I've been saying a few of these things for a minute about bay area cats. People are bullshittin themselves behind the buisness end of it. Look at woodie and east co co records......not to pick on them or anything, but honestly, i think they could sell 10 times the records they sell if they handled the buisness end of things better, and took trips out of state to really push their music out there.
I don't think that a lot of people know that master p, before the Mr. Ice Cream Man album, used to go on the road, and give out promo cds and free t shirts in numerous states. And what radio hits did he really have? BOUT IT BOUT IT and ICE CREAM MAN, those songs are STREET, ain't no love songs about that.
The thing i don't like about the whole subject, is why should someone have to come out with a "love song" to get the radio play? I can honestly see guys like a-wax breaking into a huge market without compromising the amount of street credibility he has......
But I can def. see that people are often too satisfied with small change. There is a gang of good music comin out the bay, but it doesn't seem like the saying "the dope sells itself" applies outside the confines of the state. The internet has allowed some sales of independent cd's out side of the region, but not hardly.
The south seems to be the best independent hustlers at a glance. They really go after theirs by gettin on the road and sellin the shit out of their cd's out the trunk. Houston alone has a bunch of artists like that. Look at lil flip. He sold 200,000 of his first cd independently. Granted, he already had a name for himself due to DJ Screw, but he hustled relentlessly out there to sell that many cd's.
Kinda off subject a lil, but they say that if you are looking to be an NFL caliber of player, you have to train 3 times as hard as you think it takes while you are in high school, so in relation to the rap game, the same thing applies. you have to put in 3 times as many hours, or have someone that is willing to do that for you like lisa is for Jay tee i guess you could say.
really i guess is what i'm trying to say, forget the bullshit love songs if that's not what you tryna do. Just keep doin you, but work 3 times as hard to make the right connections, and go out of state instead of just relying on KMEL to take you nation wide. Don't be afraid to try to go to TEXAS where they also love rap from the bay. Stay up to everyone, and stay at it
