I've got an issue with "mainstream"

[shadyVA]

Want to get your opinion on something that really bothers me. We hear people all the time talk about going mainstream or pop just to get on the radio. Eminem has made types of songs that he said he never invisioned he would make (Not Afraid) and then we saw Slaughterhouse do it on their recent album. My question is why do it if it doesn't work? Not one song off of WT:OH have I heard on the radio and I'm not going to. People talk all the time about getting radio play but even making more mainstream sounding music doesn't land guys like Slaughterhouse on the radio. A song like Rescue Me is amazing and I could see it on the radio but I know I'll never hear it. Other songs like Throw it away just piss off fans so why even try it? Is it just that the album flopped or what, what am I missing?

[RainMan44]

Want to get your opinion on something that really bothers me. We hear people all the time talk about going mainstream or pop just to get on the radio. Eminem has made types of songs that he said he never invisioned he would make (Not Afraid) and then we saw Slaughterhouse do it on their recent album. My question is why do it if it doesn't work? Not one song off of WT:OH have I heard on the radio and I'm not going to. People talk all the time about getting radio play but even making more mainstream sounding music doesn't land guys like Slaughterhouse on the radio. A song like Rescue Me is amazing and I could see it on the radio but I know I'll never hear it. Other songs like Throw it away just piss off fans so why even try it? Is it just that the album flopped or what, what am I missing?

I COMPLETELY fucking agree with this. Em is going to sell whether he drops shit like Kill You...or shit like Not Afraid. What I PERSONALLY think is going on, is the heads of the label just don't accept shit nowadays unless it is the sound that they think will sell the most....but they just don't get it with Em that shit doesn't matter. Idk man. Fuck the music industry.

[Inkredible]

No it works, it's just Slaughterhouse failed of doing so. To be fair they're not really that marketable tbh. Not to mention the poor selection of singles from WT:OH (Radioactive for that matter aswell). Why they chose "Hammer Dance" and "Throw It Away" as singles instead of Rescue Me and Goodbye is beyond me. "Radio" and "Write Your Name" would have been pretty good commercial singles aswell. Eminem really needs to manage his label better.

[Jason M.]

Ummmm, have you seen what's playing on the radio/MTV? ''Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy, but here's my number, so call me maybe?''

If he dropped a single that sounded anything like stuff like Kill You, it would've been a joke.

Plus, he's making ''mainstream'' sound good. So, why not?

[Hopsinshadie]

In a way eminem has to dumb down his lyrics to sound harder and just use simpler rhymes. When he gets too technical, he's no longer a G, if you will

[Emshady2]

Everything is Mainstream as long as it is Popular... Even Kendrick is mainstream ... Song with gaga ?

[RoleModel'Est96]

In a way eminem has to dumb down his lyrics to sound harder and just use simpler rhymes. When he gets too technical, he's no longer a G, if you will

That's why Lose Yourself blew up on radio...because of its simple rhymes. Idiot.

Sorry Hopsinshadie, but I almost always disagree with your opinions.

[JamaicanPattlez]

No it works, it's just Slaughterhouse failed of doing so. To be fair they're not really that marketable tbh. Not to mention the poor selection of singles from WT:OH (Radioactive for that matter aswell). Why they chose "Hammer Dance" and "Throw It Away" as singles instead of Rescue Me and Goodbye is beyond me. "Radio" and "Write Your Name" would have been pretty good commercial singles aswell. Eminem really needs to manage his label better.

Being real though, did people think Slaughterhouse was going to get to Drake-status right now? I mean in the future I see it, but nope. Interscope doesn't seem like it knows how to promote themselves well. I don't think it's really Em's fault, because remember, Em still works for Jimmy Iovine.

[Sukot]

I disagree sort of. If people wanted mainstream success, they'd do dance music. Hip hop songs don't get you a lot of mainstream success/pop radio airplay at the moment, no matter how catchy they are.

Even The Motto, Niggas in Paris and Rack City weren't big hits on mainstream radio. As massive as they seemed, they didn't venture very far out of the rhythmic and urban music scenes.

It's like what another poster was saying, radio is full of songs like Call Me Maybe. I think anybody doing hip hop at all can't really be "selling out" or whatever. You can't get mainstream hits with hip hop songs anymore, so the artists that ACTUALLY are desperate for mainstream hits instead just leave the genre altogether, and release europop songs (Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, Usher and Ne-Yo had europop songs being mainstream hits currently, they can't get hits with R&B/hip hop songs, nobody can).

[SG.]

I hate seeing the term "mainstream". It seems to me like people use that word when they don't have the balls to call out an artist for making a shit song.

[Jimmy Conway]

What I don't understand is why people care? Who cares what plays on the radio? I'm not trying to sound like an elite hipster douche that is anti radio. If something plays that is good, cool, if not, cool. Either way I probably won't hear it.

The biggest Iphone has like 64gb of storage space. You could put every song you've liked, all the songs you currently like and every song you will ever like on that and still have room for some nudes of your slutty girlfriend.

So if you aren't forced to listen to the radio, don't worry about what is on it or what the mainstream is. Music is every where these days, you don't have to depend on mainstream, just go find what you like and stop complaining.

[Trimss]

I disagree sort of. If people wanted mainstream success, they'd do dance music. Hip hop songs don't get you a lot of mainstream success/pop radio airplay at the moment, no matter how catchy they are.

Even The Motto, ***** in Paris and Rack City weren't big hits on mainstream radio. As massive as they seemed, they didn't venture very far out of the rhythmic and urban music scenes.

It's like what another poster was saying, radio is full of songs like Call Me Maybe. I think anybody doing hip hop at all can't really be "selling out" or whatever. You can't get mainstream hits with hip hop songs anymore, so the artists that ACTUALLY are desperate for mainstream hits instead just leave the genre altogether, and release europop songs (Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, Usher and Ne-Yo had europop songs being mainstream hits currently, they can't get hits with R&B/hip hop songs, nobody can).

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat.the.fuck?
Niggas in Paris was HUGE. HUUUUUUUGE. Everyday at least 3/4 times on radio. lol

[Blu]

It's all about marketability. Eminem even explained this in "White America":

Look at these eyes, baby blue, baby just like your self. If they were brown, Shady lose, Shady sits on the shelf. But Shady's cute, Shady knew, Shady's dimples would help.

Slaughterhouse is not a marketable group. People try to make them seem "different" and "innovative" just because they're signed to Shady Records but in reality they're a lot like most of the hip-hop groups out there trying to make it big.