Rich Off Rap.: MU$IC

What’s going on y’all?! Hopefully, you guys are sticking to your New Year’s resolutions and if not take a look at my previous blogs to gain some insight and inspiration. The topic at hand is for my music lovers and students of music, no matter the genre you can probably relate or debate. And my question to y’all is this, “Do we really need radio and major labels?”

Back in the day artists needed to be discovered by an A&R from a major label to put their music out for the masses to hear and to make money off of their craft. Maybe I am blind, but I don’t see why an artist would want to be signed to a major in this day and age. Majors would give you exposure, get you airplay, book gigs for you, and distribute your music to brick and mortar stores.

Today, if an artist has quality music and a strong internet connection, they can do everything that a label promises to do and still keep most, if not all of their money in their pocket. I feel like a lot of these talented and ignorant artists are searching for deals, when they should be searching for a team that will build with them instead of use them. You look at the Billboard Hot 100 and all you see is gimmicky ass music with no substance. Now we all know that’s the majority of “pop music” from the 2000’s and decades past but, very rarely have we seen a “crossover hit” in this era of digitally altered music. In the past we have always had genuine music break in to those charts. And if you want to know what genuine music is then you don’t need to read this blog.

I see so many people complaining about their favorite artists or a great song not being played on the radio. Honestly, who the fuck still listens to the radio? With Satellite radio(which I feel is on its last leg, but that’s another story…ain’t nobody tryna pay $20 a month for radio), iTunes radio, Spotify, internet radio, etc. Only time I listen to the radio is if my phone has died or I forgot my iPod and even then I am listening to sports radio because the radio only has 12 songs in rotation and they’re trying to program you to like the song. You know you listened to “Tuesday” about 17 times on the drive home from work due to the radio and all of sudden you’re like, “this is catchy, dude can’t sing, but it’s not THAT bad.” But the first time you heard it sans Young Drizzy aka I cry when Mickey D’s doesn’t give me a girls toy with my mighty kids meal, you thought the song was *insert trash emoji. All I am saying is if you have a favorite artist that’s not being played on the radio or a hot song you feel needs to be played on the radio, share it with your friends and strangers on social media. Social media has changed the promo game, radio is dead so quit being butt hurt about radio politics. If you enjoy DJ’s on the radio and are tired of hearing the same 12 songs, I guarantee that there is a podcast/soundcloud that fits your taste…without the struggle music.

My advice for up and coming artists with talent, follow in the wise words of Joseph Budden, “wanna talk about bars, mine leave it to be/never needed an A&R, mine needed me…I aint spit ether yet/you need a major, I just need an ethernet.” If you don’t follow those wise bars from Mouse, then most likely you’ll get pinned down on a major that’s only looking for the here and now, then you’ll be left doing youtube videos and bitching on social media about how you need to be let go out of your contract. Keep your freedom, don’t even sign a distribution deal…folks don’t line up at Best Buy anymore for compact disc. Only time people hit those stores for cd’s is if it comes with an exclusive track or a damn glossy of the artists’ Instagram pictures. You can distribute your music on CDbaby and they’ll hit all of the major digital download formats for you. Protect your art and get paid for your time, quit releasing your best tracks as a mixtape for free, all you are doing is spoiling the fans. You spent your dollars to put out something that won’t return any money? Tuh! And even if you have a friend with a recording studio and a buddy that does web design/graphic arts so you didn’t have to spend money on this mixtape… y’all spent time! Time is more valuable than money and if your time isn’t worth $$$ then you are hustling backwards. All that time and energy that’s spent on a mixtape can be spent on an album and if you want to build a fanbase you can release a few tracks and release videos of your recording sessions. People want to feel like they have grown with you and if you interact with your fanbase they will have no problem spending money or their iTunes giftcard for your debut album.

Omaha, Omaha, Omaha rappers, y’all need to quit treating rap like a hobby. Either you’re in with all ten toes or you’re going to get a 9-5. You can’t half ass with your craft then expect whole assed results, it doesn’t work like that. You know you can’t cheat the grind. And as far as “my city doesn’t support me or my squad” well newsflash, nigga, give the city something to support. You can’t do 1 show on the chitlin’ circuit and expect to have the city on smash, you have to work and have a MARKETING PLAN!!! You can’t be out here looking like the average joe and talk about you are a rapper, you have to look the part to become the part. And no one is going to give you shit for free, bruh bruh. If someone does they are still spending their time with you and again time is more valuable than $$$. So don’t start something that you can’t finish because no one likes for their time to be wasted. And put out quality product. The city can’t support someone with dated music, you dropping tracks that’s been recorded back in 07, talking bout “check my new shit out!!”. We know it’s dated cause half of your bars have references to how you caught more bodies than the shooter from Virginia Tech(RIP to those victims) and how you cook crack better than Ratatouille. Build something, you can’t just drop a mixtape and expect niggas to co-sign when niggas still call you by your gov’t name. Hustle harder(that doesnt mean to spam folks mentions on twitter with your datpiff and youtube links. also, quit posting shit on folks wall and tagging em in trashy flyers, fam). Peace Isa. (and yes that is a picture of yours truly blessing the mic)