A thought.
That first one, Painted Smile, was the best of the 3 IMO... but the rap needed to stay closer to the vibe of the music and bg vocals which were more jazzy... sort of like how 2Pac did 'California Love' and others, for better or for worse given the zeitgeist....the beat stayed and the vocals didn't leave the beat behind to tell a message, but rather told it within the confines of the genre itself.... all to keep the message alive, or else it gets lost in the confusion as they don't mix well. Maybe this is why 2pac was killed? Sort of like Kennedy, if they started to learn how to really play the game, they could become very dangerous, thus eliminated before that happens... 'nip it in the bud'. Same with all forms of expression, most aren't selling out so much as they never really felt the protest down deep, more of a suit that came and went with the seasons... not 'awake and aware', just irritated. Most just grow older and get tired of the fight and start to play it easy to get along and get ahead.... be comfortable like... sleepy like. ;)
Don't want to knock the raps, but the feel needed to fit better... look at the film "The Matrix"... and how those guys packaged that rather esoteric message. Nothing specific, but the basics are all there for the newly awakened... they used the basic Hollywood action genre as a vehicle for their 'rap'.... and the general audience is none the wiser... which isn't really a bad thing, as the saying goes, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink", but the 'rap' is there in an easy to digest form for the beginner. Some of this is our place on the wheel of civilization too. We can't blame the industry for doing what it does best, exploit any and everything to make money utilizing the limited mindset they have, but then that mindset is shared with their audiences as well.... neither of them very thirsty it seems, not yet, not along this position of the wheel.
Reminds me of that old Andy Griffith film 1957's "A Face in the Crowd"... he didn't sell out so much as go completely egomanical... even Trump hasn't gone that far, but then he isn't that talented, just an opportunist and who can blame him for that in our 'civilization' with his limited point of view? As for being setup for wrecking the Republican party?? Some puppet has to play that part and isn't the same said for most singers, rappers et al? First you have to get your foot in the door and established before you get any chance to tweek the 'rap', and perhaps some of these rappers start out too political to start and are thus ignored by the industry that seeks to only make money and satisfy their patrons... same with reporters, etc. Not an easy line to walk, nor an easy mask to wear, as the bosses keep checking as you keep acting, and sooner or later that mask has to be discarded, perhaps with your career.
I remember Abby Martin's RT show "Breaking the Set" used to have rappers on the show sometimes and the biggest problem IMO was accessability... the song, rap etc just didn't play 'right' ... the feel was too obviously political and the beat wasn't one you moved to
... and IMO that can't be lost in this genre or any other in the entertainment field... the priority is always selling the song, the message is dependent upon the messenger for that to happen and most often 'political' types are left doing background stuff in the industry because they haven't learned to sell their songs. Put the message in a pretty bottle and see if you don't get much more attention... even a dance song can be 'political' as long as the message doesn't get in the way of the beat, as most people aren't listening to the words much anyway, as long as they don't get in they way.... and they don't have to if they keep the beat... keep the feel... let the message roll right in, for better or for worse... same as any propaganda... the only difference is whether the message is 'right' or 'wrong'.... right? This isn't the 60s or early 70s when it was 'cool' to be seen as being 'political'.... so the song changes for the times they express... the message remains the same, only the forms change. Why can't the rap play with any form?
Example: "Snoop Lion believes homosexuality and rap music are like Lindsay Lohan and sobriety ... they just don't mix." Funny, and in general, with anything outside the norm, that is true, but that 'norm' keeps changing... like how rap itself or it's hip-hop alternative, expanded around the world giving people a voice, even if they only used it to brag, dance, scream or shout.... everyone starts at the same point in the beginning, usually being a horny teenager, at least here in the West, as we push war on everyone else, and maintain the illusion of a carefree life with the lies we tell ourselves in our music, dance, film etc. But an example of that changing norm is how gays are accepted in the entertainment industry, even if most people don't support that lifestyle, they've learned to ignore it essentially, and like most of this stuff, it's probably being pushed by the govt to 'divide and conquer' if not just to confuse, or give more ammo to those simply mad types, easy to rile up etc... But don't you think anything can 'mix', such as the version of Mary Lambert's song "She Keeps Me Warm", which became "Same Love" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis... not that its been repeated much, if any, not sure as I don't follow the charts, but if the political rappers could stay on beat while doing their thing, the message becomes the music and sells itself, whether or not its understood, which is always the case when we are young and dumb... or just plain ignorant of what's being said, implied etc. With 2Pac, it's easy to look back and see the influence of others that tried to force him into more confrontational rap and away from the political and set him off unto a course designed to 'crash and burn'. We all get tested in our way, in our chosen genre of expression. The challenge with these political rappers seems to be telling their stories while staying on best, in the flow, all of those 3 videos seemed 'off' a little... the rap and music, bg chorus etc didn't quite mesh well. If the girls are dancing and the dudes are rolling their heads, then it will sell itself.... with a little advertising of course... can't hear the message if it's not available or unknown.
It would be kind of self-defeatest if the the mainstream monolopy allowed this music to get out...
