July 09, 2004 @ 12:50 pm

Hip Hop Dominance - 25 Years And Standing Tall

by: Patrick Taliaferro

When the Sugar Hill Gang released “Rappers Delight” back in 1979, few imagined that 25 years later hip hop would become a multi-million dollar enterprise dominating both popular music and culture. It's virtually impossible to picture the pop culture landscape without viewing a property that hasn't been shaped or influenced by hip hop in some form. In 2003 alone, hip hop and R&B were responsib

In the seven months since 2004 began, rap and R&B songs have dominated the charts, and with the year half over there are no signs of urban music's grip loosening up. G-Unit rapper Lloyd Banks further proves this point with his solo effort, The Hunger For More. The album bowed at the top spot with U.S. sales of 434,000 copies, according to Neilsen SoundScan. Hunger replaces last week's album chart-topper, Jadakiss' Kiss of Death, which falls to No. 4. But the juggernaut of the charts is Usher's Confessions - still holding down a four week run in the runner up spot, following a nine-week stretch at No. 1. The top five are rounded out with Brandy's fourth set, Afrodisiac, which bows at No. 3, a little leaner than her previous efforts (Full Moon and Never Say Never - both debuted with a No. 2 entry). Cash Money rapper Lil' Wayne's fourth studio album, The Carter, fills out the top 5, while former chart staples The Beastie Boys' To the 5 Boroughs slides into the No. 6 spot with their hip hoppy comeback. The strides made in hip hop this year have reverberated throughout the industry. Among 2004's top 50 songs R&B/hip hop accounts for 56% of sales, while pop accounted for 18%, rock 14%, and country garnering only 12%. Those numbers are not only reflective of radio and record sales, but concerts tickets have also been affected by apparent takeover. Due to poor ticket sales, the 2004 edition of the Lollapalooza tour has been abruptly cancelled, yet the Ladies First tour featuring Beyonce, Missy Elliot and Alicia Keys sold out night-after-night. What truly gives? A look at the year's Top 30 songs offers intriguing insight about the direction of today's music. Usher is the year's dominant artist, with this year's No. 1 and No. 2 songs ("Yeah," and "Burn"). Maroon 5's break out hit, "This Love," is the only non-hip hop tune in the 2004's Top 10. This makes an astounding statement about the state of American music - hip hop has finally become everyone's music. Who knew that when prolific rapper Biggie Smalls released his debut single "Juicy," and rhetorically stated "You never thought that hip hop would take it this far," that hip hop would come to dominate after only 25 short years. Imagine where it will be at 50.

Article tags: Hip, Hop, Dominance, 25, Years, And, Standing, Tall