Mainstream_Hip-Hop_vs._Mixtape_Hip-Hop

Melvin Collins Comp I October 29, 2010 Differences Some people see hip hop as a category of music. Well where I’m from, which is the south, hip hop can be divided into two categories mainstream hip hop and mix tape hip hop. Each category involves some of the same people, but songs that an artist puts out through mix tape music most of the time are never released to a mainstream audience. People could probably come up with many different ways to separate a mix tape from a mainstream album, but the main three I see are the audience size, quality, and the way of getting the music. The Audience is a big difference, because mix tapes are listened to by a much smaller audience than mainstream music. For example, a Gucci mane mix tape may have a lot of attention and anticipation in one region, but in another it may not be popular at all, even though his mainstream album is. Even the song producers can have a little mainstream success. For example hip hop producer Lex Luger started out by producing a lot of songs that you only heard on mix tapes, but just recently he has started producing for a lot more major artists. He also has produced one major single that got a lot of attention in the summer of 2010. The single I am referring to is by Rick Ross and is called BMF or Blowing Money Fast. Since doing this he has done a lot more songs for artists that are seen a lot more in mainstream hip hop. A lot of artists that you see in mainstream hip hop actually started out doing mix tapes, but as their popularity grew they begin to make the transition from mix tape hip hop to mainstream hip hop. For example, hip hop artist Drake started out doing mix tapes in Canada, but as his popularity grew he started distributing mix tapes to all parts of the United States and released a very successful mainstream hip hop album. When comparing these two terms think of it like this. Both the terms are like city’s the difference between them is that mainstream hip hop is a big city while mix tape hip hop is a small city, such as comparing Jackson, Tennessee to Memphis, Tennessee. Both the two have a lot of people in it, but in comparison Memphis has a much larger population just like mainstream music. The way of getting the two is also a lot different. A mix tape can usually only be found on the internet and must be downloaded; however most mainstream music is only found in retail stores such as Wal-Mart or target. That also brings up another difference between the terms because, mix tape music is almost always free, and mainstream albums must be bought unless downloaded illegally. Consider this a luxury; because 20 years ago if a mix tape was made it had to be put on a cassette. The modern day mix tape is a lot easier to obtain because, there are various web sites that provide free mix tape downloads and updates. Mix tapes don’t get a lot of promotion like mainstream albums, and is the reason why some songs put out by artists are only heard by some regions. I have witnessed this first hand because I have a class with this girl, who is from New York and is also the same age as me, but she has never heard of Gucci Mane. The quality of the music is probably the key difference in comparing the two terms. Quality of the music refers basically to the way it sounds. A lot of mainstream hip hop sounds plain unlike mix tape music which is filled with a lot more rich content. This content I am referring to is the violent, dark, and explicit feel that a mix tape song may have. A mainstream albums quality of music is very high and includes all mastered tracks, which means it is the final version of the song with no tags. Tags refer to extra effects added to a song on a mix tape. This brings up a major difference that separates mix tapes from mainstream albums, because mix tapes are most of the time hosted by a DJ. The DJ adds the tags, voiceovers, and puts the songs in a logical order much like someone would at a concert. Most mix tapes have a DJ on it, but not necessarily all the time. For example in fall of 2009 hip hop artist Lil Wayne released a mix tape called no ceilings, but instead of having a DJ there were only interludes after various songs of him talking. This is a technique that doesn’t get used often; however it is becoming more popular among many hip hop artists. In conclusion mix tape hip hop and mainstream hip hop are two forms of music that involve some of the same people, and some of the same songs, but they also have a lot of differences. For example mix tapes are released to a much smaller audience than mainstream albums, which means some songs put out by artists are only heard by some regions. Another important difference that separates the two terms is the way of obtaining them, because mix tapes must be downloaded off the internet. Mainstream albums can also be downloaded, however cannot be done for free legally. The most important difference in the two terms is the quality, which is the sound, of the music. This is important because, a mix tape is almost always hosted by a DJ or the artist themselves. So the next time you think of hip hop don’t think of it as it all being in the same category, because it actually can be split into two categories, which are mix tape hip hop and mainstream hip hop.