Kanye West is one of the most talented artists in the world. That is a fact.
PHOTOS: Kim K Says Rap And Reality TV Are Just Alike
So why is Kim K.’s job as a reality star just like Yeezy’s job of being an artist and musician? Because when both of their careers began, everyone called them a fad.
Kim told V Magazine:
“I’m not naïve to the fact that I’m not a singer or an actress or anything like that. I’ve never claimed to be anything that I’m not. I think [reality] is still a new form of entertainment that was kind of an unexpected thing,” she told the magazine, adding that it’s not unlike the progression and acceptance of rap music.
“It reminds me of rap music. When rap music first came out, people were like, We don’t understand this, what is this, it’s just a fad. But rap music is definitely here to stay, and I think reality shows have proven they are as well. But when something is newer, people don’t really understand it.”
Do people not understand reality TV? I think since the inception of The Real World, Survivor and other reality shows, we finally get it. I agree with Kim that reality shows are here to stay, and in order to excel on such a show, a person must be interesting … and that in itself is a talent, is it not?
With that said, just how much are rap and reality TV really alike? Sure, let’s agree to disagree and say that Kim is right, reality TV – like rap music – is nothing more than a fad. After almost 20 years it’s safe to say it’s here to stay. Shows like Cops, The Real World and others have proved to bring in revenue and viewers. But still, there are more similarities between the two forms of entertainment.
Fights. The infancy of reality TV was filled with scuffles. When Tami had an altercation with Dave on The Real World, it could be equated to the fights taking place at the Source Awards, or even the epic Sean Combs, Steve Stoute bottle incident. Hey, let’s face it, Diddy was ’bout that life way before Evelyn.
Scripts. Then we have the fact that just like reality TV, rap can be a little scripted. We know that if a rapper intends to sell records, his first single should be for the clubs and should be about popping bottles, strippers and spending money. Then he needs a song for the ladies and one for the streets.
PHOTOS: Kim and Yeezy Stop By McDonalds
Shoot a video surrounded by video hoes, and lots of cars and it’s a hit. It’s all WWF. Reality TV isn’t reality. They take 24 hours of footage and create a reality for the world to enjoy. Genius, isn’t it?
When you add in that the talentless people rise to the top in both genres of entertainment, the similarities start to pile up.
Even the categories are the same. The cast of reality shows get tagged with ‘types’ just like rappers. You get gangster rappers, commercial rappers and underground rappers. Reality shows are no different. Joseline is the bad girl or gangster, Kim Kardashian is the commercial reality star and hell, Rasheeda is the underground rapper and reality show, so that alone should prove my point.
Hip-hop is a lot like reality TV, but deep down inside, I think we knew that. It’s just another one of those things we don’t want to see or think about. We just want to enjoy it.
~ Blog Xilla Follow Me On Twitter
Xilla is the Sr. Entertainment Editor for GlobalGrind.com as well as CEO of the number 1 relationship blog BlogXilla.com/M2TB.com. He has been featured in XXL, The Source, Essence, LA Times and is considered one of the premiere bloggers in the industry. Follow him on twitter @BlogXilla
