Why do artists/and fans today feel like they have to "respect a rappers hustle"?

[V2DHeart]

It has nothing to do with piracy. Piracy existed in the 90's, and music was easier to bootleg/record than what it is now...

HUH?

In the late 80's/early 90's when cassette tapes where still the primary music format, you were able to copy albums using your stereo by simply putting an album into the CD player, a blank cassette tape (or any tape for that matter) into the cassette deck, and hit record... So easy that any idiot could do it, at any age. Even grandparents could do it. Music industry was fine then

There were stalls, markets, every day people in schools etc selling, or handing out tapes. You could record those hit songs direct from the radio.. Then the mid-late 90's came, and CD recordable drives were commercially available to anyone, and you knew at least 6 people who had huge lists containing pages and pages of albums to buy for penny's, and could even request albums to get from those people... Napster, and audio galaxy were thriving too in the late 90s/2000... Music industry was doing fine then

But today however, there is no major free workable file sharing program specific to music, forum links die quite quickly, and for the most who aren't computer smart, then downloading music isn't very easy, and it's very controlled now. typing in "free MP3's" or trying to google for free music takes you to paying websites, and subscriptions and memberships. Where do the general internet users find them?.. There are no cassette tapes anymore, and there isn't that large number of people you could go to, to look through their lists

This BS excuse about the internet being the cause and decline of sales in the music industry is just a convenient excuse for lazy industry suits, and until people wake up and realise that, then they're going to be continually blinded by the lies as a result from the release of lazy, sloppy attempts at music...
I don't want to spend my money on amateur electronic beats with auto-tuned lazy flow lyrics, with 1-2 half decent songs, and I sure as fk don't want to buy their re-cycled "classics", and "greatest hits" that I have 10x from "bought" CD's already, and many more of us feel and act the same

[Darkwing Duck (The Reincarnation)]

It has nothing to do with piracy. Piracy existed in the 90's, and music was easier to bootleg/record than what it is now...

HUH?

In the late 80's/early 90's when cassette tapes where still the primary music format, you were able to copy albums using your stereo by simply putting an album into the CD player, a blank cassette tape (or any tape for that matter) into the cassette deck, and hit record... So easy that any idiot could do it, at any age. Even grandparents could do it. Music industry was fine then

There were stalls, markets, every day people in schools etc selling, or handing out tapes. You could record those hit songs direct from the radio.. Then the mid-late 90's came, and CD recordable drives were commercially available to anyone, and you knew at least 6 people who had huge lists containing pages and pages of albums to buy for penny's, and could even request albums to get from those people... Napster, and audio galaxy were thriving too in the late 90s/2000... Music industry was doing fine then

But today however, there is no major free workable file sharing program specific to music, forum links die quite quickly, and for the most who aren't computer smart, then downloading music isn't very easy, and it's very controlled now. typing in "free MP3's" or trying to google for free music takes you to paying websites, and subscriptions and memberships. Where do the general internet users find them?.. There are no cassette tapes anymore, and there isn't that large number of people you could go to, to look through their lists

This BS excuse about the internet being the cause and decline of sales in the music industry is just a convenient excuse for lazy industry suits, and until people wake up and realise that, then they're going to be continually blinded by the lies as a result from the release of lazy, sloppy attempts at music...
I don't want to spend my money on amateur electronic beats with auto-tuned lazy flow lyrics, with 1-2 half decent songs, and I sure as fk don't want to buy their re-cycled "classics", and "greatest hits" that I have 10x from "bought" CD's already, and many more of us feel and act the same

r u serious?  
only current n new links for specific releases r shut down by major distriubtion companies, n new links for the same files get upped every day
u can find anythin in the world, within 3 seconds on google. old ppl too, they know the bidness. nothin is controlled
the only ppl who r buyin cds, r record-collectors or artist-fans. the tuth is what it is - music isn't sellin bcuz of the lack of quality. the mp3-file came along n destoryed the market.
compact discs will officialy die within the next 5 or 6 yrs according to industry-xperts, n i believe so too. cds will live on in asia tho - and collectible vinyl will still exist

[V2DHeart]

n't know any old people who can even "use" google. But over this side, the advantages of a physical CD outweigh the negatives.. An entire computer collection of albums can be wiped out through virus, or files accidentally deleted or corrupted, which make a CD a superior choice.

Coldplay sold like 7 million in 2008. Taylor Swift sold like close to 9 million last year. Big numbers are to this day more than achievable as already shown, but given that an album is a solid product, and most of all marketed, and promoted correctly, those numbers can be done again and again. If they put all their effort and resources into pushing out these no talent bums with weak product purely for quick cash like they have been doing, then the long term results are evident. Quality is a enormous issue in a lot of big companies, and the lack of it can result in loss of sales, confidence, and no new business. We're always told that quality drives productivity, but no quality is being driven

I don't know what it's like in the US, but here in the UK it's like the big old problem of 'benefits (welfare) V work', where a lazy guy will sit at home all day and receive benefits because going out every day to work will only give him an extra £50 a month, which leaves him thinking "what's the point", and that's where the industries at right now. Why bother putting in the effort in releasing good quality product by the bucket load. Do you think the suits loose anything? They simply give lower rate deals to the queues of naive fame hungry kids who are more than happy to sign, sell out more to advertisements and sponsoring, 360 deals on artists etc. and still go home with the same amount of money they would normally have had doing the alternative

I do agree with a certain number of CD's being bought by artist fans, or collectors but the industry itself can be to blame for that glitch, as well as stores/shops for not modernising enough to cater for the new age, but that's an entirely different discussion altogether

[Jimmy H.]

It's a disguise to try and conceal a rappers lack of creative ability. Hustling, image, and "swag" (my god, I hate that word) take precedence over talent, and because big labels can push these rappers over TV/radio/publications to the fully recognized level, where everyone is aware of them

Me personally - I hate talentless kids making big money.... Why? Because somewhere, for every talentless person with a deal, there is a talented kid who can play numerous instruments, and has an artistry intellect is down in some low paying job somewhere, which isn't right.

Picture your child, who has spent years - most of his life - attending music classes, writing music, learning instruments, working to spend money on equipment, and spending every bit of free time and energy mastering his craft, while some bozo who has a 2 year hobby to want to be a big rapper for fame and bragging-rights purposes strikes a big deal, while your child looses out.. Somewhere that is happening, and is happening regularly

Labels have a responsibility to ensure the future survival and level of quality in the music industry first and foremost, while profit should be a very close second, but what we see now is shareholders first, profit second, business investment third, so on, and so on, with quality being away down the list... Good for them, but bad for consumer confidence, and dependability for getting value for money, which is why the industry (in a physical product sense - CD's etc) is suffering from a sales point

Welcome to reality. Talent is one thing but you also need drive and determination as well. I don't see it being some great injustice to the world that we cheer for someone who uses their brain to compensate for their lack of natural gifts. Generally speaking, entertainment is based on finding a lane to create something that people enjoy and making your money off it. This is not some new concept. When we go to the movies, do we watch the best technically-crafted films or the ones with the best special effects, car chases, action scenes, and biggest stars? The only specific talent required is reading into what the listener or audience finds engaging.

If my child is spending years or most of his life perfecting his craft then he shouldn't be worried about a "big deal". He should be worried about his art. If he wants to be finiancially-succesful in the music business, he should study BUSINESS. It's actually more simple than you make it. You're trying to lump art and commerce together and it doesn't always work that way. It is possible to be both a great entertainer and a great artist but you need to be dedicated to those things. You try to paint these business-savy guys as being lazy assholes who got lucky but I don't see it that way. They more than likely studied just as hard as your music theory folks, they just put their attention into other areas. In a lot of cases, it's the talented people who were LAZY. They assumed because they knew how to sing or compose music or write songs that these guys who spent years in business school or learned their hustle on the street through the drug game would just do their accounting and book-keeping for them and give them the money. Great art comes from learning your craft. Financial success comes from learning how to manage money. I can name a gang of great artists who are broke. I don't know too many self-made millionaires who are idiots.

There are a number of indepedent movie and music companies that put out product I find mediocre at best. However when the people behind these ventures speak, I listen. Know why? Because while some of my favorite rappers, musicians, and film directors have to censor themselves or wait years to get their films or albums released, these other guys can pretty much create whatever they want and put it out on their own imprint. I might not personally enjoy what they do but I admire their hustle. Music fans getting mad because technical skill doesn't equal record sales is kind of like calculus students getting angry because high IQ's don't always translate to lots of pussy. You can pout all day because the dumb jock just fucked your high school crush or you can figure out the game and do that shit yourself.

[V2DHeart]

No ones saying that it isn't hard to study towards a serious business qualification, and they aren't stupid either. Yes, it takes years to master your career, but that doesn't mean that they don't get lazy at the top

The real question is: Do you think the quality of 'mainstream' music today is as good as it was in the 90's, or even early 00's?

Movies is different than music. Visual entertainment requires full concentration, awareness, thought etc. Music can be enjoyed in different ways. Cleaning the car, driving, partys etc.

[shoo]

euros act like detox is gon be the 2nd coming of jesus

americans act like all euros are the same... c'mon son... you really need to put out that euro/american shit again?

anyway.... back to the topic. i wonder why you people care that much about who's on top, why they on top, who's better than who and all this bullshit. I have no problem with Wayne, Soulja, Drake or whoever making their money, being on the radio and whatever even though i think their music is whack. This is business... they're on top probably just because their managers have good links... Record sales ain't shit anyway. Charts ain't shit. Why don't you stick to the music you like and let other people listen to what they like. If you don't like things on the radio/tv simply don't listen... simple as that... Times have changed.... If you can't accomodate to that at the age of 20,25,30 think how embittered you'll be at the age of 70....

but damn... what can i expect from people who love to argue, and insult each other just because they're from different states, countries or continents... immaturity at its best... or worst...