response to dave’s post: music and the masscult

This is less of a response and more of an extension of Dave’s post which I highly agree with. What I want to focus on however is the current state of hip-hop as a masscult. There is a huge difference between hip-hop played on the radio, and what is regarded as ‘underground’ hip-hop. In the case of radio vs. underground hip-hop, Macdonald’s point could not fit better. “The more popular and consumable a piece of music is, the less artistic and enjoyable it is,” Dave exclaimed on his blog. Although it does sound conceited, I do not consider hip-hop on the radio as an art. It is music to reach the masses, and for the most part, music you can play at a party and have everybody familiar with. However on the other side, underground hip-hop can be looked at as more creative; containing more substance in the lyrics and beat, yet it remains unidentifiable by the masses because it does not appeal to everyone. To compare, here are two examples of hip-hop; the first song being a radio hip-hop song, the second, underground.