Today, most emcees are what I like to call 'MC's in a can', meaning they come pre-packaged consisting of a few party joints, a few skits, and a few sub-par tracks - one video with a lot of women in it, and call themselves artists. More and more, Hiphop is transforming from an ocean of thought, cleverness, and tradition into a sea of liquid hardcore pop trash. Thus, anyone with a head on their shoulders would rather try their music before they purchase it, like me.
I know several artists who have given me their material personally to put on the internet because they see all of the advantages it provides in regards to distribution. Do the labels see it? Partially. Most underground A&R's adknowledge that the internet makes a significant contribution to their unit sales because it's the best promotion, free promotion. The internet is the reason that Cormega's "The Realness" album sold over 100,000 units on Landspeed with minimal advertising. Record labels also realize that the scene is beneficial for their distribution and advertisement because it creates a buzz for their artists - however, the artists see it only as a decline in unit sales, rather than the positives. No one wants to take a decline for the better of the whole, so they complain because most have God Complex's in the first place.
Overall, the scene does more for the industry that it's given credit for - common sense states that. I do not however condone the burning and selling of CDs for the sake of profit..to me, that is much more immoral than spreading music to be heard, so that people are able to 'try before you buy', like myself. This is about more than just piracy, but about consumer rights. It's about time we stand up and tell the executives that we are fed up with the trite nothingless that they are force feeding us through every media avenue possible.
Also relating to this - why doesn't the anti-piracy advocates and labels go after the DJs? They are the ones downloading music from the internet and selling it for their own personal profit. Artists tend to be buddy-buddy with mainstream DJ's such as DJ Kay Slay, Funkmaster Flex, DJ Clue, DJ Kool Kid, Cutmaster C, and others - which are doing the exact same thing people on the internet are - putting pre-released and unreleased music out there for the public, except the DJ's are being paid from it. When you gain a reputation as a networking DJ, the artists will recognize you as a positive for their sales, yet since bootleggers are not recognized - they are the villain? Industry double standard.
As one of the most influential artists in our lifetime and an internet-music advocate Chuck D would say, "Fight The Power"!