when they first started as a group about ten years ago, I realize that the then, newly formed “group” had actually ended a fairly significant drought of new Rap groups. As a collaboration of established soloists, we were already somewhat familiar with their capabilities when they were with Buk Bak. Aside from 4x4 and a few other crews, Hip Life hasn’t seen a debut from any significantly capable crew since Samini was still called Batman.
The Financial Benefits of Being a Solo Artist
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| Nananom provided Sydney the foundation for a successful solo career |
So if the tradition of Hip Life is dead, then who or what killed it? Was it the corporate music executives, apathetic conformists or maybe the conciet-driven egoism of artists incapable of recognizing how a partner can complement their own distinct abilities? Does anyone want to listen to a solo Bright or a Buk Bak song?
Most likely, a combination of all of the above steered artists away from the tradition. The occurring stories of bitter break-ups and ruined friendships certainly didn’t help. Major label aversion toward traditional Hip Hop groups might have further depleted whatever bonus was left.
Whenever anything goes wrong, the “industry” is always the easiest scapegoat. Arguing that the interests of the corporate music executives ended a tradition of critically acclaimed and marginally commercially successful Hip Life groups over-simplifies reality. But to totally dismiss such an argument would be naïve. Corporate interests are inclined to value high-selling mediocrity over substance that only generates moderate sales regardless of medium or genre. And with the overall decline in record sales, radio-friendly, and party bangers become essential for mere consideration from a major label.
Logically, why would a label continue giving artists enough freedom to make great music that doesn’t sell, when conforming to marketable trends seems far more conducive to the bottom line? The most effective strategy would be to control the content of soloists and not waste time with groups, which have never displayed much monetary value despite a few exceptions.
For example, Akatakyie produced a well-received, debut album that suffered on the charts. Odo Asisi me peaked at #36 and spent only six weeks on the Adom FM Top 40 Music Chart. That same year, Obrafour’s Pae Mu Ka hit #1 and remained on the chart for over a year.
To be fair, the mishandling of group efforts was wide-spread across the Hip Life scene. Nananom, one of the only traditional groups to come out during the golden era of Hip Life, further validated any major label skepticism. The solo career of former member Barima Sydney dwarfed the moderate success achieved by the group.
Even during the good old days, Rap groups seldom hit #1.
The lack of #1 songs and/or albums from emcee duos and small groups seems even more severe than that of larger groups.
Most likely, a combination of all of the above steered artists away from the tradition. The occurring stories of bitter break-ups and ruined friendships certainly didn’t help. Major label aversion toward traditional Hip Hop groups might have further depleted whatever bonus was left.
Whenever anything goes wrong, the “industry” is always the easiest scapegoat. Arguing that the interests of the corporate music executives ended a tradition of critically acclaimed and marginally commercially successful Hip Life groups over-simplifies reality. But to totally dismiss such an argument would be naïve. Corporate interests are inclined to value high-selling mediocrity over substance that only generates moderate sales regardless of medium or genre. And with the overall decline in record sales, radio-friendly, and party bangers become essential for mere consideration from a major label.
Logically, why would a label continue giving artists enough freedom to make great music that doesn’t sell, when conforming to marketable trends seems far more conducive to the bottom line? The most effective strategy would be to control the content of soloists and not waste time with groups, which have never displayed much monetary value despite a few exceptions.
For example, Akatakyie produced a well-received, debut album that suffered on the charts. Odo Asisi me peaked at #36 and spent only six weeks on the Adom FM Top 40 Music Chart. That same year, Obrafour’s Pae Mu Ka hit #1 and remained on the chart for over a year.
To be fair, the mishandling of group efforts was wide-spread across the Hip Life scene. Nananom, one of the only traditional groups to come out during the golden era of Hip Life, further validated any major label skepticism. The solo career of former member Barima Sydney dwarfed the moderate success achieved by the group.
Even during the good old days, Rap groups seldom hit #1.
The lack of #1 songs and/or albums from emcee duos and small groups seems even more severe than that of larger groups.
The success of R2Bees; The Revolution I debut album might have had as much to do with timing as well as merit. The Port City of Tema’s momentum—following the Revolution I and Sarkodie’s Maakye—had, at least partially powered up the success of the much younger crop of rappers that emerged out of the city. Still, a few years later I still believe they are yet to give us their best.
Until Promzy’s sinister single which was released earlier this year, V.I.P was one group that never seemed to struggle with personality clashes or conflicting individual ambitions except from the few we saw years ago. Nevertheless, they were able to handle it strategically and have made up for it, their long walk together and strong adherence overrode any negativity that could have caused.
Until Promzy’s sinister single which was released earlier this year, V.I.P was one group that never seemed to struggle with personality clashes or conflicting individual ambitions except from the few we saw years ago. Nevertheless, they were able to handle it strategically and have made up for it, their long walk together and strong adherence overrode any negativity that could have caused.
Let’s not get it twisted; V.I.P is probably the longest surviving group in Ghana’s rap music history. They are about seven albums deep in the game and they get stronger by the day.
We can never disregard the fact that groups also do break up because of financial misunderstandings, many a times we have heard the old tale of how one or two members of a group, cheated on their mates and that had caused brought the group into shambles. A case in point: The Praye Story.
All over the world, the financial benefits of being a solo artist is widely known. That is, with groups, the proceeds from shows, album sales, gigs and sometimes ev
en individual ventures have to be shared between all members of the group, so unless the group is really doing well commercially
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| VIP - Probably the Most Successful group in Hip Life |
You are sure to face some problems which may just lead to the fast decline of the group. - The Wutah Story.
One of the biggest advantages solo careers have over group projects is that, solo musicians do not have to debate every decision they want to make and also after their taxes and bills all their earnings go into their own pocket so logically speaking, it is much profitable to run solo than to get yourself mixed up in all the drama surrounding group projects.
Facebook: K. Montana Asuman Twitter: @kofimontana
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