selling out / artist growth
- Thread starter MR.KEE
- Start date
Selling out to me is rapping about something you do not live/experience/promote just for the sake of trying to get a hit or get more fans/money.
If you're a gangsta ass rapper and you start making club songs and shit because you got a little money and are living that lifestyle too then you not selling out, but if you do it only because you think those type of songs are selling and you want to sell too then it is selling out.
To me it's all about intent and not what you actually rap about. It goes the other way too. If you a common/nas/lupe fiasco ass rapper and you start rapping about some gangsta shit because gangsta shit is hot then you selling out.
If you're a gangsta ass rapper and you start making club songs and shit because you got a little money and are living that lifestyle too then you not selling out, but if you do it only because you think those type of songs are selling and you want to sell too then it is selling out.
To me it's all about intent and not what you actually rap about. It goes the other way too. If you a common/nas/lupe fiasco ass rapper and you start rapping about some gangsta shit because gangsta shit is hot then you selling out.
"Selling out" is the compromising of (or the perception of compromising) integrity, morality, or principles in exchange for money or "success" (however defined). It is commonly associated with attempts to tailor material to a mainstream audience. Any artist who expands their creative path to encompass a wider audience, as opposed to continuing in the genre and venues of their initial success, may be disdainfully labeled by disapproving fans as a sellout. Sometimes a sellout is seen as a person that is disloyal to one's group that he or she belongs (usually ethnic group) in order to gain money or become "successful". Selling out is often seen as gaining success at the cost of credibility.
ty wikipedia
ty wikipedia
i dont care if you make songs for the radio as long as theyre good. as long as the quality of the music is good i dont give a shit if you lived what you rap about. your credibility in your "hood" means absolutely jack shit to me. like rick ross for instance, the dude is a complete fraud but he makes good music. thats the only thing that SHOULD matter.
i agree with shea
i agree with shea
Making radio friendly music is where the real money is at.
Having a fan base to live comfortable, or simply have a little extra spending money is comparing apples to oranges when it comes to staying underground or cross over to the mainstream. If you have the material for it & have a chance, take it. The mainstream and underground are the same in the sense that we as artist (if we make it) are loved for a limited time only, so might as well go for the jugular vein.
The radio / mainstream don't give a shit about you & at the end of it all neither does the underground. It's about family, not your loyalty to the streets / fan base. The moves we make are based on family and I will tell you this, my kids come before anything, so if the mainstream accepted me and wanted to take me in, you better believe I will milk that cash cow til it bleeds, and invest into something good to remain at that level when I drop out of sight from the music scene.
If the underground could make you rich and provide for your family by supporting, then I'd say different, but it's clear your not content on where your at right now in your career. That's why I say, go for it and only look back at the things worth looking back at. And disregard the rest!
Having a fan base to live comfortable, or simply have a little extra spending money is comparing apples to oranges when it comes to staying underground or cross over to the mainstream. If you have the material for it & have a chance, take it. The mainstream and underground are the same in the sense that we as artist (if we make it) are loved for a limited time only, so might as well go for the jugular vein.
The radio / mainstream don't give a shit about you & at the end of it all neither does the underground. It's about family, not your loyalty to the streets / fan base. The moves we make are based on family and I will tell you this, my kids come before anything, so if the mainstream accepted me and wanted to take me in, you better believe I will milk that cash cow til it bleeds, and invest into something good to remain at that level when I drop out of sight from the music scene.
If the underground could make you rich and provide for your family by supporting, then I'd say different, but it's clear your not content on where your at right now in your career. That's why I say, go for it and only look back at the things worth looking back at. And disregard the rest!
bottom line is the majors laugh at west coast there is no growth because our own radio wont play us we dont support each other so why would the majors push us ?
im not happy selling a few thousand records here or there that feeds you for a few months. only people ive seen on soundscan in the last few years from the coast E40 an DJ Quick. tired of being ghetto gold but dont ever get it twisted like i cant still spit with the best of ya dig lol
im not happy selling a few thousand records here or there that feeds you for a few months. only people ive seen on soundscan in the last few years from the coast E40 an DJ Quick. tired of being ghetto gold but dont ever get it twisted like i cant still spit with the best of ya dig lol
You've done everything you can locally. Focus on Texas because I know first hand what the radio support was like. Reach out to established producers. Don't just make a slap make a hit. Spend a little loot on a HQ video and shop it to MTV BET CMC...all music video outlets. You need visuals my niggs. Have the album of your career waiting when it hits. Like I said before you can be a factor if you had that budget. BTW I dont call much, answer the phone when I do lol 100