I wanted to be big in the rap game but now idk if it’s ever going to be possible, my songs on this channel im commenting on were my old songs but new songs improved a lot and nobody willing to give it a chance, now it’s probably never going to happen
@@stprino how so? if nobody has blown up and captured mainstream success besides a very few and people are getting tired of the same shit. it's literally the best time to blow up
The early 2010s sucked terribly too with trash music. That is when trap music really took off. The overly sexual and violent music came in hard. The pop music was super corny too. After 2004/2005, things really went downhill. After 2006/2007, it was just too far gone in terms of how quality was severely lacking in music.
As an artist in the industry who's seen a lot of independent success , i am happy the industry is crashing . Whatever the reasons for it. It's making people listen to people who have something to say a lot more than what works normally for pop-rap
Technology and the internet just don't work well with the system we live under capitalism. The tech is forcing a completely different society and just like he said we don't know what it is.
Yes!! Yes indeed baby girl...Hollywood industry is really pissing me off!! I mean burning hot!! That Ghostbuster blockbuster movie paid the only black sister ..Leslie Jones...$150k while paying Melissa McCarthy $14mil.....Kristen...$12mil!! That famous Monique is pissed also..the tv show The Parkers from 2004-2009 of reruns generated $700mil and the 2 famous star didn't get a dime!! The producers claim they are a billion in debt...Monique already opened those books and audit them so they're not going to win....just pay black people fair!! And that's why I don't mess with any of these jobs out here period!! My last gig was in 1988....and I never looked back!!
Along with movies, the public is tired of being fed empty garbage, especially in an age when we have so many options for entertainment. This was long overdue.
Another reason why Olivia Rodrigo is so successful is because she was already a popular Disney actress, meaning that the only pop star to really break recently wasn't even initially recognized from the music alone.
@@thebatterymill Nah, without her Disney Channel stardom she wouldnt be where she was. Also there was a situation that made driver license popular, the drama behind it with her cast member in her High School Musical show or whatever.
@@iwasanangryyoungman Her first show (Bizaardvark) wasn’t that big of a deal and one she sang on. Plus I think Disney got burnt out from the past controversies and their channel was in decline so they couldn’t generate enough hype
@shirai3099, can people stop saying tik tok ruined music, jesus christ. This type of comment is like a spam, can it be a bad thing yes, but it can be a very good thing especially for independent artists who can use it to their advantage and grow their fanbase
I think people really need to look into being independent more often. Just one person for example is BBNO$ they might not be a super star but he has hits, and his fan base shows up, he does smaller shoes but sells out every single one, and are lit. I did the math once while in the crowd, he sold out a tour on 2021 or 2022 and just from the show I was at he made 40k in ticket sales, ontop of that it was a 30 tour show all sold out. Hes had labels come to him but keeps turning them away
This is where I’m at. I’m staying independent and just growing my music organically. Labels aren’t just worth it anymore. It use to be the main goal back the but now? You can pop off literally by yourself as a record label without the extra stuff
Sounds like a pretty lit show if your able to sit down and calculate the guys income from 2 years of touring. lol im playin, im sure it was lit af frfr
This is what Nicki was trying to tell these girls because she actually has a real fan base that but her music even through the radio and industry playing in her face she still on top because of actual fans these girls get hot and think they on same level because they have industry backing but when it’s gone their gone they don’t have real fans just internet hype
@@dekae2631... i know ya playing but i did it by counting people in line and knowing ticket prices, it took 1 mintue of simple math lmao. For example (this was not his show) 300 peoplr at show 30 bucks a ticket 9k pluse 25 vip tickets at a 100 each 2.5k equals 11.5k lol.
I think there is going to be a shift in the music industry again - or in society in general. People are already exhausted by short-form content and everything that comes with it and the hunger for substance and real, developed artists is going to be bigger than ever. As Andy Warhol already predicted "In the future, everybody will be famous - For 15 minutes."
I am very happy about this. Something new has to emerge. Something authentic. The industry has mass produced the most horrendous music as of late and it has backfired. We need projects. Real albums that can truly mark moments in our lives. I havent had that happened in a very long time. Im excited, especially regarding hip-hop.
The human aspect of music is gone. Prime example, I took my girl to a GloRilla concert last year. We waited 4+ hours for her to come out. She performed 4 songs in under 10 minutes and then immediately disappeared off stage. That was it. That was the GloRilla concert. It's all about the money. It's all about internet money now. All of these artists are just copy & paste. No one wants to stand out. Just having the check and the rented Lambo is their form of success.
exactly they don't care about their fanbase at all. and i mean it's not hard to see why, these artists nowadays blow up outta nowhere and it's not like their rise to success was always deserved, a song of theirs could just blow up on tiktok and because of that they're making insane money and doing these concerts and stuff but these people have zero talent, versus the people who dedicate time to their music and actually have musical talent get ignored cuz hoe music is the only thing trending rn
Same thing happened to me, I paid damn near $400 to see Key Glock. He came out an hour and a half late, had no voice because he “lost it in his last show and was sick too”, did about 7 songs and Ad-libbed them all, then dipped. Big X tha Plug was his opener and he did better than damn Key Glock
@@alexallen126bro these rappers talk about how they look down on regular people constantly and y’all give them money? Then you’re mad that they perform like you’re not important? They’ve always been honest with you
The death of the mixtape is another conversation that needs to be had. It was an effective way for labels to gauge an artist's potential before signing them, as well as way for the artist to build up a core fanbase.
As an aspiring artist, I have already put in 5 years to develop my talent. This was exactly what I needed. I've been watching you for a while. Thanks for speaking your mind bro! Salute!
I think the main problem is that music industry is no longer competing with itself, but with other forms of entertainment such as UA-camrs, streamers, gamers, and Tock-ers.
It's a result of hyperstimulation, and social media is at the heart of it. It's hard for their to be superstars in many creative industries, not just music. There are no 'movie stars' anymore. Disney is no longer a powerhouse, Marvel is dying. There are no new emerging UA-cam stars, even in the publishing world, there has not been a mega hit since the Hunger Games. I think people in general are just tired and burnt out.
We’ve hit a standstill. Where everything’s trying to be different then no one is. That ain’t entirely true but I more mean shits been done:to death. The young dystopian has already burnt out and so has everything we’ve seen. Movies are just sequels or another big series. We gave decent horror but some are rare. I haven’t heard of a new movie star but maybe blue beetle will be good? We have one offs like flash being a meme but that’s it. We’re all burnt out and tired and since we’re tired, we crave more and more but still get nothin in return. Then when they drop an album or something everyone overplays it like 5 times minimum and then bored of it. And harass artists for more. Like Travis is on tour rn but who cares about Utopia anymore?
Its not burnout, its a deep hunger for authenticity. Lately every new star even physically looks similar lol. Reminds me of the late 80s glam rock era manufactured bands, the late 90s manufactured pop boy bands, and the Trap era clone rappers. Fans Hunger for a Lauryn Hill, Nirvana, Adele, Kendrick to counter theindustry.
I clearly remember a time when good albums were released, it would be the talk of the month or months, nowadays it feels like people are jaded when it comes to music and mostly drama between artists are talked about more than the actual music itself. I feel like the industry primed people to expect a certain product, and now people are getting bored that product. It feels too corporate and commercial
Exactly like nowadays people would listen to a album and already be off it for a week and not let it digest or they can’t digest it because it wasn’t good. Idk but the music industry I think is in real panic mode especially with hip hop for the fact until Uzi dropped, not one hip hop single or album hit number one in over 30 years which is still mind boggling to me
@@jaysouthmusic823030 years??? He got the first #1 in hip hop for 2023, there's been tons of #1 singles and albums in the last 30 years from hip hop/rap artists what do you mean?
@@antoniolorenzo8621 im saying that before uzi dropped, not one hip hop album has charted number one THIS YEAR for the first time and the last time that happened was 30 years ago. That's what i'm saying
To any artists watching this, Now is the greatest time to become the next Kurt Cobain, the next MJ, the next Kanye etc. people are longing for it, there is a demand for authentic and amazing music. I believe in you.
That's hard to do when streaming exists and no one is buying albums. There's no money in order to breakout, and unless you come from wealth it's even harder to be able to exist for years in the industry in order to get to a place to build a discography/fandom.
@@EM-rm2xh keep making excuses and watch someone else do it in 1 year, and the year after that and so on. People have always made justifications for why they cant do it. its nothing new.
@@EM-rm2xh my advice is to try to grow a fanbase yourself and grow a group of people who will follow your music and watch as the list grows, also helps to spread ur name out there thru performances, social media ect. Then u can get more out there and do well in sales and tours. Also isn't there a way to make money off of streams cuz If not that's messed up, I belive in you tho, we all gotta start somewhere. Nowhere to go but up!
@@JohnSmith-gh3kp you are most likely a child or a very naive adult living in a world with unicorns and rainbows. That user weren't mAkiNg ExCuSeS, they were just being real. Of course someone wealthy and connected will make it in 1 year or even less (as it happens all the time if you haven't noticed yet), meanwhile poor people will struggle for YEARS to get the same opportunities which connected/wealthy ones will get in 1 second. 99.99% a person with zero connections has zero chance to make it in the industry. Quit your cozy lalaland and get a reality check.
not just the music industry but entertainment as a whole. successful creators are literally saying now is the best time to create and create something good like take your time and put your soul into it. Because these big companies do not care anymore and wonder what the hell is going on. Like Blacky said it's all about the money to them and the instant gratification for the short attention span of the consumer.
The music the industry releasing rn is literally “fast food music” because people expect quantity over quality now a days and these labels are trying to appeal to this social media algorithms which is also killing the longevity of music as well
compared to like 2017, there are like 100x more songs being pushed out every day then there used to be, and people actually interested in music are spreading out resulting in weaker fanbases and less individual successes
@@errormadebeats Well there are many artists out that are not well known, or not the big names in the hip hop game, who have put out high-quality projects for the past five to ten years. Guys J.I.D, Westside Gunn, Mach-Hommy, Roc Marciano, & Billy Woods haven't stop making great music. So if hip hop fans want that quality music so bad, they going have to go out themselves and find that quality music and not relying on what the industry saying or who they are pushing.
It’s wild how a couple years ago an artist would be laughed out of rap for having the dumbest songs and lyrics but now “shaking ass in the deli” is a one of the top artists
@Tizzy283 she has no substance in her music. It's the same ABC flow, on the same repetitive NY drill beats and she talks about the same thing other females rappers are discussing rn.
I was so shocked to learn that artists sign contracts that last a lifetime. They have to keep making music and doing tours to satisfy their contracts. I was super surprised that these contacts last into their elder years. 😭
Their main issue is that they want talented people to give their bodies and souls to a record company, and talented artists are more and more realising how it's best for them to stay independent. Alice Phoebe Lou is a great case study. Girl started singing for free in Berlin, and today she doing world tours that sell out theatres and keeps all the money and her song ownership to herself.
loved this video man, very very insightful. as an indie artist who has never even toured and has done it all entirely online, all of this is very accurate. you just see the forefront of successful artist but miss the literal thousands who’ve signed and gone no where. the industry is wack. doing it all from your room is where it’s at. to all my fellow indie artist who make music, keep going
“THIS IS THE INDUSTRY WHERE IT AIN'T HOW BIG YOU ARE, IT'S HOW BIG YOU SEEM, WHERE PEOPLE SACRIFICE THE ART TRYIN' TO CHASE A DREAM, THEN THEY WONDER WHY THEY MUSIC'S LACKIN' CREATIVITY.”- NF
When art becomes primarily a sedative for the masses, it may lose its transformative potential. If art is solely used to distract or numb individuals, it can perpetuate a state of complacency and prevent deeper introspection or critical engagement with societal issues. This perspective suggests that when art becomes too focused on shock value or sensationalism, it may fail to fulfill its potential role in challenging the status quo and fostering meaningful reflection.
My niece (26) was on the phone with my wife the other day going through her Spotify playlist. She axed about 23 artists while explaining how she’s grown from their content, their content grew stale, etc. I couldn’t imagine having 23 total artists that I listened to in regular rotation back in the late 90s, early 2000s Right on time, sir.
blacky, you are a special youtuber. the part about “understanding yourself” is something i’m working on. your videos educate me on things that are important to keep in mind as an aspiring music artist. my execution will be something, and this comment/channel is why! thank you brother, love🖤
Blacky.. I'm going through some tough shit in my life rn. I just wanna tell you that while I'm watching your vids, it's the only time I'm not thinking about the bs.. I wanna thank you for that bro 🙏🏼🙏🏼
The problem now it's the music industry it's too saturated there's too many rappers/singers that have the same type of sound and music that it's so hard for one artist to actually breakthrough especially with streaming many people nowadays don't care who's singing the song they will added into their playlist if they liked it and forget about it after a few months. Unless you have a major industry push it's almost hard to gain a loyal fanbase for example like Olivia Rodrigo she's from a hit Disney show and used her highly publicise breakup to break into the music industry and GAYLE with a one-hit-wonder song like ABCDFU is almost forgotten at this point.
You basically nailed it on the head. There is no originality, no creativity, like you said no longevity in the music. People will stream these songs just to forget they even added that song a year later.
It doesn't help when alot of the big hip hop channels talk more about the "big" not so talented artists, but not the underground extremely talented artists that make great projects every year. Same go the comment section on alot of videos. Always complain but not recommend music they find great.
If people did not put so much importance into entertainment? These things will not be an issue. But the humans being breed today think that entertainment is a religion. What a waste of human reproduction.
This is why indie artists are superior. Why? Indies aren’t afraid to take risks compared to record labels. Look at Tinashe. She went indie back in 2019, and she has been successful ever since. RCA tried to turn her into something she wasn’t at her core. Now, she has her creative freedom back, all because she left that toxic label environment behind. Also, she’s in a joint music distribution deal between her indie label, Nice Life, and Roc Nation, but the key thing is that her creative freedom is still intact. Why? ‘Cause she KNOWS who she is. She’s a risk taker, unlike labels, like RCA.
Prince left an amazing roadmap for independent artists. A ..must..study for how to protect your integrity, pocket, legacy, your work and yet remain on top of ur game. 👁️
Social media has made it harder for celebrities to break out and actually feel larger than life. Various small subcultures are more popular than ever now because even though everyone uses UA-cam/TikTok/IG etc, the algorithm all tailored to everyone’s specific niches. Think of it like a cake that’s broken up into many small pieces instead of a few big pieces. Back in the day when TV and radio were bigger than social media, people had less options of media, thus more people were being exposed to whatever was on MTV, VH1, Fuse, etc. Nowadays celebrities in general don’t have the same star power they did back then, celebrities don’t feel as massive when they can just go talk to their fans on an IG livestream like any other ordinary person.
I think that’s also part of the reason music videos don’t get as many views now. Originally I thought it was because the artists’ teams stopped botting. But then I realized that it might be because people don’t really feel the need to watch music videos anymore when there are so many streaming sites that show interesting, less fake things. Basically over-saturation. And that may translate into the artist themselves
That might be why Playboi Carti's fanbase is the way it is tbh. He has done very little to connect with them and they go crazy whenever they see him. Less is really more sometimes.
The music industry needs to start looking at talent. They need to see less in the business aspect, it's actually the labels job to handle the business and let the creative create. These labels look at clout and money , they never look at someone who genuinely is able to commit and have passion twords their profession. They either go overboard on the freedoms to the creative or business based around that creative . You have to have a balance
The problem now is there's too many talented people but talent doesn't equal success and loyal fanbase lol it's relatability that can set you apart, you could be the greatest singers on earth people still care more about the beats and production than the voice.
@@aidentan6547 Talent does not = the basics, it includes production, performance when touring, ventures into other industries, etc that can be turned into success with time. CAN THE ARTIST DO THAT! is the question. The problem with today's music industry is that they do not invest in that in artist, they just make it happen with other people doing it for the artist, that's precisely why we don't see visionaries anymore, we see the cash cows. How many artists can you count on your hand that are currently Mega stars doing all the above without the label doing it for them or significantly helping?
If they cared about talent alls they’d have to do is walk in a black baptist church and they’d have a group of the best singers in the world. Sad truth is there are so so many ppl who can sing better than our celebrities. All industry cares about is…are they influential looking enough to make us money?
@@nylesh9199 has nothing to do with capitalism and everything to do with ppl. There are plenty of talented singers on UA-cam and in real life no one cares about because they aren’t “hot enough” smdh lol. Until we stop caring about looks and clothes…this is what we are gonna get
To the youngins out here, if you wanted to rap back in the day, you had to go thru lyrical boot camp. You had to be able to write, spit a 16 & battle someone at any given time. You couldnt just record something, upload it & go viral like you can today. Yall got it too fkn good & easy out here.
Rap is Done. Music may still go on, I’m not saying we don’t have hall of fame artists AT ALL right now, but the thing about Right now ship hop is EXACTLY WHAT U POINTED OUT. mfs are scared to compete. shit gets boring. You CERTAIN artist are keeping a Pulse going in the rap game but almost everyone rn is afraid to battle
Yeah, there was that certain quality control from your peers in the same field. You knew you had to be about it because you witnessed the high quality and wanted to achieve that. Nowadays, how can you be inspired by the lack of quality and meaning of work that the "top tier" artists?
💯! And to be a rockstar, you had to play AT LEAST one instrument and/or have amazing vocals. Now it's all computerized and autotuned. There is total reliance on technology, virality, and the performers attractiveness.
As someone from the afro American community this is absolutely great! Our culture has been diluted to water to promote ppl outside of the culture! Everything is copy and paste exactly the same! We have ppl that are creating original art in my community but they aren’t trying to look like everyone else and are confident blk dark blk ppl! Brands simply won’t touch them Bc fans wont! It’s sad.
ong after the box and that one song with mustard and roddy ricch came out music felt so dead everything sounds the same, there ain't no trends anymore and there's no songs that become smash hits or iconic, like i know this is a dumb example but that rolex song back in like 2017, that shit went viral and everyone was singing it, we haven't had a song like that in a while
@@felonbhI agree with you that’s why I stopped listening in 2017/17 and haven’t listened to new mainstream rap songs for five six years now unless it was from someone like j Cole, Kendrick Lamar, or any good rap artist
It's about time, I remained independent 5 years for this exact reason. I saw it coming starting 2017 in the Lil Pump era when Gucci Gang went to top ten. I was 17 in even then I knew that something had changed in the industry and it wasn't going to last long. So I pride myself in being an independent artist who does and has always done what I want, trusting the process. LA and back, you just gotta believe
Thank you. Yeah I'm semi-industry cause of the friends I have and who they work with so I've seen the industry up close, I hate it. I'm back in Africa now looking for peace of mind 😂@@EconomicSource
I was talking to somebody about this the other day. I told them I’ve listened to everything as far as rap goes, I think the only thing an artist can do right now is to be themselves. Nothing is truly original at this point but if artists can find out what works for THEM instead of imitating what’s popular and figure out how to own it. Things may brighten up a little. But I bluntly said “be yourself and do you” he said it was cookie cutter. From a surface level absolutely it is but if you’re in tune enough with yourself it’s actually gospel.
I’m glad this is happening to this industry. It’s been needing to be rebuilt or dismantled for a long time. You can’t keep running a business with the same business model from 1970 in 2023. We don’t need these large corporations running the show anymore. The real ones can put in the leg work and make it on their own. We have all the tools we need finally. The power belongs in the artists hands anyway, it’s their craft. They really can’t blackball anyone anymore
I think we’re gonna see a lot more successful independent artists & a lot more artists that in a few years will be a lot more successful cause they kept their head down for a few years prior to work on their craft plus building that core community/fanbase. Most artists are doing self development.. just look at Teeze Touchdown, took him 10 years to get where he’s at today
Unlikely. The modern music listener isn't trained or interested in looking deeper for more talented artists or musicians they identify with more deeply. They will continue to listen to whatever tik-tok tells them is hot for the second then immediately drop that artist for what's next.
If we do see that that means the people really are speaking as to what they want. And I feel like that hasent happened in mass since the j Cole freshman cast. Also j Cole and all those guys actually loved rap. How many of these artist today actually love the genre?
@@t-god2439it’s already doing a full circle. That lil pump phase is dying out. And when people actually make real music then they get real fans. When you out here rapping about your body or Gucci gang like it’s been for yearssss, what you expect for a fan base…the future of music is in the artist hands. All the most successful artist right now, make REAL music.
to kinda expand on your thoughts at the end: i feel like we're nearing a music rennissance where the underground scene is gonna start developing something insane. something that'll almost dethrone the labels in a way but staying independent is gonna be a huge part of it.
Of course, but this is gonna take a *long* time, so a breakthrough/revolution will not happen any time soon. Or maybe no one's looking in the right places, who knows.
Olivia Rodrigo comes from the same formula as Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus they all come from Disney. Disney does not really fail at producing superstars
Exactly. They have a built in fan base that connects with them through childhood nostalgia. Just to draw a correlation I just had this conversation about sampling . Diddy created the formula that became mainstream. Sample a hit or a classic and whether the artist is great or not it will sell. Look at Latto’s Big Energy. Her 1 and only hit was a Mariah Fantasy sample and she didn’t even know where the best came from. I was mind blown!
The Music Industry we've known is failing, yes. The power has shifted to the artists, and no longer NEEDS the record industry, unless they're willing to sell their soul for a bag. Which then music will be empty and will fall off real soon.
Completely agree with you! Patience is the key as an artist. Don't be so quick to give away everything to just be signed, then be stuck in a position where you're shelved or the label isn't investing in your career, so you're stagnant. The best thing to do is to develop your artistry in the trenches. Drop projects no one will listen to, go to local shows to practice, and experiment with different sounds, looks, and images for yourself. There's an old saying I love, prepare a feast, and they will come. Make enough noise alone, and labels and the fans will come to you.
This is happening everywhere, music, movies, illustration, comics. Art as a whole it taking a huge hit and now us as artist feel lost. But maybe it’s time for us the people to take back the art. Social media is collapsing so let’s go back to the individual.
The music industry has always been cutthroat, but at the very least they didn't sacrifice the art. I also think it's worth noting that a lot of people that accept these trash, instant music deals are broke and in bad financial situations. While it's easy to say they should wait and trust in themselves, a lot of people are literally trying to buy their way out of hell and the deals they prematurely receive seem like a ticket out of there. Gotta love the industry capitalizing off of generational poverty...
I think the problem is they want already-established artists… like 20 years ago if you were a new artist you had to go through hours of dance classes, vocal lessons, bootcamp etc. & THEN you would have to perform at bars/clubs & malls before performing at arenas, festivals & then eventually stadiums… they dont want to risk putting money on new artists if they know they aint gon get the money back straight away. Thats why we havent had any superstars for the last like 10-15 years…
I like how you express this point so well and didn't even have to mention the shady and grubbiness of the industry. How trashy it is and how people change when they get into it. I went through it first hand.
Speaking from what I’ve seen, smaller independent labels are gonna be in much better positions. Some of them are getting bought out by majors but indie labels are definitely better positioned for investing into more unknown artists and actually breaking stars
I have been confused by Ice Spice and how she got famous every time i see her. Im so glad were starting to question the purpose of some of these very disposable artist and the speed that they are coming and going. Also we never wanted all the constant murder music, the r&b hate music and tik toks. The machine needs to break.
The music industry has always been fragmented and fragile. Most artists make it big for about 5 years. Few can pull off a great selling album more than once. There are numerous artists people have never heard of. The big names get destroyed. It's not surprising that many end up broke or mentally broken. It really has been and continues to be run like the mafia.
It’s funny cause Tyler, The Creator posted his Neptunes “Clones” CD saying “I miss physical albums being the main source…it stuck with you more.” It’s hard to appreciate music sometimes because so much is at our fingertips. It’s no wonder the industry is looking the way it is.
That is so true. I still remember the first rap album I bought in middle school and it was big Sean Finally famous and I still remember it to this day how I felt about it. I honestly miss those days
@@jaysouthmusic8230 yea I remember I was gifted Ye’s 808’s & Heartbreak as a kid. Thing is..idk if a kid today would even be excited if you handed them a CD. They’d rather a gift card to a month of Spotify, Apple, etc. Just the way of the world.
@@kobewest03 this is true because it is on the consumers at the end of the day and the consumers are just probably tired of hearing the same music over and over
@@jaysouthmusic8230 similar to BlackySpeakz’s point about attention spans..this is why alotta consumers or even the next gen aren’t into listening to albums. Just singles, hits or what catches attention on TikTok.
I don't want to listen to celebrities or pop stars or influencers. I want to hear artists make good music. Main stream hip hop imo is booty. "I just wanna rock" sounds like a demo track thrown together in an hour same with the entire pink tape. At this point I go out of my way to find underground independent artists or small indie labels started by musicians. There's a ton of great music outside of the top 40 bullshit you just have to look for it. I'm glad "the industry" is crumbling, go find good indie artists buy their music and merch and go see their shows
Man this has been a long time coming for major labels. Russ already spoke about it. Artists today are better off remaining independent & at most signing a distribution/marketing deal with them. Like you said, labels for the most part only sign artists that they are 100% sure will sell, which is not breaking an artist, but investing into an already broken/developed artist. Fuck labels. They’re basically catalog holders like Disney is; They own a bunch of classic IPs that they just reboot & turn into live action films & rarely make anything new or unique…
I literally just had a gut feeling this was happening 😂, and it’s good to see others sharing the same sentiment. At least mainstream-wise, rap/hip-hop in particular is kinda stagnant atm
@JayNative-ei8nu How you boutta say Latino music is not poppin when Latino music had the most billboard entries in the U.S this summer💀 and the number 1 song in global spotify
I feel like people aren’t taking the time and effort to make a good album. It doesn’t have to be a concept album all of the time, but at least give me something that makes go wow I need to listen that project again as a whole. No one’s done that in the past few years. It’s really sad to see that the art of making an album is a problem.
The fact that US labels have started to acknowledge the problem is a good sign. They have been bad at development for a long time. Disney and Nickelodeon developed most of the previous pop stars. Lot of them also came developed from UK or Canada. Now the LatAm labels are also delivering artists to US charts. HYBE has invested a lot in US and they have their own development program going.
hot take: artists need to develop themselves. Too many resources abundantly available to everyone. If you're not capable of developing yourself, you don't want it bad enough and you're not that special
@@zoltankecskemeti1653 It will be interesting to see if we ever get mega stars like MJ ever again. Like you, I never heard of this girl either, but she has 51M followers on Spotify - that's easily top 30
Just looked at the top hits on Spotify. A lot of it is country, rap, k-pop, the literal Barbie movie soundtrack, or songs from artists that people know already like Taylor. The American music industry is indeed fucked, but I’m really glad that laufey, a jazz bedroom pop artist, made it to the countdown and is finally bringing the even deader jazz industry back
@@abbygamepop Jungkook is only on the charts because Only army's mass stream and buy the music if I asked A person right now About Jungkook golden album And tell me a song that isn't 3D or seven it will be crickets Nobody listens to Jungkook unless they're a army also you named like two kpop artist Which saying kpop is on the charts like I promise they aren't on the charts y'all kpop favs just mass but abd mass stream making these kpop idols seem bigger than they actually are also if you're gonna reply actually read my comment And try to understand what I said and say something sensible
@@Eeriesiren bro got mad over me stating a genre 💀 (I’m sorry you’re just getting mad, charts are still charts and this was 6 months ago please try to calm down)
This is facts, the industry also scares off some artist from wanting to even grow because of how it’s built and moving. I watch a good amount of your videos and I’m just seeing your face 😭 that just caught me off guard frl.
It really is especially for hip hop. Still baffles me that before uzi dropped his album, not one hip hop song or album has charted number this year for the first time in 30 years
Blacky stays coming at these music executives necks 😅 This article reminds me of that other headline that went viral called, “Too many songs, not enough hits”. They also said the era of the superstar is dying and the most growth in the market is coming from LOCAL and REGIONAL acts rather than global superstar.
The music industry needs to return back to the days when they groomed their artist to have long sustaining music careers. A label would sign you, put you through vocal training, singing lessons & charm school. They allowed to fail on your 1st couple of albums, because they had a long term plan for you. That all changed 40 years ago when the industry threw out the old model & replaced it with a get rich quick model. The music industry is getting what it deserves & i couldn't be more happy about it..
These music labels deserve what they're getting now. They sowed the seeds of oversaturating the market with these Tiktok acts and now they cry wolf they cant make megastars anymore.
I agree on most of what you're saying...except for one thing: Money is not the engine of the industry, it's the power supply of it. The engine of the music industry was, is, and will always be music. It's the product what we are looking for, not the medium of how it is made.
I'm glad u spoke on this ima artist as well and thats why I'm independent 💯 I don't wanna go the easy route cause u don't learn everything u need to know being famous ain't important the journey is the best part
Music industry can't control the market anymore. Today we have so many social media, we can be our own music artist, promote our own materials, and get the benefits without going through any management.
I think one of the biggest reasons why Hip-Hop is declining is because we keep continuing to lose artists to violence. Just last year around the time we lost Takeoff, it shocked the community to no end. It hurt the most because it wasn't just some rapper who had fame for like two years of fame like X, Juice, or Pop Smoke. It was someone who had ten years, a whole decade of fame and success and he gets killed over something meaningless. And it's hard to find rappers at that age to have talent like his...
The last superstars in the modern music space are Drake, Kendrick Lamar, The Weekend, Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber. I don't mean how loved they are, I mean when they drop music we know because it's playing on every radio station in every store people are making memes, the name sells the album even with minimal promotion. I mean does the internet, media and the world know when Lil Baby drops an album? No. But if Kendrick hinted at another album rn the world would be talking about in within a week.
Lil Baby is the definition of a rapper with no substance. "Plug this, Plug that. Gang this, Gang that. Weed this, weed that" So it's understandable that people won't talk about his album.
@@otaieb48You have to admit though Lil Baby 2017-2020 run was definitely good but yeah overall he doesn’t have the substance or staying power unless a miracle happens
Corporate music industry execs never knew what to do with talent. The A&Rs of yesteryear were very instrumental in developing and capitalizing on their artists. *The A&Rs of the 80's and 90's are long gone.
I think that you are spot on. You can't serve two masters. As a Christian Jazz artist, we are going to hold the line on our purpose for our art. If people resonate with us and love our brand, so be it. We are going to focus on being the best at what we do regardless. We ARE in for the long-term.
Thing is music will always evolve for the better or worse. Ppl just aren’t creative anymore and are running out of ideas. But there’s still light out in the world for many underground artists who will soon shake things up….
The industry has been ignoring raw talent and propping up artists based on pretty privilege, sex appeal, etc. Record labels often have a plan to manufacturer a persona for their artists... an image, a style, a sound... Moreover, this is predicated on what they believe will reap profits off things like sex appeal in lieu of actual talent. Unfortunately, people can't buttress an entire music career with good looks and subpar talent. Not in the long term anyway. Industry overreach often ends up stifling the artists own creative vision, which keeps the artist from presenting their authentic self. There's a disingenuousness to it, and people are getting tired of it.
im ngl, you actually be spitting facts i usually come for the antics but alot of people talk about the concept of breaking an artist and not sustaining them or help them to be able to build that foundation to stand on. Thats why we see lots of one hit wonders and artist that are hard underground artist but will never get the play they deserve given the fact the labels control the narrative. Music is between a rock and a hard place when it comes to the industry.
I’ve been making music since I was 13 I’m 25 now but back then I always dreamed of getting signed one day but now seeing how bad the current state of the music industry is in rn I’m actually fine with being in the ‘underground’ scene and staying independent seems more n more like the way to go these days if you want to see genuine raw talent.
I’m kinda glad this is happening, stop making these people who have no talent famous .
They need to go back to the days where talent spoke for itself and not the amount of followers u have.
I wanted to be big in the rap game but now idk if it’s ever going to be possible, my songs on this channel im commenting on were my old songs but new songs improved a lot and nobody willing to give it a chance, now it’s probably never going to happen
@@TyandOnGoing ice spice blew up because of her looks not her talent.
@@stprino how so? if nobody has blown up and captured mainstream success besides a very few and people are getting tired of the same shit. it's literally the best time to blow up
@@gregoryk6279Fr tho
As a DJ, I’m playing more tracks from the 2000s/early 2010s than today. The industry is having trouble but timeless music lasts forever
Right you forget about the song the next month
Damn you just gave me nostalgia. I used to love early 00s music. I remember Gigi D'Agostino
Early 2010s was the cutoff. Most music after 2015 sucks
The early 2010s sucked terribly too with trash music. That is when trap music really took off. The overly sexual and violent music came in hard. The pop music was super corny too. After 2004/2005, things really went downhill. After 2006/2007, it was just too far gone in terms of how quality was severely lacking in music.
@@nikolinabuskovic9280 accurate!!! 👏🏿👏🏿
As an artist in the industry who's seen a lot of independent success , i am happy the industry is crashing . Whatever the reasons for it. It's making people listen to people who have something to say a lot more than what works normally for pop-rap
yo Guap do you got anymore songs wit Tory Lanez dropping soon ?
Just checked out your channel lit🥶🥶
i love your music bro, hope you stay successful independent, fuck the industry fr
Me too I think we are heading in the era of independence in the music industry
Ain't guap signed?
It's not the music industry alone. It's Hollywood, TV shows, advertising, e-commerce, real estate. Every industry is hella stagnating right now
Especcially hollywood with the actors strike happening.
Technology and the internet just don't work well with the system we live under capitalism. The tech is forcing a completely different society and just like he said we don't know what it is.
Yes!! Yes indeed baby girl...Hollywood industry is really pissing me off!! I mean burning hot!! That Ghostbuster blockbuster movie paid the only black sister ..Leslie Jones...$150k while paying Melissa McCarthy $14mil.....Kristen...$12mil!! That famous Monique is pissed also..the tv show The Parkers from 2004-2009 of reruns generated $700mil and the 2 famous star didn't get a dime!! The producers claim they are a billion in debt...Monique already opened those books and audit them so they're not going to win....just pay black people fair!! And that's why I don't mess with any of these jobs out here period!! My last gig was in 1988....and I never looked back!!
@@SpookyTubeOfficialUA-camno, it’s just their movies are becoming more and more garbage 😂🚮
100% true. Demographic changes, technology changing too fast, and so many other factors are messing things up
Along with movies, the public is tired of being fed empty garbage, especially in an age when we have so many options for entertainment. This was long overdue.
Yep, movies suck real hard nowadays too .
The humans love rubbish. Let them enjoy their KFC and Mc Donalds. If they willingly shove garbage down their throats, why not fake music???
@@jasonallen3678 If that's true, why is Taylor Swift so popular? lol.
@@Luis-ov8eqher new album flopped tho😢
Another reason why Olivia Rodrigo is so successful is because she was already a popular Disney actress, meaning that the only pop star to really break recently wasn't even initially recognized from the music alone.
Olivia wasn’t super big till she started dropping music, never got that much attention besides those who still kept up with Disney Channel
@@thebatterymill Nah, without her Disney Channel stardom she wouldnt be where she was. Also there was a situation that made driver license popular, the drama behind it with her cast member in her High School Musical show or whatever.
Even then, why did Disney not turn her into Hannah Montana 2.0?
@@khumkmunk2844wonder how Disney itself would be fidgety about one of its headline stars dropping f-bombs on record
@@iwasanangryyoungman Her first show (Bizaardvark) wasn’t that big of a deal and one she sang on. Plus I think Disney got burnt out from the past controversies and their channel was in decline so they couldn’t generate enough hype
TikTok ruined the art of everything And made everybody focus more on the virality rather than quality of content
Word plus the attention plan now is sooooooo low that nobody has patience anymore
this comment needs a lot more attention, Tik tok is the main culprit for all this
People blame tiktok but shouldn't independent artists use it for their advantage? Tiktok is a great tool for artists whether signed or not
@shirai3099, can people stop saying tik tok ruined music, jesus christ. This type of comment is like a spam, can it be a bad thing yes, but it can be a very good thing especially for independent artists who can use it to their advantage and grow their fanbase
Now that is the truth especially tiktok
I think people really need to look into being independent more often. Just one person for example is BBNO$ they might not be a super star but he has hits, and his fan base shows up, he does smaller shoes but sells out every single one, and are lit. I did the math once while in the crowd, he sold out a tour on 2021 or 2022 and just from the show I was at he made 40k in ticket sales, ontop of that it was a 30 tour show all sold out. Hes had labels come to him but keeps turning them away
This is where I’m at. I’m staying independent and just growing my music organically. Labels aren’t just worth it anymore. It use to be the main goal back the but now? You can pop off literally by yourself as a record label without the extra stuff
Sounds like a pretty lit show if your able to sit down and calculate the guys income from 2 years of touring. lol im playin, im sure it was lit af frfr
This is what Nicki was trying to tell these girls because she actually has a real fan base that but her music even through the radio and industry playing in her face she still on top because of actual fans these girls get hot and think they on same level because they have industry backing but when it’s gone their gone they don’t have real fans just internet hype
@@dekae2631... i know ya playing but i did it by counting people in line and knowing ticket prices, it took 1 mintue of simple math lmao. For example (this was not his show) 300 peoplr at show 30 bucks a ticket 9k pluse 25 vip tickets at a 100 each 2.5k equals 11.5k lol.
@@dekae2631 but no trust me his shows are lit he lets peeps on stage, throws bell peppers into crowd, mosh pits and people turn up.
I think there is going to be a shift in the music industry again - or in society in general. People are already exhausted by short-form content and everything that comes with it and the hunger for substance and real, developed artists is going to be bigger than ever. As Andy Warhol already predicted "In the future, everybody will be famous - For 15 minutes."
I also agree with this! Especially seeing the surge in popularity of video essays being recommended on platforms like TikTok.
Wishful thinking it’s only going to get worse with short form content
I am very happy about this. Something new has to emerge. Something authentic. The industry has mass produced the most horrendous music as of late and it has backfired. We need projects. Real albums that can truly mark moments in our lives. I havent had that happened in a very long time. Im excited, especially regarding hip-hop.
I'm actually glad this is happening. We all knew it needed to.
Yup it was a only matter of time
The world will wake up when I release my EP!!!! One month.
@@justflyygo off
@@justflyystfu dawg, you a nobody, you ain't finna change shit
@@justflyy 🤣😂😂
The human aspect of music is gone. Prime example, I took my girl to a GloRilla concert last year. We waited 4+ hours for her to come out. She performed 4 songs in under 10 minutes and then immediately disappeared off stage. That was it. That was the GloRilla concert. It's all about the money. It's all about internet money now. All of these artists are just copy & paste. No one wants to stand out. Just having the check and the rented Lambo is their form of success.
Cuz ppl just care about social media image now
exactly they don't care about their fanbase at all. and i mean it's not hard to see why, these artists nowadays blow up outta nowhere and it's not like their rise to success was always deserved, a song of theirs could just blow up on tiktok and because of that they're making insane money and doing these concerts and stuff but these people have zero talent, versus the people who dedicate time to their music and actually have musical talent get ignored cuz hoe music is the only thing trending rn
How much did you pay for the tickets?
Same thing happened to me, I paid damn near $400 to see Key Glock. He came out an hour and a half late, had no voice because he “lost it in his last show and was sick too”, did about 7 songs and Ad-libbed them all, then dipped. Big X tha Plug was his opener and he did better than damn Key Glock
@@alexallen126bro these rappers talk about how they look down on regular people constantly and y’all give them money? Then you’re mad that they perform like you’re not important? They’ve always been honest with you
The death of the mixtape is another conversation that needs to be had. It was an effective way for labels to gauge an artist's potential before signing them, as well as way for the artist to build up a core fanbase.
Trueeeeee
This really the comment
@@sw3783 yoo more info on this? im curious
This the one
fr. Live love asap showed everyone who asap rocky was and got him signed
As an aspiring artist, I have already put in 5 years to develop my talent. This was exactly what I needed. I've been watching you for a while. Thanks for speaking your mind bro! Salute!
I think the main problem is that music industry is no longer competing with itself, but with other forms of entertainment such as UA-camrs, streamers, gamers, and Tock-ers.
Very true Independent Labels too.
Thats what the industry gets for thinking you dont have to have talent anymore. Independent is really the wave 💯
It's a result of hyperstimulation, and social media is at the heart of it. It's hard for their to be superstars in many creative industries, not just music. There are no 'movie stars' anymore. Disney is no longer a powerhouse, Marvel is dying. There are no new emerging UA-cam stars, even in the publishing world, there has not been a mega hit since the Hunger Games. I think people in general are just tired and burnt out.
We’ve hit a standstill. Where everything’s trying to be different then no one is. That ain’t entirely true but I more mean shits been done:to death. The young dystopian has already burnt out and so has everything we’ve seen. Movies are just sequels or another big series. We gave decent horror but some are rare. I haven’t heard of a new movie star but maybe blue beetle will be good? We have one offs like flash being a meme but that’s it. We’re all burnt out and tired and since we’re tired, we crave more and more but still get nothin in return. Then when they drop an album or something everyone overplays it like 5 times minimum and then bored of it. And harass artists for more. Like Travis is on tour rn but who cares about Utopia anymore?
@@The-Legend-of-PDamn… the situation is critical, huh
Its not burnout, its a deep hunger for authenticity. Lately every new star even physically looks similar lol. Reminds me of the late 80s glam rock era manufactured bands, the late 90s manufactured pop boy bands, and the Trap era clone rappers. Fans Hunger for a Lauryn Hill, Nirvana, Adele, Kendrick to counter theindustry.
@@mrsam0496exactly if anything right now is the greatest time to come into the industry and become a superstar
Stimulant generation, completely agree with his
I clearly remember a time when good albums were released, it would be the talk of the month or months, nowadays it feels like people are jaded when it comes to music and mostly drama between artists are talked about more than the actual music itself. I feel like the industry primed people to expect a certain product, and now people are getting bored that product. It feels too corporate and commercial
True. What albums would you say you are referring to?
Exactly like nowadays people would listen to a album and already be off it for a week and not let it digest or they can’t digest it because it wasn’t good. Idk but the music industry I think is in real panic mode especially with hip hop for the fact until Uzi dropped, not one hip hop single or album hit number one in over 30 years which is still mind boggling to me
@@jaysouthmusic823030 years??? He got the first #1 in hip hop for 2023, there's been tons of #1 singles and albums in the last 30 years from hip hop/rap artists what do you mean?
@@antoniolorenzo8621 im saying that before uzi dropped, not one hip hop album has charted number one THIS YEAR for the first time and the last time that happened was 30 years ago. That's what i'm saying
@@jaysouthmusic8230 ah okay that makes more sense
To any artists watching this, Now is the greatest time to become the next Kurt Cobain, the next MJ, the next Kanye etc. people are longing for it, there is a demand for authentic and amazing music. I believe in you.
🙌
That's hard to do when streaming exists and no one is buying albums. There's no money in order to breakout, and unless you come from wealth it's even harder to be able to exist for years in the industry in order to get to a place to build a discography/fandom.
@@EM-rm2xh keep making excuses and watch someone else do it in 1 year, and the year after that and so on. People have always made justifications for why they cant do it. its nothing new.
@@EM-rm2xh my advice is to try to grow a fanbase yourself and grow a group of people who will follow your music and watch as the list grows, also helps to spread ur name out there thru performances, social media ect. Then u can get more out there and do well in sales and tours. Also isn't there a way to make money off of streams cuz If not that's messed up, I belive in you tho, we all gotta start somewhere. Nowhere to go but up!
@@JohnSmith-gh3kp you are most likely a child or a very naive adult living in a world with unicorns and rainbows. That user weren't mAkiNg ExCuSeS, they were just being real. Of course someone wealthy and connected will make it in 1 year or even less (as it happens all the time if you haven't noticed yet), meanwhile poor people will struggle for YEARS to get the same opportunities which connected/wealthy ones will get in 1 second. 99.99% a person with zero connections has zero chance to make it in the industry. Quit your cozy lalaland and get a reality check.
not just the music industry but entertainment as a whole. successful creators are literally saying now is the best time to create and create something good like take your time and put your soul into it. Because these big companies do not care anymore and wonder what the hell is going on. Like Blacky said it's all about the money to them and the instant gratification for the short attention span of the consumer.
I love the deeper, more broad concepts. They provoke more thinking, and have a further reach as it’s not a specific artist or event
Blacky Commented On My Video
@@ripsalnaw
“deeper, more broad”
I don’t.
My man been goin off since he started showing his face lol
The music the industry releasing rn is literally “fast food music” because people expect quantity over quality now a days and these labels are trying to appeal to this social media algorithms which is also killing the longevity of music as well
compared to like 2017, there are like 100x more songs being pushed out every day then there used to be, and people actually interested in music are spreading out resulting in weaker fanbases and less individual successes
@mrguacx shut up
I feel like this be said for over a decade or two.
@@NobodyOnline774 to some extent but never more than now
@@errormadebeats Well there are many artists out that are not well known, or not the big names in the hip hop game, who have put out high-quality projects for the past five to ten years. Guys J.I.D, Westside Gunn, Mach-Hommy, Roc Marciano, & Billy Woods haven't stop making great music. So if hip hop fans want that quality music so bad, they going have to go out themselves and find that quality music and not relying on what the industry saying or who they are pushing.
It’s wild how a couple years ago an artist would be laughed out of rap for having the dumbest songs and lyrics but now “shaking ass in the deli” is a one of the top artists
Well, that's what happens when you're an industry plant
My EP will wake everyone up. life issa vibe. Written and produced by Kid Talli. One month. Don’t sleep
What do u mean thats been a thing whether it was female or male rappers. Back in the 90’s and early 2000s thats literally been a thing
@@blackwarrior1897not really, that’s literally always been apart of hip hip/rap and even then she’s not an industry plant
@Tizzy283 she has no substance in her music. It's the same ABC flow, on the same repetitive NY drill beats and she talks about the same thing other females rappers are discussing rn.
I was so shocked to learn that artists sign contracts that last a lifetime. They have to keep making music and doing tours to satisfy their contracts. I was super surprised that these contacts last into their elder years. 😭
Their main issue is that they want talented people to give their bodies and souls to a record company, and talented artists are more and more realising how it's best for them to stay independent. Alice Phoebe Lou is a great case study. Girl started singing for free in Berlin, and today she doing world tours that sell out theatres and keeps all the money and her song ownership to herself.
Alice Phoebe Lou,😊 researching her now!
@@DenelsiaWalker she is amazing! You won't regret it.
loved this video man, very very insightful. as an indie artist who has never even toured and has done it all entirely online, all of this is very accurate. you just see the forefront of successful artist but miss the literal thousands who’ve signed and gone no where. the industry is wack. doing it all from your room is where it’s at. to all my fellow indie artist who make music, keep going
Keep going 👊🏾🇨🇲🤎
“THIS IS THE INDUSTRY
WHERE IT AIN'T HOW BIG YOU ARE, IT'S HOW BIG YOU SEEM, WHERE PEOPLE SACRIFICE THE ART TRYIN' TO CHASE A DREAM, THEN THEY WONDER WHY THEY MUSIC'S LACKIN' CREATIVITY.”- NF
Bars🔥
What sonb?.
@@t.mooreyewknow799 Not a single bar he rhymes two words from all that with no bars 🤡
@@t.mooreyewknow799 You said you was king
You lied through your teeth, for that, fuck your feelings
Instead of gettin' crowned you're gettin' capped.
@@t.mooreyewknow799 These are bars ☝🏼
When art becomes primarily a sedative for the masses, it may lose its transformative potential. If art is solely used to distract or numb individuals, it can perpetuate a state of complacency and prevent deeper introspection or critical engagement with societal issues. This perspective suggests that when art becomes too focused on shock value or sensationalism, it may fail to fulfill its potential role in challenging the status quo and fostering meaningful reflection.
Music can be transformative based on sound alone. It can make people reminisce about simpler times.
I make complex layered music you dance with your mind with
Powerful. Who are you?
Well said!
That’s what they want
My niece (26) was on the phone with my wife the other day going through her Spotify playlist. She axed about 23 artists while explaining how she’s grown from their content, their content grew stale, etc. I couldn’t imagine having 23 total artists that I listened to in regular rotation back in the late 90s, early 2000s
Right on time, sir.
blacky, you are a special youtuber. the part about “understanding yourself” is something i’m working on. your videos educate me on things that are important to keep in mind as an aspiring music artist. my execution will be something, and this comment/channel is why! thank you brother, love🖤
I second this. Thanks blacky.
Blacky.. I'm going through some tough shit in my life rn. I just wanna tell you that while I'm watching your vids, it's the only time I'm not thinking about the bs.. I wanna thank you for that bro 🙏🏼🙏🏼
I hope you find the strength to keep pushing through brother 💯 the sun will shine on you again
We got your back, bro. Keep pushing!
I appreciate y'all man.. Really.. It means a lot to me that total strangers are wishing me well 🙏🏼🙏🏼❤️❤️
there are better days ahead of you
Pray to Jesus he will help strengthen you. ❤️❤️❤️
The problem now it's the music industry it's too saturated there's too many rappers/singers that have the same type of sound and music that it's so hard for one artist to actually breakthrough especially with streaming many people nowadays don't care who's singing the song they will added into their playlist if they liked it and forget about it after a few months. Unless you have a major industry push it's almost hard to gain a loyal fanbase for example like Olivia Rodrigo she's from a hit Disney show and used her highly publicise breakup to break into the music industry and GAYLE with a one-hit-wonder song like ABCDFU is almost forgotten at this point.
You basically nailed it on the head. There is no originality, no creativity, like you said no longevity in the music. People will stream these songs just to forget they even added that song a year later.
It doesn't help when alot of the big hip hop channels talk more about the "big" not so talented artists, but not the underground extremely talented artists that make great projects every year. Same go the comment section on alot of videos. Always complain but not recommend music they find great.
Everything is crashing and burning and I’m here for it. It’s time for a reboot. Cause the entertainment industry is putting out trash
If people did not put so much importance into entertainment? These things will not be an issue. But the humans being breed today think that entertainment is a religion. What a waste of human reproduction.
@@Nisa-e8t 💯
This is why indie artists are superior. Why? Indies aren’t afraid to take risks compared to record labels. Look at Tinashe. She went indie back in 2019, and she has been successful ever since. RCA tried to turn her into something she wasn’t at her core. Now, she has her creative freedom back, all because she left that toxic label environment behind. Also, she’s in a joint music distribution deal between her indie label, Nice Life, and Roc Nation, but the key thing is that her creative freedom is still intact. Why? ‘Cause she KNOWS who she is. She’s a risk taker, unlike labels, like RCA.
Prince left an amazing roadmap for independent artists. A ..must..study for how to protect your integrity, pocket, legacy, your work and yet remain on top of ur game. 👁️
Facts. Legend gone 2 soon
Social media has made it harder for celebrities to break out and actually feel larger than life. Various small subcultures are more popular than ever now because even though everyone uses UA-cam/TikTok/IG etc, the algorithm all tailored to everyone’s specific niches. Think of it like a cake that’s broken up into many small pieces instead of a few big pieces.
Back in the day when TV and radio were bigger than social media, people had less options of media, thus more people were being exposed to whatever was on MTV, VH1, Fuse, etc. Nowadays celebrities in general don’t have the same star power they did back then, celebrities don’t feel as massive when they can just go talk to their fans on an IG livestream like any other ordinary person.
that’s why Beyoncé will always be a superstar because she’s so inaccessible to the public
I think that’s also part of the reason music videos don’t get as many views now. Originally I thought it was because the artists’ teams stopped botting. But then I realized that it might be because people don’t really feel the need to watch music videos anymore when there are so many streaming sites that show interesting, less fake things. Basically over-saturation. And that may translate into the artist themselves
That might be why Playboi Carti's fanbase is the way it is tbh. He has done very little to connect with them and they go crazy whenever they see him. Less is really more sometimes.
The music industry needs to start looking at talent. They need to see less in the business aspect, it's actually the labels job to handle the business and let the creative create. These labels look at clout and money , they never look at someone who genuinely is able to commit and have passion twords their profession. They either go overboard on the freedoms to the creative or business based around that creative . You have to have a balance
The problem now is there's too many talented people but talent doesn't equal success and loyal fanbase lol it's relatability that can set you apart, you could be the greatest singers on earth people still care more about the beats and production than the voice.
@@aidentan6547 Talent does not = the basics, it includes production, performance when touring, ventures into other industries, etc that can be turned into success with time. CAN THE ARTIST DO THAT! is the question. The problem with today's music industry is that they do not invest in that in artist, they just make it happen with other people doing it for the artist, that's precisely why we don't see visionaries anymore, we see the cash cows. How many artists can you count on your hand that are currently Mega stars doing all the above without the label doing it for them or significantly helping?
Welcome to watching capitalism take place its less about the art more about what vision can we sell that doesent have enough substance
If they cared about talent alls they’d have to do is walk in a black baptist church and they’d have a group of the best singers in the world. Sad truth is there are so so many ppl who can sing better than our celebrities. All industry cares about is…are they influential looking enough to make us money?
@@nylesh9199 has nothing to do with capitalism and everything to do with ppl. There are plenty of talented singers on UA-cam and in real life no one cares about because they aren’t “hot enough” smdh lol. Until we stop caring about looks and clothes…this is what we are gonna get
To the youngins out here, if you wanted to rap back in the day, you had to go thru lyrical boot camp. You had to be able to write, spit a 16 & battle someone at any given time. You couldnt just record something, upload it & go viral like you can today. Yall got it too fkn good & easy out here.
Rap is Done. Music may still go on, I’m not saying we don’t have hall of fame artists AT ALL right now, but the thing about Right now ship hop is EXACTLY WHAT U POINTED OUT. mfs are scared to compete. shit gets boring. You CERTAIN artist are keeping a Pulse going in the rap game but almost everyone rn is afraid to battle
Yeah, there was that certain quality control from your peers in the same field. You knew you had to be about it because you witnessed the high quality and wanted to achieve that. Nowadays, how can you be inspired by the lack of quality and meaning of work that the "top tier" artists?
99% aren't going viral today so your statement is trash
💯! And to be a rockstar, you had to play AT LEAST one instrument and/or have amazing vocals. Now it's all computerized and autotuned. There is total reliance on technology, virality, and the performers attractiveness.
It's sad. Real skilled rappers don't exist anymore.
As someone from the afro American community this is absolutely great! Our culture has been diluted to water to promote ppl outside of the culture! Everything is copy and paste exactly the same! We have ppl that are creating original art in my community but they aren’t trying to look like everyone else and are confident blk dark blk ppl! Brands simply won’t touch them Bc fans wont! It’s sad.
Also less material for them to steal Bc ppl r promoting self! These ppl thrive from stealing from others
Not only rap but music as a whole feels dead ever since the 2020s started
ong after the box and that one song with mustard and roddy ricch came out music felt so dead everything sounds the same, there ain't no trends anymore and there's no songs that become smash hits or iconic, like i know this is a dumb example but that rolex song back in like 2017, that shit went viral and everyone was singing it, we haven't had a song like that in a while
@@felonbhand life is good by future
y’all just aren’t listening. The Forever Story came out last year along with other great albums since 2020. Listen to more music.
@@felonbh ong
@@felonbhI agree with you that’s why I stopped listening in 2017/17 and haven’t listened to new mainstream rap songs for five six years now unless it was from someone like j Cole, Kendrick Lamar, or any good rap artist
As I always say. There is. 1- The Music 2.- The Music Business 3.- The Music Industry. Love the 1st Learn the 2nd. Outsmart the 3rd.
It's about time, I remained independent 5 years for this exact reason. I saw it coming starting 2017 in the Lil Pump era when Gucci Gang went to top ten. I was 17 in even then I knew that something had changed in the industry and it wasn't going to last long. So I pride myself in being an independent artist who does and has always done what I want, trusting the process. LA and back, you just gotta believe
@@EconomicSource^^^
Thank you. Yeah I'm semi-industry cause of the friends I have and who they work with so I've seen the industry up close, I hate it. I'm back in Africa now looking for peace of mind 😂@@EconomicSource
@@EconomicSourcenot that it's just shady the politics in the game is fuckin lame
I was talking to somebody about this the other day. I told them I’ve listened to everything as far as rap goes, I think the only thing an artist can do right now is to be themselves. Nothing is truly original at this point but if artists can find out what works for THEM instead of imitating what’s popular and figure out how to own it. Things may brighten up a little.
But I bluntly said “be yourself and do you” he said it was cookie cutter. From a surface level absolutely it is but if you’re in tune enough with yourself it’s actually gospel.
I’m glad this is happening to this industry. It’s been needing to be rebuilt or dismantled for a long time. You can’t keep running a business with the same business model from 1970 in 2023. We don’t need these large corporations running the show anymore. The real ones can put in the leg work and make it on their own. We have all the tools we need finally. The power belongs in the artists hands anyway, it’s their craft. They really can’t blackball anyone anymore
Prince been told us this would happen! Rest in peace to a legend! 🕊️
When did he say this?
I think we’re gonna see a lot more successful independent artists & a lot more artists that in a few years will be a lot more successful cause they kept their head down for a few years prior to work on their craft plus building that core community/fanbase. Most artists are doing self development.. just look at Teeze Touchdown, took him 10 years to get where he’s at today
Amen
Unlikely. The modern music listener isn't trained or interested in looking deeper for more talented artists or musicians they identify with more deeply. They will continue to listen to whatever tik-tok tells them is hot for the second then immediately drop that artist for what's next.
If we do see that that means the people really are speaking as to what they want. And I feel like that hasent happened in mass since the j Cole freshman cast. Also j Cole and all those guys actually loved rap. How many of these artist today actually love the genre?
@@t-god2439it’s already doing a full circle. That lil pump phase is dying out. And when people actually make real music then they get real fans. When you out here rapping about your body or Gucci gang like it’s been for yearssss, what you expect for a fan base…the future of music is in the artist hands. All the most successful artist right now, make REAL music.
Good cuz artist development is what the industry is lacking the most or than focusing on talent over followers.
to kinda expand on your thoughts at the end: i feel like we're nearing a music rennissance where the underground scene is gonna start developing something insane. something that'll almost dethrone the labels in a way but staying independent is gonna be a huge part of it.
there's no indication of that happening
I totally agree I can feel it happening
Hopefully. Usually when charts become stagnant and boring, that indicates a transition period.
Of course, but this is gonna take a *long* time, so a breakthrough/revolution will not happen any time soon. Or maybe no one's looking in the right places, who knows.
Yeat, krushklub, sigilkore, OPIUM, etc. have all been showing the start of this happening.
@@shida5320
All you said takes me back to a dmx poem called the industry. He told everything simple and concise 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Olivia Rodrigo comes from the same formula as Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus they all come from Disney. Disney does not really fail at producing superstars
Exactly. They have a built in fan base that connects with them through childhood nostalgia. Just to draw a correlation I just had this conversation about sampling . Diddy created the formula that became mainstream. Sample a hit or a classic and whether the artist is great or not it will sell. Look at Latto’s Big Energy. Her 1 and only hit was a Mariah Fantasy sample and she didn’t even know where the best came from. I was mind blown!
Yup! But it still proves his point though. She’s not a TikTok star, been trained/prepped since childhood
I’m terms of singing Talent, Olivia Rodrigo blows all of the others off the list. I get what you’re saying tho.
It’s called the “Machine” and once you’re put in it.. Walah.. You’re a star!
@@Thisisbrobedon’t do Demi like that 😂
The Music Industry we've known is failing, yes. The power has shifted to the artists, and no longer NEEDS the record industry, unless they're willing to sell their soul for a bag. Which then music will be empty and will fall off real soon.
Finally it needed too happen its like everything is reseting and u have too have talent
And luckily indie labels are happy to put out a great record. :)
Such an important message and video! Thank you! I wished more people would realize this in the music business!
As a person who has been professionally involved in the music industry for over 30 years, you speak only facts young brother. Salute!
Is it true you won't make it in the industry if you're older than 25 or 30?
Completely agree with you! Patience is the key as an artist. Don't be so quick to give away everything to just be signed, then be stuck in a position where you're shelved or the label isn't investing in your career, so you're stagnant. The best thing to do is to develop your artistry in the trenches. Drop projects no one will listen to, go to local shows to practice, and experiment with different sounds, looks, and images for yourself. There's an old saying I love, prepare a feast, and they will come. Make enough noise alone, and labels and the fans will come to you.
This is happening everywhere, music, movies, illustration, comics. Art as a whole it taking a huge hit and now us as artist feel lost. But maybe it’s time for us the people to take back the art. Social media is collapsing so let’s go back to the individual.
The music industry has always been cutthroat, but at the very least they didn't sacrifice the art. I also think it's worth noting that a lot of people that accept these trash, instant music deals are broke and in bad financial situations. While it's easy to say they should wait and trust in themselves, a lot of people are literally trying to buy their way out of hell and the deals they prematurely receive seem like a ticket out of there. Gotta love the industry capitalizing off of generational poverty...
Instant gratification is the issue. People want to be big so fast without the work you have to put in to get there.
I think the problem is they want already-established artists… like 20 years ago if you were a new artist you had to go through hours of dance classes, vocal lessons, bootcamp etc. & THEN you would have to perform at bars/clubs & malls before performing at arenas, festivals & then eventually stadiums… they dont want to risk putting money on new artists if they know they aint gon get the money back straight away. Thats why we havent had any superstars for the last like 10-15 years…
As sad as I am about the state of rap/music overall.. this situation is so so in my favour
I like how you express this point so well and didn't even have to mention the shady and grubbiness of the industry.
How trashy it is and how people change when they get into it. I went through it first hand.
This is brilliantly done man glad there's someone actually breaking this down and making people more aware ❤
Speaking from what I’ve seen, smaller independent labels are gonna be in much better positions. Some of them are getting bought out by majors but indie labels are definitely better positioned for investing into more unknown artists and actually breaking stars
Yup.
It's great as it returns the power to us.
I have been confused by Ice Spice and how she got famous every time i see her. Im so glad were starting to question the purpose of some of these very disposable artist and the speed that they are coming and going. Also we never wanted all the constant murder music, the r&b hate music and tik toks. The machine needs to break.
The music industry has always been fragmented and fragile. Most artists make it big for about 5 years. Few can pull off a great selling album more than once. There are numerous artists people have never heard of. The big names get destroyed. It's not surprising that many end up broke or mentally broken. It really has been and continues to be run like the mafia.
thank you for this bro, i hope we will see better days soon. not just in music, any media
It’s funny cause Tyler, The Creator posted his Neptunes “Clones” CD saying “I miss physical albums being the main source…it stuck with you more.”
It’s hard to appreciate music sometimes because so much is at our fingertips. It’s no wonder the industry is looking the way it is.
That is so true. I still remember the first rap album I bought in middle school and it was big Sean Finally famous and I still remember it to this day how I felt about it. I honestly miss those days
@@jaysouthmusic8230 yea I remember I was gifted Ye’s 808’s & Heartbreak as a kid. Thing is..idk if a kid today would even be excited if you handed them a CD.
They’d rather a gift card to a month of Spotify, Apple, etc. Just the way of the world.
You gotta blame the consumer lol
@@kobewest03 this is true because it is on the consumers at the end of the day and the consumers are just probably tired of hearing the same music over and over
@@jaysouthmusic8230 similar to BlackySpeakz’s point about attention spans..this is why alotta consumers or even the next gen aren’t into listening to albums. Just singles, hits or what catches attention on TikTok.
I don't want to listen to celebrities or pop stars or influencers. I want to hear artists make good music. Main stream hip hop imo is booty. "I just wanna rock" sounds like a demo track thrown together in an hour same with the entire pink tape. At this point I go out of my way to find underground independent artists or small indie labels started by musicians. There's a ton of great music outside of the top 40 bullshit you just have to look for it. I'm glad "the industry" is crumbling, go find good indie artists buy their music and merch and go see their shows
Any off the radar artists you recommend?
I agree man and people are starting to follow this independent wave
Fr man literally the mainstream os aasss
Theres absolutely a paradigm shift happening within entertainment
Man this has been a long time coming for major labels. Russ already spoke about it. Artists today are better off remaining independent & at most signing a distribution/marketing deal with them. Like you said, labels for the most part only sign artists that they are 100% sure will sell, which is not breaking an artist, but investing into an already broken/developed artist. Fuck labels. They’re basically catalog holders like Disney is; They own a bunch of classic IPs that they just reboot & turn into live action films & rarely make anything new or unique…
Being able to tell your story through music is so much harder than it seems
I literally just had a gut feeling this was happening 😂, and it’s good to see others sharing the same sentiment. At least mainstream-wise, rap/hip-hop in particular is kinda stagnant atm
Good…it’s nothing but degeneracy and death worshiping garbage
Kinda? Nah bigtime
Latino and country music poppin
@JayNative-ei8nu How you boutta say Latino music is not poppin when Latino music had the most billboard entries in the U.S this summer💀 and the number 1 song in global spotify
I feel like people aren’t taking the time and effort to make a good album. It doesn’t have to be a concept album all of the time, but at least give me something that makes go wow I need to listen that project again as a whole. No one’s done that in the past few years. It’s really sad to see that the art of making an album is a problem.
@thebiggerreality18have u listened to utopia??
What about Little Simz's 'Sometimes I Might Be Introvert' that came out in 2021.
Listen to Lahai By Sampha. I really loved that album
The fact that US labels have started to acknowledge the problem is a good sign. They have been bad at development for a long time. Disney and Nickelodeon developed most of the previous pop stars. Lot of them also came developed from UK or Canada. Now the LatAm labels are also delivering artists to US charts. HYBE has invested a lot in US and they have their own development program going.
hot take: artists need to develop themselves. Too many resources abundantly available to everyone. If you're not capable of developing yourself, you don't want it bad enough and you're not that special
I feel sorry for anyone who didn’t grow up in the era of Michael Jackson. That’s all I really have to say. 😅
That is gone. He mentioned this Olivia Rodrigo been the last star 2 years ago, never ever heard of her
@@zoltankecskemeti1653 It will be interesting to see if we ever get mega stars like MJ ever again. Like you, I never heard of this girl either, but she has 51M followers on Spotify - that's easily top 30
If only my parents had me sooner smh
I got to witness 90s Michael Jackson not 70s and 80s Michael Jackson. 😅
luckky@@archangeljophiel2019
This was alot of facts 💯. They don't sign true talent anymore. Popularity isn't talent.
Just looked at the top hits on Spotify. A lot of it is country, rap, k-pop, the literal Barbie movie soundtrack, or songs from artists that people know already like Taylor. The American music industry is indeed fucked, but I’m really glad that laufey, a jazz bedroom pop artist, made it to the countdown and is finally bringing the even deader jazz industry back
Kpop isn't on the charts
@@Eeriesiren yes it is bro I posted this 6 months ago when jung kook and fifty fifty were on the charts
@@abbygamepop Jungkook is only on the charts because Only army's mass stream and buy the music if I asked A person right now About Jungkook golden album And tell me a song that isn't 3D or seven it will be crickets Nobody listens to Jungkook unless they're a army also you named like two kpop artist Which saying kpop is on the charts like I promise they aren't on the charts y'all kpop favs just mass but abd mass stream making these kpop idols seem bigger than they actually are also if you're gonna reply actually read my comment And try to understand what I said and say something sensible
@@Eeriesiren bro got mad over me stating a genre 💀 (I’m sorry you’re just getting mad, charts are still charts and this was 6 months ago please try to calm down)
@@abbygamepop i am calm
This is facts, the industry also scares off some artist from wanting to even grow because of how it’s built and moving. I watch a good amount of your videos and I’m just seeing your face 😭 that just caught me off guard frl.
Sounds great to me. It gives the artists the ability to make "their" art without restrictions.
I agree 👍 , I always question who their audience the record labels ?
Look at the Billboard 100 year end lists since the pandemic. The state of the industry right now is sad, and this year is a dead new low.
It really is especially for hip hop. Still baffles me that before uzi dropped his album, not one hip hop song or album has charted number this year for the first time in 30 years
It’s not even about talent anymore, it’s just all about the money and fame in the industry
Blacky stays coming at these music executives necks 😅
This article reminds me of that other headline that went viral called, “Too many songs, not enough hits”. They also said the era of the superstar is dying and the most growth in the market is coming from LOCAL and REGIONAL acts rather than global superstar.
He’s not wrong though he’s telling the truth
As an independent artist I loved this video and your words 💙
Your new age content is flawless. Love the channel. Face reveal was the cherry on top. Feel way more connected to your content now. Keep going. 🥂
The music industry needs to return back to the days when they groomed their artist to have long sustaining music careers. A label would sign you, put you through vocal training, singing lessons & charm school. They allowed to fail on your 1st couple of albums, because they had a long term plan for you. That all changed 40 years ago when the industry threw out the old model & replaced it with a get rich quick model. The music industry is getting what it deserves & i couldn't be more happy about it..
These music labels deserve what they're getting now. They sowed the seeds of oversaturating the market with these Tiktok acts and now they cry wolf they cant make megastars anymore.
I agree on most of what you're saying...except for one thing:
Money is not the engine of the industry, it's the power supply of it. The engine of the music industry was, is, and will always be music. It's the product what we are looking for, not the medium of how it is made.
I'm glad u spoke on this ima artist as well and thats why I'm independent 💯 I don't wanna go the easy route cause u don't learn everything u need to know being famous ain't important the journey is the best part
This makes me appreciate the SoundCloud rappers back in 2014 and 2015 who came up being independent and are still making it till this day
Music industry can't control the market anymore. Today we have so many social media, we can be our own music artist, promote our own materials, and get the benefits without going through any management.
I think one of the biggest reasons why Hip-Hop is declining is because we keep continuing to lose artists to violence. Just last year around the time we lost Takeoff, it shocked the community to no end. It hurt the most because it wasn't just some rapper who had fame for like two years of fame like X, Juice, or Pop Smoke. It was someone who had ten years, a whole decade of fame and success and he gets killed over something meaningless. And it's hard to find rappers at that age to have talent like his...
And young dolph 😢
The last superstars in the modern music space are Drake, Kendrick Lamar, The Weekend, Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber. I don't mean how loved they are, I mean when they drop music we know because it's playing on every radio station in every store people are making memes, the name sells the album even with minimal promotion. I mean does the internet, media and the world know when Lil Baby drops an album? No. But if Kendrick hinted at another album rn the world would be talking about in within a week.
Lil Baby is the definition of a rapper with no substance. "Plug this, Plug that. Gang this, Gang that. Weed this, weed that" So it's understandable that people won't talk about his album.
@@otaieb48if anything he’s overrated
@@otaieb48You have to admit though Lil Baby 2017-2020 run was definitely good but yeah overall he doesn’t have the substance or staying power unless a miracle happens
Couldn't agree more, people need to stay patient...perfect the craft.
Glad to see bro making these type of videos, also kudos for the face cam, long time follower here. Love from ireland dude peace ✌️
Corporate music industry execs never knew what to do with talent. The A&Rs of yesteryear were very instrumental in developing and capitalizing on their artists.
*The A&Rs of the 80's and 90's are long gone.
I think that you are spot on. You can't serve two masters. As a Christian Jazz artist, we are going to hold the line on our purpose for our art. If people resonate with us and love our brand, so be it. We are going to focus on being the best at what we do regardless. We ARE in for the long-term.
Thing is music will always evolve for the better or worse. Ppl just aren’t creative anymore and are running out of ideas. But there’s still light out in the world for many underground artists who will soon shake things up….
That is true
It always happens every era has a dead couple years and then a bunch of new fresh artists and writers and producers who shake everything up
The industry has been ignoring raw talent and propping up artists based on pretty privilege, sex appeal, etc. Record labels often have a plan to manufacturer a persona for their artists... an image, a style, a sound... Moreover, this is predicated on what they believe will reap profits off things like sex appeal in lieu of actual talent. Unfortunately, people can't buttress an entire music career with good looks and subpar talent. Not in the long term anyway. Industry overreach often ends up stifling the artists own creative vision, which keeps the artist from presenting their authentic self. There's a disingenuousness to it, and people are getting tired of it.
im ngl, you actually be spitting facts i usually come for the antics but alot of people talk about the concept of breaking an artist and not sustaining them or help them to be able to build that foundation to stand on. Thats why we see lots of one hit wonders and artist that are hard underground artist but will never get the play they deserve given the fact the labels control the narrative. Music is between a rock and a hard place when it comes to the industry.
I’ve been making music since I was 13 I’m 25 now but back then I always dreamed of getting signed one day but now seeing how bad the current state of the music industry is in rn I’m actually fine with being in the ‘underground’ scene and staying independent seems more n more like the way to go these days if you want to see genuine raw talent.
Great videos man I been at my career for over 7 years now indie over half a billion streams. It’s been hard but I am so happy I stayed indie.