The Blastmaster speaks. (NorthCoastJournal.com)
KRS-One doesn't like Def Jam Recordings.
But he respects them as a label competing with others. Here he only, as he puts it showed the truth about the New York-based label founded by Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin, which is now a unit of Universal Music Group.
Here's the Blastmaster to XXL Magazine:
"Def Jam is the dopest label in hip-hop, in the culture of hip-hop. There really would be no hip-hop as we know it today if it wasn't for Def Jam. But you don't get that respect without also being the label that single-handedly destroyed hip-hop...Every time you think of what's wrong with hip-hop, the lyrics, the commercialized music, one artist being played on the radio all day, things like that, that's all Def Jam...We respect it. It's a respect cause we all competing, so Def Jam had the hardest competition, but the hardest competition as I showed the respect, I also showed the truth. And the truth is everybody else had to sit down so Def Jam could be who they are."
What else can I say about this? KRS-One is known as "the Teacher", and with his lessons he pulls no punches. From "You Must Learn" to "Sound of da Police", Kris has bucked against the system time and time again, as Public Enemy, X-Clan and others have done.
Maybe he's got a point about Def Jam. How does the biggest label go from rebelling with groups like Public Enemy to helping someone like Jay-Z to take over everything that is hip-hop?
However, record labels alone can't be blamed for the destruction of hip-hop. The real artists refuse to take back hip-hop from these corporations that have gutted it out and turned it into something worse.
Nuff said.
Comments
Hello, my name is Chiffon...CEO of JC RECORDS...an outreach ministry geared toward our troubled youth that have fallen thru the cracks of society. We feel every child even the hardest confused teenagers can be saved and changed with love and patience but most importantly because at once upon a time, we were them. It is now that we have learned from our mistakes is why we try so hard not to allow our children to fall like we did! JC RECORDS for my best friend, JESUS CHRIST. We are geared to all types of music from rock to hip hop because we are all GOD'S kids with many gifts. My specialty is hard core hip hop, our youth listens to nothing but. I know I must talk their talk and walk their walk to get their attention by any means necessary all for the love of changing lives to JC. Holy hip hop is wonderful I have that as well but they already know my Lord. My calling is to go to the non- believers whom feel this is as good as it gets and our lost souls that parents can't deal with and mus
The above comment has no relation to the article.
I know Kris is pushing buttons when he speaks this way, but the truth is controversial when it's against the norm. One thing I have to say about "The real artists refuse to take back hip-hop from these corporations" is that it's hard when the corporations own all media outlets and control what the main stream hear. Who's going to want to sign a no name artist (albeit talented) that just wants to make it, who will diss his label for being what it really is?
No One.
KRS-One has a great point here. What you said at the bottom of the article is key because it is the artists that must take back hip hop. The one problem we have with these big labels is that through mass marketing and payola with their multi-million dollar budgets, they will continue to market watered down horrible rap to the masses, while at the same time offering huge salaries to the artists who they chose to use as marketing tools (T.I., Drake, Jeezy.)
These mainstream rappers love the $$$ and are willing to put out garbage music to get it. These artists are essentially pop artists, and that's whats killing hip hop.
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