Marketing and the Effect on Music

Well hello. Usually I like to talk about things that can help or educate people, but today I want to talk about this link that a friend referred me to go to and listen to. It's a video with D Brad talking about how corporate america has changed the music that we listen to today.

Check it out at Real Talk - www.realtalkny.net/2007/03/topic/videos/confessions-of-a-bet-producer

He talks about his years of experience in the music industry where he worked on rap city, and paved the way for young hip hop artists like Eve, Kelis, and the Lox to be successful. But what he really hones in on is the fact that BET a corporation that he worked for, has now turned corporate. He claims that all the creativity of what use to be of the network, is now gone, and is built now on what mainstream America is publicising.

In the interview he challenges someone to listen to the radio for 10 minutes and then turn on BET and tell him what you see. He guarantees that you will see the same artists 's videos that you heard on the radio 10 minutes ago. He claims that this is because BET has become a dictatorship run by top executives that are usually older white color men who are untapped within the urban music market, but that is more so focused on what sells, and what we think the audience wants to hear.

He goes on to say that we have brought our audience down so much from what real music is, that they now only expect so much. For all the Nases, Kelises and other artist out there that want to make real music, that has lyrical content and that is creative and has meaning to it, it's almost like there is no market for these types of artists anymore.

What do you think? Have we shaped our own music society?