Selling 10,000 c.d.'s from the trunk of your car

[LiveMusic]

That's the word around here about local hiphop artists around here. If so, HOW? WHY are they able to accomplish this? Any ideas why they would be so successful with such grassroots success? I wonder how much they typically charge for a c.d.?

[Ernest Buckley]

I think it depends on where you`re selling it. I don`t think I could do that here on the streets of NY selling acoustic based music.

[LiveMusic]

I don't do hiphop. I don't even listen to it. I just thought that if this is true, something could be learned by it. If it is not that unusual in hiphop, there's a reason. Obvious to me is that they must be having very large attendance at gigs to sell like that. Because as told to me, it was over a pretty short period of time. I dunno, I'll try to get more info.

[Slowly]

It's 5 dollars now, but when I blow up it's gonna be 20! Come on now, you got 5 bucks! Happens every year at the Puyallup Fair. You give them 5 to get rid of them. Slowly

[Cozmicslop]

I know a couple of local groups having success street vending. If you stand at an intersection all day and thousands of cars drive by, chances are, you'll sell a few.

 

As word gets out and the public knows where you can be found (at those same intersections all day every day), your sales will increase.

 

Seems like a lot of hard work to me.

 

Try going to a popular live music venue in this area. Chances are you'll get bum rushed by kids giving CDs away.

[Garritan]

It's not only hip hop music that sells on the streets. I used to busk with my harp and did very well. I would play in the subways of New York or Central Park. It was a blast and there would be lines of people wanting a CD.

 

If you find a place where there's a lot of people and have something that's unique or entertaining you could do very well.

 

Gary Garritan

www.garritan.com

[D. Gauss]

<>

 

yeah, that's a low seller item here. mostly it's crack and blowjobs that folks pony up for...

 

-d. gauss

[techristian]

Now this is an interesting approach to music marketing !

 

I'm picturing a big van with a very loud sound system so that the public can hear what they are buying BEFORE they buy it. Or are these guys such good salesman that they sell without anyone ever hearing the music??

 

Dan

 

http://teachmedrums.com

[ryst]

Originally posted by d gauss:

 

 

yeah, that's a low seller item here. mostly it's crack and blowjobs that folks pony up for...

Yeah, but if a cd is included with the advertised debauchery for a small increase in price, then that might create even more business, no?

[Ernest Buckley]

I know I`ll probably get into trouble for this but theres no sense in being PC.

 

Most of the Hip Hop I hear sounds the same.

 

As long as it has some sort of beat, hip hop listeners are happy.

 

I know I`m going to hear about this. The truth is there are very few hip hop songs that are played on the radio that last. Most go by the way side.

 

Yes, you could say the same about pop and rock.

 

However now that we are talking about buying out of a guys car, something tells me that as long as he looks the part, hes selling some especially in front of the mall.

[MikeT156]

Ernest:

 

Folks on Harmony Central read me the riot act when I said I didn't like Rap or Hip Hop, not very "musical". But most Hip Hop does sound the same, and it's NOT musical. Mostly rhythm and lyric. Of course I was admonished for not being open minded and not spending enough time listening to it to understand it or get a feel for it. But you can't shine shit. If it's any consolation, I don't spend any time listening to Polka's either.

 

We all have our musical preferences and if someone doesn't care our preferences, too bad.

 

Mike T.

[Ernest Buckley]

Mike-

 

I own several hip hop/rap albums and enjoy some of it occassionally. However, most of the stuff in this genre is worthless and a waste of time, energy and whatever else is required to make it.

 

I don`t care for polka either.

 

Ernest

[videoeditor1]

Ernest and Mike T,

 

I grew up in Jamaica. Apart from Eye of the Tiger and Rosanna (and an obscure dreadlocks called Bob Marley - who knew), I knew very little of rock and roll.

 

The 1st time I went to my high school (all boys), I saw a see of homogenous black faces in blue uniforms. Everyone looked alike. When would I ever learn to differentiate?

 

Fast forward migrating to the USA in 1990. A sea of "white" faces. It literally took me months to see the subtle differences and nuances between the Argentines and Brazilians...the Mexicans & Peruvians, the Irish and the Italian.

 

The same applied to music. All rock sounded the same (I'd had a liberal dose of Jazz back in Jamaica). Flash back to 1986, working my first audio gig with a Soca/Calypso band. Every fucking thing was cowbell. Now, I can easily tell the difference between Soca, Calypso, Salsa etc etc.

 

Since I've been in the USA, I've been blessed to work with Space Hog and the Spin Doctors. Now, it's not all blaring, grungy guitars. I can differentiate, and there are actually two rock songs I can listen to without puking.

 

I suspect (irrespective of how "learned" you are), you both have some further development due.

 

Respectfully,

'Drew

[Ernest Buckley]

Drew-

Thanks for the input. I respect that. However you did not mention any hip hop in there, that was the topic. I cannot differentiate the S. American influences as you can but I was not speaking of those genres either.

 

As far as rock, yes, lots of it can be put in the hip hop category as well. There is little there in lots of it.

 

Peace,

Ernest

[videoeditor1]

Originally posted by Ernest Buckley:

Drew-

Thanks for the input. I respect that. However you did not mention any hip hop in there, that was the topic. I cannot differentiate the S. American influences as you can but I was not speaking of those genres either.

 

As far as rock, yes, lots of it can be put in the hip hop category as well. There is little there in lots of it.

 

Peace,

Ernest

Hi Ernest,

 

Just to clarify a few points (which in review, are not as obvious as I assume!!)

 

1. When I say "further development", I mean: In order to further differentiate or recognize the subtle differences that exist in the hip-hop genre, you would have to spend an obscene amount of time at it. I'm not advocating that , becuase if I could take back some of the time I've invested in some genres of music for say...fishing with my son, I would in a heartbeat.

 

2. In my imagination, rap /hip hop is a derivative/child of reggae/dancehall. The two have always been close (to me) in a few ways. Given that I've been around Reggae all of my life, hip hop is almost as familiar. I can pretty much tell the origin of the music or style of hip hop based on a quick listen.

 

Nowadays, I'll listening to primarily talk radio, old stuff I've burned to CD, and I'm in the process of listening to over 300 live shows I've recorded over the past 8 or so years...and of course, traffic reports.

 

Regards,

'Drew

[Tedster]

I know! Dress in Nikes and wear gold chains and sell country CDs! Or wear a big Stetson, Wranglers, and a western shirt and sell hip hop! Or wear a devil goatee, black T shirt, baggy shorts and shave your head and sell acoustic/folk CDs.

 

Think that'd work?

[theblue1]

Originally posted by Ernest Buckley:

 

Most of the Hip Hop I hear sounds the same.

To you.

 

 

I know that's implicit in your comment but it points out a crucial aspect of that situation.

 

I often hear people say, oh, all that jazz (or classical or blues) all sounds the same to me...

 

And to me, most alternative rock sounds amazingly the same (and I've been listening to rock for 50 years) while I hear a wild variety of beats and textures in the hip hop I hear. That, of course, doesn't mean I like all the hip hop I come across, just like I don't like a lot of the rock, country, reggae, etc, I hear. (And, don't get me wrong, I love country, reggae, selected rock... it's just that most of what I hear is, well, of negligible interest to me.)

 

 

But cutting to the core of the issue, one's ability to differentiate varieties and styles depends on one's familiarity with the style.

 

When I was involved with punk in the 70's, the thing we always heard was, it all sounds like noise. It may have been noisy, sure, but there was an amazing variety of styles (unlike the commodotized punk of the 80s and 90s).

 

 

I don't think it should be news that there are people who can't find the charms in a certain style of music.

 

But I would have thought all of us involved in the creation of music should have long ago realized that the appreciation of music -- like all art -- is completely subjective.

 

That's just common sense.

[T.H.]

Hey Ernest Buckley, I agree with you all the way, HIP HOP does sound the same. As an R&B artist, I did sell 36,000 copies in NYC in 2003 of my CD entitled "DAMNED IF I DO, DAMNED IF I DONT" which consisted of R&B/Hip Hop.

 

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/4/blissth.htm

 

It's all about the market, what the people like, though deep down it was not my cup of tea, me as an ARTIST could conjure up exactly what they liked.

 

Now MUSICALLY I offered something different, which was said here "IT MOSTLY SOUNDS THE SAME" being a MUSICIAN also, I made sure I didnt SAMPLE and CREATED my sounds which gave me an EDGE, but also new my MARKET. As you listen to my other songs from : THE SMOKE LOUNGE & UNDENIABLE, you will find that I'm very eclectic, but does the HIP HOP market care, "NO" they want what they want, so you give it to them, make some money, everyone's happy, then you MOVE ON, cause music cannot stay STAGNENT.

[Ernest Buckley]

I don't think it should be news that there are people who can't find the charms in a certain style of music.

 

But I would have thought all of us involved in the creation of music should have long ago realized that the appreciation of music -- like all art -- is completely subjective.

 

That's just common sense.

Yes, yes. I cannot argue with that. Thanks. Hip Hop sounds the same to me, whatever the issue may be. Yes as a trained professional musician I can hear the differences but the beats are always the same as are most of the lyrics. Anyway, there are Hip Hop artists and Rap artists that I do enjoy: Mary J. Blige, NAS, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogs earlier years, Eminem, Beastie Boys, Ice Cube. However for the loads of other hip hop "music" I hear, I`m afrain that I don`t hear much there.

 

T.H.- Great points. btw- Checked out your material and I like it. Proof that Hip Hop does not all sound the same. Thanks.

 

Go BKLYN!

 

Peace,

Ernest

[theblue1]

Cool, Ernest. Heck, sounds like you might like a broader range of well known hip hop artists than I do. One mainstream hip hop band I was amazed to find I really like (since they were at the top of the charts and I almost never like anything up there) was Black Eyed Peas. My favorite tracks from them just get under my skin. I completely love their track "Shut Up."

 

I'm working up a folk version...