Tuesday, October 21, 2003
The real reason record companies are doing so badly, Ghettopoly revisited, how to IM like a pro and is "real" hip hop finally back?
New music supposedly in stores today:
Not sure how I even know that Basement Jaxx and The Strokes are supposed to be out today? I might have read it in a music column in the New York Times or something. I check out a lot of music websites, articles and magazines but embarrassingly enough I end up finding out about most release dates by reading the Best Buy, Circuit City and Tower Records advertising circulars in the Sunday Times. Unfortunately I didn't get any this week so I'm making a guess on these last two and may end up making a wasted trip out to the stores today. Overall, I guess this doesn't say much about the effectiveness or quality of record companies' marketing strategies when an active buyer like myself doesn't even know the release dates of albums I might want to get.
Is real hip hop back finally back? I'm starting to hear the DJ Premier-produced track "It's All Real" by Pitch Black all over the place. I've been seeing the video on BET's Rap City and even DJ Clue, patron to radio thug MCs everywhere, is spinning this jawn as well. You can watch the video here and reacquaint yourself with what real hip hop sounds like again. With a new Black Moon album just out as well, maybe it is starting to be 1992 all over again.
Update on the Ghettopoly story from a couple weeks ago: if you type the name of the game into the Urban Outfitters product search engine now and you get the following message:
Also, re : Urban Outfitters, here's an interesting profile on one of the co-founders of this urban, alternative lifestyle retail chain and his far-right political background from the Philadelphia Weekly. I guess it shouldn't be surprising that someone like this would have no qualms about carrying a product like Ghettopoly.
On a lighter note though, learn how to communicate like a pro with the modern wireless information-age, instant messaging teenagers and kids in your life with the AOL-er translater. If you're anything like me, this should help make you sound less like the 30-something dork that you are (maybe).
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- The Strokes Room on Fire (RCA)Funnily enough most of these releases I only found out about by accident. I just happened to be listening to DJ Clue's show last night on Hot 97 and Loon was on. I haven't seen much in the way of impactful marketing for his project (although I do remember seeing a couple of print ads in The Source and XXL). Most people seem to be taking Loon for a joke: a pretty boy, Mase-wannabe making records for girls but I know him from when he was spitting just like he does now before Mase was even out when he was in a group called Crime Fam. Trust me, this kid was gulley and reppin' this "Harlem World" ish before Mase and around the same time a pre-Diplomats Cam'ron was first coming out (this was when Big L was still alive and Herb McGruff was relevant).
- Basement Jaxx Kish Kash (Astralwerks)
- Loon (Bad Boy)
Not sure how I even know that Basement Jaxx and The Strokes are supposed to be out today? I might have read it in a music column in the New York Times or something. I check out a lot of music websites, articles and magazines but embarrassingly enough I end up finding out about most release dates by reading the Best Buy, Circuit City and Tower Records advertising circulars in the Sunday Times. Unfortunately I didn't get any this week so I'm making a guess on these last two and may end up making a wasted trip out to the stores today. Overall, I guess this doesn't say much about the effectiveness or quality of record companies' marketing strategies when an active buyer like myself doesn't even know the release dates of albums I might want to get.
Is real hip hop back finally back? I'm starting to hear the DJ Premier-produced track "It's All Real" by Pitch Black all over the place. I've been seeing the video on BET's Rap City and even DJ Clue, patron to radio thug MCs everywhere, is spinning this jawn as well. You can watch the video here and reacquaint yourself with what real hip hop sounds like again. With a new Black Moon album just out as well, maybe it is starting to be 1992 all over again.
Update on the Ghettopoly story from a couple weeks ago: if you type the name of the game into the Urban Outfitters product search engine now and you get the following message:
"Due to customer concerns, Urban Outfitters no longer sells the board game 'Ghettopoly'."Looks like the boycott or complaints worked. But here's a message to detractors by game creator David Chang entitled "Message to the haters." Looks like someone can't take the heat. How could he be surprised at the reaction to his game? Feel free to email this idiot if you want to address and rebut his "message" yourself.
Also, re : Urban Outfitters, here's an interesting profile on one of the co-founders of this urban, alternative lifestyle retail chain and his far-right political background from the Philadelphia Weekly. I guess it shouldn't be surprising that someone like this would have no qualms about carrying a product like Ghettopoly.
On a lighter note though, learn how to communicate like a pro with the modern wireless information-age, instant messaging teenagers and kids in your life with the AOL-er translater. If you're anything like me, this should help make you sound less like the 30-something dork that you are (maybe).
