The Internet Age; Albums vs Singles & Being Authentic In Rap - #Mabcast 017

Welcome to the latest episode of the Mabcast featuring Jack and Dylan. Frequently focusing on the artists and creatives involved in the scene; the latest episode takes a more narrative approach that relies on examples of Irish artists to demonstrate the concepts in question.

The episode continues to provide the critical feedback to up coming Irish artists, with the episode opening with the track reviews featuring reviews on tracks from the likes of Alex Gough.

Using the most common method of music consumption - streaming, as the crutch through which to base the episode on; the Mabfield boys examine the importance of singles in comparison to albums. It's no secret that singles are becoming an increasingly more viable way to gain serious traction in a short amount of time. With  viral hits such as 'Old Town Road' or 'Gucci Gang' launching the careers of Lil Nas X and Lil Pump respectively.

However much can be said for the cultural importance of larger pieces of work. Albums provide longevity in a way that singles can't and the debate on the different types of releases gets deep in this episode.

Spotify playlists are an excellent method of quick distribution and immediate exposure to a large amount of consumers. However the argument can be and is made that these playlists do not generally develop genuine relationships between artists and those listening.

This combined with the never ending debate of authenticity in rap makes for an insightful episode that provides much food for thought.

They touch on shorter eps becoming the increasingly more important - encouraged by Kanye West's summer of 2018 where he produced many 5 track albums for artists. The ever decreasing attention span of audiences encourages the single culture perpetuated by Spotify.