When will they learn?

This is horrible. I read this article a couple weeks ago when I was in arrowhead on vacation...just never got around to actually finishing writing about it.

When will record companies realize they can't expect to sustain by suing their consumer?

Remember the mantra, "the customers always right?" It's never been more true than in this instance with the sale music. Adjust policies and approach. Obviously suing your consumer won't work because putting ridiculously high settlements that they can't afford will land them in jail or prison. If you send them all to jail/prison...who's left to actually buy music?

I don't know why labels are desperately holding on to the old paradigm of sustainability. They are X'ing themselves out of existence.

Recording companies are manipulating the legal coverage of the copyright laws. People who are download music aren't claiming creative rights, they arent re-selling (some anyway), nor declaring sole ownership -- please forgive the exaggeration. The point I'm trying to make is this: file sharing is among the highest and most effective forms of marketing -- I chose marketing over promotion since labels may feel that they are loosing money, then tack file sharing in the marketing column and consider it an investment.

In the article I'm referring to (link here) the record companies are suing a teenager for approximately $750 per song he downloaded. With that logic, thats like being sued by snuggie for $1000 because I stole a 5 dollar snuggie from target, took it to the beach and shared.

You know what copyright infringement lawsuit should be filed? How about soulja boy putting his music on limewire and labeling it as one of 50 cents hit songs-which he actually stated he did during a radio interview.

what is our music saying?

I was at a friends house playing some tracks on shuffle on his iTunes and came across this song: "Cause The Beat Hot" (download the instrumental here)

Now is this a musical genius or just plain coonery? Sure the beat is simple and the most work, I think, was put into this was chopping up the "meow" mix. Today it seem like you can make music, if you want to call it that, from just about anything! the art and creativity of making something has been lost with the thought of making a quick buck.

Then later in that day I saw THIS by Lil' B (if you don't know who he is he's from Souljaboy's camp):

Today, I don't think anyone truly knows what music was meant for? It had a message, a meaning, a purpose! I ask you, artists and producers, what does our music mean today? what is our music saying right now about our time? And most importantly when did music, let alone hip-hop, stop saying something MEANINGFUL?

Artist Integrity Vol. 2

Prov 28:6 better is the poor who walks in integrity than he who is crooked and rich.

What's good young world? So I'm watching the Mo'Nique show the other night, bored out of my brain, and this cat Roscoe Dash is one of her guests. He's the cat that sings the "All the way turnt up" song. Anyhow, I'm listening to him answer the questions Mo'Nique is feeding him and this cat can barely put together an entire sentence (BUT HE'S GOT A RECORD DEAL!? lol).

He gets up to perform and you can't understand what he's saying... aaaaaaaand what little you can catch is either about some skeet skeet, swag or weed; but it gets worse. Souljaboy tell'em runs out on stage -- pants on super sag and a long red fox tail hanging from his belt (he really had a fox tail, watch the video lol).

Now don't get me wrong I would never dis what Soulja Boy and his team are trying to do and say it's not music -- because it is. But at what point do you stop and remember your integrity? At what point do you say, "My following is strong, my production is sick -- let me spit something influential, let me spit some truth about life; About my mistakes and how I learned from them" ...so that the kid that's looking up to me instead of his mom or dad doesn't have to re-invent the wheel. At the end of the day would I like to have some extra dough, a nice house and a walk-in humidor(lol)? ..sure. But not at the expense of losing my respect, my integrity and everything I've worked so hard for. I love this game, but on the real its time to start cultivating what we do. I coone for no man -- never have and never will.

So as we perfect our crafts as artist remember this -- a record deal and a large cash advance does not define you. Your fans and your haters don't define you. It's what you accomplish through your love for the people, your self-respect and your integrity for your craft.

What good does it a man/woman to gain the world but loose their soul?

Peace and love.