2010 has been real good for hip hop. So here are 5 things that happened in 2010 for hip hop that I think are cool. The picture above says 10, but since 5 is exactly half of 10, and I couldn’t find anything else that went along with the post, just work with me here. So in no particular order here goes:
1. The Revival of the RDU hip hop scene. Dope events, talented emcees, a jumping scene with no foolishness. I’m a proud Carolina kid (SC roots, NC bred) so it’s a heartwarming feeling to see people I know, watched grow and/or return to the spotlight in hip hop. I’ve waxed poetic enough about it over the past couple of months, but in case you missed it read all about it here.
2. Jay-Z’s business deals. From a partnership with Microsoft’s Bing, interviews with Steve Forbes and Warren Buffet, releasing pages from “Decoded” around the world, to being lauded as the rapper who will most likely become the first hip hop billionaire, Hov’s business deals in 2010 have been phenomenal. If he taught a class at B-school, I’d most definitely sign up.
3. The return of Kanye West. Dude went from snatching microphones, being the bane of hip hop’s existence to showing his whole entire a$$ with the “Power” remix. And upon viewing the “Monster” video it’s apparent that ‘Ye continues to stay working 5 years ahead of everybody else. Let Kanye be great!
4. The blazing return and renewed interest in women rappers. From Beam Me Up Scotty all the way to getting “50K for a verse, no album out”, regardless of what you think about her, Nicki Minaj has helped catapulted return interest to people caring abut women in hip hop. If you’d like to learn more be sure to check out a sister site The Fembassy, it’s the #1 website for female rappers, their projects and business endeavors. The owner Glennisha Morgan was featured on BET’s My Mic Sounds Nice women in hip hop documentary; she’s been putting in work over there so it’s cool to see her website receiving national attention.
5. The rise of the independent artist. Now indie artists have always been a fixture in hip hop. But in 2010 they have effectively taken the shine away from majors. Travis Porter, Big K.R.I.T., Curren$y, Wiz Khalifa, the list could go on. Years ago if you weren’t major then nobody cared about your material. My how the tables have turned. Indies have realized the power in numbers of fan bases and now have the majors coming to them (!) for deals.
So there you have it. 2010 will be remembered as an epic year for hip hop. From a brand perspective for yours truly it’s been both a good year and a rough year, but thankfully it all balanced out. And I appreciate everyone who takes time out to read the blog regularly.
What about you?
What are 5 things you think are cool about hip hop in 2010?
