André Toulon Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 I kinda looked but nothing seemed to lean in that direction and I would rather not start a new one if one exists. If there is, I'll request this be merged with it. I have a long winded post but wanna put it in the right place Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raptorpat Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 I think this thread is the right thread 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasqueradeOverture Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 The better idea would be to put this in general discussion or current events since this sub gets zero traffic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
André Toulon Posted February 19 Author Share Posted February 19 16 hours ago, MasqueradeOverture said: The better idea would be to put this in general discussion or current events since this sub gets zero traffic. I didn't really want to put it there because....you know what, I'll just make the post then see what happens....worst case scenario, it goes to TD. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
André Toulon Posted February 19 Author Share Posted February 19 So lately, amid all of the hoopla of industries being exposed, and people in power being attacked for their underhanded practices concerning their talent, I'm wondering why people are still trying to get signed. This also applies to the movie/tv industry too but right now I'm just thinking about musicians. Now I listen to all genres of music, but I'll admit that most of what I'm about to prattle on about is mostly the rap/hiphop sector. If you don't know, Diddy is under fire again. To lesser extents, Jay-Z, Birdman, Suge Knight, and even Russel Simmons have had their share of accusations come out against them....some, substantiated, some debunked and some that went away because the accuser suddenly was unalived. Everything from rape, to murder to gross exploitation without compensation have come up, and in a world where you can get rich on Spotify if you put in the work, what do large labels have to offer anymore. Now don't get me wrong...obviously signing with a label gets you access to their resources which would expedite the trip to fame but when you see your favorite artist from the 00s working at a gas station because the label didn't pay them, or they didn't suck the CEOs dick, I just feel like common sense would kick in. Now, moving on...while I do listen to other genres, I have no idea who's in charge of their labels. Like, are there country singers who should have been famous but aren't because they refused to get naked, or promote a certain thing they didn't agree with. What I'm saying is I've never seen (not saying they haven't) say..Taylor Swift claiming the label stole her royalties or.,.I dunno, Dolly Parton claiming she doesn't own her catalogue (Dolly is likely independent but I'm just trying to get through this rant that I've mostly forgotten ).... That said, I should have done this yesterday when all the ideas were fresh and I still had a decent memory of the video that prompted this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoobdog Posted February 19 Share Posted February 19 Are we talking like the shady side in structural dynamics that allow abusers to victimize the talent in any given label or are we talking labels that themselves are specifically fronts for exploitation? It's kind of a broad topic simply because exploitation is somewhat distinct from abuse in that they're not mutually exclusive but they're still independent systems. This thread reminds me of that whole Rebecca Black / ARK Music thing in how naked commercialization of the the creative process (as opposed to distribution) exposed a lot of people to a side of the industry that rarely gets seen. Talent managers run amok is easy villain fodder for literary and screenwriters, but the reality is far less personal. Labels regularly manipulate the creative process in a way that divorces them from any responsibility for the product while still giving the power over the creative process to benefit sales, a good example being Chris Brown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doom Metal Alchemist Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 Neglecting stuff like murder and rape...... Major labels want to own their artists' souls. After learning what I have in taking music courses in college, no way in fucking hell would I ever sign to a major label. Indie label or DIY all the way. As for why do people keep signing to major labels.... they're the only ones that can promise any sort of fame. Young artists trying to chase their dreams of being rich and famous probably aren't thinking long term, even if they care at all. But I have to assume these are the artists that don't mind the label and producers interfering in every aspect of the creative and recording process. I don't know what Taylor Swift has done lately, but a few or so years ago there was a big hoopla about her making an album that contained little to no country, it was much more like modern pop music or something. Either the label heavily persuaded her to pursue that direction in order to be able to keep up the money and fame, or else they just completely strong-armed her through her contract. IMO any musician shouldn't actively seek to make music their day jobs anymore. Only the ones willing to sign away their souls are able to, but how many truly mainstream artists are there at any given time these days? Any other aspiring musician should resign themselves to making music as a side job or a hobby, and forget about making any money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
André Toulon Posted February 20 Author Share Posted February 20 So as to not creat large quote post, I'll just say doomer is more in the realm that I'm speaking of more than labels being used as fronts. Because speaking of indie labels, I actually know a few that are mostly fronts. And speaking on managers, part of my rant was about Brittany Spears and her dad making off with a chunk of her money, but I was wondering if that situation, how do you even trust a manager Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doom Metal Alchemist Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 3 hours ago, André Toulon said: So as to not creat large quote post, I'll just say doomer is more in the realm that I'm speaking of more than labels being used as fronts. Because speaking of indie labels, I actually know a few that are mostly fronts. And speaking on managers, part of my rant was about Brittany Spears and her dad making off with a chunk of her money, but I was wondering if that situation, how do you even trust a manager I think Britney was like 16 when her debut album came out, so it unfortunately seems natural for her parents to want to take a chunk of her money for themselves. As for why to trust a manager... Unfortunately an artist at her level (and even down to much lower than her level) needs someone to oversee their finances, booking, etc because the artists themselves get too busy to do it themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discolé monade Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 barry gordy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
André Toulon Posted February 21 Author Share Posted February 21 (edited) 4 hours ago, discolé monade said: barry gordy. I know this name but no clue who he is off the top of my head Edited February 21 by André Toulon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoobdog Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 1 hour ago, André Toulon said: I know this name but no clue who he is off the top of my head He's probably the most famous example of the managerial style you're talking about. He's a legend for his creation of Motown Records, where he showcased his ability to identify / culture talent and produce iconic music, but he's also somewhat infamous for how his heavy influence homogenized the R&B sound. It's thanks to him, the less talented Diana Ross was elevated to top billing of the Supremes and ensuing questionable solo career. Also, it's thanks to him we have the one and only single anyone has ever heard by Rockwell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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