is common not underground anymore?

[2pac4prez2004]

am not clear on this, is it safe to say he was underground before 'Be'? or is he still underground? or turned slightly pop/commercial

thanks for any info

 

[davida]

hmm personally just the way he raps and shit he raps about, i just can consider him commercial but since i wasnt on the scene when resurrection dropped im not sure because wasnt that cd considered a classic and also on electric circus his single was everywere but i dont think that should make him be considered pop/commercial cause the rhymes still real and still good

 

[roaches]

He forgot to renew his membership in the Official Real Underground Not That Commercial Bullshit Society, so, no, not anymore.

 

[kman_69]

^^lol

yeah....just coz u sell records doesnt mean your not underground....or any less "real"...i mean its not like he's gone crunk, or talkin about bling ...

its conscious rap.

 

[Krazy187]

am not clear on this, is it safe to say he was underground before 'Be'? or is he still underground? or turned slightly pop/commercial

thanks for any info

i dont think u should be so quick to classify any rapper these days.. his content is underground because it is conscious, but his album has seen commercial success, partly as a result of promotion...

IMO the whole "underground vs. commercial" thing is dead now.. maybe back in '97 u could have this discussion, but hip hop is so huge now. being commercial isn't necessarily as bad as it used to be because now guys like Common can be successful without selling out or changing their subject matter.

I'd say Common fits in between the two categories...

 

[Clever]

His album is going to make him some money so now he's a sellout!!! he's gone mainstream and is just pop bullshit!!! now everyone who liked him before should start hating him because he's making money!!! right???

NO!

c'mon now... does it matter if he's underground or not? he makes good music, that's all that matters

 

[Leech316]

it doesnt matter really but some people would like to know
i find it really annoying when people says "doesnt matter" or "i dont care" when someone ask somethin

 

[Bigg Limn]

Wasnt there JUST a post about this underground vs commercial BULLSHIT?

 

[Mase]

Damn, Common isn't labeled as underground so I refuse to listen to him anymore.

 

[Quasimodo]

i like common.. i always have.. i'm glad to see such success for him... he's a real emcee and he can just relate to you in so many different ways

 

[shuba]

so his record gets playtime on the radio, does that make him mainstream? He hasn't changed his style its still conscious rap..just laid over different production

 

[Pittsey]

If you get played on the main radio stations and on MTV/BET etc. You are mainstream.

Being underground is not having a deal, or being with a small label. If you are signed to Interscope you are mainstream for example.

Just because you are mainstream doesn't make it a bad thing. What's the big deal. People are too eager to classify someone underground as it makes them cool. Common still isn't making club tracks, so what's the big deal.

 

[L.O.G.O.S.]

Underground is associated with good music, and commercial with bad but thats a miconception. you can have terrible underground music, and amazing commercial music...

its about who youre signed to and the numbers you too....big labe and big sales? commercial....underground would thus be the opposite...


so if Common goes 5 x platinum hes commercial (a commercial successs)...

peace

 

[T.M.O.S]

People are always talking bout how rappers who have become commercial and are selling records are sellouts. Let me ask you all a couple of questions. If you had the chance to make millions and sell millions of albums? Would you choose to? Or would you choose to remain underground and not make money??
I think if you were bein honest you would choose to be making millions.

 

[Tha_4Gotten]

I wouldve thought that people would be happy with Common's success. One of the few MC's out there that keeps actual hip-hop and the culture alive. No hes not underground, but that doesnt mean that he cant make good music...

 

[Infamous Josedy]

Why is everybody so quick to label a rapper?Why can't it just be, "His new album is good." why does it matter if he's not "underground" anymore?Besides isn't it better to be commericial?I mean when you're a pop artist, that means you are a pop[ular] artist.You sell more records.Why would one want to be a tight artist with a small following, when one could keep one's integrity, heart, soul, and basically keep their whole style and have a larger following?I thought that the purpose of being an artist is to sell records, not to remain [virtually] unknown and not sell massive units.Being a rapper is a job and just like any other job, the purpose of it is to do the best you can do and to be as successful as you can.Just be happy that he still is practically the same Common, just (as yall would call it) in a newer "commericialized" package.