The Persistence of Rap

Thu 12/14/2006 1:43 pm. So in sunny Florida I was searching for Xmas music and found only rap! ... And it hit me: advertisers will pay to reach this audience of people stupid-enough to listen to this stuff! — hence, the numerous stations....

Elsewhere I speculate on how the “golden age” of AM radio depended on advertising; the southern religious bigots of the day used to claim our glorious rock was designed to rot the audience’s brains, and I would say they were only slightly off: like rap, it was designed to attract those with rotten brains! So much easier to sell them fizzy sweet drinks and useless electronic gadgets! ... I like to think some of “our” music was exceptional but, after all, most of it stank. ... Like rap .... hip-hop; whatever they call it this week....

We were in a Tower Records — in its last days as the chain succumbs to the internet — and one of the things they still had plenty-of, when the entire store was a pillaged wreck, was — yes! — bins of rap music! ... So maybe Tower couldn’t sell the stuff, but somebody can sell the audience junk on the radio. ... I can hear, as in a dream, industry code like “intensely loyal”, “edgy urban fans” — which, roughly, means ignorant stupid people who will buy stuff you advertise. ... And not just radio; has anybody seen anything but rap on MTV recently? ... It’s all in the advertising; ... it explains everything....