[NOTE TO SEATTLITES: This is an NO WAY an attempt to take any shots at my dude Larue. The “S” word has been one going around long before him and will be around long after. Just felt this was as good a time as any to write this since its fresh on peoples minds.]
There are a few lines that float around this cities rap scene that have always secretly made me cringe. Phrases like “true hip hop” in a sappy ass east coast wannabe track, any time a freestyler fucks up and has to justify it by reminding you “this is straight from the top”, or pretty much any call and response with a crowd (especially in situations were the crowd isn’t responding) can be so cheesy they start to sound like the audible equivalent of a 40 year old man wearing a tall tee, however none can fuck with the granddaddy of them all; Support local hip hop.
Before we go any further here I want you to stop and think about how that sounds; “Support local hip hop”. Listen to the key word; “support”.
[Per websters online]
SUPPORT - The activity of providing for or maintaining
When I think of the word support that’s exactly what comes to mind, Child support, a support beam for a crumpling structure, life support for the sick. All things made to be provided and maintained for, something that can’t provide for or maintain itself.
Is that really what this scene needs, some artificial prop up, some guilt driven imperative to “help the poor rapper out” like were sitting in the middle of the Sahara with bloated bellies and flies on our faces? This is hip-hop, it’s a contact sport. I don’t want no fucking support, I want fans, followers, listeners.
To be fair, the people who spout off with this kind of talk don’t mean “supporters” in the traditional sense of the word. More in the lines of not being slept on as a dope artist, or not being passed over by a local tastemaker for their “big break” in the city. That’s more respectable, but even that can take a dangerous drive down “Doing it wrong blvd”.
Firstly, supporters make “shitty, shitty” fans. Seriously, lets be honest here, “supporting” fans are usually the same people you use to buy your kids fundraiser candy every year (friends family and coworkers). They’ll show up, they’ll buy the album; they’ll even pay at the front door, BECAUSE THEY FEEL THEY HAVE TO. They hate every moment of it, and every year when that time comes around they see you and cringe. If it gets worse they’ll begin to avoid you, they’ll have other things to do one the date of your show, “won’t have enough money” for your album, and the like. Fans on the other hand, can’t wait to buy your album, want (WANT) to hear about your latest endeavors, and will spend their last to get to one of your shows. Fans will even take it a step further and tell other people about your music and bring them along, they’ll post your music on social networking sites and get your name out. Supporters wont make you a trending topic on twitter, fans will. One of the most embarrassing memories I have of starting out doing shows was at a show in which the only people paying attention to our performance were a few coworkers and my homeboys mom in the front row (yes you read that right). Until now we never talked about that show cause it was so bad. The dj choked back a little chuckle as he announced our names when we walked off the stage.
Secondly as far as networking and business goes, as cold as it may sound people only extend a hand to your business when they feel they can get something out of it. There’s nothing underhanded behind the idea of putting money in with the goal of getting something in return of equal or greater value, its just business. We do it everyday when we purchase items, and we ourselves are the product when were hired. So when a show booker looks at you as an artist in a sea of similar artist there has to be something that says “this one will make me some money”. If part of your problem is that you don’t have a following then there is no point in them booking you and thus begins a cycle that you may see as lack of support.
I hate to sound like a republican here, but this may be the one time they have something right. In this one instance, support is one of those things people get too used to and become dependent on (that’s why its called support). Supporters also have the nasty habit of giving artist bad intelligence by nature of their very existence. Where dwindling fans would act as a clear indication to even the most stubborn artist that things aren’t looking good and changes may need to take place (maybe your fans didn’t like your last project and its time to step your game up), supporters will stick around despite your performance, giving artist a false sense of achievement and in turn encouraging bad behavior. I know of a couple artist that have yes men feeding them very bad advice along their (unbeknownst to them) crappy careers and one of the first things I try to do is get them as far away from that kind of feedback as possible. Imagine having that outside of the studio 24/7 for a second. Its these same supporter/yes men that convince these rappers that its okay to put together sloppy, lazy projects, the same supporters/yes men that convince rappers that its okay to give shitty performances, and it is these same supporters/yes men that make these artist think there is no need to push their art further.
The real problem could stem from the fact that most people only see the fruits and not the labors of an artistic movement. Upon seeing the end results, one tends to take what is at the scene for what may be the cause. You see Wiz shinning with the Taylor gang cats in the crowd and think “ok so all I need to do is name my followers and I’m in there!” 2 days later you see a thousand cats on twitter naming their followers
“what’s going on people, got a show down at the high dive, be sure to come through #teamhippidyhop”
its not like that at all. Wiz has been doing it for years and built everything he has from the ground up. See how its supposed to work is to start with a dope artist, you put out dope music, you pound the pavement (not just the net, the fucking pavement), and you network, mingle, you do shows and knock them out the box, lather rinse repeat. What many out here end up doing instead is coming out with respectable music and wait. That’s not how it works.
Now I’m not going to lie, as far as our scene goes, there is a degree of cronyism. People will back up certain artist that don’t deserve to be anywhere near on top and you’ll look around and see people nodding with approving smiles and think your in an episode of the twilight zone. Your not crazy, that guy does suck, but he’s not on top of things thanks to the 206 branch of the illuminati (sealuminati?). Do you know what those people are that are big upping him? That’s right, THEY ARE HIS SUPPORTERS! They bare nothing beyond marginal influence on your situation and will burn out eventually. Half the people you may think have it so big out here don’t really get past king county lines before that support wears off and they have to face real people and earn fans. Stop worrying about supporters.
If anything seattle needs LESS of a supportive scene and force artist to thave to step their fucking game up, I know it would have helped me tremendously back when I first started doing this if someone heard a wack ass beat/song from us and told us the real rather than “that’s dope, now hear mine”.
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