>Everyone you named is probably making a living off of their
>art. Its a new day in the music business
>
>as Mos Def said YEEEEEARS ago
>"This thing called rhyming no different from coal mining...."
>
>They are working and getting paid well for it
>
>These folks have fan bases that are willing to support them
>and I don't think the fact that they aren't in Best Buy or on
>Interscope is a gauge of their success or failure.
>
>The money is in doing shows and monetizing your brand, and I
>think Nipsey, Gibbs, Stalley, Dom, etc have that ish down and
>are probably more than happy with their current and
>prospective situations

And, Macklemore is the PERFECT example of this. Independent ALL THE WAY. But selling albums like hot cakes. And, I know we can use that usual cop out of them being white and writing songs that cater to teeny boppers, but that would tremendously discount what they've accomplished.

First off, they took the money they made off of Thrift Shop and pushed the HELL out of Can't Hold Us, shooting an amazing video to go along with a really good song.

THAT'S where most black independent rap artists fall short. They won't take all this money that they're "supposedly" making and put it back into establishing their brand. Instead, we'll still get the same hood videos (which are much better in comparison to the Nick Quested ones from back in the day).

Shit, most of the time we won't even get a "proper" release from them. Just mixtape upon mixtape with a few of them getting an eventual lackluster physical release.

Mehn, Thrift Shop was the FIFTH single off of the Macklemore album. You know how much you have to BELIEVE in yourself and your project to put out a FIFTH single?!

I know I SHO AS HELL ain't gonna find those Freddie Gibbs or Nipsey Hussle mixtapes/albums on Target shelves outside of their hometowns.

Come to grips with the fact that most OKP's are of the Nut Hugger lineage, so, if you' re not part of the little cliques that exist 'round here, your posts will probably tank like Souljaboy's album sales.