The Music Book Podcast

022 Amy Coddington on Rap and Radio

Nov 21, 2023

Author Amy Coddington discusses how hip-hop entered the mainstream through pop radio in the 80s and 90s. She explores issues of race, economics, and authenticity, emphasizing how the business model of the radio industry affected rap's relationship to the mainstream. This history reveals the story of money, prejudice, and rap's mainstream potential.

45:05

Episode guests

Amy Coddington

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

The history of rap's integration into the mainstream through pop radio is a story about money, the business model of the radio industry, and how racial prejudice influenced its potential.

The podcast explores the interconnectedness of race, money, and authenticity in rap music's journey towards mainstream success and highlights the challenges faced by the genre in navigating the ever-evolving definition of mainstream culture.

Deep dives

The Evolution of Hip Hop and its Mainstream Impact

The podcast episode explores the journey of hip hop from its beginnings to its mainstream success in the 80s and 90s. It delves into the complexities of the genre's integration into pop radio and its impact on the music industry. The episode highlights the intertwined nature of race, money, and authenticity within the hip hop movement. It discusses how rap's relationship with the mainstream was influenced by racial prejudices entrenched in the radio industry's business model. The episode also examines the concept of mainstream culture and its ever-changing definition, especially in relation to hip hop's acceptance and the boundaries it still faces.

Introduction

4min

Writing a Narratively Driven Book on Pop Music and Poppy Hip Hop

10min

The Challenges of Balancing Different Threads

21min

The Process of Writing and Revising a Book

4min

Restructuring and Organizing the Content of a Book in the Context of the Radio Industry and Rap Music

2min

Exploring Conclusions and Reflections

4min

On this episode, Marc talks to Amy Coddington, author of “How Hip Hop Became Hit Pop,” released on September 12, 2023. It’s a fascinating study of how hip-hop made its way into the musical mainstream through pop radio in the 80s and 90s. Coddington explores so many issues: what exactly is mainstream, what exactly is rap, how did those two things change each other, plus issues of backlash, economics, authenticity, and more.

As she writes, “This history is really a story about money, about how the business model of the radio industry affected rap’s relationship to the mainstream. And it’s a story about race, about how the racial prejudice central to radio’s business model influenced rap’s mainstream potential.”

We hope you enjoy Marc's conversation with Amy!

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The Music Book Podcast

022 Amy Coddington on Rap and Radio

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

The Evolution of Hip Hop and its Mainstream Impact

Amy Coddington's Book: How Hip Hop Became Hip Hop

The Intersection of Music and Radio Programming

Analyzing the Notions of Mainstream and Rap Authenticity

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts