@White devil I will address your reply at a later date.
@Nitro you said the following:
"The fact that there is only a single black owner in the NBA means nothing more in my eyes, than only one black man was successful in trying to purchase a professional basketball team. But how many have tried, two maybe three? When an owner puts his team up for sale, it is open season for anyone with money to spend. The rich come with their investment team and they start bidding bundles of money, whoever comes out on top takes over. The owner is just looking at the dollar signs, and maybe hopes that you won't move the team."
Since this is your way of thinking why did you list 10 basketball players and the income they make per year? How much money do the owners bring in per year? Countless deals/purchases have been shot down because the buyers/investors were black.....and I'm not just talking about sports teams.
"Do I think that it is unbalanced with one black owner as opposed to tens of other white owners in light that the majority of NBA players are African American, yes I absolutely do. But what are we talking about here, a problem or a statistic."
You're the one who listed statistics. You listed the top ten salaries per year. So is it a problem or statistic?
"There is no required to purchase a basketball team, only a large sum of money and good business ethics. So when you ask me to list the top 10 NBA team owners, I see the point you are trying to make; but there is nothing that I see significant enough--that is preventing other African Americans from following--to adress this in such a serious manner. I do not see any racism or prejudice holding back African Americans, only the will and desire to do such, and of course money, which is what I am talking about."
Sometimes a person can have enough money but the deal is still denied. Once again I see no logical reason for you listing black atheletes who make millions per year when the owners make at least 5 times as much.
"Your absolutely right, but thats not the way things have to be. You're making it sound like starting a record label is the limit for a black artist when in fact it isn't! NBA basketball teams auction off in the hundreds of millions of dollars, why can't this money go towards building a distribution company? The very fact that you speak as if there is nothing past starting a record label is the very way of thinking that I am concerned with. I understand the business aspect of it, maybe not to the same degree as you, but I understand it enough."
Why can't it go towards building a major distribution company? Why can't it go towards building LARGE duplication plant's? We are on the same page here. I've CONSTANTLY asked these questions since I've been a member of this board. A black man CAN have a distribution company but in order to hit the BIG numbers he will have to go through a middle man. If major retail outlets are not taking your product because you arent one of the BIG FIVE what can you do? How can you hit the BIG numbers? You can't. If I had the money I would invest in duplication plants, several studios, graphic companies and my own distribution system.
"Who's fault is it that these people don't understand the way the business works. Is it up to those profiting from the artists to teach them the ins and outs of the music industry? No! What do people go to school for -- why are there educational institutes all over the country? It is for those that have dreams and ambitions, so they can pursue them and once they reach where they are going, they have a great knowledge base to excell with. Every man has a choice of what he wants to do in life, look at all these cats skipping college to go professional, look at all these cats who don't even try to go to college and spend their lives doing hard labor or being "exploited" by the white man"
When they don't understand the way the business works they will complain, bitch, moan and groan. I see *NO* reason why a label owner should NOT educate the artist especially if the label is indie. If you are profiting from your artist you should want them to be educated. You should want them to understand points, clauses, etc etc etc. Why? So it won't hurt you and your investment in the long run.....Some labels DO practice good business. Most don't. If more indie labels (especially black owned ones) would EDUCATE the artists a lot of bullshit would not happen.
"Did you know Robert Johnson is a multi-billionaire? If you know this, HERESY, can you tell me how it is that he can find the time to create a television station devoted to "exploiting" black music, yet he can not start a distribution company to help put money back into the African American artists for creating the music he uses? I understand the the cost of building such a company and be large, but I do not believe it to be more than what he can spend."
For several years now he hasn't OWNED the television station he created. I wonder why?????? He probably did try to build a distribution company. Maybe he was blocked from doing so? I can't say. I'm not in his pockets so I can't speak on his business ventures but if it was in his best interest (and it probably would have been) he should have done it.
"I can not name a single item that African Americans market to any race or nationality, except for their own self image."
LOL! Which is my point.
"Because in the grand sceme of things, every demanded product involving African Americans is marketed and operated by non-blacks, I don't deny this."
Refer to my first post in this thread.
"The intracacies of black "exploitation" in America are real, but it is how this is looked at and labeled that I have a problem with. It's people pointing the finger when in reality, "exploitation" is made up of many more elements than just white owners controlling everything."
I agree which is why I asked about the products that latinos, chinese, jews etc etc etc market and sell to blacks.
"You have black artists who create the image, you have owners who market and magnify it to consumers, who buy it up and reveal the desired public image of African Americans in music."
I agree with you to some extent. A lot of artists are FORCED to make songs that appeal to a certain demographic. If they don't cut these songs the album will be pushed back and ultimately shelved if the label wants to place it on hold. This "image" that is desired is the "brute negro" image. It has been marketed and promoted BEFORE rap music was invented. I encourage you to hit the Jim Crow museum. Do a google search on jim crow and it will probably be the first thing to pop up.
"The same thing most other black rap artists market, a tainted and damaging black image."
True.
