Comments

1. EH wrote:

   That’s interesting. I didn’t know anyone in the hip-hop industry had even been paying attention to Ms. Dupre. If that’s the case and that’s the stance some have taken then this guy is on point lol.

   Posted 28 Mar 2008 at 7:17 am ¶

2. CG wrote:

   Record company people are shaaaady!

   Good analysis. The music industry is completely back-a$$wards in many ways, not just their hypocrisy relating to exploiting sex & violence. I say “down with the record companies!”

   Posted 28 Mar 2008 at 8:02 am ¶

3. Keren wrote:

   The kitten stole the show!
   I didn’t quite catch the last thing he says, what was it?

   Posted 28 Mar 2008 at 8:26 am ¶

4. emfole wrote:

   What about the facts that she is a sex worker and a womon? If she can make money in the music industry off of her famous jon, more power to her.

   Posted 28 Mar 2008 at 8:51 am ¶

5. Kevin wrote:

   The hypocrisy astounds. Good on Jay Smooth for calling the record companies out.

   Posted 28 Mar 2008 at 8:51 am ¶

6. islandgirl550 wrote:

   i love Jay Smooth! And he’s a cat person too!!! I work in the music industry and yes, Industry Rule #4,080 does apply!!!

   Posted 28 Mar 2008 at 9:14 am ¶

7. tasha wrote:

   There is a double standard. No male prostitute would be taken seriously in the rap game. A lot of them have had to do time, sell drugs, shoot people and get shot themselves before getting a record deal. Apparently all Ashley may have had to do is spread her legs. I don’t even think the number of times Dupre slept with Spitzer rivals the number of 50 Cent’s gun shot wounds.

   Posted 28 Mar 2008 at 9:20 am ¶

8. G.D. wrote:

   Yeah, but how many actual female prostitutes do you know who actually made it big in the biz as a rapper? Very few–even the female rappers who have explicitly sexual images never claimed to actually have been prostitutes themselves—and I’m not saying they actually had to be, it’s just that that hasn’t been the case. Also, just because this chick is using her notariety to get a record deal is no guarantee at all that she’ll have an actual career, even after the hype dies down.

   And as for the “gangster” rappers, most of them were already into that lifestyle before they were rappers—most of them got into rap as a way to get out of it, not just to get a record deal. I read about a dude named Just Ice was an actual gangster himself who managed to put out a couple of records back in the late 80’s/early ’90’s rapping that gangster rap, but he still never became a household name like NWA (he rapped on the now-classic anti-gang violence “Self-Destruction” from 1988 (for all you old-school rap heads like myself out there).

   Posted 28 Mar 2008 at 5:11 pm ¶

9. Andre wrote:

   The music industry is just that the music industry. The hiphop they put out to the public shouldn’t reflect on the genre or the art form because it was simply put out to sell, not necessarily to make art. I can say the same for rock music or any other form of music. It is possible to sell something and make art at the same time. but the way that hiphop is exploited today, I can’t consider that commercial hiiphop , real hiphop. What I find funny is how people automatically think that’s real hiphop? That means they have a laziness about discovering their own music. They just listen to anything the tv , or big corporations give them. Support local bands. Alot of underground hiphop groups, are ten times better than a Kanye West , or a 50 Cent. And yes, I’m against Kanye West because they use black situations to better themselves. They always present the dark things, and then try to be positive at the same time, to sell it to people of differing opinions of hiphop.
   As far as music an art goes, you can only respect the underground, and even then their are some problems. Just be more judgmental of the stuff your listening.

   Posted 28 Mar 2008 at 9:25 pm ¶

10. Orville wrote:

    Jay Smooth’s analysis is really good he’s also a total hunk! Does anyone know if he’s gay or straight? Just wondering?

    Posted 29 Mar 2008 at 9:43 am ¶

11. Orville wrote:

    Wasn’t Eve a stripper prior to becoming a mainstream star? I heard Eve used to strip in clubs? I mean we can debate forever but what is the difference between a prostitute and a stripper? Both a stripper and a prostitute are selling their bodies for sex? In fact, it is well known at heterosexual male stripping establishments after “work” some of the exotic dancers are also part time hookers.

    Posted 29 Mar 2008 at 9:45 am ¶

12. DivergentDana wrote:

    Yes, Eve was a stripper prior to her music career and so was Courtney Love.

    Posted 29 Mar 2008 at 12:49 pm ¶

13. G. D. wrote:

    Yes, Eve admitted to stripping, but she said that she was never a full-time stripper–it something she did very briefly, and just for fun only.

    To Andre:
    That is SO true about the pathetic state of today’s hip-hop—if you’re not rapping about your bling-bling or your cheddar or how to get paid, or giving out the 10 commandments of being a gangster, you won’t get ANY airplay as a rapper,whatsoever. Rap CD sales also went down 33% last year, which means that even the average 60% white audience buying might be getting tired of the same old-same old current rap is offering. The sad part is that conscious rappers a la Talib Kweli,Bahamadia,Hi-Tek, Common,Mos Def don’t get played at all outside of public radio stations (if they’re even heard there) which really the robs the interested consumer out of any alternative to what’s currently on the airwaves. You’re right about checking out underground sources/live venues—nowadays that’s about the only way to find any alternatives to rap (or any other music out there you can’t find on an iPod.

    Posted 29 Mar 2008 at 3:45 pm ¶

14. Versai wrote:

    I don’t think Eve’s time as a stripper was used to market/boost her rap career. I remember learning about her being as a rapper first–and then later on finding out that she had been a stripper at one time.

    It was a while ago and I’m not a close follower of rap artist, so I could be wrong.

    Posted 30 Mar 2008 at 7:47 am ¶

15. Orville wrote:

    Common is a very successful in fact I believe his last album debut at number one on the billboard charts. I agree that a lot of the male rappers tend to be stereotypical though. But I wouldn’t just say its the white audience that buys into it. I think some black teens also buy into the stereotypes. Have you noticed how some kids talk these days and dress? Why do the kids mimic the rappers in their mannerisms, and style of dress? The influence these rappers have over young people is incredible and needs to explored a bit more.

    Posted 30 Mar 2008 at 11:17 am ¶

16. Lily wrote:

    This guy is great. Interesting though that he talks about “selling crack and shooting people” but not pimping, which is equally - if not more - prevalent in rap and hiphop. And perhaps closer to his point about the music industry being a reflection of our supposed prudish culture.

    Posted 31 Mar 2008 at 4:35 pm ¶

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