Trend Surfing: A Comprehensive Breakdown
Everybody does it, but it never had a term until my man Austin from Vinyl Meltdown dropped it on me during an iChat conversation at an ungodly hour.
While I jumped on the ’09 bandwagon for Jigga, praising The Blueprint 3’s genius like every other person who listened to his latest effort, Austin respectfully disagreed with my claims. I don’t remember his exact words, but they were something along the lines of, “I didn’t really like the album. Jay stopped being a trendsetter a long time ago; now he’s just trend surfing.”
I began to piece together a legitimate argument to combat his claims when I realized that he was right.
Mainstream music survives off of this phenomenon. Look at Gucci Mane. The current jailbird was virtually a laughingstock in the industry a couple of years ago. If his management tried to holler at Mariah Carey for a collabo, they would have given him the cold shoulder (Brrr). Today, people would probably kill somebody (literally) to get Gucci Gucci to spit 8 bars somewhere on their track.
I’ve said it here before, but Gucci and Drake are like what Wayne was to ’07 / ’08. “Back then, hoes didn’t want me. Now I’m hot, they all on me.” You probably remember Mike Jones saying those famous words, about four times. As ridiculously entertaining as that line is, it’s also insanely accurate.
I just listened to that new Snoop album, and long gone are the days of “Gin & Juice”. Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em is on the album. The song’s probably my favorite on the album, too. But isn’t that a little strange to anybody else? He’s near 40, and Soulja Boy isn’t even 20. One could argue that the thing they have in common is music, but wasn’t it more of a strategic move to keep Snoop relevant to the young folks? Why else would he sprinkle his rhymes with references to the jerk movement?
Yep, I’m talking about the dancing phenomenon that had everybody on the Left Coast in skinny jeans hitting b-boy-esque dance moves that resembled seizures. No shots, either – I love it. Matter fact, this is me jerking out in Cali.
Okay, that’s not me. But I digress. He’s trying to make sure that the kids want to jam him in their iPods. Snoop’s not the only veteran who tries his hand at this strategy. Bun B’s been doing it for a while, too. The Port Arthur Prince has been handing out solid verses like pamphlets, both proving his abilities to the non-believers and exposing himself to an audience that didn’t grow up on UGK.
So is it a good thing? You be the judge. It’s kinda like how Jay said on that “Moment Of Clarity” verse: “Truthfully, I wanna rhyme like Common Sense (but I did 5 mil) / I Ain’t been rappin’ like Common since.” It’s a business, after all. Stay true to what you believe in, or do it for the dollars.
What do you think about trend surfing? Is it a helpful marketing strategy? Does it hurt music and dilute the arts potency? Can you be successful (meaning profitable) by not trend surfing? Any other notable trend surfers you can think of? Let us know. Leave it in the comment section.
You gotta stay relevant, its smart on Snoops part. You see it in other things than just hip-hop….. veteran ball players (Shaq) taking the younger (D-wade, Lebron) under their wing….if you are a true veteran, the wise move is to pass on your knowledge and reach out to the younger next generation….because if veterans don’t, than their influence on hip-hop/life will die out……..CHURCHHHH!!!!!
Good analysis. It does really seem like most rappers are trend surfing. I’m writing a thesis about hip-hop’s role in politics. In that light, it seems interesting that, if rappers are truly just riding the current wave, that it is not practical to think they would start a new movement. My question is: who sets the trend? The young artists or the execs? We all already know who rides it lol
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I understand changing to stay relevant. But sometimes it’s extremely obvious when people are trying to be DIFFERENT. Like when Lil Wayne did prom queen. It didn’t seem real to me.Sometimes it’s fake and doesn’t fit.
it would help if people featured competing new artist in place of someone who was thought to be/could be featured on a record based on their appealability.
features are statements/expression from the artist not a business deals, as much as we want to believe they are. its like getting to know who the artist might listen to, which may or may not make a difference in their own influence.
do u think snoop takes tips from soulja boy?
I think artists in general have trouble trend setting after they drop their first album. First album is raw- truly a representation of them before the industry- then they tend to become a product of their environment, naturally… is it possible trend surfing might be inevitable??
Gotta stay relevant. Ludacris once said that the secret to his longevity is that he’s always changing his style up.
I LOVE CALI.
i jerk. snoop doesn’t, but the new generation does. he’s from cali. he’s putting on for his area and keeping the jerk movement relevant by saying the term. it’s pretty smart marketing in my eyes
First off, I think “trend surfing” is wack! In my experience, musical/ fashion trends create artist cliches and listener/ fashion enthusiast biases. Helpful marketing strategy? Of course, but in return what does it promote? Our best selling Hip Hop artists to date (excluding a few) have been in the game for over a decade. What does a 40 year old know about jerking? Why is Jay-Z wearing Nike Dunks? It reminds of the family BBQs where that ONE Uncle still thinks he’s 20 by wearing the same thing as his nephew. NO! It’s creepy. I think an aging artist should stay true to their craft and their roots. I appreciate growth in music. I like the fact we can get a mature Eminem, because it’s reality, we grow and we change. For me, a mature artist “riding a wave” is like a curtain call for his career.
Trends come and go.
We all remember the era of the dope boys. When Hip-Hop some how influenced every listener and equipped them with confidence and determination that selling coke was actually cool and more than feasible.
I wonder what genius thought that up… :/
We can accredit this to artists such as Young Jeezy, Gucci Mane, T.I. and yes even William Roberts II (Rick Ross)… and the list could continue for days.
Note that Jay originally illustrated his cocaine cowboy ambitions with his earlier albums i.e. Reasonable Doubt.
But as we all know, the Jigga Man stopped rapping about slaying’ a long time ago and consequently moved on.
However, now the most current trend seems that most hip-hops artists are just speaking on how affluent they are or wish to be. For instance take Jay on his track “Already Home”.
Here you have an artist displaying their degrees of separation from his competition…
“the fact is, were not in the same bracket, not in the same league, don’t shoot at the same baskets, don’t pay the same taxes”.
And of course, Hip-Hop Giants such as Jay-Z have influenced up and coming artists such as Drake. As we are constantly reminded through the young artists lyrics about his undeniable lust for life. Take the “The Presentation” for instance.
Drake says it best,
Cause I need drug money…
Who got drug money…
I am talkin “white phantom sittin on dub” money…
I am talkin “cold champaigne at tha club” money…
And no I ain’t emotional but baby I love money…
Is there room for originality if we are constantly concerned with trends or are trends the vehicle for new artists to come up and the only way to produce original and popular music?
Anyone close to me during the time of Blueprint 3′s release is well aware of my utter hatred for that album, which had a lot to do with the trend surfing you speak of along with Jay’s blatant claims to set these trends. Not to mention the album just felt wack musically. To your point I have noticed the trend surfing throughout the entire industry, which seems to be a necessity during the current climate of low sales. But I also feel like trend surfing has always been prevalent in all music, which is why we classify its history based on different eras. The hottest artists will probably always get the calls for the most features, but I think its best that these older rappers stick to who they were. This will translate to more sales from the people who are used to buying their albums in the past. Just take a message from the rock stars, who turn into cultural icons as they get older (U2, Rolling Stones, Elton John, etc.), while rappers try to be younger & get called corny…
Word. Money vs. staying true to oneself in music is a very difficult task. Artists want the ability to create whatever they feel on a record, but they also want the ability to make a living off their talent. I for one want to figure out a way to make music I like, and still be able to entertain others to gain their respect. I guess there is kind of a mid-point between the two though. If an artist is talented enough, she/he would have the capability of intertwining the two sides to create music they love, and to sell enough records to make large amounts of music. Difficult, but all is possible.
To me, there’s nothing wrong with being a part of a trend. But only if you’re actually that guy. If you’re going out and doing the jerk dance because you think it’s fun or cool, whatever. It seems pretty fun. But if you’re doing it to seem cool, (or from an artists perspective, to appeal to a younger crowd) than it will be obvious that it’s not genuine.
Moving to BP3, I find it hard to believe that this is the best Jay Z can do. I think he made a lot of decisions on that album (and his whole marketing campaign, art-direction, and recent warddrobe) based on the idea of reaching out to a certain audience. Nothing inherently wrong with that I guess, but it’s not something I could do. And it’s something that will definitely turn me off from an artist.
And I hope I’m not alone. I find practically everything Blueprint 3 to be forced… from the beat selection, to the features, to the rapping, to some of the concepts. I swear I heard autotune like 3 tracks after Jay supposedly killed it off. And that quality taints the whole album for me.
I say, we start a new trend. DOTS (Death of Trend Surfing). I swear it will be really hip and fun. who’s with me?
I know trend surfing is probably a necessity but I just can’t get with it. Snoop going from West Coast Gangsta to having Soulja Boy on a track is the equivalent of Ice T going from “Cop Killer” to playing a cop on Law and Order. It’s just not right.
the thing that most people don’t get is the simple fact that nothing lasts forever, as much as you might want it to. in order to enforce progress, you need change whether you like it or not. personally I don’t think jay should’ve moved how he moved after the black album as far as flows, rhyme schemes, etc. but if he hadn’t I might be here talking about how he hasn’t changed and he’s getting dull. as with romance, personal relations and especially entertainment, the key is to NEVER BE DULL OR BORING ie; predictable. maybe he IS just trend hopping but if he was still rapping about drugs and ballin’ off of rocawear money he’d be looked at like an old man who can’t get with the times. it’s all a balancing act.
Alright. This is a real interesting point which you make, and since I am such a big Jay-Z fan I would like to spit some knowledge on this subject of trend surfing in relation to Jay-Z’s latest album and his career. Essentially, I want to explain why I think the Blueprint 3 is not an example of trend surfing, although it has been introduced to the masses through the commercial medium. Then I want to talk about trend surfing itself.
So there are many critics who disregard Jay-Z’s ridiculous lyrical content because he has become one of the “faces” of commercialized rap ever since he dropped his second album In My Lifetime Volume 1. His most recognized album is by far Reasonable Doubt, his debut album. Now why is this the case? Well, many say it is because it was the “raw”, uncommercialized version of Jay Hova, where he spoke about his experiences as a drug dealer on the corners of Marcy projects (Big ups to Brooklyn, NYC, and my hometown HARLEM, yessirr!). This album is heavily respected because it has more of an underground feel to it, and Hov’s lines on each of those singles is ridiculous!
But, once Hova dropped his second album, he has been judged for feeding into the MAN and going commercial. But Shawn Corey Carter is the MAN. His lyrical content has remained just as strong (I would argue that it has evolved and become even better than what it was on Reasonable Doubt) throughout most of his career. Blueprint 3 is just another example of how this dude has and continues to transcend the rap game. In my opinion, no one is on his level. The problem is that people tend to misinterpret some of the things he says literally and metaphorically on his albums. On top of that, now a days, people feel bad about liking something, which the masses also like. Is that a problem? If so, then stop reading from here on forward and listen to LoopTroop Rockerz and my man Tunji, two of my new favorite rappers who are on tour with the CunninLynguists (I am not promoting these cats, I just recently started listening to them and I like their sounds).
Anyway, I digress. The point is that some people don’t understand that the Blueprint 3 is a critique of the commercialized hip-hop scene and how it’s headed in the wrong direction. What we have now in hip hop is this homogeneous sound with examples such as autotunes and these damn Hip-hop/R&B hyrbrid tracks (Baby By Me and Invented Sex for examle). Jay-Z thinks this is a PROBLEM. In the Blueprint 3 he is judging the commercial face of hip-hop both right and left. D.O.A (Death of Autotunes) is emblematic of such judgement. Take some of the verses on this track for example:
This is anti autotune, death of the ringtone,
This ain’t for iTunes, this ain’t for sing alongs
This is Sinatra at the opera, bring a blonde
Preferably with a fat ass who can sing a song
Wrong, this ain’t politically correct
This might offend my political connects
Jay-Z’s denigration of the products which now drive profits in the hip-hop industry (ringtones iTunes, autotunes, etc.) dramatizes the cry which the rapper makes for change in the industry and epitomizes his deviation from such conventional forces in hip-hop. Hence he provides the Blueprint 3, an album with crazy sounds and ludicrous lyrical content. The irony of the hip-hop mogul is that he is challenging the face of hip-hop through the very venue which has made him famous thus “Wrong, this ain’t politically correct/This might offend my political connects”. Other examples where we see him doing this is in the tracks What You Saying and A Star is Born, where he talks about historical moments in rap where artists like Diddy, Luda, T.I. and Eminem have shined and dominated the rap scene. How did they do it? By being themselves and keeping original, while performing within the commercial arena. Diddy did it in the early 90s with Bad Boy (Can I get an encore of that movement again please?!) as well as Luda in the late 90s/new millenium with crazy albums like Word of Mouf, etc. etc. Unfortunately, we don’t see that anymore. Everything I play on the radio and my itunes sounds the same way. Like Hov said, people “T-Painin’” too much. UGH! Stop it and hit me like James Brown with some classics. Yah dig.
Moving on, Hova has been guilty of being a commercial “hypocrite” within the commercial industry since the get go. Here is another in example in Moment of Clarity (as Modi cited) where he not only judges the commercial space, but also the fans which create the “acceptable” music environment (like the one we are currently in where homogeneous sounds are deemed ok and “unique”):
I dumbed down for my audience to double my dollars
They criticized me for it yet they all yell “Holla!”
If skills sold, truth be told, I’d probably be lyrically, Talib Kweli
Truthfully I wanna rhyme like Common Sense
But I did five mill’-I ain’t been rhymin like Common since
Ladies and gentleman, the reality of it all is that if HOV is the trend surfer, then we are the waves beneath his board gliding him along. The reality is that we are. We set the trends. Yet we turn our backs on the artists and say man this is wack, but then blast it. OH THE IRONY! But I am already stating the obvious people. We define hip-hop and OUR artists will play what we like to hear. Jay-Z just happens to be SICK regardless, so we keep blastin’ his tunes. Come on yall. Let’s be real. If Hov’s D.O.A wasn’t a sick track. Then we wouldn’t play it, because a lot of us love listening to T-Pain and bobbing our heads to Ron Browz (I want my $20 back Mr. Browz, straight up! JK. I like your music playah.).
Although HOV has become somewhat a product of commercialized rap, he at least is aware that he has become such a product and hypocritically judges it because he loves hip-hop just as much as we do and sees it heading in the wrong direction. For example, remember the Jay-Z/Weezy beef. At one point Hov was trying to defend his throne and shit on Weezy with tracks like Dear Summer. Then one day he woke up, smelled the coffee and said “damn, I’m nice, but for the SAKE of hip-hop. I don’t need to prove that I am the best. I know I am the best. Let me just squash this beef, get on a track with Weezy and blow cats out of the water. FOR THE SAKE of hip-hop” (He didn’t really say that, but I am just assuming.). And what happened after he said that? Voilá, the following verse of the track Mr. Carter from Tha Carter III album:
I’m right here, in my chair
With my crown and my dear
Queen B, as I share
Mic time with my heir
Young Carter, go farther
Go further, go harder
Is that not why we came?
And if not, then why bother?
Hova still manages to make a reference to sitting on a throne as a dominant figure of rap, but this time he acknowledges that being the “best rapper alive” is only a temporary reign. He urges, Lil’ Wayne, who is also a talented lyricists and a famous icon in the hip-hop arena today, to go beyond and above Jay-Z’s innovative musical talents. Jay-Z is not claiming defeat; instead his maturity and personal experiences, as I said before, have transformed him into one of hip-hops biggest fans and one of its protectors.
Hova speaks the truth. If hip-hop culture is meant to progress then why not go further? Why not go harder? Is that not why hip-hop exists? Are we just going to listen to auto-tune songs from now on and 50 Cent’s (don’t get me started on this cat who is trying to start beef after flopping another record like a flacid penis during his first week of record sales) hip-hop/r&b hybrids? People, Jay-Z makes sick tracks as an artist and as a businessman. We then go to the shelves to listen, approve, and purchase. We are the trend setters. Hova is just surfin like my homebody Common and Serena in that picture.
One love,
Figz
P.S. If yall want to see HOV briefly talk about his career and his creation of the Blueprint 3, his view on the rap game and the impact the internet has had on it, then check out this two part interview:
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KosP8O3weHI
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwDEJGXIBB4&feature=related
P.P.S If there are errors in this piece of writing, then my mistake. It is just a post that I wanted to share really quickly.
oh.
my.
goodness. this is why i blog. to get people talking. i hope this article doesn’t get overlooked! keep writing! preciate the comments + feedback.
- modi
no one is really a “trend setter” in totality, in its whollest of forms. It is 2009, barriers have already been broken by the OGs in the “hip hop game”, im not gonna attempt to break it down just watch “distant relatives” or read more from DCtoBC but… the point I am trying to make is nothing is original, what is “original” is actually a combination of other people’s stuff. To be creative and individual, what does that really mean in todays day and age? Jayz didnt make up his raps from space, from another galaxy- nope, he did his research, put together a whole bunch of shit, and stamp it his!
Also, I do not like his “death of autotune” song, like what and who gives him the audacity to make a song like that and legit-ly mess up so many artists’ money?? lol, p.diddy was soo mad he could not do his “last train to paris” ishh… So i guess on a second thought Jay’s followers are so entranced with everything he does, that it would make him a trendsetter, becuase of his charismatic vibe…??
That’s a toughie. I think people who we are used to seeing setting trends (or just a new way of seeing things) shouldn’t stop and just become a rider of the wave. And some people coming up might need to go along with what the trend is but they shouldn’t totally sell out to it.
It’s like a follower following another follower. Once the leader cuts in a new direction, what are they left with? A career created off of something not original thus no more run and they can’t go back to what they were. That’s why there are so many one hit wonders. They get the “commercial” track they need and promote that so heavy their album sucks and get dropped.
And I still think Gucci is a joke and anyone walking in the same path. There are few leaders and a bunch of carbon copies.