LOL this video is wrong on so many levels when talking about music. Trying to make great art is being a try-hard? Just compare pop music before and after autotune was invented. That's why you don't have musicians anymore but "recording artists" and most of those "recording artists" couldn't give less of a shit about the music itself or learning the craft, they just want to become public figures and be famous, no love for the art. I mean, come on. Call me pretentious and snobby all you like but It's amazing how people who aren't directly involved with music can't grasp this simple concept.
its funny because "substance" is subjective. some people would argue that rap as a whole has no substance, or that music as a whole since the 70s ..... or american culture as a whole ... its crazy, in the end we just gotta be careful what we listen to... we have to choose wisely what we want to program ourselves with ....
@@GreatBurningNullifierlook, I agree, you should try hard when making great art. I think his point is great art comes from within you, an honest and vulnerable place. You try too hard, it won’t work. Has to be real. That’s why I hate pop music, because nobody is writing their own music, own experiences, own words
I wouldn't consider lil pump as being dumb. Lil pump is in a era where he capitalize off the dumb. In the dope era, lil pump would be considered stupid if he was making dumb music,where only dope shit sell. So called intelligent rappers would be consider not wise in this dumb it down era.
Lil Pump is literally one of the best Media marketers of all time. Regardless of you liking his music or not, 99% of modern rappers are complete trash. Difference is he capitalized and prospers unlike a lot of celebs from the 2010’s that don’t have anything compared to the era of their one hit song. And that money dried out a long time ago. I would even say lil pump is one of the most influential rappers of all time since he dumbed the sound so much that he basically showed everyone how to structure hit songs and inspired this current generation to pic up a mic and software. Ppl just hate for no reason and it’s mainly because his sound was so easy to replicate he indirectly spawned a tsunami of clones that made his sound unlistenable. Same thing happened to lil yachty with bubble gum trap 1yr before pump and it also happened with JuiceWRLD and xxxtentacion. If those rappers woulda been alive today ppl would say they’re complete trash 🚮 cause of all the knock-offs that spawned. Same thing is happening to Playboi Carti, even if u don’t agree. In two years time all this praise and stardom is gonna fade into nothing and all the clones he has are gonna b forgotten. The cycle 🔁 will continue. It literally has happened with every rapper with a unique sound including 50 cent.
I just hate people who are so blatantly unaware of how “dumbed down” the world is. Like they don’t realize they’re being pandered too so they treat these figures like the greatest human beings to ever exist when they don’t even realize that person was completely different before they realized what they had to do to win the public opinion. Cough cough politics
Same. It's frustrating to see how people blindly follow leaders and at the same time, I understand because these people in power achieve their goal of manipulating their audience. It's a vicious cycle that even I fall victim to. I think people need to realize that these celebrities, politicians, philosophers, etc. are all human which have their own agendas and biases they adhere to.
I agree with you to an extent, although I feel with this type of mindset it’s easy to fall into the radical conspiracy theory “everyone is stupid except for me” thing he even talked about in the video. there’s a very small grey area between being aware of the lack of depth in popular things and thinking you are better than everyone for being aware of that fact. Also I’m not sure why you would hate people who don’t realize that, not everyone wants or needs to be “enlightened”, i’m sure they’re just as intelligent as you and me and content with their lives
Kendrick said he always wanted to make an album like TPAB, he just couldn't because he needed to build his career before, and he was afraid to drop a project that's so experimental and non-trendy. That's how you got GKMC, he is well aware that the albums popularity is carried by the beat slapping, yet he still managed to use that as a platform to say something significant. If GKMC is the result of dumbing down, that's all the proof you need to realize that it doesn't have to come at the cost of your quality.
@@Gabriel-lk9hk I'm not going to type out Good Kid M.A.A.D City or To Pimp A Butterfly every time. Big majority of people understand the acronym (the word you were looking for) and what the fuck it got to do with being deep
@@Gabriel-lk9hk You're the only one who doesn't understand those acronyms. Your hands work, considering you were able to write this comment, so use them to google real quick you lazy bum. If you really cared what he was saying, you would have spent 15 seconds looking up TPAB and GKMC. We all know you're really in here to start shit though.
@@Gabriel-lk9hk you new to the internet pal? Acronyms are a huge part of internet communication, and as far as they go, GKMC and TPAB are some of the most reasonable ones.
Cole even mentioned the “accessibility,” factor in his LA Leakers freestyle, referring to himself, saying “who gave the world more fire but got less reward? no stress, my only guess is that less is more.” This line means that although he spits deep bars, it goes unappreciated, so chooses to do less to get the attention of the mainstream.
Bruh Cole and kendrick are nothing special they have the exact same opinions as their overloards. It's obvious when you read along to the albums while you listen to them. All those "deep" bars are really just opinions they heard from people much more in tune with the social engineering agenda they unknowingly or knowingly spit in their music.
@@a14567 it's almost as if people share opinions and sometimes tend to agree with each other. I also assume that when talking about the "social engineering agenda" you're just referring to leftism, which in this case is pretty ignorant. Most of the American population shares their sentiments, even if they may disagree with some of their nuances on it
The more we dumb things down, the less nuance and understanding there is, which can be damning in complex important issues - especially politics & law. In turn, society becomes complacent with not needing "the full picture" and just a quick summary, again taking away important details and information. By doing this it's easier to cause misinformation & disinformation as people try to fill in the blanks uneducated. This is essentially a plotline of the film Idiocracy. We started it by voting for someone you'd prefer to relate to (have a beer with) instead someone who is qualified to run the country with the best interests of the people.
@@lyndsonvortex4870 One of those issues is people overestimate their level of expertise. And they feel informed to make choices they probably shouldn't.
True, but you also can't expect everyone to understand the nuanced picture when they don't have the time/aren't interested in it. In a better world we will have systems that will make sure that only people who are educated on topics would be allowed to vote on them, but for now we have to use our current, simplified system because there's no one smart or able enough to come up with a good substitute and there's no public to back it up
Lupe honestly has the best perspective on this, at least in terms of music. In essence he's talked before about mass appeal as just being another skill you can master as an extension of your art. "Dumbing it down" in reality is something that still takes practice and unless you're lucky or naturally charismatic, you won't see success there if you don't respect it as it's own creative space, It's not about "Do I compromise my art for monetary gain?" It's more "Can I be as good at this too?". You may never be as big as Drake, but it's a good mindset to have.
As a biologist who had to do 2 thesis which included a presentation in a packed auditorium of normies, I understand this. My advisor told me that the goal was to be intelligent enough to take complex topics and structure it into a way the layman could understand. If I could do that, it showed that I was well versed in the topic I was presenting. Dumbing down is powerful
There is a difference between dumbing things down to the degree necessary in order to pass along information, and content/media which is just made to be dumb with no other function. Not that it needs another function, but it isn't the same type of dumbing down
@@realamirthehuman I barely see anyone say anything about him being gay especially because he’s never outright said it. And his fanbase is mainly indie pop white girls. He’s literally said that himself
As a small music creator I love how you went over the idea how some people are blindsided by how successful they should or are going to be me. Music creation to me is just fun if it blows up it does and if doesn't then it doesn't. I just create it because I enjoy it and I don't worry how many people listen. I'm not even trying to be successful off music so that's probably why.
Once I started actually taking my music serious n my marketing skills more serious my plays started going up. You have to focus on marketing if you want anyone to hear your music. I genuinely think it’s impossible for your music to blow up w/ 0 effort of marketing
I love how after Cole "let NaS down" he found the right mix. Power trip, no role modelz, neighbors, my life, he learned how to balance mainstream and hip hop culture without making it poppy. I mean 2014 FHD was his most successful project and every song on it is thought provoking and conscious (to differing degrees). Nas never found that balance and that's why in the long run he got wayy outshined by Jay. Jay is the perfect combo of both, consciousness and easily enjoyable pop
I respectfully disagree. Illmatic is considered to be Nas best album and possibly the greatest hip hop album ever. However his second album It was Written was his highest selling with the smash hit with Lauren Hill and the Puff influenced content of that era. Nas’s problem was his inconsistency with dropping music and music direction.
@@PastPerspectives11 i mean you can make that argument with anyones first album. However he wasn’t consistently dropping music like Jay Z DMX and other artists in that time that were competing
Gkmc was genius because he lured you in with singles like swimming pools and bitch don't kill my vibe which can seem like very ignorant and typical party songs but when you listen to them in the context of the story in the album it gives it an entire nother layer
@@liltree8382just tell us you ain’t listened to the album. Cause if you think Money Trees, Good Kid, or ESPECIALLY Maad City are bad songs, you’re a fkn idiot. And I get it. You gotta hate on Kendrick and pretend like he sucks just because he’s so popular. You are transparent.
actual wild how you made such a concise video that speaks of such a broad topic, low key dumbed it down we got fucked. anyways i been thinking abt this and its so refreshing to have my thoughts put into such an amazing video
The irony is once you become a household name in any industry, you can always trim the fat and go back to making original content. Once you get a taste of that caviar-flavored limelight tho, its hard to maintain awareness to see that your cup is overflowing... harder still is having the balls to part ways with the toxic parts of your fanbase when they become the attention-deficit amalgamation that write your checks. Sell your soul if you're desperate, just wishing more people had the grey-matter to sell 1-5% at a time and know when to fold. Its called Honor.
Ita a human nature to think your are unique!! Not criticising your thoughts but just reminding you that we are all part of another crowd just like the normies. Just saying people often become pretentious because of the fact that they dont follow the mass!!
It's already something that I've come to terms with the fact that the majority of music listeners enjoy music passively. I would loooove to go into conversations about intricacies and meanings behind some tracks but I know that most people aren't really going to understand why certain tracks mean so much to me.
I know the exact same feeling! There is so much to music that you could discuss about indepth but realising not everyone wants to or even knows is something you just have to accept.
You can say that with film too. I’m a passive music enjoyer but I’ve become something of a cinephile and the amount of times I’ve mentioned a really interesting film that stuck out to me only for the response to be, “never heard of that,” is astronomical. But it’s ok (to an extent)
Its all about accessibility. 'Dumbing' something down is craftily simplifying it. The ability to simplify something rich or complex is an artistry in itself. Congrats on 1M views!
u couldnt be more wrong just wtf lmfao talk about dumbing down this is the picture of it. making something for idiots isnt craftily simplifying its pandering.
There's this quote from David Foster Wallace from an interview, where he said something along the lines of "we are similar in our most base interests, what makes us unique and wonderful is is different." And he talked about how what is mainstream is mainstream because it is spectacle, and causes heads to turn towards it because of its basic and sort of loud nature. This video essay reminded me of that
Pretty sure what he said was that we all react to the same horrible and stupid things, while our tastes in deep and lovely things are incredibly varied. Hence how everyone has strong and addictive reactions of things like reality tv, and thus mass culture is necessarily vulgar, so as to appeal to as many people as possible
I agree, people aren’t going to change their minds, but I think Cole is still right about Work Out in the sense that it’s just gave him a larger platform that was inaccessible when he had no pop hits. It catapulted him to heights where he could finally “open doors” for himself and hold it open for those who would go through it.
Very well said my guy. There is respect in creating what you want - but on the flip side, sometimes creating what you want won’t pay the bills. I totally understand the appeal of trying to target the biggest audience you can.
This is a different perspective on how we should approach content creation as artists. We always think of our work as a campaign to be profound, without actually being accessible. Whereas on the other hand, the most accessible people who are dumbing down are often successful due to their consistency, even if their success is temporary. An incredible piece for all creatives looking to make it big time👏🏽
Depends how much you want to sacrifice. Id rather have a niche that I really make an impact on than a flash in the pan for the masses. I don't judge the go getters tho
i think a good conversation piece to ask is should we dumb down ourselves for us to create friendships? Like let's face it aren't we a bit scared of not being accepted or going to far to reveal who we are to people and face the scrutiny of people thinking of us differently if we show who we are? but then if we do dumb down our own personalities to appeal to people to make friends then are we really being real? or are we just making a watered down version of who we are?
I think with any new relationship you aren’t necessarily going to expose all the parts of yourself. I feel through the decision of whether or not both parties want to get to know each other more will dictate the growth of the relationship. Pretty much, I think most people have a guard up at first anyway.
That's definetely a good question. I think it's fine to do so because I've pandered/ dumbed down myself to make friends in certain spaces like uni (I'm only a part-time student) but I don't expect deep bonds or lasting relationships with any of those guys and I'm OK with that. There are friends who are simply utilitarian who are there for when you need something, like someone to talk to at work and there are friends who you deeply value and you understand eachother very well and will always be there for. You can't expect the latter type of relationship through dumbing yourself down
This video really hit. I’m not even a rapper but your bit about understanding the space you are moving in really applies to so many different arenas. Well said! Very glad I saw this
this is why punk music has historically tried to avoid going mainstream. if you become mainstream, if major labels pick you up and try to make you into something that they can sell to a consumer base that is largely disinterested in the ethos of your work, then you're gonna get dumbed down. if you can't stand the thought of dumbing yourself down, and you don't care about being rich or famous, then the natural conclusion is to avoid going mainstream. for example, the venue that green day got their start in forbade major label acts from playing. when green day signed with reprise records after their second album, they were barred from playing at the venue. the signing was a great career move for green day (the first album they recorded with reprise was dookie), but they had to accept being forcibly cut off from their roots to do it. it's a matter of priorities. while i think this video is mostly spot-on, i think it gets andrew tate backwards. the secret to tate's success is, i think, actually the more "reasonable" things that he says. they're incredibly agreeable and surface-level insights, which makes them appealing to a wide audience. the impressionable portion of this audience is then drawn into tate's grift because their belief in his general reasonability makes it easier for them to accept the batshit insane things he says. that, i would say, is the "dumbing down" that tate does to reach a wide audience.
Nah, artists just have to dumb down their art in order to be successful because in the end dumb people like dumb stuff, and sadly, the world is full of dumb people, that's why pop music is complete trash nowadays. Imagine celebrating artists having to make mediocre music just because the general public has been brainwashed and dumbed down by record label executives into thinking that a "fun" and "catchy" song needs to be insufferably simple (like 95% of pop songs using the exact same chord progression) and short. (under 2:30 mins) That's just to catch the incredible short attention span of tik tok users. Most people don't even know what their real music taste is, they just listen to whatever is pushed by the media and they think that's what they like.
Exactly relatability is something a lot of these fucks in the comments don’t understand. No one is going to listen to your rap song if it sounds like a college dissertation. Even in stuff like The Republic from Plato starts with an average conversation with a group of friends about relatable topics and goes on to intense philosophical and intellectual debates
Duplee is absolutely spot on! Why do you think memes became a thing? Memes are essentially humour in its most dumbed down fom yet and we absolutely love em!
As an aspiring artist myself I have honestly struggled with this very thing over the years. Yes I enjoy making thoughts provoking music however i do understand the conflict between consciousness and accessibility. Thank you for this video its truly given me the confidence to master another avenue of this industry! Shoutout to you 💊🙏🏿
idk man, i think this video almost forgets to point out that this isnt really a struggle, you can literally just make accessible and more niche music at the same time. And that making accessible music doesn't mean any drop off in quality or message even.
Imo, I think it’s best to make what you truly want to make. Don’t sacrifice your craft for “accessibility”. If what you’re doing is right to you, it’s right to a good handful out of the 8 billion occupying this planet. And even if you stay “underground”, rule that mf cause I guarantee you the fans of your true art will be so much more appreciative and loyal towards what you’re doing than a bunch of people who like your catchy little tik Tok song and then toss it when the new big accessible song comes along
Motown in the 60's & 70's had this on lock. They went ultra pop for the time but gradually went more conscious over time while still putting out the poppy love song. It couldn't match with Disco in the late 70's that was even more accessible and was a legend by the 80's.
This is nothing short of an incredible video. The way the intro and the outro are tired together, and how you carry a theme throughout the whole thing, to reveal your main and most powerful example, J. Cole's "Let Nas Down". Only then, to end the video with "Made Nas Proud", the response to J Cole's original song. Simply beautiful, and got me back to listening to J. Cole.
I like the framing of "accessibility" as a tool in a great artists toolkit, rather than a betrayal of great art definitionally. Reminds of how John Mayer says that, in his album, he writes half the songs for mass appeal, and half for his own artistic taste.
i do have to say 1 thing, the ending about getting the door open, I actually was like that. I never listened to rap, i hated it, as well as hip hop as a whole. I heard earfquake then after i heard that song i started listening to igor and flowerboy, then I really fell inlove with music. Im not the only one either that's discovered music like that. I have friends that got into rap from 808s songs like heartbreak. It's def a different perspective and a taste you have to acquire that really grows on you. Other than that though, this is actually one of the best videos i've seen in awhile. You really should do more videos like this, truly inspirational, seriously. 1+ Sub!
What did you listen to after? I'm literally on the exact same path, but after listening listening to all of Tyler's discography, I am sort of lost as to what to listen next. I've already listened to all of Kanye's as well, so I really don't know what's next.
@@elkazekage3471 if you're looking for that experimental style similar to Tyler, I'd highly recommend going through Earl Sweatshirt's discography. He is a prime example of someone who chose art and creativity over fame, and if you keep your mind open, you can really have it be blown.
J. Cole’s albums leading up to Born Sinner played constantly in my home and I attributed so much of working through my college identity crisis to his authenticity. Even when he “made it then .. faked it” he’s kept his integrity. Thank you for making this video, you’ve gained a new subscriber in me.
Hit the nail on the head when you mentioned when it comes to art you have to study and understand the space you’re moving in. Not enough indexing is happening nowadays.
This is a great video bro. You made a topic people struggle to realize or get mad if someone tries to explain to them and dumbed it down so they are willing to listen and understand. It’s ironic but it just adds to how good this video is.
sneako had one of the most unique channels on the platform, every video was an analysis on himself or the world around him, his videos were quality and thought provoking without trying to force an ideology on his audience, i loved the videos, he was my favorite youtuber for a while, he definitely hopped on the tate train for a quick buck and it was rough to watch his content and image get destroyed. He recently made a new channel and uploaded a one minute podcast, it was great, it was his old content back and not the annoying sneako, sadly it got taken down and the channel got removed off youtube but i do hope he can find a way to come back and continue making good content because i can see it's what he truly wants to do.
@@YehudiNimol i support the ability for people to change. Obviusly i don't support his current ideas but that doesn't mean you should cancel an entire human, this shit is way over the top now days.
@@Sagowie I've realised he's stuck right now, he's seen the money and it's never going to be easy to let go of it especially someone like sneako that has an extreme egotistic confidence about him. At this point it's just going to get worse and he will become an even worse human being because of it, but hopefully at some point i'll be able to say that i can separate the art from the artist if he gets back to making that original art.
This is how you grow in your profession. I just turned 22 and I grew my connections with big time adults by acting humble and dumbing down. Knowing how to talk with people and get people to like you will open doors you never knew you could get. I can’t say what I do, but I remember highschool teachers telling me all I’d be in life is a construction worker since I never took my school grades seriously. The world is your oyster if you know how to harvest it.
You had me until you said dumbing down. So you’re going to make a persona that’s not even you to make connections rather than be your true self? Those are not big time adults, those adult are stuck in limbo
Catering to the masses. The very definition of a sell out back in my day (I know… old man talk). But I totally get it and understand your angle in these days and times. Very well articulated and produced work here. Salute!
One of the best vids I’ve watched so far on the platform. As someone falling in the category of Politician, I always insist on this idea although I never heard of the term “Dumbing down”. I don’t think people are stupid. I think people have stuff to do so if you want them to listen to what you have to say you need to make it simple so they don’t waste time and energy trying to figure out what the heck you are actually talking about. Great video man. Keep it up!
A cool little thought experiment I had the other day was about how the creators I enjoy started capturing an audience with a trend but as time passed they grew Into more niche fields, taking they’re already strong audience and capitalizing off of them, turning themselves into a more legendary figure ex. Kanye west, Virgil abloh, ken lijima, Andrew Schulz, they started off with accessibility and then shifted more towards the direction they wanted
Andrew Schulz is a fuckin goat comedian and is opening doors for others by proving you don't need to have a Netflix special... He bought his own special back from Amazon and sold it himself and made his money back doubled and eventually uploaded to yt for free
@@PaytonMollo It's sort of like building up the mainstream tolerance of you. Give people something conventionally interesting with your spin, then as time passes insert more and more of yourself in your music. Something mainstream and palatable the "normies" (Term has been ruined by channers and redditors) will like, and those who really like your music will go on to find your more obscure experimental stuff. Think that's the main thing though, you need to build up a following with some degree of staying within the norms before you can really push towards your own thing, since most people are only into things that are semi-mainstream, mainly as a matter of not having to look to hard. Then again my music taste sounds esoteric when listed by genre and nothing really goes with anything so what do I know about mainstream artists. And yeah it def applies to most fields of performance art, though I think it comedy its much different in that a unique comedy style is what will propel you up. Trying to be conventional is probably suicide in standup, the memorable ones are those who shape it with their deviations from the form, so to speak. (And good comics tend to echo aspects of older greats anyhow, like Dave Chappel basically pullin a George Carlin in a lot of his routines.) Or someone like Norm who would literally walk up to stage with perhaps the most inconceivably garbage material and make it work through sheer delivery.
@@YungPhilosopher the contents not as good as his main channel stuff. its the same message but yeah. i dont mind it cus it doesnt rlly affect his main channel
@@YungPhilosopher What's wrong with him? Well I don't know but as a parent I'll tell you this: Children without the life experience to adopt their own ideas about the world are full of emotions and are susceptible to internalizing any truth that puts their minds at ease. It's the same reason that the use of child soldiers is as effective as it is immoral. And as the video stated, one can become successful peddling lies, being disingenuous, or by discouraging critical thinking. Its part of the reason why people in the US adopt their views as aspects of their personality, and refuse to yield to any other viewpoints. Because despite what we say about prosperity, opportunity, or equality, it is painfully true in this society that material success is achieved when one denies basic human decency. To dumb it down, no one should be learning about how women work from a man who has never had a genuine relationship with one. Blind leading the blind off a cliff and into forever-virginity.
@@YungPhilosopher u don’t actually like sneako right? Is it not painfully obvious what he’s doing. Bro He reacts to practically blacked out girls being interviewed and then Generalizes them to garner the attention of little 12 year olds. It’s hard watching him cuz he’s just putting on a character and u can tell it’s not him. He used to make real thought provoking well thought out videos in a calm manner. Now he just generalizes women and does wutever tate does cuz like the video said it’s wut gets more views.
@@YungPhilosopher How can u know about something without ever experiencing it first hand. You’ll have no clue how a relationship actually works until you’ve been in one. First hand experience is far more useful and practical then any other way of acquiring knowledge on smth.
I’ve actually gone through this with my Etsy store I know it’s silly, but I had really abstract, artsy designs for my shirts and people weren’t really buying them. So then I just started doing stuff like “boy mom” and “grandma” with a bunch of flowers, real generic basic bitch stuff and now it sounds like crazy. But I also don’t really like doing it now because it just… hurts my soul
@@teopalafox Well yeah obviously a lot of people prefer very generic stuff. People just want to blend in. You would never catch me wearing just about anything I sell, hard pass, but hey to each their own. But it also makes designing stuff really easy because I just think “OK what do I think is ugly?” I make that, I make money. And then I can just do my shitty little art anyways for fun you know what I mean.
@o.o9709 Yeah that’s right but I didn’t say complex, I said artsy and abstract that doesn’t necessarily mean everything is complex or needlessly introspective. And yeah I completely agree that’s why hamburgers are so popular I love hamburgers, I love a cowboy burger, that’s delicious. But yeah what I realized pretty quickly was that if I ever wanted to become even close to a “supreme” I was going to have to make some money another way just to be able to produce better quality items and advertise. I don’t have famous friends I don’t know twitch streamers or TikTokers I’m just some person and this generic stuff generates the income so that I can try to do that. Even though I don’t like the generic stuff other people do and, that’s great I love that. It’s like how my mom loves Taylor Swift, I don’t understand it but it’s great she knows all the songs
I like how you make the distinction that dumbing down doesn't mean the skill and talent isn't there, and that in fact it just means that you have to be even more skilled and talented to pull it off to your advantage. As opposed to actually being dumb as your example of Lil Pump who's career now is basically nonexistent
My man, 90k views and a under 100k channel, I thought this was going to be a bullshit rant of a video but I watched it cuz I wanted something to watch while eating, but after watching it, I'd say this was pretty well structured and meaningful. Subscribed brother!
Though it may not happen in mass, what Jcole wanted to achieve does happen once in a while. My sister started to appreciate rap as well despite not being a fan of it prior to this year, and I've seen people do that for several artists.
Yup, and actually he proved Kendrick is an example of that. And Cole too When looking at Spotify most streamed artists, it’s people you know are conscious of their craft to an extent and know how to get where they want to
VERY POWERFUL VIDEO. I was literally thinking about the same things relating to almost all the same ppl you mentioned. Feels good to know there's people thinking the same way
Lupe wrote dumb it down during the height of dumbing down. Also MF DOOM is the perfect example of not dumbing down yet still having mainstream clout. Yes doom is and never was as popular as drake but any hiphop head or even fan knows MF DOOM
You're definitely overestimating how popular doom is. He seems popular on the internet because he has a large, passionate, and vocal fan base, and he's an essential figure in the hip hop community, but I guarantee most people in real life have no idea who mf doom is
This was actually a really insightful video. You are right, it’s happening in all forms of media. Writing a lot for audiences online, a lot of “experts” suggest running written content through software to dumb the language and writing style down to what a fifth grader can read. It’s sorta sad where culture is at in this moment all around.
phenomenal essay. and hilarious, too. hate that it's a tradeoff between substance and accessibility, but it's so true that that's just how it is. love your note that, hey, if you wanna be a super-niche content creator, go for it. but don't expect mass popularity. wise words, man.
this video hits a ton of notes for me. not just the sentiment, but the delivery & the cultural references used all came together nicely. the new rocket league music for the knockout punch, the overarching use of Let Nas Down, that hillary clinton soundbite lmao great job dude
This is so true in everyday life as well . I used to think that i will talk to people who are niche like me and like what I like ( existence conundrum, consciousness, universe,our life) ,but I never found that 'perferct' person to have these conversation with. Then, i just dumbed down ,I started to have really minimal conversation (at least that's what i thought) ,but then after a point I used to reach at the deep level conversation. I realised that i was just being too judgy. Dumbing down is not bad, it actually really helpful, obviously, upto a certain extent
I thought this was just going to be a video about artists but you showed me that it’s much deeper than that. Now I understand why certain stuff is more popular than others, even when the quality isn’t as good. You broke down this concept amazingly well, hats off.
Dumbing down is an insult to the fans, not the "artist". It is disrespectful and condescending. "You're too dumb to comprehend my work when I give it my best shot so I'm gonna do the bare minimum." What that also means is, "I can't get rich if I put my best foot forward creatively so that means that the only people who are willing to spend their hard earned money on art are people who are too stupid to appreciate good art because they only spend money on trash so I'm gonna make trash."
I get where you’re coming from, and to a point it’s true. But he touches on it nicely in the vid. People like 6ix9ine and lil pump, whose whole brand was being stupid, had their 15 minutes of fame. But we can see where they are now. However an artist like Kendrick had ‘Sing about me, I’m dying of thirst.’ And ‘backseat freestyle’ on the same album, but it never felt like he sacrificed his integrity to make a dumbed down track. But an artist like Kendrick is rare, and I do agree a lot of artists feel the way you described.
While the sentiment isn't ideologically wrong, I think you may want to sit through the "bitter" section at 1:30 a couple more times. If you can't see the difference between dumbing it down and making trash, you don't understand the concept of the entertainment industry. Making stuff that NOBODY ELSE ENJOYS is what's really trash. To dumb it down for you, imagine a chemical you use, maybe hand sanitizer, bleach, whatever. Whatever it is, I guarantee it's been filtered, or diluted with some amount of water, because the pure substance itself won't have the desired effect; instead it might burn your skin off. Too much of something is almost worse than none, and anyone with a brain knows that it's about finding a balance, especially one thats relative to your purpose and aim.
@@TinyOjos I feel like you agree with me. "backseet freestyle" did not feel dumbed down to me. There's also this false notion that if art or music is fun, it is automatically dumb. As much as "backstreet freestyle" was jiggy joint it greatly superior to someone saying "gucci gang" multiple times. I could be wrong though
@@IllDawgable I definitely see your point, and I just pulled backseat freestyle out as a quick example, probably wasn’t the best to use tho. Overall I do agree with you tbh🤝
I truly can’t even tell you how true of a video this is. It’s the pure essence of how I got to 100K on Tiktok. It’s so detailed. How you speak, how you act. This is 2000% a great video, and true to the core.
thank you for spending the energy on this kind of content that really, really challenges your viewers thinking. i did not expect this video to expand my perspective on the commercial side of art so much, but here we are... i was shocked that you are still under 70k but like you said, sooner or later with this kind of substance. thank you for sharing this. also nice job with the let nas down thing. worked like a charm. you are going far.
Maaaan the editing, the script and the message blended with the comedy and the references really made for a solid and very enjoyable video man :) Thank you so much
First video I've seen from you thanks to RUclips recommending me and it's of the best videos I've seen this year. Period. I can relate so much with my own art as I feel like I'm in the phase of making a decision to dumb down my work. Cheers
It’s all about finding the art that is held within… the music is therapy to us Artist. We always have the need to grow to match our artistic vision. Not everyone but in my eyes this is what it means to me to be an artist.
I'm dumbing down on my 2nd channel right now not even gonna lie 😳😳
youtube.com/@DupleeRecords
LOL this video is wrong on so many levels when talking about music. Trying to make great art is being a try-hard? Just compare pop music before and after autotune was invented. That's why you don't have musicians anymore but "recording artists" and most of those "recording artists" couldn't give less of a shit about the music itself or learning the craft, they just want to become public figures and be famous, no love for the art. I mean, come on. Call me pretentious and snobby all you like but It's amazing how people who aren't directly involved with music can't grasp this simple concept.
There was no need for the lil pump dragging
its funny because "substance" is subjective. some people would argue that rap as a whole has no substance, or that music as a whole since the 70s ..... or american culture as a whole ... its crazy, in the end we just gotta be careful what we listen to... we have to choose wisely what we want to program ourselves with ....
@@GreatBurningNullifierlook, I agree, you should try hard when making great art. I think his point is great art comes from within you, an honest and vulnerable place. You try too hard, it won’t work. Has to be real. That’s why I hate pop music, because nobody is writing their own music, own experiences, own words
"Lil Pump he didn't dumb his music down. He was just dumb." Duplee the Goat
this right here
I wouldn't consider lil pump as being dumb. Lil pump is in a era where he capitalize off the dumb. In the dope era, lil pump would be considered stupid if he was making dumb music,where only dope shit sell. So called intelligent rappers would be consider not wise in this dumb it down era.
@@ronaldhonore5730 proof he actually is dumb ruclips.net/user/shortsG33FHeInzIg?feature=share
Lil Pump is literally one of the best Media marketers of all time. Regardless of you liking his music or not, 99% of modern rappers are complete trash. Difference is he capitalized and prospers unlike a lot of celebs from the 2010’s that don’t have anything compared to the era of their one hit song. And that money dried out a long time ago. I would even say lil pump is one of the most influential rappers of all time since he dumbed the sound so much that he basically showed everyone how to structure hit songs and inspired this current generation to pic up a mic and software. Ppl just hate for no reason and it’s mainly because his sound was so easy to replicate he indirectly spawned a tsunami of clones that made his sound unlistenable. Same thing happened to lil yachty with bubble gum trap 1yr before pump and it also happened with JuiceWRLD and xxxtentacion. If those rappers woulda been alive today ppl would say they’re complete trash 🚮 cause of all the knock-offs that spawned. Same thing is happening to Playboi Carti, even if u don’t agree. In two years time all this praise and stardom is gonna fade into nothing and all the clones he has are gonna b forgotten. The cycle 🔁 will continue. It literally has happened with every rapper with a unique sound including 50 cent.
@@edgarr5439 nah
I just hate people who are so blatantly unaware of how “dumbed down” the world is. Like they don’t realize they’re being pandered too so they treat these figures like the greatest human beings to ever exist when they don’t even realize that person was completely different before they realized what they had to do to win the public opinion. Cough cough politics
Same. It's frustrating to see how people blindly follow leaders and at the same time, I understand because these people in power achieve their goal of manipulating their audience. It's a vicious cycle that even I fall victim to. I think people need to realize that these celebrities, politicians, philosophers, etc. are all human which have their own agendas and biases they adhere to.
I agree with you to an extent, although I feel with this type of mindset it’s easy to fall into the radical conspiracy theory “everyone is stupid except for me” thing he even talked about in the video. there’s a very small grey area between being aware of the lack of depth in popular things and thinking you are better than everyone for being aware of that fact. Also I’m not sure why you would hate people who don’t realize that, not everyone wants or needs to be “enlightened”, i’m sure they’re just as intelligent as you and me and content with their lives
Reminds me of Kpop fans lol
I mean appealing to the people who vote for u is the point of being a politician
I have good songs as well
Kendrick Lamar dumbed it down big time on Humble and everyone loved it
Hes been dumbing it down since his first album. He does it well.
lmao yall swear he so deep but even his deepest levels feel rather shallow to someone who is a free thinker
Worst track on the album too
Damn was too dumb
@@angel_of_rust true
Kendrick said he always wanted to make an album like TPAB, he just couldn't because he needed to build his career before, and he was afraid to drop a project that's so experimental and non-trendy. That's how you got GKMC, he is well aware that the albums popularity is carried by the beat slapping, yet he still managed to use that as a platform to say something significant. If GKMC is the result of dumbing down, that's all the proof you need to realize that it doesn't have to come at the cost of your quality.
Bro stop using ABCD and shii, no one understands what you talking about bro you ain’t deep. Just type the word out.
@@Gabriel-lk9hk I'm not going to type out Good Kid M.A.A.D City or To Pimp A Butterfly every time. Big majority of people understand the acronym (the word you were looking for) and what the fuck it got to do with being deep
@@Gabriel-lk9hk You're the only one who doesn't understand those acronyms. Your hands work, considering you were able to write this comment, so use them to google real quick you lazy bum. If you really cared what he was saying, you would have spent 15 seconds looking up TPAB and GKMC. We all know you're really in here to start shit though.
@@Gabriel-lk9hk how about you stop complaining like a lil bih
@@Gabriel-lk9hk you new to the internet pal? Acronyms are a huge part of internet communication, and as far as they go, GKMC and TPAB are some of the most reasonable ones.
Cole even mentioned the “accessibility,” factor in his LA Leakers freestyle, referring to himself, saying “who gave the world more fire but got less reward? no stress, my only guess is that less is more.” This line means that although he spits deep bars, it goes unappreciated, so chooses to do less to get the attention of the mainstream.
Bruh Cole and kendrick are nothing special they have the exact same opinions as their overloards. It's obvious when you read along to the albums while you listen to them. All those "deep" bars are really just opinions they heard from people much more in tune with the social engineering agenda they unknowingly or knowingly spit in their music.
Not to mention they constantly contradict themselves.
@@a14567 it's almost as if people share opinions and sometimes tend to agree with each other. I also assume that when talking about the "social engineering agenda" you're just referring to leftism, which in this case is pretty ignorant. Most of the American population shares their sentiments, even if they may disagree with some of their nuances on it
Facts
Drake mastered the art of dumbing down
Fun fact, Shakespeare was considered extremely accessible for his time but obviously had a lot substance. Now he's an English literature legend.
fun fact shakespear is a made up character.
@@benaskrensintellect332well duh. shake spear is based off shakespeare
@@benaskrensintellect332 The anti-Stratford theory is just a crack thing someone came up with and it doesn't have a proof
@@ttdanimations1231
Based take.
The more we dumb things down, the less nuance and understanding there is, which can be damning in complex important issues - especially politics & law. In turn, society becomes complacent with not needing "the full picture" and just a quick summary, again taking away important details and information. By doing this it's easier to cause misinformation & disinformation as people try to fill in the blanks uneducated. This is essentially a plotline of the film Idiocracy. We started it by voting for someone you'd prefer to relate to (have a beer with) instead someone who is qualified to run the country with the best interests of the people.
That's why not everyone should vote for everything. Only vote in areas where your lvl of expertise is high enough.
@@lyndsonvortex4870 One of those issues is people overestimate their level of expertise. And they feel informed to make choices they probably shouldn't.
True, but you also can't expect everyone to understand the nuanced picture when they don't have the time/aren't interested in it. In a better world we will have systems that will make sure that only people who are educated on topics would be allowed to vote on them, but for now we have to use our current, simplified system because there's no one smart or able enough to come up with a good substitute and there's no public to back it up
thi
s
@@YehudiNimol while i wholeheartedly agree with op's statement, this is also a great point
Lupe honestly has the best perspective on this, at least in terms of music. In essence he's talked before about mass appeal as just being another skill you can master as an extension of your art. "Dumbing it down" in reality is something that still takes practice and unless you're lucky or naturally charismatic, you won't see success there if you don't respect it as it's own creative space, It's not about "Do I compromise my art for monetary gain?" It's more "Can I be as good at this too?". You may never be as big as Drake, but it's a good mindset to have.
The fact he didn’t mention Lupe makes this video unwatchable and a joke.
@@AzumaRikimaru I’m interested tell me more.
@@AzumaRikimaru haha that’s a bit extreme. But I agree with the first part.
One of my favorite rapper.
Lupe has also admitted that this is the skill he envies Kanye the most of
As a biologist who had to do 2 thesis which included a presentation in a packed auditorium of normies, I understand this. My advisor told me that the goal was to be intelligent enough to take complex topics and structure it into a way the layman could understand. If I could do that, it showed that I was well versed in the topic I was presenting. Dumbing down is powerful
Well everyone needs simplicity, even you, many things are made simple for you, it’s not like ur specialized in everything that goes on around u.
Yes it’s good for power not sharing knowledge
You mean laymen?
There is a difference between dumbing things down to the degree necessary in order to pass along information, and content/media which is just made to be dumb with no other function. Not that it needs another function, but it isn't the same type of dumbing down
@@NicholasLacourse-h3mno he does not 😊
Tyler the creator has found the perfect blend of his own style and his own music and his own art and also making it sound good for everyone
Kinda true but he does still get a lot of unwarranted hate lol mostly from homophobes and rap-haters
@@realamirthehuman and for his old stuff for being dark
very true, so unique
@@realamirthehuman I barely see anyone say anything about him being gay especially because he’s never outright said it. And his fanbase is mainly indie pop white girls. He’s literally said that himself
@@riptaiyo sounds like you have the opportunity to bask in what you don't know, and I envy that frfr lol
As a small music creator I love how you went over the idea how some people are blindsided by how successful they should or are going to be me. Music creation to me is just fun if it blows up it does and if doesn't then it doesn't. I just create it because I enjoy it and I don't worry how many people listen. I'm not even trying to be successful off music so that's probably why.
@jesseislookingforearltypebeats literally bra
Once I started actually taking my music serious n my marketing skills more serious my plays started going up. You have to focus on marketing if you want anyone to hear your music. I genuinely think it’s impossible for your music to blow up w/ 0 effort of marketing
@jesseislookingforearltypebeats I understand that I been there mindset wise. Just told the results of switching that mindset around
goat mindset
Your music is pretty decent bro.. u have good beat selection
“He didn’t dumb his music down… he was just dumb” hahahaha great video man
I love how after Cole "let NaS down" he found the right mix. Power trip, no role modelz, neighbors, my life, he learned how to balance mainstream and hip hop culture without making it poppy. I mean 2014 FHD was his most successful project and every song on it is thought provoking and conscious (to differing degrees). Nas never found that balance and that's why in the long run he got wayy outshined by Jay. Jay is the perfect combo of both, consciousness and easily enjoyable pop
I respectfully disagree. Illmatic is considered to be Nas best album and possibly the greatest hip hop album ever. However his second album It was Written was his highest selling with the smash hit with Lauren Hill and the Puff influenced content of that era. Nas’s problem was his inconsistency with dropping music and music direction.
@@bscarter100 Nas problem was that it was impossible to top Illmatic
@@PastPerspectives11 i mean you can make that argument with anyones first album. However he wasn’t consistently dropping music like Jay Z DMX and other artists in that time that were competing
@@bscarter100 yeah everyone drops a first album like Illmatic ☠️
@@PastPerspectives11 you need to learn reading comprehension my nigga...
Absolutely brilliant video. There’s a lot to learn from and digest here. Great stuff dude
love how u said this yet ur channel is what he's talking bout
So many great points and times I had to rewind too.
this is gonna come back up in a couple years💀
"smash or pass animated edition" 🤓
Nah, he’s wrong and contradicts himself
Gkmc was genius because he lured you in with singles like swimming pools and bitch don't kill my vibe which can seem like very ignorant and typical party songs but when you listen to them in the context of the story in the album it gives it an entire nother layer
But Those was the only good songs 😂
@@liltree8382 poetic justice, maad city, sing about me?
@@liltree8382 Most people don’t think that.
@@liltree8382 AH so you're the type of guy this video is talking about when it comes to dumbing things down for certain people. Hilarious.
@@liltree8382just tell us you ain’t listened to the album. Cause if you think Money Trees, Good Kid, or ESPECIALLY Maad City are bad songs, you’re a fkn idiot. And I get it. You gotta hate on Kendrick and pretend like he sucks just because he’s so popular. You are transparent.
actual wild how you made such a concise video that speaks of such a broad topic, low key dumbed it down we got fucked. anyways i been thinking abt this and its so refreshing to have my thoughts put into such an amazing video
exactly the same way i feel
They ain’t just YOUR thoughts. Get over yourself. You are part of the problem.
bro literally copied other content creators whilst criticising people for copying successful content creators
The irony is once you become a household name in any industry, you can always trim the fat and go back to making original content. Once you get a taste of that caviar-flavored limelight tho, its hard to maintain awareness to see that your cup is overflowing... harder still is having the balls to part ways with the toxic parts of your fanbase when they become the attention-deficit amalgamation that write your checks. Sell your soul if you're desperate, just wishing more people had the grey-matter to sell 1-5% at a time and know when to fold. Its called Honor.
Ita a human nature to think your are unique!! Not criticising your thoughts but just reminding you that we are all part of another crowd just like the normies. Just saying people often become pretentious because of the fact that they dont follow the mass!!
It's already something that I've come to terms with the fact that the majority of music listeners enjoy music passively. I would loooove to go into conversations about intricacies and meanings behind some tracks but I know that most people aren't really going to understand why certain tracks mean so much to me.
I know the exact same feeling! There is so much to music that you could discuss about indepth but realising not everyone wants to or even knows is something you just have to accept.
You can say that with film too. I’m a passive music enjoyer but I’ve become something of a cinephile and the amount of times I’ve mentioned a really interesting film that stuck out to me only for the response to be, “never heard of that,” is astronomical. But it’s ok (to an extent)
Same
that just bcz people arent into it as you are but they are more into something else they wish other would be more into
@@gabrielidusogie9189 bro you seen Usual Suspects???
Its all about accessibility. 'Dumbing' something down is craftily simplifying it. The ability to simplify something rich or complex is an artistry in itself. Congrats on 1M views!
thank u bro ❤️
u couldnt be more wrong just wtf lmfao talk about dumbing down this is the picture of it. making something for idiots isnt craftily simplifying its pandering.
There's this quote from David Foster Wallace from an interview, where he said something along the lines of "we are similar in our most base interests, what makes us unique and wonderful is is different." And he talked about how what is mainstream is mainstream because it is spectacle, and causes heads to turn towards it because of its basic and sort of loud nature. This video essay reminded me of that
Also see Scorsese's take on "theme park films"!
DFW king of pseuds
And here I am trying to understand anything in DFW's Everything and More book.
Pretty sure what he said was that we all react to the same horrible and stupid things, while our tastes in deep and lovely things are incredibly varied. Hence how everyone has strong and addictive reactions of things like reality tv, and thus mass culture is necessarily vulgar, so as to appeal to as many people as possible
I agree, people aren’t going to change their minds, but I think Cole is still right about Work Out in the sense that it’s just gave him a larger platform that was inaccessible when he had no pop hits. It catapulted him to heights where he could finally “open doors” for himself and hold it open for those who would go through it.
“The successful artist finds a perfect balance between substance and accessibility”
Bro please keep making those videos, you are easily one of my favorite Channel’s at the moment
"I don't rock Chanel, I rock channel"
Damn your right
Very well said my guy. There is respect in creating what you want - but on the flip side, sometimes creating what you want won’t pay the bills. I totally understand the appeal of trying to target the biggest audience you can.
This is a different perspective on how we should approach content creation as artists. We always think of our work as a campaign to be profound, without actually being accessible. Whereas on the other hand, the most accessible people who are dumbing down are often successful due to their consistency, even if their success is temporary.
An incredible piece for all creatives looking to make it big time👏🏽
Depends how much you want to sacrifice. Id rather have a niche that I really make an impact on than a flash in the pan for the masses. I don't judge the go getters tho
Depends on whether you value money and fame over passion and fulfillment
i think a good conversation piece to ask is should we dumb down ourselves for us to create friendships? Like let's face it aren't we a bit scared of not being accepted or going to far to reveal who we are to people and face the scrutiny of people thinking of us differently if we show who we are? but then if we do dumb down our own personalities to appeal to people to make friends then are we really being real? or are we just making a watered down version of who we are?
I think with any new relationship you aren’t necessarily going to expose all the parts of yourself. I feel through the decision of whether or not both parties want to get to know each other more will dictate the growth of the relationship. Pretty much, I think most people have a guard up at first anyway.
@@-ryn- Thank u
@Trent Roseboro thank u
That's definetely a good question. I think it's fine to do so because I've pandered/ dumbed down myself to make friends in certain spaces like uni (I'm only a part-time student) but I don't expect deep bonds or lasting relationships with any of those guys and I'm OK with that.
There are friends who are simply utilitarian who are there for when you need something, like someone to talk to at work and there are friends who you deeply value and you understand eachother very well and will always be there for. You can't expect the latter type of relationship through dumbing yourself down
at the beginning, yes
Very informative video Duplee! I learned a lot from this!
yooo johnny i love ur stories on snap ( and youtube )
This video really hit. I’m not even a rapper but your bit about understanding the space you are moving in really applies to so many different arenas. Well said! Very glad I saw this
this is why punk music has historically tried to avoid going mainstream. if you become mainstream, if major labels pick you up and try to make you into something that they can sell to a consumer base that is largely disinterested in the ethos of your work, then you're gonna get dumbed down. if you can't stand the thought of dumbing yourself down, and you don't care about being rich or famous, then the natural conclusion is to avoid going mainstream. for example, the venue that green day got their start in forbade major label acts from playing. when green day signed with reprise records after their second album, they were barred from playing at the venue. the signing was a great career move for green day (the first album they recorded with reprise was dookie), but they had to accept being forcibly cut off from their roots to do it. it's a matter of priorities.
while i think this video is mostly spot-on, i think it gets andrew tate backwards. the secret to tate's success is, i think, actually the more "reasonable" things that he says. they're incredibly agreeable and surface-level insights, which makes them appealing to a wide audience. the impressionable portion of this audience is then drawn into tate's grift because their belief in his general reasonability makes it easier for them to accept the batshit insane things he says. that, i would say, is the "dumbing down" that tate does to reach a wide audience.
This is a great vid, the stuff in every medium that gets the most money is talented people dumbing down their content
Nah, artists just have to dumb down their art in order to be successful because in the end dumb people like dumb stuff, and sadly, the world is full of dumb people, that's why pop music is complete trash nowadays. Imagine celebrating artists having to make mediocre music just because the general public has been brainwashed and dumbed down by record label executives into thinking that a "fun" and "catchy" song needs to be insufferably simple (like 95% of pop songs using the exact same chord progression) and short. (under 2:30 mins) That's just to catch the incredible short attention span of tik tok users. Most people don't even know what their real music taste is, they just listen to whatever is pushed by the media and they think that's what they like.
Nobody talks enough about the need for intelligence behind writing for higher value. But the need for relatability for synergy with an audience
Most intelligent rappers are Pusha t or Freddie Gibbs
mj
Exactly relatability is something a lot of these fucks in the comments don’t understand. No one is going to listen to your rap song if it sounds like a college dissertation. Even in stuff like The Republic from Plato starts with an average conversation with a group of friends about relatable topics and goes on to intense philosophical and intellectual debates
Always had this sentiment. So great that you tied Let Nas Down into this. The remix Cole did with Nas later is absolute fire.
Bro, you killed this! Dope ass video.
Duplee is absolutely spot on! Why do you think memes became a thing? Memes are essentially humour in its most dumbed down fom yet and we absolutely love em!
As an aspiring artist myself I have honestly struggled with this very thing over the years. Yes I enjoy making thoughts provoking music however i do understand the conflict between consciousness and accessibility. Thank you for this video its truly given me the confidence to master another avenue of this industry! Shoutout to you 💊🙏🏿
idk man, i think this video almost forgets to point out that this isnt really a struggle, you can literally just make accessible and more niche music at the same time. And that making accessible music doesn't mean any drop off in quality or message even.
Imo, I think it’s best to make what you truly want to make. Don’t sacrifice your craft for “accessibility”. If what you’re doing is right to you, it’s right to a good handful out of the 8 billion occupying this planet. And even if you stay “underground”, rule that mf cause I guarantee you the fans of your true art will be so much more appreciative and loyal towards what you’re doing than a bunch of people who like your catchy little tik Tok song and then toss it when the new big accessible song comes along
@@leonthethird7494 i mean it can to some of those fans forget what that artist stands for entirely
Accessibility? You mean devaluing your content so stupid people can enjoy it? Have some self respect.
One of the best music related videos on RUclips. Well spoken and organized so I can revisit it and remind myself of why music is so great. Thank you.
Motown in the 60's & 70's had this on lock. They went ultra pop for the time but gradually went more conscious over time while still putting out the poppy love song. It couldn't match with Disco in the late 70's that was even more accessible and was a legend by the 80's.
This is one of the best videos I’ve watched in a very long time
One of the best and thought provoking videos I've ever seen on RUclips
This is nothing short of an incredible video. The way the intro and the outro are tired together, and how you carry a theme throughout the whole thing, to reveal your main and most powerful example, J. Cole's "Let Nas Down". Only then, to end the video with "Made Nas Proud", the response to J Cole's original song. Simply beautiful, and got me back to listening to J. Cole.
I like the framing of "accessibility" as a tool in a great artists toolkit, rather than a betrayal of great art definitionally. Reminds of how John Mayer says that, in his album, he writes half the songs for mass appeal, and half for his own artistic taste.
And they’re almost all amazing. Neon being my favorite. That riff is just 🥶🥶
It is so fucking funny hearing sneako is a devout Christian despite that this video is only 10 months old and now he is a devout Muslim
i do have to say 1 thing, the ending about getting the door open, I actually was like that. I never listened to rap, i hated it, as well as hip hop as a whole. I heard earfquake then after i heard that song i started listening to igor and flowerboy, then I really fell inlove with music. Im not the only one either that's discovered music like that. I have friends that got into rap from 808s songs like heartbreak. It's def a different perspective and a taste you have to acquire that really grows on you.
Other than that though, this is actually one of the best videos i've seen in awhile. You really should do more videos like this, truly inspirational, seriously.
1+ Sub!
Broooo this was me but Kanye was my gateway drug.
What did you listen to after? I'm literally on the exact same path, but after listening listening to all of Tyler's discography, I am sort of lost as to what to listen next. I've already listened to all of Kanye's as well, so I really don't know what's next.
@@elkazekage3471 if you're looking for that experimental style similar to Tyler, I'd highly recommend going through Earl Sweatshirt's discography. He is a prime example of someone who chose art and creativity over fame, and if you keep your mind open, you can really have it be blown.
@@elkazekage3471 death grips
DAMN. What a well put together video Duplee!! Def saving this one for a rewatch
J. Cole’s albums leading up to Born Sinner played constantly in my home and I attributed so much of working through my college identity crisis to his authenticity. Even when he “made it then .. faked it” he’s kept his integrity.
Thank you for making this video, you’ve gained a new subscriber in me.
When he made it then he faked it on "Chaining Day" it was still a satire on materialism.
Hit the nail on the head when you mentioned when it comes to art you have to study and understand the space you’re moving in. Not enough indexing is happening nowadays.
This is a great video bro. You made a topic people struggle to realize or get mad if someone tries to explain to them and dumbed it down so they are willing to listen and understand. It’s ironic but it just adds to how good this video is.
sneako had one of the most unique channels on the platform, every video was an analysis on himself or the world around him, his videos were quality and thought provoking without trying to force an ideology on his audience, i loved the videos, he was my favorite youtuber for a while, he definitely hopped on the tate train for a quick buck and it was rough to watch his content and image get destroyed. He recently made a new channel and uploaded a one minute podcast, it was great, it was his old content back and not the annoying sneako, sadly it got taken down and the channel got removed off youtube but i do hope he can find a way to come back and continue making good content because i can see it's what he truly wants to do.
I hope he doesn't. He's a jackass and proves himself to be much more ignorant than I expected. Don't support a creator who's openly racist and sexist
@@YehudiNimol i support the ability for people to change. Obviusly i don't support his current ideas but that doesn't mean you should cancel an entire human, this shit is way over the top now days.
I really wonder how you feel about all the stuff that’s happening to him now, it doesn’t look good for him atm…
@@Sagowie I've realised he's stuck right now, he's seen the money and it's never going to be easy to let go of it especially someone like sneako that has an extreme egotistic confidence about him. At this point it's just going to get worse and he will become an even worse human being because of it, but hopefully at some point i'll be able to say that i can separate the art from the artist if he gets back to making that original art.
Sneako is a 🤡
This is a FUCKING banger of a video. I love how it feels so aware of the audience
This is how you grow in your profession. I just turned 22 and I grew my connections with big time adults by acting humble and dumbing down. Knowing how to talk with people and get people to like you will open doors you never knew you could get. I can’t say what I do, but I remember highschool teachers telling me all I’d be in life is a construction worker since I never took my school grades seriously. The world is your oyster if you know how to harvest it.
You had me until you said dumbing down. So you’re going to make a persona that’s not even you to make connections rather than be your true self? Those are not big time adults, those adult are stuck in limbo
be fake to powerful ppl and get money. sounds soo fulfilling?
Catering to the masses. The very definition of a sell out back in my day (I know… old man talk). But I totally get it and understand your angle in these days and times. Very well articulated and produced work here. Salute!
Idiocracy wasn't just a movie it was a prophecy of what is to come or what we're currently going through.
The intro to this video is so good, and the structure of the entire video follows it really well, this is good shit man 👍🏾
One of the best vids I’ve watched so far on the platform.
As someone falling in the category of Politician, I always insist on this idea although I never heard of the term “Dumbing down”.
I don’t think people are stupid. I think people have stuff to do so if you want them to listen to what you have to say you need to make it simple so they don’t waste time and energy trying to figure out what the heck you are actually talking about.
Great video man. Keep it up!
A cool little thought experiment I had the other day was about how the creators I enjoy started capturing an audience with a trend but as time passed they grew Into more niche fields, taking they’re already strong audience and capitalizing off of them, turning themselves into a more legendary figure ex. Kanye west, Virgil abloh, ken lijima, Andrew Schulz, they started off with accessibility and then shifted more towards the direction they wanted
Andrew Schulz is a fuckin goat comedian and is opening doors for others by proving you don't need to have a Netflix special... He bought his own special back from Amazon and sold it himself and made his money back doubled and eventually uploaded to yt for free
You're actually making a point
Eminem with slim shady
Andrew schultz is a bit of a clown
@@PaytonMollo It's sort of like building up the mainstream tolerance of you. Give people something conventionally interesting with your spin, then as time passes insert more and more of yourself in your music. Something mainstream and palatable the "normies" (Term has been ruined by channers and redditors) will like, and those who really like your music will go on to find your more obscure experimental stuff. Think that's the main thing though, you need to build up a following with some degree of staying within the norms before you can really push towards your own thing, since most people are only into things that are semi-mainstream, mainly as a matter of not having to look to hard.
Then again my music taste sounds esoteric when listed by genre and nothing really goes with anything so what do I know about mainstream artists. And yeah it def applies to most fields of performance art, though I think it comedy its much different in that a unique comedy style is what will propel you up. Trying to be conventional is probably suicide in standup, the memorable ones are those who shape it with their deviations from the form, so to speak. (And good comics tend to echo aspects of older greats anyhow, like Dave Chappel basically pullin a George Carlin in a lot of his routines.) Or someone like Norm who would literally walk up to stage with perhaps the most inconceivably garbage material and make it work through sheer delivery.
Very well made video. You will hit 100,000 subscribers very soon. Keep it up!
This is a great video, very interesting takes. Learned a lot for my personal music ‘career’. Keep up the good work, you’ve earned a sub
man every few minutes u had me thinking i left my music on with the subtle wsg instrumentals, love it
Sneko really did have the biggest downfall of 2022
@@YungPhilosopher the contents not as good as his main channel stuff. its the same message but yeah. i dont mind it cus it doesnt rlly affect his main channel
@@YungPhilosopher veiws and subs dont mean anything if the quality of your content took a nosedive
@@YungPhilosopher What's wrong with him? Well I don't know but as a parent I'll tell you this: Children without the life experience to adopt their own ideas about the world are full of emotions and are susceptible to internalizing any truth that puts their minds at ease. It's the same reason that the use of child soldiers is as effective as it is immoral. And as the video stated, one can become successful peddling lies, being disingenuous, or by discouraging critical thinking. Its part of the reason why people in the US adopt their views as aspects of their personality, and refuse to yield to any other viewpoints. Because despite what we say about prosperity, opportunity, or equality, it is painfully true in this society that material success is achieved when one denies basic human decency. To dumb it down, no one should be learning about how women work from a man who has never had a genuine relationship with one. Blind leading the blind off a cliff and into forever-virginity.
@@YungPhilosopher u don’t actually like sneako right? Is it not painfully obvious what he’s doing. Bro He reacts to practically blacked out girls being interviewed and then Generalizes them to garner the attention of little 12 year olds. It’s hard watching him cuz he’s just putting on a character and u can tell it’s not him. He used to make real thought provoking well thought out videos in a calm manner. Now he just generalizes women and does wutever tate does cuz like the video said it’s wut gets more views.
@@YungPhilosopher How can u know about something without ever experiencing it first hand. You’ll have no clue how a relationship actually works until you’ve been in one. First hand experience is far more useful and practical then any other way of acquiring knowledge on smth.
I’ve actually gone through this with my Etsy store I know it’s silly, but I had really abstract, artsy designs for my shirts and people weren’t really buying them. So then I just started doing stuff like “boy mom” and “grandma” with a bunch of flowers, real generic basic bitch stuff and now it sounds like crazy. But I also don’t really like doing it now because it just… hurts my soul
probably because the simple stuff was just better.
@@teopalafox Well yeah obviously a lot of people prefer very generic stuff. People just want to blend in. You would never catch me wearing just about anything I sell, hard pass, but hey to each their own. But it also makes designing stuff really easy because I just think “OK what do I think is ugly?” I make that, I make money. And then I can just do my shitty little art anyways for fun you know what I mean.
@o.o9709 Yeah that’s right but I didn’t say complex, I said artsy and abstract that doesn’t necessarily mean everything is complex or needlessly introspective. And yeah I completely agree that’s why hamburgers are so popular I love hamburgers, I love a cowboy burger, that’s delicious. But yeah what I realized pretty quickly was that if I ever wanted to become even close to a “supreme” I was going to have to make some money another way just to be able to produce better quality items and advertise. I don’t have famous friends I don’t know twitch streamers or TikTokers I’m just some person and this generic stuff generates the income so that I can try to do that.
Even though I don’t like the generic stuff other people do and, that’s great I love that. It’s like how my mom loves Taylor Swift, I don’t understand it but it’s great she knows all the songs
Id love to see these shirts lol
@@teopalafoxno, in this case its about accessibility than quality.
I like how you make the distinction that dumbing down doesn't mean the skill and talent isn't there, and that in fact it just means that you have to be even more skilled and talented to pull it off to your advantage. As opposed to actually being dumb as your example of Lil Pump who's career now is basically nonexistent
Most of the time dumbing down is used to catch attention, mislead and manipulate. I'll prefer Lil Pump any day of the week.
My man, 90k views and a under 100k channel, I thought this was going to be a bullshit rant of a video but I watched it cuz I wanted something to watch while eating, but after watching it, I'd say this was pretty well structured and meaningful. Subscribed brother!
This was a great video! I’ve never watched any of your other content but this made me decide to check it out!
Though it may not happen in mass, what Jcole wanted to achieve does happen once in a while. My sister started to appreciate rap as well despite not being a fan of it prior to this year, and I've seen people do that for several artists.
Yup, and actually he proved Kendrick is an example of that. And Cole too
When looking at Spotify most streamed artists, it’s people you know are conscious of their craft to an extent and know how to get where they want to
@@tevinmkj except justin beiber
why is bro there
You put so much in perspective for me, personally. Glad you made this video.
Wow, insightful, clever, fun, light. This video is the perfect balance you were talking about. Keep it up
VERY POWERFUL VIDEO. I was literally thinking about the same things relating to almost all the same ppl you mentioned. Feels good to know there's people thinking the same way
Lupe wrote dumb it down during the height of dumbing down. Also MF DOOM is the perfect example of not dumbing down yet still having mainstream clout. Yes doom is and never was as popular as drake but any hiphop head or even fan knows MF DOOM
mf doom is not mainstream at all
@@DGlakyNo sure what you consider mainstream, but they have 7.1 monthly listeners on Spotify. Still doesn’t account for their other listeners too.
You're definitely overestimating how popular doom is. He seems popular on the internet because he has a large, passionate, and vocal fan base, and he's an essential figure in the hip hop community, but I guarantee most people in real life have no idea who mf doom is
Honestly one of the best videos I’ve seen in a while
A video about dumbing down that isn’t dumbed down, just simple facts and excellent aesthetic pace and delivery. Glad I found your chan 😊
I do not think people realize how high life content this is. Thanks for this
This was actually a really insightful video. You are right, it’s happening in all forms of media. Writing a lot for audiences online, a lot of “experts” suggest running written content through software to dumb the language and writing style down to what a fifth grader can read. It’s sorta sad where culture is at in this moment all around.
phenomenal essay. and hilarious, too. hate that it's a tradeoff between substance and accessibility, but it's so true that that's just how it is. love your note that, hey, if you wanna be a super-niche content creator, go for it. but don't expect mass popularity. wise words, man.
this video hits a ton of notes for me. not just the sentiment, but the delivery & the cultural references used all came together nicely.
the new rocket league music for the knockout punch, the overarching use of Let Nas Down, that hillary clinton soundbite lmao great job dude
This is so true in everyday life as well . I used to think that i will talk to people who are niche like me and like what I like ( existence conundrum, consciousness, universe,our life) ,but I never found that 'perferct' person to have these conversation with. Then, i just dumbed down ,I started to have really minimal conversation (at least that's what i thought) ,but then after a point I used to reach at the deep level conversation. I realised that i was just being too judgy. Dumbing down is not bad, it actually really helpful, obviously, upto a certain extent
This video is so good man. Eloquently spoken and to the point with clean visuals. Great job 👏🏼
I thought this was just going to be a video about artists but you showed me that it’s much deeper than that. Now I understand why certain stuff is more popular than others, even when the quality isn’t as good. You broke down this concept amazingly well, hats off.
this is the best video I’ve watched this year. thank you for making this
love this, incredible leap forward. love the new direction you’re going in and the evolution, you’re on some shit with this one
Bro this video helped me so much in refining the trajectory of my character. I appreciate how organized this message is too. Thanks again man 💯
I’ve been working this idea out in my head for years, you did years better than I ever could’ve creating this video. You’re hilarious bro!
Dumbing down is an insult to the fans, not the "artist". It is disrespectful and condescending. "You're too dumb to comprehend my work when I give it my best shot so I'm gonna do the bare minimum."
What that also means is, "I can't get rich if I put my best foot forward creatively so that means that the only people who are willing to spend their hard earned money on art are people who are too stupid to appreciate good art because they only spend money on trash so I'm gonna make trash."
I get where you’re coming from, and to a point it’s true. But he touches on it nicely in the vid. People like 6ix9ine and lil pump, whose whole brand was being stupid, had their 15 minutes of fame. But we can see where they are now.
However an artist like Kendrick had ‘Sing about me, I’m dying of thirst.’ And ‘backseat freestyle’ on the same album, but it never felt like he sacrificed his integrity to make a dumbed down track.
But an artist like Kendrick is rare, and I do agree a lot of artists feel the way you described.
While the sentiment isn't ideologically wrong, I think you may want to sit through the "bitter" section at 1:30 a couple more times. If you can't see the difference between dumbing it down and making trash, you don't understand the concept of the entertainment industry. Making stuff that NOBODY ELSE ENJOYS is what's really trash.
To dumb it down for you, imagine a chemical you use, maybe hand sanitizer, bleach, whatever. Whatever it is, I guarantee it's been filtered, or diluted with some amount of water, because the pure substance itself won't have the desired effect; instead it might burn your skin off. Too much of something is almost worse than none, and anyone with a brain knows that it's about finding a balance, especially one thats relative to your purpose and aim.
@@TinyOjos I feel like you agree with me. "backseet freestyle" did not feel dumbed down to me. There's also this false notion that if art or music is fun, it is automatically dumb. As much as "backstreet freestyle" was jiggy joint it greatly superior to someone saying "gucci gang" multiple times. I could be wrong though
@@IllDawgable I definitely see your point, and I just pulled backseat freestyle out as a quick example, probably wasn’t the best to use tho. Overall I do agree with you tbh🤝
There’s an art to dumbing it down tho
This might be the video of your channel all time.
The Westsidegunn Adlib “AUGH” And instrumentals love it
12:30 That's a dark realization, actually. Life is so much more enjoyable when you deeply appreciate well-made art.
I truly can’t even tell you how true of a video this is. It’s the pure essence of how I got to 100K on Tiktok. It’s so detailed. How you speak, how you act. This is 2000% a great video, and true to the core.
What content do you do ?
thank you for spending the energy on this kind of content that really, really challenges your viewers thinking. i did not expect this video to expand my perspective on the commercial side of art so much, but here we are... i was shocked that you are still under 70k but like you said, sooner or later with this kind of substance. thank you for sharing this.
also nice job with the let nas down thing. worked like a charm. you are going far.
That Drake to Kendrick Lamar section aged like milk
Maaaan the editing, the script and the message blended with the comedy and the references really made for a solid and very enjoyable video man :) Thank you so much
This is the video I’ve been looking for! This applies to so many industries!
First video I've seen from you thanks to RUclips recommending me and it's of the best videos I've seen this year. Period. I can relate so much with my own art as I feel like I'm in the phase of making a decision to dumb down my work. Cheers
Very pleased that you dumbed it down for me duplee
That was one of the best intros I've seen in a while. Great job!
"He didn't dumb his music down, he was just dumb." Made me lose it bro
It’s all about finding the art that is held within… the music is therapy to us Artist. We always have the need to grow to match our artistic vision. Not everyone but in my eyes this is what it means to me to be an artist.
Perfect video to watch before I get working on an album I’m excited to create and get into depth with. Well done friend!
got this recommended, good topic to talk about man. This is great!
Bro your transformation from a needledrop clip channel to legit content creator is inspiring
your video is actually hilarious and taught me a valuable lesson as an artist
Shiiittt…I’m about to binge watch all the videos on this channel. This is the kind of good content i like. Subscribed💯