Rap Evolves: Dupri Analyzes Success in the Age of Streams and Social Media
Recently legendary producer Jermaine Dupri chimed in on the new state of rap music, which has led us into a conversation on the lifestyle of the successful recording artists of today in the digital age. Dupri has seen hip-hop go through that evolution first hand, and he attributes much of it to the ever diminishing importance of album sales as well as the advent of streaming platforms and social media.
The business used to be about those platinum plaques,” Dupri said of the standard measure for a million albums sold. This is a whole other ball-game. It’s the way that you touch the fans through the Internet and the way you stream paid during.
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Take Sexyy Red, for example. She’s a fast-rising rap star who has found her own lane, with hits like “Pound Town” and her Drake collab “Rich Baby Daddy.” Despite the shocker to the senses that is her lyrics, Red counters that her music is a reflection of that and goes into greater depth. ‘Well, they concentrate on the edgy stuff but I write about real stuff too’, she stated recently.
These are different times that we are living in so it’s all about getting a song on a playlist to really get some attention,” says Dupri. Yes, an artist is no longer able to become a star because of a single hit single. Fast forward, now its streaming numbers and social media engagement. “Numbers on Spotify and followers on Instagram that’s the new dollar bill,” Dupri says. When rappers can reach an international audience at the touch of a few buttons, it presents its own unique set of challenges as well.
This change is both a blessing and a curse. From viral moments to key partnerships, the ascent of Sexyy Red is a reflection of this. One of the things that been so good for me with social media is quickly establishing a die-hard fan base. However, in order to continue making their impressions felt, they need to constantly interact with their fans and produce content that keeps them excited.
For Dupri, these investigations underscore an evolution in the rap game. Streaming and social media may offer unprecedented opportunities for success but only in exchange for continuous change.
