Hip Hop

I have always believed that mediocrity kills. In the music industry, specifically the Hip Hop market, I feel that artist and labels are dishing out mediocre products. The labels get in the way of artist creativity and request artist to perform what sells. With the power of the Internet, you hear artist who are not ready for the long haul in the music industry, but since the decline of music sales, labels jump after artist who have a local buzz and a hit song. Yes, these records generate monetary sales via ringtones, licensing on film/TV, and radio royalties. But, I believe that these mediocre artist and songs will be a detriment to the essence of hip-hop. Even Asher Roth stated "if we keep rapping about this nonsense and this unattainable materialism, we’re screwed." 
 On just about every well-known hip hop blog you will find topics about the exploitation of the music. Fans are starting to tune out at the redundancy of the radio’s playlist. I mean come on, how many of you have said to yourself while riding in the car “ man, didn’t they just play this?” If the music execs of these labels don’t consider the long term affects of how they conduct the business of the hip hop market, then they will continue to see drop in sales. The time will come when artist realize that iTunes, amazon.com and other internet retailer’s will give them the distribution needed without the major labels backing. The emergence of the Internet has transformed the traditional business module for all major recording labels. The World Wide Web has enhanced the brick and mortar ways of marketing, promoting and retail. The Internet has given birth to the new era of music, but will consumers embrace these artists that are not carbon copies?

Spotify and the recording industry...

Can Spotify be helpful in music sales? I have a hunch that the music industry still has a chip on its shoulder from not jumping on the phenomenon that was Napster. So, they must learn from their mistakes and partner with Spotify, which is a digital music service. However, Spotify specializes in its free streaming services at a monthly rate. My mother always told me, why would anyone buy the cow when they can get the milk for free? With that said, what can the music industry gain by joining forces with Spotify? For one they no longer have to worry about lengthy battles in the courtroom for copyright infringement. The recording industry won’t potentially lose millions of untapped revenue if Spotify’s service is trendsetting. However, music labels get the bulk of their income through album sales. Streaming free music online wont allow the music industry to bounce back from their decade long decline. I believe the recording industry will have to start focusing on producing quality material. They had their chance in changing the future of the industry but failed miserably. The music business has always had a formula when creating a hit. That formula has been abused over the years. Every artist sounds the same. Music does not have that emotion it used to generate. It is my honest opinion that the music industry needs to focus on creating great quality music. Stop being scared of the mistakes that were made in previous years. Stop being afraid of an unknown band that give’s crowd’s chills because that band doesn’t fit the standards. Give consumers something worth buying. The music industry wont change until it stops getting in its own way.

Digital World

Finally, music is going digital. So, is there any need in having a major label? I say, yes and no. Yes, because of the funds and resources they have. No, because of there detriment to creativity. It is possible to have success without a major label. Though it may be harder to reach the masses. With iTunes becoming one of the most popular ways for consumers to purchase media, artist no longer have to worry about distribution. The Internet is a key source in promoting your music. Americans spend approximately 32.7 hours online according to IT Facts. Nearly double amount of time that is spent on T.V. The industry has yet to see an artist embark solely from the digital world. Perhaps it is time. The path is clearly showing that this will be the new formula for upcoming artist(s). However, the industry seems to still be in panic mode and is still scared to embrace the powers of new technology. Maybe its because they wont have lavish pay checks. Or, they could still be complacent. Whatever the cost, it is my belief that music wont only be distributed digitally but it will be marketed and promoted digitally as well. This is the new era of music and I hope that all music enthusiasts are ready for it.

Business Plan Vitals!!

It would be wise for all entrepreneurs to give detailed and descriptive analysis of the financial portion of a business plan. It is also obvious to give the aforementioned information on the company description. I say this because why would anyone invest in a company; if they cant see a profit? I know I wouldn’t. Also, if your company doesn’t have a clear vision on what it is, consumers wont either. I will say however, the financial section is vital to gaining potential investors. The Entrepreneurs Help Page agrees with me as well stating “The Financial model. Good plans share the company's cash burn rate, working capital and capital investment needs and timetable to breakeven on a cash flow and operating profit basis. In addition, investors seek information regarding projected revenue growth and sustainable operating and cash flow margins (Powers).”
Tim Berry has made business planning his number one focus and host a blog on how to start up new businesses. You can find his blog on timberry.bplans.com. On his blogs he introduces new ways to spice up your business plan. He also introduces new software that is helpful for the creation of business plans. With that information, he gives advice on what it takes for a new business. A recent blog post that really helped me out was: Why the bank won’t finance your business plan. I've always believed that solely having a business plan would help in getting future funds from banks, investors, etc. I had no idea that getting a loan off of a business plan was illegal. Sure, I knew that the bank would need some type of collateral, however; I believed if they saw the vision of your business, then that would grant loans. Tim Berry’s blog site is extremely informative for the naïve and novice. According to his blog he describes himself with the following passage:
I’m on Twitter a lot. Business Week included me as one of its top 20 entrepreneurs to follow on twitter in March of 2010. And the New York Times included me as number six in the top 11 companies to follow on twitter in June of 2010. Business Insider includes me in top 20 entrepreneurs to follow in December of 2010…I’ve spent a career in entrepreneurship and business planning. I teach planning with my own company, and for 11 years as an adjunct professor at the University of Oregon, and in published books and software, and in speaking engagements for the likes of Apple Computer, Autodesk, Progress Software, USASBE, Academy of Management, and so on. In 2007 I won the USASBE (United States Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship) Corporate Entrepreneur of the Year award and a USASBE award for teaching (Berry, 2011).


Berry, Tim. (2011). Introducing myself. Retrieved from
http://timberry.bplans.com/introducing-myself


Powers, Mark. The five most important items to incorporate in
a business plan [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.tannedfeet.com/readers_lisaspringer.htm

Business Plan

Tim Berry is a master when it comes to the creation and formation of business plans. He has made business planning his number one focus and host a blog on how to start up new businesses. You can find his blog on timberry.bplans.com. On his blogs he introduces new ways to spice up your business plan. He also introduces new software that is helpful for the creation of business plans. With that information, he gives advice on what it takes for a new business. A recent blog post that really helped me out was: Why the bank won’t finance your business plan. I've always believed that solely having a business plan would help in getting future funds from banks, investors, etc. I had no idea that getting a loan off of a business plan was illegal. Sure, I knew that the bank would need some type of collateral, however; I believed if they saw the vision of your business, then that would grant loans. Tim Berry’s blog site is extremely informative for the naïve and novice. According to his blog he describes himself with the following passage:
I’m on Twitter a lot. Business Week included me as one of its top 20 entrepreneurs to follow on twitter in March of 2010. And the New York Times included me as number six in the top 11 companies to follow on twitter in June of 2010. Business Insider includes me in top 20 entrepreneurs to follow in December of 2010…I’ve spent a career in entrepreneurship and business planning. I teach planning with my own company, and for 11 years as an adjunct professor at the University of Oregon, and in published books and software, and in speaking engagements for the likes of Apple Computer, Autodesk, Progress Software, USASBE, Academy of Management, and so on. In 2007 I won the USASBE (United States Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship) Corporate Entrepreneur of the Year award and a USASBE award for teaching (Berry, 2011).


Reference:

Berry, Tim. (2011). Introducing myself. Retrieved from
http://timberry.bplans.com/introducing-myself

You gay...

When you listen to hip-hop one may find a common denominator. Hip-hop is fueled by masculinity. Yes, people may argue other factors that contribute to the aurora of hip-hop. You have sexism, violence, and materialism among other adjectives to describe the music. One underlying factor is its masculine nature. With this said, can a homosexual artist survive in a culture where being gay is deemed taboo? It is ironic for me to have doubts. I am a homosexual female who believes that a gay male in hip-hop will have battles being a musician based on his sexual interests than his music. I was recently asked to help in a marketing plan for an unknown artist. The music was sub par but the artist’s image is extremely sellable. However, he is gay. This factor immediately raised red flags. For one, I personally believed that the artist needs a lot of marketing dollars and a distinguished marketing team behind him. I also thought that a key figure in the music industry was needed to break his music (i.e. Lady Gaga). Without this, I thought there was little to no hope to get potential fans to pay attention to his music and not his sexuality. Being a gay male does not make you less masculine than any heterosexual male. I often joke with my straight friends who have a stereotypical view on gay men. I say, they have to be tougher because people are constantly challenging their man hood. Yet I still am unsure if a gay male artist can exist in hip-hop. I’m pretty sure there are a number of homosexual males within the culture. However, they put on a façade to relate. Maybe it is time to show that you don’t have to be the stereotypical “sissy” gay male. There are plenty of homosexual men with high masculinity that would have people in disbelief.

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