Comments on: KRS-One: “Def Jam Single-Handedly Destroyed Hip Hop” (Video)

By: Clint Partie

Clint Partie — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:32:21 +0000

I mean, really, who even listens to the radio? In most cases it’s just background noise at work or in the grocery store or whatever. I don’t have a c.d. player in my car & I don’t even check the music stations, it’s sports talk radio all day for me.

By: jubei208

jubei208 — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:56:58 +0000

The balance of music within hiphop being played on major radio stations at least in the U.S. has been long gone somewhere between the mid- to late 90′s. So he has a point, but can’t put all blame on Def Jam. (conscious to street to instrumentals to party joints to struggle to personal to bragging) that mix of content isn’t present anymore on major radio stations. I’ll stick to Half-Time Show, Squeeze Radio, Live From Headqcourterz, other diverse college radio shows and online sites like 2dopeboyz, freshselects, kevinnottingham to name a few.

By: Chris Breeden

Chris Breeden — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 08:32:17 +0000

Sounded like he was making that theory up as he went along.

By: Street Poet Monte Smith

Street Poet Monte Smith — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 06:23:44 +0000

Bottom line – there would be no Def Scam if it wasn’t for T La Rock. Who still to this day has never seen one penny from ‘It’s Yours’!!! Fuck Prick Ruben and Slumlord Simmons. Ask T La Rock!!!

By: mazoomy

mazoomy — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 05:45:07 +0000

i think that musicians, and celebrities in general, are way overpaid. many of them say that they make music because they want to express themselves, it brings them joy, they want to share their ideas with others etc. why do they have to be millionaires to do that? it (often) completely kills their devotion to the content of their music.

i believe that musicians should not make more than a regular upper middle class citizen, as this would keep out the ones that are in it only for the money. in my opinion it isnt the labels, the artists or the fans that killed hip hop, its money.

By: Man Dirky

Man Dirky — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:48:59 +0000

Radio is non-relevant! I hope the music industry is burning down, then we all have the music we want to have (with the i-net)

By: Andrew

Andrew — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:49:55 +0000

1. Ummm not sure what to take from that buuttt, it’s a semi-contradicting argument
2. Yea..get a HOT radio single then it’ll get played on (most) radio, but for the most part, Hot 97 plays ALL of them at one time or another.
3. Why is he saying this hype shit @ a Def Jam HONORS event? Save it for later, yea?

By: k.dot b.dot

k.dot b.dot — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:30:19 +0000

For once I somewhat agree with KRS-1. For Def Jam to rise they had to do some shady ish, the type of stuff the “heads” complain about. Def Jam was the real pioneer in commercializing hip-hop and probably paid of DJ’s and radio stations to keep their stuff in rotation, but at the end of the day what people have to realize is that Dej Jam is just a part of the Universal Music Group (UMG) that also own the other giant label Interscope and all its offspring i.e. Aftermath and Shady. Def Jam by itself didnt do it, its bigger than Def Jam. UMG by the way according to Wiki was caught for “Payola” (bribing radio stations to play your artists).
Now a couple people have mentioned that people should stop complaining and make the type of music that does play on the radio. I don’t necessarily disagree with them. Labels have to market to the target audience that all these corps love, which represents the youth. But they don’t stay youth forever so pretty much every 5 years the “generation” switches up along with their tastes. As an artist you have to know the game that you are in and adapt or you are lucky enough to have a fan base that stays with you but to do that you have to grow with them. The moral of the story is that if you are an artist you must realize its too late for the game to change, the stuff that will sell and be marketed will never change unless consumer behavior patterns change and the big media companies like UMG, Viacom and Clear Channel manipulate as much as they can to make the most money. As a fan and consumer, just educate yourself but at the end of the day just enjoy whatever music that moves you. If you aint hearing that on the radio, then find other sources and make sure you support the artists you like by actually buying it. If you don’t buy your it you have absolutely no right to complain.

By: SoCal

SoCal — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 23:32:57 +0000

DOESN’T KRS-1 HAVE MONEY? IT’S CALLED TEETH WHITENING DUDE, ONLY $300-$500.

By: darryle

darryle — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 23:22:34 +0000

I liked what everyone said (except for folabi), everyone had great thoughts to share, i wish all these comments were not only of a hating sense, but anyway i agree with everyone has to say on some level, but the real beast controlling music is the radio, not Def Jam. you have your 50s and eminems on other labels, so it can’t just be them…… it’s RADIO! but don’t worry cause us internet folk will eliminate that shortly