Idolator

Why do "top-notch rappers" always work with "cheesy rock'n'rollers?" Loving popular rap while hating popular rock must be difficult for those who want to keep it real while keeping it eclectic. That rappers don't seem to show the same disdain for mainstream pap like Maroon 5, Fall Out Boy and Gwen Stefani that their white hipster fanbase does must stick in the craw of folks who know that the Flaming Lips are so much better than what's on the radio. Is it that Timbaland just hasn't heard the Flaming Lips? Does he need a critic's guiding hand? Or are they just being commercially cagey? And if the final product is good, is it ok to like it? Does that mean you like harlots like Nelly Furtado now? Thank to that accursed Roots feat Patrick Stump devil of a song, Slate's Ben Mathis-Lilley must wrestle with the pop guilt/bullshit that any self-righteous indie snob who puts Kanye West in his top ten list must eventually face. More »