N3R0's Thoughts On The Current State Of The Industry

Since my last little blog caused so much controversy (even a response post from our resident Senior, D.Powell) thought I'd share some more.

Right now the music industry in general is in a total state of confusion. Unlike the transitions from Vinyl to 8 Track to Audio Cassette Tape to Compact Disc, the transition from Compact Disc to digital music is a really rough one. Namely, why would some one pay for a digital copy of music they will inevitably download for free? Leaving lables at a complete loss, they have started digging further into artist's pockets in terms of contractually recoupable fees and even charging a precentage of tour money that is sponsored by the lable. In response, a number of formerly bankable artists have turned to indie lables (and some are putting out their music themselves) who are more often then not serve more as distributors and not actual lables themselves (Rhymesayers, Def Jux, Duck Down, Strange, BBE, and others are notable exceptions, not the rule). In response, lables are signing what they feel are "sure things", artists they feel they can invest in and surely turn a profit on but inevitably wear out after one album (personally, I don't see Drake, Wale, or Kid Cudi as making it past this mark, regardless of how dope they might be) or signing artists that have the co-signment of the streets but simply won't be charting anytime soon (sorry, Papoose, Saigon, etc etc etc). Even vanity lables which used to be safe havens for the wack friends and hangers on of popular artists are now populated with artists that said established artist finds a marketable value in (Lil Wayne has signed Jae Millz, Drake, etc instead of local Nawlins rappers). Is hip hop dead?

I certainly don't think so. And while even the most optimistic hip hop fans are looking at this downtrend as a chance for more talented underground artists with solid fanbases to get shine and maybe start the whole cycle over again (reputable artists start selling platinum, then lables pay attention again, hip hop dominates the airwaves once more, only for another eventual implosion) people have to realize that this isn't about hip hop and pop culture (at least, this argument isn't). This is about stealing. Yes, stealing.

You killed hip hop. Maybe not you, and certainly not by yourself, but the people out there (fuck you Cise Starr) are killing a music they claim to love because you don't think that the artist who's music you enjoy deserves to be paid for it. So why shouldn't Guru do a song with autotune? It's what's selling. Dude has a mortage to pay. Maybe if the pop boppers weren't the only ones buying records Guru and Primo would still be together, ever think about that? Why won't Ray Cash record the follow up to COD? Because no one bought his first record, they just talked about how dope it was. Why won't Blu re-press Below The Heavens? Maybe because he doesn't think it'd be profitable, and dude has to do what's right for him financially. Can't blame the artists for "selling out" anymore, because it's the fans' fault. The artists aren't going to tell you that, they need you to buy their albums, and if they blame their financial woes on the fans the fans aren't likely to respond in kind. Look at what happened to Ghostface, he mentioned how many myspace fans he has vs. how many records his last album sold and the press ripped him apart for it. I don't agree with Ghost on much, but here, he's in the right.

So hey, if you're sick of Souljah Boi and wish KRS One was dominating the airwaves again...buy his fucking record.

Jeff you really hit the nail on the head with this one..I totally agree that folks not buying the music play a big part also in the downfall of music period. I also think the label/industry should get smarter and drop the prices of cd's again when they are on sell. Yeah said artist may have to take a smaller or no advance and the label may not gain as much per cd but if they move more units than expected it will all even out. Imagine if cd's were 4.99-5.99 when they first came out? That would damn there eliminate the bootleggers and temp the fans to take chances on more artists and to buy cd's on impulse.

Another thing labels and rappers try to wait to long imo now for this near perfect buzz or situation before they drop an official album. Rappers give aways so many free mixtapes that by the time you want them to buy your shit either your buzz has worn off or they realized they were not really digging you. Our you drop a hot ass single people are going crazy and someone leaks your album or the label wants to amke the fans wait longer before your shit drops. Drop these albums while these cats are buzzing.

That's a damn good idea about the price thing, I seriously don't understand why digital copies of albums are $8-$9 but cds are $15+ in stores. It's ridiculous. Also, yeah, the artists are partly to blame by flooding the marketplace and maybe expecting too much in general, but overall it's the culture in general that says it's acceptable to steal music, movies, etc.

Whatever you want to say about it, time isn't going to move in reverse. This is how it's gonna be from here on out, the artists are the ones who are gonna have to adjust.

Yeah, that's the type of bullshit killing our culture, Jason.

Only if the idea is that the culture lives and dies with what music is on the radio. If you look beyond that, Hip-Hop culture is international, and growing. I know some people don't like that, or like where some things are going, but change isn't death, and it doesn't just belong to those people.

No, if artists can't feed themselves makin their art, the artform will inevitably die. Don't act like you don't get what I'm saying Jason.

I think what we're seeing is the move of traditional Hip-Hop from a pop music structure, to a folk music structure. There's an increasing separation between rap on the radio, and rap not on the radio, and that's probably going to increase to where the Hip-Hop influenced music on the radio can't even be called Hip-Hop anymore (some people already think that's true).

Meanwhile, independent Hip-Hop will move more toward the model of folk music (which I think it already is in a lot of ways), almost all festivals and small venues. Instead of artists who think they have a serious chance of hitting it rich, you get career musicians, who make a decent living, but don't have expectation of blowing up.

I don't think the artform will die because artists can't make money. There just won't be as many artists who can be supported by the money out there. This might not be a bad thing, because one of the big issues is with the sheer quantity of rappers now. Once you get down to the career musicians, you have a less greed oriented core.

Good points Jason and a good way to look at it^^^^^^^^^^

Plus like I have said before hip hop now has two generations and the mainstream has either not noticed that or have not researched the chance of making money if tapped into correctly. Like most pop is really just popular R&B or Rock so maybe we need a Pop Hop genre or something..lol.

Pop-Hop? Hip-Pop sounds better lol

Jason, that's an awful way to look at it, Folk is done like that because for the most part, it's gay. I never want to see my proud artform relegated to some bullshit like that.

I understand your point, Jason, but again...you're missing what I'm talking about entirely. So it's okay for you to steal music so that way we can have shitty art festivals? Really? That a really awful way to justify ruining some one else's career.

Also, you're missing the obvious difference between folk music and hip hop, folk music fits a one man strumming his guitar outdoors kind of vibe, whereas hip hop was born at block parties. And if you're seriously going to draw comparisons from folk music festivals to block parties...then I'm not going to bother rebutting.

I didn't say anything about downloading being okay or not okay, I said it's here to stay, which I think it pretty clearly is. The younger the age group you look at, the fewer people you'll find who think it's wrong. So, it's something artists are going to have to adapt to, you're not gonna convince enough people to pass up free music, it's just too easy now.

And it's not really about where Hip-Hop was born, it's where it's headed. Hip-Hop clearly isn't the same as when it was born, it's not at all limited to a block party vibe. Hell, I was only drawing a loose comparison, but really you can already go to something like the Pitchfork Music festival and see someone like Pharoahe Monch or Doom and Grizzly Bear or Beirut performing in the same place. Granted, we're talking about Indie Folk with those bands, not the traditional folk scene, but again, it's wasn't supposed to be an exact comparison.

The bottom line is that Hip-Hop has reached so many people, in different walks of life, in different corners of the world, I think it will take more than the collapse of its commercial record sales to kill the artform. There's already a model in place for its survival, whether you're looking to folk, or just the indie music scene in general.

Here allow me to paraphrase a Haystak interview (sorry, but it fits)

"I think it's a really sad day and age when kids are more emberassed about masturbaiting then stealing."

That's my point. Downloading is only here to stay if the powers that be allow it to be, and not to sound like a conspiracy theorist but do you seriously think that the suits couldn't stop the illegal downloading if they didn't want to? We're doin this to ourselves, period, and saying that it's just a natural progression is just defending the bullshit or makin excuses or tolerating it or whatever instead of saying "hey, cise starr, fuck off already".

No, I don't think the suits could stop the illegal downloading.

There are positives to downloading also Jeff and don't front like you have bought every single album in your collection.

I agree with what Jason is saying about the labels and artists need to learn how to adapt to a certain degree and honestly if the music is good it will get it's due.

I buy everything I like that is available to me, I d/l shit I otherwise wouldn't check out, so it's only used as a tool to help artists and not hinder them.

Also, if what you were saying was true Kev, people like Cise Starr wouldn't exist, period.