The future of music is niche markets, and hip-hop is probably the best example of this. Years ago all of the biggest rappers came out of New York and Cali. Fast forward to 2003 and the highest sellers that year were Eminem and Nelly, both from the midwest. Their popularity though is only a reflection of what's been bubbling in hip-hop at the local level.
Peep truth. Regional artists are talented. Regional artists sell. Regional artists have solid, devoted fanbases. But here's the weird thing- regional artists still don't get much media coverage.
The Source is trying to bridge this gap by launching a Latino and French version of their magazine. Also, their Unsigned Hype column is now split into four, to make room to showcase talent from across the country. That's definately a good look.
This is much different strategy than their cancelled Source Sports magazine that they tried to launch in a crowded room of other sports mags. Now their aiming for the less popular, but underserved internationally hip-hop scene. With all of the untold stories that have yet to be written overseas I bet they get a win from those two new mags.
The question now is, when will the rest of the hip-hop media wake up and catch up?
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(PLEASE SUPPORT REGIONAL HIP HOP BY ENDORSING OUR ONLINE PETITION FOR INDEPENDENT HIP HOP.THANKS.)
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*ONLINE PETITION BELOW IS COPIED AND PASTED FROM WEBSITE: http://www.petitiononline.com/kmel106
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To: 106.1 FM (KMEL) and www.106kmel.com
Bay Area Hip Hop Coalition(BAHHC)is asking our local communities and supporters of Hip Hop to sign our online petition in raising awareness by boycotting 106 KMEL (www.106kmel.com) until they play local UNDERGROUND Hip Hop artists & local Independent Hip Hop Record Labels. We are asking for signatures of support from the Bay Area and our Hip Hop community for support of asking the radio audience of 106 KMEL to no longer listen to their radio shows until they play underground Hip Hop from the Bay Area.With every signature we get for our online petition, we are asking KMEL 106.1 FM (www.106kmel.com) to respectfully recognized the music talents of Hip Hop artists of San Francico,San Jose,Oakland, Vallejo, Pittsburg, East Palo Alto, East Bay, South Bay, North Bay, Richmond, and the whole Bay Area & bring back the music diversity was once offered many years ago.
We ask all Hip Hop activists to sign our petition and serve to help our local Underground Hip Hop and Independent Hip Hop Record Labels & Businesses. We promise not to listen or support KMEL sponsors/commercials of this radio station by signing this petition because we have goals we want to accomplish:
1.106.1 FM, (www.106kmel.com), radio station must follow their mission by serving the communities through playing local underground hip hop and stop playing mainstream POP music
2.KMEL 106.1 FM radio station must not be a "sell-out" to POP music
3.KMEL 106.1 FM must promote our local Independent Record Stores
4.KMEL 106.1 FM must promote our local Independent Hip Hop Record Labels that is from the Bay Area
5.106.1 KMEL must promote Underground Hip Hop events and tournaments
The Bay Area Hip Hop Coalition invites all peoples from different area codes around the nation to sign this online in voicing our issues to 106.1 KMEL of San Francisco about the importance in promoting Hip Hop music from our local area, 'hoods, city, and street and celebrate Independent Regional Hip Hop culture tell our stories in music. Because there too much in radio of Pop Music being played at 106 KMEL, we are taking the responsibility in empowering our community of Bay Area Hip Hop which talks about life in our streets.
Please support our local INDEPENDENT Hip Hop artists and support UNDERGROUND Hip Hop from the Bay Area and Northern California by signing our online petition and express your opinions how 106.1 FM,KMEL, can be a better radio station.
People who sign our petition believe that not listening to 106 KMEL will bring more local Hip Hip representation through many ways:
1.106 KMEL will realize they need REAL UNDERGROUND Hip Hop from the Bay Area
2.106 KMEL will realize they need different Hip Hop styles that exists in the Bay Area:Rapping, Dj, Clothing, Graffiti, Dance, Turntablism, Mixtapes,Street Storytelling, and Neighborhood Empowerment
We ask our community not to listen to 106 KMEL, do not support their advertisers or sponsors,and do not support 106 KMEL's discrimination of Bay Area Hip Hop to be included their radio shows and radio programming.By signing this petition we will not support 106 KMEL and will support a boycott of this station because we are a wide-ranging coalition of social justice organizations, public-interest media organizations, and religious groups who wish to increase the accountability of of 106.1 FM (KMEL) to the local community. We,the Bay Area Hip Hop Coalition, and the Hip Hop community are gathering and launching a nonprofit,not-for-profit campaign, in announcing the 106 KMEL Boycott Campaign for the best interest of the Bay Area Hip Hop community by requesting a meeting with KMEL to discuss the following 3 basic human rights we deserve:
(1) Reinstate a Bay Area-based Community Affairs Director and bring back the Street Knowledge show during primetime hours that discusses Bay Area Hip Hop and Bay Area news
(2) Increase community accessibility to KMEL(www.106kmel.com) by broadcasting more Public Service Announcements (PSA's) by community-based organizations and airing a community events calendar twice daily
(3) Increase access for local artists by including them more consistently in regular rotation and by reviving the Local Flava show during primetime hours.
We show our support to not listen to 106 KMEL until our online protest is recognized and that 106 KMEL shows interest in building a better community relationship with the Bay Arear and help music of our Bay Area streets be told through Hip Hop. We are looking for new members that can preserve authentic Hip Hop in Bay Area's History and Future.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
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IF YOU SUPPORT OUR PETITION, PLEASE SIGN OUR PETITION AND LET LOCAL ARTISTS BE HEARD AT
http://www.petitiononline.com/kmel106/
if you don't believe that it's true... you should come to Toronto, Canada... and hear how we spit up here!!! only thing we are missing is the backing of the recording industry. heard of Avril Lavigne? Alanis Morissette? They're from here too... record companies would just rather you listen to and purchase their bubble gum... than to be exposed to the REALNESS that comes from up top you Americans. believe the hype... regional hip-hop is doing it... the hunger of the regions who have starved while watching hip-hop legends flaunt their success in our faces... has made us arguably better, and more true to the art-form than those that started it. Even up here in Toronto, I have always been abreast to artists from the South, and while some lack lyrical content and creativity to a certain "hip-hop" extent... their insistence on keeping it real and true to their region has always kept my attention and interest!!!
I'm glad to see somebody supporting local and underground hip-hop. Always stay true and keep up the good work. Make sure you look out for Higher Realm Entertainment.
COMING SOON! "FULL FLEDGE" The True Compilation OCTOBER 2005
I HAVE BEEN A LONG TIME KMEL LISTNER AND I HAVE ALWAYS UPHELD THIS RADIO STATION FOR THEIR EFFORTS IN PROMOTING LOCAL ARTIST THAT IS ONE THING THAT I CAN SAY THAT THEY HAVE ALWAYS DONE MAYBE THEIR NOT GETTING AROUND TO EVERYONE BUT THE MOST RESPECTED.