The Real Question: Why are hip hop artists still making albums?

[10:31]

Before you rush and give obvious answers, lets be real coli bredren. What is the point?

We're all downloading their music, left and right... At this point its not even a secret anymore, some artists leak their projects before they drop so we can download them.

Whats the difference between dropping free mixtapes (still shoot videos etc) and touring the music? Industry heads feel free and kick knowledge


Upside to mixtapes as opposed to albums is 100% creative control

 

[BlackMagnus514]

Because they gotta recoup....and because labels know that their white female fans will an album and come out to a show....while blacks will tend to DL.

 

[BlackMagnus514]

A lot of those cats cash out, and I don't even blame them....if the money and terms are right, good....but a lot of cats end up being bound to contracts and they end up bombing out.

A cat like Danny Brown is doing it right...he's still indie, per se, but he gets booked and gets press like a major label artist.

Press is an underrated aspect of this stuff. Cats think getting placed on a blog is big, when they can be featured in magazines and such in every tour stop and just in general.

 

[mortuus est]

A lot of those cats cash out, and I don't even blame them....if the money and terms are right, good....but a lot of cats end up being bound to contracts and they end up bombing out.

A cat like Danny Brown is doing it right...he's still indie, per se, but he gets booked and gets press like a major label artist.

Press is an underrated aspect of this stuff. Cats think getting placed on a blog is big, when they can be featured in magazines and such in every tour stop and just in general.

Lyor, is that you bro?

 

[dirty_yo]

Exposure which then leads to corporate sponsorship. There's a ceiling to how much exposure youre going to get dropping mixtapes independently. How else is something like odd future going to get a shyt load of money from vans.

 

[10:31]

With Kanye & Wayne's most recent projects going gold and Def Jam literally dropping albums left and right with no promotion that shyt got me wondering...

Why fukk with a major? You don't even need to flirt with/dance with the devil anymore

You have free promotional tools that allow you to interact with your haters/fans 24/7 and websites like livemixtapes and Datpiff to drop your music directly for download.

Agents can still book press and shows, videographers can still shoot videos. It almost ensures that fans will spend their hard on money to support you if the attend a show.

It eliminates the mainstream/underground distinction by leveling the playing field

 

[BlackMagnus514]

Lyor, is that you bro?

 

[BlackMagnus514]

Not to mention, you can cash out with apps too. I saw something that said trey songz gets 50k a month from his app.

 

[10:31]

Exposure which then leads to corporate sponsorship. There's a ceiling to how much exposure youre going to get dropping mixtapes independently. How else is something like odd future going to get a shyt load of money from vans.

Breh...

the majority of these artists aren't getting corporate sponsorships lol.. Lets be real

Jay-Z, Drake, Rick Ross, Diddy, Lil Wayne, Meek Mill

 

[dirty_yo]

Breh...

the majority of these artists aren't getting corporate sponsorships lol.. Lets be real

Jay-Z, Drake, Rick Ross, Diddy, Lil Wayne, Meek Mill

Breh...

Think about it for a second, those artists that don't have any form of corporate sponsor usually don't drop albums on a major labels either. The music industry is going the way of the south korean industry and theyre alot more unabashed. A few months ago LG created a pop band to coincide with the release of a mobile fukking phone. Its difficult for new artists to make a name in this new look industry.

 

[10:31]

Breh...

Think about it for a second, those artists that don't have any form of corporate sponsor usually don't drop albums on a major labels either. The music industry is going the way of the south korean industry and theyre alot more unabashed. A few months ago LG created a pop band to coincide with the release of a mobile fukking phone. Its difficult for new artists to make a name in this new look industry.

But its possible

A few years ago Aloe Blacc dropped I need a dollar which crossed over and ended up on commercials and was used for scoring in movies. Your man had no intention of the record reaching those levels he just dropped music independently

Case in point, if the music is good or has the potential to crossover and get artists to work with corporations it will still happen

 

[dirty_yo]

But its possible

A few years ago Aloe Blacc dropped I need a dollar which crossed over and ended up on commercials and was used for scoring in movies. Your man had no intention of the record reaching those levels he just dropped music independently

Case in point, if the music is good or has the potential to crossover and get artists to work with corporations it will still happen

That song came out commercially under sony. And guess what he got alot of corporate sponsorship out of it

 

[10:31]

That song came out commercially under sony. And guess what he got alot of corporate sponsorship out of it

It was on the brother's album that dropped on an indie label in 2010

 

[dirty_yo]

It was on the brother's album that dropped on an indie label in 2010

Ok, you got me there. I still dont think it changes my point however. The labels jumped on the buzz of an indie song and then milked it all they can but how often does that happen? Labels want to invest in artists that will give them to oppurtunity to whore the shyt out of them. I mean why else would labels continually make albums if nobody buys them?

Indie artists have other ways of making money of course. Tech9 case in point makes alot out of touring and merchandise

 

[Grew_Up_Hella_Early]

Gotta be some kindve perks,even dudes who was eating legendary independent still took they shot on a major...I can only guess a better shot at fame which undoubtedly leads to more money....there are paractices in place made to keep a independent artist down....its all politics