More then likely I would hope...I am all for supporting artists, but there is no way in hell I am going to go out and spend between 10-15 skrillas on a CD when there is only a couple of good tracks on it...
I.e. Young Buck album...I'd be all for going out and buying a CD if there was more then a handful of dope tracks on it.

I'm actually GLAD that we people can buy just a few songs of a CD. Shit. That means, mr and mrs rapper... get your bars up!!!

I'm tired of listening to an album with only 2 good songs.

better have 10% of something than 100% of Nothing

that is at least...from the artist standpoint...and the listener's too...now that i think of it

how bout Napster and those pay monthly for unlimited dls... is that actually legal?

co-sign:
Mofos need to up their skills and start churning out good albums. I hope hose days are not gone forever.

*those days*

Back when cassette tapes were out they used to sell cassette singles for cheap. CDs too. I haven't been CD shoping in a while, but I know that they have CD singles, where you get the original version and a remix or 2..Same thing in my opinion.

I watch MTV cribs and see these rappers that have 1 good song out and they have this lavish 2.5 million dollar house and their Bentleys and Benzs in the driveway.

When I see them with normal homes then Ill have a little sympathy.

THEY must think it is! lol.

artists make most of their money with tours. Most of the current "artists" in hip hop cant tour....mainly because they are studio musicans who have no talent on a live stage infront of 5000 people. Have you ever tried to see an artist like Jkwon on stage? Its like him and 50 of his home boys all yellin into the mic screaming random shit. I would hate to be a sound guy at their event. I dont have pity for artists. Unless they are humble and just do music cause they love it...not so they can have 15 hummers with 22's and a 40 bedroom estate the record label probably owns anyways.

don't believe the hype.

Interesting topic...


Yeah, the last junk CD I bought was Musiq's latest album (Lack-Luster). Robin Thicke puts him to shame...

I'm happy never to buy another cheap shit - scratch way to easy - over priced CD. Good riddance to that bullshit. As for the Artists, I do not know what to think since the Industry is in such shambles.

Artists need to think of leveraging their popularity and get into direct sales and let go of the labels...

(which will kill a lot of airplay -- but still)...

I don't blame itunes for the lack of artists revenue.. THE LABELS are the ones to blame.

agreed, and it gives everyone an equal playing field.

Funny you guys mentioned this...

This morning, Big Boy from Power106 was interviewing B-Real of Cypress Hill. There was a part where Big Boy asks him what he thinks of impact on CD sales. B-Real blames the iTunes and Limewire for the cause of decline where either they choose only one or two songs from the album or download the songs illegally for free.

They were saying even though iPod/iTunes was a good thing, it's also a bad thing in terms of people not buying the whole album to fully understand the songs, the inserts, info, etc. He felt because of people choosing one or two songs, it's the reason the decline of album quality from artists.

Because of the lack of sales on the albums and resorting to illegal downloads, he said people don't know that it effect the label record industry in terms of paying the artists, staff, etc. so they can make a living. He complained how there are enforcable laws of stealing tangible objects but no government intervention on stealing music.

They talked about how artists depend on albums to make a living, and where before top singles on charts means big sales on albums. But now, using the MIMS's This Is Why I'm Hot song as an example, a top single hit doesn't translate sales in albums at all.

Finally, they discussed how live shows and album sales interact. I forgot which dictates what but they said before it was this (live shows or album sales) will help create that effect. But now it's the opposite, which I asumme they are saying it meant kinda sucks. Ha ha, if people heard the interview, please clarify this!

Too bad there is no audio clip, maybe they will post it on the website next week. But it was very intersting. Oh yeah, please correct me on any info above. I was listening on the road and I'm just giving you a brief summary of what I heard.

This is what I said a while back about money in Hip Hop, and in the music business in general. You def. hit the nail on the head with how artists make money, with touring being the biggest source of income, and merchandising and licensing rounding out the cash flow. The actual income from album sales is the smallest part of the package.

www.scratchlive.net

If anything, iTunes has helped keep what is left of the music industry afloat, as the artist is at least getting something for each song, and artists who may not see a full label release get to put out songs in order to reach a wider audience.

If they want album sales, then they should make good albums. If the album contained 14 good songs and someone buys all good songs from itunes even if not at the same time, they will have album like returns right there .... common sense.

sad but true, certain artists make more money off of damn ringtones than album sales. I agree 200% with ALL of u guys artists need to focus more on BETTER music. all this simplistic casio beat sounding, no soul having wack pre-school rhyme saying has to come to a halt. bring back that feel good party music.

(sorry about the rant.)

Now you are going to see artists make one or two hit songs at a time instead of making whole albums. Make a hit, sell it online, release the other hit the next month, sell it online. This way we get all quality hits and it cuts down on production time and cost in the studio also. Streamline is what I call it.

Devin feat Snoop Dogg and Andre 3000 - What a Job

Its all good to say,you dont want to spend x amount of money on cd with only 2 good songs. But theres a gazillion people out there that even if the album was full of quality they would still illegally download it. Most people are care free and see it as simple as should I spend $15 on a cd or should I get it for free,with no caring about the consequences. Yes I agree that albums arnt is good as they use to be but I think the reason alot of albums sold so well in the past is because people didnt have a choice,if they wanted only 1 song they still had to buy the whole album or single.

it all started when the first cd recorder came out. and the rest is history.....

Word.



Word.



Word.

If anything I think Itunes helped artists, if I wasnt a DJ, I wouldt spend $20 on two songs I would just go get it illegaly. But for .99 I would save the hastle of downloading it illegaly & just buy it from itunes.