Reign of Independence Pt. 2: My Low Budget Album is Better Than Your Big Budget Album

The year 2011 is starting off strong with its quality of hip hop albums. Saigon finally releases his Just Blaze produced, multi-year old album The Greatest Story Never Told. Raekwon unleashed Shaolin vs. WuTang, a long player that harkens on the sound of the Rza circa 1993. Pharaohe Monch gets the assist from Duck Down on W.A.R. (We Are Renegades). In addition, Cunnilynguists released Oneriology to the adoration of their worldwide fan base. It is only April. Yet, there are at least four albums demanding respect and critical acclaim.

The ironic thing is this: they are all independent albums.

Saigons’s album was released on Suburban Noize, known for its “greener artists”. Raekwon, with EMI distribution, was released on his own ICEH2O label. As mentioned before, Dru Ha and Buckshot put out W.A.R. Oneriology was released through QN5. Four great albums released to rave reviews under minimal budgets.

So, one may wonder about the major releases that has been anticipated this year. Well, we can look at two of those albums right now: Lupe Fiasco’s Lasers and Wiz Khalifa’s Rolling Papers.

Lupe Fiasco’s Lasers has been talked about enough by me. No more words need to be given for my dislike of it. Rolling Papers, however, is a different story. Wiz’s lyrics remain intact and the album is good. Yet, there are still some glaring differences between this album and his highly heralded Kush & OJ. The production on Rolling Papers is more “industry friendly” and less organic/experimental. Some of the songs are especially made for mainstream appeal. In the end, it can be said that some of the major label albums sound really “commercialized”.

Honestly, any hip hop listener shouldn’t be surprised by what they have witnessed.

Independent albums have the benefit of allowing artists to do what they do best: be them. In many cases, independents want to capitalize on the artist. They want the artist to make their music the way they make it. Independent sign artists to be themselves, not a concoction of a musician predisposed for super download sales and background IKEA soundtracks. In reality, it makes more sense to expand on what exists and not change the musician or the music.

The habit of independents making excellent music is nothing new. In the south, Rap A Lot was a long standing representation of great music. 2 Live Crew was independent also. Even in the west coast, many artists (Too Short, E-40, Mac Dre, the vast majority of the Bay Area, etc.) came up independently. Respectively, the independent route was the way non-New Yorkers made a living and succeeded.

Yet, just because New York and LA has major label offices does not mean that they never fostered their own independent movements.

The most notable independent movement for non-commercialized hip hop music showed up  full force during the late 90’s. Three labels come to mind: Rawkus, Fondle ‘Em, and Stonesthrow.

Rawkus was the most visible and successful commercially. Fondle ‘Em served as a boutique label for Bobbito Garcia. He liked certain unsigned artists and released their music. The same can be said for

Peanut Butter Wolf’s Stonesthrow. Although not a boutique label, Stonesthrow was a full independent force. The label would release seminal music from old funk artists, forgotten about songs, crate dug treasures, and hip hop artists that made music that they liked. With fervent focus, the late 90’s built a movement of music based on making music without caring what people thought.

The only label that tried to be commercial was Rawkus, which brought about its eventual demise. Then again, I knew things were going downhill when EL-P preferred sleeping sodomy to working with the label again.

So, why is being independent so much of a choice for today’s artists?

For one, it tends to not be a choice at all. In today’s musical climate, A&R (artist and repertoire) work is limited. As well, most labels sign artists that create their own buzz and music movements. Many major labels, due to decreases in profits, do not give the same advance money they gave in the past. Thus, artists today have to work for themselves or build teams around them. This tends to force artists to be more knowledgeable of the footwork needed for their own careers. In turn, present label practices make artists fend for their own success.

The second reason is the need for some experienced artists to thrive. There are musicians that are seasoned vets in need of career sustenance. They may have fallen out of favor with labels. However, they still have fans and still demand tour money. So, they can either let their careers die or keep working. Like any enterprising person, they choose to keep working.   

A third reason depends upon the dwindling sales of artists. Albums are not selling CD’s like they used to. Having an album that very few people may even buy is not cost effective on a major label. Independent situations usually bring better per unit money for artists. With that said, why go to a major label when your chances recouping your money are getting slimmer?

The last reason deals with technological advances of the medium. Technology has been the gift and curse of the industry. It has given fans faster/easier access to music. Yet, it is a significant part of the reason that sales are dwindling. File sharing allows fans to get music at the ease of a stroke across the keyboard. What many artists have done is kept releasing free music and mixtapes to gear them for an impending album release or just to build a following for successful touring and merchandise sales. Also, many artists don’t need major channels to get their music on internet sales sites. An artist can as easily contact I-Tunes or have a CD Baby account and be on all the respected digital download sites. In the end, technology has opened artists to the opportunity of truly controlling their sales careers.

If this has been a lot for you to read, consider this equation:

Past independent examples + need to survive + technological advances= more independent functioning.

Major money and major music are not synonymous anymore. Artists are finding themselves creating music with half the monetary hassle. They can also make their kind of music and master their own fates. The state of the music industry has only made independence more feasible. Thus, it remains to be seen how major labels will function in the future, if they exist as they once have.

Reign of Independence Pt. 1- Lupe's Fiasco

In my ominous, humbled opinion, Lasers sucks.

The most disgraceful thing about it all is that it has less to do with Lupe and more to do with Atlantic.

Lasers was supposed to be Lupe’s crowning moment. After releasing seminal hits with his first two long players, fans were clamoring for the third to be a masterpiece. Between his mixtape full of other artists’ tracks ripped to shreds (Enemy of the State) and a Soulja Boy response single (SLR), greatness was expected. Additionally, he was selling a single on I-Tunes. That single (The Show Goes On) eventually went gold. Thus, it was expected that Lupe would do what he is known for: complexity laced beautiful music.

Did he do that? No.

In fact, he went the route of irony. His album cut-turned-video “Dumb It Down” was his declaration of artistic independence. If Atlantic was the British, Lupe would be considered a leader in the Boston Tea Party. Rarely has a hip hop artist, on a major label, noted that they would do it their way. This type of action only came from your Jay-Z’s, Tech-9’s, and (hilariously) RA Da Rugged Man’s. With that song, Lupe had more juice than Bishop.

And just like the end of the movie, Lupe’s artistic momentum fell a ledge.

Why the big change up? Atlantic wanted to fix something that was not broke.

Artistically, Atlantic was not being intelligent. Lupe has a solid fan base of at least 300,000-500,000 guaranteed fans willing to buy his album. He can create a gold single. He can collaborate with almost any artist he feels the need to. He can even snag endorsements and get worldwide recognition. In the end, Lupe is productive enough to be the artist he chooses to be.

Which begs the question: what happened?

I’ll tell you what happened: Atlantic got greedy.

Due to the envisioning of dollar signs, Atlantic wanted more. They wanted more albums sold. They wanted more digital downloads. They wanted more radio spins. They wanted that Black Eye Peas money. However, they didn’t read the present memo: most hip hop heads don’t really care for the Black Eye Peas. Commercial music lovers clamor for them. Hip hop heads are still looking for the group that made “Falling Up”.

If anyone was observant, the warning signs were apparent quite early. Two artists serve as perfect examples of Atlantic messing up a good thing: Saigon and Apathy.

Saigon’s Atlantic relationship can be seen as rocky at best. Although he was signed under the Fort Knox imprint (Just Blaze), he still ran into drama with the label. Being shelved, he ended up in precarious artistic situations (beef with Joe Budden, beef with Prodigy, putting out subpar material, and losing momentum). Eventually released, Saigon found a label home with Suburban Noize Records. Repackaging the album, he put it out amongst a skeptical public.

After purchasing/hearing the album, it became perfectly clear that Atlantic was NOT the label for Saigon. With all intents and purposes, Saigon probably has one of the best (if not the best, depending upon public opinion) albums to come out. And this is material that is 3-5 minimum years old.

Apathy, on the other hand, has a whole different story. Signed directly to the label, Apathy never released anything for them. Ultimately, he got fed up and left. Afterwards, he has released a slew of material and is gearing up to put out Honkey Kong. Nifty title, if I say so myself.

The Apathy story is far from over.

In an interview with hiphoopdx.com posted in December of 2010, he noted that Lupe needed to “jump ship” and “go cake off your own s**t independently. Or go with somebody who completely gets Lupe Fiasco like Kanye West’s label or some s**t like that.”

The problem with major labels is that their business model is dysfunctional. Before, labels made money off of album and single sales. However, sales have decreased over the years. To make up for lost profit, labels now have 360 deals. That way, if you are a newer artist, they make money on everything you stamp your name on. This includes concert sales and merchandising.

Industry wide, veteran artists cannot fathom signing such a deal. This deal is especially ludicrous when major labels do LESS to promote and market their artists.

Another problem with major labels is that they did not take advantage of the digital download movement. When file sharing became popular, many execs either ignored it or chose to fight against it. Napster, a downloading forum, went through litigation hell (shout out to Sean Parker and Shawn Fanning). Even people were sued for file sharing. All of this hard work was all for naught. Physical sales have diminished percentage wise year by year. In fact, hard copy album sales peaked at 785.1 million units in 2000. In 2010, there were 236.2 million units sold. Yet, I-Tunes sales have increased year by year.

Oh, and did I mention that labels are losing like Charlie Sheen in the negative zone?

Then, there is the issue of free music. Many hip hop artists are technologically savvy. Some are opting to go the mixtape route to be heard. Others give out free music through free EPs (free(ep)s). This can be troubling for labels because they don’t make any real money. Also, too many mixtapes tend to be more musically sound than their album counterparts. In addition, there are artists that could care less about selling an album. Those artists have concert shows, endorsements, and merchandise to sell. Last, there are no labels for some of those artists to share in something they did not help acquire.

Lupe is going to be okay. His album is moving units. He will do shows and generate income. He will have side businesses to make money. Yet, his Atlantic contract is a hindrance. They either need to respect his artistry or set him free. He has too much of a fan base to deal with such. Lupe needs to leverage himself into a better situation.

‘Nuff respect and ‘Nuff said.

New Videos for Old Songs- What is Really the Point?

New Videos for Old Songs:

What is the Point, Really?

Well, I’ll be John Brown! Nice and Smooth got a new video out. I am so amped to listen to what fresh new music this old group has in store. Maybe it will mainly be a Greg Nice joint with Smooth B looking cool in the video. Or maybe it will have some old school flavor. Whatever the case may be, I know that it will be ill to see overly grown men show these youngsters how to make real music.

And then I saw the video.

Do not get me wrong, the video was dope. It contained images of regular everyday happenings with street scenes. Not all those shiny suits, jiggly women, expensive cars, and precipitating of dollars from the sky. Instead, we get a throwback jam with new school scenery. Then, like a Tyson punch upside Lil Mac’s head, it hit me: this song is old.

I mean really, really old. Like over twenty years old.

This song is off of the old album with “Funky for You”, which was by far one of my favorite Nice and Smooth songs. Actually the album is self-titled Nice and Smooth. Greg Nice and Smooth B was signed to Sleeping Bag Records, a New York based independent that also housed acts just as Just Ice, EPMD (pre Def Jam), and Mantronix. This was before they moved onto RAL (Rush Associated Labels) and started to become better known hip hop stalwarts with gold sales and movie features. This is a song from the album that practically started their careers. In turn, they made a video for a song from the beginning of their careers.

All of this would be uncanny if they were the only artists partaking in this “old to the new” visual recapturing of the past. Luckily, they are not.

There are more artists taking part in bringing the “old to the new”. RA the Rugged Man created visuals for “A Star is Born”, a song that details his ascension and dissension within the ranks of hip hop lore and major label bliss. Saigon made a video for “Color Purple”, a diatribe that goes against the insanity of gang affiliation and color coordinated thug life. Prince Po made a video for “Right to Know” which questions life, existence, and humanity. Boot Camp Click released the posse cut of sorts “Hate All You Want”, giving people a taste of what was really hot off of their past album together. Queensbridge gives double the love from Cormega on “Rapture” and Prodigy on “Genesis”. Therefore, these new videos for old songs are not a new concept.

Yet, many would question is this something that should be happening? I say “Of course, you idiots!”

First of all, this is a sheer way to decrease and obliterate the “disposable notion” of hip hop music. Too many times, there are instances in which people will reminisce about old artists of the past. Too many times people will question “Remember when this song came on?” Too many times there are situations in which artists are forgotten because we, as hip hop culture enthusiasts, do not make a connection between the past and the present. Too many times, older artists complain about how the newer generation knows nothing, or even cares, about the past. Yet, we all recognize that this aberration of a musical situation has to end. What better way to do this than the reintroduction of music through videos?

This new trend (if it can be called that) is a win-win for three main figures in hip hop: the artists, the fans, and the video producers.

The artists win because it gives their music a breath of new life. So many different songs and hits go undiscovered because people either forgot about them or did not pay attention. However, within today’s computerized, instant-oatmeal news on the hour society, one can find what they want and need at the click of a button. Many artists deserve recognition. They deserve recognition for their music, their work ethic, and their brilliance. Putting out videos for old songs helps them reconnect to a younger audience, helps the older/truer fans revitalize their feelings of nostalgia, and maybe even push up their album/single sales (if/when/how their old music is available). In this digital age, it only makes sense for an older artist to promote older and overlooked music.

Also, the fans get to win out for themselves. The fans win out because they actually get to experience musical situations that their parents/siblings/grandparents (yeah, I know) experienced or what they might have missed out on. As mentioned before, many older artists feel that the younger generation overlook the importance of the old school. However, that is partially due to lack of a connection to the past. Too many times, there are situations where knowledge is not passed down. Many younger listeners don’t understand where samples come from, lyrics are borrowed from, or what influenced this present day of music. Older music can serve as self-serving history lessons that educate. The younger generation can be educated on how music was. Also, they can become educated on how music truly is. Last, they can become educated on how this music can even evolve. In short, fans win out by gaining knowledge of their own ever changing culture.

Video producers can capitalize off of the fact that they are going to get plenty of work. In the past, music videos were quite expensive. During the late 90’s and early 2000’s, hip hop videos became quite the expensive affair for some artists, even commanding upward to the hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars to make. Nowadays, videos are not even close to being as expensive. Quality cameras don’t cost that much. Also, editing software is either inexpensive or people find pirated copies of it. So, many people are either finding cheaper ways to make quality videos or they are doing it themselves. Since it is easier/less time consuming to make a video, more auditory visuals are being made. With this influx of videos being made will only increase the income of those video producers that make quality product with very little turnaround time.

Watching this Nice and Smooth video, I realize that they took a necessary step to solidify their musical reputations. The group did something that all artists (new and especially old) need to do. Nice and Smooth helped pave a way of making the past relevant again. Personally, I think that more artists need to follow suit. They should promote their old music that they know is of august quality, yet still unheard and underrated. Keep the present aware of the past so that the new generation can understand their present and make better decisions for the future. Each one, reach one, teach one.

‘Nuff respect and ‘Nuff said.