Your Time Will Come

Older acts that didn’t make it in their generation can do so now if they know how to hustle

Hip-hop as a genre is very young and modern, so we are only now seeing the impacts of past generations’ ageing. Hip-hop is still youth culture, as it should be, but older fans still want to hear new music from artists they grew up on and hear music that reminds them of the artists from their youth.

Many people are able to hustle themselves into great situations because they understand their target audience and how to market to them. Using new technology that wasn’t around when an artist emerged is key to being able to reach a larger fan base. Griselda are a perfect example of this: coming from Buffalo, there weren’t many musical connections when they first started rapping in the mid 2000’s. It was hard for them to get their music played outside of their town. But with the globalization of hip-hop and the introductions of social media and streaming services, they were able to hustle and reach fans that they were never able to reach. Their ability to flood us with high premium projects and move in this generation is the reasons why they hold so much relevance in today’s music scene.

Another perfect example of being able to flip the switch is Uncle Murda, an artist who from the 2000’s, even signing to Roc­-a-fella records in 2007. Soon after he was signed, Jay-Z, head of the label left, leaving no clear vision on what to do with Unlce Murda. So he got dropped. From there he was able to move independently, putting out street mixtapes keeping his buzz local (like Griselda). As time passed Murda was able to create a bigger buzz and even tour worldwide.

I feel like Murda and Griselda were blessed by not being super big when they first came out, because they would have had to sign to a label that could compromise their creativity and put themselves in a box in the fans minds. This is dangerous because it could have prevented them from growing to be as big as now (many artist fall for this). Being able to move locally allowed these artists to grow.

My message to artists and creatives is this: There is no rush. Believe in your craft and vision, and be patient because your time will come.

Karl Sturch

Ignorantly Delivering Knowledge

IDK (Ignorantly Delivering Knowledge) had one of my favourite albums of 2019 with “Is he real?” where he questions God. I am glad he was able to showcase his talent to a massive audience on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where he performed the highly relevant track “No Cable” from his album.

In the chorus of this song he offers his take on the privilege of not needing or having to care about police shootings, school shootings or gay/trans rights. He is saying people are quick to label them as thugs or mentally unstable people and they will just “change the channel”.

Changing the channel both refers to the privilege of not having to care about things not affecting you, and the mindset most of these people who hold this privilege have: not being ready to hear the truth. This might break their comfort, so they just ignore it.

He ends the chorus with saying how we are all brothers and sisters and we should recognize this and in turn end the cycle of hurt and pain.

I feel like this was a powerful song to showcase on The Late Show because it is very relevant today, as is the message of literally asking anyone who he makes uncomfortable to “change the channel”. You can either change the channel or strive for what’s best for a society; Black Lives Matter.

 

Karl Sturch

Here Are Ten Black Independent Artists You Need to Know Of

Before I start this article I would like to say rest in peace to George Floyd, and that our thoughts are with his family. No one deserves to be treated differently due to the colour of their skin.

The Murder of George Floyd awoke many people into realising how big of a problem racial inequality is. Many are fighting to be on the right side of history, and many people are trying to fight for equality and against oppression.

We have been able to accomplish many successful things so far; for example we have been able to increase the charges for murderers and get other complacent officers charged. Even on what may seem a smaller scale you have artists and consumers calling out those who make millions off of Black Music to give back and support the black community. Artists like The Weeknd and Russ have called out the likes of Universal Music Group, Sony Music, Warner Music, Spotify and Apple to give back. This has lead to some impressive support from these organisations. For example Sony Music announcing they plan to give $100 million to fund social justice and anti racism initiatives.

This is all wonderful stuff but labels are taking most of the money from when you stream your favourite song, unless if it’s from an independent artist. I feel like we as consumers need to put in more of a conscious effort to support Black businesses. A way of doing this from home is listening to independent Black artists. So Predominantly Hip Hop gives you ten Black independent artists and groups you should know of:

Kota the Friend

Kota has gotten big during quarantine. His very chill and relaxed music is perfect for relaxing in the sun or just chilling in your room. He even released an amazing album “EVERYTHING” during quarantine.

Our favourite songs include Hollywood, Volvo and B.Q.E

 

Rapsody

She can out rap your favourite rapper for sure! A perfect musician if you like that lyrical rap. She works with legendary producer 9^th Wonder and  has been nominated for a Grammy.

Our favourite songs include Cleo, Nobody and Oprah

 

Freddie Gibbs

This is an artist who has arguably released the album of 2019. It also seems like he will be part of the conversation this year for album of the year with his album “Alfredo”, which he recorded with legendary producer The Alchemist. An artist with an amazing flow, perfect if you like cocaine rap.

Our favourite songs include 1985, Fake Names and Scottie Beam

 

Big K.R.I.T.

An artist who we respect a lot. When his label was trying to shelf him, he said he doesn’t need them and started moving independently and creating his own buzz. So when he left his label it made sense to stay independent.

Our favourite songs include K.R.I.T. Here, Mixed Messages and Believe

 

Young M.A

An artist with a strong business mind who we’re happy stayed independent. We feel she has great potential and will able to accomplish some big things in both independent rap and business.

Our favourite songs include Big, Get this Money and Trap or Cap

 Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine and Benny the Butcher

We know these three are a group under the name “Griselda” but while Griselda is signed under Shady records, as solo artists these three are independent. They are releasing music at great speed and high quality. Perfect if you like that really grimy rap.

Our favourite Westside Gunn songs: GODS Don’t Bleed, Lucha Bros and Euro Step

Our favourite Conway the Machine songs: Shoot Sideways, Fentanyl and 14 KI’s

Our favourite Benny the Butcher songs: ’97 Hov, 18 Wheeler, 5 to 50

 

The Underachievers  

This is a duo that brings you old style New York rap mixed with psychedelic rap. A very underrated duo! We look forward to seeing what they will be able to accomplish in the future.

Our favourite songs include N.A.S.A, New New York, Generation Z

 

Flatbush Zombies

We couldn’t mention The Underachievers without mentioning Flatbush Zombies, another group that brings you old style New York rap but mixed with Psychedelics. If you liked The Underachievers you would definitely like this group.

Our favourite songs include Bounce, Vacation and New Phone Who Dis?

 

Childish Major

A very talented producer/rapper that is perfect for chilling in your room. Similar to Kota the friend we would definitely recommend for your quarantine playlists.

Our favourite songs include Not Numb, Supply Luh and I Like You

 

Rimon

This is an artist with a beautiful voice, perfect for your quarantine playlist. She even released a wonderful EP called “I Shine, U Shine” recently.

Our favourite songs include Out Of My Way, Downtown and Dust

 

I hope you find at least one new independent artist that you like in this list, and if not I hope this article makes you put more of a conscious effort to try find and support Black independent artwork.

 

 

People aren’t listening to new music in Quarantine, What does this mean for artists

People have been stuck in quarantine letting time pass; yet streaming platforms like Spotify are seeing a stream decrease of 20 percent. Why is this? One reason is that there is no commute. People are working from home so there is no need to listen to music to pass the time. Spotify however has reported that people are listening to a lot more chill music and self improvement podcasts.

Another big decrease we have seen is that people are less likely to listen to new music. This is because even though consumers still have the capability of finding new music, without radio or club DJ’s introducing new music in different atmospheres, consumers are less interested. This has frozen lots of potential releases from artists during quarantine, especially for artists that live off of touring.

Another reason I feel that people aren’t listening to new music is because they want to be able to lose themselves in the nostalgic memories of songs that take them back to a much easier time. They want that comfort in listening to something they know they are going to love. They have that small control over that aspect of their life.

Artists should remain aware of the consumer landscape throughout this quarantine. They should find ways to stay relevant without affecting their brand. For example artist that live stream concerts or have a Tik Tok have all seen an increase in streams. It’s important for artists to figure out a way to stay connected to their fans while we’re all isolating.

Karl Sturch

Effect of Quarantine on Creatives

As I write this I am in quarantine, and like most people, I’m finding great ways to pass the time. Hopefully this article takes some time off of your day.  Even though the world has gone upside down the amount of content to pass the time is still high, because creatives are always going to find new ways to create.

We have seen an increase of DJs and artists use platforms like Instagram live to play sets and perform for their audiences. We have even had creatives battle it out, be it two producers or two artists having song vs song battles. This keeps the competitiveness needed in music going.

Musicians have also started flooding Tik Tok, which is not only a great outlet for music promotion, but also allows us to see how creative people are when they have so much time on their hands.

These all add up for artists as new ways to gain momentum for music releases. Without traditional radio play or advertisement we have seen more and more artists flood to instagram live to really connect with fans and other creatives. One of my personal favourites is Tory Lanez’s Quarantine radio, where he interviews his fans and guests like Drake or The Weeknd, and has created really good entertainment for people stuck at home. This also creates buzz and value in Tory Lanez, he recently released “The New Toronto 3” and I think we will see this internet buzz as something that will help Tory sell.

It is quite wonderful that through such rough times we are able to still communicate with one another. Even though the whole world is on a pause we as people don’t have to be on a pause. Find a way to help yourself get through this time, but also stay safe.

Karl Sturch

Hacking for Fake Streams

 

Last year I wrote an article called “Fake Listeners” about the possibility of streaming farms in China. I used the example of Selena Gomez who during that time became Spotify’s most-streamed artist, without even releasing an album. In this article, I wrote that china might have offices with phones playing Selena Gomez music on repeat. Something similar to the ‘click farms’ in China.

But it seems like there may be a new approach to getting fraudulent numbers. Which may be a bigger invasion of privacy. Before I start I want to thank and credit the findings of a twitter profile under the username @karlamagne. Who seems to have the same name as me.

He found out that French Montana’s song “Writing on the wall” was moving suspiciously on the Spotify Charts. When the song was first released it didn’t do great numbers even though it had 2 big features Cardi B and Post Malone, but it only charted for 5 weeks then re-entered 3 weeks later it entered the charts at a new peak.

French Montana’s team even spoke out against the accusations saying that the song is very popular on Tiktok, therefore, people were starting to stream it on other platforms. However, Spotify was the only platform that saw an increase. On the 02/01/2020 the song was #21 on Spotify but #1192 on apple music. Unless if all the Tiktok users only have Spotify, there must be something fishy going on.

Now onto how they managed to create such a fraudulent tactic. If you look at these tweets, he is getting people to hack into your Spotify and playing his music. Instead of his album selling as much as ‘Invasion of Privacy’, it was just an invasion of privacy.

Now I don’t know if French himself is paying for these fake streams it could be a label move. But I hope that Spotify cracks down heavily on this fraud. There are plenty of great artists that want to be able to compete but can’t if sub-par songs are given VIP treatment.

Karl Sturch

Fake Listeners

Last year over 60% of U.S. music revenues came from streaming platforms. This will only rise due to the popularity and convenience streaming platforms give to listeners. For artists, this means that these streaming platforms are very valuable when it comes to marketing and selling one’s work. But is there a way of getting more streams that aren’t actual streams being listened to by real listeners? There is, and these are called streaming farms. I will be discussing what exactly these are and how they may impact music artists and fans.

In recent news, Selena Gomez beat Drake in becoming Spotify’s most-streamed artist, however questions arose since she hasn’t released an album since 2015. Drake has newer content and it would make more sense for him to grab that spot. Could Selena be involved in streaming farms?

Streaming farms are automated streams with a goal to increase streaming numbers and thus increasing profit and popularity. There are various methods for streaming farms, one way is artists or labels paying companies like Streamfy or SpotLister to give them fake play.

Fans suspect Selena Gomez’s label to use automated bots to boost her numbers. These automated bots are thousands of phones playing music 24/7, which is very similar to the ‘Click farms’ that automate likes and comments in China. The fans believe this was all because they want to create buzz and conversation for her new album.

Streaming farms for streams is very dangerous to do. It’s fraud and it will land you in some trouble as an artist. For example, in 2015, a small folk band called “Smokey and the Mirror” received a life time ban from Spotify for fishy streams. This band was able to get 79,000 plays with only 30 followers. You may be thinking 79,000 streams is not much, that’s only just over $450 US, surely Spotify won’t lose that much?

Streaming platforms wants to make sure all artist gets the same advantages. Buying fake streams rigs the algorithms, that companies like Spotify or Tidal have set up. What if there was a great band that deserved to be discovered by a new fan because they didn’t cheat but then another band gets discovered first because they cheated? It is not fair for artists and these streaming companies will lose out on genuine valuable marketing data that will help improve their services. I believe creators should have respect for other creators out there and be able to live their own truths and play fair.

Now I don’t know if Selena Gomez is paying to have her streams automated, I personally doubt it.  I believe her success is due to her ability to constantly be on Spotify’s made playlists, and for being a talented artist, but we don’t know what’s happening behind the scenes and we can’t ignore the fact that streaming farms are still being used. It will be very interesting in seeing what Tidal, Spotify and Apple Music will do to crack down on this, and fellow artists’ responses to these changes.

Karl Sturch

 

The Upload Button – Power to Creator –

In the 60’s, we saw events like record labels cornering the market on vinyl presses – if you wanted to get a record made you would need a record deal. In addition, resources and the price to make physical copies of music was super high, so record deals were only given to a small percentage of artists.

A lot has changed since then because the music industry is constantly expanding and changing, less people now are buying vinyl and are more into advanced ways of listening to music thanks to advances in technology and its conveniences in everyday life. Think smartphones. Think apps. Think social media. It is now easier than ever to connect to anyone in the world. With that in mind, also think about the ease of access to resources we have today. It makes sense that there is currently a surge in independent artists. If you continue, I will explain why in more detail.

In 2003, Apple came up with a way to purchase music online with iTunes. This was a blessing for the music industry as it was a way of fighting illegal peer-to-peer file sharing which had caused a decrease of legal music sales.

And then Spotify and Rhapsody came into the picture offering subscription services to stream music. Spotify was one of the first streaming service that was able to negotiate licenses with all of the major labels and many independent labels to allow unlimited access to wide ranges of music.

In recent years there has been an increase in the number of streaming platforms and an increase of people moving towards streaming platforms to receive music. I talk about this in my previous article, ‘A shift to the forefront of the music Industry- could streaming platforms be the new record labels?’.

This increase in people using streaming services created a very competitive market. When Tidal entered the picture, ‘The Streaming Wars’ began. Tidal was created to help and benefit the artist, and only the artist. It started getting its subscribers by offering them exclusive album releases a week or even two in advance.

But then artists started making deals with other streaming platforms for exclusive deals. That was until record labels had to cut in and say ‘no’, all because these labels were receiving less money than they would have received from releasing their artists music on all platforms.

Streaming platforms subscribers is increasing. It’s not surprising, I’m pretty sure it’s rare to know someone who doesn’t have a streaming service on their devices than vice versa. Spotify holds the most subscribers with around 83 million worldwide, Apple Music is a close second with 50 million worldwide subscribers.

On the 21st of September, 2018, Spotify announced that they will be allowing artists to upload their music directly to the streaming service. This new upload system is free for artist to use and Spotify even pays artist if their music is streamed. This hasn’t taken place yet though. Currently you would either need to be an artist signed to a label or an invited independent artist, eliminating emerging new artists.

What would happen if this takes place, and Spotify goes through with this idea? This will allow more artist to stay independent meaning receiving 100% of royalties, pushing the power towards the streaming platforms and artists. It also allows newer artists to advertise themselves on a whole new platform instead of social media etc.

I personally think that if Spotify goes through with this, it will have a knock-on effect on all streaming platforms. This will benefit the artist directly and reward the royalties they deserve for their art. In addition, it will bring hope to new artists in making it big!

I think the people who lose out the most are the current record labels.

Spotify had claimed they don’t want to become a record label however this move suggests the opposite. This move is removing all record labels and leaving only them (Spotify) and the artists in the equation. If that’s not clear enough, as per my last article, streaming services are moving in to being the new record labels.

I am personally glad that as times are changing the artists are seeing more benefits for their work. In 2017, musicians only saw 12% of the total money their music generated for their label. With the introduction of the upload button, I hope that encourages more new independent artists to emerge, and create more great music. It’ll be a win for the artist and for us listeners.

Karl Sturch

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A shift to the forefront of the Music Industry – Could streaming platforms be the new record labels?

Record labels were the forefront of the music industry in the 1920’s because of the increased popularity of people buying other peoples’ music recordings. This was a novelty at the time, a novelty that was convenient as majority of people then would only listen to music through buying sheet music and playing it themselves. This convenience resulted in the decline of sheet music sales and relinquishing its place as the main way people listen to music.

Sales of recordings in the US went from $30 million in 1909 to over $100 million in the 1920’s and this created an influx in the number of Record companies from around 18 existing in 1914 to over 160 in 1918 – that is a massive amount in just 4 years! Forward to around the 1970-80’s, there were a consolidation of Record companies resulting in a few multinational companies. The majority of recording sales were going through the ‘Big Three’ record labels – Sony Music, Warner Music Group and the Universal Music Group.

Now in present day the consumption of music has changed a lot. The music industry was deemed “dead” by many so called ‘professionals’ many times do to different and new ways of consuming records, but I personally prefer to say it has been evolving. It is clear that in today’s consumption of music, a lot of people are shying away from hard products such as CD’s and Vinyls, and are now relying on streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, etc. to listen to music.

This was massive. The change in consumer taste shifted the dynamics of the whole music industry. The industry had to adapt by changing the way they did things whether it was Billboard including streams in their chart sales, or record labels prioritizing their artist’s singles over their artist’s projects.

[Figure 1]

As you can see from Figure 1, ‘Streaming’ (all shades of green) is on the rise since 2005, whereas the other platforms for music revenue have been decreasing. Upon seeing the RIAA year end Revenue Statistics breakdown and using Figure 1, the ‘Streaming’ revenue in the US increased by 43.0% in 2017 and ‘Physical’ revenue (eg. CD’s, LP’s) had decreased by 3.7%.

These Streaming platforms are holding a lot of new found power. There is a constant competition between all the streaming platforms to grab the most of what seems to be an ever growing market. They were even signing artists to release their projects exclusively on their platform, like for example, Drake’s album ‘Views’. It was released a week early for iTunes and Apple Music listeners.

But because most artists have record deals, this exclusivity on streaming platforms do not last long as Record labels care mostly about maximising sales. It makes sense for them to release an artist’s music on all platforms to do so. Streaming companies on the other hand want more people to listen to their own platform to increase their profit. This therefore begs the question: why don’t these Streaming companies sign their own artists?

Another example is Tidal. Tidal was created by Jay-Z with the notion of it being a coalition of artists working together for the best interests of these artist. But Tidal didn’t work as well as it was planned as a lot of the artists who are a part of Tidal didn’t own all of their music, so there was no way for exclusivity. This didn’t stop the vision, so Jay-Z took his old music off his competitor’s platforms and put it on his, and Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” album was only able for streaming on Tidal.

Recently Youtube has launched its own music streaming platform with it being headed by Lyor Cohen. In a recent interview with ‘The Breakfast Club’, Charlamagne tha God asked him whether he would sign an artist to Youtube, and his response was “Labels are important…..I think there is a real important role for labels…….we (Youtube) are solving a global platform getting them to subscribe, getting them to pay with their eye balls……….we (Youtube) got our hands full”. This seemed a lot like a side step and seems like he is still very unsure about Streaming companies taking over from Record labels.

The music industry has been constantly evolving, this is evident from the shift of sheet music sales to music streaming which dominates the industry today. I hope it continues and I’ve said it many times on my podcast ‘Predominantly Hip Hop’ I believe Streaming platforms can compete as the new Record labels.

However, I do know that this is probably not going to happen in the near future as current labels will do all they can to stop this from happening. I do advise many artists to make sure they are getting what they deserved from the deals they have signed. They should never give up their credit or royalties.

Karl Sturch

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