What's Happening to the Music Industry?

 What has this music industry come to today? I mean it is so hard for up-and-coming artists to get a deal today, especially if they don’t have a budget or a lot of YouTube views. The industry was never like this back in the day; it now seems that you have to pay your way into the business. If that’s the case every artist should go the independent route, that way they will have total control over their career. But what ever happened to being discovered? Whether you have a lot of views and comments on your YouTube video, or even have a video; if you have talent then you should be given some type of chance; especially being how lazy the industry and its labels and A&R’s have became by just looking for the next big thing on the internet.

  I’ve said this before and I will say it again, if a record label like Def Jam Recording discovered an artist or group today, and put it out there that they’ve signed this artist or group, people are going to search the artist’s or group’s name to see what this artist or group is all about and how good their music is. Sometimes it’s all about the backing in this business, then comes the show and improve part of it. But no, that’s how it goes today, promoters want you to pay to be in their showcases, A&R’s want you to pay them to take you in front of music execs, just for that music exec to tell you that your fan base is not big enough or your YouTube videos don’t have enough views and comments; basically things that you already knew, but now you’ve paid someone a couple hundred dollars to tell you the same thing. Funny huh? Well not to the individual(s) who paid someone to tell them things that they already knew.

 As I said before, the music business was never the way it is today. The legends were not discovered by YouTube views or did they have to pay to be heard or perform in front of people in the industry. They went where these execs hung out and performed in front of them or even went directly to the label’s office and did what they had to do to be heard. That’s why soon the independent labels will make the major record labels look extinct, because since the majors want these artists or groups to have a budget before they even talk to them, these artists or groups will take their budget and do their own thing, as they should anyway.

Is Being Yourself, The Key To Success?

Do you think being yourself is the key to success in the music industry? My answer is “yes”. We all have seen artists or groups not succeed in this industry, and if you really think about it, it’s because they tried to be someone else other than themselves; I mean it’s hard enough writing and making music that people like or can relate too. My reason for speaking on this topic, is because this year at the Grammys, rap duo Mackelmore & Ryan Lewis won four gongs, where three of them were for rap categories which were: best rap album, best rap performance, and best rap song; winning against a few heavy hitters in the hip hop league. Believe or not a lot of individuals in and out of the hip-hop industry were upset that this rap duo won. Why? Because some of the music they make, as well as the ones they won awards for you may say is not rap or hip-hop? Well me personally, I believe that they are very creative and are in their own lane.

 Then some people think that Mackelmore & Ryan Lewis is gay, because of the subjects they elaborate on in their music; especially the one he performed at the Grammys about when he thought he was gay, which was, “Same Love”. Why, because they choose to make music about gays, and support their rights as Americans? Well guess what? This is what is happening today in our current events whether you like it or not; and I think it’s brave and different that a hip-hop group would speak on the topics that they speak on in their music and lyrics. I mean give Mackelmore & Ryan Lewis the respect they deserve; for not being afraid to talk about certain things that other artists or groups won’t speak on, because they’re afraid of messing up their image. Bottom-line, some folks just need to realize that there’s no certain way, nor is there specific topics is only converted into hip hop?