The Merchants of Cool

[BOImonster]

The Merchants of Tech

"The Merchants of Cool" was a PBS Frontline documentary produced a few years back. It explains, in great detail, how the MTV "machine" works, and how certain trends are engineered to bubble the way they do through a process called Diffusion Marketing. I think Tech and Strange Music are very aware of how the MTV/Viacom machine works, hence the title of his first single "bout ta bubble". I encourage you to watch this film, and try to imagine what kind of effect Tech and Strange Music will have on the unsespecting world once this shit goes mainstream, as well as how Tech and his original fanbase will transform.
I wrote an entire research paper on this subject my senior year of high school, about 3 months after I discovered Tech N9ne. I have some very interesting points to discuss once y'all are familiar with the source material.


H.I.G.H.L.A.N.D.............hEARTLESS iNSANE gHETTO hOODLUM lIVIN aND nEVER dYING......highland NIGGA!

 

[BOImonster]

Shit, I forgot to mention that the movie is available for free online here:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/

enjoy

 

[the.know.how]

those videos were interesting because they showed how something underground like ICP and their juggalo following can blow up simply because they're controversial and underground...this leads us to believe that tech can blow up like that too, but...

"If companies can get in on a trend or subculture while it is still underground, they can be the first ones to bring it to market. And that’s when the mass consumer picks up on it and runs with it and then eventually kills it. And that’s the paradox of cool-hunting: It kills what it finds."

eventually they'll play tech out possibly all of strange...i think that, even though he has loyal fans, if a large group of people start liking him and all of a sudden stop, then that's the most devastating thing to making music...who knows how long he could last in the mainstream even though he has more talent than the rest of them...if you stay independent and keep giving your hardcore fans what they want, then you're guaranteed to keep your business going...if you go mainsteam, you could lose everything...all of those retarded southern rappers who signed to major labels flash all their bling and talk about cadillacs and all that shit and claim it's hood music when you can go to the hood and motherfuckers aint wearing platinum and got fuckin TVs in their trunk...they glorify the ghetto and make you think that if you from the hood then you're tough when all that shit means is your parents are fuckin poor...they went mainstream and most of them are just one-hit wonders...the labels take back the chains they bought them for the video and eventually they die out...that could easily happen to tech

PS - my favorite part of those videos was when they showed that little 13 year old girl whoring herself out to all those agents...reminded me of jon benet ramsey

 

[BOImonster]

Thanks for the input

I think Tech N9ne can break the standard of mainstream musical trends. The trends that bubble way to quickly and then die only do so because they were created artificially. Market analysts seek out budding trends in underground subcultures and then exploit them for all they are worth until it is not "cool" anymore, and dies. The difference with Tech is that he has created a large enough following by his own grassroots touring efforts to go platinum without the help of MTV. The mainstream leeching onto what Tech has already created will turn Everready from what it already is, an underground Cult phenomena, into what Tech wants it to be but cannot create on his own, which is a mainstream Religion.

"Thats why they wonder why we headline when I'm underground
in this mainstream game
my my gang brings pain
to cowards
said i'm done, Kalli give me the power!"

 

[the.know.how]

true...but imagine tech goes mainstream and has all these fans who invest in his music by buying it and then all of a sudden people are talkin about how he fell off and aint doing shit anymore and people stop buying his shit...it sounds like if the US, one of the greatest countries out there, had all their saudi investors pull out of the US market...the economy would crash even though they don't own nearly as much as what mainstream fans would bring to tech and strange in general

the way that a lot of the rap vets stay in the game is beef...tech has beef with people but none that are truly mainstream. of course he did do his shit with Yuk while Yuk's screaming fuck g-unit and shit, but nothing too well known among mainstreamers. people like jay-z, nas, ras kass is coming back, ll cool j, etc got huge beef with other people. i personally dont get too much into the whole beef thing, but do you think tech will get involved in beef with other mainstreamers if in fact he gets huge?

 

[imported_KuTTY_CaL]

i dont think tech will get into beef with other rappers.. but they might throw a line into 1 of their songs talking about his "image"if they have a problem with his success. i know he cut his hair now but they could go back to anghellic or absolute power and see his hair.they could look at some of his tour footage and see him with writing on his face in a preachers robe and not understand it,not understand that tech is a complicated and unique person.

As tech said in keep on keepin on "mutha fuckas fear what they do not understand, and what they do not undersatnd they try to destroy"

 

[the.know.how]

record company is gonna want him to strike back and he will if he wants to keep his record deal...

 

[lvwytemike]

pretty interesting talk goin on in this thread

 

[the.know.how]

dont tell me you killed it by saying that...damn...oh well

 

[tha_psycho]

u know i dont think tech will fall off tho, whoever said people will say he did, if he goes on tour after everready then goes back to the studio for like 6 months then put out another cd or somethin or promotes other strange artists he could in fact stay alive in mainstream, but yeh i still dont think he will ever fall off

 

[the.know.how]

i'd like to see him stay in the game even if he's not always out there in front of everyone...good example is dr. dre because people knows he does a lot of shit with big artists but he doesnt really go out on TV and do his own shit...but i'd still like to see tech release another studio album after isms

 

[BOImonster]

I think Everready might have the same effect on Tech's career as "...and then there was X" had on DMX's career. X had a huge following before that album with his first two, but that was his career defining album. People heard that and then went out and bought "its dark and hell is hot and flesh of my flesh." I think its very possible that the same thing will happen to tech. People see Everready all over TV and the radio, then they go back and pick up Absolute Power and Anghellic.

 

[tha_psycho]

hahaha he could have 3 platinum albums at once hahah that would be funny, or like silver or w/e dont know how many albums it takes to go silver n platinum and gold

 

[Mummy]

or maybe bubbling just means that hes rising, other people are using the term bubbling...and maybe he just stayed independant cause mainstream record labels suck, major artists make an avg. of 32 cents for each cd they sell, an indie artists makes 10 dollers for each cd, do the math...thats why they consider 100,000 for indie artists 'hood platinum, and why indie artists such as slim thug was able to cop a bentley before even putting a mainstream cd out, beef isnt the key to success...look at 50 cent, he is the new mc hammer, but hes lucky he has people making money for him, for every cd that the game sold, 50 cent made more money than game...next thing you knew 50 will beef with bush, but it wont have anything to do with lyrics, he'll just sign bin laden....QN5!!!..anyways the key to beign successful in the music game is as simple as making good music
PS: there is no silver award, 500,000 gets you Gold, 1 million gets you Platinum and in 1999, they started giving out Diamond awards to 10 million+

 

[CyrusTheVirus]

I don't see any threat for people starting beef with tech. I mean really who could hold a candle in a whirlwind. The most talented rappers are still underground and tech's got years of credibility on the underground scene. Cats like ill bill have been doing the same thing on the independent tip all over the new york area. Connecting with people like that can open new markets for both artists. No matter what any of us type on this board it will have little effect on what's going to happen. Tech's in a position to be the mainstream ambassador for the underground scene if he decides thats the way he want's to go. I'm out of the loop on the latest and greatest videos on mtv/bet so I can't really comment on what's poppin right now. All I know is my opinion which along with $2.00 might get you a soda at quicktrip. I'm just sick of the lamest shit catching on and getting forced upon me at every turn. The latest example that comes to mind would be that laffy taffy song. I could not seem to get away from that. It's on tv, so I run to the store, it's on the radio on the way to the store so I put in a cd, I'm waiting in line at the store and the lady in front of me gets a phone call and guess what.... that laffy taffy song happens to be her ringtone. Now as I said before I'm dis-connected from the tv and radio so laffy taffy is just an example. But really, if I could make a platinum album with a couple of rhymes and then do voiceovers with who.... cyrusthevirus whoo.... the virus... who...name repeat name repeat (we all know that one)... what is wrong with this picture? Open hand slap the general public for the simple fact that when I do turn on the tv it's some new rapper with a yellow sports car in front of a mansion talking about cars and cribs. Where did the skill go? I'm glad to see chamillionaire finally made it out from under the industries suppression against talent. Hopefully things are starting to change and the talent will start getting the money.

Trying to predict the future is Mrs. Cleo's job, so instead of hypothesizing about what's gonna happen when tech goes mainstream how about spending some time creating that situation so you can find out for yourself. The industry is simply an opposing force that demands you meet certain requirements before acceptance is granted. If there is a number of radio spins you have to get before the video gets play find out that magic number. Next get a list of all the radio stations that will actually play tech's music and find out how to request his song at that station. Compile a huge list and organize call waves to the stations or just script up some sick ass computer program to do it automatically. Then once you finish with the radiostations and get all the required spins that you need, focus all that distributed force onto mtv bet... hell TRL. It couldn't be stopped and it's all legit. People who walk the walk sometimes talk the talk but most times they don't talk at all, 'cause they walkin'.

time is the only thing you can waste in life that you can never get back

</end_budweiser_drunk_thought>

 

[imported_KuTTY_CaL]

nice post cyrus i think that idea with the computer program is great i would do i tbut i dont know how hopefully people that know how to do that will do it
TECH N9NE

 

[identity-x]

u know i dont think tech will fall off tho, whoever said people will say he did, if he goes on tour after everready then goes back to the studio for like 6 months then put out another cd or somethin or promotes other strange artists he could in fact stay alive in mainstream, but yeh i still dont think he will ever fall off

it's not a matter of whether he will fall off...it's a matter of whether his new mainstream "fans", always quick to move from one cool trend to the next, will think he's fallen off...

and I KNOW that a good portion of Tech's fans are white, suburban, disaffected youth who invest so much into creating an identity someone who listens to "alternative" or "underground" cultural products. The second Tech goes mainstream, these fans are lost. Shortly after Tech goes mainstream he loses those fans as well (unless he ends up with a G-Unit/Def Jam type marketing budget...which only slows down the process).

Tech becoming a star on Ludacris' level or Eminem's level would only be detrimental to the longevity of his career.

I personally would rather see him stay on the grind, doing what he does now, making a shit ton of money the indie route, and amassing a huge following via the hard work he puts into his shows.

my 2 cents



ps...i used some software that allows you to download streaming mms videos. if someone wants me to upload this movie so you guys can download without streaming, let me know...

 

[in10city_131x]

it's not a matter of whether he will fall off...it's a matter of whether his new mainstream "fans", always quick to move from one cool trend to the next, will think he's fallen off...

and I KNOW that a good portion of Tech's fans are white, suburban, disaffected youth who invest so much into creating an identity someone who listens to "alternative" or "underground" cultural products. The second Tech goes mainstream, these fans are lost. Shortly after Tech goes mainstream he loses those fans as well (unless he ends up with a G-Unit/Def Jam type marketing budget...which only slows down the process).

Tech becoming a star on Ludacris' level or Eminem's level would only be detrimental to the longevity of his career.

I personally would rather see him stay on the grind, doing what he does now, making a shit ton of money the indie route, and amassing a huge following via the hard work he puts into his shows.

i think you're right man...

all the weak people looking for something that's "their own"
whether it's some gansta wannabes who want tech to come gansta all the time
or some white kids who think it's "cool" to be different...

you motherfuckers, you don't own tech n9ne or no other artist!


i like bout to bubble but the other songs on the sampler (minus Come Gansta.... that shit is fire) are a bit too poppy to my liking. i'll buy the album and if i like it i'm happy. if i don't, i'll keep listening to the old tech n9ne that i like. but it's ouuta line for anyone to go talk shit on tech. if you don't like don't listen to it and shit. tech's an artist and you gotta respect his decisions no matter what they are musically

 

[BOImonster]

Man, I'm tired of this conversation already. Fuck the mainstream and Fuck the Industry. I could really give a fuck whether or not Everready gets adopted by popular culture. All I know is that I'm gonna listen to it and impose it upon anyone within hearing distance of me, and all of you should do the same. Just buy the album, keep going to the concerts, and give a big middle finger to the mass media conglomerates that control what gets broadcasted over the airwaves.

This for you punks
and mitch bades
This in your trunk
won't get played
on the radio
too gangsta for an old lady bro

 

[the_n_freak]

i can't understand why anyone would think someone as talented as tech would "fall off" after going mainstream. i'd point to busta rhymes as an example of someone who's been mainstream for over a decade and still hasn't fallen off. the big bang is heat and i know a bunch of people bumpin it. busta is still hot cuz he's creative and talented. tech is creative and talented. it's about making the right moves and tech is an intelligent man, and he's got travis backing him. but i suppose all the speculation in the world won't tell the story, only time will.