2008: The Year of the Hater?

As Jim Jones screamed ballllin at the top of his lungs and 50 Cent told the world I'm stanky rich, 2007 became the year of the baller. The same old flashiness and flaunting defined the rap scene, which behind closed doors was suffering from reduced sales and relying more heavily on tours.

As for 2008, a new phenomenon seems to be developing. In dealing with the backlash and jealousy that always occurs when you stunt in the face of someone who doesn't got it like that, rappers have become more aware than ever before of the hater.

Two weeks ago Haterz Everywhere We Go was the Jam of the Week. Well this week's Jam of the Week, Hi Haters by Maino, picks up right where B.O.B. left off and pushes the hater movement onward.

Looking at it closely, recognizing your own baller status or your league of haters that follow you everywhere you go, both seem to have the same underlying principle. In order to have haters one must be a baller, so therefore, in declaring you have haters you are merely declaring you are a baller.

When Shawty Lo yells BIG UPS TO ALL MY HATERS! he is really just biggin up himself for being worthy of haters. In many ways, haters is the new bling - both mean you've made it, so wear em' proudly. 2008 may be the year of the hater, but in reality it is just the same old same old.

On the Side: It is interesting to note that both BOB and Maino, the two main rappers responsible for focusing the eye of the rap world on the haters, are up and comers using haters to launch a career rather than rappers dealing with haters who are hating on their already established career. The importance of this? Either there are a number of people who are jealous of rappers simply for getting a deal or there are a number of rappers who are so overjoyed just by getting a deal that they think they've already earned the green eyes of the jealous haters. Is this a good or bad sign? I'm leaning towards bad but hey, we've got the rest of the year to find out.