ARTISTS.. How much do you usually spend on an album?
- Thread starter D'struction
- Start date
I dont see why more northwest artists dont do this. the quality doesnt have to be spactacular just listenable. Ur marketing to people who enjoy low quality mp3s most home studios can put out good enough quality to shop locally and it would save a lot of money in the end. Im not sayin put together a $1000 home rig and call it a day but if u spend that same $5k on some home gear and set ur house up correctly u will make the money back. Atleast thats what I believe
im freakin out that people really take 3 years to do an album thats a trip to me. Thats almost enough time to be forgotten by the people in the area. I wish I could find some mixtape warriors, toss em some free beats and just knock out project after project Id enjoy that but its hard to find people like that.
First of all, who said we are owed anything???
second...TI is tight, Wayne is cool, but Jeezy is fuckin garbage. elementary ass rhymes/, can you tell me the time/ Yo, I must be a mime/ And I really like to grind/
I cant stand that shit.
and if you think Unexpected Arrival has no feeling in his music, you must be on something.
other than that, we just need to come with some bangin ass beats and sick wit it flows/ and I think we'll be okay, as far as the music goes/
LOL yeah. hollaa
second...TI is tight, Wayne is cool, but Jeezy is fuckin garbage. elementary ass rhymes/, can you tell me the time/ Yo, I must be a mime/ And I really like to grind/
I cant stand that shit.
and if you think Unexpected Arrival has no feeling in his music, you must be on something.
other than that, we just need to come with some bangin ass beats and sick wit it flows/ and I think we'll be okay, as far as the music goes/
LOL yeah. hollaa
Yeah jeezy is super hella garbage, but his dam beats and production are godzilla elephant shit. I got Thug motivation and the beats are just top notch, and thats really real. Oh yeah and his little ayeeeee is super catchy too.
personally i think the PNW wont blow until the fans start taking pride in their local artists. I mean look at the bay, they are definately not the dopest MCs out, but dam they get so much love at home they dont need to go anywhere else.
personally i think the PNW wont blow until the fans start taking pride in their local artists. I mean look at the bay, they are definately not the dopest MCs out, but dam they get so much love at home they dont need to go anywhere else.
Very true. I try to explain this, and people don't get what I'm saying.
It's not like EVERY SINGLE ALBUM we ever did was going to be 100% in-house and basic-sounding.....BUT, the first one WAS. So the first thoughts out of the people are, "Yeah...kinda low quality, but I like it." THEN they hear the next one, and are like "Damn!!! They ain't fuckin around any more!"
If you start out spending $5,000 on an album, people are going to expect nothing less than that for the second. Start low, and you can do nothing but improve.
It's not like EVERY SINGLE ALBUM we ever did was going to be 100% in-house and basic-sounding.....BUT, the first one WAS. So the first thoughts out of the people are, "Yeah...kinda low quality, but I like it." THEN they hear the next one, and are like "Damn!!! They ain't fuckin around any more!"
If you start out spending $5,000 on an album, people are going to expect nothing less than that for the second. Start low, and you can do nothing but improve.
I would like to hear your position on this. Here is mine.
If you start out doing a purely underground/basement album, you will first of all gain the support of the most HARDCORE fans. These people will see that you aren't just some wanna-be group, pumping thousands of dollars into a project just so you can look cool and brag to your friends.
Young people LIKE that. Young people LIKE to see you suffer and struggle. Young people LIKE to hear crap-quality stuff, and then hear the "new shit". -- Older people though (25+)? Older people don't matter, thats the mentality.
This Underground Music shit isn't about, having a job and being responsible and taking care of your kids, and all this other grown-up shit. It's not about being a fake super-label and making a demo and sending it to record companies and all that wannabe shit either. It's about making songs in your spare time that people enjoy; if they enjoy them a lot, you sprinkle in some shows; and if you still have everything going.....THEN step it up a notch.
Rapping your heart out on album number 1, dumping every penny you have into the album....yeah....it's romantic and idealistic. But its fucking foolish.
If you start out doing a purely underground/basement album, you will first of all gain the support of the most HARDCORE fans. These people will see that you aren't just some wanna-be group, pumping thousands of dollars into a project just so you can look cool and brag to your friends.
Young people LIKE that. Young people LIKE to see you suffer and struggle. Young people LIKE to hear crap-quality stuff, and then hear the "new shit". -- Older people though (25+)? Older people don't matter, thats the mentality.
This Underground Music shit isn't about, having a job and being responsible and taking care of your kids, and all this other grown-up shit. It's not about being a fake super-label and making a demo and sending it to record companies and all that wannabe shit either. It's about making songs in your spare time that people enjoy; if they enjoy them a lot, you sprinkle in some shows; and if you still have everything going.....THEN step it up a notch.
Rapping your heart out on album number 1, dumping every penny you have into the album....yeah....it's romantic and idealistic. But its fucking foolish.
well not even so much that u should build up but I feel that at the point where the northwest is on the map i feel that more music should be put out more music rather than less quality music in all honesty. Id like to see more mixtape type albums in the northwest. Someone who can pump out a new album every month or so just so they dont get forgotten. not saying rush or put out bad music but taking years on an album and expectin to be remembered is obsurd to me. how does anyone build a fanbase that way? the window of oppurtunity is small and if u use a studio that u personally own u can get a lot more out and a lot more done plus save a lot more money which will enable u to put out more material. Is quality important? Yes. Is quality more important than remembered? NO! Even the worse audio gear put out by todays standards are still equal to or better than what was mainstream 10 years ago and people still find that quality to be acceptable. Well maybe thats a stretch but my point still stands home studios are a great tool for any artist trying to gain recognition
It's obviously...to each his own.You like it one way,I like it the other.You say that young people want to hear garbage quality,because it's a sign of suffer and struggle.But a high percentage of these shitty sounding cd's have some kat with a bunch of jewelry on,and some brand new gear?Then we can move on to lyrical content in which they tell the listener that they are the ultimate hustler,and are gettin weight off that the average kat is'nt.If your gonna have the nerve to put a sticker price on a product,I think it's only fair for the consumer to expect a quality product inside.If you want to do a little music,and maybe not put alot of professional touch (aka money)on the product,and are only doin it out of pure love,then give that shit away,or sell it for 2 or 3 dollars.I've seen legit packaging,and artwork,and booom..garbage
audio.Alot of these kids have no clue where to even go to git mixed and mastered,so what kinda connects do they even have?
"If you start out doing a purely underground/basement album, you will first of all gain the support of the most HARDCORE fans. These people will see that you aren't just some wanna-be group, pumping thousands of dollars into a project just so you can look cool and brag to your friends."
I'm not lookin for cd's with those kind of people..."lookin cool,brag to your friends."If it looks like a rat,it's probably a rat.
Your age comment/stereotype makes no sense to me whatsoever,and my 2 roomates (21&22) can vouch for that.
Bottom line,sell your product for what it's worth,and I don't mean sentimental worth.
audio.Alot of these kids have no clue where to even go to git mixed and mastered,so what kinda connects do they even have?
"If you start out doing a purely underground/basement album, you will first of all gain the support of the most HARDCORE fans. These people will see that you aren't just some wanna-be group, pumping thousands of dollars into a project just so you can look cool and brag to your friends."
I'm not lookin for cd's with those kind of people..."lookin cool,brag to your friends."If it looks like a rat,it's probably a rat.
Your age comment/stereotype makes no sense to me whatsoever,and my 2 roomates (21&22) can vouch for that.
Bottom line,sell your product for what it's worth,and I don't mean sentimental worth.
I don't know what they can vouch for, but I speak for the Suburbs and Rural areas. I speak for the Non-Urban dwellers. I speak for the key market that absolutely MUST be broken for an artist to thrive. I speak for the White people who have few/no black friends, but still love listening to a good hip-hop song or album, underground or otherwise, but simply do not know where to look or where to start.
The bottom line is that artists keep doing the same shit, taking advice from the same industry books, spending money on all the same shit (thousands on "marketing" and flyers and stupid shit), and yet......they keep expecting different results, as if if they pound it into our heads enough times that they are right and we are haters, we'll finally submit and start buying every new album that comes out. Doesn't work that way.
You come into contact with a lot of fakers that wear jewelry and such, then put out crappy material......I come into contact with a lot of Hip-Hop Heads that simply cannot afford "quality" studio time, but put a lot of work into their music and mostly keep it real.
You're inside looking out, and I'm outside looking in. You are from the area where most of the music comes from, so you cannot be ignored. But being in the sparsely populated area we are.....I think my voice (and/or voices like mine) ought to be paid more attention than it is (they are).
The bottom line is that artists keep doing the same shit, taking advice from the same industry books, spending money on all the same shit (thousands on "marketing" and flyers and stupid shit), and yet......they keep expecting different results, as if if they pound it into our heads enough times that they are right and we are haters, we'll finally submit and start buying every new album that comes out. Doesn't work that way.
You come into contact with a lot of fakers that wear jewelry and such, then put out crappy material......I come into contact with a lot of Hip-Hop Heads that simply cannot afford "quality" studio time, but put a lot of work into their music and mostly keep it real.
You're inside looking out, and I'm outside looking in. You are from the area where most of the music comes from, so you cannot be ignored. But being in the sparsely populated area we are.....I think my voice (and/or voices like mine) ought to be paid more attention than it is (they are).
One of them's from Suburban Auburn,the other was born in the Projects(high point),but was raised in Federal Way.(both are white,and basically what you describe).I think maybe there is a slight misunderstanding,and that you think I grew up in a area with very few (mid-class)white folks,which is'nt true.I know kats from all walks of life pimp.
It's really not something we can debate,everyone has different tastes.
It's really not something we can debate,everyone has different tastes.
If you put out a project in your home studio, you'll get those 'hardcore' fans... which are mostly other cats trying to put shit out in their home studio. It works in that limited market. However, 'hardcore' fans aren't that vast and in the end, you need a consumer friendly sound if you want to break through.
Now, if you put the money into your project and get the thing done right, when the 'hardcore' fans hear it, they will either like it or they won't. It doesn't matter. You'll make your own hardcore fans out of the groupie girls that watch you perform... the performances you get when SERIOUS cats who pay SERIOUS money put on shows and hear you have a SERIOUS sound. Not some basement recording over some beats that will likely distort the venue's audio system.
You can put out your 'home studio' sound and dick around with it forever. Pushing the 'street' albums that most people don't give more than one listen to... or you can HUSTLE your ass off and put out a project that is worth pushing for 8-16 months, in the streets. The type of album that IMPRESSES the A&R's when they hear it.
I've seen a shitload of both, in my little time in the northwest Hip-Hop scene. I guess there's just certain levels that people are at, and you have to make those little ass moves, before you can make the big ones.
A home studio setup bonus is that the production flaws will sometimes hide the vocal flaws... it's like one big mess and it's harder for the average person to single in on a flaw.
Now, if you put the money into your project and get the thing done right, when the 'hardcore' fans hear it, they will either like it or they won't. It doesn't matter. You'll make your own hardcore fans out of the groupie girls that watch you perform... the performances you get when SERIOUS cats who pay SERIOUS money put on shows and hear you have a SERIOUS sound. Not some basement recording over some beats that will likely distort the venue's audio system.
You can put out your 'home studio' sound and dick around with it forever. Pushing the 'street' albums that most people don't give more than one listen to... or you can HUSTLE your ass off and put out a project that is worth pushing for 8-16 months, in the streets. The type of album that IMPRESSES the A&R's when they hear it.
I've seen a shitload of both, in my little time in the northwest Hip-Hop scene. I guess there's just certain levels that people are at, and you have to make those little ass moves, before you can make the big ones.
A home studio setup bonus is that the production flaws will sometimes hide the vocal flaws... it's like one big mess and it's harder for the average person to single in on a flaw.
95% of the White folks I know are Lower-Middle class. Many owned their own houses, but most were worth less than $200,000 or so. In any other city, these would be considered "poor" people, but in Aberdeen these are the Middle-Class folks.
The thing to debate here, is if you should spend thousands on the production and promotion of an album, renting out OTHER PEOPLES' STUDIOS......or if you should save the money for things that are more for you and yours, like video cameras, studio equipment and so on.
Basically...are you making music to impress industry heads, artists, managers, store-owners and promoters FIRST.....or are you making music to impress the CONSUMERS first.....or are you trying to wait around for years at a time, and do everything all at once?
I will always believe that it's more important to own your own business, and not have to rely on outside rappers, producers, studios, promoters and everything else; and to be right there in the peoples' face, charging them a fair price for a good product. Even if they can't afford or don't want to buy an album, you should always have the CD-R Special ready to go for a Buck or for free............
The thing to debate here, is if you should spend thousands on the production and promotion of an album, renting out OTHER PEOPLES' STUDIOS......or if you should save the money for things that are more for you and yours, like video cameras, studio equipment and so on.
Basically...are you making music to impress industry heads, artists, managers, store-owners and promoters FIRST.....or are you making music to impress the CONSUMERS first.....or are you trying to wait around for years at a time, and do everything all at once?
I will always believe that it's more important to own your own business, and not have to rely on outside rappers, producers, studios, promoters and everything else; and to be right there in the peoples' face, charging them a fair price for a good product. Even if they can't afford or don't want to buy an album, you should always have the CD-R Special ready to go for a Buck or for free............