Searched, and I'm just depressed more than anything.
Buying features, at time when sales are at a low point, IS NOT A WISE DECISION. The ONLY way to build fans at this juncture is to build up a stockpile of Mixtapes, DVDs and Merchandise, and push those products Online and through Shows and other In-person Appearances (and by appearance, I don't mean hawking your CD to passers-by). People want more than just music. They want an experience.
Enter LiveNation and 360 Deals all around.
Having a feature like The Game or T.I. is only going to make people bootleg your shit that much more. Like a hobo with diamond earrings, it's a problem waiting to happen.
People will put up those tracks with the QUICKNESS onto YouTube these days, and even if not, they'll buy the singles for 99c from ITunes and not the whole album.
Give it time. As YouTube is starting to prove, people want more Video. Once we start seeing these so-called "rappers" and "labels", close up and on camera, we'll better be able to make up our minds who has it and who never will. Do a search on "Dirty Shoez" and "Video", and you'll see me over a year ago talking about how Video/DVD is about to explode......and lo and behold, YouTube is becoming one of the top websites on the internet.
05-05-2008, so not as prophetic...but YT is everywhere now, even on TVs. When you want to hear a new song--and not just 30 seconds of it--where do you go? Probably YouTube. I was waaaay the fuck off about DVDs though. Didn't realize how much streaming/free content would take over.
2 years later, we got Smack DVDs in heavy rotation, other regions releasing DVD Magazines, all of this stuff. NorthWest--we got some clips up on YouTube and not much else I've seen. The choices are $20 for a high-quality DVD or free downloads on YouTube at ass-quality.....where's the middle-ground?
So the middle-ground was free HDTV-quality YT clips. Oops.
I'll end here like I always end: Video is coming. HDTV as the household standard is coming. We can either be ahead of the curve, or wait for everyone else to grab up all the market share, and then come running in yelling "WAIT! WAIT FOR US! PLEASE WAIT!!!"......it will be too late. We will look like we're just biting everyone else.
05-25-2006.
The idea should be to start a drive to encourage EVERY RAPPER/LABEL DOING SHOWS to purchase a video camera, one around $200-300 dollars, or more if they can afford it. Tell them that if they will send you copies of the footage, you will try EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER to make sure it is seen--be on it a DVD, TV show, or even on a Website.
Also 05-25-2006.
You don't need to know how to name shots and all that other --snip-- shit, to record a video of people rapping and freestyling in a K-Mart parking lot.
I snipped a word.
BUY the $200 camera for now. Once you realize how much of an asset it is to you and your label---even if you don't want your footage on DVD, you'll still have it to analyze and look at and STUDY where you need to improve--then you WILL get to the point where you sell the $200 camera, and buy a $400 one instead.
Whats the alternative? A B2? Some random ass Rode condenser? The Hyper-Cardioid of your dreams? That-one-mic that "all the top studios" have? SHUT THE FUCK UP WITH ALL OF THAT.
Hhhehehe-lizard.jpg
The best you can do is go indy, and do the things I've said before: Instead of buying your 15th different Condenser Mic, buy a Video Camera or a Digital Camera. Start capturing ALL the media you can--even exclusive stuff. Say you do a concert with Spice 1.....TRY to get that Interview, TRY to find someone to record your performance, TRY all that shit.
05-04-2006
Labels need to start making sure that they aren't overspending on 32 channel consoles, Motifs, MPCs, Condensers, Super-Cardiods, Ribbon Mics, etc etc, and underspending on a simple camcorder and digital camera (300-500, or less if used). We need to get on this shit. Damn near everybody has High-Speed Internet and DVD Burners, and more and more people are picking up the HDTVs. Let's start putting them to use.
01-20-2006
So, yeah, depressing. I failed to stop talking so much shit, and DO THINGS, and now the market (indy and major) is flooded with cheap (and free) readily-accessible HD video.
Damn, damn, damn, James.
Edit: if someone ever invents a time machine, I'd like to travel back to 2005 and punch myself in the face.
