RAP/HIP-HOP: REACHING DIVERSE AUDIENCES FROM THE U.S TO THE WORLD
From the start of rap music and hip-hop culture to today, the audience has become largely diverse and increasing in numbers with every new song released and every new artist stepping into the light. Even before the turn of the 21st century, rap music and hip hop have both been on the rise in sales and listeners, accounting for "more than 10% of the United States' $12.3 billion in music sales for 1998", as stated in the Pop-Culture review From the Fringe: Hip Hop Culture and Ethnic Relations by R. Reese. At this time, the Recording Industry Association of America stated that Rap music shares for the past 10 years (prior to 1998) have increased by 150% and that rate has still been increasing into today's statistics. These very high statistics can be attributed to two things: the fact that new records in hip hop are always being set by the next generation and that this era's audience is has a wider range of cultural diversity and ethnic variety than in previous decades.
Nowadays with new technology and the development of the internet, rap music has been able to spread instantly and throughout the world with a lot more airplay from the huge number of hip-hop radio stations we have today. With so much buzz coming from every direction of the globe, many American music acts build their hype by going on tour around the United States and to different countries in other regions of the world. It is true people now have the ability to access music quickly with the internet, but the spirit of hip hop lives on because of its appeal to the fans. If the music didn't appeal to listeners, they wouldn't have bothered to pay attention to the genre as a whole.
Artists may speak of specific struggles and predicaments that only a handful of people have been faced with but individuals of all sorts of backgrounds have been in situations with similar circumstances. With this being said, rap music generates a human connection between artist and listener; and so many find it easy to relate to the emotions rappers have felt at particular moments in life or mutual opinions. With all these factors and more, rap and hip hop have invaded the world of music with a similar spirit of rebellion, domination, and self expression as other genres; these genres have already made their mark on individuals and their music is still absorbed by people from the urban neighborhood to the suburbs and crowded cities go'ers today more than ever. If there's one thing that will always be true, these genres just like others are filled with artists that are like everyone else, in the sense that these people are just as human despite all the praise and hype.
Nowadays with new technology and the development of the internet, rap music has been able to spread instantly and throughout the world with a lot more airplay from the huge number of hip-hop radio stations we have today. With so much buzz coming from every direction of the globe, many American music acts build their hype by going on tour around the United States and to different countries in other regions of the world. It is true people now have the ability to access music quickly with the internet, but the spirit of hip hop lives on because of its appeal to the fans. If the music didn't appeal to listeners, they wouldn't have bothered to pay attention to the genre as a whole.
Artists may speak of specific struggles and predicaments that only a handful of people have been faced with but individuals of all sorts of backgrounds have been in situations with similar circumstances. With this being said, rap music generates a human connection between artist and listener; and so many find it easy to relate to the emotions rappers have felt at particular moments in life or mutual opinions. With all these factors and more, rap and hip hop have invaded the world of music with a similar spirit of rebellion, domination, and self expression as other genres; these genres have already made their mark on individuals and their music is still absorbed by people from the urban neighborhood to the suburbs and crowded cities go'ers today more than ever. If there's one thing that will always be true, these genres just like others are filled with artists that are like everyone else, in the sense that these people are just as human despite all the praise and hype.