6 Ways That Bloggers are Like Rappers

6 Ways That Bloggers are Like Rappers

Reader Comments (114)

  1. You forgot those most obvious one – sampling. Rappers are taking bits and pieces of other rappers’ compositions all the time. Same with bloggers.

  2. An amazingly accurate analogy this is… I did not start to see real blogging traction until I started thinking like a rapper (although I did not realize this is what I was doing).

    It was only after I hooked up with some buzz groups (gangs), started blogging frequently (prolificacy) [nice word by the way!] and created authentic and personal content (freestyling) did I see legitimate traffic and subscriber #’s.

    One more you could throw in there… Bloggers, like rappers love BLING. Just take a look at the sidebars in most blogs and you’ll see lots of it.

    Great post!
    Deeter

  3. REMIX!

    6 Ways that Rappers are Like Bloggers

    1. Lack of Quality Control (Prolificacy)
    2. Inability to carry their own projects and live up to their own hype (Guest spots!)
    3. Narcissism (Cult of Personal Branding)
    4. Slave to record label (sales) / ad network (page views). (Claims of Bosslessness)
    5. Weed Carriers / Feed Carriers (Gang-Affiliation)
    6. Talking much, ain’t saying nothing (Freestyling)

  4. “Rappers are notoriously prolific, some of them releasing mix-tapes on a monthly basis, delivering torrent after torrent of catchy street bangers. Prior to making it big, 50 Cent holed up in a studio and produced 36 songs in two weeks, and Lil’ Wayne seems to be releasing a 20-track album each month.”

    That to me is more saying that quantity is better than quality. IMHO, the rap that is produced is simplistic and the hardest part is coming up with a rhythm to go with the words which could be as simple as 3 notes repeated towards infinity.

    Besides that and the fact that I don’t really like rap, I completely agree with this analogy. Great post. Thanks.

  5. If these analogies are true, and they definately are, then I hate most bloggers because I hate most rappers…. they talk too much shit. Great post! 🙂

  6. i hate rap, so should i hate blogging all of a sudden. from the the reaction of the commenting section you can see that clay colling is running out of blog post articles and is pumping out second rate articles.

    i do a lot strategy for the online world, more recently for blogs, the worst thing you can do to blogs as an industry is to compare it to a low class, talentless and destructive form of music which is rap!

    i still like most of the articles you’ve written and will continue to read your future ones but instead of trying to figure out who we are by comparing our selves to others, lets create and establish our own identity please!

  7. I love the idea!

    One of the things that make me so much like a rapper is my foul mouth and my giant Mr.T style jewelry that I wear around the house and to the market.

    Don’t worry, I take it off when I’m swimming.

  8. Compliments on finding so many similarites! 20-30 posts a day? By the same person, I can’t even imagine that. Now I’m going to be looking for examples.

  9. Lets just hope there’s no war between East Coast and West Coast bloggers!

    Doesn’t seem likely… last I heard Loren Feldman was sleeping at Mike Arrington’s house. 🙂

  10. To all the playa’ hataz in the commentz –

    Peace-izzle!

    I don’t like (c)rap either … but this post made me chuckle. Thanks, Clay.

    And Rafi – “weed carriers / feed carriers” will be the four funniest words I’ll read all day. Love it!

  11. Indeed. I must agree with Deeter. Great analogy!

    @Sean Kelly: I pitty the fool that doesn’t take off his jewelry while swimming!

  12. And like Rappers… As a Blogger, “Got my mind on my money, money on my mind.”

    Hmmm… Gin & Juice for breakfast, anyone?

  13. Similarity #7: Just like rappers, most bloggers never ‘make it.’ For every successful rapper there are hundreds with delusions of fame.

  14. I resemble that remark, yo.

    Great shit.

    Another similarity: Fake Wars / Personal Vendettas / Attack songs & posts drive sales.

    Ex: Feldman/Israel, Calacanis/Denton, Arrington/Ali, etc. (and really Arrington or Calacanis vs *anyone*)

    awesome post, ma blogga!

    – Run DMc

  15. Don’t underestimate brand. I can tell you the name of the blogs that I read first thing in the morning with no problem.

    Ask me who writes them and if I’m lucky I can name two or three.

    Branding rules….Which name would you bet people know: McDonald’s or Ray Kroc?

  16. @ Josh: You’re so right. I’m sure I’m probably missing a lot of other analogies as well.

    @Deeter: Seriously, we need to stop it with the bling.

    @Mike D?! Clearly you’re not from the Beastie Boys 🙂 Dude, anything that ends in “-er” rhymes with copyblogger.

    @Bam: We’re just having some fun here. Don’t be a hater 🙂

    @Troy: True that!

    @Brenda: That’s all I was aiming for. I’m really glad you liked this.

    @The Masked Millionaire: I think blogs are personality driven in a way that fast food restaurants are not, but that’s just my humble take on the matter.

  17. I loved this post! I was a gospel rapper back in the day and never thought of the similarities but you are right on! As for those that hate rap, I am not a fan of gangster rap but we “old school rappers” appreciate that rap has been around for centuries. It gained popularity as an art form in the Harlem Renaissance and expanded into popular culture in the 1980s. It’s not all about drugs and gangs.

  18. Alright. I listen to white man’s rap. Okay? Yes. I like it. Loud. With lots of cursing. I like when people look at me. Okay? I’m like the Kid Rock of blogging. Um, like, the censored version. With kids. And a Canadian accent.

    Alright, fine. At least I have the cocky factor goin’ on. Cripes.

  19. Niiiice playa! You said a mouthful. You just inspired me with an idea to easily flip my rap skills in the blogosphere.
    Good lookin’ out.

    As for all the haters and naysayers about rap being compared to bloggers, here’s a few words from Mr. Albert Einstein…

    “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds”

    And yes, we rappers do read Einstein and apply the e=MC2 equation to our freestyles.

    Peace,

    Breathe Easy…

  20. Definitely a fun post, even if I only like old-school rap. And definitely watch the gang affiliation thing. Some big (network) bloggers like to believe some lesser bloggers have said something more than they have. Bad career move. Difference of opinion isn’t valued as much online as we’d like to think.

  21. I won’t try and emulate the rap vernacular like so many other commenters have done successfully (even if the name of my website is frighteningly close to Fo’ Sho’.. maybe I should rename it to fo’ shizzle ma nizzle?) but a good piece.

    (But I think Brian Clark is Copyblogger, not Coppyblogger… ?)

    Word.

  22. How clever. And kickass. I never considered myself akin to rappers, but now I feel so different. I want to start flashing cash ($1 bills) and dancing with scantily clad dudes (rather than girls). Thanks, Clay! 🙂

  23. I feel so much cooler now! What we’re missing are the cool blogger titles that rappers have, like M.C.’s and D.J.’s and etc.
    someday…

  24. I’d really like to see how a name brand rapper would react to this post; honored, or ‘it ain’t cool enough to be equated with’ ??

    And has the ShoeMiester not been here yet? ;~)

  25. The trackbacks and pingbacks should be separated from this article because this post is gonna be linked to – a lot!

  26. I like rap AND I like this post. But I notice the player haters out in the blogosphere all the time. If your gonna use the talk, then walk the walk, homie.

    Peace:-)

  27. @ Rebecca: Ha ha, gangsta bloggirl.

    Thinking of it, I would have added one more similarity between bloggers and rappers: THE BLING.

    Just like rappers proudly wear their shiny bling-bling or drive ultra-accessorized Hummers and Cadillacs, bloggers sometimes tend to fill up their sidebars with widgets that don’t add much usability. Most of the time, they are our “personal bling”, something to show-off.

  28. Hmm… I’m a white guy from Detroit. I live in Brooklyn. And I blog.

    Coincidence?

    #7) Fake it ’till you make it: Upcoming rappers/bloggers have been known to make money by rapping/blogging about making money rapping/blogging.

    #8) This game ain’t for everybody: Phony rappers/bloggers have been known to “fall off” for biting other rappers’/bloggers’ rhymes/insights without giving props/links.

    #9) Hateration: You haven’t truly made it as a rapper/blogger unless a quorum of suckas be hatin’.

    #10) Legendary beefs: ‘Nuff said.

    [lol @ rafi’s comment. Hilarious!]

  29. Good analogy – I’d add in something about money…as in I don’t believe half the rap artists when they brag about how much they have…ditto the low-level wanna be probloggers (and maybe a few of the A-listers as well?).

  30. Overall GREAT ANALOGY!
    Just two differences:

    A big difference may be the expanding market for mainstream bloggers due to embracing “open” and “free” standards. Many mainstream rappers haven’t yet caught the “open” and “free” mentality of web/music2.0.

    Second, blogging is not as varied or creative as rap just yet. I’ve heard a far more varied body of style, content and creativity from the less confined body of underground hip-hop than from blogging at this point. The evolution and distinctiveness in hip-hop probably comes from how long the form has been around — a good 20 years plus more than blogging.

    Again, overall though, excellent and funny analogy!

  31. Informative, insightful article.
    Now: what blogger comes closest to emulating Whodini’s “Pickin’ Boogers”?

  32. This is a pretty lol + insightful article.

    There’s one thing though: rappers are a whole lot more into bling than bloggers (most of us can’t afford it any way).

    I’ll be putting a link to this one from my blog..thanks!

  33. Wish I was talented enough to even rhyme (did I spell that right?) in order to leave a clever comment, but all I can do is agree and laugh along with some of the others. Loved the post and you really made some great key points. Keep up the good work!
    Thanks!

  34. I’d add another similarity: There are a countless number of struggling rappers out there hoping to be the next 50 Cent — and there are a countless number of bloggers on the web hoping to be the next Shoemoney.

  35. What a great title to a post. Had to read it just to see how you related the two.

    Sorry….but can’t see myself as a Rapper….but you go for it. lol.

This article's comments are closed.