Small businesses become large ones by being aggressive, creative risk takers. But over time, tremendous size and power can slowly turn a business from an edgy risk taker into a monolithic institution whose approach changes from “playing to win” to “playing not to lose.”
While 2013 marked the first time in Billboard’s 55 year history that there were no black artists on the Hot 100 chart, this was a great year for us with Justin Timberlake, Robin Thicke, and Macklemore claiming the #1 spot on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart, proving that market demands are shifting.
After decades of watching Rap and R&B music suffocate itself under the tightening grip of narrow-minded content, the 2013 Billboard charts and 2014 Grammy Awards have proven that the Rap and R&B landscape seems to be taking a final fatal turn towards gentrification.