Long response :-\
Not to sound holier than thou, because I've downloaded my share of stuff, but it's still stealing. I know a lot of artists personally, and I have to deal with a lot of them also, so I know I'm in the minority, but I actually feel worse sometimes when I download stuff sometimes.
More often than not, when I buy something, I usually sampled it ahead of time anyway, so I'm more happy to use the hell out of it. I gave SO much run to Kendrick's "good kid m.A.A.d city," Ab-Soul's "Control System," Danny!'s "Payback," Danny Brown and Black Milk's "Black and Brown," etc.
Plus, you're more likely to have memorable experiences when you buy an album, IMO. I remember skipping school after lunch to listen to my freshly copped "Get Rich Or Die Tryin," I remember buying Wu-Tang Clan's "The W" when I was overseas, I even remember ordering Royce's "Death Is Certain" and "College Dropout" the same day online, and waiting around in the my dorm for them to arrive and wondering which one I was going to listen to first.
When I saw the great numbers that GKMC did, I really felt like I was a part of something.
Not saying that having dope memories with downloading albums is impossible, but they're more monolithic to me. It's just "Google, click, download."
Plus, I figure if an artist can genuinely enrich my life with a work of art that I'm consuming reguarly, the least I could do is give $10 once in a while. Some of these cats really put their all into these records. And it isn't just about how much money they get from each album sold - when you buy an album, you're showing that artist's record label that they're worth keeping on board, which helps you continue to get the music you rock with.
I've downloaded a lot of stuff, but when I do buy, that's what I have in mind.
fukk supporting them
.... Or a nikka like Meek Mill braggin' bout spendin' 50 thou at the strip club... If they sayin' they ballin' like that Ima take they word for it n not cop they shyt n start gettin' my bread up like they tellin' me to do...
mbdtf kanye.
