I know because I tried it.

[@JamsandTea]

I think what’s frustrating is just how vague it all is. No one ever defines what ‘gatekeeping’ is, and thus it becomes this nebulous scapegoat that doesn’t really address what we could theoretically do to keep the art form healthy

[@carstarsarstenstesenn]

"No one ever defines it" is a problem with a lot of debate these days. The media is flooded with trigger words and terms to keep engagement up

[@BarackLesnar]

Oh so you're so high and mighty, you're gonna tell me what gatekeeping is and isn't?

[@zeldavleck2256]

For me, it seems pretty obvious that gatekeeping means you're excluding certain artists from being included in conversations about the genre as a whole (in this case, Hip Hop). Like for example if I listen to open mike eagle and I don't want to tell my friends so I can feel like a real hip hop head for knowing an underground artist that would be gatekeeping.

[@donventura2116]

​@BarackLesnar we about to gatekeep gatekeeping let's goooo

[@waV_daV]

The same applies to the “industry plant” term

[@westhefitting4105]

I have nodded my head in response to some people saying “we need more gatekeeping.” My perspective is that people like Post Malone, who went to Rolling Stone and said hiphop is shallow and vapid while making hiphop music, should have immediately been dropped from hiphop radio stations and never invited on a radio show for an interview again. There were strong hints that Post was a culture vulture, and when he removed all doubt he should have been ostracized by the hiphop community. But his next album got play on rap stations and he was allowed to milk hiphop for money for another few years before dropping it and moving on.

[@westhefitting4105]

Like he shouldn’t have been invited on the breakfast club to “explain” what he meant when he trashed hiphop in rolling stone. He should’ve just been dropped and ignored.

[@whiro8945]

A lot of it is fanbase as well. The fanbases need to respect Hip Hop culture more!

[@tacosavings9751]

Post fucked up his management situation a couple times over. That's why he isn't in hip-hop anymore. He also has industry connections outside of hip-hop which is why he pivoted. He's not particularly welcome in the spaces he used to be welcome in.

[@rinarina6247]

Open Mike Eagle’s stance on the meaning of life is “fuck it we ball” and I find it increasingly difficult to disagree

[@pickenchews]

If this kind of gatekeeping was possible, we wouldn't even have hip-hop, because funk purists would've called it "fraudulent funk" and ended it. We wouldn't have fusion greats like Chick Corea or Stanley Clarke, because jazz purists hated it. We wouldn't have had bebop or latin jazz, because Dizzy Gillespie & Charlie Parker would've been shut out of music by old swing purists. I understand the decision to distance yourself from a genre label or cultural box, because then you have to be subject to wannabe gatekeepers rather than freely create your own art based on all the things that have inspired and cultivated you. These conversations always come off so la la land. It's not grounded in reality. The more fruitful path is to rally around stuff you like. You can't stop other artists from doing their thing, but you can boost the stuff you like.

[@palooski227]

dam bro that was profound, specifically the was you closed it was just perfect. rally around the shit you like, that’s how you’ll find peace in the community.

[@pickenchews]

@@palooski227 Why thank you 😁 🍻

[@riddlorecvemipre]

I agree 💯 %

[@skinnyraptor9111]

This.

[@dogdoggodog]

Love your perspective Mike, always love watching these videos

[@emceeunderdogrising]

His perspectives are legit. I haven't seen him drop anything that sounds irrational.

[@dylanclarke2787]

i think F.D. Signifier's argument of how the "gatekeepers failed" to keep Drake out of the limelight is a compelling idea, wherein they exist, but there is only so much control that they have. just the fact that the underground exists (even if it's thriving) is an indication to me that there is gatekeeping going on, and that some people get blackballed from ever getting major promotion. for example, there's a reason why DOOM was our "favorite rappers' favorite rapper" for over a decade, despite how almost no mainstream HOT 97 listener knew much except that the dude wears a mask. the whole story around KMD's Black Bastards makes it plausible to me that "gatekeepers" didn't want much to do with him, despite how beloved he was for so many years. i could be completely wrong though, maybe DOOM was happy where he was and didn't feel an urge to "sell out" (hate that term).

[@open_mike_eagle]

mainstream rap industry penetration takes resources that DOOM never had as a solo artist. he was an independent artist as a solo. there are no independent artists played in regular rotation on stations like Hot 97 that I'm aware of. mainstream radio is a big money business.

[@dylanclarke2787]

@@open_mike_eagle that makes much more sense than my speculation. thanks for the reply OME.

[@LowKeeKB]

In the context of Drake, this argument is not compelling, especially since he popped off in the Blog Era. The first time I heard Drake it was So Far Gone - a mixtape on Datpiff downloaded by my older brother. Drake may be an anathema to your/FD's personal Hip-Hop values and I understand that. However, I think what's hard for people to admit is that a lot of people liked his music early on and it's as simple as that. Including Kendrick Lamar! (Early on) It wasn't exposure forced down peoples throats, the music was good - subjectively.

[@princegobi5992]

@@dylanclarke2787nah, you had a good point as well though. There absolutely is the economical reasons which is also “gatekeeping” if you ask me, but I think DOOM didn’t fit a mold that the “mainstream” industry was necessarily prepared to accept and promote.

[@Bachilles38]

shawty at complex has been the most sane person in the room for over a decade, salute

[@larryknicks]

There’s so much dope music that’d be missing from the conversation if the “tastemakers” in the 80s and 90s got their way.

[@somekid7]

The gatekeeping convo I've been hearing seems to be more about refusing to let culture get appropriated by vultures and outsiders who want to exploit the culture without building it - often tearing it down for their own benefit. For example, a lot of white spiritualists have been using white sage which is a closed practice for Indigenous/Native peoples, but because so many outsiders kept using it up and commodifying it, the sage is endangered and less accessible to Indigenous folks. There's a larger political convo that needs to happen here though, because at what point is capitalism going to allow gatekeeping from appropriation/exploitation to happen? The empire has pushed people into poverty and left them to either starve or sell their labor. Culture is a product of an entire community's labor. If this type of gatekeeping were to actually happen, it would look like heavily organized militant revolution and going off-grid, aka socialism, anarchism, communism, etc. But once you start talking about that, it's a completely different topic.

[@taimatsuko]

You can never keep the bay out 🤣 We’re in the building and we’re feeling ourselves ❤

[@xDEATHCRUSHx]

Yadidimeann

[@st_slugonime]

I would love for you to link up with FD Signifier. He does a lot of work reflecting on the history of Hip-Hop and the way corporations and idea of gatekeeping have affected how modern Hip-Hop looks. I think y'all would have a lot to talk about

[@palooski227]

holy shit that would be so dope. they’re both in the category of the people who came up with a lot of eras as well so i would love to see where they agree and disagree

[@jakoblawrence34]

It’d be interesting to see him have that convo but I really do not like FD. He would definitely be able to rep the gate-keeping position very well though and I don’t mean that as a compliment

[@SHIFTKICK]

haha i too have found some similar themes in what FD and open mike talk about online

[@shortseater9379]

i love FD but ive always thought his comments on "The Hip Hip Gatekeepers" seemed so nebulous and id love to hear him explain what he means with Mike as a counter

[@LateBoomer-sl1dk]

​@@jakoblawrence34 I used to like him but there was too much lefty drama.

[@tmsphere]

It's funny how when hiphop first emerged everybody from soul to funk to rock musicians said "this sucks get it off the air" and it was only the disco clubs who were like "this is actually dope, you can have your show here."

[@ceedubelu]

Don't forget Punk clubs

[@tmsphere]

@@ceedubelu the non racist ones lol

[@whiro8945]

@@tmsphereliterally beastie boys got their start cos they were inspired by fishbone

[@THiZZyMcGUiRE]

feels like this would all be valid if we didn't have current day examples of this level of gatekeeping existing in other genres of music, but I do understand the fear of culture being vultured while also understanding the frustration of engaging in "what ifs" like this. I agree that we should engage more in the thought of what's actually plausible from this point on, but that can also be equally frustrating.

[@whiro8945]

True. If other genres didn’t gatekeep Black people and culture out it’d be a diff discussion.

[@alexanderellis2763]

I really liked this video! I loved that you asked the question "what is the gatekeeping based on?" I think it's really important to clarify when you're talking about gatekeeping innovation, and when you're talking about gatekeeping appropriation or cooptation. When it comes to wanting to gatekeep hip-hop from people who want to make money off of it, but don't really care about it, namely opportunists, the frustration towards the situation is valid, but it's important to remember the people who own these record labels are also opportunists. They were never gonna allow opportunists to be 'gatekept' from making money off of hiphop. Thanks for bringing your experience and your perspective to this discourse. Your quote really said it so well: "Stop romanticizing power that you don't actually have"

[@mickiemallorie]

You can't gatekeeping anything when you're not the primary audience for the work.

[@Kyoju252]

I almost feel like gatekeeping is a strawman for artist development the more i think about it.

[@tiddome]

41 year old recovering backpacker here. Love your perspective and I hope this video will get plenty play and in front of non-choir eyes too. Really takes me back to the late nineties, when most of that scene was doing a terrible job cosplaying early nineties Hip-Hop. I think the big changes we’ve seen are for the better. There’s a place for everybody now. And if you wanna keep it true school: you can. They’re there. And they’re much better than their late nineties predecessors

[@RT22444]

There’s no gatekeeping with true, good art. It changes with the times. If the hip hop culture/music was stronger, folks wouldn’t be so terrified of it being watered down imo

[@jayhillraps]

I don't see what the big deal is with Tommy's tweet because I never saw him as Hip-Hop. I could see people categorizing him as such because he has a historically Black sound and aesthetic, but I still don't think that means Hip-Hop. He makes Rap-friendly beats and sings on them, but that's closer to neo-soul and RnB. He's closer to 2003 Justin T with his Pharrell-esque beats than he is to Clipse. I don't even think he's rejecting the Blackness in his music, he's damn near respecting Hip-Hop by saying he's outside the gates and shouldn't be part of the discussion. All that said, I think the elitists who care so much about this tweet picked a dumb reason to act so passionate about a dumb topic. All the hooplah is about ownership, not art.

[@somerandomhomeboy]

Looks like another purity spiral.

[@yung.alchemist]

I have so much respect for you and your takes here, thanks fam, you are appreciated and loved

[@shawndoublea]

it reminds me of how Hot 97 didn't touch My Name is initially... and then the local alternative rock station, K-Rock, which was very counter culture, just started playing it (and sometimes uncensored, lol). Where there's a will, there's a way. And in hindsight Hot 97 looks dumb for not seeing the potential and sticking to what they stuck to.

[@zBIGFRIIZZz]

It's weird that we're talking about gatekeeping now at a time where you can easily seek out the hip hop you want to listen to and easily avoid the stuff you hate.

[@frankystrings]

Ebro being the one to say that is laughable

[@wkamaub]

Thanks!

[@open_mike_eagle]

ayyyye

[@Mr9]

Mike was SPITTIN on this.

[@Ardamus]

What’s crazy is…I went thru his catalog and he has done different styles of music. Not saying he is wrong for saying what he is as an artist but I see why listening to his older stuff. However, you are right…it’s thrown in the mix with hip hop so much which isn’t good. And this right here 18:23, I feel this 1000% and it’s like we bought into a marketing campaign like anyone else.

[@GreatistheWorld]

Speaking as someone at the levers of institutional power, we’ve been looking at gatekeepers vs. antigatekeepers as the new east coast vs. west coast

[@open_mike_eagle]

keep up the good work

[@Tresies]

The Hip Hop Media Avengers sent me

[@ARhysJensen-tq9cv]

Really glad your voice is part of the conversation

[@noraodonnell2999]

Huge thanks to Culture United for getting this man on my radar

[@elijahclaude3413]

I think the idea of gatekeeping merely being about 'snobbishness' is a somewhat strawmanning of the argument. I understand why you'd have that take... shoot, I used to think of gatekeeping like that too! But the most useful concept of gatekeeping I've heard is about communal defense. It's not about control or authority or some other hierarchical conception... its about protection. Its about being able to hold people accountable and/or deter people from coming in and shitting on your floors or taking things from your community and then bringing them else where all while demonizing you for it (ie anticolonization). Gatekeeping is literally someone at the gates saying 'hey, welcome in, here's the rules of our space, please respect the environment, have a nice stay or visit.' Type shit... I think that is a very reasonable ask and very realistic for people to do even if you don't have institutional power. If anything, I think its necessary to do precisely when you don't have institutional power. It's certainly harder to do without that power, but not impossible, and well worth the effort. It can even be a way of limiting the growth of institutional power if any/everyone in the community is doing that job rather than relegating it to a select few. If anything, I think the biggest issue with this conception of gatekeeping is not understanding what/who your community actually is! I think too many people in hiphop don't understand that hiphop is not necessarily Their community either. It has been commoditized basically from the jump. There has pretty much Always been institutional powers controlling the gates. The attempts to subvert that are very laudable, but we can't keep ignoring the fact that capitalists have been just as foundational to hiphop (and every other industry, by definition) as the art itself. They designed and rigged the game. Therefore, I think the solution is to make subgenres that themselves become their own indie genres. To break, redesign, and/or play a new game. Kind of like how certain indie dev communities can proliferate outside the scope of AAA devs and publishers. Or how some open source communities can thrive and self regulate. Or even how certain aspects of black culture persist despite/without any centralized control. Once we realize the power we Do have, and what communities we Do control, then we can truly gatekeep in the sense of protecting said community rather than merely pretending we can control who can 'enjoy' it.

[@grahamdennis737]

man so much of what’s said in this is so true, so historically detailed and accurate. came back this morning to watch it again as a reminder

[@riddlorecvemipre]

We had to break through the gates! Gate keeping is wack!

[@open_mike_eagle]

agreed og

[@donventura2116]

I've been straying away from popular music lately as well, but I still check in because I have a genuine interest in what people like and what they get out of certain music. If it wasn't for my curiosity, I'd be totally cut off from modern music culture too.

[@whiro8945]

I also think the idea of popular music is different now. A lot of radio played artists struggle to sell albums or tickets.

[@FDSignifire]

So I agree and disagree somewhat, especially from Ebro standpoint. You're right about the vauge disingenuous of it all and he idea that anyone has REAL power to getekeep in a billion dollar industry from massive corporations. BUTA Ebro specifically is an actual gatekeeper, and serves as a vector for the powers that be to extract and exploit. So for him specifically he's speaking to the fact that he and his peers were definitely a part of the problem.

[@open_mike_eagle]

I rock with that for sure. I just push back on the notion that the reason the culture is in the state that it's in is because they didnt gatekeep ENOUGH. It just strikes me as self aggrandizing and distorted

[@DarinNiday]

Great take here! I saw you live with busdriver over a decade ago. Was a sick show, y'all complimented each other's styles so well. I still bump the art rap cd i bought to this day, haha. Had no idea you were doing video essays these days. Freaking dope man, insta sub from me!

[@MaxwellDickinson-z4f]

incredible! so much good stuff. This was a delightful video to watch, so many amazing comments about the state of hip hop and gatekeeping. I was elated to learn some of the facts Open Mike Eagle threw down. His thoughtful insight was awe inspiring. I was thrilled to find this video and will recommend it to all my friends!

[@theinvisiblepanchos]

All facts. No filler.

[@kiko6217]

At the end of the day shit has to grow and evolve. Whether you like it or not it has to change in order for it to keep being alive. And that’s not just HipHop that’s EVERYTHING, including yourself.

[@gaodene]

There should be more gate keeping… but only by actual gatekeepers. Culture only exists within parameters. Without parameters it’s not a culture.

[@anderother]

The three reasons listed in the first two minutes of this video are something people need to transpose onto every possible scenario where they have a similar inquiry as to “why?”

[@robdielemans9189]

Nowadays with youtube and bandcamp and various groupfund options you can make it in the music industry practically on your own or at least you don't need a record label anymore.

[@MattSwiftfreelance]

I got a lot out of this discourse. Not only what Mike said, but the comments too

[@RamonFontenot]

I believe they were speaking on people of other cultures seeing hip hop as a cash cow without adding back to it or even caring about it . they just use hip hop as a spring board to get the genre they want to be in like a post malone or a kid rock. not people who are born into the culture. so I believe gatekeeping is keeping out the vultures or anyone who wants to water down what hip hop truly is

[@tmsphere]

Who tf is "born into the culture" of hip-hop? Who pops out his mother and immediately gets a rap name? What culture in the world that exists where ppl are born into a genre of music and dance?

[@RamonFontenot]

@@tmsphere you don't have to be a rapper to be apart of the culture it's the similarities and life experiences that we share. Like most black Americans know the smell of a hot iron comb or red being your favorite flavor of Kool aid, the slang we use and rap comes from us so no you don't have to be a rapper to understand it. Like when what's the dirt called the company man a Carlton. Everybody in the black community was taken back because we knew he out of pocket or when he used uncle ruckus to explain Kendrick's lust for white women. The same way we understand cook outs is the same way we understand rap and hip-hop.

[@benweinstein7140]

Seeing someone who’s basically a paid gatekeeper in the bubble that is commercial radio complaining that there should be MORE gatekeeping is wild.

[@sayerovrhymez4321]

Spoken wisdom in understandable terms that simmer and encourage contemplation. Saludos

[@destinyx1636]

As a queer Black woman Ik who exactly they would gatekeep out and it wouldnt be the people they claim they would have gatekept

[@venusrose9890]

I couldn't agree more. When straight men talk about how there should be gatekeeping, you can tell they're speaking from a willfully narrow perspective that they lament being unable to force on others. For me, it's impossible to imagine that someone feels that way so strongly, but ONLY about music.

[@ImpendingRiot83]

(Damn, saw this 22 seconds after it uploaded, lol anyway) Worked *_great_* with Black Metal when they started the gatekeeping right off the bat, you *_definitely_* only see Norwegian edgelords and neonazis playing it now! Absolutely no legendary, well-respected, culture-shaping people from other countries and backgrounds doing Black Metal! …Right?

[@Gooooberx]

This is more like if Burzum said "I'm not an ambient artist" while having full ambient albums

[@ImpendingRiot83]

@@GooooberxThe only self-aware artist from that entire scene in regards to the Ambient/Dark Ambient stuff was Mortiis, it seems like

[@Gooooberx]

@ImpendingRiot83 Tommy Richman in this predicament sure wasn't self aware with his tweeting seeing as he utilizes hiphop only to publicly disown it

[@ImpendingRiot83]

⁠@@GooooberxLook I’m just talking about gatekeeping in general, I don’t really even give a damn about the tweet and never saw it, not talking about it, don’t even know who Tommy is, none of that. It just happened to bring up an age-old discussion that every single genre’s community has had for generations (I grew up in the Punk scene, we know better than a lot of other scenes what a gatekeeper looks like lmao), and personally I think it’s a pointless one that’s worthy of mockery for some of the reasons Mike listed and others that I just know from experience.

[@AndreAdams-j6n]

and now KRS-one is the ultimate gatekeeper.

[@antimatterbones]

Counter-take: I think the discussion around gatekeeping is necessary, because on the other side of the argument is the desire to keep out “culture vultures”. Metaphysical concepts like culture, music, art etc, are always going to have an ebb and flow between the polarities of open vs. closed. The discussion around gatekeeping at a deeper level is really a conversation about standards and boundaries for hip-hop, which while annoying is definitely necessary. You can’t have a discussion around “true heads” or “culture vultures” without it. Whether we’re aware of it or not, there a real limits to art/cultural inclusiveness.

[@open_mike_eagle]

the gatekeeping doesnt keep any vultures out of the gates tho. im all for standards and boundaries but in the business sense none of these things are enforceable without institutional power

[@ronaldeatman6603]

@@open_mike_eagle Probably because Gatekeeping (as far as Blacks Folks are concerned) is a fairly new concept that we haven't engage enough in. In other words, maybe if we practiced on it more, it would be more effective. You have to understand, for generations now, Blacks pretty much believed that in order to be successful, you're going to have to be liked by the Status Quo. And unfortunately, that quo never really liked us like that in the first place. Obviously, they like what we can do and create, but that is as far as it goes. This mentality encourage Blacks to get out of the *Chitlin' Circuit,* and not stay in it. The grass is greener on the other side type of perspective. So if we lend or just strait up give or music, art, culture away, we will be accepted into this prosperous spot called America which is literally governed by a group of people who could care less of our well-being. Macrocosm- They burned down our towns, so let's try to integrate. Microcosm- They won't accept us culturally, so let's prove we are talented, creative and innovative enough to be part of this system. So you're dealing with that conundrum. So I understand your take on *unless Blacks get Institutional Power Gatekeeping is a nowhere street* but if we don't start somewhere we won't have a street.

[@christianlesniak]

if you love something, let it go, let it flip flop, let it fly away to the tip top, and if it comes back to you while you're out at the chip shop, then maybe all along it was hip hop. Blip blop.

[@christianlesniak]

I think gatekeeping is structurally a right-wing attitude (even if it's tempting for someone on the left). It involves creating and in-group and out-group, and it's conservative in the literal sense of the word. As someone that plays classical music, there are so many rules and so much of the art gets set in stone, to the point that there is almost no room for new music (I love the classics, in any case). Too much gatekeeping, and an artform runs the risk of getting set in stone, with the practitioners recreating the same things over and over; could you imagine a time where people go to hip-hop shows to hear cover bands of whatever golden era they were into? It's why I struggled with some great rappers like Common - I never liked "I Used to Love H.E.R", which I found really preachy. And per the conservatism, I don't think it's a coincidence that that song has a kind of casual misogyny embedded in it (at least that's how I hear it). I think you'll find other conservative tendencies alongside the gatekeeping tendency. Maybe it's a reach on my part...

[@コンシキ]

@@christianlesniakinteresting perspective I never considered.

[@100earth4]

Wise perspective, Mr. Eagle. Live and let live.

[@JIdeasProductions]

The answer to it all is blogs or something like it. When blogs were popping and record labels lost a little bit of control we were all better off. The paradox is instead of stopping what we don't like, we gotta showcase what we do

[@Bengauzi]

Why would Million Dollar Baby be Hip Hop not a single rap was performed, this shit is Synth pop.

[@RT22444]

I just don’t think the Tommy Richman tweet is akin to Miley Cyrus or Post “using” hip hop culture to get ahead. Tommy had literally TWO hits that the hip hop community loved and claimed HIM. Then he says “don’t box me into one genre pls” and the hip hop community is in their feelings because they claimed him and they now think he doesn’t want it. They feel like they’ve been used again and now the culture and genre needs to be be gatekept…it’s all just so ridiculous atp. Let people make art, control your emotions, and have the intelligence to see when folks are ACTUALLY taking advantage of the culture. The way this discourse has happened makes me so mad lol MAKE IT MAKE SENSE!!!

[@fruustles]

yeah, tommy is more like a funk or rnb act. if you call him hip hop based on how he dresses and his entourage, well how is he supposed to dress? baggy pants and backwards hat is the norm for 20 year olds right now. is he not allowed to be with his friends because they make him look hiphop? the entire discourse is fucking weird.

[@GGinthemorning]

The way i see this conversation of gatekeeping is that there needs to be solidarity in the hiphop community. The lack of solidarity is what gives us the Drakes, the Post Malones, and the Diddys. The community needs to start to take a stance on something because at this moment in time hip-hop is still being seen a "black thing" when in reality it's a culture all it's own. Mike lost the plot when talking about OutKast and the ealy regional beefs, gate keepers aren't trying and can't silence that. But as a community we can definitely try and starve the beast of the white market by accepting the Eminems, The LPs and the Mac Millers, not the Tommy's.

[@Kingzephyr45]

Thanks for that rant. Good stuff. If you ever in Humboldt and want to jam. I’m all about it.

[@robfoster8356]

I think we are making things a little too complicated. Honesty & integrity are the only things needed in order to "gatekeep" if we want to be real. There's no need to assemble a collective or have an established commitment to gatekeep. Funny part is that the people who are talking about gatekeeping are the ones who didn't show integrity and/or weren't honest with how they handle music. We just need honesty & integrity to be at the forefront....and when they are not, that needs to be called out.

[@open_mike_eagle]

what would the honesty and integrity be able to put a stop to in your opinion?

[@robfoster8356]

@open_mike_eagle it's not necessarily about stopping anything. It's about having honest dialouge...which leads to true intentions being unveiled. Then, we can act accordingly once we discover the true intentions (good or bad). An example would be Akademiks. Ak & his lack of journalistic integrity (integrity in general) gets a pass from a lot of major platforms now. And that allows Ak to move without a real concern of his bs being called out for the public to see. No one can stop Akademiks from moving how he moves...but his fuck shit can be highlighted & be placed under the microscope if it was highlighted at all. He then will either change how he operates, deny what's being said, and/or will own up to his bs and accept the label that comes with that.

[@THECOHORTONE]

I dont think just cherry picking artists we like debunks the idea that there is a need for quality control in the genre at this point. The genre is saturated with music thats objectively terrible made by "artists" who dont care about making art and only making garbage they know will sell. Its not about gatekeeping sounds thats different from what we're used to, its about gatekeeping music that you know is awful in any context. We're all used to hearing different regions now we cant use the excuse of "you iust dont like it cus its from a different region" thats not an issue anymore. We gotta get people who dont appreciate the art out of here before they literally suck it dry from the rest of us. Now, the question of what that looks like is the conversation we're all having right now.

[@gabehere]

To me, Gatekeeping is only ever gonna work on the individual level. You have to start by gatekeeping what YOU consume. No meaning in trying to control culture as a whole if you don't filter out your own consumption habits.

[@social.media.command]

Hello 🤗 Mike... Geeze your room is messy, lol. Anyhow, it's nice to see you doing this show. I'm like you, in that I'm part of it, but also not paying THAT much attention to it. You have caught my eye though, a couple times, over the years. That bit when you were in the laundry mat, that was great. That stuff about finding Monger in a white Honda, the black re-band of some Japanese junk I can't recall at the moment. But it's great. Really blowing my mind when I catch up with your drift. But I'm a war journalist. Military grade. Keeping my eyes on my own papers and Hollywood, is generally the last thing on my mind. But I've heard you. You have a lovely speaking voice, a comfy cadence. If you ever want to call me, you can. I'm around. Just not accustomed to talking with people on the phone, (because of all the hackers.) For you however, I would be honored. ❤ Take care always, Open Eagle. Stay safe + be well ~

[@nondescriptcat5620]

you can never make art better by stopping people from making or enjoying bad art, because people always have made and always will make bad art. you make art better by making and supporting better art.

[@uncvic1]

Great points, I'll just listen to what I like. Let the Al Gore Rhythm point me to likeminded stuff.

[@aleco444]

I mean they are right in a sense. Black Americans have to constantly, or feel that there is no validity to our culture. Even hip-hop a Black American creation, is still debated if we actually have rights to that creation. I also get what you’re saying, culture is an almagamation of many different things. What I think they mean by gatekeep is the industry. When you have many people who do not care about hiphop, the industry pushes them out and the lack of quality becomes more apparent. Though we talk about gatekeeping when it comes to white people in hip hop, we could say the same for black people like sexy redd, who many black people feel was ruining the images of hip hop. Not because of ratchetness, but because of stupidity. I also think the man was right in saying it is our fault in some sense. Many people kept giving certain attention to music. We don’t pay attention to REAL rappers. Edit-I also saw “you can’t gatekeep culture” let’s clarify, it’s harder to set boundaries in your culture, when you are still trying to authenticate it as a culture to begin with. Black Americans are in a unique position to even have this discussion anyway. And you’re right, we need to OWN OUR SHIT!!!

[@hapasiuhengalu7586]

I completely agree that it doesn't make sense to talk about retroactive or retrospective gatekeeping as if it would've made any difference. I also like that you refocused the bulk of the responsibility back on the record labels, which is something that's often missing from this conversation. With that said, comparing the rise of Post Malone & Tommy Richman to the rise of KRS One and Outkast is completely bonkers to me. KRS One and Outkast very obviously loved hip hop and loved their local scenes. They were invested in their regional sound, and message and wanted to amplify it for the whole of hip hop to recognize. Post Malone and Tommy Richman, by your admission at the beginning of the video, were happy to reap the benefits of a hip hop audience and then are ready to move on without providing anything of benefit in return. In the case of Post Malone, going as far as dissing it on his way out as way to distance himself further and gain more favor with his new audience. We're in the streaming era now, so the days of impressing a DJ to get recognition are long gone. I don't think it is unreasonable to have this conversation now that individuals have more power than ever to decide who doesn't get to stay in the spotlight. I think listeners should be asking themselves if the artists (and labels) they're funding with their streams deserve to have their attention or not. I don't think it's a matter of taste, it's a matter of whether we, as a consumer population, should be platforming certain artists or not.

[@oku12]

My mind expands Hip Hop gatekeeping to Black culture in general and that's kinda where you started off and I thought you were going. Because it is true that Yt artists tend to benefit greatly and capitalize off of the "novelty" of being a fish out of water in spaces they are not truly in community with. I feel like the gatekeeping instance is not just a singular entity like a DJ or Radio host but rather a collective effort. But the labor that takes can be taxing to the point of futility so that's where I see your point.

[@riddlorecvemipre]

Even the corporations couldn’t do they get keeping they tried. And rappers took the independent route like Luke in Florida..

[@brainabiding]

Red Alert not Mr Magic 🤙

[@ImpendingRiot83]

20:55 In some cases it was *_literally_* gang shit over it in some parts of Hip Hop’s national scene and MANY parts of Punk’s. Punk in the 80’s was probably some of the most gatekeepy music’s EVER been, and look at the Pop Punk they never stopped and what have you.

[@WillieEarlSon]

I think it’s a fanbase issue, many people brought up post Malone and that whole situation should’ve been handled differently by fans of hip hop. The problem with the fanbase of hip hop is we don’t have fully control over the culture we influence it but that’s it. When rappers still work with these artist, fans still buy merch and tickets; labels arent gonna stop cause we feel a way. I’m all for a variety of rap, flashy, thought provoking, fun, funny, dark, storytelling, etc but i do think people want variety

[@brumfeldo]

Hate to say it but what the CMA is doing to the Beyonce record right now is an example of the kind of gatekeeping that hip hop could do. Stop acknowledging the people who seemed to be vultures It's one thing when it's post Malone and he seems to really respect the culture, we acknowledge him as an artist, and then he turns his back on it... It's another thing when it's tekashi69, he's clearly a clown, he he represents everything wrong with The culture, he's not a good rapper... And hes on every platform and publication, and was actually cut slack by a lot of venerable hip-hop institutions.

[@bobbywyckoff]

great video

[@t4ngo_kilo]

Trying to prevent people from expressing themselves how they want to, is the strangest thing to me. The idea of Gate keeping isnt real, it’s a pointless mind exercise that’s impossible to apply in real life. Essentially gate keeping boils its self down into being a hater. Trying to control what other people like is impossible.

[@Phished123]

I agree with you, like if gatekeeping was a thing, would Em have gotten a chance(em is probably a bad example because he probably would've )? Im a 37 year old white dude who lives in a major metro area of the US, i was 12 years old when Slim Shady came out, i donno if i would even be a hip hop fan now if it wasnt for em, which is a crazy thing to think about for me in the current year. But it went quick for me Em to Dre, Snoop, NWA, by then i was listening to Dipset, The Lox...then I'm getting into the backack thing, Del, De La Soul, etc etc. Gatekeeping sounds good on paper but the unintended consequences is you just end up turning away potential fans. I know so many for example Drake fans, that listen to SO much good rap, they just...like Drake, its fine.

[@KurtCollier]

Ive done plenty of gatekeeping in my world and life- and it is stupid AF. The world changes. Every grandpa ever "did/had it better back in their day" and every culture engages in some stupid shit to preserve features it thinks are important. Gatekeeping is grandpas (in mind and/or body) trying to keep their bag and relevance in a world that is passing them by.

[@1DjJmoney]

15:33🤣🤣🤣🤣👍 Good shit

[@jackietunes]

Gate keeping is a double edge sword, it can be used to keep vultures away but, it's also used by the industry to allow only who they want to see thru. unfortunately the culture was just forming, record company's saw big dollars signs in hip hop, just like they did with rock & roll, Jazz and country, all black music. We? we've been always on defense, Like Prince did, Kendrick Lamar is playing offense on the industry.

[@shiven513]

Mike don’t you dare say your music needs refinement

[@tjbattle7920]

I dont know if i think there needs to be gatekeeping. What i do know is two things. 1. You NEVER here declarations like this in any other form of music. You dont hear Aerosmith telling the world they dont want to be call rock artist. People arent also going to be mad at aerosmith if they did a country song or even a hip hop song. Engaging in those genres doesnt take away from them being rock stars. I think theres a deeper convo that needs to happen about people feeling like our music is the music that they dont want be "trap" 2. We might not need to gatekeep but we do need to stop the disrespect. Our music can't be perceived as something to be used and then thrown away. Gate keeping is simply the action people choose to stop the core problem....disrespect. People cant look at our genre as their stepping stone to legitimacy. Post malone used the look, the genre, the imagery, and even the name of an actual black person to elevate himself and all those things he use got to their level of social consciousness through the method of buulding and hard work. Hip hop wasnt respected, it was shunned and chastised as not real music and clawed through all that rejection to one of the most premium and well known music genres. These vultures couldn't even make it in the genre of music they simping for. They wouldnt even give them a chance.. until hip hop did.

[@DAILYBLUNTATHON]

Its pretty clear that Ebro is misidentifying the definition of gatekeeping to be having any morals and standards whstsoever- and thats just plain false. Period

[@brvalentine1]

1:59 I’ve been saying this for years. As far as music goes “I am not hip”. I’m anti radio and the only new music I’m aware of is the music I listen to. And that music is not on the radio. Every once in a while a Griselda will get a Shady deal or Mach-Hommy descends from his mountain and that makes a little news but other than that most people don’t even know what I’m listening to.

[@you_noah_spot_mhb_stolensound]

If I have learned anything recently ots the amount of ethnocentrism involved in hip hop and that the Soulaani peoples ha e the most imperical evidence to prove hip hop 8s rightfully their legacy and I feel foolishly duped living in NY and hearing the NY centric narritive. Dee Dee Chandlier reated the Drum Kit . That is what gave us breaks for FBA DJ's to rock /sample amd dance to. ❤ Peace. Great channel.

[@you_noah_spot_mhb_stolensound]

Shout out to no auto correct ; my thumbs are doo doo today.

[@JRob1125]

I'll admit, I was pretty strongly in favor of gatekeeping Hip Hop......until this video reminded me of the "dark side" of the good ol days. Lots of bias and outright jealousy made it harder for non East Coast artists

[@emceeunderdogrising]

This all seems very online. Going to underground shows in the Bay Area. There is no gatekeeping. Everyone's chill. I'm happy to see new artists coming through. And it all relates to Bay Area life. Online gatekeeping is lazy keyboard shit. It's not real. None of these obline Hip Hop purists show up to shows. They aren't actually active. When I started there was no gatekeeping. Nerdy kids were going to see Hieroglyphics and becoming friends with members. KRS-One let me get on stage and freestyle with him live.

[@open_mike_eagle]

bay area scene has always been very different than whats happening everywhere else. other scenes were not at all as inclusive and supportive.

[@emceeunderdogrising]

​@@open_mike_eagleLA has a dope scene too. I just saw A.F.R.O. and Myka 9 live. Rhymefest was super successful this year. Appreciate your perspective. I prefer hearing this type of stuff from artists instead of pundits.

[@Newportnews98]

So explain why CMA and rock trying to gate keep Beyoncé or other black artists out but it’s a problem when we do it

[@open_mike_eagle]

​@@Newportnews98Grammys gate kept the hip hop award for years but it didn't stop anyone from listening or being able to tell what was really good. the real question is whether or not the CMAs are able to stop country music fans from listening to Beyonce or not

[@VinnieDangerous]

Its wishful thinking. Hip-Hop is gonna go the way of Rock, Blues and others

[@oldskoolfool141]

I gatekept for the longest time, my thing was merely that those who had no love or interest in the heritage/history had no business being in it, I'd no issue with advancement, that was always what made it thrive and stay relevant, you can take it wherever you want, that's the beauty of it, but I felt like those who shit on it's past were violators, back when I came in it was a given and we had quality control and a collective feeling, songs would self-reference, point back as we moved forward, I felt it a shame that we lost that Having said all that the current me feels different, I now feel Hip Hop didn't even exist, just a name given to a moment in pop art where a confluence of disparate features of the time came together, each 'element' having it's own separate history, I mean what did Melle Mel Flash and all them have to do with PE EPMD era? by then they were totally irrelevant and we were into another time where (just like before) we were celebrating what was around us in (what was then) the here and now

[@open_mike_eagle]

this is a very interesting perspective. im gonna be chewing on that

[@bruceleroy03]

The amount oof ad breaks within 10 minutes is wild

[@benweinstein7140]

And it’s funny how the non-artist taking heads in commercial hip hop think they personally have more influence than they do. No, they have a very limited pallet to share and they’re only in charge of putting a little sugar in the often gross and generic medicine their corporate overlords want rammed into our ears to help dictate consumer decisions. Looking for culture in commercial rap is a waste of time. The artists may be tapped in a little but they’ve been chosen as products and provided a path that is exploitive. Idk maybe I’m being too cynical this morning.

[@tysonsaner2527]

Word.

[@thesandmansohh]

Yooooo I was just saying this!!!

[@futureshocked]

I will say that while I get what Open Mike Eagle is saying, I do have my own point where I at least wonder if we should have done better. I DO wonder what music would have looked like if we did as a community not allow the N word in hip hop. Personally I felt like thatttttttt was when evvvvvverything started to go downhill and quickly. And something like that was not 'on the DJs' that was on us.

[@teamcross1154]

Pimp said this ain't no hip-hop record these country rap tunes

[@Pericles777]

Gatekeeping? You mean breakdancing with the goal post? 😂

[@iancooper1466]

your last video on diddy and now this video both massively miss the forest for the trees. the gatekeeping happens when the rapper rejects the diddy party, or when Aaliyah rejects Quincy Jones and ends up on a certain plane. All these good faith talks of the culture are useless in the face of physical, threatening outside influence

[@realnickshea]

I can't stand when people who don't write raps, don't make beats, make ZERO music at all tell people who can or can't be involved in a culture....

[@ChawletMelk]

They're always no longer hip-hop artists after they've already established some success off the backs of hip-hop

[@AndreAdams-j6n]

Also when 2 Live Crew started to get popular, they wanted them out of here.

[@20xx-mm-dd]

they are gatekeeping Beyonce, so it must be possible

[@jbw8907]

FD sent me here