Hip Hop Professionalism

Working at a major DC venue, I have the privilege of interacting with artists from all over the musical spectrum: aging rock stars, big name pop sensations, eccentric DJs, a constant slew of up and coming 'sounds like' bands who might get famous, and of course, rappers. Despite my dedication to the hip hop genre as an artist and a fan, working with rappers is a constant, aggravating test of patience and temper. At my club, there is an unwritten code of standards regarding rap shows: no one will be on time, no one will respect the staff, no one will follow the rules the staff tries to enforce, etc. Although I have worked with a few notable exceptions (Q-Tip, the Beastie Boys, ?uestlove, Atmosphere) time and time again, I encounter this extreme lack of professionalism and it always messes with my love for the music. Producing and working a rap show is a big. fucking. pain. in. the. ass.

Most recently, I had the pleasure of working the DMV South fiasco on Saturday night. This show, to me, was the culmination of all the worst aspects of planning, promotion, and performance at rap shows. First off, the show line up was billed as: Bun-B, Wale (feat. UCB), Tabi Bonney, and many others. By the day of the show, Wale and Tabi, both DC artists, had dropped off the bill. Bun was still confirmed to play. Throughout the day, the many other rappers and their many other crews kept showing up but there was no real sense of order and no one person in charge to keep our house crew informed and organized. Only a sheet of poorly typed information I got from someone who might have been important with set times for over ten different rappers and DJs and the prophetic words: 'this will be a tight schedule'. Of course.

Show time comes around and no one is on time. The crowd is smaller than some hip hop posses I've seen crowd up the stage (Wu Tang, I'm looking at you) The promoter has shown up at this point, but there's still no rhyme or reason to the night. The first act goes on around 11 pm, an hour after the tight schedule predicted. Rapper after rapper, each comes out for two to three songs, and leaves. No mention is made of Bun B. Throughout the night, staff are ridiculed in the usual rap show fashion: shouted at, questioned for no reason, intimidated, etc. Same shit, different day.

The debacle drags on and the crowd thins out a bit more. People are antsy to see any of the acts they paid 35$ to see. Around midnight, the big box truck with the flat screen on the outside parks by the club, advertising the night's show. Bun B's face is plastered across the front. Come 2:30 am and thats the most Bun B the crowd is going to see. People start to get angry. I've seen a similar scenario play out at the Kool Keith/Project X shitshow last year, and I already know where this is headed. Fans, drunk, confused and angry shouting for refunds. Same shit, different day. As my co-worker Chris put it, people paid for an overhyped over priced open mic. They got abused and swindled.

Which brings me to the subject of hip hop professionalism (or complete fucking lack thereof). Working with most major rock/pop/insert genre here groups, I get to see the various levels of experience and professionalism that bands and their crew display. The oldhead musicians usually run a tight ship, working off years of touring and shows. There are bands who come through in vans with gear stuffed and cluttered in the back and a vague semblance of whats going on, but even they're not too much of a pain to deal with. At least they can change their own strings. With these rap shows however, the professionalism is like a cheap handjob in a porta john - there's no love and it smells like shit. DJs that don't know how to setup and work turntables (or CD-Js, or anything that's not point and cue Serato), tour managers that don't manage their acts, groups that don't know how to do a soundcheck or even really care how they sound, the list goes on and on. Apparently, what it boils down to is rappers just don't give a fuck about their fans, the shows, the venue...nothing beyond making money and smoking weed in the greenroom. Apparently.

If artists want to keep talking about 'hip hop isn't dead' and 'we make music for the fans' then they should take a lesson from the older rock stars and get their shit together. Music sales are in the suck and concert tickets are still money makers. Fans will be influenced by your shitty attitudes on stage. I saw Mos Def show up three hours late to a sold out double show. The next time he came back around, he barely sold a quarter of the tickets he had the last time. Point being, the fans don't have all that extra money to throw around any more. If you don't treat them well, they won't show you any love. And then you won't be able to get the expensive VSOP and food platters in your dressing room anymore.

Grow up and treat this shit professionally or no one will take your music seriously.