August 03, 2005

CAPITALIZE

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Why doesn't hip-hop work the greatest hits compilation like country? The two genres move in tandem on other fronts: formal and political conservatism; disdain for instrumental passages; one-album-every-year pace; narrative compression; songs keyed to the physical pleasure principle; excellent engineering; comfort with video channels and awards ceremonies; funny lyrics; improbable head coverings.

We should already be able to buy best-ofs from DMX, Fabolous, Ludacris, Jay-Z (at least two volumes, George Strait of this game), Eminem, 50 (best of the boots), and about a dozen others. I can't understand how record companies, fond of reselling commodities they've already paid to create once, can be fumbling this one.

Posted by Sasha at August 3, 2005 09:53 AM | TrackBack