I've asked myself the question in October of 2021 as to how I would offer my last solo album, "Fade To Black / Facing Life" to the public. Two years later, I finally have the answer. After much internal debate, I've decided to only make the album accessible via our website and Bandcamp, with a few well selected tracks on MuvMint TV.
Wait!...that's not how everyone is doing it Rook. Man, you got to throw it on everything and everywhere if you are serious about your music brova! So what is my calm and collected
response to such a repeated crazy statement. "It's because I take my music serious that I refuse to devalue it by giving these 3rd party platforms the opportunity to benefit more from my music than I could".
Let's be honest, the DSP are not independent artist friendly. The major labels are buying streams and sales to blow up their fake numbers. Radio stations are generally owned by Clear Channel and are in the pockets of the major labels as well. Clear Channel is also the parent company of Live Nation, so the concerts are tailored to benefit the majors also. We have reached a point where local artists can't even get airplay on their local stations without being brain drained and left drooling as they follow some predetermined process put in place by the souless "masters" in charge. NO THANK YOU....I am going to go this way instead!
I create my own beats, write my own rhymes, record my own vocals, mix my own songs and master everything in house at Tha Epicenter Studioz. Never have I claimed to be the best artist of all time or the most supreme unknown audio engineer ever to grace the studio with my presence, but I can honestly say that my song's sonic quality is where I like it to be. I never did like a polished sound. It sounds too robotic, cold and overcalculated. I am hip hop and hip hop is supposed to sound a little grimy, with some dirt on it. Engineers are using mad plugins on a vocal to sound like somebody else. Hahahahahahahahaha. Major labels have taken our very soul crafted music and turned it into an overmonetized IP. Soooooo...I am voluntarily refusing to participate in the endless rat race created by the musically knowledgable inadequate CEOs of the grind machine.
Just so we're clear, I do believe DSPs could have been a real value to independent artists, but in order for them to be profitable and exists, they got to take it up their butt by the majors. Hence, authentic music is devalued and left to the realm of the staggnant and decaying. Ever wonder why all the music today sounds the same? Hmmmm. I also understand my music is very niche. Very few people actually share my posts or stream the music I have in the past put on the DSPs. 5 years and just about to hit 20k in streams even though we promote and market our stuff. Only a handful are checking for me man and as much as I'm okay with remaining in the shadows compared to others, I'm not okay with continuing to give my music to the world for free. What more do they want from me? 400+ songs isn't enough?!!! TOO BAD.
So in closing, I've made this final album for me and if you choose to enjoy it, that's what's up. Thank you. Either way, I would have ended this part of my journey on my terms, via my path, for my satisfaction. Sure I'll make some dough as I always have, but my peace of mind comes from the creation of my spirit's voice captured in my music as I continue to offer help to those struggling with life itself. People will have the chance to either buy a copy from our store, download it to whatever device they use and created their own playlist. The option to begin a membership via our website and stream the music is also an option. Finally, you can make a Bandcamp account or listen to the few tracks I'm putting on MuvMint TV (YouTube) and stream it for free. If none of those work for you. Wolp!