When will rap music be less mainstream?

Unfortunately like many of the best music and artists with modern indie rock and the like, the best rap/hip-hop tends to be overlooked. There is good stuff out there, some VERY good. I typically see these artists at indie music festivals. You'll never hear them on mainstream radio. And I've never heard these artists cranking on some skull rattling car stereo. I agree, mainstream rap/hip-hop pretty much sucks, just like mainstream pop and "alternative rock". (in my view).

But if you're a true music lover and haven't explored the genre, you should. Bongofury makes some good suggestions.

If you believe that rock is king, look at hair metal. Foreigner. Stix. Maroon 5. Creed. Rock has produced a huge amount of suckage. I can think of 10,000 crappy bands that never held up. I find all your "rock is where it at--rap is crap" and "skull rattling" to be childish and ignorant. Sales success. Check. Fan acceptance. Check. Live Touring and Merchandise Sales. Check. Sometimes I feel this site is populated by gnomes who have not updated their record collections since 1976. The good old days are OLD. Stay fresh and be rewarded. Or as Bob Dylan said, "he who is not being born is busy dying."

Macdad

You need to get your facts straight. As someone who has been in the music space for 30 years, you look foolish.

First, in terms of songwriting, Elvis did covers. Sorry. Very little was directly written or attributed by him. Many bands have ghost writers on their payroll in secret or the labels seek out hits for individual artists.

Second, as for instruments, very few Hip Hop artists sample anymore. Paul's Boutique, by the Beatie Boys, had $300,000 in "sampling" replay rights in 1989. After that album came out, few record companies were willing to front the bill on this. Most samples used are by the initation of the rock bands themselves, who are looking to cross-over into the younger demos. Sting was intimately involved in the P.Diddy song, as well as Steely Dan with Kanye West. You, as their core demo, are no longer buying records. Hip Hop still shifts tapes and CDs in volume.

Third, many Hip Hop albums use live in studio instruments to recreate piano, guitar, bass and drum parts. The bass heavy sound is usually added at post production and mixing. I have many studio musicians who play on these recordings. They are generously paid but do not receive playing credits due to royalty structures. I can also point you to The Roots, who have a weekly legendary club gig going in NYC, who probably have the best live drummer in the music space at the moment.

Rap and hip hop have roots in funk. I love funk. I enjoy rap and hop also. I agree with Bongo - lots of great stuff out there! My favorite BEP numbers are not the hits you hear on the radio.

The BEP cover (sampling) of James Brown's "Mind Power" is awesome
They don't want music. This is proof that rap is not a new horrible sound but an evolution, with highly distinguished roots: think of it as an evolution of Al Jarreau, Herbie Hancock, James Brown, Maceo Parker etc.

The drums on this track is courtesy of the incomparable genius of John Jabo Starks!

Bongo-Furious, didn't mean to get in your pocket. Obviously from your very selective response you must deal with these people everyday. If you are/were involved in any of those "songs" you mention with Pdiddy/Mac/Combs/Daddy, I'm sorry you've obviously lost whatever musical talent you once possesed.

My point, which you in no way addressed, was that the statement Robert Plant from Led Zeppelin among others didn't acknowledge his/their predecessors was WAY off the mark, and I stand by that.

Be it Johnny Lee Hooker, Lead Belly, Koko Taylor, I had and have heard from many of those great rock bands and acts that these great blues artists were their influences.

Also, your dead wrong on current musical tastes too. You obviously don't see all of teenagers I do combing through record stores looking for 20+ year old music, and downloading all sorts of songs from my youth, that's why new music sales are way down. At least that what the Wall Street Journal, and many of the mainstream media outlets say. We never checked out old music as teenagers, we only were interested in new music, admittedly some of it sucked, but we wanted to be on the cutting edge. Current kids do that because what is shoved down their throats by the music biz now, which you seem to be in by your admission is currently clueless as to who is buying music.

To me you sound ignorant, myopic and clueless, and I mean that in the best way. If you really are in the music business and have been for 30 yrs you are probably part of the problem. Get out now and let some kids come in, you don't know what you are talking about.