How Hip-Hop Will Survive in the Next Music Industry

The music industry is dead, and the how come doesn't matter. The question now is what next? How does an artist eat in an environment like this where record sales have dropped 20% since last year?

For rock bands, touring and merchandising will become more important than ever. Eventually they will be begging you to download their music for free, as long as you promise to pay 50 in damage for the live show and cop a T-shirt on your way out.

Rap acts though don't tour too tough. However, compared to the rockers, emcees are better suited to survive this new industry fallout. Ever since Diddy declared that anyone who questions how a rapper makes money is a "player hater", it's been open season for even the most indie leaning emcee to appear in commercials and have his own sneaker. Muscicians in other genres have to walk a fine line of art and commerce so they don't offend their fanbase. However, in hip-hop, the number of endorsements you score is part of your marketing plan.

Now, some see this and think there is too much commercialism in hip-hop. Me? I don't think there is enough.

From Sprite to Scion I see corporate sponsors as the new (or the first?) patrons of hip-hop. Back in the day, before recorded music and record labels, musical masters relied on patrons to front them while they made their art. In return for their investment, the wealthy patrons gained a higher social status by being linked to the incredible artists they fronted. Also, they would retain the artist to perform at their parties and write special dedications for themselves or family.

Now, doesn't that sound like how Reebok paid for the pairing of 50 Cent and Jay-Z or how  Boost Mobile did the same with Kanye, Ludacris, and The Game?

I'm not mad at any of those examples, because despite the money that's flowing I think hip-hop does a good job of holding to two rules that makes sure the commerce doesn't harm the art:

Rule # 1. Commercials are clearly commercials. Sprite has never tried to pass off one of their famous freestyle spots as an authentic, spontaneous, off-the-top endorsement by a rapper.

Rule # 2. Art is clearly art.  When Busta told Pharrell to "Pass the Courvoisier", I don't think he was considering a deal with that liquor brand, even if one came after the fact. He name dropped because it sounded hot, and that's it.

The only pass a rapper can get on rule #2 is if he owns the product he's pushing. Self-promotion is straight hip-hop.

I'm impressed with emcees like 50 Cent who has been able to remain independent and relevant and dangerous with his left hand, yet snatch coin from corporate America with his right. As 50 himself admitted in a Vibe Magazine interview, when asked about declining music sales industry wide, he said he doesn't care if less people buy the record, as long as they buy his clothing, vitamin water, videos game, and movies. 50 is in the business of selling a lifestlye, with music as the bait, a trick that Diddy and Jay-Z learned long ago.

That's the future now of the music business, and I think hip-hop will prosper in it.

UPDATE: Minutes after I published this post, I saw this article on Billboard about the touring boom:

"Pretty much any way you crunch the numbers, the concert industry kicked serious butt in 2006. Both dollars and attendance reported to Billboard Boxscore this year were at all-time highs. "

Comments

[Bol]

Well, yeah, but was anyone arguing this was going to be bad for the industry financially?

[Hashim]

I'm saying it's good financially, and won't effect the art. Only hip-hop can do that.

[enjoilax]

Sorry bud, but you got beaten to the punch. By a twee making bear no less.

http://podingtonbear.com//?p=36

[Bol]

>I'm saying it's good financially, and won't effect the art. Only hip-hop can do that.

Maybe, but I notice you left out the part about Jay and the Nets.

[J]

I think you underestimate the influence of commercialization. Just like lobbyist influencing lawmakers, artist will be under the thumb of those signing their checks. This is a fast track to lyrics being branded like NASCAR rides...-j

[Joey]

I've always advocated that artists focus more on concerts and commercials if they want to get paid because you can't fight the internets and records companies care about themselves, not their artists, to begin with. If CD sales are down, companies get upset because shareholders get upset. They don't get upset because it means that Freeway has a harder time eating.

[Jason]

How many established rock bands are there that don't have to lift a finger for the rest of their lives, collecting royalty checks and selling old greatest hits albums? How many rappers can do that? Sir Mix a Lot, maybe? Until this Digital Revolution iTunes thing took off, it looked like today's rappers had no viable future. But now that the game's changed, I think today's rap artists are better positioned than their rock contemporaries, as rappers have long been forced to find ways to turn music fame into non-music money.

[Dallas]

The connection that you make of artist to patron should be better for rappers since the patron essentially wants to be affiliated with the hottest artist. There might come an artistic liberation for rappers who don't have to place products in their rhymes.

Btw, the worst kept secret in the spirits industry is how much Couvosier paid to try to inch their way into Hennessy's demographic.

[jza]

Does this overcomercialization divides hip hop and break down the industry?

I agree with the business sense of hip hop, I am not so worry about diddy going broke tomorrow. I am a bit more scary of the health of hip hop.

This overcomercialization, will make companies be more like heards. They will go with the biggest fatest act and copy cat it. This will degrade the same art. Basically thats what happene when people reffer to hip-pop. The pop enviroment is a copycat and THAT affects the industry.

Example is Immortal Technique's song about how can people have a market for rouches sex fetiche magazine yet not find a market for true headed-political hip hop. Which happens to be the birth of hip hop to the industry (remember Public enemy?).

Yet groups failed to get exposure, groups like Dead Prez who even Dave Chappelle try to provide the exposure from his own spotlight.

I am not so connected to the latest and greatest of hip hop partly due because my media taste is driven by what I hear in the underground through the internet which makes me download (for free) the music.

I agree is not the best way, but you can blame distribution houses for not distributing cheap polycarbonate plastic with copyrighted material to my country.

Once that said, I just went on to BET and then youtube and scroll through the top 50 list and I havent found anything at all that is good. Hip hop songs has drastically cut off on rhymes and spend 45% of the song in a chorus that is basically less than 5 words.

[Cairo]

I totally agree with jza

[Sandra]

Could jealousy of the fact that Rappers won an academy award be driving Oprah's obsession with trying to destroy rap???
She wanted an award for the color purple real bad. Is she that petty and greedy and selfish???

[Bigrayvin]

The constantly the question is asked is Hip Hop dead. Constantly I answer no because hip hop culturely continues to push the envelope in so many directions. Exercise, DvD Magizines, mp3 you name it they push it. So the Hip Hop industry will be fine

[DJ Dave]

Hip hop is an artform man. Art never dies, it changes and morphs. Keep findin new ways to sell yourself and your music. Get a good artist management company to help. Or at least sign yourself up to Snocap and Phone Sherpa and move your beats from your web page.

[teksty piosenek]

Hip Hop in USA is commercial. In My country this type of music born few years ago it be somethibng great but now it going to be like in Your country... A the first day of life HH be a music of poor people, young people, that be music of "revolt"

[Big Gyrl Ent.]

http://www.myspace.com/fatalitythegyrlmusic

[wolfman]

its gonna be a tuffy. but underground hip hop will always be around. there nothing we can do about main stream stuff. just keep it cool dont over stress about others deal with your own. and it will survive..
and meanwhile have fun with it like this
http://m30.ca/contest/?paulwall?WolfMan

[biggyrl]

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#1) clazthecat@hotmail.com
#2) mjd@dsl.pipex.com
#3) punkska68@hotmail.com
#4) invest@caramail.com
#5) chiprideandjoy@aol.com
#6) biggyrlent@hotmail.com

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$$ DIRECTIONS $$ HOW TO POST TO NEWSGROUPS + MESSAGE BOARDS $$

Step #1) You do not need to re-type this entire letter to do your own posting. Simply put your CURSOR at the beginning of this letter and drag your CURSOR to the bottom of this document, and select 'copy' from the edit menu. This will copy the entire letter into the computer memory.

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$$ JUST MAKE SURE THE EMAIL YOU SUPPY IS EXACTLY AS IT APPEARS ON PAYPAL. $$ Now the WHY part: Out of 200 postings, say I receive only 5 replies (a very low example). So then I Made $5.00 with my name at #6 on the letter. Now, each of the 5 persons who just sent me $1.00 make the MINIMUM 200 postings, each with my name at #5 and only 5 persons respond to each of the original 5, that is another $25.00 for me, now those 25 each make 200 MINIMUM posts with my name at #4 and only 5 replies each, I will bring in an additional $125.00! Now, those 125 persons turn around and post the MINIMUM 200 with my name at #3 and only receive 5 replies each, I will make an additional $625.00! OK, now here is the fun part, each of those 625 persons post a MINIMUM 200 letters with my name at #2 and they only receive 5 replies that just made me $3,125.00!!! Those 3,125 persons will all deliver this message to 200 newsgroups with my name at #1 and if still 5 persons per 200 newsgroups react I will receive $15,625.00! With an original investment of only $6.00!

A - M - A - Z - I - N - G - $$

$$ When your name is no longer on the list, you just take latest posting in the newsgroups, and send out another $6.00 to names on the list, putting your name at number 6 again. And start posting again. The thing to remember is, do you realize that thousands of people all over the world are joining the internet and reading these articles everyday, JUST LIKE YOU are now!! So can you afford $6?? And see if it really works?? I think so? People have said, what if the plan is played out and no one sends you the money? So what are the chances of that happening when there are tons of new honest users and new honest people who are joining the internet and newsgroups everyday and are willing to give it a try? Estimates are at 20,000 to 50,000 new users, every day, with thousands of those joining the actual Internet.

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$$ REMEMBER, IT IS 100% LEGAL! DON'T PASS THIS UP! $$

Look at what PayPal had to say about it! (or ask them for yourself)

Dear ************

Thank you for contacting PayPal. We apologize for the delay in responding to your service request.

It has come to our attention that there is a PayPal scheme floating around at the moment you may have heard or seen the $5 scheme. You may have even taken part in it well we have been asked a lot of questions about this scheme the answer is yes it does work and yes it is safe to use providing you follow the rules it is legal and has made a big hit on the internet this year.

Thank you for using PayPal! Sincerely, PayPal Community Support.

There's no use trying to cheat for only $6.00 ***

$$ Have fun! $$

[Dirty]

I couldn't personally disagree more with this blog. If you are a philanthropist of hop music, then you would appreciate the monetary rewards the commercialize has reaped over the past 2 decades. However, and a big however, if you are a fan of the music, you will recognize the large thumb placed down on artists to sell to a constantly broadening fanbase. This means compromising your original intentions if it sells less. It is no less equal to government censorship of CD sales. Besides the parental advisory sticker, the single off many best-selling albums have remained censored to increase radio play, which not only gives fans a chance to play fill in the blank for an eternity, but jeopardizes the passion of the artist for allowing his work to be censored. You would only be trying just hard enough to live with yourself if you enjoy commercial hip hop. Financial success has never equated to cultural and creative success. Children in India who love 50 Cent will never buy a vitamin water, most likely because it isn't sold in areas where income is so low. Personally, I make music and listen to music because I love it, and if the financial reward becomes great, even better, but if not, I'll be buried in the same ground as Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G, and we can discuss it further from there. Thanks and check the www.myspace.com/dirty845

[texas summer music conference]

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Do you have what it takes to make it in the music industry?
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Log on to www. texassummermusicconference.com!

[texas summer music conference]

YES IT WILL!!!! FOR MORE INFO ON HOW TO SURVIVE CONTACT WWW.TEXASSUMMERMUSICCONFERENCE.COM

Do you have what it takes to make it in the music industry?
Texas Summer Music Conference will take place this year July 6th-8th @
the Westin Hotel (Down-Town Dallas)
Presale Tickets available now for a limit of time for $60! Contact
214.801.0674 or e-mail info@jengerbread.com to reserve your tickets today!
Log on to www. texassummermusicconference.com!

[Learn how to C Walk]

Hip Hop will never die.

[kommercial]

Hip Hop is a world wide sub culture. I will survive.

[SZ]

When money and politics centres the subject of discussion when it comes to Hip-Hop you know the realness of the genre is on it's way out. Bring back the ones not doin it for the dough but doin it for the relative joe. Hip-Hop, remember, is a tool for the writer, putting the light on society issues neglected, and if it sticks to it's original plan Hip-Hop will never die as long as society exists, the market will appreciate it more. Financial influence or insentive will reshape the genre taking it out of it's original form, leaving us with a memory of what it used to be.

[Matchstik]

Matchstik was born in Fort Camble, Kentucky and raised in Dothan, Alabama. At age nine, Matchstik’s parents separated and a few months later his father attempted suicide. Matchstik’s father, who was formerly a soldier in the United States Army Reserves, abandoned Matchstik’s family, leaving his mother to raise him and his siblings on her own.

Without a father figure in his life, Matchstik found a home in the streets with drug dealers. It wasn’t long before Matchstik himself began selling cocaine. At age 13, Matchstik had his first run in with the law. Matchstik had his second arrest at age 14 for possession of crack cocaine.

Thereafter, Matchstik joined forces with the local king pin, who also happened to be his mother’s boyfriend son. From the ages of 13 through 16, Matchstik and the local king pin worked together moving 3 to 4 kilos of crack cocaine per week.

Then, after his third arrest at age 16, Matchstik realized he had to turn his life around. Matchstik left the life of dealing behind, dropped out of high school and passed his G.E.D.

He also went on to attend college, and ultimately joined the Navy at age 20. After completing four years of service in the Navy, he decided to leave the South and follow his musical aspirations on the West Coast. Matchstik is now living in Los Angeles, California where he is pursuing a career in music.

His energetic and innovative beats, witty rhymes and clever choruses are just what the Hip-Hop industry needs. Matchstik has collaborated with numerous local artists in various locations throughout the United States ranging from the East Coast, the Dirty South, and the West Coast.

Matchstik has also opened up for Joe Buddins and Sean Paul (the Reggae Artist) in Winnipeg, Canada! Matchstik is an impressive 25-year-old who is one of America's next Hip-Hop stars. Uniquely talented, Matchstik does not only write his own rhymes but also produces his own beats.

Check out These Classic Masterpieces on
www.myspace.com/matchstik

thanks for your time,

-Matchstik
Live in the abundance, and make today your best!

[Osiris]

You are right, 50 is selling a lifestyle. But it is a lifestyle that we should not support or be proud of. While I cannot, and will not, lay the blame on him and other “artists” like him for the conditions of our community, I will say it is people like him that help to create and perpetuate dangerous mindsets of our youth - mindsets that make it exceedingly difficult to change these conditions in our community. Lets be honest, who among us can really say that what he personifies is having a positive effect on our community?