Posted on 09/14/2013 9:21:19 AM PDT by raccoonradio
In a recent interview with whomag.net, KRS-One explained why his music is never played on mainstream radio stations. Apparently, KRS-One will sue radio stations if they play his music.
“If the radio ever played my music, I would sue them,” KRS-One told whomag.net “And they know it, which is why they don’t play my music. If you play KRS, I’ll sue you. Straight up. I don’t even want my music on mainstream radio. They don’t deserve it. They destroy careers.”
Elaborating further, KRS-One explained why he never felt the need to crossover with mainstream audiences.
“Here’s a secret,” KRS explained. “I’m going to drop a jewel on you right now. Less is more. Small is big. Marketing and promotion is s---. Physics, mathematics, and cosmology. Why do we breathe? What is oxygen? This is the truth. I only want the truth. I existed before the mainstream. Why would I join them? I watched the mainstream come up and now I’m watching it collapse. I don’t want to be a part of that. I was born in Hip Hop. That’s all I ever needed. That’s it.”
I remember hearing them on 88.5
The first LP was a riot!
Punk versions of Simon And Garfunkel. LOL
Clay Harper way an awkward lead vocalist, but it just worked.
“who is KRS one and why should we care”
Homey, KRS was “Born in Hip-Hop” that’s all you low information conservatives need to know. Truth to power man!
I know I am very much out of the loop, but is this “KRS One” somebody people have heard of before?
He is ancient history, trying to stay relevant.
Wiki sez his best selling solo album was released in ‘97. I wouldn’t know as I lost interest in rap/hip-hop some years before then. The gangsta thing killed my interest. Chuck D has become the worst sort of bore, but the early Public Enemy albums were good.
This has nothing to do with the “quality” or style of music.
It’s all about control. Your Costello lyric is spot on. The music industry has gone from taking control of the artists they promote, to losing control via, napster, bit torrent etc...
Artists are looking for ways to get exposure and make some money without the using the current royalty structure. While KRS may be simply expressing his frustration regarding the current system, the solution is nowhere to be found.
They can perform live, and find dozens of really bad reproductions on the Internet within a few hours. All with the hope that fans will buy a high quality version from them directly.
Back in the day. The Grateful Dead had a very similar problem. Illegal recordings of their live shows where everywhere. Folks got together and traded “for free” their tapes. Attempts to get higher quality recordings lead some to “tap into” the audio cables that where laid on the concert floor. The cumulative destruction of these cables lead them to “provide” easy access since they realized they couldn’t stop them.
Pearl Jam engaged in an epic battle with the recording industry as they made virtually all their live shows available dirt cheap.
It seems that the “Studio” artist is screwed since once published, their content will be free within hours.
It may be that the only way for an artist to be fairly compensated is through ticket sales and their ability to both but on a show and fill a venue.
“He’s so famous he’s INfamous” - Ned Nederlander, The Three Amigos.
I lost interest in Hip Hop and Ska when it all morphed into Gangsta rap.
Hip Hop and Ska were Ok in the 80s
They are dead now, and Gangsta rap has become a monster.
You are on the mark.
Ozric Tentacles bypassed the music machine and actually hit the charts.
It is an interesting concept to fore go the traditional marketing, tell the people that the music may be recorded, Take ALL the money from ticket sales and let them record away.
Every aspiring audio tech will buy a ticket and promote you.
As a songwriter, I find this incomprehensible.
Airplay is the “holy Grail” of the recording Artist! ;-)
I remember listening to BDP’s Criminal Minded as a Freshman in college. His music was all downhill from there. The “Dope Beat” track was the first “bite” of AC/DC’s Back in Black I recall ever hearing.
I used to go to a lot of concerts many years ago.
I saw “Boston” when they where popular and commented to a friend that they sounded exactly like the album. It turned out that the entire show was a recording.
I saw Aerosmith a number of times, and they where performers.
I saw Elvis Costello more than a dozen times, and he is a true artist. Most bands play “sets”,a memorization of a series of songs in a particular order. Costello can play anything at anytime, on demand. Very rare.
I will pay to see real talent. Not some retarded loop of music with even more retarded lyrics.
We used to have Stadium tours.
Why don’t they happen today ?
Could it be that the most popular music today is crap and these “bands” rely on the studio produced tracks that can’t be performed live ?
They have seemed to have found that putting on a sex show will sell tickets.
Can an artist make a living by touring in small venues ?
My first concert was Aerosmith, the get your wings tour when i was 14.
Lord, I have seen most all of them, and had a blast along the the way.
saw Skynyrd and Stevie Ray Vaughn.
Never saw Hendrix or the Beatles,
Never saw Zepplin, but I was never really a fan.
I wish I had seen the Who.
That is a ticket I wanted punched.
I have not been to a Stadium tour in 20 years.
Yes you can make a good living running the smaller circuits.
Its hard work and youll never be a gazillionaire but it can be done.
Big Head Todd and The Monsters are GREAT.
Go see them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUrI3gz_N3c&list=PLA3784EB78BEBF00F
That being said.
We have “Pink Floyd” Pulse concert.
A high quality, freely available show and real music that has some 5 million plus youtube viewers.
Where is the money and why put on the show ?
Once it is out, they get dozens of people that chop it up because they are also looking to get ad dollars as a result.
It is a sure bet that you won’t see David Gilmore on stage playing the classics like this again.
I saw Floyd on the Animals tour, even got to the front row.
That was in the general admission days.
I was on top of the cage over the Home plate loving the view and the show and then everybody started climbing up.
It collapsed, so... I made my way to the front for a better view through the sea of bodies.
Rock is almost dead.
Music is almost dead.
Now I stick to small intimate settings.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.