Whatever happened to...
Anyone remember those shows on VH1 where they had people compete to be the next 'thing' in their particular niche in the industry and some cash?
ego trip's The (White) Rapper Show
and
ego trip's Miss Rap Supreme
While the premise of the shows in and of themselves were novel ideas, one must recall that contestants were marginally talented at best, had rather dumb rap names and to this point have squandered the opportunity that was given them. 10 weeks of exposure on a marginally well-watched show on VH1 for exposure, coaching with people who are on in the industry as well as having overcome the competition of several others on the way through.
In addition to that important element of getting and being on, they also won a little cash for their efforts in having won. $100-150k I think it was, which is decent money when compared to the alternative of having NO exposure OR money.
This goes not to mention that VH1 HAS to be paying these people SOMETHING per-episode to leave their lives and/or jobs for such a long period of their lives, but that is yet an unconfirmed suspicion.
The better question to ask, here is WHY THE HELL NOT?!
Seriously, you were just on television for 2 months solid, were compensated more than you were likely being paid otherwise and -- in the case of the winners -- given 6 figures to jumpstart your career. You mean to tell me you took this exposure, which came with built-in mentoring from MC Serch or MC Serch and Yo-Yo as hosts, as well as their MANY guests they brought along for he challenges that you could go and make nothing of it? You mean you didn't take the pressure that would come with performing live on the street with cameras in front of you, on stage with LEGENDS present, and lastly in front of a club full of people whose minds are already fixed to hate whatever you say, and still excel?
This SHOULD be a show with no "losers," except for Khia, that 'My Neck/My Back' broad who tried to sneak onto the show. Everyone worth their salt should be able to AT LEAST work name recognition to make it into an office somewhere, or finagle an appearance here or there. One would think so, but given that the only thing I have seen from ANYONE from either show since their respective seasons closed was a mixtape that I couldn't be bothered to do more than snicker at as I hit the J button in Google Reader (advance to next, for the record) should mean something, no?
I guess stranger things have happened.
Also, if ego trip -- which seems to be loving being under the VH1 umbrella for all things hip hop for the last few years here -- and VH1 could stand to squeeze a few more dollars out of the situation here, then why have they not done something to make some money for all involved parties, even if it is on some Tall Israeli hustle game, word to Byron Crawford.
They could have been getting some exposure at ONE of the 3 hip hop honors shows to have aired since they "won" their shows.
Instead, no one STILL knows who $hamrock is, and I cannot for the life of me see why Rece Steele had not made better use of her mother (BDP female rapper L.A. Star) and the coattails she could have pulled. I cannot, for the life of me, fathom why it has been 3 years since The (White) Rapper Show and almost 2 since Miss Rap Supreme closed, respectively.
I would be totally bullshitting you, though, if I was to say that this post was not PURELY to draw your attention to just how much bullshit is sold to us wholesale with VH1's "celebreality," all the dating shows and now these shows, NONE of them end with anything of substance.
How many of the dating shows have turned up a relationship that worked?
How many of the rehab shows have turned out a changed individual?
How many of the "[minority in the industry] rapper..." shows has seen an album released?
It seems that the machine has been created to do not much more than to continue the cycle that gives one individual from each of these shows a show of their own, and does so quite consistently at that, what with these "... of love" shows.
Anyway, this ain't about that.
I thought that the key to making a hit at anything requiring any semblance of popularity required that one strike while the iron is hot?
What iron do you know that stays effectively (or comparatively) hot after 3 years?
Exaaaaaaaactly.....
The idea was never to promote or make "the next big white or female rapper," but to make a joke at the expense of all willing to appear earnest in the thought that THEY were that. Dangle the carrot in front of the horse, sweeten the pot with a few bucks and there you have it.
Ratings equals ad revenue, ad revenue makes that $100k at the end -- plus what I will assume is about a grand or 2 a show, split 8 ways at the beginning, then 1 less each week -- for a grand total of about $170k tops for the "contestants" plus some undisclosed amount to the host(s) and it is a big fat profit for all. "Guests" come on and guest for free, as they already have product in the streets to promote. It seems that the joke was on the contestants the whole time and everyone was in on it EXCEPT the contestants, up to and including the winners.
[Phlip note - 'Hallelujah holla back,' anyone? Riiiiight, see how that shit happens?]
At the end of it all, VH1 did their due part in marginalizing both the white AND female rappers' plight in the world, all while fattening their pockets without a terrible amount of cash outlay on their part.
Sometimes when I go to the grocery store, I look for their faces on milk cartons, and my disappointment begins with the realization that they don't even PUT faces on milk cartons anymore.
Not that I would remember what they look like or anything.
ego trip's The (White) Rapper Show
and
ego trip's Miss Rap Supreme
While the premise of the shows in and of themselves were novel ideas, one must recall that contestants were marginally talented at best, had rather dumb rap names and to this point have squandered the opportunity that was given them. 10 weeks of exposure on a marginally well-watched show on VH1 for exposure, coaching with people who are on in the industry as well as having overcome the competition of several others on the way through.
In addition to that important element of getting and being on, they also won a little cash for their efforts in having won. $100-150k I think it was, which is decent money when compared to the alternative of having NO exposure OR money.
This goes not to mention that VH1 HAS to be paying these people SOMETHING per-episode to leave their lives and/or jobs for such a long period of their lives, but that is yet an unconfirmed suspicion.
The better question to ask, here is WHY THE HELL NOT?!
Seriously, you were just on television for 2 months solid, were compensated more than you were likely being paid otherwise and -- in the case of the winners -- given 6 figures to jumpstart your career. You mean to tell me you took this exposure, which came with built-in mentoring from MC Serch or MC Serch and Yo-Yo as hosts, as well as their MANY guests they brought along for he challenges that you could go and make nothing of it? You mean you didn't take the pressure that would come with performing live on the street with cameras in front of you, on stage with LEGENDS present, and lastly in front of a club full of people whose minds are already fixed to hate whatever you say, and still excel?
This SHOULD be a show with no "losers," except for Khia, that 'My Neck/My Back' broad who tried to sneak onto the show. Everyone worth their salt should be able to AT LEAST work name recognition to make it into an office somewhere, or finagle an appearance here or there. One would think so, but given that the only thing I have seen from ANYONE from either show since their respective seasons closed was a mixtape that I couldn't be bothered to do more than snicker at as I hit the J button in Google Reader (advance to next, for the record) should mean something, no?
I guess stranger things have happened.
Also, if ego trip -- which seems to be loving being under the VH1 umbrella for all things hip hop for the last few years here -- and VH1 could stand to squeeze a few more dollars out of the situation here, then why have they not done something to make some money for all involved parties, even if it is on some Tall Israeli hustle game, word to Byron Crawford.
They could have been getting some exposure at ONE of the 3 hip hop honors shows to have aired since they "won" their shows.
Instead, no one STILL knows who $hamrock is, and I cannot for the life of me see why Rece Steele had not made better use of her mother (BDP female rapper L.A. Star) and the coattails she could have pulled. I cannot, for the life of me, fathom why it has been 3 years since The (White) Rapper Show and almost 2 since Miss Rap Supreme closed, respectively.
I would be totally bullshitting you, though, if I was to say that this post was not PURELY to draw your attention to just how much bullshit is sold to us wholesale with VH1's "celebreality," all the dating shows and now these shows, NONE of them end with anything of substance.
How many of the dating shows have turned up a relationship that worked?
How many of the rehab shows have turned out a changed individual?
How many of the "[minority in the industry] rapper..." shows has seen an album released?
It seems that the machine has been created to do not much more than to continue the cycle that gives one individual from each of these shows a show of their own, and does so quite consistently at that, what with these "... of love" shows.
Anyway, this ain't about that.
I thought that the key to making a hit at anything requiring any semblance of popularity required that one strike while the iron is hot?
What iron do you know that stays effectively (or comparatively) hot after 3 years?
Exaaaaaaaactly.....
The idea was never to promote or make "the next big white or female rapper," but to make a joke at the expense of all willing to appear earnest in the thought that THEY were that. Dangle the carrot in front of the horse, sweeten the pot with a few bucks and there you have it.
Ratings equals ad revenue, ad revenue makes that $100k at the end -- plus what I will assume is about a grand or 2 a show, split 8 ways at the beginning, then 1 less each week -- for a grand total of about $170k tops for the "contestants" plus some undisclosed amount to the host(s) and it is a big fat profit for all. "Guests" come on and guest for free, as they already have product in the streets to promote. It seems that the joke was on the contestants the whole time and everyone was in on it EXCEPT the contestants, up to and including the winners.
[Phlip note - 'Hallelujah holla back,' anyone? Riiiiight, see how that shit happens?]
At the end of it all, VH1 did their due part in marginalizing both the white AND female rappers' plight in the world, all while fattening their pockets without a terrible amount of cash outlay on their part.
Sometimes when I go to the grocery store, I look for their faces on milk cartons, and my disappointment begins with the realization that they don't even PUT faces on milk cartons anymore.
Not that I would remember what they look like or anything.
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