Okayplayer Report

The Okayplayer messageboard is supplemental to the Okayplayer blog. Co-founded by Ahmir "Questlove" Johnson — the drummer and founding member of The Roots, a hip-hop band from Philadelphia — the blog and forum first served as the online presence for the artist collective known as “Okayplayer,” in which The Roots were involved. Their Okayplayer website went live in 1999, offering a space for fans and other artists to share in music discussion and creation. Today, the blog features reviews of hip-hop albums, songs, videos and concerts on its home page, as well as prominent links to offshoot sites, including okayafrica, largeup, and revivalist — sites that focus on African, Caribbean, and jazz culture and music, respectively. More popular is the forum, which is home to some of the most consistently active, opinionated, and well-informed hip-hop discussions on the internet. There are no offshoot sites, mobile apps, organized meetups, or alternative meeting spaces for members of the Okayplayer forum: this multifaceted forum is the sustaining lifeforce to the vibrant community of Okayplayer users, where all users can come together and share in discussion, dissection, creation, correction, uploading, downloading, and sounding off.

In my exploration of the site, I focused on a particular subsection of the entire forum called “The Lesson” – a subforum dedicated to discussion of hip hop primarily, but all music in general. Discussion on this forum is generally asynchronous, as several different topics may garner attention at the same time. The fluctuation of a thread’s relevance also drives this asynchronicity; an inactive thread may fall to a later page, only to shoot to the top of page 1 upon the post of a random user who wishes to add to the discussion after it has subsided. There are times when the majority of the community converges onto a particular thread, causing an almost synchronous sort of discourse. Rare but observable, this occurred on 2 separate occasions during my experience with the site: first when members of the underground teenage rap group Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All made their first nationally televised appearance on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, and second when heralded rock band Radiohead suddenly released their newest album online, leading to a swift discussion of its, strengths, weaknesses, and its ranking among the band’s discography.

What sets this board’s organization apart form other forums is its presentation of posts. Opening a thread reveals first the full text of the original post, followed by a topic outline that simply lists the titles to the reply posts, followed by a proper presentation of every single post made in a relatively difficult-to-follow fashion. Given the difficulty of navigating the sea of posts beyond the topic outline, the most natural way of reading a thread is by simply viewing the topic outline with post titles, then clicking on the post titles themselves to be redirected to the actual posts. Conversations within topics are threaded as well, in that you can endlessly reply to a post that is a reply to another post. This can sometimes create an interesting form of dialogue where people simply communicate in the very limited space of the title of their post, or, as I learned to do very quickly, treat the title as a sort of cliffhanger, with the most important content of the post coming after the introduction provided by the title — for example, in the Radiohead album discussion thread, one might title their post “the best track was definitely...” and actually name the track in question (“Give Up the Ghost”) in the body of the post, only visible after clicking. The two-partedness of individual posts on Okayplayer lay the foundation for an intriguing textual expectation on the site. Fragmentary posts confined simply to a post title are as welcome as lengthy posts; no users are ever discredited for their post brevity or length amidst the discussion. As a result of this vast tolerance for content on the site, literacy on a linguistic level is very open — most people could engage in discourse quickly on the site without needing to study the language habits of the site.

There is still an expectation that users are familiar with some hip hop-based terminology, even if the terminology is not entirely essential to the overall discourse. A "stan" is an overzealous-to-a-fault fan of an artist, coined after Eminem's famous song "Stan," which chronicles the downfall of an unstable, psychotic fictional Eminem fan; the word "ether" is used often as a verb to convey defeat at the hands of another — a usage that is derived from rapper Nas' song "Ether," a cult favorite diss song that insulted Nas's opposition, Jay-Z, in an extremely public rap feud; many arguments are cut short by one party simply saying "U MAD" in response to angry retaliatory remarks from the opposing party, which is an expression originating from a famous encounter between rapper Cam'Ron and Fox News personality Bill O'Reilly on O'Reilly's show that found O'Reilly flustered during a discussion about vulgarity in hip hop, resulting in Cam'Ron simply pointing at him, laughing, and saying "you mad, you mad!" Overall, despite the purely textual nature of the forum, language barriers are not very high and can easily be crossed with keen observation and contextual awareness.


It ultimately is the people that drive the success of the board. Music as a basis for discussion presents a dynamic, evolving subject that offers a point of engagement for everyone; it is no wonder that the users on the site represent wildly different backgrounds and identities. While the site is open to anyone that has an Internet connection and an email address and is populated primarily by nameless and faceless masses of users interested in engaging in discussion, Okayplayer boasts a fair amount of relative celebrities, recognized both by users of the site and oftentimes average people offline. Noteworthy rappers Lupe Fiasco (FNF UP UP AND AWAY) and Phonte (taygravy), as well as respected producers 9th Wonder (9thWonderMusic) and Nicolay (nicolay), can be spotted on the messageboard sporadically, interacting with users in as common a fashion as anyone else. Their careers as successful artists were jumpstarted by their participation on the board; it has been noted that some of their earliest work made it's rounds online after being posted on this forum. As their careers — take Lupe Fiasco, for example — have ballooned into something larger than the site, their activity has significantly declined, but their ability to polarize the forum is stronger than ever. Upon catching Lupe Fiasco's posts, newer members are notably starstruck: interaction with a legitimate hip hop icon fuels overt positivity towards one of the more famous members of the community. However, an interesting dynamic comes into play when examining interactions between more established members and these celebrity posters. Lupe Fiasco's random appearances on the board are received with deliberate apathy by most older members and even vitriol by a select group of high-profile members, as if to suggest that some members are unimpressed with his rise to stardom and dismiss his work. Engaging a celebrity in any other setting – especially offline – would most often produce a far different result than is observed by the prominent minority of established users on the site.

There is one exception to the hip hop celebrity rule that results in interactions other than wide-eyed fandom or general negativity; Questlove, drummer from The Roots and co-founder of the site, is still active on the messageboard under the username "15." Unlike other big name members, his activity, while notably diminished as a result of his extremely busy offline schedule, is still rather regular. As a result, he is treated as simply another member of the board. Respected more readily than nearly any other user as a result of his status and likability over the years, Questlove has often kept his good reputation consistent mostly by delivering information to discussions that no other member could have. Countless threads on the forum call for his expertise since he has witnessed a large amount of hip hop hisory firsthand, and he contributes with his knowledge with surprising regularrity. But the relationship is not one-sided: The Roots are the live band that plays during Jimmy Fallon's late night program, and Questlove crowdsources the choice of the guests' introduction to the board. Questlove creates a thread for a particular month show tapings and each day will update it with a post featuring just two names, and countless users will chime in with their own suggestions as to what songs the band should play for their introduction, as seen in the accompanying picture.

Not dominant in number but in visibility, the reception celebrity posters are given on the site is largely a product of the celebrity's consistency on the board; when they leave the board behind, the board's dominant long-time members leave them behind. But the fact that they are even members of the site is a testament to Okayplayer's influence, importance, and notoriety in the hip hop community.

While some members of the forum have gained notoriety for their work outside the forum, the dominant members of the site are those that have a made a name for themselves within the fabric of the Okayplayer community. The dominant members of the site are by no means monolithic, however. There is no blanket characterization that can address the typical Okayplayer user, but they all have definite tendencies and unique identities. Meet user imcvspl: a member of the site for over 6-years and boasting almost 30,000 posts, he is easily one of the most visible members on the site. Ever-present in discussion, his prominence and frequent positive contribution has earned him a prioritized relationship with the board. His posts are responded to more frequently and his threads are nearly always successful – a music producer and rapper himself, even threads of his own music are popular. While no one truly knows his offline identity, he is clearly a black male, possibly in his late 20s or early to mid 30s since the basis for much of his hip hop knowledge is first hand experience. However, 20 to 30 year-old black males with a strong foundation in hip hop history and respect from the community are common at the top of the hierarchy: what sets imcvspl apart is that he can be found in almost any discussion of any music. More than just a rap enthusiast, imcvspl is consistently engaged in discussions about new music, old music, indie music, classic soul music, electronic music, pop music – just about anything that anyone posts about.

This fact about imcvspl is one of the interesting anomalies of the site; prominent users usually have niche topics of discussion that they will dominate. In this respect, the site functions almost like a knowledge community. When the discussion turns to 60s and 70s R&B, user tREBLEFREE is the go-to user, but he is rarely found in any other posts. When the discussion turns to the original context and climate in which hip hop classics were released, user Dj Joey Joe offers his historical perspective, but is rarely found in any other types of threads. When the discussion turns to the current Internet-based landscape of hip hop and how music is distributed now, regular user, rapper, and constant self-promoter Duval Spit offers his personal insight, but appears in few other discussions. The common denominator for all users is an interest in hip hop, but a specialization in a topic or genre offers one way for a user to become noticed. For the common user, however, this extensive array of topics and expertise lays the foundation for a complex relationship with literacy on Okayplayer.

In our increasingly digital culture, it is easy to assume that hierarchies are gradually dissolving and literacy requirements are being shed because of the diversity found throughout the Internet. However, with regards to Okayplayer, this could not be further from the truth: hierarchies exist and literacy plays a massive role in shaping the forum — literacy in this case referring to knowledge in topics as opposed to linguistic skill. This is because while we are able to use countless identity markers to consider social position offline, online identities, especially on Okayplayer, are products of one's posts. And when a person's words are the sole characteristics that generate an identity, their competency in the topic being discussed essentially defines who they are and what position their opinion holds. This makes sense to some extent, especially on Okayplayer: the most knowledgeable, experienced members have the most respected positions on the board’s hierarchy. Things get problematic when those at the top recognize those that aren't as familiar with hip hop — who have not been listening to the genre for multiple decades, or have not completely digested the entirety of every "important" rapper's catalog — and instantly discredit them. This expected fluency in all things hip hop is a steep literacy requirement that is sometimes impossible to meet, especially for the younger generation of Okayplayer users.


There is a twist, however. Extensive literacy in hip hop history is expected of the average user hoping to engage in discussion. Logically, the boundaries between the older generation and the younger generation of users should melt away when discussing today’s newest hip hop trends since everyone is experiencing everything in real-time. But that is simply not how it works: the older generation is deliberately ignorant of much of today’s music and generative discussion about new acts is rarely had as a result, despite clear proficiency from many of the lesser known, younger, more currently in-tune members. And it is out of this selective literacy that one can finally identify the board’s hierarchy and social structure.


Okayplayer boasts thousands upon thousands of members, with new members signing up every day for over a decade. With the diversification of hip hop music over the course of the past decade, the typical rap listener is no longer a singularly-defined individual. Race, class, and gender – all markers that used to very strictly define who the typical rap fan was – are almost inconsequential to the actual consumption of rap music today. As a result, the overall membership of Okayplayer is becoming increasingly diverse. But as soon as a member logs into the forum, perceptions are twisted and expectations of who can be found on the site change dramatically. The assumed identity of each person is typically a black male in their 20s, until otherwise noted. This is understandable given the history and target audience of the whole site, and the majority of the users on the site fit the description. But all too often, users are diminished as a result of not fitting the stereotypical Okayplayer user markers. A classic example of identity perception involves the increasing white user population on the site. Earlier in the site’s development, when white users were the extreme minority, the revelation of a user being white often lead to their immediate discrediting during a discussion. While the board has grown more tolerant over time, the stigma of being anything but black on the site remains sarcastically throughout Okayplayer. The most common incarnation of this racial dismissal is seen in threads that have polls; users will create polls to generate a consensus in an album, rapper, verse, or even era comparison. While the choices of these polls are always well thought out and legitimate, there is always an inclusion of the choice “I’m white” in the poll. Playful, this harkens back to the notion that being anything but black automatically discredited your ability to comment on matters of hip hop, as the genre was so intrinsically linked to the black experience in America.

But race is not an issue only dealt with between members; it is an issue that is considered in music discussion as well. There is a relentless urge to revisit history and creadit black artists for their contributions to music, especially at the expense of white artists. A favorite topic of discussion on the site is the comparison of The Beatles, literally the largest and most successful band ever, to anything culturally black — such discussions often result in the majority of users agreeing on The Beatles as overrated in quality and influence but admittedly important, while black artists, such as the many Motown hitmakers, are given a revisionist boost.

This race-based dissection of music applies to more recent material as well; discussions about Eminem and iconic underground rapper El-P can rarely occur without their being white becoming a factor in the argument. In the heavily competitive world of hip hop, comparisons are made all the time, but the frequency with which prominent white rappers come up in comparison, and the extent to which many users go to discredit their importance or build up the importance of another black artist reflects an important cultural mindset that is set on revision and rejection of the perceived norm. Adding to the complexity of race and the importance of its accompanying culture, even black artists are scrutinized for being "whitewashed;" artists like Beyoncé or Drake or Kanye West are criticized — sometimes with convincing support and other times for no apparent reason — for pandering to a white audience for their own benefit. No amount of time spent on the site could allow for a full exploration or understanding of the racial dynamic on the site, but every minute spent browsing the forum turns up even more engrossing, raw racial commentary.


Gender, on the other hand, is a topic rarely approached on the site. There is an extremely small minority of identified females on the site, although there is a possibility that there are more that simply have not identified themselves. In the male-dominated world of rap music, however, the dominance of males on Okayplayer is not surprising. But it is not an oppressive dominance, and females are not actively discouraged from joining: simply put, females sign up for the site far less frequently than males do.


It is absolutely an interesting place. Okayplayer lies at the crossroads of hip hop purism and elitism and the democratization of hip hop by way of the Internet. Anyone can be a rapper today, and success in the rap world is only a mention on a rap blog away – but log into Okayplayer, and you are warped into a space where it is still 1998, the golden age of hip hop is still a fresh memory rather than a distant notion, and everyone knows everything about hip hop. Just don't say you're white.