About Langston

http://www.straightgangsterism.com

Langston is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology at Indiana University. His research interests include music & place, African-American music, local music industries, and independent music scenes. He is also the curator of Straight Gangsterism (http://www.straightgangsterism.com), a blog dedicated to popular culture and society.

Posts by Langston :

Indie Rap Income Chart

By Langston in Marketing 4 Comments Tags: , , ,

In an article for Huffington Post UK, MC Lars discussed the impact of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) on indie artists. The most interesting part of his article, however, is the commentary on indie rap revenue streams. According to his chart, posted below, only a small percentage of his earnings come from music sales. He also notes the importance of being creative with music distribution methods:

“What this means then is that in order for artists like me to survive, I must be creative with how I let people hear my music. A primary means of distribution in 2011 was my USB robot, a two-gigabyte hard drive keychain that housed all of my albums digitally. I also sell t-shirts with cartoon characters I draw myself and I try to print on shirts manufactured domestically when I can. 47% of my income comes from merchandise, 40% from ticket sales, and 13% comes from iTunes, Spotify or other paid music services through the internet. I used a crowdsourced funding site called Kickstarter to produce my last album, with added bonuses of drawings and personalized songs to the highest contributors.”

Read the full story here.

*Note* Check back soon for an article on creative distribution.

(De)Coloring the Grammys

By Langston in Events 6 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

The death of African-American pop great Whitney Houston 1 cast a large shadow over the 54th Grammy Awards, which was presented this past Sunday. Houston, a pop starlet, was also an artist firmly rooted in the African-American musical continuum, one that has been historically under-appreciated by mainstream institutions like the Grammys. In recent years, however, there has been a larger African-American presence at the Grammy Awards. With the emergence of hip hop as a major musical and cultural force, it appeared that the Grammys couldn’t afford not to embrace African-American music. The last few Grammy telecasts featured several African-American performers and presenters. This year, however, there seemed to be a lack of color and a promotion of White musical culture.

The “whitening” of this year’s telecast falls in line with recent restructuring of the Grammy’s Award categories. Last year, the Grammy’s announced that they were cutting several categories, reducing the total number of awards from 109 to 78. As Ines Gonzales, executive vice president for the National Hispanic Media Coalition, notes “Over 70 percent of these categories represented ethnic and race-based styles of music.” 2 The number of African-American oriented categories were severely reduced. The R&B field went from 8 categories to 4, while Gospel was completely folded and merged with Contemporary Christian music. Many other ethnic-based fields were cut as well, which led to calls of a racism and a protest from several minority artists.

This year’s Grammy telecast appeared to be a direct appeal to white musical culture. First, older white artists, including Bruce Springsteen, The Beach Boys, Paul McCartney, and Glen Campbell were featured prominently. It looks as if the Grammys were offering tribute to a bygone era(s) and musical landscape, one less dominated by color. Second, there were strange and pointless pairings of Black and white artists. The Alicia Keys/Bonnie Raitt tribute to Etta James left much to be desired and the Rihanna/Coldplay combo was laughable. Third, there were sanitized and soul-less performances from Chris Brown and Lil Wayne. Nicki Minaj’s performance, while certainly edgy, was even couched in whiteness. Interestingly enough, this de-coloring of the Grammys can be juxtaposed with the dominance of Adele, an artist largely influenced by African-American musical culture. 

So, what does the 54th Grammy Awards tell us about the state of African-American music? The Grammys active appeal to a white consumer base seems to suggests that the Black musical influence is waning, but I’m not so sure that is the case. The Grammys remain a primary index and taste-maker in American popular music, which makes this years awards a bit troublesome. Minority artists should take note.   
  1. Check back tomorrow for Soul 4 Sale’s commentary on Whitney Houston’s legacy ↩
  2. http://www.neontommy.com/news/2012/02/artists-protest-grammy-award-cuts  ↩

Itunes Reigns Supreme

By Langston in Technology 3 Comments Tags: , ,

Digital music aggregate CD Baby recently released a chart breaking down the revenue pulled in from digital music services in 2011. I wasn’t surprised to see that Itunes still brings in the most revenue, but I did not expect it to be so dominant. It is also pretty interesting that Spotify accounted for only 2.0% of revenue, slightly less than fellow streaming service Rhapsody at 2.1%. This does lend some credence to my suggestion that indie artists should see Spotify more as a marketing tool rather than a revenue source. – via Digital Music News.

When Corporate and Indie Collide

By Langston in Marketing 1 Comment Tags: , , , ,

Andrew Hampp ( @ahampp ) of Billboard Magazine recently authored an article about corporate America’s increasing interest in underground/indie music. Check it out here.

I have recently attended a couple of corporate-sponsored Independent hip hop shows. The first was the Swisha House Records Christmas Party sponsored by Swisher Sweets. This $10 concert featured a number of lesser-known Swisha House artists along with some of Houston’s burgeoning hip hop talent. Concert goers were given a number of free products including cigarillos, lighters, and condoms in exchange for their email addresses.

The second, the Red Bull Skooled Tour, followed a slightly different model. This tour was organized by Austin-based DJ/writer Matt Sonzala and sponsored by, obviously, Red Bull. The tour features a collective of up and coming Texas artists and each stop of the tour is headlined by a particular rap legend (in Houston it was Mannie Fresh). The idea is that these up and coming artists will learn from the veterans by travelling and performing with them. Although no products were given away, the show itself was free.  It was a smart move on Red Bull’s part as their investment in indie music helps cement their relevance among that particular consumer base.

While I don’t know the financial details of these corporate shows, I can’t help but think that participating artists benefited greatly . The exposure alone is worth any possible drawbacks.

Check out the article and let us know what you think.

-Langston

 

When Radio Attacks!

By Langston in Uncategorized No Comments Tags: , , , ,

Entertainment website EUR Web is reporting that African-American based media-company Radio One has banned all of Matthew Knowles’ Music World related music from their 69 radio stations worldwide. The ban is the result of a lawsuit filed by Radio One’s sister corporation, TV One has against Knowles. Knowles’ gospel catalog (which includes Leandria Johnson, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, and Juanita Bynum)  has been removed from Radio One’s 12 gospel themes stations, while old music from Beyonce and Destiny’s Child have been yanked from their pop stations.

This situation is similar to the Houston 97.9 KBXX’s ban of Houston artist Trae the Truth. The Box, a Radio One station, banned Trae’s music after he made disparaging remarks about one of their DJs. In addition, The Box fired their own DJs for associating with him. This local radio banned significantly delayed the release of Trae’s forthcoming album, as his label refused to release the album without local radio support. In response, Trae sued 97.9 the Box for sabotaging his career. He eventually dropped the lawsuit.

As Fredara Mareva recently noted radio remains a powerful force in the music industry. Despite the presence of various forms of new media, radio is the key vehicle through music is mass disseminated. Bans, such as the ones imposed on Knowles and Trae, could have immensely damaging effects on the careers of artists and the vitality of labels. Despite the possible consequences, artists are not simply waving the white flag. In Houston, artists and fans responded to Trae’s banned by investing in independent and online radio stations. Even Matthew Knowles has noted that his ban has given him the opportunity to explore other media outlets. The power struggle between corporate radio and artists/labels can only help those outlets outside the commercial power structure.

Stay tuned for the outcome of the Radio One vs. Mathew Knowles drama.

Throwing Rocks at The Throne

By Langston in Uncategorized No Comments Tags: , , , , ,

Soul singer Syl Johnson recently sued Kanye West, Jay-Z, Def Jam, and Universal, claiming that portions of his song “Different Strokes” was used on the Watch the Throne song “The Joy” without any clearance, credit, or compensation. According to Billboard Magazine, both Kanye and Jay will not admit that “The Joy” samples Johnson’s work. Much more interesting, however, is West’s lawyer’s suggestion that Johnson’s song may not be subject to federal copyright because it was recorded prior to 1972.

Prior to 1972, sound recordings were not subject to federal copyright law, but were regulated by state law and torts. The Sound Recording act of 1971 extended federal copyright protection to recordings fixed on or after February 15, 1972. According to the act, pre-1972 recordings, like Johnson’s, are not federally protected but remain governed by state common law and statutory provisions.

The federal copyright status of pre-1972 recordings continues to be the subject of much debate and conflict. Last year, Universal Music Group sued music streaming site Grooveshark over streams of its pre-1972 catalog. They argued that because this material was not under federal copyright regulation, then it could not be subject to DMCA safe harbor protection. In response, copyright attorney Joel Kellum created a list of 11 reasons why federal copyright does apply to pre-1972 music.  Kellum’s list, while compelling, offers nothing concrete.

If approached from this copyright angle, the Johnson/West case could have for reaching implications for musicians, labels, websites, and fans. What it highlights is the need for clear-cut, federal copyright legislation that governs all musics irrespective of production date.

Here is a pretty good article the Federalization of Pre-1972 Sound Recordings.

Spin’s Beautifully Complicated Hip Hop Industry

By Langston in Uncategorized No Comments Tags: , , , ,

The above infographic was produced by Brandon Soderberg and Luke McCormick for Spin Magazine, with the goal of providing a visual guide of the increasingly complex hip hop industry landscape. While some of the labels are a tad on the corny side, I think it perfectly illuminates the magnitude and fragmentation of contemporary hip hop.

The artist placement is a bit perplexing, however. Aside from the stars, what makes one artist part of the industry and another in “The New Underground?” For instance, why are ASAP Rocky or El-P part of the industry while Das Racist and Big Krit are considered underground? An artist like Trae the Truth is essentially a regional artist who has a few big name friends. Does this make him part of the industry?

Based on what I see in this diagram, you basically have three categories in hip hop: Stars, Veterans, and Niche rappers. If each of the circles in this diagram represented a particular market, stars and veterans would each comprise a single circle and the rest would be the various niche markets present. There are many niches, and each offers opportunities to make consistent money. Non-stars should focus on solidifying and satisfying their niches before going for the gusto. Not everybody is going to be Jay-Z or even Wiz Khalifa, but there are efficient ways to make good money in the hip hop music industry.

Read more about this diagram here

Spotify and the Indie Artist

By Langston in Uncategorized 1 Comment Tags: , , ,

Independent artist (and game designer) Imphenzia wrote an interesting blog post about how Spotify fails to accomodate independent artists. Check it out here.

I recently asked an independent artist friend of mine whether he has considered Spotify as a possible marketing tool. He, like other indie hip hop artists, release tons of music for free, mainly through sites like Bandcamp and Reverbnation. A key drawback of this practice is that in order to expose the public to their music, artists must first drawn them to their webpages. This takes a web-saviness that the artists may or may not posses. Therefore, its possible that quality music may go unnoticed because the artist does not understand SEO.

On the surface, Spotify seems like a good solution to the aforementioned problem. If an independent artist were to put their music on Spotify, it would be immediately accessible to a worldwide audience. Rather than having to search for an artists bandcamp page, or navigate a complex website, all consumers have to do is search for artists names and click play. Because unfamiliar fans can listen for free (or virually free) they are more likely to take a risk and listen to a new artist. The indie artist’s music would be situated right along side that of major label artists in a primary music consumption vehicle, which adds an air of “legitimacy.”

Imphenzia, in his blog, argues that Spotify fails as a resource for indie artists. A key reason for this is the barrier of entry. Spotify requires that indie artists use aggregators to deliver their music. Aggregators, such as CDBaby or Record Union, are essentially digital distributors that package and deliver content to online retailers and streaming services. These aggregators typically have set up fees and take a percentage of any revenue generated.

I somewhat disagree with Imphenzia’s argument. Most aggregator fees are not that expensive and are a value considering the possible benefits. A 20-30 dollar setup fee and a small portion of download revenue  is worth the massive exposure. If indie artists looked at Spotify as a marketing tool and not as a retail vehicle, then they would see its true worth. Spending a little money on marketing can go a long way.

What Spotify really needs is a way to release free music, without having to deal with monetary considerations. Imphenzia’s suggestion that Spotify offer on-board controls for indie artists is a good one. Artists should be able to release free mixtapes and such without having to deal with aggregators.

Check out a list of music aggregators here.

Here is a guide to promoting music on Spotify.

Peace

Tumblr: A Musician’s Dream?

By Langston in Uncategorized No Comments Tags: , , ,

Chris Payne of Billboard Magazine, recently released a simple, but informative list of ways musicians could effectively use Tumblr to promote their music. This list works in conjunction with Clyde Smith’s Hypebot article about Tumblr’s effectiveness as a music marketing tool.

I have long been a fan of Tumblr as a bridge between artist and fan. In the information age, fans are clamoring for all information about their favorite artists. Tumblr allows its users to present themselves beyond the 140 character limit of twitter and the too-robust modern Facebook. Let’s not even discuss sites such as Reverbnation and Bandcamp where personal information is rarely more than a brief biography. The good thing about Tumblr is that it is not set up for people to post their day-to-day activities. Rather, it is a medium through which people, like artists, can present various thoughts, ideas, tastes, and influences. All of these allow the fan to gain a deeper understanding of the musicians and his or her music. I find it pretty cool when artists post pictures of their favorite writers or clips of childhood cartoons because these cultural elements are influences on their art.

Clyde Smith’s article notes that Tumblr has recently partnered with Soundcould, allowing artists to publish that site’s content directly onto their tumblogs. Now, it would be great if Tumblr could partner with similar sites, as well as retailers such as Itunes and streaming services like Spotify.

As it stands, Tumblr is a good resource for artists looking to solidify their fanbases. Tumblr will not gain you many new fans, but it will foster  a deeper bond with the ones that you already have.

Check out Chris Payne and Clyde Smith’s articles.

G-Side on Forbes.com

By Langston in Uncategorized No Comments Tags: ,

Alabama rap upstarts G-Side were recently featured on Forbes.com. The article discussed the group’s use of the website Bandcamp to sell their upcoming album.

The article touches on a number of important issues. First, it is a clear example of how independent artists, are working outside of the traditional avenues to get their product to the masses. They are eschewing the middlemen (Big 4 labels, distributors) and selling their products directly to consumers.

Second, its clear that artists are no longer having to set up shop in New York or L.A. in order to reach larger audiences. G-Side continues to work out of Huntsville, AL, which allows them to nurture their core audience and reduce operational costs, while not sacrificing access to other media markets.

In short, Bandcamp allows G-Side to sell their music out of the trunk of a car travelling along the information superhighway. I wonder what this means, however, for audiences who don’t actively use or aren’t able to access the internet. It seems that this new model is targeted at a particular group of consumers. Ultimately, the Forbes on G-Side article is an excellent example of how indie artists are using new media to gain more control over their product.

Check it out.

-Langston