Editing Gangsta rap (section)

==2007–2012: Kanye vs. 50 Cent battle, mainstream decline==
By the late 2000s, [[alternative hip hop]] had secured its place within the mainstream, due in part to the declining commercial viability of gangsta rap. Industry observers view the [[Graduation (album)#Sales|sales race]] between Kanye West's ''[[Graduation (album)|Graduation]]'' and [[50 Cent]]'s ''[[Curtis (50 Cent album)|Curtis]]'', both released on September 11, 2007, as a turning point for hip hop.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Callahan-Bever |first=Noah |title=The Day Kanye West Killed Gangsta Rap |url=https://www.complex.com/music/a/noah-callahan-bever/the-day-kanye-west-killed-gangsta-rap |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=Complex |language=en-us}}</ref> West emerged the victor by selling nearly a million copies in the first week alone, proving alternative rap’s commercial viability.<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Sexton, Paul|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1049223/kanye-defeats-50-cent-on-uk-album-chart|title=Kanye Defeats 50 Cent On U.K. Album Chart|magazine=Billboard|date=September 17, 2007|access-date=May 31, 2012}}</ref> [[Cyhi the Prynce]] called it the "biggest shift in our culture" and that it led to the sound of new rappers like [[Drake (musician)|Drake]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-12 |title=50 Cent once bet his entire career in a bitter chart battle with Kanye West |url=https://www.unilad.com/music/kanye-west-50-cent-outsold-album-20220912 |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=UNILAD |language=en}}</ref> Although he designed it as a melancholic [[pop music|pop]] album rather than a rap album, West's subsequent release ''[[808s & Heartbreak]]'' would have a significant effect on hip hop music. While his decision to sing about love, loneliness, and heartache for the entirety of the album was at first heavily criticized by music audiences and the album was predicted to be a flop, its subsequent critical acclaim and commercial success encouraged other mainstream rappers to take greater creative risks with their music.<ref>{{cite web|last=Reid|first=Shaheem|title=Common Praises Kanye's Singing; Lupe Fiasco Plays CEO: Mixtape Monday|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1596254/20081003/common.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006232941/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1596254/20081003/common.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 6, 2008|publisher=MTV|date=October 3, 2008|access-date=November 23, 2008}}</ref><ref name="Observer">{{Cite news|title=Urban Review: Kanye West, ''808s and Heartbreak''|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/nov/09/kanye-west-hip-hop-808s-heartbreak|work=[[The Observer]]|date=November 9, 2008|access-date=November 24, 2008|location=London}}</ref>

During the release of ''[[The Blueprint 3]]'', New York rap mogul [[Jay-Z]] revealed that next studio album would be an experimental effort, stating, "... it's not gonna be a #1 album. That's where I'm at right now. I wanna make the most experimental album I ever made."<ref>{{cite web|author1=Kash, Tim|author2=Reid, Shaheem|author3=Rodriguez, Jayson|title=Exclusive: Jay-Z's Next LP Will Be 'The Most Experimental I Ever Made'|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1620692/20090902/jay_z.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090904205636/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1620692/20090902/jay_z.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 4, 2009|publisher=[[MTV]]|date=September 3, 2009|access-date=September 3, 2009}}</ref> Jay-Z elaborated that like Kanye, he was unsatisfied with contemporary hip hop, was being inspired by indie-rockers like [[Grizzly Bear (band)|Grizzly Bear]], and asserted his belief that the indie rock movement would play an important role in the continued evolution of hip-hop.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Kash, Tim|author2=Montgomery, James|title=Jay-Z Hopes Bands Like Grizzly Bear Will 'Push Hip-Hop'|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1620444/20090831/jay_z.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090903024203/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1620444/20090831/jay_z.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 3, 2009|publisher=MTV|date=September 3, 2009|access-date=September 3, 2009}}</ref>