The word has spread. The message has been sent. Jean Grae is set to retire...or is she? There is a lot of speculation derived from Jean Grae's Myspace and a vague blog post that is more focused on feelings than actual facts. Never once does Jean Grae ever even mention the word retirement or anything similar. But what if she does retire? Can any one really blame her?
This "news" really hit home when I first caught wind of it this morning. In a Hip Hop culture that is bogged down by major corporations and the money they pour into mainstream music, the motivation to keep doing what independent artists do is almost non-existent. It's not even the fact that the money isn't behind what we do. It's not that mainstream America doesn't understand, and probably never will understand, what we do. It's the slap in the face that we receive from supposed "Hip Hop Heads". Nobody cares. Nobody is motivated. Nobody wants to put in work. Everybody complains. What happened to our work ethic? What happened to the belief in dedication and sacrifice in order to spread your influence and achieve your dreams? It has been lost, and as a direct result you can see and sense the frustration and desperation of artists like Jean Grae. Not desperate in the sense she can't sell records, but desperate in the sense that there is no future in what we do. We seem to make music with no direction. There is no unity, there is no brotherhood, and if continues on, there is no future. Don't sleep...sleep is for birds...
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Jean Grae's Speculated Reitirement
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2 comments:
I don't think everyone is built for this. It's hard. But some folks really don't utilize their experience and resources to the fullest. Prime example is looking at the initial Rawkus roster from way back when and seeing who today has made themselves a celebrity and who is no longer releasing music and or is releasing music yet no one knows they're even making it. Sometimes even if you have a machine behind you large or small it's just you and your practices that determine your success. the end all is you can't blame anyone. If you're gonna make something happen and get where you wanna be you gottah make something happen and get there. Mind you this thing called music is a profession of choice. People don't have to support you. People can very well spend their dollars on things like food shelter and emery boards.
I completely agree. Work ethic is what some people don't understand. Making strong decisions and viewing your music from a business mindset, as well as a creative one, can really propel your music and career to the next level. You got a blog homie or do I know you but just don't know it yet?
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