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Dubcnn Blog - Dollars and Sense (By Eric Engelwood)
Dubcnn is always looking to expand its writing staff to include some of the
best writers online and with this new Blog we are delighted to have lined up
Eric Engelwood to present this series of articles that will fall under the
newly formed Dollars and Sense Blog.
Eric runs a consulting firm and
Lyay.net in his spare
time.
Whether it be a weekly dissection of the latest news and events or his
historical glances at events gone by you are guaranteed to be entertained,
informed and taken on a journey of thought that is sure to provoke discussion.
July 2008
| June 2008
| May 2008
July 2008
Dollars and Sense:
Third
Edition (Friday July 4th, 2008)
Don’t Cry, Dry Your Eyes
By Eric Engelwood
So everybody and their sister thinks the West Coast is hurting. Message
boards, interviews, everywhere you look, there seems to be a general sense of
pessimism surrounding the West Coast. Things couldn’t be farther from the
truth. There’s a vibrant and quality music scene on the West Coast and it’s
just a matter of time before we get our turn. Record Labels are taking notice
and it’s only bound to get better.
On the new artist side, we’ve got Jay Rock, Ya Boy, Roccett, Bishop Lamont,
PacDiv, Young De, Taje, Dubb, Young Maylay, G Malone, Roscoe Umali, Clyde
Carson, K Dot, Damani, Bangloose, Bad Lucc, and Problem. I’m sure there are
others I missed, but those were just the artists that came to mind when I made
a quick list. We’ve got a wide variety of artists complimenting a large
spectrum of hip-hop. Gangsta, swagger, punchline, hipster, and backpack
rappers, the West Coast has it all.
On the new producer side we’ve got Infra Red, Terrace Martin, Dae One, THX,
FOC, Disko, Dem Jointz, Focus,and a bunch of others I’m sure I missed. These
producers have consistently put out quality work and can do beats from
hardcore to G-Funk to RnB.
The talent is there. The record labels seem to be taking notice. Both Problem
and PacDiv recently signed deals with Universal Records. G Malone is going
getting a big push from Cash Money. Westurn Union is putting their debut album
out through Koch and of course Bishop Lamont is over at Aftermath.
When you hear people talking about how the West Coast is dead until Detox
drops, just shrug it off because it’s simply not true. Take the time to listen
to some new artists and I’m sure there’s something there that you’ll like. The
West isn’t dead, in fact I’m gonna go out on a limb and say we’re about to
enter a very good era that’s gonna rival the good old days fans so fondly
remember. You heard it here first.
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June 2008
Dollars and Sense:
Second
Edition (Friday June 13th, 2008)
People like free, but will it translate into sales?
By Eric Engelwood
So I had my iTunes on shuffle trying to come up with something to write
about when it dawned on me: The West Coast is at the forefront of marketing
in the music industry. iTunes played me Crooked I’s Hip-hop Weekly #19. That
track was followed up by Bishop Lamont’s City Lights, which was followed up
by Problem’s I’m toe up remix. The West Coast is putting out quality music
for free, so how will artists make money? Will this tactic of "free music"
pan out or will we see another generation of angry West Coast rappers
shunned by the industry?
Think about it for a second: Crooked I put out 52 weeks of free music.
That’s nearly four albums worth of free music. Bishop Lamont has put out
three album quality mixtapes in a little over a year. Artists regularly put
fully mixed and mastered tracks on Dubcnn, Lyay.net and countless other
media outlets for free. This is a brand new way of marketing and it’s time
for artists to take advantage of this new model. Welcome to music 2.0.
Artists are building grassroots fanbases , but are they utilizing them
accordingly? In order to succeed, touring, direct to fan sales, and other
revenue streams should be examined. For every artist that puts out a track
for free, there should a plan to make money behind it. Will that track get
that gets the club jumping translate into touring money? Can you license
that song about your favorite booze to the booze company for a commercial?
For the New West artists reading this - Imagine for a second that you NEVER
made a cent from selling a physical CD or a track online. How would you make
money from your music? If you can list three things off the top of your head
then you’re in good shape. If not, get brainstorming. Like I said in my last
blog post: Throw some sh*t at a wall and see what sticks. Think about
different ways of monetizing your music in other ways than just selling
tracks or CD’s.
The music industry is going through a sea change, but with the right angle
the West Coast can come out ahead. The sooner artists realize the way of
making money in the music industry has changed, the sooner they can come up
with new ways to get their paper.
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May 2008
Dollars and Sense: First
Edition (Friday May 30th, 2008)
Attention New West: GET YOUR PAPER
By Eric Engelwood
I’ve said it over and over, the music industry is changing. No longer can
artists put out a hot track, get signed to a major label, and live fat. You’ve
gotta put a total package together. Youtube, ringtones, endorsing products,
blogging, iTunes and twitter. These are all different areas West Coast artists
should be looking into and attacking aggressively.
It’s been clear over the past 6 years that major labels aren’t giving the West
Coast a shot, so what to do? Whine and complain or sack up and start creating
an independent fan base on your own?
Put thought into your promotion. Posting the same MySpace bulletin 15 times
over the space of an hour isn’t doing anything but pissing people off. Your
time would be MUCH better spent contributing to the discussion at
Dubcc or
Sohh. People will pay
attention to you if they know you're posting on the same site they are. It's a
quick and easy way to gain fans and see feedback on your product. Sure there
will be haters, but fuck them. They don’t buy music anyways.
Didn’t get a track on the new Madden game? Sponsor a Madden 08 tournament or
player. Sure it’s nerdy, but you can bet you’ll create “Die Hards” and you’ll
get your music out to a WHOLE new market. Look for a local beer or product and
include it in one of your songs. I don’t want to tell you to “think outside
the box” because that quote is trash. What’s happened with the internet is
that the box has become so big, ideas that you think wouldn’t have a chance in
hell, work splendidly.
Stay ahead of the curve, but not so far ahead that people don’t understand
what you’re trying to do. Try and identify upcoming trends and catch them
early. With the internet, there are a LOT of different avenues to make money
off your music and personality. There are hundreds if not thousands of ways to
reach new fans. The hardest OG in Compton and a 12 year old French boy can
both be your fans thanks to the Internet, so market accordingly. Sure some of
these ideas might be hot trash, but if I've even got you thinking about
marketing yourself in different areas this post has done it's job.
Remember: There is no rule saying how you can market yourself, so throw some
sh-t at the wall and see what sticks. What’s the worst that could happen?
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