Jordan Sargent: Your Guide to RapGenius.com, the Controversial Rap Lyrics Site That Just Landed a $15 Million Investment (Gawker)
Well, some snotty kids got $15 million. At least the people who founded the culture that made them rich are also living on the high hog, right?
Not quite. A lot of the originators of rap music — many of whose lyrics provide part of the content that RapGenius' business model is based on — are far from rich. Kool Herc, who maybe more than any one person can be said to have invented hip-hop, can't afford required surgery, and when these kids are parading around in suits and fresh kicks it leaves a bad taste in a lot peoples' mouths.