the aftermath records downfall

[BiggBoogaBiff]

^^^^


no disrespect but thanks to people like you, niggaz like Soulja Boy stay winnin'.  I mean I support the nigga anyway but the haters keep they names ringin' babe.

[Stan]

^^^^
no disrespect but thanks to people like you, niggaz like Soulja Boy stay winnin'.  I mean I support the nigga anyway but the haters keep they names ringin' babe.

Why does he stay winnin'?  I don't think he's gotten great reviews as a rapper.... just ask Ice-T... but I guess he's making money.  I guess I sound like a hater but I don't really care about him enough to hate, I was just using him as a talent/marketing example. 

[I`m Wayne Brady bitch!]

There's some level of truth in what you're saying, but marketing isn't enough....hey don't have a mainstream appeal/ star quality.

Take Soulja boy for example. Does his music suck ass? Yes indeed, but he has star quality and makes ignorant shit that appeals to the masses. Soulja boy is an artist you can market because he is shure to earn you money.

Marketing is the main component and you just gave the best example possible.  Soulja Boy is the wackest, most basic, simple MC (if you can call him that) on the market that is mainstream.  Why??  Marketing.  
They push a single, they advertise, they push the ringtone, they get writers to write simple songs with simple hooks so they stay in your head.  Common, I remember his shit a couple years ago sounded like nursery rhyme.  Oh... and you can't forget the memorable Soulja Boy dance. He did the first single on his own so I'll give him credit, but why can they market this?  Because the masses are dumb as fuck.  Only individuals, like a lot of us here, take the time to research, read credits, know dates, know history, etc. about music.  The rest fall into "the radio" category.  

If he wasn't marketed right, he would have gotten his card pulled along time ago for the shit he does.  Actually I remember him one time in an interview on TV saying he was tthe greatest rapper of all time  .  ALso the only reason he is still around is because of the music industry beast that is behind him.

What do you know... he is on Interscope/stacks on deck... haha

I agree 100%, but my point was: you can market Soulja boy and actually make money because he has "superstar" persona and makes much more accessible music than all of the dropped Aftermath artists.

I'm not saying Soulja boy is BETTER than any of those mentioned, but he is better at making lots and lots of money

[BIGWORM]

They dropped the ball on THY KINGDOM COME that album was fire it would have sold well.

[BiggBoogaBiff]

Soulja Boy and Gucci Mane and Jeezy ARE the examples though.  its become tha standard to associate their names with this type of conversation, people just cant wait to use their names to say something negative.  As soon as somebody mentions Hip Hop they mention Soulja Boy at one point or anuther.  Atlanta has become tha standard/home for HipHop Politics and debates.  Soulja Boy is one of tha most successful artists in tha past 10 years and everybody including tha haters luv dat nigga.

[Jimmy H.]

I swear you guys need to just use the search engine and up one of these old threads because it's the same conversation about the downfall of Aftermath every six months with the same examples of artists.

People make way too much out of Aftermath dropping artists. It happens. For every one of these labels (Death Row, G-Unit, Bad Boy, Shady), it's a dozen artists dropped for every one that has an album released and goes platinum. Everybody thinks because it's Dr. Dre, they can just put out whoever with an album of his beats and Interscope backing it and it's a smash. I mean, I've asked this before, and never gotten a real answer. What label do you think is operating any differently?

Supposedly Grow Up researched as being a hit single but Interscope sent out a cease and desist order to stop it from being played on the radio.

With a story like that, you have to ask why? I know Bishop pushed the single in his radio visits but I never heard of Interscope endorsing it. I'm not privy to what goes on but it doesn't make sense. The label isn't going to kill their own hit records unless there's more to it than that.

[Triple OG Rapsodie]

Supposedly Grow Up researched as being a hit single but Interscope sent out a cease and desist order to stop it from being played on the radio.

With a story like that, you have to ask why? I know Bishop pushed the single in his radio visits but I never heard of Interscope endorsing it. I'm not privy to what goes on but it doesn't make sense. The label isn't going to kill their own hit records unless there's more to it than that.

I assume he was trying to create his own buzz without checking with Interscope, but they didn't want to push him at that particular time.

[Invincible]

Soulja Boy and Gucci Mane and Jeezy ARE the examples though.  its become tha standard to associate their names with this type of conversation, people just cant wait to use their names to say something negative.  As soon as somebody mentions Hip Hop they mention Soulja Boy at one point or anuther.  Atlanta has become tha standard/home for HipHop Politics and debates.  Soulja Boy is one of tha most successful artists in tha past 10 years and everybody including tha haters luv dat nigga.

He had 1 succesful single and thats it. His first album has only gone once platinum I think and his other album hasn't sold shit.

[Stan]

Yea I think I agree for the most part with these Star/It factor comments.  Not tryna pick on Soulja Boy, I could easily have used Katy Perry as an example if I wanted to after last weeks SNL performance.

I also agree that a lot of labels hire guys then fire them.  Just like any other job.

But what I'm wondering though is what is the point?  Like Stat and Bishop these guys gave years of their lives to never put out a major album.  Why not cut them right away?  Why waste their time.

If we go that route, then its like why hire them at all?  I mean it's weird cuz they should have an idea if they have the IT factor when they sign them right?

[Jimmy H.]

If we go that route, then its like why hire them at all?  I mean it's weird cuz they should have an idea if they have the IT factor when they sign them right?

No. Not really. It's not like Dr. Dre or Jimmy Iovine or Puffy or whoever have the magic eye/ears for talent. Like I said, it amazes me how much on this board, people act like this shit that Dr. Dre and Aftermath are doing is any different than what goes on in the entertainment business at every major label and studio. It takes a lot of time to develop talent and create something marketable, a lot of times the shit just doesn't work out.

[Triple OG Rapsodie]

If we go that route, then its like why hire them at all?  I mean it's weird cuz they should have an idea if they have the IT factor when they sign them right?

No. Not really. It's not like Dr. Dre or Jimmy Iovine or Puffy or whoever have the magic eye/ears for talent. Like I said, it amazes me how much on this board, people act like this shit that Dr. Dre and Aftermath are doing is any different than what goes on in the entertainment business at every major label and studio. It takes a lot of time to develop talent and create something marketable, a lot of times the shit just doesn't work out.

But it seems in some cases these artists aren't even being pushed. Just sitting around waiting to get dropped.

[Stan]

It's not like Dr. Dre or Jimmy Iovine or Puffy or whoever have the magic eye/ears for talent. Like I said, it amazes me how much on this board, people act like this shit that Dr. Dre and Aftermath are doing is any different than what goes on in the entertainment business at every major label and studio. It takes a lot of time to develop talent and create something marketable, a lot of times the shit just doesn't work out.

I don't what to say to that except the exact opposite.  It IS their job, especially Puffy and Iovine, to sniff out talent and use their magic eye/ears to get the best.  I remember even when Puff told Dylan that his skin was bad and he needed to clear it up (Da Band season 1).  The big wigs that sign contracts need to be sure that what they're doing is the right thing.  Or at least the right contract to start, still leaving them the option to fuck the artist if they change their mind two years later.

They have A and R guys weeding out the best from 1,000s of people tryna be the next Jay-Z or Jack Johnson.  I mean this is self-explanatory with shows like Da Band and American Idol.