Aftermath Entertainment was started in 1996 by Dr. Dre. He claims that it was started with a quality over quantity standard but I don't buy it. His first release was The Firm album in 1997. It sold enough units to go gold but it was never highly acclaimed by critics. The group disbanded shortly after. In 1998 Dr. Dre sold his soul to the devil in exchange for Eminem (I mean he had to do something, right?). This is where it all starts. Eminem brought in all of these kids who had never liked Hip-Hop before. He had a crazy impact. I won't front like I didn't buy his first two albums but i quickly outgrew his subject matter. Now, 12 years after his debut you have these same kids who didn't listen to Hip-Hop until Eminem giving their opinions on any and everything Hip-Hop like they deserve that respect. Eminem's music, outside of an album's worth of songs, is worthless. He's a really talented rapper who makes really stupid music. I don't see how these kids get all excited hearing him try to rap faster than the speed of light about how good of a rapper he is. If that's all they did it wouldn't be a problem but they claim Em is the GOAT and, since he's white, if you disagree they will call you a racist. It is amusing but at the same time very annoying and childish.
In 2002 Eminem signed one of the most negative influences we have ever seen in the world of Hip-Hop. 50 Cent came on the scene with an even bigger buzz than Eminem (which is fucking absurd). Due to his 9 gunshot wounds and street background he became a huge hit with suburban america. Talk about being in the right place at the right time. His debut album Get Rich Or Die Tryin' went 6 times platinum and he became a global icon basically overnight. 50 may be best known for his "beefs" with other artists (which were really just marketing ploys to sell his albums) which his career seemed to live (Ja Rule and others) and die (Rick Ross) by. In these "beefs" all 50 did was talk about how none of his adversaries sell records. In turn leading his simple minded fans to believe that selling records has anything to do with being talented or making good music. That mentality has stuck with Hip-Hop for awhile now. It basically voided lyrical ability in a battle. How is that good for Hip-Hop? Now there are millions of people out there who believe that if you don't sell records your music isn't good and if you do sell records you're great. That is retarded. 50 Cent's buzz has died off but he still doesn't want to let go. Now he's running back and doing songs with the artists he "beefed" with which is pathetic and shows that he never really had a real beef with anyone. It was all marketing.
This is the same guy who made "High All The Time" but claims not to drink or smoke. Hip-Hop has always been about authenticity and while I believe that you can stretch the truth a little every now and then lying about getting high is just corny. He said he would retire if Kanye West outsold his Curtis album with Graduation. Kanye did outsell him and the AntiRap is still around making music. What a fraud.
In 2005 he did the unspeakable. He added newly signed rapper The Game to his G-Unit line up. The Game is one of the most AVERAGE rappers ever. Fans of Aftermath artists seem like EVERY artist on the weak ass label because they all have that similar formula to their music. Dr Dre's beats have sounded exactly the same since around 2003. There is no evolution in the Aftermath umbrella. There is no honor. There is no love for music. Their whole existence is based on greed and the bastardization of the music we know and love.
Remember Detox? Yea, THAT Detox. Dre finally dropped a single for it. Guess what? Nobody cares! I think the run of their formula has run out or people finally wised up. Either way their buzz is dying (except Eminem's but we know why that it) and I can't wait until is completely gone and they are no longer around tainting the music that I USED to love so much.
There is a reason some of the most respected artists that have been signed to Aftermath left the label. They probably didn't want to sell the fuck out like some lames. Art is only art until you stop caring about it. Since 2003 the Aftermath umbrella has been manufacturing music for mass distribution. It is basically brainwashing music for idiotic people. The good news in all this is that it seems Hip-Hop fans are slowly but surely going back to listening to music because it's actually good. Thank God.
