Are Jay-Z and Dr. Dre victims or just another cog in the BCM?

Also a large part of Hip Hops victimization is due to a self fulfilling prophecy ingrained in Hip Hop at an early age. I'm talking about the penchant for bragging about materialistic values.

Hip Hop is basically training kids to want the things that cost much and yet mean very little in the big picture. Those $200 kicks that will be played out in 6 months. The bigger and shinier rims that seem like a better investment than a semester in school. And the list goes on…

Hip Hop, well Rap in particular has evolved basically like this (simplistic overview):
Party->Consciousness->Gangsta->Bling->Sex

That's not a very good direction. It almost seems the opposite to a standard evolution of an ideal society.

Even other Hip Hop elements DJs, B-Boys, Graff has all been monetized to some degree. Look at the dance shows that highlight hip hop dance styles. These crews compete and then go on tour with each other (ala American Idol) and it creates a desire in other crews to emulate that pattern to get paid.

I'm not sure I agree that taking advantage of an opportunity to make some ends is always selling out to the BCM as much as it is grasping the golden ring when it presents itself.

I do agree that many people will grab the first offer blindly and should be more inclined to negotiate but thats hardly a Hip Hop thing. The music biz has been raping artists since well before Hip Hop existed.