Mixposure : Home of Indie Musicians

2008-07-23
By: sta2ff
Posted in: Hope Hop

STL...The City of Hate & No Unity In The Record Industry

St. Louis is a city where there are so many talented artists, so much passion for making music, my home town and an opportunity to be a vital city to the record industry; but it’s all drowned out by so much HATE & NO UNITY!  The local entertainment industry in St. Louis, from my perspective, is somewhat dead.  This close to death scenario is caused by the words I highlighted above, HATE and the inability to UNITE!  It has also been brought on by greed and bad business decision on the part of certain individuals, who had the opportunity to open up the flood gate for the city of St. Louis within the music industry.
 
What I mean by “flood gate”?  I mean creating outlets within St. Louis, which allow artist to grow and prosper to the masses outside of St. Louis.  One saying that kills me that I hear a lot in the city is “YOU GOTTA GET OUT OF ST. LOUIS TO GET ON”!  At this point, it may have turned that way, but it shouldn’t be that way. Although I do agree that once you get your city behind you and take care of home, you should hit the world and make it happen everywhere.  That, “you got to get out of the Lou to get on”, is Bogus.  Did Luda have to leave the ATL to get on?  Did Memphis Bleek have to leave New York to get on, plus a bunch more I can name?  No, they where put on in their city and then hit the world.  The people that had the ability to create opportunity’s for them right there in their city, did that.  That’s how DTP and the ATL are surviving.  That’s how Roc-A-Fella was able to make the run that they did.  They got put on in their city and their city rode with them to the masses when it was time.  St. Louis, that’s what we need, bottom line!    
 
As an artist and CEO, I have had the opportunity to see both sides of the game, when it comes to dealing with artist, and the tastemakers here in the Lou.  I’ve reached out to artist to do songs or even offer them my service of a show, just to try and create a unity bond in the city.  This may not sound like much of what I’m doing, but I think that it’s big.  Reason being, the same services that I’m reaching out to them to offer for free, I should be charging.  Reason being, I’m a signed artist.  I have my own legit label, which will soon sign a major distribution deal as well as a possible major label deal, if I decide to go that way.  I may just stay independent, because I have the distribution on my side, but if the major can match my independent return numbers and offer me something of value, not necessarily monetary, then I may join forces with a major.  That’s why!  I’m not telling you about my situation, hoping that it happen, this is what is on the table for me right now!  So basically what I’m saying is, I could be on of the ones who posses hate and no unity, and not reach out to anyone.  I do it, hoping that others will get the idea to reach out and try to work with each other, no matter what success level you’re on, or think you’re on.  Hopefully by them seeing an artist of my magnitude coming from the local scene, having these opportunities on the table, but still have the realness to reach out to others to try and create a different mood and feeling in the local scene, will encourage them to follow. Same thing goes for the tastemakers.  Get off this me, me, me trip!    
 
I guess you can say that I’m one of the few who will step up to the plate to try and help my city prosper in the entertainment industry.  I’m on a mission to create outlets and a vital source that can push out hot talent straight from the STL, to the world.  All local industry tastemakers, dj’s, personalities, media, promoters, etc., you are a vital part to the game, and the success of our city.  Let’s work together to make a change for our city, that will benefit the city as a whole, while creating outlets for artist to be successful out of our city to the world. You can be the start!  But it’s going to take a different mind set!
 
Artist, lets grind harder and smarter, and UNITE for the cause of uplifting our city.  Everybody gotta play their part for the good of the whole.  One thing I have learned dealing with record executives, is that they don’t like spending money on items (cities), that don’t posses UNITY.  You can have your crew and fam, that’s all good, but just don’t make the next crew your target or enemy.  Let your crew be a reason why St. Louis is popping on the map.  Make them your allies in getting this industry money.  Make St. Louis the city where you come to see every label and artist getting money.  But  Let me keep it real, like I always do, everybody isn’t gone prosper in the game, because that’s just reality, but the ones that are built for this and posses the necessary skills to be successful, go for it!
 
That’s just my thoughts!
 
Be Easy & God Bless
 
TC aka The Ambassador of Hope Hop
 
Google me:  TC of 39th Ave Music & Sta2ff

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STL...The City of Hate & No Unity In The Record Industry

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