Lie #11: If Pandora could just lower royalties, they could then survive, and really help all the artists out there.
The Lie: Sadly, Tim Westergren’s bubble is making him one of the biggest boogeymen of the modern-day music industry. In an impassioned (but largely deceiving) letter to artists, Westergren asked artists to sign a Congressional petition asking for lower royalty rates for internet radio.
The Truth: What Westergren forgot to mention was that by signing the petition, artists were also supporting their own rate cut, which led to high-profile protests from groups like Pink Floyd. Meanwhile, Westergren – whose Pandora cashouts now surpass $1 million a month – has devoted endless amounts of time towards both publishing and recording royalties in the courts and Capitol Hill.
Lie #12: T-Shirts!
The Lie: Not only is the money in touring, but artists will make a killing off of merch table sales and t-shirts.
The Truth: Very, very few artists are (a) supporting themselves through touring, and (b) if they are, making tons of money from merch. Sadly, the greatest merch tables sales came from CDs — that is, up until the early 2000s or so. It supported tours then, it doesn’t support anything now.
Lie #13: ‘Streaming is the future…’
The Lie: Access will trump everything, and lead to a better, richer music industry for everyone.
The Truth: Let’s see what this green pasture ultimately looks like. Spotify is hundreds of millions deep in financing without a profit; Rhapsody is laying people off; YouTube has been subsidizing free music access for years.
So here’s your future: YouTube, which has driven the price of recorded music most aggressively towards $0, will be around tomorrow. Spotify, Rhapsody, Deezer, Rdio, and Pandora may not be so lucky.
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GLAM SZN-GLAMOURBOI DEVON MALIK SCOTT-THE GLAM GAWD-LORD DEVONIOUS / Blog
STOP BLAMING HIP HOP!
Blaming Hip-Hop for the problems in and out of our community is some real Stockholm syndrome shit. We are not to blame for the systematic attacks on our people. Long before Kool Herc spun at a party or the world heard Rappers Delight the police we killing us in cold blood. From Camden to Watts and Chicago to New Orleans there have been countless cases of police terrorism and lynchings in this country over the past 500 years. Wearing a SnapBack doesn’t give the police a right to harass and beat you, same as Trayvon wearing a hoodie shouldn’t give predators like Zimmerman a pass to kill a child. The true problem is that this country built it self and still feeds itself off of Black Death. Hip-Hop music was not there when slaves attempting to escape were tied to horses and quartered in front of the entire plantation to strike fear in men, women and children. The music was not there when Emmett Till was snatched from his bed or when the freedom riders were attacked by the side of the road. Rap music didn’t assassinate our leaders based on COINTELPRO documents and the eradication of a possible Black Messiah, the FBI did that. Hip-Hop didn’t create crack cocaine and flood it into Black & Brown neighborhoods, the CIA did that. Blaming our music ignores the fact that this is nothing new, it has been updated to suit the times but it’s nothing but Jim Crow 2.0. Hip-Hop is not the problem, in fact it has been a powerful tool to spread the truth about the injustices committed against us here in America since it’s inception. The system attempts to co-opt it based on the power it has. Hip-Hop is has spread all over the world and appealed to all as a music of the counter culture, a buck back at the system and a rise against oppression. The spirit of our culture is as brave as the Spirituals we sung on the plantation laden with hidden messages leading us from bondage. It’s as genius as Jazz and the flatted 5th’s we played from memory and improvisation while the society that danced to it wouldn’t allow itself believe we had the mental capacity to compose it. Rock & Roll, Doo-Wop, Soul, R&B, House, Go-Go, Hip-Hop and every other musical form we have created in America has been a powerful tool in our fight for Freedom, Justice and Equality. Use it.
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Hip hop lend me your ear
Im viewed as a community leader and im honored to be acknowledged as such, so with that being said this fight against hip-hop has gone on for too long .....hip-hop plays such an important role in our community more specifically our black community. Im a realest and even though im no activist type of brotha a lot of our people are ruining it for us. We are a strong people and emotions run deep but for the sake of our culture we now need to acknowledge there needs to be a shift in our music and the way we celebrate our culture in public places. Im calling upon some key members in the hip-hop community to help me with this mission. It will not be easy, there are some tough choices that will be made but we can no longer hold ourselves back. Goal: we have never been a breed known or respected in the hip hop community nationally, this is a fact... So lets become the breed known for bringing hiphop back to life
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PLEASE LISTEN
I pride myself on having my friends list on Facebook populated with smart, forward thinking people. People who have great aspirations and are not happy with being average. More importantly, people who care a great deal about the conditions that hinder us and keeps us from reaching our maximum potential. Having said that, I pose the following to those very people and am eager to hear your response to the following: If a group of people who hate you because of the color of your skin is in a position of powerful mass influence to the point where they can reshape who you are via every form of multimedia available, i.e. music, movies, magazines, video games, advertisements, news, etc. They are not YOU but they decide how they are going to PORTRAY you for the world to see- Ultimate Power. This reshaping or portrayal of who they think YOU ARE continues for years upon years, not for the betterment, but for the detriment and no one does or says anything about it. With that said, I ask this: How many people are really THEMSELVES or merely a reflection of what years and years of what television, movies, music, etc. have told them who they are? I feel this question has never been more relevant now than any other time, specifically for Black people, when you consider the statistics and our position in this country. Something is clearly holding us back and a lot of it starts with our own individual minds being controlled via poisonous media. What do you guys think?
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"THE REAL HIP HOP CHALLENGE"
I WANT TO CHALLENGE YOU ALL TO "THE REAL HIP HOP CHALLENGE" - PRACTICE THE ELEMENTS WITH ABSOLUTE AND GENUINE INTEGRITY - HONOR THE ANCESTORS - SPEAK ON SOCIAL CONTEXT - SHARE AND STUDY KNOWLEDGE OF SELF - MAKE GRAFFITI BURNERS - BBOY IN YOUR HOOD , ON THE BLOCK , MAKE A CREW- TAKE BACK PUBLIC SPACE..... - EMCEE LIKE A REAL EMCEE - BE POETIC - DJ FOR REAL AND SHOW THEM SKILLS AND SELECTION AND DIG IN THE CRATES - DO SOMETHING IN YOUR COMMUNITY EVERYDAY NOT FOR MONEY OR MENTION....GUIDE THE YOUTH .....THIS IS THE HARDEST CHALLENGE OF ALL - BE YOURSELF........
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The 10 Laws Of Success: An Independent Artist's Hip Hop Guide
Law 9: Become Business Savvy Nick Hiersche: President of Coast2Coast Mixtapes & Coast2Coast Live. coast2coastmixtapes.com & coast2coastlive.com “I think the number one misconception we get is they think others owe them because they made a song. Just because you made a song does not make it a venue’s responsibility to pay you all of a sudden. In order to get a paid booking, you must be able to sell tickets, alcohol or some other type of product for that venue or company. Music business is a business, and you must invest in yourself and your business until revenue starts being generated. If you are not getting paid to perform or feature on tracks, then you have not invested enough in yourself, period. The indie route is a smart route and can be done on a small budget, but it is still a budget. Until you realize this and make smart investments into your ‘music business,’ then it is a hobby, not a business. The converse of that is that if you want a ‘major record deal,’ you must invest hundreds of thousands of dollars into your ‘music business.’ It takes that much investment for large returns to come in, which is the only thing that interests labels. So both ways cost time, money and of course effort and talent. But in today’s market you don’t really need the major label. You can generate a sufficient income by investing in your indie ‘music business’ until the revenue starts coming. And then you can just collect from the loyal fans you gained from investing!” Law 10: Maintain Consistency Torae: Emcee, Founder of Internal Affairs Entertainment, A&R for Soulspazm Records, co-host of Siriux XM’s “Rap Is Outta Control.” www.facebook.com/itstorae - Twitter & Instagram @Torae “I think the most important thing in today’s market is to be visible. It doesn’t matter if you make the best music in the world if no one hears it or no one knows. So you have to be visible—seen and heard. Do a lot of shows, even if they’re free shows…even if only your family is there. Perform your music. Master it, get it air tight and record it. YouTube has birthed a number of sensations, so definitely have it uploaded and linkable there. You also have to get used to giving away music for free. There is so much competition now, in order for people to know your music, you’re going to have to give some away to build an audience and fan base. Social networking is very important as well. Make sure you’re active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. The more people are into you and what you’re doing, the more they'll care about the music, and the more they’ll spread the word. “I did a docu-series last year called ‘Off The Record.’ I think all new and aspiring artists should check it out to get some insight on the ups and downs of the music business. It was filmed during the recording and release of my album For The Record. I did it so that I could shed some light on what it takes on the daily basis to grind out a career in music.”
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The 10 Laws Of Success: An Independent Artist's Hip Hop Guide
Law 7: Be Humble, Realistic & Work Hard Kyle “KP” Reilly: VP Idle Media Inc / DatPiff.com “For an artist to have a chance to make it out their mama’s basement and into a label’s boardroom, a lot of things need to happen, including a bit of luck. For the most part, what an artist needs more than anything is a good, realistic head on their shoulders. If your head isn’t right, you have an inflated perception of yourself or of the game, you wont make it very far. Be humble, be yourself and don’t follow everyone else’s or industry trends. Work harder and harder for yourself—not just to talk about how hard you’re working—results will speak for themselves. And lastly, do not spam or annoy those who you are attempting to sell yourself or distribute your music to.” Law 8: Maintain A Physical Presence J-Hatch: Co-CEO of I-Standard Producers. www.IstandardProducers.com “These days, the general perception is that you need an online presence. Many aspiring artists then take to their social networks to send links out to people who in most cases consider that spamming. In reality it’s all about creating a balance—yes the Internet is important and influential. But networking, performing and building a fan base are all equally as important.”
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The 10 Laws Of Success: An Independent Artist's Hip Hop Guide
Law 4: Master The Art Of Multi-tasking L.E.P. Bogus Boys: Blueprint/Infared/Interscope Recording Artists. Follow Count and Moonie via Twitter at @LEPBOGUSBOYS. “What you got to understand is that whether you’re independent or signed, it all falls on you. So you have to have an immediate team that multitasks and know their roles. We only got a team of five including us, and we all make the mechanism work. When you sign, look for a label that understands your brand not just because they got a lot of money for you. You also gotta build your relationships and stay persistent. That’s how we got so far—because of our immediate outlets of people we can get to. It took a whole lot to build that so strong, but it worked. More than anything, you gotta have good product and challenge yourself to be great.” Law 5: Value Your Independence DJ ill Will: CEO of Tha Alumni Music Group & Manager for Kid Ink. Ill Will has worked with and broke some of the hottest artists in the game including Soulja Boy, Chris Brown, Tyga and more. “No offense to the major labels, but stay Indie and get your paper up before you even consider a major label deal. Trust me, you won’t regret it! Putting yourself at the mercy of a major label is career suicide…unless you’re the rare few. Law 6: Develop An Identity & A Team Brian “Z” Zisook: VP/Editor-in-Chief of DJBooth.net “There are no hard and fast rules or stone cold lock advice that works universally when given to an aspiring artist, who is looking to escape from the confines of their mother's basement and make it as a professional recording artist. There are, however, several steps that should be taken to ensure that you are giving yourself the best possible chance at future success. These steps include, but are certainly not limited to: finding a team of professionals who believe in you and your music, developing an identity as an artist and branding your stage name and music accordingly, and creating a product that will sell itself.”
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The 10 Laws Of Success: An Independent Artist's Hip Hop Guide
Law 1: Do Your Research Eric Beasley: Co-Owner of The world’s largest MC Battle League, SMACK/ URL and one of the largest Hip Hop YouTube channels online www.youtube.com/Theurltv. Beasley has also worked as an artist and producer manager in addition to his time at Warner as an A&R. “Making the transition from your mother’s basement to Madison Square Garden can be extremely difficult in this current climate of the music business. Most labels won’t take a chance on an artist—especially a rapper without any traction. When I say traction, I mean trackable data about you or your brand. This data can be in the form of BDS [Broadcast Data Systems] or Mediabase radio spins, a huge buzz on a mixtape (thousands of on-line downloads, independent sales, or write ups and praise from notable publications) presence on key websites and blogs, significant views on YouTube with a music video or blogs, touring, endorsement from established artists etc. Many ask how this can be achieved when the competition has more money, contacts, management, etc. Getting signed or becoming a huge independent artist takes a plan!” Law 2: Use Resources & Strategize Riggs Morales: VP of A&R and Artist Development at Atlantic Records. For more music education insight, visit www.Itsriggdup.com “Drive: This is the trait is what will keep you moving forward as doubt sets in, as progress is made or as you reach those ‘stand-still’ moments when nothing is happening. “Creativity: The ability to stand out from the rest starts here. Even if you find yourself in a place clogged by others pursuing the same thing you are (producing, singing, rapping), you should nurture the ability to create something that sets you apart from everyone and will help you stand out. “Resources: Learn to work with less to get more. You can do just as much with a three people as you can with a 1,000, if it’s all you have to work with. Learning to work with bare essentials will push you to make the best with what you have. “Strategize: Once you’ve built a cohesive system with what you have, then it’s important to utilize the little you have with a strategic approach. Make every small step count towards bigger steps. “Vision: Have a clear (and realistic) outline of where you want to be and what you think will take to get there. Know that it will not happen overnight. It will take you time as you develop a rhythm through trial and error, which will ultimately trim the fat off your artistry and unveil the artist you were meant to be. “Get A Job: You will make no money as you work on your craft, which can lead to a stressful state of mind and interfere with your creative rhythms. Get a job that allows you to pay bills and put food on your table until your ‘passionate hobby’ turns into ‘paying occupation.’” Law 3: Create Quality Product Ken Lewis: Multi-Platinum Producer for Kanye West, Jay-Z, Eminem, Drake, Usher, Danity Kane, Jeremih, 50 Cent. More info on Lewis and his online musical tutorial program is available via www.AudioSchoolOnline.com. “The number one thing young artists forget is that it’s really all about the music. If your song doesn’t instantly and strongly connect to people who don’t know you, you’re not going to make it very far. Don’t listen to your friends and relatives. They love you and want to see you win. Watch the reactions to your music from people you don’t know. Don’t tell me, ‘Well this rapper got signed and his songs suck.’ Really? Is that where you set the bar for yourself? If you want to get noticed, make or find hot beats, and write an undeniable hit. Then do it again, and again, and you'll get a deal. If it was easy, everybody would do it. It’s not easy, and it takes a ton of thankless, draining, work, coupled with tons of rejection and soul searching. But there are a few who will emerge every year to the top.”
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CHECK OUT MY NEWEST MIXTAPE
http://coast2coastmixtapes.com/mixtapes/mixtapedetail.aspx/makinmoves-mixtape-vol-175 GLAMOURBOI"MONEY AINT A PROBLEM TRACK 25 " DOWNLOAD AND GET THE WORD OUT..MIXTAPE OFTHE YEAR!
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The 13 Most Insidious, Pervasive Lies of the Modern Music Industry
Lie #11: If Pandora could just lower royalties, they could then survive, and really help all the artists out there.
The Lie: Sadly, Tim Westergren’s bubble is making him one of the biggest boogeymen of the modern-day music industry. In an impassioned (but largely deceiving) letter to artists, Westergren asked artists to sign a Congressional petition asking for lower royalty rates for internet radio.
The Truth: What Westergren forgot to mention was that by signing the petition, artists were also supporting their own rate cut, which led to high-profile protests from groups like Pink Floyd. Meanwhile, Westergren – whose Pandora cashouts now surpass $1 million a month – has devoted endless amounts of time towards both publishing and recording royalties in the courts and Capitol Hill.
Lie #12: T-Shirts!
The Lie: Not only is the money in touring, but artists will make a killing off of merch table sales and t-shirts.
The Truth: Very, very few artists are (a) supporting themselves through touring, and (b) if they are, making tons of money from merch. Sadly, the greatest merch tables sales came from CDs — that is, up until the early 2000s or so. It supported tours then, it doesn’t support anything now.
Lie #13: ‘Streaming is the future…’
The Lie: Access will trump everything, and lead to a better, richer music industry for everyone.
The Truth: Let’s see what this green pasture ultimately looks like. Spotify is hundreds of millions deep in financing without a profit; Rhapsody is laying people off; YouTube has been subsidizing free music access for years.
So here’s your future: YouTube, which has driven the price of recorded music most aggressively towards $0, will be around tomorrow. Spotify, Rhapsody, Deezer, Rdio, and Pandora may not be so lucky.
Reply