I'm currently a marketing student at Ryerson University (Toronto, Canada) and I really believe that there was a real business sense to the way you guys gained exposure, promoted your product and parlayed that into a major record label and turned yourself into a big league producer in the industry. All on a shoestring budget no less. For that I must tip my hat to ya'll. With that being said I wanted to pitch an idea I had which I felt would be perfect for you guys. Please feel free to use it or even better criticize it. As a student of the trade, it's the only way I can learn and perfect the theory all these teachers stuff in my head.

The premise: Mass Customization of Music which can be used for Retail Albums, Production Projects. Mixtapes or Exclusive Web downloaded paid content (LittleBrother.Com, Napster, Itunes).

The idea: Yourself/LB's would set up a area on Okayplayer or on your artist page and ask your fans to vote on an array of samples you've cleared, know you can clear or personally are a fan of. For those who aren't "crate diggers", you would also provide a "real audio" clip so they can hear the original song and imagine what can possibly be done with the ‘break’.

Then based on voting results you would select the sample choice of ‘the people’ and inform them where this can be found (i.e. new LB's album, new Murs, new Nas album, new Justus League mixtape etc). Since every fan is registered you can do "direct sale" emails informing them of the release, the sample used based on their personal favorite registered in their voting results, and the medium it’s available on (CD, web content, etc). This is not only cost effective but focused. I feel making this web exclusive material in audio files encrypted in copy protected WMA file format would help limit piracy to a degree (Can't eliminate priacy) and provide higher profit margins than retail since the middle man is removed from the equation completely.

Fans will then be enticed to hopefully purchase your album, web content, mixtape or album the project appears on because they feel personally attached to the song. Essentially it will be music for the people, by the people.

As a person who downloads quite a few albums, I can honestly tell you that I feel obligated to buy albums from artist who represent me and produce music of substance. For example 50 Cent bootlegged, Petestrumentals purchased. I'm sure many of your 'base' fans are the same. The casual fan regardless of the music you put out will be a habitual retail consumer or bootlegger depending on their personal psychographics. With that being said making music for your base is key and eventually based on popularity the casual fan will come aboard. And if you need proof positive of this phenomena ask Big Boi and Andre 3000.

Music, outside the few exceptions has become so disingenuous and market driven. I honestly believe that good ideas can co-inside with relevant soundscans.

When you have a minute, please let me know what you think of the idea, if it has any relevance and as crazy as it may seem weather ya'll would ever considering using such a formula.


"Loved By A Few, Hated By Many, Respected By All"