R.eal A.nd P.ersonal
Pre-Paid Hip-Hop
By: Deshair Foskey
Last updated June 8th , 2010

So you want that "REAL HIP-HOP" right? Yep, you want it. You can't define what it is so you think that it's all love. No, it isn't. The reason why you can't define what "REAL HIP-HOP" means, is because in theory it's nothing more than a mental corporation. 

"REAL HIP-HOP" is its own entity. We all share it. "REAL" is the moment in our lives when we feel control for the first time. Yes, like when your big brother was kicked out the house and you finally had a room to yourself. You're free to do as you may with the room. And for the first time, the music you listen to was all your own.

I understand that most definitions of "REAL HIP-HOP" is linked back to a backpack, dirty drums and hearty samples, mixed with lyrics that flow like melting ice (smooth and calculated drips of wordplay. It is this style of rap music that fans over the age of 30, thirst for. These veteran listeners have their GPS's locked in on their saving graces. Their hearts beat strongly for the "REAL." They want so badly for it to be the majority again. Time after time, "REAL HIP-HOP" has its mainstream brushes with success and one or two things happen; either the emcee is worn out by the pressures to become more mainstream or the emcee flat out throws his backpack into the flames and replaces it with $1,500 shades.

In enters Jay Electronica - 'The Great Backpack Hope' for hip-hop. He is gritty, intelligent, a word pro, religion laced dynamo with what some say, "All the tools needed to hoist the 'REAL' back where it belongs. Only problem is, when will his album drop? Now that Electronica has pulled on the heartstrings of so many fans of the craft, the pressure mounts. They want an album not now, but RIGHT NOW! I ask, "Where is the patience?" We all know that if he signs the wrong deal, we'll receive the raw deal. Who really wants to hear Electronica rhyming about being anywhere near a club? I figured that ...

So it got me to thinking. Last year, I sat down with Public Enemy's Chuck D to talk about one of his latest business ventures. It's called Sell-a-Band. Here is an excerpt from that conversation:

Deshair: We've just received news that you have raised $50,000 in two weeks through your partnership with Sellaband.com towards your next studio album. For those that don't know about this groundbreaking accomplishment, talk about the partnership and what was it like for you knowing that 1/5 of your goal has been reached so quickly?

Chuck D: I had met the owner of Sellaband 3 years ago at the World's Biggest Music Conference. This was a method that has worked in Europe and Asia; markets that have made fans into believers of the system. I believe in this system. And what we have done is just baby-steps to stockholders or sponsorships. Being the North American representative of the model, we thought that it was wise to say, "Why not use Public Enemy?" But the difference is that there are high end stakes on Public Enemy's part. We are totally free, and we know that we have four studios and producers around us, so we can always make our records in-house. How we'll do this through Sellaband is by working on each song a collaborative effort. We'll ask our fan base, "What would they like to see?" We'll take their ideas into consideration. And these fans will also have the incentive of being involved in the revenue stream. This is looking at the Music Industry model, almost backwards. In this system, you find your fans first. In the past, Record Companies were the banking systems to finance the product. 

And about the money, the $50,000 doesn't come to us directly; it goes into the system to fund the entire process. We wouldn't have made this record if it wasn't for the innovative approach. 1/3 of the revenue will be shared by a pool of believers. Think of it this way, people usually invest 10 to 20 dollars on an album, believing in the artist, but just buying the album blindly. Now, they could at least feel like their input mattered in the finished product that they'll receive.

I'd like to call it 'Pre-Paid Hip-Hop.' I believe this plan would be perfect for an artist of Jay Electronica's stature. Think of it this way. By investing in your favorite artist, you not only save this artist from losing their character for record sales, you share in the overall profit.
This is a win/win, right? You can't get more 'REAL' than that. 

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