A quick letter dedicated to those thinking of trying their hand at rap ( specifically Bay Area rap )...
The well has run dry. Period. Yes, there are a FEW of the upper echelon that have paved the way and can still make a buck. Yes, there are even FEWER newer dudes who are making a buck at it. But the chances of anyone new ( or old who haven't already made it ) making any real pay the rent money off music are that of being eaten by a shark while flying on a suicide mission 747.
It's disheartening to see some of these dudes come on here and flat out lie about how much money they are making, knowing damn well they are not. At least off rap that is. Many of them could call bullshit, but come on, I know what is made off 'features' for mc nobody's album and little bullshit 200 capacity venue shows that barely pack 40 people in...if the promoter is not getting paid, you aren't either.
We've been doing this for over 10 years, we have a nice catalog and a lot of great LOYAL fans who purchase our stuff regularly. But after you record, pay features, pay artwork, mixing, mastering, pressing, promote, etc, that loyal fanbase barely covers what was put in to the project. I'll happily admit that, because WE DO IT FOR THE LOVE OF THE MUSIC, and we always have.
If this were 15 years ago and we had this catalog, we'd be doing well. If it were 10, we'd still have a decent chance of seeing some real money. But alas, it is not.
Why not be humble about it and not give the younger generation false hopes of striking it rich in the beyond dead world of Bay Area rap. Perhaps then we can weed out the talentless lot and you may actually have a shot at seeing a few more sales...
The well has run dry. Period. Yes, there are a FEW of the upper echelon that have paved the way and can still make a buck. Yes, there are even FEWER newer dudes who are making a buck at it. But the chances of anyone new ( or old who haven't already made it ) making any real pay the rent money off music are that of being eaten by a shark while flying on a suicide mission 747.
It's disheartening to see some of these dudes come on here and flat out lie about how much money they are making, knowing damn well they are not. At least off rap that is. Many of them could call bullshit, but come on, I know what is made off 'features' for mc nobody's album and little bullshit 200 capacity venue shows that barely pack 40 people in...if the promoter is not getting paid, you aren't either.
We've been doing this for over 10 years, we have a nice catalog and a lot of great LOYAL fans who purchase our stuff regularly. But after you record, pay features, pay artwork, mixing, mastering, pressing, promote, etc, that loyal fanbase barely covers what was put in to the project. I'll happily admit that, because WE DO IT FOR THE LOVE OF THE MUSIC, and we always have.
If this were 15 years ago and we had this catalog, we'd be doing well. If it were 10, we'd still have a decent chance of seeing some real money. But alas, it is not.
Why not be humble about it and not give the younger generation false hopes of striking it rich in the beyond dead world of Bay Area rap. Perhaps then we can weed out the talentless lot and you may actually have a shot at seeing a few more sales...
