Summer School: Houston Rap

Summer School subject by “Mr. Babylon”:
“Operating under the assumption that the Houston rap scene is a paradigm of regional success, the rare self-sustaining (often thriving even) local-scene with its own labels and stars and hits and stores, how will its current national success effect it's continued viability?”

The best regional music scenes are those that develop out of necessity. Whether it be due to the socio-political limitations of a particular area, the plight of an entire class of people, or geographical location, the true scenes exist because they have to. Blues & Jazz developed because they had to. Hip-Hop developed because it had to. And as a modern day example, Baile Funk developed because it had to. Messages had to be sent. Points had to be made. The poor and oppressed needed an outlet to dance and sweat their worries away in a safe and communal environment. The Houston rap scene has developed for some of the same reasons. And some entirely new ones too. What worries me is the means by which it has flourished. The mixtape culture in Texas (and yes it is a culture) is completely different than it is in other parts of the country. And quite frankly, it blows all those other parts of the country out of the fucking water. The mixtape is precisely why the Houston rap scene is as huge as it is. But while it was blowing it up, it was also defining the style and the sound. The promotion and the marketing somehow became a part of the music. Pretty fucked up if you think about it. I love it, but it’s pretty fucked up. All of this being said, the corporate music machine has it’s own marketing and promotion tactics. Their tactics are a world apart from those in Houston. And it will be interesting to see how the two clash. To answer the question, the Houston rap scene will always be viable because of its roots. But it will have to develop without the help of the corporate machine in order to continue to flourish and not become a flash in the pan.