WTF Happened to Rap Concerts?

Hip-hop shows as we know it are in crisis. On a weekly basis, it feels like we’re getting more and more stories of shows going off the rails, tours being canceled due to low ticket sales, or artists just straight up canceling their scheduled shows at the drop of a hat. And then when you consider the physical danger of attending a show with the subpar performances that’ve become industry standard, it’s no wonder that even major rappers are struggling to push tickets while others are resorting to heavy ticket discounts.
So, what’s going on with rap live shows and how did we get here?
#Drake #hiphopmadness #hiphop #rap
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Narrated by: Spencer Pearman
Written by: Antonio Johri
Edited by: Roman Bill
Music by: Josh Petruccio
Thumbnail by: Maison ([e-mail])
Business Inquiries: [e-mail]
© HIPHOPMADNESS 2024. All rights reserved

[@alienn8218]

Aight homies. I'm still tryin to check out some good live shows. Yall got like a list of your favorite rappers or musicians I should check out?

[@warpisamuslim]

Kendrick Lammar

[@SikaVutha]

Lil Yatchy

[@nutpeg6915]

If Kanye ever starts touring you know what to do

[@jsmacks11]

Jay Z was one of my best Rap shows. Also Bun B was good.

[@FE0003]

Playboi Carti has some crazy concerts

[@hakeemsesay15]

Not only is concert etiquette atrocious, but the artist themselves are just completely lazy with their performance

[@juswolf22]

The audience is paying to be the artist

[@envyLP333]

Most rappers rap to the MP3 file😂

[@chiarosuburekeni9325]

Exactly. Nobody wants to say this but rappers are the worst when it comes to live performances and I’ve been a fan of hip-hop since like 1990-something. So many artists, even a lot of my favorites, completely phone it in. They don’t rehearse whatsoever, they rap to the completed track instead of the instrumental which is so amateur. Only a few are pros when it comes to performing. The Lox immediately come to mind

[@gintoki_sakata__]

​@@chiarosuburekeni9325Eminem and Travis still put effort in performance

[@painhaus4110]

​@@chiarosuburekeni9325kills me.

[@committedtodd]

I'd argue most rappers have to tour because there's no other way to make money, not because they're passionate entertainers who want to give fans a memorable experience.

[@akondebeat]

Agreed. If, however, the rapper/singer is songwriter or a producer, then they can also make money by producing/writing songs for others.

[@jbsmooth7184]

A good 99.5 percent

[@LimboTheory]

That and getting to these places expands the fan base more

[@alexrivera633]

That is why the majority tour

[@HolDNutz]

@@akondebeat Realistically..how many artists are talented enough to do all that. C'mon man...thats a mute point as very few artists can do all that

[@prawnee9827]

Why would you want to spend $100 plus, seeing a DJ pretending to mix music and a rapper whose vocal is low on a pre-record? People are savvy to it now. It ain’t live music.

[@adp8177]

Exactly. It’s not hard to figure out.

[@impacc4182]

You shouldn’t box all rappers in that, it’s true lots of them do just rap over pre recordings but there’s also some that are amazing live. The ones I’ve seen are J Cole, Kendrick, Jid, Missy Elliot and a couple more you know they actually rap their verse. Kinda sad I’m praising the bare minimum but it just goes to show sum do it for the art rather than a check

[@tim.noonan]

@@impacc4182It’s probably too much to ask of some folks, but one should probably know if an artist is in it for the money or the art before they drop a chunk of change on a ticket to a show.

[@GVonzo]

@@impacc4182Big K.R.I.T. too

[@squibbelsmcjohnson]

Bingo

[@AyoLeem]

Problem is artists now don’t practice performing, what they do in the studio doesn’t correlate to their appearance.

[@DetectiveTrupo203]

I agree. Making good music in a studio and performing a good show are 2 very different things. To be a good performer you have to have stage presence and be able to command a crowd. It's a physically demanding high energy activity. And honestly a lot of these rappers that are pot heads and lean heads are unathletic and out of shape and therefore their show is low energy and boring.

[@SunAndMirror]

they dont practice period

[@romanorleans504]

​@DetectiveTrupo203 i try to keep this in mind when i write shit i have songs now that i havent uploaded that are demanding especially because i smoke but i do practice my breath control to a certain extent

[@romanorleans504]

​@@DetectiveTrupo203oh and by smoke i mean Newports i dont do any drugs

[@kaelthunderhoof5619]

It's because of autotune.

[@TheWutangclan1995]

There’s an episode of Family Guy where Peter and Lois got high on weed performing at a concert. In their mind, they thought they were killing it. But in reality they were screaming and shouting random things. A lot of these new rappers sound exactly that.

[@jiggaman000]

Lol i remember that episode.

[@RedragonReviews]

Lol that was funny lol.

[@mandarins_9194]

😂 that episode was hilarious and yes that is it, but for the females they just throw ass when things get boring 😅

[@romello4913]

😂😂😂😂

[@Jac12]

The Episode of Sunny where The Gang perform at their high school reunion. lol

[@newnamesameperson397]

A lot of concerns feel like low effort karaoke. Most artists sound absolutely nothing like they do on their songs and that's immensely disappointing

[@34_Conflict]

Raw vocals sound radically different from mixed and mastered songs.

[@envyLP333]

​@@34_Conflictthere's live effects to compensate. But rappers don't practice their breath work.

[@ElChumies915]

That's because these new artists actually have no talent it's mostly autotune, then they go live and you hear their true voice.

[@34_Conflict]

@@envyLP333 I honestly had no idea that shit existed outside of auto tune.

[@YUSSUFXVI]

@@34_Conflictnah u can have all the same effects of the mixed song😭😭

[@ej.osei16]

One thing that Yachty said and Tyler touched on recently which I think perfectly describes this new era of music especially in the hip-hop/rap scene and culture is the least popular thing about new artists is their actual music. They’re Internet personalities who happen to make music as part of their overall brand.

[@impacc4182]

Yup they’re not wrong at all; I’ve notice the actual “culture” of hip hop has been so commercialized and that these new fans don’t even care or wanna take the time to respect it. All they care about is internet trends and social presence over the actual music. That’s why these clowns will settle for someone not even rapping their verses and having back track playing the entire time. It’s sad what rap has become truly 🤦🏿‍♂️

[@UrbanNinja123]

There it is

[@thatisntryan]

Every problem in the music industry stems from the fact that labels stopped signing musicians and started signing social media influencers

[@D1Snr]

Musical talent is the last thing they look at. Image and look is the first and most important thing

[@TheEvolver311]

No

[@scumie815]

True.

[@fellapal]

Very well said

[@JohnSmith-fq7hj]

Ok well let's not act like the industry isn't a major part of the problem they killed the music scene with their own greed

[@jaymoney_993]

Another factor, music is not the main source of entertainment anymore for many teenagers, it’s competing with gaming, streaming, social media etc.

[@moxictasculinity]

To be fair even for some of us older kids ,when we were young, music was not a main source of entertainment. Gaming was always a competitor but it’s just that kids have more options these days.

[@fadethechannel]

You named all things they can do from home. Lol they don’t want (or many times need) to leave the house for anything. They can get food, clothes, entertainment etc all with the swipe of a thumb. Convenience is a drug that’s hard to kick.

[@ch66ry88]

@@moxictasculinityyeah but gaming was offline it was by yourself or with friends in the house, but now with the internet everything is at the touch of your finger tips you can be in Australia and vs or become friends with someone from America on games it’s just a whole different beast nowadays

[@agoodgoodproduction864]

I don’t like live shows. Music is the thing that runs in the background during my day. I don’t need a live venue to set the mood on my walk to work.

[@torenjohnson2585]

​@@ch66ry88since like 2000 we been playing counterstrike against Australians.

[@kabr0ne]

Ain't no one paying to hear an MP3 of a song playing while the rapper misses 85% of the lyrics and poses instead

[@CoochiKente]

interesting because people will spend hours on tiktok watching people lip sync

[@gregwoodin5630]

People aren’t paying hundreds of dollars to watch those videos though

[@CoochiKente]

@@gregwoodin5630 yeah you spend time. thats far more valuable. you can always getcha money back.

[@kunpunko]

@@CoochiKenteyeah time is more important in the end but be serious social media has caused everyone to waste their time constantly, people are more worried abt their money lmao

[@valentin3186]

DMX performing in front of like half of earths population is peak hiphop concert

[@Craycrayallday]

The Yeezus tour was one hell of a show. I saw Kendrick open, and eventually during his performance I noticed the entire stage looked like it was covered in huge blankets. As Kanye was about to start, they unveiled the stage and I saw the stage which looked like a huge glacier. That show was amazing, I was iffy on the album at first, but after hearing the album live, I understood it more. Blood on the leaves and hold my liquor brought chills down my spine. That show was amazing, more akin to seeing like a play than your typical concert, between the stage, costume design, dancers.

[@jiggaman000]

I saw Kanye at the St Pablo tour. Great concert experience.

[@GDL364]

Saw Kanye back in the day with the Glow in The Dark tour. Lupe and N.E.R.D opened best show I’ve ever been to. Ye doesn’t disappoint live.

[@natesamadhi33]

@@GDL364 Man...the Glow in the Dark era...such great memories

[@impacc4182]

@@natesamadhi33Yall are SOOOOO lucky to have experienced the glow in the dark tour. From what I heard it was just as innovative and beautiful as his 808s album

[@JulioIsKilluminati]

Caught the Yeezus tour in Dallas during an ice storm. The arena wasn’t filled due to the weather but Ye still put on a great show.

[@NoirNameless]

Combination of things. A lot of new artists don’t really have fanbases, they have listeners. So people won’t show up to their shows, but they’ll listen to their little TikTok viral songs. Artists being late/not showing up to shows soured the experience (happened to me with Travis in Chicago last year). And artists overestimate their reach by booking shows they aren’t big enough for. The concert going experience is also weird now. Why are there mosh pits at a Tems show? Lol. Etiquette has gone out the window. It’s crazy, cause you’re safer at a Slipknot show than a Travis show. So adopts the whole punk show aesthetic, but didn’t understand that there’s unwritten rules. “If someone falls, pick them back up” “if someone’s hurt, help them” etc. bands stay scooping the crowd making sure no one gets hurt and that nothing weird is happening in the crowd. Rappers don’t do that much, I notice.

[@Prodbykayyyso]

No way who was moshing @ a tems show 😭😭

[@impacc4182]

I don’t think it’s fair to box all rappers in that category. I went to see Jid and he was constantly on crowd control making sure everyone was good. I agree with everything else tho about these artist confusing their monthly listeners and instagram followers to actual fanbase and booking out shows they can’t sell. Also punk rock has been a good influence on these shows but like you said they help people in rock but in rap they’ll just keep raging

[@NoirNameless]

@@Prodbykayyyso I swear to god, last year at one of her shows, clips went viral off people in the crowd moshing like a mf. Nbs. Wasn’t even a large venue either.

[@NoirNameless]

@@impacc4182 Well, I’m not really boxing them in the same category. That’s why I said rappers don’t do it much, not that they don’t at all.

[@TraciD512]

Most of their followers ARE FAKE

[@ThoughtOuter]

Both the artists and fans are to blame for the heavy decline. Artists barely practice on their craft or know any breath control performing over playback tracks barely rapping the words and forgetting songs. There's no showmanship or any type of entertainment at all especially with male rappers who are clearly just showing up for the check. Then we have fans who have the shortest attention span nowadays and can't view anything without pulling up their phone and recording it. The lack of respect for the genre of hip hop in general from both sides continues on and on when you have people in the genre disrespecting past greats or saying they don't even like rapping or hip hop they just doing it for a check. Don't get me started on how everyone thinks they are a "GOAT" or a "Trendsetter" nowadays everyone apparently started something and wants credit and respect for it. Just some of the many heavy drawbacks of Hip Hop becoming so mainstream now

[@painhaus4110]

Cant even keep up with their own raps. 😤😨

[@impacc4182]

There is nothing wrong with recording a moment you goof😂but I agree with everything else

[@jovanreid6782]

​​@@impacc4182 There is also nothing wrong with living in the moment. What would you have possibly done at a concert in the days before Smartphones? Oh I don't know.... Actually watch it?

[@impacc4182]

@@jovanreid6782 Technological evolves and has drastically changed our way of life for the better. What would you do before you could call a person in seconds? Oh I don’t mail it and take days to get the message lol pipe down. I’m not about to be ashamed for a recording a moment that my grandkids can now watch goofball

[@jovanreid6782]

@@impacc4182 What would I do before I could call a person in seconds? lol You know, I was born in 1981, so I spent a fair share of my life doing just that, back when people didn't spend their every waking moment on social media therefore it wasn't crucial to have to get hold of everyone at anytime for any and every reason. And I remember we did perfectly okay. Technological advances are meant to make life easier, sure, but the new generation has taken things much further than that. Life simply isn't experienced anymore. That's all I'm saying. If you get defensive from hearing that, then perhaps that's because you're precisely the person Jack White or Dave Chappelle has in mind when they ban cell phones at venues they perform.

[@Brandon-yg7mw]

Biggie looking 30 in the video of him freestyling at 17😂😂

[@mistimae2741]

😂😂😂

[@ShaneGillisownedSchulz]

That’s how it was back then tho. Everyone in my mom’s high school yearbook looks 30, it’s pretty weird

[@angelicsoulz]

Growing up in the hood in the 80s was hard.

[@Dmaj089]

​@@ShaneGillisownedSchulzThink it's due to the lifestyle and environment he's been through

[@Dmaj089]

​@@angelicsoulzexactly

[@bertog8080]

Literally 90% of rappers just use backing track and that’s it. It’s essentially an expensive karaoke night. Shii I mean I’ve seen some concerts where the rapper will only sing the adlibs

[@paixao26]

Kodak black and nle choppa Just dance 😂

[@SUBKOLOR]

Probably a lot to be said about how the come up works these days. You used to get noticed for your live performance and following. Now you're chosen for your virality and online following. There was never a need for the artist to learn how to perform outside of the studio and watching them learn how to figure out what a live audience wants is crushing them. Give us a reason to see live music! Even DJ sets are more popular and engaging than live hip hop on the main stage. Wild.

[@Toastfacekillah87]

Its the phones for me. The damn phones!!! Put them away 😡😡😡

[@ahoo179]

Old nga

[@imhim830]

They want to record the experience

[@Xiiiiky2H]

@@imhim830 and then to never watch it again bcs they alrdy recorded their whole life

[@Kryxx07]

Yup. The sea of phones is the saddest thing. Just live in the moment, not through a screen, for once in your f'in life. And yeah, like @Xiiiiky2H said, most people will never watch that video. I've watched people come across their favorite artist performing in the street. They are 5 feet away from them and don't even look at the artist; they're staring through their phone. It truly makes me sad. You could have had a genuine experince, but instead look like a total muppet head down, staring at a tiny screen, instead of the real thing standing right before you.

[@ahoo179]

This is cringe af

[@trebworld]

Missy & Busta just finished their tour yesterday, shit was the greatest rap show I’d ever seen and there was none of this foolishness!

[@ValidPointsMade]

Came looking for this concert. Missy n Busta should go into history as the best rap concert performers of all time

[@varga4488]

Ya but it’s not 2000 anymore unc

[@tripled153]

Came here to cosign this. Missy, Busta and Ciara killed it in Toronto. Can't believe this was MIssy's first tour. None of these new acts have stage presence. These 3 legends could teach these folk a thing or too.

[@trebworld]

@@varga4488 clearly.

[@friday4557]

They have real fans and came up in the 90s when there was artist development. If you couldn't rock a show your ass wasn't getting signed.

[@opmallmoneyin]

Kendrick big stepper tour in Vegas was a great show. The tickets wasn’t too expensive. Definitely got my money’s worth

[@liljay3006]

Befor the Travis Scott Incident I always wanted to go one of his concert I’m good off that now😂😂😂

[@romankotas448]

I went to one after that, it was fun

[@OrangeJungle]

Same I was actually at astroworld when it happened and I used to like to go to rap concerts to mosh and shit but now I don’t really fw the hype stuff anymore rather go see Earl sweatshirt or someone who really raps and has a chill fan base

[@Jordan-u2x]

Nah your loss. Rome was fire last year

[@junyaiwase]

@@Jordan-u2xdefinitely not loss of life that’s for sure lmao

[@vaux20012001]

Yet almost 30yrs of the gathering manages to keep the concert casualties at 0 🤔

[@SIKICIBIRKANAL]

I'm not an old-head, i like modern music more, but whenever i come across a 2Pac concert footage on the internet almost everytime i see him singing the whole song without backup vocals while screaming and jumping across the stage without losing his voice, i get sad... Why *most* mdoern artists can't have the same energy?

[@angelicsoulz]

They don't love hip-hop like we did back then, they just love the money and clout.

[@stellviahohenheim]

The performance goes down in quality but the ticket price goes up

[@LynnHermione]

Many are lazy but I think the cynicism and cringe culture of today makes sincere enthusiasm feel "uncool" for some people

[@TheNinjapancake14]

Tupac is more famous today than he was when he was alive. A lot of smaller artists with that real talent just aren’t hyped up as much

[@mandalaqueen828]

The problem is people get real famous real quick and they don’t come up doing shows so they can’t really handle that massive crowd when it comes. People shouldn’t hype artists so quickly they need to grow with time and develop doing bigger and bigger shows or obviously they aren’t gonna know what to do in that situation. Mainstream labels are making artists seem popular when they aren’t as well. I don’t think most fans would want to hear most of the music we have to listen to that labels think we want. The culture sucks let alone the performances

[@Matt-yj1lz]

Alot of people don't care to see someone lip synch their songs stage

[@itsannapop]

Small correction on the thumbnail, ice spice is twerking like this 😐 on stage these days

[@skatemo100]

The problem is the vast majority of people at concerts are casuals and not actual fans of the art. Also 90% of rappers suck with live performances.

[@ahoo179]

🤓 🤓 🤓

[@user-gd8ib3hv7e]

@@ahoo179 Can you give an actual logical explanation of your opinion instead of being braindead and sending a nerd emoji with no context?

[@ahoo179]

@@user-gd8ib3hv7e ermmm actually! The fact that I am the only person who's a real music enthusiast! Most people these days doesn't even listen to real music!

[@philipbanks2462]

Yes! This is why as a millennial I know the best rap shows are the 90% gen x concerts. Get a room full of 45-50 year olds to attend a rap show that's a room full of deeply passionate fans

[@ahoo179]

@@skatemo100 this shit got to be satire

[@CLJasonX]

The problem is that many artists today did not grow up as performers. Artists back in the day became famous by performing for different crowds in their towns before blowing up. Today, they blow up from one viral video and can't move a single crowd

[@PhilHug1]

2:57 I pray that another man never carries me off like that 😂

[@autonomous8108]

He really just accepted it and let him carry him away like a 7 year old kid, too 😂😂

[@ChrisJoestarr]

That's what u get when majority of the new "rappers" do not even know how to rap, let alone perform live.

[@baileyayyy5085]

people who don't listen to underground artists and claiming to know what "most new rappers" do name a more iconic duo

[@tayj1008]

That Metro x Future show was $250 plus the fees PER TICKET

[@Ryan-tb6mr]

Thought it was lame, but tbh, I got dragged there. Maybe Im bias 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@Kryxx07]

That's crazy. I saw the greatest freestyler of all time do a 100% improvised show for $25 a ticket.

[@prettyboyswagger]

Going to a DJ Khaled live show is insane ngl like what's he even going to do

[@willydynamite9806]

Well, Definitely not rap.

[@JEFFMAN90]

Probably screaming We The Best

[@user-cp9id1mj8b]

He's going to bring out the lobster

[@nini1986]

😂😂​@@user-cp9id1mj8b

[@killagilla24]

I will never pay these exorbitant prices. Dont let em rob you people.

[@gravymuztache8108]

Uhhhhh it’s been this way for over a decade. Sincerely, a 34-year old avid concert goer. Hip hop as a genre harbors the most cynical and money-over-everything artists. It’s no wonder the shows reflect that. Still, there are always notable exceptions like Kendrick, Kanye (sometimes), Jay Z and many others. But the artistry that this genre cultivates tends to be mostly kept to the studio. Oh, and the fans are the WORST. More aggressive than metal shows. Less fired up than punk shows. It’s sad and cheap and the fans are cheapened by it.

[@user-tt1hx2nm4p]

That's yo people

[@LynnHermione]

I would NEVER be a fan of someone whom I have a suspicion may not give 100% on stage. I am a ballerina and theatre performer and it has been drilled into my head since childhood that EVERY AUDIENCE deserves your all!

[@MXRX]

nah fr, im taking out time to train specific skills to build a good performance. they making it easier for most rap artist

[@AikiraBeats]

Tinashe has one of the best performances concert wise. She’s still one of my favorite performers that I try to see at least once a year. Because you never know what she’ll do.

[@west.undercover]

i swear a cultural shift is happening since the drake vs kendrick beef and im loving every single moment of it. its time to kick out the bad artists that keep diluting the genre/ culture and replace them with talented individuals.

[@deelee6080]

Yes I swear you’re right don’t know what these labels be thinking about anyway. If I was a ceo you gone show me your stage presence. You gone show me your business skills and you gone most importantly show me your drive and talent before I sign you. You’re not gone get sign for just followers. That doesn’t tell the whole story. A label can take a talented person and make them popular. With a hit song. If they promote them right.

[@yeezystreetteam]

low effort artists get low effort fans.

[@doogieFive-Four]

0:17 that Kid Cudi clip is unintentionally funny 😂 whoever threw that was petty AF

[@Epsteindidinfactkillhimself]

He’s a bum😂😂😂 get off stage🤣🤣🤣

[@mlbjmaur]

It used to piss me off lol now I just laugh😂

[@joshuaconniff7712]

Bro walked off like an angry toddler

[@Hains22]

I cannot stop laughing at that DJ Khalid clip😂

[@Lexx1192]

So embarrassing!!!

[@Toastfacekillah87]

I went to see one of Roy Ayers' last gigs before he chilled out in 2023 due to old age and at 82 he had more energy and passion for his craft than a lot of young artists these days. Even though he was limited as to what he could do (he old) he definitely got the crowd moving. A lot of these kids need to learn from the elders regarding how to put on a show.

[@Hersheydimples]

WE'RE IN A RECESSION

[@jesserobinson749]

Taylor swift concerts cause earthquakes and noise complaints from miles away. Every show. Everywhere. Nas was right when he said Hip Hop is dead.

[@elsongs]

Most of the early '90s was in a recession, and yet, some of the greatest hip-hop ever made came out of that era.

[@mandarins_9194]

Simple: lack of true talent, stage prescence, and actual pride in putting on an amazing show! BUT: DOJA IS KILLING IT single handedly ❤🎉😊

[@willydynamite9806]

Pffft muahahahahahahahahaha doja hahahahahahahahahah lmfao hahahahahahaha

[@willydynamite9806]

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahaha

[@honourrolle]

Long story short, if you boring we ain’t spending our money.

[@morbid1.]

I'm a metalhead... and honestly never seen anyone throwing stuff at the artists on stage during any metal concerts.

[@kbrown3787]

why do metalheads always end up the comments of hip hop discussions trying to show their superiority? Are you looking for something?

[@juniorbatchy9501]

Above all, it's the death of MCs at a certain level of the mainstream

[@Jamaal.R.]

10/10 thumbnail

[@khotsodirane600]

8:12 😭 that DJ KHALED clip

[@jovanreid6782]

That makes my day LOL 😂

[@hiddeninsorrow]

But he don't rap, so... Ppl might come to see tpain more than him

[@Eternal420ninja]

I’ll never forget seeing ski mask the slump god at grey day 2022, he was second to last on the set, did a 15 min set that was half juice and XXX songs, and he couldn’t rap a full bar at all and pretty much just yell ad libs the whole time… smh

[@DEMON-GLOCK-NINE]

I went to a G-Dragon concert at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn back in 2018 . That experience made me realize just how much I hate concert culture .

[@vanhalenman60]

man i saw onyx, RA the rugged man, and harrd luck. that was one hell of a show man, small venue but they killed it.

[@johnred5267]

Here’s something I can personally say about the Cudi concert in Miami. He replaced Kanye that night bc he dropped out last minute, but Cudi performed brand new songs nobody knew and didn’t play any classics. So on top of people already being mad ab Kanye and that beef, the set was terrible

[@BrandNameLess]

i can't even think of a handful of rappers whose performancees are actually worth seeing for free.

[@Kryxx07]

Find better rappers.

[@gilmeaguitar]

As (primarily) a metal head - from normally priced tickets (for mid to small bands), necessities at venues included (toilets, bar), safety, a sense of unity, normal merch prices, friendly chats with bands after the show etc. most of this feels really like the opposite side of the specter... (although metal has it's share of issues regarding artists but not nearly as shown here) Props to all artists that live for the live show - no matter what genre they play.

[@angelicsoulz]

Hip-hoppers and metalheads always had a mutual respect for each other 👊🏾

[@nondescriptcat5620]

since metal has always been underground, Metalheads really feel like a community. especially with the extreme subgenres, if you put in the time to research bands and get into it, you're _passionate_ about the scene, and you look out for your brothers and sisters. and yea, i could see Opeth for $50, or Morbid Angel *AND* Suffocation for $36.

[@NinoBrown212]

Black man here. The whole current culture (including the style, music 🎵, slang lingo and clothes) is trash. It's like we're in a flushed toilet 🚽, just circling the drain. I'm good. I'll pass. No thanks. I'll go back to listening to old-school rap

[@Toastfacekillah87]

A lot of gigs I've been to they're white as hell. Rappers are basically repeating the N word to a load of white kids who don't understand the culture.

[@alexpascal5403]

white girl here. who tf cares if your a black.

[@elsongs]

Hip-Hop needs its own "Rockabilly" type movement. Back in the late '70s-early '80s Rockabilly culture brought back 1950s-style rock & roll sounds and aesthetics. Pop culture had "Happy Days" and "Grease" and bands like The Stray Cats brought back '50s-style rock n roll to an '80s audience. Hip-hop needs to do something similar with bringing back '70s-'80s-'90s sensibilities. When people had talent. When people had FUN. Whatever happened to the Four Elements of Hip-Hop? We had B-Boying in the f'ing Olympics, but no hip-hop artist today does anything remotely resembling that. Most hip-hop acts today don't even have a DJ. Graffiti culture is still strong, but it's pretty much its own thing now. Only one of the elements still remain, and most MCs are pretty weak.

[@hazeydaze5718]

Ayoo...this is a Kpop/Rap problem...I swear they know what we want, & want to overcharge us. I saw Wiz Khalifa for 18$ at a small venue, performing Kush & OJ, I met K. Dot for 150$ & saw Got7 & Twice for 90$ at Tier 1. Now, I'm really picky about what concert I want to attend...

[@JoYiSgUiTaR]

I’m Mexican-American. I love Rap, I truly do, but I’ve been going to almost exclusively Mexican concert, specifically Corridos Tumbados concert, because they actually use live instruments, and display vocal talent by singing

[@MadCaril]

Number 1, modern Rap artists dont even look like rappers. They certainly don't act like one either, as they dance and act like teenagers doing trendy dances and moves. 2- Their music is mostly crap. 3- There is no difference between one rapper and another. Few years ago, each rapper had their own distinctive style which got people interested and made them relatable. 4 - The show itself focuses more on special effects than the music itself and if it's a female rapper, then it becomes a stripper show.

[@BENZ-GVEVO]

Industry’s want followers instead of talent 🤷🏽‍♂️ ….

[@deadmanthehekatonkheire994]

It would have been less funny if Khaled had just kept continuously performing, instead of having brief pauses where he expected people to sing along only to be met wit complete and utter silence.🤣😂🤣 They did him wrong, though, *EVERYONE* knows that song.

[@O.T.M.Steezo]

Because he is just a glorified hype man he don't even write verses and all the songs he be on are features. Dj Khaled is a culture vulture that never even spun a vinyl record.

[@willydynamite9806]

So he wants people to sing along to a song he doesn't sing in. He did himself wrong.

[@domaniquematthewz7413]

If artists had showmanship, people will spend their money & show respect. Seeing Missy this month on her scheduled tour proved that to me. I spent 200 & felt like I underpaid, that’s how you do a show!

[@KennyChika]

Oh yeah, this is a GREAT discussion topic

[@SYE149]

Gunna a good example of care for ur concerts he played like 55 bangers no back track costumes dope set designs fan engagement and putting forth 100% energy his show was so 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@Tswazy2]

Yeah that Madison square garden concert was so good and he sold it out as well

[@O.T.M.Steezo]

Gunna issa 🐀

[@Scamp2x]

Hip hop as a whole is going through a massive change. You can’t get away with that lazy shit anymore. The fans are starting to notice the patterns and habits of artists and want something to new. Whoever doesn’t change will be left behind as we go into this new era and new world order

[@terey13]

we all said #AMEN to this truth

[@duduman05]

That Khalid clip was kind of funny though

[@danielg.w5733]

This is why i like rock concerts. the Bands always bring it

[@AnthonyWilliams_83]

I think some of these artist need to be more realistic about the venue size. It’s okay to perform at smaller venues. Everybody ain’t arena or stadium artist.

[@nondescriptcat5620]

theaters are the best venues anyway. better acoustics, more intimate vibe, and actually _designed_ to put on shows.

[@davidluna7237]

That’s why I don’t go to smaller shows, I only see goats. From fights breaking out , no sure seating, and big ass fees. I’ve seen Lil Wayne, Kendrick twice, J Cole for rap shows

[@L1LZam]

Literally only hip hop concert I want to go to now is Cypress Hill those guys seem like they care about their fans & put on a good show other than that I'm tired of buying tickets for the rapper to just stand there with no energy after showing up late or not even to showing up at all.

[@beefy45]

It’s all about the fan base. Atmosphere tours non stop and sell out every show. They stick to venues they know they can sell out and keep touring cosets low.

[@TEFFTPATTERN]

This is out of place here, but I like different forms of music. One of the bands I grew up on was Dave Matthews Band. I’ve been to many of their shows, and hopefully many more to come. His tickets have been a cool $40 for lawn seats in my area for years and years. They go on stage on time, and they play for 3+ hours every single show. They also jam out their songs, extending them sometimes to 15+ minutes, and you get to see something unique on the spot, only for those who are in the crowd that night. Then they do an encore and play another 2-3 songs after the show. It’s hard to drop over $100 for a lackluster hour long performance after I got used to the quality of DMB shows. I wish more artists cared that much about their fans.

[@kiddvandal91]

Got to see The Roots live a few weeks back in the UK and legitimately one of the best shows I've ever seen. Sometimes you just know from some people's music they can't do a proper show ever.

[@asavelakuse6865]

Travis Kendrick Drake Nicki J Cole Taylor Swift Carti Uzi 50 Cent recently Kanye Chris Brown Also Tyler and Gambino All of them have proven that you can sell out shows the kicker is to make sure they are memorible to the people coming to the shows. Even with his loss at the rap beef Drake's recent tour was largely a successful one with most venues sold out. For Future and Metro to have two number one albums and a large fan base to not sell out in weeks and go into two months with shows cancelled tells me that you can be big and talented but you need to make shit worthwhile for people

[@Impurplie]

Yeah by being a bad person

[@asavelakuse6865]

@@Impurplie Nobody's perfect plus the Astroworld incident was due to bad planning on all sides can't solely blame Travis for it he did say he only found out about the crowd crush at the after party so the stage team fucked up on that part

[@leew5647]

Future and Metro shows were sold out and I went to the one Atlanta, about 20,000 people in the building if not more

[@starbeam4000]

@@leew5647yeah but I don’t think the tour was doing that well in less big market cities. Future is bigger than JAYZ in atl lmao

[@leew5647]

@@starbeam4000 As far as I know they didn’t have problems selling tickets and all venues looked pretty packed

[@nightshade3782]

I still can't stop laughing when I think about 21 Savage performing on Open'er Festival in Poland and thinking it was a great idea to not even try to rap but instead rely on audience to rap for him lol not to mention audience wasn't interested in that so it was hilarious

[@orlandowright2323]

I've only been to two concerts in my life (The Weeknd's "Starboy" and Lecrae's "All Things Work Together" tours) back in 2017. Both were great experiences. Reasons why I don't go to concerts now are because the prices are way too high, the crowds are either very rowdy or lackluster and alot of the newer artist are terrible at performing live. Also of note is the fact that for hip hop concerts and festivals, there tends to be this uneasiness of potential drama or violence. I'd rather just watch a show on a livestream for convienience sake.

[@raimesey]

Tickets are much more expensive now due to the lack of album sales due to streaming. This mean that the artist has to give you a performance worthy of the price tag and by the looks of these shows, that doesn’t seem to be happening.

[@mindyourbusiness1934]

Compromising quality for commercial appeal is finally catching up to Hip Hop. It's about time for a reset.

[@khulekanimagubane9153]

I don't want this to sound like a "back in my day" diatribe, but I feel like the dynamics behind poor-quality live shows are pretty clear. It's not lost on me that the great artists of past generations had live performances as a rite of passage on the way to becoming artists. Ray Charles had to rock a long list of shows before he could even step into a recording studio and as a result, he was a complete artist both in the booth and on the stage. Today, recording studios are so accessible that artists can have multiple projects before they ever hit the stage. If you skip critical steps in your holistic development as an artist, it will show.

[@gone8792]

That khaled clip is PAINFUL

[@CruelSMBA]

Switching from rap concerts to raves and rock shows changed my whole view on live shows lol

[@imaniblack]

So it’s just like most things in life…the ones going above and beyond and who are committed are winning.

[@davidbrown4540]

Old Head here. I'm 55. And also a rock fan. Two things I would like to share: 1. I actually don't think Hip-Hop is best heard live. Sure, there's the Roots. And the Nas / Wu-Tang double bill was sensational. But hip-hop never sounds better to me than when it's in the club or some dope speakers in your car. The massive trebel that many concerts use can often RUIN the sound. 2. Too many of this new generation (as you showed) simply do not care. They don't have high ambitions for the future. There's Travis, Kanye and Drake, who DO have vision to soar higher. But everyone else? They are just looking to take the money and run and get $100K to buy their chains or whatever. And they readily express their lack of giving a s--- in their music. Why would I spend money on some dudes just running around on stage for 45 mins? If I'm a rapper who is taking this seriously, I'm starting out in clubs to a) keeping expectations in check and b) use the intimate venue to do interacts with fans and let them know I'm dedicated. And then brick by brick, year after year, I'm hopefully dropping heat and building up to those arenas and such. Just my 2c

[@nickcooper4265]

There’s not been really any new hip hop artist making waves. Just look at the stuff the industry try’s to push, it just don’t hit. And the shows reflect that. The real fans want quality music, not no tiktoc crap. Artist with good music have a core audience and have no problem selling out shows.

[@Endlesszestg0d]

One problem with rappers is that they think they can sell out arenas. They are maybe 5 rappers who can do that

[@Akirasloss]

Trav gives his all every show Quality performances

[@BudJr]

If you’re talented enough to give great live performances, your fans are loyal, and love you enough, they WILL come to concerts to support you. The environment, or price won’t matter.

[@Lowkey420]

I said it once and I’ll say it again, but concerts are supposed to be an immersive experience. I’m not paying to go watch somebody do lazy karaoke, I can do that at home

[@wrongsnowboard4356]

Almost none of the artists mentioned are hip hop artists. Dumpster music, that’s why these concerts are broken

[@darren223]

Ain't that Zendaya on the thumbnail from Challengers?

[@ryanlamborghini1]

It’s worth mentioning that a lot of the newer artists don’t actually have their own fan bases. New artists get a co sign from a bigger artist, and then the fans cross over to streaming the new artist. That doesn’t mean they are DEDICATED fans though, and the dedicated fans are the ones who are gonna spend hundreds on a concert tickets. Perfect example is Nicki and all of the female rappers she has co signed. All of the top female rappers out right now at some point had a Nicki co sign which undoubtedly was the catalyst to many of their careers. Doja Cat is the only artist to go head to head with Nicki in terms of sold out arena tours - but Pink Friday 2 World Tour is already top 10 most successful hip hop tours of all time and it’s still not over. Not to mention that the crowd at her shows are NOTHING like that of Travis Scott’s in terms of inconsiderate audience members

[@Jorda5s]

I went to a 4batz concert in chicago last month I like his style but the show was trash. First time I left early at a concert. He was mostly singing over the whole track which I didnt mind but then he started playing other artists songs while he was being thirsty on stage having girls come up to twerk on him. I guess it was hype for the females but then he started playing we belong together by mariah carey and went off stage so I didnt know if he was done performing or what so I left to find out he had 4 more songs. IDK live performances aint what they used to be. I used to like going to live shows over vacations but maybe its not for me anymore.

[@Tigercam24]

Respectfully, did you honestly expect a much higher quality show from 4Batz or was it a "our expectations were low but holy shit" type of thing?

[@smokinnplatez1426]

Rap cant compete with a live band

[@marcusrose5943]

Some rap with live band examples the Roots

[@Omniryu]

I think, the biggest problem is all these new people who are trying to skip steps for the sake of making money. I keep seeing all these canceled arena tours and my first thought is "Why tf were they even doing an arena tour in the first place?" Got people who barely have an album out doing arena tours and they don't even have enough music to make going to a concert worth it. Most of em still need to be opening for people and doing festivals.

[@adamlannerd1408]

Meanwhile the Death metal shows I go to are nothing but super friendly and affordable.

[@nondescriptcat5620]

yea tickets for Morbid Angel and Suffocation are $36, and i'll probably meet at least one of the bands just chilling in the audience between sets. did meet Suffocation years ago at a show with Behemoth and Cattle Decapitation. very cool guys.

[@bigdukethestank]

Everything you talked about is about mainstream acts. Underground rap is at its peak, yall need to dig a lil deeper and find some locals to support😊

[@AlwayzFresh]

I moved away from listening to hip hip around 2017. I didn't like the sound of anything new, and in fact disliked the new sound with all the auto tune garbage. I was all about hip hop, and now it's been over 3 years since I listened to anything remotely new. I still love the old tracklists, but new hip hop kinda sucks. I don't even hear any rap on the radio anymore. It used to permeate even "normie" radio stations. Been years since I heard a hip hop track on an average radio station. It's not just hip hop alone though, all genres other than country are void of big popular artists not named Taylor Swift.

[@rage4shot317]

There is lots of good hip hop being made nowadays. You just have to find it and most of it doesn’t exist on mainstream radio.

[@deepfriedokra]

@@rage4shot317I agree but it takes so much work to find. Even hiphop publications and websites are geared toward mainstream garbage. When I was younger we just had to buy a copy of The Source or Rap Pages or some other magazine or just listen to college radio and underground radio stations or watch The Box, BET Rap City or Yo MTV Raps to find the good stuff. I have found good stuff now but it took me years of digging to do. Once I did the algorithms helped me find more but it wasn’t easy. The discovery mechanism for good underground rap is harder than it’s ever been.

[@kimzziereenee1638]

@@rage4shot317Yep! I hate a lot of peeps are being influenced by corporate manipulation. There is plenty of GREAT rap music out here.

[@angelicsoulz]

​@rage4shot317 Yessir. Termanology & Paul Wall did a great album together in '23, Vel The Wonder Nina album was awesome, Nuglife keeps dropping heat, Logic, Kota The Friend, and Blu putting out great music. Real hip-hop is still alive.

[@rage4shot317]

@@angelicsoulz Not to mention Common, Rapsody, Lupe Fiasco, Mach Hommy, Ghostface Killah, Mickey Diamond, and Boldy James all dropped phenomenal projects this year too. Like I said, hip hop is alive and well. There is a world of good music out there just waiting to be discovered.

[@RedragonReviews]

I was wondering when someone would ever discuss this. Now ima get into this video to see if its what i been talking about years ago

[@Pthalogrammaton]

We don’t need concerts in 2024. All we need are tiny desk, colors and those outside performances rappers been doing

[@rabbitherochlo]

doja cat’s scarlet tour was probably the best concert i’ve been to in a while! her entire show was like a classic horror movie. then you had ice spice opening for her and the crowd only cheered when she was shaking butt.. 😆 just horrendous lol

[@ANIMALWITHART]

I really like the thumbnail to this

[@hiphopmadness]

Thanks 🙏

[@JimmySlick]

Kendrick Lamar album tours have always been the absolute best thus far in hip hop history. Actually rapping, themed, amazing dancing and on top of that amazing fam base! Chefs kiss