Sir Real

4mo

frank is a completely out of touch super rich weirdo, why the hell would he have anything to say about politics worth listening to

insertcoolnamehere

4mo

ITT: nobody watching the @op video and just addressing the question because op pretty much says why we wont really see a What's Going On ( @Andre_Mackonen hit it on the head)

When Marvin Gaye dropped What's Going On, he wasn't competing with the goddamn internet lol. He wasn't competing with the goddamn King Bachs of the world nor was he dealing with the IShowSpeeds and Kai Cenats of the world neither. When What's Going On dropped niggas still was calling houses and you aint know who was on the other line til you picked it up.

What you get is a blank slate and an audience with an attention span + some quaaludes and next thing you know, you got an audience that is ready to receive a What's Going On type of project.

There are artists that are making What's Going On type of music. Music about the times that we are living in and very pro-active music. The problem is, where's the farming system? Where's the promo? Where's the A&Ring that used to cultivate these kind of acts into a position where they have enough pull behind their product versus now you gotta be (like op said) both socially economically aware while also somehow as captivating as a million dollar worth streamer?

Marvin Gaye himself was a recluse especially during the what's going on era because of Tammi dying. How many modern audience woulda been like "man this nigga seems boring I aint gon check out his music bro got no rizz."

Music before cocaine was the perfect time to be a hella talented while un-charismatic type of nigga because all folks cared about was the music and not the image as much.

ALSO when Marvin Gaye was popping you aint have social media/cameras/etc to watch everybody's missteps (which is crazy cause Marvin Gaye did have televised missteps later on in his career) like can you imagine a viral "this you?" tweet about him and Janis' age difference?

It's hard to put yourself as an artist today in that space because if you do it, and you have at least one error in how YOU live your life? Oh, everyone picks it apart and tears you down quicker than you can say "do as I say not as I do." It's not so much of a what artist can make a what's going on level project, is it "worth" it in the long run?

Cause the irony to @op thread, is that we DID have a what's going on type of level political project, last decade to be precise (yall know what it was)

Annnnnnnd what did it really accomplish?

fancy lacriminal

4mo

Don't do that, hes spoken up about any social issue of note to my knowledge, you just hate on him

Fever

4mo

Honestly a solid 1/4 to 1/3 of random hardcore/punk bands no one has ever heard of with a couple hundred followers from their little town/city/scene

None of them blow up or get any more listeners than that and it feels like something is happening to prevent it

insertcoolnamehere

4mo

To also address @op 's question in the video of "why do we need music" as a musician that...honestly between gettin this 2nd teaching job that is...really paying well and D's death, I'm like one foot in and one foot out this s*** ngl.

Music (cause everything comes in cycles, and this is a loooooooong cycle) is fastly coming back to its origin which was when it was used mainly as a way to tell stories about what was happening in your villages or in your communities. When it wasn't really based on profit (cause what was the goddamn billboard charts in communal African tribes?)

The business model of the music industry was never sustainable to begin with, and we just never saw the ones that didnt make it in the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s. (but it was aloooooooooot of them, mainly black and/or female, that just...didn't make it or just slipped through the cracks) napster was when s*** started ticking, streaming is when we kinda started pulling the life support plug.

As of 2026, especially if you are not fortunate enough to bake and shake and step into rooms with people you hate and network yourself up a management team that can fund your career, bro just make the music you want to make, put it out for the community that you reside in to hear. If you have 1 person that f***s with your s***, that's good. If you have 5? Even better. 15? Okur. But you have to lessen the expectations and/or come to peace with the fact that listen we prolly not gon' blow up

Because the whole superstar s*** is kinda over. Musicians aint even coming back off the tours with the superstars with "I'm set for these next few months" type of money anymore.

YANDHI

4mo

There's artists who do this, you guys are just expecting it from the mainstream U.S. music industry in 2026, where the bar isn't exactly high. And quite frankly the audience isn't exactly interested either.

@Butters1017 made a great point about acts in different genres who don't get looks from mainstream, but you can also just look outside of the U.S. And lots of them uniquely use hip-hop as their base, inspired by the decades of activism the genre has spurred.

Kneecap from Northern Ireland is a great example. They've not only reinvigorated youth to learn their native tongues again, but have taken such a strong pro-Irish, Palestine, human rights, etc.. stance that its ruffled their own and foreign governments. They even starred as themselves in their own indie biopic with support from Michael Fassbender. They're doing exactly what people want out of acts here.

Just last year, BBC refused to air their Glastonbury set, U.K charged one member under a terrorism law to make their lives and travel harder (later dropped), they were banned from Hungary by Orban's government to prevent them from performing at Sziget Festival, they had their visas revoked by Rubio ton prevent them performing their sold out tour in the U.S, banned from Canada.... it goes on and on.

Troy Ave Stan

4mo

Cole performative but not Kendrick?

There’s a reason the hood bump Cole over mid stepper

Albert Grindstein

4mo

Does any of that s*** slap though?

csr

4mo

We are Charlie Kirk ai robot

Bobby_96

4mo

Kinda weird that Drake is pro-Palestinian but doesnt translate that into music.

Sir Real

4mo

frank is a completely out of touch super rich weirdo, why the hell would he have anything to say about politics worth listening to

insertcoolnamehere

4mo

To also address @op 's question in the video of "why do we need music" as a musician that...honestly between gettin this 2nd teaching job that is...really paying well and D's death, I'm like one foot in and one foot out this s*** ngl.

Music (cause everything comes in cycles, and this is a loooooooong cycle) is fastly coming back to its origin which was when it was used mainly as a way to tell stories about what was happening in your villages or in your communities. When it wasn't really based on profit (cause what was the goddamn billboard charts in communal African tribes?)

The business model of the music industry was never sustainable to begin with, and we just never saw the ones that didnt make it in the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s. (but it was aloooooooooot of them, mainly black and/or female, that just...didn't make it or just slipped through the cracks) napster was when s*** started ticking, streaming is when we kinda started pulling the life support plug.

As of 2026, especially if you are not fortunate enough to bake and shake and step into rooms with people you hate and network yourself up a management team that can fund your career, bro just make the music you want to make, put it out for the community that you reside in to hear. If you have 1 person that f***s with your s***, that's good. If you have 5? Even better. 15? Okur. But you have to lessen the expectations and/or come to peace with the fact that listen we prolly not gon' blow up

Because the whole superstar s*** is kinda over. Musicians aint even coming back off the tours with the superstars with "I'm set for these next few months" type of money anymore.

Nibiru

4mo

Hey brother hope you have been well

Unfortunately this post is pure ass and gets a 5 star rating on kttass post! And will most likely be an ktt2 ass post of the year candidate

So one kendrick has had two important mainstream songs that has had an impact and message behind it that caused us not you but us to think

what has cole done outside dress like a bum and drive a honda like he isn't a performative millionaire?

Get kendricks nuts out yo mouf bruh

insertcoolnamehere

4mo

To also address @op 's question in the video of "why do we need music" as a musician that...honestly between gettin this 2nd teaching job that is...really paying well and D's death, I'm like one foot in and one foot out this s*** ngl.

Music (cause everything comes in cycles, and this is a loooooooong cycle) is fastly coming back to its origin which was when it was used mainly as a way to tell stories about what was happening in your villages or in your communities. When it wasn't really based on profit (cause what was the goddamn billboard charts in communal African tribes?)

The business model of the music industry was never sustainable to begin with, and we just never saw the ones that didnt make it in the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s. (but it was aloooooooooot of them, mainly black and/or female, that just...didn't make it or just slipped through the cracks) napster was when s*** started ticking, streaming is when we kinda started pulling the life support plug.

As of 2026, especially if you are not fortunate enough to bake and shake and step into rooms with people you hate and network yourself up a management team that can fund your career, bro just make the music you want to make, put it out for the community that you reside in to hear. If you have 1 person that f***s with your s***, that's good. If you have 5? Even better. 15? Okur. But you have to lessen the expectations and/or come to peace with the fact that listen we prolly not gon' blow up

Because the whole superstar s*** is kinda over. Musicians aint even coming back off the tours with the superstars with "I'm set for these next few months" type of money anymore.

vingu

4mo

real ones appreciate you pouring your soul out on this godforsaken site man. love and fortune to you and yours