While I was still out in New York, I was having a discussion with some friends, and we stumbled upon the subject of artists trying to create "pop" songs or songs made specifically for the radio, etc. and whether or not it was possible for an artists to have mainstream success without putting out a "pop" song. My answer right away was no, but what really caught me by surprise was the reaction I got when I said that even Nas tried to put out radio friendly hits. A few people looked at me as if I had lost my mind, saying that outside of "Oochie Wally" he really didn't have any song that was for the mainstream. This in fact is not true at all, and probably Nas' most blatant effort to go a little more "mainstream" was with Nastradamus (and of course their are other songs like "You Won't See Me Tonight" with Aaliyah and things of that nature). The point here is that even those who we may consider to have completely separated themselves from the mainstream have gained the recognition they have because of songs that catered to a more pop audience.

It is funny because there are times when some artists don't even necessarily need to try to go mainstream, but in an effort to garner an even bigger audience, they will at least attempt to do so. I think this can definitely be seen in the case of Nas, in which really, by the time Nastradamus came out, he had already gained a pretty significant level of fame, and although he was not at the level that he is now, Nastradamus didn't really help him much. However, the majority of the time, it is that mainstream appeal that can give an artist/group that little extra boost they need to really be recognized amongst all of the other well known acts. Outkast was already riding high, but then they put out "Rosa Parks" from Aquemini and then spawned a few singles from Stankonia, which was the icing on the cake. Although almost every Outkast single has a deeper meaning that what may be taken at face value, the music in and of itself is still appealing to a wider audience and that is what almost all hip hop acts look to do in order to make it big.

There is no question that when Jay-Z came out with "Hard Knock Life" that he was striving for a more mainstream appeal. The song itself speaks on hard times, but to a casual listener, it is nothing more than a nice melody or beat that everybody can appreciate. Throw "Big Pimpin" into the mix which really had little content and Jay is now rap's biggest success story. Even Tupac had his attempts, especially with songs like "I Get Around", "How Do You Want It", etc. And of course B.I.G. had his moments, especially working with Diddy. I hope "Juicy" will be enough of an example. All of these artists that we hail as the greats, were all able to cross over and appeal to audiences that may have otherwise not been familiar with their work had their not been some sort of bridge between what was being said in the music and what was actually being heard.

So what happens to all of the artists that are well respected underground and unquestionably have the talented of more popular artists, yet haven't reached the same level of fame? It always comes back to being able to make a song that can crossover. There are some that simply choose not to, for fear that they are "selling out" and then there are others that have attempted, but just can't cut it. Somebody like Mos Def or Talib Kweli (for the most part) have strayed from making an obvious attempt at going mainstream. While you may be able to find a couple sing-a-long hooks in their collection, you won't find much and they tend to prefer it that way. There has always been this fine line in hip hop between staying true and selling out. However, the person that is able to find that small niche to where they can make a song that the streets respect but appeals to people across many genre's, those are the people who are usually considered the best.

Think about those that are usually put in the top 10 category (minus those whose fame was at its pinnacle in the 80s simply because at that time, there was not the marketing machine there is now, so almost could make it big); Nas, Jay-Z, Eminem, Biggie, even Tupac etc. All of these artists have found ways to talk about their struggles, their hardships, what is going on in their community, yet still have been able to have people from all over sing to their songs as if there is not a care in the world. The best explanation that many consider Jay-Z the greatest alive can probably been seen best again through "Hard Knock Life." With a sample from Annie, something that so many that look nothing like Jay nor have had any of the experiences he has had are so familiar with, people can feel comfortable playing the song and can truly enjoy the song. However, those that are struggling, that have had similar experiences can also relate just as well, making for a mass appeal that can be reached by very few.