Real quick: what is the greatest selling rap album of all times?
We’ll get to the answer and why in a few minutes, but first…
What we are told from the outside looking in and what insiders know about album sales and who/what drives, them are two very different things. Let’s start by exploring some of the biggest misunderstandings in urban music:
AND finally, our last installment of the Ras Benzo introduction to GothamJungle. Artists/Entertainers, let’s make sure your not in this category.
5. Lying about your “internet sales”
There is no faster way to destroy your credibility than to inflate your album sales. If an album is good, then people will buy it, share it and spread it around like a dollop of mayonnaise on a tuna fish sandwich. Even without extreme sales success, artists can solidify their cultural relevance by releasing products that move the crowd. Early hip hop artists had minimal record sales even amidst the fiery buzz that surrounded the blossoming culture. Understand that this IS a business, and the better your sales, the more successful you will be and the more money you will have – point taken. However, artists like Slick Rick, Nelly, Rakim, L L Cool J, and others have suffered from poor sales, but the personal dignity of not lying about the units they move is what keeps them afloat.
We bring you #4 on Ras Benzo’s list of what you should not be doing in 2012.
4. Starting a beef with people WAY more famous than you
There was a time in urban music when the playing field was a lot more even; a time when labels, artists and their fans worked together to make a way for the genre. It used to be that if you wanted to get some attention and make a name, you could pick a target and start some beef! Remember when Lolita Gooden made a name for herself when she dissed those four dudes who cancelled their appearance at a show? No. you don’t. But you do remember Roxanne Shante! It was the start of her career and the moment that rappers realized they could make a name for themselves by taking shots at people more famous than them.
We continue Ras Benzo and his top 5 list of what you shouldn’t be doing as an artist in 2010.
3. Beefing with your label in public
Even Nas, in his bitter relationship with Def Jam understands that beefing with your record label is so 15 years ago. The artist is responsible in this era of being mindful in negotiating a deal that supports his aspirations and potential. We all know that labels can be shady, unsupportive and down-right nasty, but they can also be the back bone of what holds you together. Rappers beefing with labels is like over-paid athletes complaining about their jobs/teams/salaries. There are so many people who would quickly take their place, who are lined up for the opportunity to be used and “abused” by the system. Being an artist is not a special talent. Working as a professional musician is a job – just like working in a factory. It might seem glorious, but those moments are the grand total years of hard work by tons of OTHER people. When the person with the least amount of sweat equity invested, often the newest person on the team (the artist) has the audacity to start a public beef with a system that has been working just fine for so long without them, The system does just that – it goes on to working just fine without them.
Ras Benzo continues his debut blogging contribution to GothamJungle
2. Using daytime television as a promotional vehicle
With everyone is such rush to use media outlets as their own personal promotional vehicle, it is not surprise that some people will take things too far by taking their personal life public in an insincere and unnecessary way. Here’s the problem: once you make your privacy public, then every area of your life become public domain and once the skeletons come out of the closet, you will always be remembered as the clown who got played by Judge Judy. Don’t believe me? Just ask The Lox and D-Block associate, Bully.
The music industry is a strange place driven by its own rules. It is often the place where popular groups are lauded for stealing material from lesser known acts. It is a place where notorious underground artists can write cheesy hits for artists it would seem they despise especially when their ghost-written efforts are way more successful than their own. Often, from the outside fans and aspiring artists get caught up in the hype and lose their way. They forget that there are lawyers, technicians, agents, vocal coaches, designers, managers, engineers and plenty of money involved in taking advantage of the casual listener’s naivety. A lot is invested in maintaining the illusion that is “professional image,” and they are not about to let some hood-rat rookie bring down the industry with their bad manners and lack of tact. As anxious as players can be to get in the game, there are certain things that will get you shutdown, locked-out and possibly killed. Here’s our top 5:
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