THEORY: Mixtapes should only be limited to "Underground/Unsigned" artists

[45123]

Yes but a million records is an abysmal failure for Eminem. You have to keep that in mind, eminem is not trying to sell a million records, he is attempting to go diamond, and expecting to do 4 mill. If Eminem does 1 million the label would lose a ton of money based on his budget.

A million records is not an "abysmal failure" for Em, considering 1. he does not even care about selling records and 2. any label in the world would be happy with a platinum selling artist in 2013. No artist "attempts" to go diamond or even platinum, it just happens. How would the label lose money Unless they budgeted 20 million dollars for his album they're not in debt.

 

[JayYoung314]

i kinda see what thread starter is saying same time u cant expect an artist to sit cold until his next album drops, mixtapes in a way help build buzz to an album

 

[MartyMcFly]

i kinda see what thread starter is saying same time u cant expect an artist to sit cold until his next album drops, mixtapes in a way help build buzz to an album

They can always drop an EP of a couple joints then. You don't need to give away a full album worth of material and then wonder why fans aren't buying your actual album. There are ways to build momentum without shooting your wad on a dry run and getting a mess on your hands.(I'll dap anyone who gets that reference)

 

[scuba]

Now I'll say this... If it wasn't for the Clue's, Big Mike's, Kay Slay's, getting shutdown we wouldn't see as many solo mixtapes.... nikkas would still leak out a few songs here and there, to keep their name out there... Soon as that shyt stopped, rappers had to come up with their own shyt... Outside of like 5/6 rappers, dudes can't afford to go ghost in between albums.

Cosign, but part of the reason the DJs got out of the tape game is fans dont feel like why pay for a DJ clue tape when nas just dropped a free mixtape?

 

[scuba]

A million records is not an "abysmal failure" for Em, considering 1. he does not even care about selling records and 2. any label in the world would be happy with a platinum selling artist in 2013. No artist "attempts" to go diamond or even platinum, it just happens. How would the label lose money Unless they budgeted 20 million dollars for his album they're not in debt.

Eminem doesn't care about selling records? WOW
Any Label would be happy if their anchor artist did platinum no matter if he averages 5 million for the last 15 years? WOW
No artist attempts to go platinum? WOW

As far as losing money, i may be wrong, I dont know how much money they really spent promoting this album. I will retract that one, they probably wont lose money if he only sells a million, they just wont make that much money, and they will lose the oppurtunity to make a sh!tload of money off the eminem brand for this 2 year sales cycle.

 

[RichYung]

Cosign, but part of the reason the DJs got out of the tape game is fans dont feel like why pay for a DJ clue tape when nas just dropped a free mixtape?

Fans don't wanna pay for shyt PERIOD.... what I was getting at, was artists wouldn't drop solo mixtapes as much, if they still had that "clue tape" they could toss a few exclusives too. And lol @ Nas, dropping a mixtape

 

[TheLoneRanger]

I've been saying this for ages.

How can new unsigned artists compete with big signed artists.

The bigger artists are of course gonna have more money to spend on production features mixing and promotion While the smaller guys get overlooked and people hating on them because its not as good as a MMG mixtape .

 

[C-Styles]

The thing that separates the aspiring unknown artist from the SERIOUS unknown artist is MONEY! if you're serious about blowing up and wanting to make it, it doesn't matter if you have a mixtape or album, have SOMETHING and with MONEY to promote/features/tour you'll make an impact all on your own

 

[Mr. Somebody]

Well major label artists release mixtapes to get a street buzz... and also some do it because thats the only manner of creative control they get.

Like for instance, slaughterhouse dropped a well known and acclaimed mixtape, and then dropped a disappointing album right after it. The reason why is primarily that the album is designed by the label to sell records and appeal to as wide a demographic as possible, 4 million people thinking the album is OK, is better than 200 thousand thinking it is incredible.

Even artists like eminem, look at the fact that probably 6 bonus cuts werent included on the album that were better from a hip hop fans perspective than many album cuts. Its not that Eminem is unaware of this, its that the label put together his official album in a way that is going to entertain 10 million folks, even thou a core of 1 million hip hop heads are gonna not feel a lot of the lesser songs.

honestly i think that folks should stop giving out free mixtapes though, that crushed the independent scene something fierce.

Wrong. Mixtapes are often used for artists to put out music the label rejects. This is a good time for friends to get those hot album filler tracks that friends were neglected on the official release, friend.

 

[Rominati]

Wrong. Mixtapes are often used for artists to put out music the label rejects. This is a good time for friends to get those hot album filler tracks that friends were neglected on the official release, friend.

I was thinking that too. But shiiiit, for the economy of the music game, the long term benefit of rappers just NOT releasing them uncleared samples far benefits diluting the music game jus for the sake of dropping a song that will only be rememberd for a week or two.

 

[Zach Lowe]

Rap is cheap to make, why not feed your fanbase once or twice a year for free

 

[Mac Casper]

Mixtapes should be for unsigned artist who can't afford to bring their musical vision to life. free music devalues music

 

[L. Deezy]

Are you actually complaining about artists releasing free music?

Dude, technology lets us get it regardless.. as an artist, it makes zero sense

Work for free brehs

 

[MegaTronBomb!]

Mixtapes should be for unsigned artist who can't afford to bring their musical vision to life. free music devalues music

All music is free brehs.

music is only as valuable, as you deem it is.


IMO, mixtapes aren't being used correctly..... up and coming rappers should use them to gain fanbases, and rappers that are already on, should be using them to show appreciation to their fanbase.

cats dropping 6-7 mixtapes just cause, when they can accomplish more with a solid 3-4 and actually taking their profession seriously.

rappers who are already on, need to start scrapping mixtapes... and get back to making EP's

 

[Rominati]

I can't agree with this.... And that "scarcity creates demand" shyt only works for select artist.... Most rappers release mixtapes in between album cycles so they can do shows and shyt... If a rapper drops his album and doesn't do the right numbers most of the time he's DONE.... You can't expect a rapper to sit, not release anything until his next album... He has to get back in the lab and try to build that buzz back up....

Now I'll say this... If it wasn't for the Clue's, Big Mike's, Kay Slay's, getting shutdown we wouldn't see as many solo mixtapes.... nikkas would still leak out a few songs here and there, to keep their name out there... Soon as that shyt stopped, rappers had to come up with their own shyt... Outside of like 5/6 rappers, dudes can't afford to go ghost in between albums.

Look at ya man Fab for instance tho. His first 2 radio singles flopped. And his album got pushed back to next year. Now he is about to release another Soul Tape to build up the buzz. Why not take a couple of songs off that, shoot some dope videos and gun for street singles. Rather than dropping a 10 track mixtape with only 3 bangers? Why not jus work those 3 bangers into the cycle run? Why not use those street mixtapes as b-sides to tha radio oritented shyt he has been putting out


I swear labels are getting so damn lazy nowadays