Jun 19, 2019

Country / Rap Collaborations


1 comment:

  1. The issue goes beyond collaborating with rappers. You don't see me whining about how Willie Nelson collaborating with non-country artists like Julio Iglesias or Snoop Dogg because primarily, it was not released to country radio, nor was it intended to be a country song. On the other hand, despite being removed from the country charts, many view Lil Nas X's collaboration with Billy Ray Cyrus, "Old Town Road", as a full-fledged country song and most of them want it to be restored to the country charts. Similarly, pop singer Bebe Rexha's song with bro-country group Florida Georgia Line was also viewed as a full-fledged country song and eventually became the longest running number one country song at 50 weeks. Ludacris’s collaboration with Jason Aldean on a remix of Dirt Road Anthem also gained popularity after their performance on the 2011 CMT Music Awards. But we're just hacking at the branches, not at the roots. There wouldn't be so many non-country collaborations gaining momentum within country music, nor would there be bro-country, country rap, metro-bro, and non-country influences like hair metal, Drake style R&B, and hip hop dominating country music if it weren't for so-called "traditional country" artist Alan Jackson (aka the Nickelback of country music). Besides the fact he not only invented bro-country ("Chattahoochee", "Country Boy", and "Where I Come From") and cemented the stereotype that country music is dumb and ignorant ("It's Alright to Be a Redneck", "I Still Like Bologna", and especially that stupid 9/11-exploiting song where he couldn't tell the difference between Iraq and Iran), Jackson has out of all people a rapper as his producer. Namely, Polow da Don, the same guy who produced Nicki Minaj's 2014 monstrosity "Anaconda" and has worked with other rappers like 50 Cent, Travis Scott, Rich Boy, and Gucci Mane, among others. I know right, it doesn't get more country than that! ou thought that Lil Nas X and Ludacris’s country/”country” collaborations were bad? Well, we’re not done yet. Alan Jackson has taken this one step further, by covering multiple rap songs in concert, specifically:
    * Akon - Don't Matter
    * Wiz Khalifa - We Dem Boyz ( video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFOtWpul3ZY )
    * Tyga - Hookah
    * Soulja Boy - Turn My Swag On
    * Soulja Boy - I Got that Sauce
    * Future - Mask Off
    * Flo Rida - Whistle
    * T.I. - Whatever You Like
    * Big Sean ft. Nicki Minaj - Dance (A$$)
    * Lil Wayne - Love Me
    * Drake - Passionfruit
    * Offset - Ric Flair Drip
    * Waka Flocka Flame - Hard in da Paint
    * Shaquille O'Neal - (I Know I Got) Skillz
    * Fetty Wap - Jugg
    Indeed, without Alan Jackson, it’s very probable that we would not be having this discussion about how non-country influences have infiltrated the genre to the point where collaborations with non-country artists (especially rappers) are commonplace. And the sad irony of this is that Alan Jackson is viewed by many traditionalists as truly traditional country when he is the furthest thing from such. If Alan Jackson, the man responsible for this mess, is really a traditional country artist, then so are Ludacris, Bebe Rexha, Lil Nas X, Alan Jackson’s producer Polow da Don, and those rappers covered by Alan Jackson.
    #AlanJacksonKilledCountry

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