| Hip hop music was huge in the United States just a | | | | were people. From the angry rebellious rap, to the |
| few years ago. At one point in 2000, sales even hit a | | | | happy its a party time songs. |
| record high of over 1.8 billion USD. That was when Hip | | | | The market soaked it all in mainly because they |
| Hop R&B had over taken all other genres of | | | | believed that the artists were just doing their thing - |
| music in terms of record sales. To find out why Hip | | | | they were voicing repressed feelings, from lack of |
| Hop music sales are slumping currently, one has to | | | | opportunity or showing you how to enjoy yourself and |
| rewind a little and understand how Hip Hop all started | | | | life. So record sales continued to soar. Recording |
| out. | | | | artists like Eminem, 50 Cent Lil Wayne, Jay Z, T.I and |
| Before Hip Hop got accepted into the mainstream, | | | | Gucci Mane all did very well in the industry. |
| many Hip Hop artists pretty much stayed underground | | | | Unfortunately, the success of the Hip Hop industry has |
| to practise their art form. No one knew Hip Hop was | | | | hit a turning point. In a few short years, sales for Hip |
| going to become the titan that it would develop into. | | | | Hop music begin to decline, and it continued to decline |
| When Hip Hop first began, it started out in the streets. | | | | year after year. Some recording labels, once worth |
| It was a movement by people who were | | | | millions of dollars, are now near bankruptcy. |
| disadvantaged, or were ostracized by the community - | | | | It is clear that the market has taken the time to learn |
| they were looking for a way to express themselves | | | | about Hip Hop music and culture and have fully |
| and their plight. And express themselves they did. | | | | embraced it. After earning billions of dollars in the |
| Hip Hop music is spontaneous and witty. For example, | | | | industry, and being widely accepted in the mainstream, |
| when a battle takes place between two artists, the | | | | what is the source of the decline in sales? |
| lyrics are never pre-written. Each competitor will be | | | | Many will argue, its all due to the Internet. The new |
| given the opportunity to rap for a certain period of | | | | Internet age has brought about many new |
| time. The audience is the judge. The culture of rap is | | | | opportunities along with many new threats to the old |
| that the judging audience is never biased making it a | | | | industries. Now its easier then ever to commit piracy |
| truly democratic art form. Whoever comes up with the | | | | and unfortunately the record industry has been |
| most original and creative lyrics will win the battle. Of | | | | resistant to change. Too stuck in the old mind frame |
| course, there is an element of like and dislike. So the | | | | and old distribution channels to fully embrace what the |
| lyrics have to connect with the audiences as well. The | | | | Internet could really mean for them. |
| final results of the battle is based on the cheers of the | | | | Hip Hop artists are now being heard all over the world. |
| audience. Whoever receive the loudest cheer, wins the | | | | There is no longer the element of distribution channels |
| battle. | | | | or lag from the artist to the market. Why? Because |
| As you can see, Hip Hop arises out of a need for | | | | the Internet makes it instantaneous. As such old walls |
| talented artists to be heard. And the artists became | | | | have been broken down where people had to wait for |
| really good from years of practising. As they practise, | | | | months or search relentlessly to be able to acquire all |
| the world remains largely unaware of what is | | | | of an artists past works. |
| happening. It wasn't until the artists become more | | | | As such artists must continue to evolve in order to |
| entrepreneurial that Hip Hop starts to take off. | | | | continue thriving. Perhaps it's still back to basics. No |
| Unlike other type of music, the Hip Hop community | | | | more focusing on big marketing budgets and record |
| accepts was far reaching in content and profanity in | | | | label driving initiatives. Maybe what the Internet has |
| the lyrics. The market finds it refreshing to hear such | | | | done is take Hip Hop out of the corporate boardrooms |
| profanity in the records. And soon, Hip Hop music took | | | | and back to the streets where all that counts is just |
| off like a bullet with as much variety in tone as there | | | | great rap music lyrics from the heart. |