| MTV Searches For You, The Hottest MC In The Game |
| By Hip Hop News | |
| 09/22/09 | |
|
Sep 22, 2009
After much debate and speculation about who made the cut, MTV and
their respected Brain Trust are set to reveal their highly-anticipated
list of the year's hottest MCs in the game on Monday (September 28).
The MTV Brain Trust will convene at their usual round table
for a televised discussion of the top 10 MCs in the industry. This
year, however, MTV will also be factoring in the over 1.5 million votes they received from fans.
According to MTV.com, the ranking considers the following:
Lyrics -- Skills will always put an MC in the conversation. It's all
about how the MC's words penetrate on the mic. Can their lyrics stab
hearts? Musical trends may change, but lyrical skill remains a powerful
currency in hip-hop.
Flow -- It isn't just what you're saying, it's how you're rocking
it. Does an MC connect with an audience and make them pay attention?
Some just have that special delivery.
Impact -- Of course, MC means 'move the crowd,' but a truly hot MC
can also move the culture. Are their records dominating radio? Are they
parlaying their music career into other successful business ventures?
Selling out tours? Have they put other MCs in the game? Do companies
clamor for their product endorsement? Pay attention when an MC owns the
moment.
Buzz -- You know you're hot when everybody is talking about you.
From schools to clubs to street corners to barbershops and beyond, a
hot MC is always a hot topic of conversation. Dropping a classic album
is obviously one way to create buzz, but consistently crushing the
mixtape circuit can get (and keep) people buzzing. And of course,
there's the web -- key stats like Google hits, Twitter followers and
YouTube views are all part of the story too.
Sales -- The bar on this one moves slightly every year, depending on
how the music business is doing. Nevertheless, multiplatinum plaques
can never be fronted on. Whether it's sales of albums, ringtones or mp3
downloads, if it makes dollars it makes sense. Moving big units counts.
The Intangible -- Sometimes it all comes down to that undeniable
intangible. Some call it star power, some call it swag, some call it
the "it" factor. You can't learn it. You can't buy it. You either have
it or you don't. These are the trendsetters of hip-hop."
Set to begin on Monday, the rest of the list will be unveiled throughout the week, with the top five going public on October 4.
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