Can be used in a positive or neutral sense to refer to an
artist that has attained appeal beyond fans of the genre in which the
artist started out. Can also be used in a negative sense that implies "selling out" to refer to the same artists or to artists who are attempting such a crossover. The negative connotation is most often used by purist fans or fellow performers within that genre. This term gained some prominence in early 1990s
rap as some rappers 1) attempted to tailor their acts to white
suburbia, 2) employed what was regarded by some as an excessive amount of
R&B on records, or 3) engaged in collaborations with heavy
metal artists, in the style of Ice-T. The negative version of the term is now used less often in
rap circles, as many mainstream rappers have blended the avaricious hustling image of street culture with the rampant consumerism of white suburbia so as to attain both crossover status and street cred.
Black Jeff Foxworthy - "If you used to
front one of the most innovative hip hop groups of the early nineties and you find yourself in a Hype
Williams video, you might be a crossover."
