Max Bottaro

The lights dim, and the crowd surges forward in eagerness. As the anticipation builds, the swarm surges the front of the stage, and their energy becomes tangible: you can feel hot breath and eager hands forcing you forward, the body heat, the etheric sense of excitement, the swelling audible whoops. Your muscles tense up as you become aware of all your surroundings.

“In the world of MTV my name is too gangster, huh… in the world of BET my name is too rock and roll, huh?”

These words came from the mouth of a bearded black man in full black and white face paint, with word WAR written across his forehead. Aaron Yates, otherwise know as “Tech N9ne”, appropriately opened his set with a track off his new album, Everready: This is me (I still think most of America isn’t quite sure who Aaron Yates is or what he’s all about). The rest of the performance was anything but average. By the end of the show, Tech N9ne, the rest of the “Strange Music” performers, along with most of the audience were drenched in sweat, panting, and there were more than a few bloody noses than your typical rap concert. It doesn’t sound like it, but it was an absolute blast. Hands down the most exciting concert I’ve ever been to.

Aaron Yates, AKA Tech N9ne live

Tech N9ne is only one of many successful genre bending artists. Unlike the “mainstream” hip hop that chases a well defined market, the urban underground has boldly dared to lead the market; and done so successfully in most cases. Leading a market is much more difficult than altering your style to fit within a well trodden niche, which is why I respect these underground artists more. In an artistic market such as the music industry, creativity and a unique style is what gives a product its zest.

Leading you’re consumer into an untrodden market is both risky and difficult. It’s hard to brand yourself if your consumers don’t already have a well defined schema of what your product is all about. 7 Up faced this very problem when it entered the soft drink market- which was previously dominated by dark colored cola drinks. The makes or 7 Up were afraid people wouldn’t “get” their drink, so they successfully branded it by leeching off of a well defined niche- the cola market. 7 Up is now known as the “uncola”. The cola schema was so built up in consumers minds that 7 Up had to use it as a base for its own branding.

The road less traveled

People go through the same thought process when it comes to rap: On one hand, Yates is black, a rapper, and his stage name is “gangster”-which does fit into a well defined niche in the music industry. On the other hand, Yates has red spiked hair, wears face paint, is from the Midwest, and his style has hints of rock. People aren’t sure how to mentally brand Tech N9ne (or most underground artists). Aaron Yates has used his unmarketability to his advantage in most cases- he has successful branded himself as the guy who sticks it to the industry norms. His popular slogan “F.T.I.” (Fuck the Industry) has become a well accepted catch phrase in urban culture. 7 Up successfully became the uncola in much the same way Yates became the “Un-marketable”.

While I can appreciate mainstream music, I do not respect the “artists” in the same way. They are more like businessmen-who rap about cars and money-in hopes to appeal to a broader, more shallow market. While this might accomplish an increase in record sales and more radio time, it comes at the expense of inventive artistry. You can feel this in the concerts, which have a higher attendance but a more diluted audience. No one shows up with red hair or face paint, and no one starts any mosh pits: It’s safe and standard- just like their marketing strategy.

If anyone is interested in expanding their musical horizon, I would recommend checking out some of Andre Nickatina, Atmosphere, Jedi Mind Tricks, and of course Tech N9ne. My favorite right now is “Riot Maker”. That track is like a double shot of espresso.

Market need creators; and satisfiers.