F–k Your Blog Part 2: Integrity Edition
So this has been bugging me for a while and after reading a post on 2DopeBoyz.com that said “It [Royce Da 5'9” “Revival” bootleg] wasn’t supposed to be out and since Royce is a good dude, I took it off the site upon request.” I decided it was time to rant.
The majority of blogs out there have very little to no integrity. They don’t fact check and they don’t even consider if an artist wants what they are posting put online. Some of them will remove the links when asked by artists, that’s a start but still not nearly good enough.
As soon as that link is posted you are hurting the artist, not helping “promote” them as you claim to be. If you are truly trying to help artists you would be contacting them about what you post before you post it because you never know, that link you just posted to what you called a “mixtape” could of been a real project that you just screwed the artist out of being able to actually release it.
Even posting tracks from projects can have negative effects. You would be surprised how many people trash an album or don’t buy it because they “heard the tracks before” when they weren’t supposed to hear these tracks in the first place. Why not just stick to what the artist is putting online, you know there is a reason they choose which tracks to leak and which tracks not to leak right? If you want to build some interest say you heard it and loved it, if you’re opinion matters to the reader they will go out and buy the music if you don’t give it to them for free.
While I don’t think this is going to change anytime soon I do think that some of the major blogs really need to step up here and set an example. If all these blogs, websites and message boards that claim to support the artists would actually provide ways to purchase music instead of free download links maybe the artists you listen to would actually release quality music instead of cater to the Souljah Boy fans who actually go out and buy his music instead of just bootlegging it.
Even though it is the bloggers that are in the wrong here, I do feel that the artists need to take a little control too. They need to stop giving “exclusives” to the same blogs that are bootlegging their material. There are respectable blogs and big websites out there that will gladly post your material. As an artist if you are worried about not getting as much exposure through these respectable sites, don’t worry the other blogs will still post it. You are just helping and supporting those who actually respect you and your work by giving the “exclusives” to respectable blogs.
P.S. I decided to just stick with integrity in relation to the music industry in this rant even though it does extend into other industries.
P.P.S. I would like to say that I do respect some the hustle of many of the major bloggers but I feel the blog game has to change before it further aids in destroying the already weakened music industry they strive on.
P.P.P.S. See what your link inspired me to hate on Dante?
10 Responses to 'F–k Your Blog Part 2: Integrity Edition'
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I thoroughly hope you never fact check anything I post on here.
..
yeah.
Love,
-Stephan
Stephan
19 Dec 08 at 6:26 pm
AMEN TO THAT!!! I feel you on this issue all the way. People (blog sites and fans) always crying “but Charles Hamilton is better than Soulja Boy, why doesn’t he get the shine?”….you know why? Cause Soulja Boy fans are out buying his product and supporting him at shows while Charles Hamilton fans are waiting for his music to hit there favorite blog with a zshare link. Then they cry “hip-hop is dead, Soulja Boy isn’t real hip-hop”. I saw this very thing happen on 2dopeboyz. They had a post about 14KT and the very first comment was “can we get a link for the album download”. Are you serious? You want real hip-hop but instead of asking how you could go about purchasing the project so you can help KT continue to put out more music the first thing you ask is “can we get a link for the album download”!!! FUCK OUTTA HERE!!! If making something dope and then having it stolen by a bunch of people is “real hip-hop” then you know what…..FUCK HIP-HOP! Put me on the Soulja Boy mailing list cause people are actually paying for his music/gaabage.
Sorry for my own rant….carry on with your day people
And I still love hip-hop, just hate those who claim they love it but won’t spend $10 to cop their so called favorite artists work
Trilogy
19 Dec 08 at 6:37 pm
^Trilogy is an idiot… I agree with your post on the fact that some exclusives should be held back. But, for artists like Royce and Charles Hamilton, they need the exposure / blogs to help promote… BLOGS MADE CHARLES HAMILTON… Nobody would have a clue who the F*ck that kid is without the blogs.
Also, many artists connect with bloggers and feel “friendships” have developed – so they shoot over their ish for the bloggers to post. The “hip-hop” game is turning more digital than ever, so it’s time for you to recognize that… The sites that leak full albums = terribly wrong.
A couple of hot promo tracks for an album gets me to go out and buy that shit… If you hear a couple lame singles, you know not to cop… Blogs serve their purpose dude. Your perspective is WAY too biased.
Some blogs have integrity like 2DBZ, and others like “hear-it-first.net” are plain album leakers… Which is clearly bullshit.
REALtalkNY
19 Dec 08 at 6:46 pm
^^^^^^^^^^^
LOL….yeah blogs may have made Charles Hamilton, but guarantee when his full length is close to droppin the same blgs that “made” him will be the same ones that leak the hell out of the album via zshare links until he barely makes any money off of it
Trilogy
19 Dec 08 at 6:50 pm
REALtalkNY: I agree that blogs serve a purpose and I do utilize them all the time with artists that I work with. In this blog I am mainly talking about the “hear-it-first.net” type sites, I just chose not to name any of them because I don’t want to let even 1 additional person to find out a place to bootleg music.
As for the 2DB’s of the Internet, I think they are on the right track but still need some work, if only for the post-first-remove-when-asked-practice.
P.S. As biased as I sound/am it’s only because I’ve seen what I speak about happen (and if you’re wondering I’m not an artist, just know a lot of them).
Thanks for the comment, I always like hearing different points of view.
M.O.S.
19 Dec 08 at 7:13 pm
Also, Trilogy, Soulja Boy’s album is not gon sell for sh*t… Thanks for the follow up comment though, I see your P.O.V. And really controversial article here – which I digg (props to M.O.S.) for writing that.
Definitely agree w/ ya on the “post before asking” thing… Esp. w/ big records like S.L.U.
One thing to note though: the album that got “LEAKED” like no other (Tha Carter III) sold the best this year!!
Also, another thing to note is that Wayne has the most FREE content out of any artist (NOTE ALL THE MIXTAPES)…
blogs that I follow are:
nahright.com
2dopeboyz.com
realtalkny.uproxx.com
smokingsection.uproxx.com
yungdrew.com
onsmash.com
^^^those right there are some ill blogs right there that serve their promo purpose
all those “.blogspot” need to get the eff outta here…haha
*I’m glad you didn’t name them as well, I hate the peeps that bootleg the albums. The people who think a track is fire over at 2dbz and then BUY the album are the people who are HELPING support artists…
Everyone doesn’t have the bankroll to keep buying EVERY SINGLE single / album that comes out before hearing it… That’s why I rock w/ the blogs, then cop.
‘Nuff Said.
REALtalkNY
20 Dec 08 at 12:46 am
***ONE LAST THING: *Quality music / hip-hop* doesn’t mean you’ll sell to a big crowd… Overall musical appeal is what makes you sell to a big crowd, that’s what an artist like Lil Wayne has… That’s what artists like U2 (global appeal) have…
And be sure to read this:
http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.8286/title.in-slumping-economy-digital-sales-eclipse-1-billion-mark
REALtalkNY
20 Dec 08 at 12:57 am
[...] users. They voice many of the things that I have brought up F–k Your Blog Part 1 and Part 2 and touch on several things that I have been planning to post about. I’m not joking about [...]
Internet Users Take Notes at Hater Central
29 Dec 08 at 11:36 pm
I won’t be afraid to say it – VARIOUS SITES IN NEW MUSIC CARTEL NEED TO SWITCH UP THEIR PRACTICES. Read your promo material first before blogging stuff, first of all. I get the same e-mails as you and I see “leak this on such-and-such date” only to see that the songs have already been thrown up on your site like it’s a special exclusive. SMH
I’m sayin’… as an artist and a marketing/PR guy, I already know the deal. I cannot stand to see the amount of songs that get posted and see that as promotion. It’s done to drive traffic to your sites, that’s it. You cannot possibly really enjoy more than 25% of the music you post. I don’t check 2DB for its quality picks, I go there to see what’s the new word in terms of internet buzz. It looks like spam otherwise. A bunch of no-name acts that are gathering that all they have to do to get some pub is feed the machine with free tracks. Gimme a break.
It’s time for folks to scale back and show they have taste. Be like Michigan Hip Hop dot com and show a niche. Be like Fresh Selects dot net and truly bring out some under-the-radar gems. Stop trying to be the first to post the random radio rip of an XM radio bootleg feature. That ain’t hot. Case in point, y’all ruined Eminem’s new single for me… yep. YOU DID.
Brother G.A.M.
10 Jan 09 at 11:50 pm
[...] Fuck Your Blog Again. [...]
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