album leaks and other things that piss me off

[mellowman]

i just glanced at a few topics on the front page a minute ago and i saw that the wash soundtrack and warren g's albums have been leaked. and i also see that a lot of you have already dowloaded them both. i know that it's hard to pass up downloading them, but damn y'all. album leaks are a topic that really pisses me off. you can protect everything until the albums get pressed, but once that happens there ain't nothing you can do. i place a lot of the blame on the record companies cause they delay releasing things so long, that the printed album gets leaked and sent out months in advance. sometimes this helps but a lot of times it doesn't. especially when the bootleggers fuck things up. but you still have a choice to pass it up and wait for it to be released.  i can't blame y'all too much because there are a lot of things to blame for this and since their is nothing i can do about it, its usless to worry about it. ive addressed this topic enough during the dre/napster war so i'll stop. remember when we bring this up its not out of greed, its out of love for the music we make and the fact that we spend our lives and a lot of time, money and sweat to do this and when you don't support our albums it hurts. and the reason we are so outspoken is because we have had incredible success and are in a position to help unestablished artists who get raped bad enough by the record comanies as it is. it can crush an artist's livelihood and a life when people download and burn music and cds and dont buy it. people say that cd's are over priced so they are entitled to burn or copy the cd's without buying them. fuck that. everything is overpriced in this country. and if you have enough money for a computer, blank cd's, a cd copier and cd burner you got enough money to buy every album and support ever artist you listen to. so to the people who burn the warren g cd or anything else, make sure you go buy them albums. i'm not worried about dre and aftermath and other big stars. we can handle it when some people steal from us by burning and copying cd's. but when you do that to warren or anyone else struggling to be successful it can kill their career and take away the opportunity for you to hear their skills. so PLEASE SUPPORT ALL THE ARTISTS AND ALBUMS YOU LOVE. i know most of you will but for those who weren't planning on it i hope you change your mind. and a piece of advise to the people who don't. DO NOT EVER EVER come up to and artist and tell  them you burned their cd and that you love it. cause when the artist asks if you actually bought their cd and you say no. that's not a position you want to be in. someone like dre or snoop would just walk away but some other rapper who is struggling to eat, watch out.
im not against buying an album and copying it for your brother. but when you copy it for 20 of your friends, that a different story. i'm all for technology but i long for the days when fans couldn't hear any part of an album (except for maybe a single) before it hit the stores. back then part of the fun was not knowing what to expect from an album. on your way to the store you were both excited and uncertain. therefore when you opened the wrapping what came out of your speakers was a revelation, an experience that would give you a great feeling and a rush. these days are long gone. now people hear the albums before the release date and listen to it in shitty to decent quality and somehow make a judgement on it. now people overcritize everything they hear.  a lot of people expect the impossible. i know people like dre have a high standard and we sometimes get too excited(like i have once or twice) about releases but the expectations a lot of people put on something like a dre release are so ridiculous, unfair and unrealistic, not even jesus could meet them. it seems like our music is criticized from all angles. we get criticized cause we dont use a certain style, or a certain sound, or for using different instruments and musical genres. and worst of all we get criticized for trying to be original, inventive and creative. i just dont understand it. no matter what we do we cant win. i'm not whining but its getting frustrating. thats part of the reason for my decision. and i don't want you to feel sorry for us but please think about it. even though we try to ignore it a lot of the non stop criticism and disses are disheartening and sad. if you dont like it skip the track or dont buy the album. but quit overcriticing shit so much. turn down the criticism and turn up the volume. you need to keep us on out toes and give us constructive criticism but dont disrespect us. we sacrifice too much, shed too much blood sweat and tears, and give up too much of our lives to be disrespected or ripped on so much. were giving the music you hear everything we have to make you happy. so please relax and take this for what it is - music.

[SugeFight]

The bottom line is that burning is going to exist and rappers/musicians need to accept that.  Its hard to feel sympathy for a struggling rapper because nobody is forcing them to rap.  If you cant make a living off your rap album, then get a 9-5 or make money via live shows...but just accept the fact that the days of everybody buying albums is over.  I know yall are gonna hate but Im just bein real.  I know it sucks that an artist works on an album and arent making as much as they could be off it, but its just the way it is.

[Big BpG]

That was really long, but this is how I view it... If you're a true artist who brings great music, people will buy your music no matter how many times its been bootleged... I think leaking it out early is better in my opinion, why? You can have the album  and see if its good... I usually find out that the artists I like always bring that hot music... I always buy my music too so there is nothing to worry about, besides they proved it... ever since mp3s... the record industry has exploded... i still can't wait to buy Warren G!!!!!!!!

Plus... if you all would stop giving early promotional albums to radio stations and such... it wouldn't leak... thats where the music is coming from in my view...

-Big BpG

[HBKid_Jr]

I have downloaded both but im still goin buy cuz like mellow said,  support your favorite artist an thats exactly what im goin do

[Cliche]

I downloaded both... I'm definitely coping Warren... I doubt I'll get the Wash though... I'm only feelin a few tracks... I can't justify spending 17+ dollars for 3 tracks. I understand your point.. but I'm always gonna download something to peep it before it comes out... that way I don't end up buying stuff like South Central Cartel because I haven't heard the album.  I've got around 400 store-bought albums... I always support the true artists and the dope albums... and will continue to do so...

[Sir Hambone]

for realz...

i download......muzik....got like 3000+ mp3's  

but...when it comes to certain artist....like dre and snoop and all their extended family....of artist.....i will always buy it also..............but something like mary j...and busta.....i will just download the songs dre produced............

just some cd's   when u buy..u get pissed when a couple of the songs are good..and the rest......make u mad.....

[Dope Money Clean]

i only read  half  of what u wrote  mellow  ...... shit thats too long  hehe.
but i see what your talkin about .
i only download  shit in  Real Audio  format  cuz there is no question that i will buy the  album , i take pride in my cd collection.  and  RA  is quick and fast to  DL.  

when it comes to certain artists and albums  like  CHRONIC 2001 and  Xzibit  RESTLESS .........  I DID NOT DL  THEM EARLY ........  and  Michael JAcksons new album   I WILL NOT DL EARLY .........  even tho i already heard  Butterflies on accident .  Ras Kass album  will not be  DL'ed  early either for me .  certain artists i just gotta pass up.

[Suga Foot]

I def. Digg what you're saying.  I think if you guys made enhanced CD's more people would buy the album.  Like while you're recording the songs, you should have a video camera taping that shit.  Then put it on the ECD.  It would be like a "maikng of the album" kind of thing.  That would definitley be dope.

[mellowman]

suga foot, the shit you talking about is coming on dvd-audio and super audio compact disc. and i really hope everyone reads the last half of my post, that what i wanted to get across. i want to apologize for the title of my thread, it insinuated that i was directing all of my anger at you guys. when it comes to albums getting leaked i get pissed off and blame the record companies (not subsiduaries like aftermath, but the big conglomerates who control everything from marketing and sending out promotional things, and rip off artists)for that. i think i explained that point pretty good on my post. as far as your responses you all bring up some good points. i am old school and want to protect the music we work so hard to make. i also want to protect the artists who get hurt from this problem. but we also realize things will always be different from now on. and we have to learn to work with it and adapt, which we will. and we won't worry about it anymore. we have to work with what we can do and let the things we can't control not worry us. i have no problem with people previewing music to determine what music to buy and then deleting it and not buying that album. but when you keep that on your computer and listen to it often and especially when you burn it that is stealing. but like i said we can't worry about it because this will go on from now on. and when bands and artists do release albums that have one good song and the rest garbage they deserve some of what they get. but The wash ain't in that category. if you think it is you better start listening to some othe types of music. i know a lot of you spend a lot of money and for the most part support all of us, and we REALLY APPRECIATE it. but when you steal from us its unfortunate. i don't mean to call you out but i have a question for ya CLICHE. since you have downloaded the wash soundtrack what are you going to do with those tracks. do you delete them all if you ain't gonna buy it? or do you burn some or all of the songs? be honest cause i hope you rethink things a bit if you burn them songs onto a cd. you are basically stealing if you do that. i can't stop you no matter what and i'm not gonna worry cause The Wash should sell regardless. again no beef with ya. i just want you to take a closer look. again i'm not worried about dre and aftermath. with the world as it is now this subject is the least of our worries. we got everything we need. i just worry a lot about the struggling artists who are affected by this subject. peace y'all. i'm throwing this subject away and moving on to things i can control, which is the music we do. we will continue to give ya dope music and please support us if you can. peace.

[Cliche]

suga foot, the shit you talking about is coming on dvd-audio and super audio compact disc. and i really hope everyone reads the last half of my post, that what i wanted to get across. i want to apologize for the title of my thread, it insinuated that i was directing all of my anger at you guys. when it comes to albums getting leaked i get pissed off and blame the record companies (not subsiduaries like aftermath, but the big conglomerates who control everything from marketing and sending out promotional things, and rip off artists)for that. i think i explained that point pretty good on my post. as far as your responses you all bring up some good points. i am old school and want to protect the music we work so hard to make. i also want to protect the artists who get hurt from this problem. but we also realize things will always be different from now on. and we have to learn to work with it and adapt, which we will. and we won't worry about it anymore. we have to work with what we can do and let the things we can't control not worry us. i have no problem with people previewing music to determine what music to buy and then deleting it and not buying that album. but when you keep that on your computer and listen to it often and especially when you burn it that is stealing. but like i said we can't worry about it because this will go on from now on. and when bands and artists do release albums that have one good song and the rest garbage they deserve some of what they get. but The wash ain't in that category. if you think it is you better start listening to some othe types of music. i know a lot of you spend a lot of money and for the most part support all of us, and we REALLY APPRECIATE it. but when you steal from us its unfortunate. i don't mean to call you out but i have a question for ya CLICHE. since you have downloaded the wash soundtrack what are you going to do with those tracks. do you delete them all if you ain't gonna buy it? or do you burn some or all of the songs? be honest cause i hope you rethink things a bit if you burn them songs onto a cd. you are basically stealing if you do that. i can't stop you no matter what and i'm not gonna worry cause The Wash should sell regardless. again no beef with ya. i just want you to take a closer look. again i'm not worried about dre and aftermath. with the world as it is now this subject is the least of our worries. we got everything we need. i just worry a lot about the struggling artists who are affected by this subject. peace y'all. i'm throwing this subject away and moving on to things i can control, which is the music we do. we will continue to give ya dope music and please support us if you can. peace.

Yo... good question... don't worry I'm not taking it as a personal attack or nothin... after all you're an artist... anyways to answer your question... I'll probably keep the two Snoop & Dre songs... not sure about anything else... however... if those joints were to come out on a single I'd cop the single(s)... I'm all for supporting artists, but I'm not gonna pay my cash for something subpar... I'm just not feelin enough of the album to go out and buy it... I got too many other albums to buy in the next few weeks (Masta Ace, Dilated Peoples, Erick Sermon, Asheru & Blue Black, Nate Dogg, Warren G, and whatever stuff I don't know about yet).... I may or may not purchase it somewhere down the line.. but as of now I won't be coping it.  Now... is my keeping songs costing you guys (artists) profits.. probably... but I've also put a lot of people on to artists by showing them stuff I've downloaded... even if I wasn't feelin it... and I've made a lot of people rethink their views about certain artists by showing them more than just the single they hear on the radio... not to mention the fact that up here in midwestern canada I can't hear joints on the radio anyways....
I remember back when Chronic 2001 came out... I downloaded it about a month before street date... showed it to about a dozen people... each of whom bought it... when probably only 5-6 of them would've originally... I'm not trying to say that they wouldn't have down the line... but personally I think that downloadable music is helping a lot of artists as much as it's hurting... i certainly wouldn't have heard about guys like Athletic Mic League or Binary Star or Punch N Words without the benefit of being able to hear their shit... and these guys are some of my favorite artists now.  I get your point... and I'm not trying to straight jack the artists... if something's good I put my money on it... just like I will with Warren... heck i bought 2 copies of Take A Look Over My Shoulder just because one had a cooler cover.  anyways... hope that answers your Q... peace

[C_R_O_N_I_C_I]

MURDER WAS THE CASE it's a classic album,a  R E A L  classic album,the wash ost.....NO!

[TheSheriff]

Mellow is right y'all-And Mellow, thanks for explaining it properly to the guys out here, I think many just reckon the artists are greedy. Now, I'ma admit, I was pissed off over Napster, but only because that's how I got previews, or if I didn't have the money at the time, lil tidbits to keep me going.

But people that DL entire albums, or large portions of them, without buying...DAYUM...

When B.O.B. leaked off Stankonia, by no fault of EI3(Heck, Mr DJ went so far as to smash a burned CD with BOB in it)...That almost devastated our hopes and dreams for the album. People went and criticized it, and Andre and Ant had fears the album wouldn't sell whatsoever.

Now, what would have happened if BOB hadn't leaked? When it came out in CDQ as a single, everyone would have loved it. Stankonia, I predict, may have got 500k or even 1m more sales.

People leaking stuff AHEAD of time annoy me. AFTER time ain't so bad, but AHEAD...Bah...

Again, thnx to Mellow for enlightening the guys, and peace out...

[Lil Jay]

thats no question, im gonna buy all of them. i downloaded like 5 tracks from the wash and 5 from warren, to check it out whats it like. wether its wack or good, im still buying it. but when it comes to some east coast artists like mary j or busta, ill download the dre tracks.

[Trauma-san]

I Think (But There's No Way To Prove) That Bootlegging Probably Cuts About A Third Of Actual Sales Off An Album.  Why? Because I Go to The Flea Market Each Weekend, And You Got Shady Fuckas Up There Selling STACKS of Burnt Cd's.  There's Probably 2000 Cd's At The Flea Market Each Weekend, All Burnt.  

[Murrow]

I have about 3 burned CD's.  I never download shit cause my comp sucks, but if it was good than I would rarely peep shit ahead of time cause I hate to spoil it.  I don't wanna get sick of one particiular song/album.