My THOUGHTS: The Rebirth...

[MrSniccrs]

Are we really ready for the rebirth? Are we ready to unleash this NEW Northwess to the nation!? Are we ready to accept the scrutiny for why we been in the bushes so long? Are we ready for the amount of traffic its gonna be thru our region? Are we ready for REGULAR rotation? Are we ready for the bigger magazines, SMACK DVDs, NW ALLSTARS, the Northwess' own BIG BANG?

Just some shit I was thinkin about. I notice that we talk of linkin up and workin together. We say how nice each other's music is. We're hearing it here. Well, I was wondering are we ready to have Funkdaddy or Sam be the NW Clue or Slay? Well, Im urging mufuckas that spit to overload the dudes. Hit each other up. I got concepts. I've reached out. But my effort is only going as far as lack of NAME RECOGNITION is gettin me. Progress IS being made, but where are we heading as a whole?

Are we gonna be ABLE to come together? Can we make one of them "We Are the World" Northwess collabs? Can we dig in the crates and exploit ourselves? By that, I mean, can we take the songs that mufuckas outside our region know as CLASSICAL Northwess and remake it all...whether official joints with permissions, or just fuckin pre-styles to the looped beats.


Are we ready to show our asses?

Fa EVERGREEN!!

 

[thephantomblue0]

Even if everyone collaborated it wouldn't matter. What the NW needs is a certified mainstream hit to get some eyes on us. So I say just make the best music you can and our possibilities should rise.

 

[Mr. Samos]

Coming together is something completely out there right now.

Personally I wouldn't want to come together and do something that wasn't ME just to "come together" or "unite" with some other mother fuckers who have their own sound and feel the same way.

Because the NW is extremely versatile. I'd rather take a shot doing my own sound than try to follow something else or fabricate some fake ass "togetherness" just to come up. And don't get it twisted we CAN come up together as a region but do you first and I'll do me.

Besides, big time record labels ain't even have an eye on the Northwest, it's more about where your from right now than what your music sounds like. Ask anyone who knows anything about the business and they will tell you the same thing. It's stupid as fuck but it's true. Chicago is hot right now, New York is getting hot again right now, they bringing the lyrics back, and Down South been hot for a minute.

As soon as some artists start making noise over here, then maybe some labels will come put the microscope down but until then your dreaming.

Just focus on your music and focus on your abilities as an emcee and an artist.

 

[MrSniccrs]

^^Get at me on Myspace when you get a chance.

 

[Dirty Shoez]

Our 3 hopes are to build up a solid base here, create that one artist who can push 30-50K, and go from there........or sit back and wait for a miraculous hit-single to come out of nowhere.....or wait for a miracle Major Label deal for an artist who has Soundscanned some 5K or less of his latest ALBUM, when there's underground artists in other regions selling 20K and 30K...of MIXTAPES.

Mixtapes, DVDs and a Website. These are the 3 keys, and I will not be changing my mind on that. The mixtapes need to feature New Songs and Freestyles (NO 'Mainstream' singles), and flood the region at a BELOW $5 PRICE...not $10 and more. The DVDs, much the same, but video-based and focused on attracting more people to come out to the shows. And the Website must have a store, song lyrics, business papers, and all the other `accessories' that the Fans, Artists and Record Labels would ask for.

 

[MrSniccrs]

Already on that Dirt. Damn, we lookin at a lot of this shit thru the same set of eyes, b. Real talk.

 

[Mr. Samos]

Our 3 hopes are to build up a solid base here, create that one artist who can push 30-50K, and go from there........or sit back and wait for a miraculous hit-single to come out of nowhere.....or wait for a miracle Major Label deal for an artist who has Soundscanned some 5K or less of his latest ALBUM, when there's underground artists in other regions selling 20K and 30K...of MIXTAPES.

Mixtapes, DVDs and a Website. These are the 3 keys, and I will not be changing my mind on that. The mixtapes need to feature New Songs and Freestyles (NO 'Mainstream' singles), and flood the region at a BELOW $5 PRICE...not $10 and more. The DVDs, much the same, but video-based and focused on attracting more people to come out to the shows. And the Website must have a store, song lyrics, business papers, and all the other `accessories' that the Fans, Artists and Record Labels would ask for.

Real talk. That's how NY been doing it for a minute. Straight up $2.50 Mixtapes. All you need is the right artist and a well known Dj to host it.

 

[Dirty Shoez]

If you can get the free tracks, and find someone to fund it that isn't going to be an asshole and talk all this "I need to feed my family" bullshit...with a few sponsors here and there, it wouldn't be shit to get the unit cost under $2 or even $1.50. And from there, the possibilities are endless.

Selling an underground album for $10 is steep--fuck what you heard. But selling an album and a mixtape for $10 is a much greater deal, and would only cost you a buck and some change extra.

 

[Shiro480]

I think as long as we keep doing some great shows with lots of local artists, get some tracks on the radio...people will come to the shows, buy the albums and mixtapes, then its a wave from there on, along with what you guys have been saying...Websites, etc...basic promotion. there is some serious potential here but we are building a mountain out of an ant hill intill we set up the foundations of promotion and marketing....(over pricing, communications)...

my 2 cents

 

[THIZZn253]

thats really real right there Dirt shoes. i was saying the samething. But im up and comming and ill rap for free burn some CDs and give them shits away ya dig. im all about getting that buzz

 

[Dirty Shoez]

And burning CDs is a great thing. But the one thing that is infinitely better than that is Replicated aka 'Real' CDs. The people will always respect those more than some "cheap" CD-R that "anybody" could have made themselves.

The thing is, prices are cheaper than ever, so it is very affordable. 1000 CDs, looking like the same thing you pick up at FYE or Sam Goody, can cost less than $1200. It's also really quick--ship everything off, and if everything is in order, you should get it all back in around 15 business days.

The main obstacle would be people sampling and beat-jacking and legally messing things up.....but if all that can be avoided, it would be no problem.

 

[THIZZn253]

yeah but if you just pump them CDs locally, as far as jackin for beats mixtape, i dont think an artists or producer would really trip if we gave them away or just made enough cheese to cover the expense as far as making the CDs. you think?

 

[DJ Coma]

And burning CDs is a great thing. But the one thing that is infinitely better than that is Replicated aka 'Real' CDs. The people will always respect those more than some "cheap" CD-R that "anybody" could have made themselves.

Cosign. If you artists out there are going to be selling cheap mixtapes make sure the product itself isn't cheap. Make everything look as professional as possible, or else nobody will take you serious. I sure as hell won't.

As I have said before, mixtapes are great, but right now the market is flooded with them so if you are going to have a mixtape you must make it stand out. If you are jackin beats for your mixtape, don't use the same beats everybody else is using. Also, try and include as many songs as possible that have original beats. If you can afford it or can find a DJ to do it for free, have them mix the tracks together. A little can go a long way.

Unification is definitely the main problem in the NW at the moment. But first for that to happen I think more artists need to be putting out more quality albums, and promoting them better. Sarkastik just had a new CD come out, only thing I ever saw about it was a thread on the Siccness. People aren't putting themselves out there enough.

If enough artists can create a STRONG buzz in the NW covering the Seattle and Portland areas at the least, then it's probably time to come together to make something happen. Look at the Hyphy movement, the Bay had hella rappers that had a mass appeal, but they never really gotout there till they came together and formed an idea and all ran with the same thing. I'm not saying the NW needs to go out there and make something crazy like Hyphy is. I'm not dissin hyphy I love it, it's just kinda out there ya dig? Enough rambling though my point is create a buzz on your own, and then come together to work towards a similiar style/sound. At this point in the music business, being a tight rapper won't take you nearly as far as it would in the 90's.

 

[THIZZn253]

more really real talk right there homie. My brother was tryiing to get into the singing biz, He lives in jersey right now. He met and delt with alot of people who make moves in the music biz. His career didnt make it, but he was telling about what he observed during his short stint in the NY music scene.
He told me that its about 90 percent being marketable and 10 percent talent. He was telling that while he was at meeting and parties with up and comming singers, they couuldnt sing but since the female act looked so good they were getting ahead of the ulgy chicks who could sing. Same for the males. My brother is attactive dude but my ninja cant sing for real..lol. and even he told me that but he was getting ahead of some cats, cause the dudes were ugly, square type dudes.
I told him about me trying my hand and hip hop and he told me that now days 90 percent of the people that BUY or PAY for Downloads dont even listen to your lyrics the first 5 or so times they hear a song. He told me a Hot ass beat, production, Hook, something that can get play in the club is what it is now.

thats just my brothers opinion. please dont take it for fact. but i think he was right on some points though.

 

[MrSniccrs]

thats whats up!

 

[thephantomblue0]

What your brother's saying is what I realized a long time ago.

 

[Mr. Samos]

If somebody tried to sell me a CDR I'd laugh in their face and tell them to take that shit to the trash bin.

Always press your shit professionally.

 

[Dirty Shoez]

^^ Exacto. The problem is IPR forms. You can't do that beat-jacking stuff and then print up "real" CDs, or you'll get your ass sued, or the company won't even press up your shit in the first place.

BUT...if the mixtapes were like 15-16 new tracks and new singles, mixed with 4-5 freestyles (over original beats).......there'd be no problem.

 

[MrSniccrs]

If its a mixtape for PROMOTIONAL USE you can do whatever the fuck you want with it. I just hadda run it with Soundclick because of my "Lean Wit It" freestyle. I dont fuck with them no more.

But presentation is half the battle son. Niccas like it neat...take a couple of losses. Dont go for profit the first couple of mixes. (Just sharing my plans...) High quality recordings and decent artwork. You aint gotta pay out the ass, but damn...make sure a mufucka dont mind lookin at it. (I wont say names...) But niccas caught me on the bus a couple of times (DUI shit) and they shootin me copies of shit where the insert is standard paper with the ink barely showing!

Come on...

10 Frees or so and then throw in 5 original joints. This draws in the listener cause its a beat they already know (maybe) and gives you the chance to showcase yourself. Then the EXCLUSIVES are the original product they should be expecting from your upcoming project...

 

[DJ Coma]

If its a mixtape for PROMOTIONAL USE you can do whatever the fuck you want with it.

That's not true. You MUST have permission from the owner to use a jacked beat no matter if you are selling it or not. A lot of people have the misconception that as long as you aren't selling it, or if you call it a mixtape and put for Promo Use Only on it that you aren't breaking the law when in reality you really are breaking it just for using that copyrighted material and can be sued. Is it likely you will get sued if you do though? No, not at all.