LATIN RAPPERS IN THE GAME (BAY & BEYOND) - QUESTION FOR YOU.

[THE D.U.G.O.U.T]

It's been on my mind alot lately...bein I been talkin to alot more industry heads now and I been told by plenty of them to attack my market alot more aggressively. I get alot of phone calls daily and weekly with questions bout my goals as to this music and what I want out of this business and what kinda deal (if any deal) am I looking for. *sparks from a call just received*

How do yall feel bout the term "LATIN RAPPER" or "GOING PLATINUM AS A LATIN RAPPER"? - follow me.....as a latin rapper going platinum is 200k...I mean 200k which alot of southern (texas etc.) artists I fuck with RIGHT NOW do...without a DEAL. This is based on the latin market tho...(this platinum status). I mean if you sign to a major "LATIN" label (Univision etc.) and sell 200k, you get on BILLBOARD and are some HUGE star. I have heard half these so-called "PLATINUM LATIN RAPPERS" and am damn near in awe that they are considered stars becuase their music is SUB-PAR....but "NOT FOR THE LATIN MARKET".

This bugs the shit outa me...cause I feel like it's a total COP OUT. I mean it's beautifull that we support our own and have this other market...but that's like saying we just CAN'T COMPETE on a regular scale...."AND" if we supported ourselve's SO MUCH....why the fuck is 200k Platinum in the LATIN MARKET? We populate the majority of this country...and all we can muster up in the LATIN MARKET is 200k? I don't agree with it and I won't be happy with that at all. I wanna go up against all you mofuckas and go platinum you feel me? Like PUN (R.I.P.) did.

I talk to cats in negotiations with these types of labels and they are flipping their wiggs EXCITED. I guess I just want or expect more? I mean shit...yall tell me.....cause I ain't with it at all...I'd rather do 200k all day like JT the Bigga Figga and they can have the fame.

SPEAK ON IT -

playa rae

 

[Foul Mouth]

i think any ethnicity or nationality used with your title like "latin" rapper is hella gay.i think its gay when i see posts on here sayin whos the best latin rapper in the bay.thats just holdin you down.puttin you in a catergory.i think Shadow from East Co Co. is one of the best rappers.PERIOD.for me as a mexican to say hes one of the best latin rappers is like saying he's hella good,ranked high,but only against other latins.i think the term is mostly used to tap into the latin market.alot of mothafuckas will only support chicano or latin shit.so its coo for that,i guess.i still dont condone it.on B.A.R.T. its gay.........

 

[mexbig]

Well if you don't want to fall into that category.... just don't consider yourself a latin rapper... just be a rapper and lets leave that latin out. I would say that theres a big market for latinos right now, but that market is being saturated by artist who started out as Rappers and became lation Rappers . For example AKWID a L.A. rap duo that went years and years rappin in spanish and all of a sudden a big mainstream hispanic record label markets them and changes their style and they go platinum and sell in numbers that they had never sold before. So i guess if you want to stay away from all this you have to just stick to marketing to rap fans not just latinos.

 

[Guest-02]

200K INDEPENDENT AND YOUR EATING..........

WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO IS THAT RACE BARRIER IS STILL EXISTING EVEN THOUGH ITS NOT AS BIG OF AN ISSUE AS IT WAS IN THE PAST.... IMO..... IGNORANCE IS ANOTHER REASON........ I CONSIDER MYSELF A "LATIN GANGSTA RAPPER".... FOR OBVIOUS REASONS.... SOME CATS I COULD NEVER FUCK WITH...... SOME MAY CALL THAT IGNORANCE BUT I WOULD NEVER SELL OUT MY PEOPLE LIKE THAT.... I LISTEN TO EVERYTHING AND KNOW IM MORE INTO THE MESSY MARV'S, MAC DRE, ETC.... BUT OUT SIDE THE BAY PEOPLE DONT GET DOWN LIKE US...... MY NEXT PROJECT IS AIMED TOWARDS THE LATINO COMMUNITIES........ ITS IN MY BEST INTEREST...... NOT THAT ANY OTHER RACE CANT FEEL IT BUT THATS THE MAJORITY OF WHO SUPPORTS US..... I KNOW THAT IM NOT THE MOST TALENTED RAPPER BUT KNOW THAT OVERALL SOUND AND APPEAL CAN TAKE YOU TO THE NEXT LEVEL..... I MEAN SOUND QUALITY AND MUSIC FOR EVERYONE....... .... I KNOW THAT MY LABEL HAS SOME BIG THINGS ON THE HORIZON DESPITE WHAT MANY ON THIS WEBSITE THINK....... WHEN U GET A CHANCE PLAYA RAE PM ME AN ADDY SO I CAN SHOOT U A PACKAGE........ MORE POWER TO YOU FOR NOT HAVING THE LIMITATIONS I MAY HAVE BECAUSE OF MY AFFILIATION.... IM NOT BLIND TO THAT OR IGNORANT ABOUT IT LIKE SOME...... I RESPECT EVERYONES GAME REGARDLESS BUT GOT TO STAY REAL TO WHO I AM...... US LATINOS HAVE DIFFERENT STRUGGLES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES AND THAT MAY BE A BIG REASON.......

 

[Lawz 2760]

I think foul mouth hit a home run...but you gotta do whats in the best interest for you

 

[Guest-02]

I AGREE WITH FOUL MOUTH AS WELL........

BUT ITS THE INDUSTRY THAT CATORGIZES IT........ AN EXAMPLE...... I WAS AT AN FYE AND IT HAD A SECTION FOR "LATIN RAP"........ UNTIL THAT BARRIER ITS GONNA STAY LIKE THAT..... ONCE AGAIN IMO........

 

[THE D.U.G.O.U.T]

I like all the responses...good feedback. Akwid is a good group and I remember before they were signed folks saying they were going to be big. A few people that frequented my forums knew them personally and said they we're on the verge of something big. I think (matter of fact I know) their target is pure latino/spanish rap & I respect that 100%. I guess my issue is the simple fact that latins (chicano's etc. - pick your preference) are damn near becoming the majority now....and to lower the standards of being a platinum selling artist by 800,000 sales is rediculous to me. I had this discussion with my manager over the phone last night and he said it was a stepping stone. Stepping stone too what? That when we finally have a latin act who sells 1 Million for real then we can say okay...now platinum status is 1 Million? 200k should be just that...200k....win all the awards you want at the Billboards but just know that 200k isn't what the REAL industry calls platinum...at least the way I see it. I think some may differ with my thoughts but that's cool....it's here for discussion...so let's discuss further.

I respect everyone's oppinions (love or hate) you can't choose in this game.

Plot, thanks for the good words and I understand where your coming from...trust me. I know alot of artists have their boundaries by choice and stick to them 100%. That gets nothing but respect from me. It's also hard for an artist like me who doesn't have these boundaries as well...because it's almost like your trying to convince all sides that your here to make strides for the majority, not just one side. Trust me I get it and have gotten it from So.Cal....for the simple fact that I'm from the Bay...I've heard it all "Mayate Rapper"...shit I took the "N***A" out of my flows 2.5 years ago to break this boundary and I still get it. That's something I wrestle with all the time I'm on the road, cause cats have this outlook...that all of Nor Cal is affiliated. Then when you come home from being on the road...you hear things like "scrap lover"...(which is strange to me when it gets thrown my way)...very rare, but it has been said. Why? I'm guessing because I have been to Los Angeles numerous times to network with other artists/companies...not "affiliated" companies & artists..but from So.Cal. What's fucked up is that it comes from HOME...the BAY. It should be love but it ain't all love all the time and that's frustrating...when all else fails, you should always have HOME...but it isn't like that...especially in rap. Shit, when I was in San Diego for the LRC...the only Bay artists besides Don Cisco there we're cats who we're there with me...that's it. There was no trippin there either.

I dig what you (Higher Records) and Lil Coner (Connected Inc.) are doing. I think yall have some of the strongest business savvy when it comes to the game that I have seen. I was passed a pamphlet you did for your catalog and I gotta admit, it was smart and really professional...something that folks see and HAVE TO take you serious. Coner, he came up to me and introduced himself and showed love...I appreciated that and I showed it right back to him...he even has a slot on my dvd coming out. I see his hustle...he's a grinder, works hard and is always looking for new ways to make money and keep it flippin like the dope game. I see it in what yall do and you get nothing but respect here from me...I even told Coner if he needed me for something..I got him. Yall keep doin ya thang, I know we all don't have the same goals...but we do have one goal in common....and that is to get money.

Here's that address:

P.O. BOX 33782
NORTHGLENN, CO. 80233

Keep the convo comin....

- playa rae

 

[Remaq]

I think mayne if you tight you tight race should not be an issue like folx on here is saying.. This is the Bay which is very diverse in ethinicity. We should just all come together and do what we good at.... MAKING SICK ASS MUSIC.......Let's not let race seperate us.. Race is just a way to keep us seperated. We all people..that's the real deal.. MUSIC IS LIFE......Let's keep putting out them SLAPELLEZ...as a team...

Hey Rae get at me pimp....

Fo shozzy

Remy

 

[mouthpiece]

I feel you 100% on this. 200k isn't platinum and calling it platinum to me is just saying we as LATIN RAPPERS or whatever way they want to catagorize us as can't be compared to the rest of the game. I understand you gotta know your market but I personally don't make music for any one race that to me is limiting yourself and why would I do that?

 

[Daddy Rich]

this is some great convo and i can relate to some of the things being said me and playa rae have have had convos on aim about the game a while back and us being latins from nor cal and wut market we fit into and for me i guess for so long i had the atitude that i am a rapper that happens to be latin always stayed true to my race but didnt really rep it on record partly for the reason that i didnt want to be catagorized as a 1 dementional sound it has done good for me over the years in being that for the most part i get looked at as an artist that gets respect from LA and Bay artist and i think i got more attention from the music more then my race for the most part but also i have been gettin alot of work for all latin type projects from numerous places and im always more then happy to do those and it feels good that ur race is stickin by you cuz i aint gonna lie i felt like the latins just werent checkin for this latin at times and i also see where plot is comin from i know him and have watched him really step his game up in all aspects same with coner they get respect from me all day i can see where they are tryin to get a lil more rounded fan base that they might not get cuz they do more homeboy rap and artists like rae myself and others that dont really do the homeboy thing try to get there fans to acept our hustle at the end of the day we all out here tryna get the same thing if we all come together it could be alot easier i have apperaed on alot of the homies stuff and i will continue to support all the nor cal latin artists to the fullest and not segregate or catagorize same goes for all artists cuz they show me alot of luv artists of all races great thread rae pz

 

[THE D.U.G.O.U.T]

^mane....good choppin. keep it comin.....stay positive

 

[Foul Mouth]

like Plotone said its the industry that catergorizes it.thats some for really shit right there.so with that,dont let an executives table fulla multi million dollar white men catergorize "you".but,if you use the title for yourself business wise to get those peoples attention who only support latin artists,then thats coo.but take it upon yourself to use it..........


i just dont agree with people sayin "hes a good latin rapper"........why cant he just be a good rapper?


same with white rappers.Woodie and Young Dru and Okwerdz aint good white rappers,there good rappers (imo)............