What constitutes a Hip Hop Sellout?

I don't feel that there is anything wrong with appealing to the masses but if you lose your soul in the process; I feel like you've went too far. I mean I think Nas can sellout without actually "sellin out". But if you lose your style, character, and everything that makes you you, you have went too far. Nothin wrong with gettin that dough, just don't become a whole nother person and lose yourself in the process.

a sellout is an artist who lets the label dictate what he is going to put out. i think if you allow yourself to not have almost total control of your music then your a sellout. so basically when the music stops becoming yours and becomes the labels then i think your a sellout. but its hard to tell cause we dont know whats going on behind closed doors so i think alot of artist get wrongly labeled as sellouts.

Everyone says "Oh they sold out, i hate them" But in reality, we would all do the same thing.

Turning your back on your fans to make money is what a sellout is. Doing something you don't believe in to capitalize on something. How is someone gonna talk about growin up hard and the way life really is and after they gain some notoriety switch it up and make repetitive songs and talk about makin it rain on them hoes? Thats what a sell out it. Whats good Ninja?

I think it's when they forget what made them recognized in the first place and start rapping about Caviar and Lear Jets. That's something the average Hip Hop fan can't relate to. I think Biggie did that the best with Juicy he actually said where he'd got to and where he was from. Too many of them start talking Hollywood as if they've always been rich. I think they find they can't criticize certain things anymore because the sponsorers and the people giving them free gifts now are the same people they hang out with. Unfortunately for the majority of people they never can attain this wealth and unfortunately they get labelled as a sellout because most Hip Hop heads have moved on to the next artists telling it how it is for those living the average life.

When you stop making the music you want to make.

your hella over analyzing the situation everybody in this world gets criticized yeah they should be able to get that cheddar and go relax in the bahamas not worrying bout a damn thing and so should a middle-aged man who works 12 hour days but it aint gunna happen while im alive regardless of what you do or how you do it you get criticized. sorry its the way life is and nw you and i gotta live with it. =) -inspirational words from Chels ahahah

If they dumb down their lyrics to go mainstream. I mean, it might be okay for 1 single just to get the mainstream listener's attention, but then go back to what you do best. Its perfectly fine to become mainstream, just don't let mainstream become you.

Well I mean I think it's obvious when an MC has fallen off. If their making money but the great lyricism still remains and are making money while doing so, that's not even romotely falling off, I don't know why people think it is. If your rhyming about candy and lollipops, singing with R&B chicks and care more about your fashion than your rhymes, you've quiet literally fallen off. I mean their are many great examples of mainstream rappers who haven't fallen off. And I don't know how easy it is to maintain your quality and still make money, because I haven't tried it, But I'm sure the people critizing couldn't do it, So I'm not going to critize and just listen to their previous music.