INDEPENDENT THINKING

This post was inspired by Dallas Penn's entry, "Independents Day" on XXLmag.com. not for nuffin', but i think that dude just might be a real thorobred. not the ones who know how to act when u lookin. i mean that natural shit. that shit u don't have to turn on... but it was the homie Tony Grand$ who made me feel like i should post 'em up here. like the end of "Casablanca"(u ain't hip?!?), i think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship...

first, i wanna say thanks for mentioning my nigga B-Bill in ur blog. that was my man. i wrote about my experiences with him on my blog. follow the link. i quoted ur story in it.

INDEPENDENT. the one thing people say they want, but they actions show otherwise. like a chick’ll say she independent and the next thing she’ll say is she NEED a man in her life. and ur man’ll be like “fuck these bitches!”, and soon as he get a steady piece of pussy, he LOCKED down, usually by his own admission. well, same thing with these dudes in the music industry.

Cuz i don’t know how many times i done heard dudes talk about how they a boss, that they entrepreneurs, that they got they own shit, to just turn around and become an EMPLOYEE of a record company. the minute they SAY they on their own, when the opportunity presents itself, they LOCK in, usually for 7 albums or 10 years, with some next mahfucka. i think it’s hard to be a boss and answer to somebody at the same time. that’s more like upper management. you’re SOMEBODY’S boss. just not your own.

on my blog, i wrote about how Drake would be a fool if he took a label deal. if he is indeed unsigned(?), his career at this point becomes the symbol for success at the get done by yourself level. at least it’s the most visible. cause niggas act like dudes form the south ain’t important. like Luke sellin a million records REALLY on his own wasn’t shit. or 3-6 Mafia. or James Prince. or the dudes you never heard of that are puttin 15 grand of REAL money into a 76 Chevy, as we speak, while you lookin good on credit and leases. and strugglin to keep up payments.

i became aware of Afro Punk watchin my homegirl Santigold develop into the amazing artist she is today. it was one of her first bands. but anything that moves away from the dinosaur that is the music biz is good with me. see, if all the majors were all located in America, they’d be subject to all types of anti-trust violations. they comprise what’s called a CARTEL, cause the 5 majors set the price, the structure and the tone for the entire industry. whether u like it or not. thats why they can give out deals that amount to usury, wrap u up in debt ’til Jesus come back, and give out these 360 deals that really just say… you’re my bitch.

these dudes can have this high school shit. cuz really, they in a rush to be POPULAR. but my old timer told me a long time ago, that fame without fortune, is a backwards hustle.

now air it out…

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