Seriously, Does Anybody Still Buy CDs?

Posted on Jul 16 in Headlineby adminPrint

I was having a pretty decent conversation with one of my partners last night and then the inevitable started to happen. We began to talk about CD sales. I could honestly give a fuck less about hip-hop album sales simply because no matter how much money they make I’m not included in the equation. However, it is hard as hell not to pay any attention to the lagging and constantly declining sales in rap music as well as just about all other genres of music.

When I look at other hip-hop sites that post sales information each week its almost riddling how many people take the time to post comments about why sales are so weak these days. Some commenters go to the extent of saying that we as real fans should just get up off of our asses and go buy the CDs from the store every week. I don’t care who you are or what you do, you know that if you can get something for free you will get it for free.

We don’t pay for shit just because we feel morally obligated to. We pay for shit because we basically have no choice but to. Tell me this, if gas were free would you still go to the pump and swipe your card and donate a little something every time you filled up? No the fuck you wouldn’t! So don’t expect people to be willing to pay for music when its more convenient, easier, and free to just download the shit off the internet.

In my own personal opinion, I think there are several things that need to be reevaluated as far as selling music. Honestly, these days music has no value. For music to be valuable artist have to give the consumers something that they can remember. Think about it, when was the last time you heard a particular song and at some point in the future it made you say “the first time I heard such and such song I was….?” I mean honestly, where were you at when you first heard “Crank Dat” by Soulja Boy?

Music these days has no nostalgic relevance. Without any nostalgic relevance it has no value. With no value, there is no reason for consumers to come out their pockets and purchase it. Another issue that I take with CD sales is the inability for record labels to embrace new media. If you were to visit any home occupied by college students right now you probably won’t find a CD player anywhere in the house. You will however find some sort of iPod dock somewhere in the place.

The music industry basically tried to fuck us, the consumers, for so many years with high ass CD prices. Remember in the early and mid 90’s when you couldn’t buy a CD for under 17 dollars. A few years later they finally took the initiative to lower the prices to about ten bucks a CD, but only during the first week. Now they really expect us to fell sorry for them and spend more of our hard earned dollars to support their fifty thousand dollar a month cocaine habits.

The bottom line in this issue is that while I do think that people should be compensated for their work I can’t find it in my heart to feel sorry for an industry that for so many years put shrewd business practices before the best interests of its fans. All the albums that were purchased that had one or two good songs on them are the reason why I can’t feel sorry for the industry.

Maybe rappers and other artist can finally get back to making the type of music that is supposed to be made. I don’t know about you but I’m tired of listening to A&R dictated bullshit. Besides if the industry really felt the need to make major cash it would be taking the time to reinvent itself as opposed to using its time fighting a battle that it will never win!