1984themovie9vi

Stealing to feed your family is justifiable.

Stealing a wi-fi signal is okay too if you’re out & about, plus you already pay it at home, right? How about downloading music for free? Is that stealing? If so, is it justifiable?

I recently read an article equating downloading to a form of civil disobedience with the idea being it’s justifiable to break the law as long as you are attempting to right a wrong and speaking out as a form of protest, sending a message to those in power.

So. What message are you sending?

I have to admit that I was sort of disgusted by the initial fuss over Nipsey Hussle’s camp’s decision not to offer his latest mixtape up for stream and instead sell physical copies. But when I was looking for someone to blame I could only blame myself.

I’m well aware when we started out we bootlegged our fair share of material and offered it up for free. Yet aside from a few faucet pictures, the majority of the material we offered was in the form of mixtapes, OOP records and all types of Loosies. It wasn’t really about stealing money from anyone. The idea was to help spread the word about new sounds making their way in music, and shining light on forgotten artists and albums that helped form the foundation of the culture. But somewhere between Shawn Fanning creating Napster, the boom of music sharing sites (including us) and Nipsey’s Bullets…Vol. 3, something got twisted.

I don’t claim to be “in the know,” but I am aware of a few things:

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1. Nipsey’s team initially wanted to offer the mixtape as a free download but was advised against it, instead opting to offer up physical copies for sale knowing that his fanbase isn’t the average denizen of the net. I agree and see nothing wrong with it. Yes, he’s a “new” artist but I don’t believe anyone invests their time, sweat and hard work in a project just for “the love” of the internet or even music fans as a whole. Hearing backlash to the tune of “I can’t believe he wants us to pay for a mixtape” makes me shake my head. So, you want an artist and whoever is backing them to invest in studio time, promotion and all that goes into creating an album… yet you don’t want them to make a dollar off it? If so, what’s the point of seeking a career in music? I don’t go to work for free and neither should your favorite “starving artist.”

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2. We all know the music industry is lagging, but Hip-Hop is really falling behind. Yes, part of the problem with our culture was the influx of money and marketing that took it from the street corners to every television screen. But that’s done and there’s no reversing the process. The problem comes in when you look at how far sales have dropped for rap albums (for the record, Country is one of the few genres unaffected by the rise of downloads). If the labels can’t turn a buck, how can a Joell Ortiz or a Blaq Poet conceivably get the money needed to take their careers to the next level?

We claim we want certain artists to be pushed into the mainstream because their music represents the fundamental essence of Hip-Hop. Yet as consumers, we do little from our end to help labels recognize certain artists do have fans who support them financially. Dealing with enough labels and advertising agencies I’ve come to understand Hip-Hop fans don’t count. Not because there’s not enough of us, but moreso because we look, gawk and talk… however, we don’t spend.

Money talks. And since we don’t speak loudly with our dollars we don’t get serviced.

3. The legalities and consequences of filesharing have changed. Completely. Running this site and trying to roll with the punches to bring you daily Freshness have been a challenge. I have no complaints…well, I do, but I’m not whining in the least. I love TSS and what we’re able to be involved in along with you all. But at the same time, we went from a blogspot to The Smoking Section LLC. Why? “Limited Liability,” i.e. in case TSS gets its ass sued. Gotty would have a helluva time begging for spare change @ Circle K, trying to explain how he lost the house by getting caught up in litigation over a funky mixtape he wanted to share. Real talk. Even sharing mixtapes fully endorsed by artists will bring those e-alphabet boys sending you terse warnings that let you know it’s not a game.

How does that relate to Nipsey Hussle, the changing face of music, etc? It doesn’t, not directly at least. But what it tells me is if you’re bitching about paying $10 for a cd, I damn sure can’t expect any “donations” on my lawyer’s fees if shit hits the fan. And yes, TSS has lawyer fees too — I told you shit changed.

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It’s not justifiable if you’re only downloading to save yourself some dough. Now, we do come together here at TSS and talk about an album we just downloaded, arguing its finer points. But how many of you buy a physical copy? Do you make your way to the show when it does make it to your area or pack up and take a road trip, going that extra mile to show how you’re really down? And when you’re at the show, do you hit the merch table? Are you protesting or just cheating Mayer Hawthorne, Phonte & Killer Mike out of a few hard-earned dollars?

Understand, I’m far from siding with the major labels here (in fact, read up on “Ban Major Record Labels Month“). In fact, we’ve effectively seen artists fairing much better independently over the past several years. But I do believe something’s got to change, folks. Otherwise our music will suffer the same fate as Jazz & Blues; both cornerstones of the Black community. But it’s a lonely rock to be standing on when you’re a musician and a man trying to make a living while still being the torchbearer of the art form.

Again I ask you, what message are you sending?