Influential Artists

Influential Artists

How and why have hip hop artists become so influential?


http://www.eonline.com/news/647082/the-most-kanye-esque-quotes-from-kanye-west-s-time-100-interview

Kanye West recently appeared on the cover of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People issue. In a short article accompanied by a video, West detailed his influence and his mission to make the world a better place through "helping people." He stated that he does not care about having a personal legacy, because our lives are so insignificant in the grand scope of the universe, and went on to discuss details of his personal life and how he became involved in music.

The article draws attention to the fact that people worldwide are fascinated with Kanye West, along with other hip hop artists, to the point where they are becoming some of the world's most influential people by simply making music and participating in other art ventures. Why is it that people are so interested in hip hop artists and their lifestyles?

Perhaps it's because these artists live a life of luxury that the average person can only imagine. Artists rap about private jets, extravagant vacations, expensive drugs, expensive clothes, and getting bottle service in the club, among other things. In my opinion, rap stars lead some of the most interesting lives on the planet. They are able to wake up and do what they love everyday, creating music and working on projects that they're passionate about. They are constantly under pressure to be the best, and to create a new classic, so rap music is only improving over time (aside from the cheesy, artificial rappers that are in it only for the payout.) And obviously, they are extremely successful financially, so they get to enjoy everything that financial success provides.

I'm interested in continuing to see the influence of hip hop artists grow. For a relatively new genre that began less than fifty years ago, it's a big deal for a hip hop artist to grace the cover of Time's most significant issue of the year. How the influence will continue to grow to affect the economy and popular culture will be interesting to watch.

Future Question: How is hip hop changing the way we listen to music?