Tracks are redone from a past hit because it pretty much ensures that the song will be palatable and marketable. It's easier to take a chance commercially by releasing a song with a sample that has been proven to sell than one that hasn't. That's just the view from a commercial standpoint.
Also, many labels view hiphop albums as an easy investment and return, hiphop can be cranked out a lot faster than rock, and the point is to get that target demographic.
MTV, circa 1995, along with the broadcast industry, did a broad qualitative and quantitative survey regading the target demographics needed to be captured by the channel, and likeminded radio stations, in order to sell advertising spots to the most marketable audience. This was viewed as the 18 and under "Generation Y" youngsters who consisted of the stereotype "hyper-sexualized teenage girl", and the "angry male white teenager." These two stereotypes were branded the "midriff" and the "mook", both types were caucasian, suburban, middle-class, and have a tremendous amount of purchasing power.
In order to appeal to this audience, advertisers began aggressively targeting these two markets... and in turn the music industry had to target them as well. Eminem fit well for the "mook" and Jimmy Iovine even stated that Eminem was highly marketable to angry suburban teenage males.
However, females 12-18yrs are the greatest record buyers and hence, the Ja Rule phenomenons, where cookie cutter pop songs disguised as hiphop are played on the radio talking about "love," and like topics. As long as your sister is buying Ja Rule, and her friends are listening to him, radio and television will play his songs. Irv Gotti proves he understands the "game" by marketing Ja Rule to the young female audience in the way that he has. From a commercial standpoint, Irv Gotti is brilliant, however...
How can you say HIP HOP is DEAD? Or is stale? Have you picked up a DefinitiveJux pressed album? Have you listened to the versatility of El-P, or Aesop Rock... Have you walked into the Sistine Chapel of lyricism aided by the immaculate words of Ras Kass? If you think hiphop is dead, you obviously have been overlooking the constantly growing underground hiphop scene, focusing on great words, and also on different production.
BUT... as long as you have the target demographic to exploit, the Neptunes will make songs for Snoop Dogg called "Beautiful," because Snoop needs to hit the younger girls to up his record sales.
So you can produce what you think will be on radio, or you can go for something groundbreaking, make 180 degree turn and be a trailblazer. People will ridicule you, but if it's different, people will always criticize. Just make sure what you do is so completely different that people will wonder where you came with the idea. Don't be derivative of another producer completely, but be yourself.
Anyway, I had my little rant... replies would be helpful.
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