Commentary: Are Fans Responsible?
Posted by djyahtz | Filed under New Artists, News
About a month ago, Kam Moye (formerly known as Supastition) announced that his career in the
music business was coming to an end. I highly recommend you read his letter to the fans but
to sum it up, Kam couldn’t justify continuing his music career with no monetary reward behind
it. It’s sad to see such a talented artist have to change paths for this reason but it’s a
problem many are facing today. In this era, hip hop fans have begun to feel entitled. We all
download music for free and don’t think about who we are affecting when we do. It’s on
people’s minds too. TSS posted an article last week from Paid Content about the current
state. The industry just had the worst week of album sales since 1991. We create our own
justifications for why we do it but it really boils down to a thought process of “why pay for
what I can get for free?”
Since the boom of file sharing, albums are readily available at our fingertips for no cost.
We get access to albums a week before they drop (if not earlier) and pass our judgments
before the LP has even hit the shelves. We download for free but continue to expect a high
quality from the artists. Some complain music isn’t like “the golden era” anymore or that
“hip hop is dead.” The very same people saying this are the ones causing this problem.
Making music is not a free process. Many artists have to pay for studio time and the few
lucky enough to have their own have to put in major funds to set it up. Producers may offer
free beats to friends or do it as they establish their career, but they also have to make a
profit at some point. Emcees are barely finding ways to break even on the projects they put
together these days.
Some reading this now are probably think, “There’s more ways to make money through music”
which is true. These days, the new source of major income has become shows. Live performances
have become the standard for the underground artist to make a living. It provides a chance to
sell merchandise & possibly gain a new audience. The problem here lies in what is involved to
make this a success. For an artist to do a legitimate tour, he/she will have to gain a
fanbase. How do you gain a fanbase? By releasing music for free. Now the artist is already in
the hole. They have to put in the funds to create this music and hope that it turns out
successful. Artists become reliant on sites such as ours to catch on to their music and post
it. Then, the readers of the site have to get behind it and show the artist that people are
listening. Now, the process of touring or putting together regular shows can finally start.
The crapshoot of the live show continues as artists have to find a way to get booked at
venues around the country. Many don’t have managers and must do this all themselves (as Kam
Moye did). If your buzz is big enough, you may be able to headline or tour on your own but
most artists will rely on piggybacking off a larger artist. Opening for established acts
becomes the way to go but now, you’ll be getting the small share of what’s made from the
tour. Even if this scenario works out, what about the artist’s day to day life? It’s
difficult for an artist with a family to be gone for months at a time (and some still may be
working a 9 to 5 job). It’s hard to get out on the road with these things in mind.
We’ve simply become spoiled. We don’t consider any of these factors as we click that download
icon on Rapidshare or Megaupload. The try before you buy attitude is understandable. You feel
wronged if you go to the store, pay $15 and the album you bought is mediocre. But now we’ve
come to a spot where many of us don’t even own our favorite album of the year. There’s
something inherently wrong with this state.
At the same time, artists are just as guilty. Many are so content with giving away free
product that they’ve devalued their own music. Some established emcees are routinely
delivering better quality on mixtapes than their albums. The free release is a major
marketing tool but it should not be an artist’s best work. Mixtapes, EPs, street albums,
whatever you call them, should be a teaser or what to expect. In other instances, albums are
overdone. You’ll see certain artists take it to an extreme point of putting out albums &
mixtape every month of the year. The album needs to get back to being the crown jewel in an
artist’s discography, not an afterthought.
Hip hop fans need to alter our attitudes and help change the game. If we want the quality of
music to improve, if we want to see the talent rise to the top, if we want the mainstream to
get back to where it used to be, the easiest way to start is to buy albums. If you need a
physical copy, outlets like Amazon.com or UGHH.com are readily available. If not, go on
digital retailers such as iTunes or Rhapsody and make a purchase for $9.99. If someone like
Biltz The Ambassador suddenly makes an appearance on the Billboard charts, people would take
notice.
These perceptions can’t change overnight but artists can find ways to start. Using sites like
Bandcamp can help with the ability to employ a “name your price option.” Artists should start
implementing more of these tactics including donation buttons on their personal pages. The
most intriguing is sites like Kickstarter which allow fans to fund the album. It’s the
ultimate artist-fan relationship. Those who truly want to support are directly backing the
project and know there is no middle man to go through. Panacea and Ras Kass have already used
this technique for their latest albums.
Sponsorship may become a new outlet as well. Tours & shows could bring in major sponsors like
clothing brands to get behind them. It could be almost like professional athletes. Doing
shows with certain gear on or have a brand name in music videos could be a new source of
revenue for artists. Speaking of videos, the viral market could provide this as well. Artists
should look to create innovative music videos that may catch large amounts of viewers on
sites like Youtube & Vimeo. If these numbers go up, major television outlets like MTV could
pick up songs for rotation.
Artists and fans have to be in this as one. Each needs each other and it’s important that
they work together. The one small thing we can do as fans is to support our artists
financially. We all love hip hop and we need to do whatever we can to make it the best it can
possibly be.