WingsOfAnAngel
Banned
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 3
The successes of Nas and LL Cool J are not very common within the hip hop game. Videos tend to flood our minds with visions of tinted Benzes, Versace, Hilfiger and sparkling jewelry. Stacks of money are thrown all over marble top tables like plates of red beans and rice (supporting ill-usions).
To be frank, most artists don't own any of the clothes, cars or houses that appear in their videos. If you are Snoop or Dre, of course you do, but the majority of hip hoppers on TV are just giving us what we want to see--the glamour of hip hop. I'm always cautious when an MC states: "I wanna get signed to a phat major label." Although I can't blame the MC, this statement has been the root of evil over and over again, from the downfall of MC Hammer to the not-so successful debut of The Fugees. Major labels have always been puppeteers on the stage at musical stardom--snipping the strings of vibrant rap acts only to introduce new trendier puppets. At one time everyone wanted a major label deal. However it takes more than a record deal to make money in the rap game--especially the rap game. The popularity of sampling and the non-popularity of hip hop concerts has dramatically decreased the amount of income rappers earn. A $500,000 advance may seem like a lot to your 2-man rap group, but by the time your album drops, you'll be down to nothing and unless you sell mad records or write original material (music included), you can expect nothing more.
MYTH #1
MAJOR LABELS DON’T NEED RAP ARTISTS. (I DON’T THINK SO…)
First, let's dispel this myth. Most major labels do not care about MC NoName. I've worked underneath major label radio promotion guys who couldn't tell you a thing about the urban releases they were supposed to be promoting. This might not be common practice in all major labels, but when most of the music business rotates toward alternative, pop, and country you have to realize which genres come up short. Frequently rap is one of the ignored genres. If you need proof, check out Billboard. Of the 20 albums certified multi-platinum in September 1996, only 4 were rap albums. Why is this, you wonder? Here's why: The big money labels are colossal because of artists who consistently sell albums. Pop, country and rock represent genres that will always be embraced during their entire lifetime simply because millions of albums means millions of dollars. 99% of the industry's rap artists are not this fortunate. Violence and the nonexistent East vs. West war have scarred the rap business. No one at the higher levels wants to deal with it--ask anyone on the top floor at Warner Bros. If you are a rhymer who is cutting edge, you may try finding an indie label or releasing your own material before approaching a major label. Beware though. Although indies may be responsible for the survival of rap, acquisitions and buy outs by the majors are resulting in "neo major" labels. Anyone can list a number of big money labels but only a handful of multi-platinum rap acts exists. That ought to tell you something. If you've got a pulse and half a brain, you know that most labels can weasel the rhyme out at any artist--rap or otherwise.
MYTH #2
AN ADVANCE MEANS YOU LIVE PHAT LIKE SNOOP OR DRE
So what's the deal behind the deal? Try reading through a 25 page recording agreement. From the setting of the term and options, to the calculated royalty rate. record labels generally get away with robbery. What does it take to get paid? Not an advance, that's for sure. Take the tale of 2Stupid, a successful hip hop duo. They hire a manager and an elite attorney to negotiate and secure a record deal. (Hint: If you think you don't need an attorney you're wrong. If you think you can get close to staying in major label negotiations without a manager or attorney, you're even more wrong. Due to the precedence set by countless lawsuits, it is essential to have these players when approaching a major label.) So 2Stupid does just that and within six months the deal is set. This is what 2Stupid gets: $500,000 in advance money and $350.000 to cover recording costs. Of the $350,000 for recording, $100,000 is to secure the production skill of three phenomenal rap producers for this first project. But wait, the drama gets worse! 2Stupid wants to "keep it real" and refuses to record clean radio edits. The label acknowledges this refusal by eliminating funds for indie promotions, marketing and publicity. The label's argument is this: Profanity and excessive lyrical bloodshed mean no airplay so why waste money on independent promotions? In other words, all promoting must be done by in-house staff (BIG MISTAKE!) So let's assess the bill. $850,000. 2Stupid doesn't mind because five hundred g's means Jeeps and Karl Kani... or does it? If you know music industry practices, you know it's not that simple.
To be frank, most artists don't own any of the clothes, cars or houses that appear in their videos. If you are Snoop or Dre, of course you do, but the majority of hip hoppers on TV are just giving us what we want to see--the glamour of hip hop. I'm always cautious when an MC states: "I wanna get signed to a phat major label." Although I can't blame the MC, this statement has been the root of evil over and over again, from the downfall of MC Hammer to the not-so successful debut of The Fugees. Major labels have always been puppeteers on the stage at musical stardom--snipping the strings of vibrant rap acts only to introduce new trendier puppets. At one time everyone wanted a major label deal. However it takes more than a record deal to make money in the rap game--especially the rap game. The popularity of sampling and the non-popularity of hip hop concerts has dramatically decreased the amount of income rappers earn. A $500,000 advance may seem like a lot to your 2-man rap group, but by the time your album drops, you'll be down to nothing and unless you sell mad records or write original material (music included), you can expect nothing more.
MYTH #1
MAJOR LABELS DON’T NEED RAP ARTISTS. (I DON’T THINK SO…)
First, let's dispel this myth. Most major labels do not care about MC NoName. I've worked underneath major label radio promotion guys who couldn't tell you a thing about the urban releases they were supposed to be promoting. This might not be common practice in all major labels, but when most of the music business rotates toward alternative, pop, and country you have to realize which genres come up short. Frequently rap is one of the ignored genres. If you need proof, check out Billboard. Of the 20 albums certified multi-platinum in September 1996, only 4 were rap albums. Why is this, you wonder? Here's why: The big money labels are colossal because of artists who consistently sell albums. Pop, country and rock represent genres that will always be embraced during their entire lifetime simply because millions of albums means millions of dollars. 99% of the industry's rap artists are not this fortunate. Violence and the nonexistent East vs. West war have scarred the rap business. No one at the higher levels wants to deal with it--ask anyone on the top floor at Warner Bros. If you are a rhymer who is cutting edge, you may try finding an indie label or releasing your own material before approaching a major label. Beware though. Although indies may be responsible for the survival of rap, acquisitions and buy outs by the majors are resulting in "neo major" labels. Anyone can list a number of big money labels but only a handful of multi-platinum rap acts exists. That ought to tell you something. If you've got a pulse and half a brain, you know that most labels can weasel the rhyme out at any artist--rap or otherwise.
MYTH #2
AN ADVANCE MEANS YOU LIVE PHAT LIKE SNOOP OR DRE
So what's the deal behind the deal? Try reading through a 25 page recording agreement. From the setting of the term and options, to the calculated royalty rate. record labels generally get away with robbery. What does it take to get paid? Not an advance, that's for sure. Take the tale of 2Stupid, a successful hip hop duo. They hire a manager and an elite attorney to negotiate and secure a record deal. (Hint: If you think you don't need an attorney you're wrong. If you think you can get close to staying in major label negotiations without a manager or attorney, you're even more wrong. Due to the precedence set by countless lawsuits, it is essential to have these players when approaching a major label.) So 2Stupid does just that and within six months the deal is set. This is what 2Stupid gets: $500,000 in advance money and $350.000 to cover recording costs. Of the $350,000 for recording, $100,000 is to secure the production skill of three phenomenal rap producers for this first project. But wait, the drama gets worse! 2Stupid wants to "keep it real" and refuses to record clean radio edits. The label acknowledges this refusal by eliminating funds for indie promotions, marketing and publicity. The label's argument is this: Profanity and excessive lyrical bloodshed mean no airplay so why waste money on independent promotions? In other words, all promoting must be done by in-house staff (BIG MISTAKE!) So let's assess the bill. $850,000. 2Stupid doesn't mind because five hundred g's means Jeeps and Karl Kani... or does it? If you know music industry practices, you know it's not that simple.
