Lauryn Hill has fascinated me because I think that, in a lot of ways, she's hip-hop's first bona fide spoiled diva. She's got the hallmark symptoms: mild contempt for fans, a tendency to attach herself zealously to religions and new causes, and artistic self-indulgence and erratic output. Like most rock and r&b divas, she seems to have a personality disorder and quite possible bipolar disorder- a mood disorder at least.
Psychological observations aside, I think that she's kind of the originator of a new- and sort of annoying- hip-hop artist archetype. The Fugees and Hill were kind of the first to make it really big with genre-bending in hip-hop (others preceded them, but none became as huge). The hip-hop diva has a tendency towards genre-bending- the heirs of her diva legacy- M.I.A. and Kanye West strike me as similar to her. There's the the predeliction towards high-profile media feuds with reporters and former collaborators, and an adoption of fashion and affectations that lie outside of the typical hip-hop palette. These divas separate themselves from the older style hip-hop divas like 50 Cent or Sean Combs in that they are more decidedly within the lines of hip-hop as it is popularly portrayed. Whatever genre-bending they do is flagrantly capitalist and publicity-driven; they don't seem too interested in it creatively. The new diva does, and has the megalomaniacal entitlement that comes with wide acclaim as "groundbreaknig" Their pretentions of prophetic, visionary status are what make them annoying, as opposed to just harmlessly boring like Diddy or Puffy or whatever the hell he goes by now.
This kind of diva-ism, as you noted, has a really long shelf-life. For years to come, people will pay 75 bucks a pop to see Hill perform whether she delivers as well as she did at this show or not. I think that the kind of mixing with other genres that she did, and that her diva heirs Kanye and company have done even more extensively, is (or will be) the secret to their ability to sell out shows long after many of their more categorically rap-style counterparts have to play increasingly smaller venues for decreasing paychecks.Their crossover appeal means that non hip-hop fans will be insurance against the flagging support of purist rap fans who will be less interested as the artist becomes increasingly annoying and entitled. More importantly, as their ability to work a crowd at a concert disintegrates, hip hop fans will continue to flee because live shows are so important to them. The fans who dabble in hip-hop and adore Kanye, but feel uncomfortable with Masta Killa or MOP, will show up for years to come.
More straight rap artists can't count on that. If they go diva and believe their own hype, as KRS-One, Chuck D and others have, they'll fade. Artists that avoided the kind of thing, like Big Daddy Kane, or even Run DMC, can count on hip-hop fans for years, but probably won't be able to charge 100 bucks a ticket for a show they headline, sell as many new albums, or get the same amount of ink for performing.
In the new era of the mash-up, when genre-bending in all subcultures is more tolerated and the tribalism of popular music dies off, this new diva will be more and more common. I'm not sure that's a bad thing. Kanye West and MIA have been releasing consistently good music. Lauryn Hill's next album, if their ever is one, will probably be good. I guess the moral of the story is that if you're kind of an asshole and are starting out in rap, have someone play a violin or something on your debut. You'll sell out shows for years.
Posted on January 4th, 2011 2:04pm
