The awful truth is that rap bloggers are essentially glorified publicists. You can pick and choose who you ‘support’ or ‘expose’ but essentially all you’re doing is selecting which angle you want to roll with. Even if your blog focuses on old records, you’re essentially just promoting some European kid’s next Random Rap ebay auction. Writing reviews is basically an exercise in vanity, since 90% of the people reading the review already have the album anyway, and the only thing you might possibly achieve is ruffling the feathers of the over-sensitive artists who sent you the stuff in the first place. The idea that rap blogs are dictating radio or sales in any major way is laughable, and the theory that anyone actually values the opinion of anyone on the Rap Internets is even more of a joke. The only reason anyone visits one hip-hop site over the other is that it happens to be slightly less annoying than the other ones, or maybe doesn’t post as much crap that you hate.
Bloggers constantly make declarations about not posting ‘illegally leaked’ songs and take the high moral ground but unless you run a site that has never posted a downloadable mp3 file in it’s entire history than you’re a fooling yourself with hollow delusions of honor. Rap bloggers are bootlegging scumbags at heart, just accept the facts. Perhaps you’ve posted a song from a group that not everyone knew about at the time and may have even led to someone actually buying a couple of CD’s. Big fuckin’ deal. Do you want a medal or the chest to pin it on? How about a cookie? The amount of self-congratulatory back-patting and general circle-jerk activity that I have to witness on a daily basis is proof that Rap Bloggers aren’t shit but bitches and tricks. Without good new rap music we’re all fucked. If you categorize yourself at the lofty heights of a ‘music critic’ then at least you’re flexing your pen to an extent, but that often turns out to be another empty excuse to show off technique rather than presenting any important new ideas. Excuse me, I’m off to write another moronic ‘List’ post about the ’12 Worst Hairstyles of Female Rappers In 1986’…
Shots fired at complex. Which I wholeheartedly cosign. Bunch of pretend skateboarders hipsters with silver spoons in their mouf (none).
Why you so aggy Robert? That time of the month son? You should sit down and calm yourself with a big glass of cranberry juice. It’ll help with the cramps.
In all seriousness though, you should compile a list of the stupidest lists ever created by Complex. In fact I may write it for you.
Yeah but NO.
One.
The blog version of Spliff Starr > The Real Spliff.
Doesn’t posting this on a rap blog, which you just spent two paragraphs chastising, pretty much defeat your point though? Unless you were to admit that you just described yourself, that is. I hate the lists as much as the next guy (in reality I’m in the minority, kind of like those of us who say fuck the music on the radio but are far outnumbered by radio’s listeners), but I think there are flaws in this argument.
Stop revealing where Im at…or maybe where Im at…FYI I’m in Bushwick all day. What good would I be to my overlord master, Mr. Busta.
you want this write up or not?
This post is complete bullshit. I’m sorry you wasted about 10 minutes writing it and that I wasted 2 minutes reading it. Peace.
Robert is a snitch. Stop snitching RObert. Im in Australia cause Im tryin to find yo ass (none) and stomp you out.
^ You’re asking if I’m aware of the irony? Please note that Unkut isn’t a Rap Blog, it’s an ‘Interactive Audio-Visual Digital Magazine Experience’…
Preach! I’ve been saying that bloggers are unpaid publicists. You should blog out of a desire to share great music, not out of some notion that you’re helping the artists, the industry, or “preserving the culture.” I still don’t know what that means.
I hate the lists as much as the next guy
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
You’re a guy but your name is Amanda??? BAWAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
^ Who’s Robert anyway?
Robbie does stand for Robert does it not?
Im typing up this fo real by the way.
^ Wrong. My that’s my ‘government name’, as they say in the classics.
Pffft.
Whatever ma fukka.
Im out.
Oh and chatting through comments is gay. see nahright.
so no homo to all these comments goin back and forth.
^ Go grab me some booze while you’re gone too.
“the theory that anyone actually values the opinion of anyone on the Rap Internets is even more of a joke.”
I value the opinions of the bloggers I read (shrug).
I love this site… But I do not agree with everything in this post… If it weren’t for rap blogs revealing lost gems that can only be found on cassette or vinyl and that can’t even be bought anymore, then we’d all be fucked… I will say that most rap blogs are just shit and post garbage but there are a bunch out there where I can find something I’ve never heard before, and I most likely would never of heard, if it wasn’t for the blogger’s… I do believe some blogs actually do have a positive effect on some unknown rappers and I’ve noticed that after the shit hits Youtube and people can actually get a chance to hear it the rapper blows up a little in the underground community and they start putting out some new shit……. Mobb Deeps Infamous Demo tape would of been lost for ever if it weren’t for bloggers… I myself have been searching and collecting all the songs from that tape for years from bloggers and put it out on Youtube long ago to share with my fellow real rap lovers. I even connected with Stretch Armstrong on his RAP BLOG and got him to pull a few strings and he got the rest of it unofficially released… So don’t hate on all the bloggers, they are an important part to the underground/lost rap community. Peace Robbie.
most “blogs” are content farmers bringing nothing of value to the table. nice to read some truth on the net for a change. props
Obviously there’s some bloggers that some real heads do place value on their opinions, but I’m glad I’m not alone in seeing that a good share of them are mostly pretentious self important douches. Unkut is the truth though.
Oh and I’m not talking about bloggers who stay bringing either overlooked or lost/unreleased music to the table.
So on the subject of rap blogs, what’s your opinion on Odd Future Robbie?
Where does posting an emotional rant (in the guise of an ironic self-deprecating “call out”) fall in the spectrum of circle jerk activities?
You have some great interviews here, but I can’t think of too many instances in which you’ve introduced new ideas or resisted the urge to post a moronic list post.
^ With the exception of creating the Conservative Rap Coalition of course, which is the single most important social movement of out generation.
This post is the truth, top to bottom.
“The amount of self-congratulatory back-patting and general circle-jerk activity that I have to witness on a daily basis is proof that Rap Bloggers aren’t shit but bitches and tricks.” <- A gem for 2011.
Rebel INS has a point, but just because a blog introduces you to something, doesn’t necessarily mean a fan is gonna cop it instead of bootleg it. I only end up buying shit if I think its timeless. If I know its gonna continue bein spun on my turntables, or else whats the use? I read certain blogs to pass the time at work mostly for the hilarity of it, especially when a bloggers share my sense of humor. If you get some shitty underground artist a deal or get his terribly engineered record cut, you’re not doin him a favor, you’re just watering down the culture.
The point or benefit of a blog doesn’t lie in the blogger necessarily, but in his providing and maintaining of a forum. The value of a forum like this is the reinforcement that there are people with your sensibilities (or close to them) still roaming this earth. So, dudes sit around and build, deepen their appreciation for the classics, and this activity essentially takes place at the blogger’s (in this case, Robbie’s) house. He often raises topics for discussion, but the group truly dictates the course of conversation.
There may be some tangential benefit to an artist sometimes, and sometimes there may not. But, blogging is a social medium first, like Moose said. If those in the biz want to take it as a proxy for market research, then so be it, but they’re only getting very thin slices of samples at a time.
This and Dallas Penn are the only two rap blogs I can stomach.
Plucking everyone’s card.
What’s up with this post? Grand Daddy IU didn’t send you yet another track to post up?
“If you categorize yourself at the lofty heights of a ‘music critic’ then at least you’re flexing your pen to an extent, but that often turns out to be another empty excuse to show off technique rather than presenting any important new ideas.”
Too troy… oops I meant, too true.
ha too rights, could be applied to 99% music writing in general. it has its influence but people needs some perspective, half these dudes think theyr exposin watergate or somethin
thun, one vibe iv never gotten from this blogs posts is “emotional”.
uh i said vibe
done, I can’t really tell but Robbie seemed to be expressing some heartfelt frustration/anger here. Maybe the joke’s on me!!!! Too TROY, I mean, err true!!
lol @ all the hate comments in this post.. do I detect some bloggers? I actually do my own little blog which posts promo released projects for my friends who are too lazy to look for free music and cheap to buy music. I agree to an extent with a lot of what is said here. Some bloggers do place themselves on a pedestal. But some are entertaining. That’s why I visit here. It doesn’t seem like Robbie is unaware that he’s placing the label on himself when he says “Without good new rap music we’re all fucked.” I think that’s the moral of the story here.
rap blogs arent the only blogs, they’re kind of a blog-type in their own right. I spent the last year working with labels on tracking sentiment and influence of online media, including blogs…so whether you care or not, the people putting the music out do
Hmmm, a bit of hate going on in the comments.
digglahhh hit the nail on the head. A good blog or forum is kind of like the theme from Cheers (CNN did a track sampling it so it’s relevant-bitch), you have like minded people sharing their opinions there.
Unkut has given me more laughs and good interviews with artists I’m interested in than any other blog/forum/site.
Wha, there are other Hip-Hop blogs apart from this one? Thefuckouttahere!
I pat myself on the back all the time lol….
Ghetto Vader from the Boogie down BX
i agree Rap Blogs Suck they just Hype the Bull shit no real Substance at all. all Blogs are like Comedy.
some no talent people talking shit promoting weak ass lame Artist who wont GET 1000 FREE DOWNLOAD
GHetto Vader
http://www.fukupayme.com
All I can say is “Eat the fish, spit out the bones.” This may or may not pertain to certain bloggers in the Hip Hop Realm. I’m an artist that turned to blogging cause no one would listen to who I thought was dope and so I did it to entertain those in my circle that may NOT have the time to sift through the trash that’s on the ‘nets. True there’s alot of trash out there but if your one of the lucky ones to have a platform as big as this site. Why are you worried about the little guy writing blogs? All you are doing is making ME want to do a ill job at blogging and change the fucking game. It’s not about publicizing for me, it’s about the love of the art.
“You’re asking if I’m aware of the irony? Please note that Unkut isn’t a Rap Blog, it’s an ‘Interactive Audio-Visual Digital Magazine Experience’…” I like that response…
hahaha the soundtrack to this cup of vitriol post: “So stay outta my way, cuz Im having a bad day!”
i come for the interviews (more tragedy khadafi please)…
good post.
Glad I’m not just a “Rap” blog, but it is true that most of them are shit.