The annual unofficial launch of the summer in the New York Tri-State area would not be complete without a ruckus, and at times, controversial Summer Jam concert sponsored by Hot97.
New York City’s most highly touted hip hop station will be kicking off their 21st Summer Jam concert on Sunday, June 1st. BlackSportsOnline will be there live capturing every tweetable moment, every throwback performance and surprise appearance. But with such a rich and illustrious two decades in the books, now seems as good a time as any to discuss the future of the infamous summer bonanza.
From the controversial moments, to seeing budding artists mature on stage and the unforgettable collabs pitting past and future against each other. There’s no doubting the historical implications Summer Jam has provided to Hip Hop history and music history as a whole. But of late, many avid fans have become confused as to the direction of the concert. Has the concert sold the essence of its soul to cater to commercially famous one-hit-wonders, while neglecting underground artists?
Look, Summer Jam never claimed to be Bonaroo or Showtime at the Apollo, and for the most part it’s understood that Summer Jam caters to giving the audience the hottest established and semi-established artists on the market–but, many wonder if that’s even still the truth. After 2013’s Summer Jam left many loyalists wondering where the luster had gone, it’s high-time the Summer staple re-establish the hype behind its name.
With 2012’s infamous Nicki Minaj snub after Morning Show host Peter Rosenberg, publicly bashed her on stage; leading to Lil Wayne pulling all his artists off the lineup altogether, the concert has seen more criticisms of late than praise. Even with Rosenberg making some largely valid points about Minaj’s song not being quote unquote “hip hop”, the aftermath of the event seems to have devalued the concert from a music lover’s must-see to just another early Summer recreation. How to restore the glory of the concert which once hosted and helped propel the likes of Notorious B.I.G, Wu-Tang Clan, Mary J Blige, DMX, Jay-Z and many more?
There’s a classic saying about opinions and how everyone has one. Summer Jam is no stranger to varying opinions–from those who lament the concert is too mainstream, to those who complain about the sometimes lack of blockbuster names–no one’s happy. But to compromise, at the end of the day, good performances speak for themselves, the fluff, fake controversies and other stuff are good for a moment but don’t create longtime buzz. In a growing age of impatience where everything is shared, tweeted, and spread throughout the cyber world in seconds I’ve compiled a list of 3 keys to ensure the future legacy of Summer Jam.
1. Cater to the audience not the trends: It’s easy to get caught up in the drama stories, with rapper beefs, snubs etc…but at the end of the day the focus should always be about the music first and foremost. The more the concert strays from that mantra is the more the err…’ratchets’ of the world will be the number one flockers to the concert, whereas legit music fans will soon go elsewhere.
2. Pay homage to local artists but don’t let them steal the show: One of the many things Summer Jam does pretty well is in giving local NY Tri-State area talent a chance to make their mark. While we all love a good Fabolous, Wu-Tang and Joe Budden set here and there, totally imbibing the concert with NY exclusive artists for most of the day does more harm than good. NY isn’t the talent mecca for rappers it once was, so as the trends move its time to embrace the stylings of other rappers from sea to shining sea.
3. Bring back the fun: One of the most common complaints of late with Summer Jam is how with the massive overgrowth in popularity have emerged the ‘dumbing down’ of performances, relying solely on big names to draw in crowds and substance left on the back burner. If the first two keys mentioned above are followed, then I see no reason why point 3 can’t just naturally occur. Summer Jam is a haven for pre-Summer fun, youth and music, no matter how commercial things have gotten overall enjoyment of the fans should always be priority.
So as we get ready to usher in another year of Summer Jam, let’s pay special attention to the direction in which the concert is heading. As time goes by and trends come and go, for the most part, the concert has been true to its word. One would hate to see the concert fall victim to the soul-less, money hit ups that have plagued some other former promising music festivals.
2014 at MetLife Stadium should be a promising one, indeed. Feel free now to brush up on the artists who will be on the stage. And make sure to follow both @Girllovesports and @Erinasimon for all things Summer Jam 2014.