Media constructing the music industry

This week's blog is focusing on the ongoing, heated debate between hip-hop artists Kanye West and 50 Cent. How does this relate to mass media you ask? Keep reading.
In case you have been hiding under a rock recently, the two stars both coincidently released their third studio albums on Sept. 11, generating much excitement by their fans and the media. While the two are not the most sworn of enemies, the media has constructed this event as a battle, a showdown between two very popular rappers with two very different styles. Kanye's forte is with cunning lyrics and new sounds while 50 is more aggressive with traditionally booming beats.
I read a fantastic article in Rolling Stone magazine that interviewed each artist and discussed their thoughts and feelings about their own new record as well as their counterpart's and the relationship between them. This week in class we discussed how the media constructs and re-presents reality to us. This event would have received much attention without the media blowing it up as a contest, but by plotting the two against each other the media was able to make this into one of the biggest stories in entertainment this year.
A little background before we move on: Regardless of whether you like hip-hop or not, the media has given it a negative context. Not all hip-hop is dirty and filled with swear words, as the media portrays it. Older generations loathe it and resist to even call it "music." Well music is a text constructed by the media, and texts have multiple meanings according to the personal perspectives of who is reading them. Anyway, the hip-hop industry has seen a major drop in popularity and sales in the past couple years (ironically since these artists released the second albums). So this was a perfect opportunity for the media to hype it up as a battle for hip-hop resurrection. And if some of you are reading this and thinking this isn't that big of a deal, why would Rolling Stone put Fiddy and KW on the cover of their prestigious magazine if it wasn't?
I guess the media's plan has worked though. I personally have been reading anything and everything I can about these two in the last few weeks and still can't get enough and I know I'm not the only one. I have each of their albums (Kanye's Graduation and 50's Curtis) and have been listening to them constantly since they came out simultaneously on Tuesday.
When Kanye was asked about releasing his album on Sept. 11 he responded, "I was a little worried about that day, because I didn't want to be offensive to anyone, to act like I was neglecting that. But people also want to celebrate and have a good time and have something to uplift their spirits. And I believe that my music is inspirational, so it's the perfect album to come out on a day like that. " Just another example of a media-constructed event. Sept. 11, 2006 was constructed by the media as a big deal because of it's fifth anniversary. This year it was like, ok, we can respect the date but it is time to move on with our lives and be happy. That is what Kanye is talking about.
Contrary to what most media producers have said about the relationship between these artists, Rolling Stone indicates that they was no tension between them whatsoever when they were together for their interviews and photo shoot. They each respect what each other is doing for hip-hop culture as a whole, pushing it forward. "It's the competitive nature of hip-hop. The competitive nature doesn't exist in other art forms. We've gotta compete," 50 said. He even claimed that if he didn't sell more albums than Kanye on Sept. 11 that he would retire from rapping, which added more pressure to the situation and gave the media more to work with as listeners flocked to record stores Tuesday.
No matter which artist sold more records, they are both responsible for bringing hip-hop back into the spotlight of the music industry and entertainment world, even if it is only for a few weeks, despite what the media is trying to do to it.