Article: "How the music industry really works"

If you don't want to read the whole article, which I'll paste below, here's a synopsis.

Basically, an angry artist signed but shelved by a major label writes and expository piece on what he claims really goes on behind closed doors in the music industry, particularly in rap. Amongst other things he claims major acts write only a small percentage of their songs and that what A&R's really look for when signing artists is rappers they can add to their "writing pool," the team of writers who make songs for the label's elite artist.

What do you think about all this?

Next post for full article

Most cats believe they can get a deal by spittin' some sick lyrics or making some good songs, wrong. You know what labels do?? A&R's don't look for artists, not at all, Labels sign around 25 artists per decade and then freeze signings. A&R's don't go look for the next big artists, they look for hit songs and writing pools and people who can sing backup vocals. A&R's aren't worried about finding artists with star quality that have interesting backgrounds, oh no, not at all.

Here's how they do rappers.........Raping-U-Records artists are starting to get old and played out so they send an A&R out to find a punkass rapper who lives in a respectable area. Next, they make sure the artist is marketable, then they'll sign the artist. Now Rapper A has a record deal with no previous history of rapping, next the label will setup a front to make it look like they discovered the artist (might sign a kid first, then set it up to make it look like this kid was rapping in front of a crowd at a gas station where a highly known A&R just happened to be getting gas from).

Next, they'll sit down with the artist and have this reality talk to them, explaining to them that the industry is a business and none of this is real. Now, they'll overexagerate their background and even lie about their age and where they grew up, they'll push a suburban to a harder area then they're really from. They find a an angle (pop's died, parents divorced, got shot, sold drugs, friend died) and push that angle to build the artist sentimental respect (who likes a punk who lived a perfect life??). They'll use that angle to build a story around them and how that event or events affected them.

Now, they hit the studio, right?? Wrong!! Now here is what real A&R's are meant for. They'll send out their A&R's and stupid cats like me will kill to get the demo in their hands, once these A&R's have a good number of SOLICITED demo's they'll tell Rappers B, C and D to send the label some material. Rappers B, C and D think they might get a deal, so they get their demo package together with Bio, Pic's, Press Kit and the actual demo. They probably tellin' their guys that they finna get signed and ish. Wrong........

Now A&R B is at the label listening to the demos of Rapper B, C and D. A&R B doesn't care for anything but the songs. A&R B is really feeling Rapper B and D's demo's (capable hit songs) but not Rapper C. So that's when Rapper C gets the rejection letter. Now the A&R is interested in Rapper B & D's material, so they'll write them and ask them to send more material, now B & D really think they're gonna get signed.

A&R B listens again and feels as if Rapper D isn't as good as he thought he was but still feels Rapper B. Now he sends a rejection letter to Rapper D. Now the contact is made with Rapper B and a meeting is set up. Sounds lovely right?? Keep Reading....A&R B and Rapper B and a few exec's have a meeting and now Rapper B is hit with REALITY. A&R B explains the real music business and gives Rapper B a choice, either walk out that door and be forever blackballed or the alternative.

You remember Rapper A, right?? Rapper B has been hit with the reality that he will never be a star. Rapper B just sent in about 10 songs to A&R B which were purchased and now will be on Rapper A's album. Rapper B is now merely part of a writing pool, he will continue to make songs under the supervision of an A&R, only not for himself, for everyone else. Now Rapper B sends about 10-20 songs to Rapin-U-Records every 3 months and now Rapper A, Rapper X, Rapper J and Singer T go through Rapper B's material as well as the other hundred's of Rappers and Singers that are merely writing pools material and pick which song they want on their album.

Now here is where the process takes place, Rapper A chooses 3 songs from Rapper B, 4 songs from Rapper Y and 2 songs from Singer U to make an album. Rapper A might want to do his own song so the label gives Rapper A 2 slots to do his own songs. When the album is finished, starving artists in writing pools are paid off and SILENCED. Now you can read the credits and see Rapper A's name all over, but it's to fool you, the sheep, the cats who buy the albums and the stupid chickenheads that believe anything in writing.

Rapper A has candy stories and rumors started by people at the label that grow and make the Rapper more respectable, more harder and more controversial to keep the life span of Rapper A alive. Guess what?? If an A&R finds someone else who's making better songs than Rapper B, they cut him off and blackball him to keep him silenced, it's that simple, fuk what you heard and believe. Beef?? Real or fake?? Ima tell you this, more beef's in the past and present then you brainwashed muthafukaz will ever believe are fake, some are real but even then you'll believe what you want. Once Rapper A falls off (not lyrically, not songwise) marketwise, they drop them and a new era of MUSIC INDUSTRY BULLSH*T arises.

And that's just the rappers, I'm not even going to get into producing, all Ima say is that most of your respectable producers are merely NAMES, you believe PRODUCER B is ths ish?? PRODUCER B can produce, but how do you think they can produce so many hot songs at one time?? They don't, a label will send out A&R's to find clones (people who've been influenced and therefore have the same sound) of the producer and the same process as with Rapper's A, B, C and D will spark up with producers too. THINK ABOUT IT........

Why do think it took Twista and Memphis Bleek so long to come out again, huh?? Cuz they wanted to write their own albums and didn't want to fall victim, too bad that's not for most of the ROC. Why do you think Ali Vegas will probably never drop and even when he drops, watch what happens......Why do you think 50 Cent couldn't get a deal after Trackmasters?? How come the Bravehearts took so long?? And then didn't even get pushed, promoted or even have money put behind them?? Hey Chicago, where is 3Piece?? Why do you think both MTV MC Battles promised Def Jam and Roc-A-Fella Contracts but Reignman's on his own label and Wreckognize aint on the Roc?? How come Shawnna got shelved?? Why did Universal lie about Nelly's age?? Why did it take Jin some 2 and a half years to come out with a single?? Where the hell is Postaboy?? What did Mase get exposed to that made him choose God over Millions of dollars?? Cats know the truth and don't like it, it's that simple.......

How would you like it if you've been rapping since you were 7, been hustlin demos, doing meaningless talent showcases and then you finally get a deal at age 20 and now you've become Rapper B?? The industry messes people up for real and half these cats who see the Bling Bling and girls think that's all their is, it's like finding out God doesn't really exists and now I've become Rapper B.

Sh*t like this gets cats killed for real, the industry is shady and what you've seen on TV, them DVD's, in interviews, VH1, MTV, whatever is nothing but the "GHOST INDUSTRY" that you've been led to believe is how it is and none of you have any idea, I hate the music industry, I hate the entertainment business, I'm going to college, getting my degree and am leaving this is behind me, FU*K COLUMBIA RECORDS and most of all, ya'll can SU*K my D*CK. To the industry heads on here, F*CK U, go ahead, yeah, I've broken the silence, only the underground is real, FU*K the industry.......

i read this article somewhere else before, this dude just sounds bitter like he got fucked by his label but theres alot of truth in this, the producer shit is somewhat true and so is the writing pool but theres some fabricated shit on there, and obviously this ~~~~~s a punk cant even attach his name to something he wrote, grow some balls niggga

yea i read this before 2 as well

great article.. id like to know who wrote it...

how can you let the cat out of the bag, take a stand and all that but remain anonymous?

the music industry is a business, the point of it is to make money, the end.

Their is some truth in this.

But for the most part, the majority of this is anger and bitterness talkin.

what i dont understand is...

some of those peeps who happened to have written a hit song proli copyrighted it before sending it in...thats MAJOR proof...if an artist blew up coz of a song he wrote, he'd make helluva lot more money exposing em that keepin quiet...why hasnt this happened ever before?

Yeah this is bullshit (well, in my eyes).....

Dude said it himself....You can't believe everything you see in writing.

I wrote it.

























syke

...i still want in.

someone posted this before...true shit

good point...

and i belive theres some truth in the article but its exxagerated alot i think..

i think saukrates wrote it....from what i heard but im not sure

dont believe everything ya earlobe captures
its mostly backwards
less it happens to be as accurate as me
and everything said in song you happen to see
then
actually believe half of what you seen and none of what hear even if its spat by me - jay Hyphen

because when you contribute work, you have to sign a contract saying you give up all rights to the songs and shit...

so then if you go blabbing about how you made that song up and shit its going to be a MAJOR breech of contract and theyd fuck you over big time. remember they got every thing they do mapped out by the best damn lawyers you can find

^ i was just bout to say that.

ive read this before.

1