How Disney Saved The Music Industry
predict Lance Bass was a closet-homosexual operate a stereo, I have noticed a sweeping trend in the music industry. That trend being that the music industry has slowly, but steadily, been kept alive by masses of pubescent girls with their daddy’s credit card purchasing the latest Jonas album and drooling over the latest Efron or Pattinson poster.
I can distinctly remember my dad buying my sister and I N*Sync’s debut album. At first I thought to myself, “Cool.” Of course I was five at the time, and I was impressionable, but no matter what age you may be, good music always finds a way into your soul. So there I was, in the basement of my landlord’s house, vibin’ along to Justin Timberlake’s squeaky-clean vocals and Max Martin’s impeccable production, with my dad’s Bruce Springsteen records keeping up the music credibility in my home. A year later, my sister (who happens to be one of those little girls that I’m talking about) purchased one of her first CD’s, Britney Spear’s debut …Baby One More Time. By then it was too late, and my sister was too vulnerable to avoid watching music videos. So, for the next 3 years or so of my childhood, I had to endure at least 1000 hours of “Bye, Bye, Bye”, “Dirty”, “Oops, I Did It Again”, and so on and so forth. The music industry was feasting off the profits of over-saturated boy bands, and self-proclaimed “virgins”.
Luckily, three years removed from that dark phase in my musical journey, I decided to inaugurate myself into the world that is Hip-Hop Music. Day in and day out, I did everything humanly possible to immerse myself in Hip-Hop culture. Be it countless hours of listening to Illmatic, reading up on the mid-90’s East Coast-West Coast rivalry, and even expanding my urban vocabulary. Nah mean, haha? There was also one other thing I was doing to keep up on the freshest shit on the steets, downloading music.
Yeah I’ve heard it all before, “Whats the big deal Kevin, you damn hypocrite.” Well the big deal, trick, is that, while downloading Asher’s latest album (Asleep In The Bread Aisle), for the sake of not feeling left out, is something I do not frown upon, it certainly hurts Asher’s dreams of makin’ that paper. Sure, these guys use $100 bills as Kleenex, but that does not mean they don’t deserve the success. It’s this “hipster mentality” that both hurt and help Hip-Hop, and subsequently, the music industry in it’s entirety. You’ve probably been bombarded with enough facts about the decline in record sales to publish a whole encyclopedia about it, so who am I to sound redundant. I just hope you can still look at yourself in the mirror when the Jonas Brothers are on top of the Billboard 100. Oh, too late…
Thanks to Disney, and its prepackaged group of stars, the recording industry can breathe for a second. In the summer of 2008, you could not turn on the radio, or go to the mall without hearing a group of young girls singing, “Burnin’ Up”. And not too long ago, High School Musical 3: Senior Year’s soundtrack managed to sell 297,000 copies in its the first week, coming in second to T.I. Lest we forget, Miley Cyrus and her soon-to-be-sexed-up image, has managed millions of albums sold, and a hit movie to boot. With P.Y.T.’s Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez creeping up the corner, I expect another good year or two for Disney revenues, more legions of screaming girls, and maybe just maybe, a healthy music industry.
“What team? Wildcats,”
Kevin
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June 2nd, 2009 at 10:00 pm
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:06 pm
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Who are you? Have you ever recorded an album? The cats that are part of this site know our shit, espcially me and D-Smooth. We’ve recorded, we’ve produced, we’ve engineered. We’ve done everything you are talking about. Just think about what Kev said…It actually makes a lot of sense. No one’s buying Hip-Hop albums these days, but labels can cash in on bullshit pop acts, thus the music industry is still alive.
Shit talk or not, we appreciate your feedback =D
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:19 pm
less people making metal, hip hop, rap, whatever and more people trying to become bullshit pop stars.
that don’t sound healthy
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:25 pm
Who gives a fuck man lol. Seriously if you don’t what you hear on the radio or see on your TV, just turn it off. I hate 99.9% of the music I hear on the radio or see on the TV. The kid is just saying that music industry is making money off this and surving. You know what is good out there, go support that. No one is sticking a gun to your head saying “YOU BETTER LOVE THE JONAS BROTHERS”. I hate all that shit, but I don’t complain. That’s just the way of the world.
BTW I love just love your feedback lol.
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:26 pm
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:36 pm
I appreciate your feedback, but I can’t help be confused by your statement lol.
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:43 pm
I’d further elaborate, but I wouldn’t want to interrupt your little Ja Rule listenin’ session.
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:44 pm
LOOK AT THE SHIT YOU STARTED BOY! Lol I love it man, this is what the site needs. People like you and people like wtf are you talking about.
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:46 pm
Let’s see how you can run the next and upcoming hottest, men’s lifestyle magazine with the swagger and flair of the hip-hop culture.
The men of this website have knowledge and experience of music production/recording/engineering/shows/promotion, you name it.
They’re a talented gift to the Hip Hop community
Now go and mend over how your feedback is useless to everyone here.
Good night
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:49 pm
Your now just sucking up lol. Everyone has the right to an opinion. I’m glad people feel they can express themselves here.
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:49 pm
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:50 pm
I’ve listened to more music than you’ve probably masturbated in the past year. So I’m guessing maybe 1000000 hours worth of music?
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:51 pm
umm. I wasn’t talking about the state of music in the past 30 years… I was talking about how its shit right now. don’t come here swinging facts like hammers, everyone knows thriller is classic and the greatest selling album. fuck rap music, its terrible and bloated with excess, metal is just a bunch of sweaty guys playing overpriced guitars.
what im looking for is good music, something that defies genre like… oh as if youve heard of them.
and im not getting it on the radio. it sucks when i have to order my cd’s online because the stores only sell shit and more shit on the shelves.
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:52 pm
are you serious… how bout backing up what you say instead of flinging stupid high scho… oh wait, forgot.
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:53 pm
Not as gay as the nigga that gave you head last night, yeah that’s right.
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:54 pm
It’s not yours or my fault that no one wants to listen to “good music”. Like I said man that’s the way of the world. Sure it may suck to buy your favorite artist’s albums online, but I don’t know a whole lot of people that buy music from a store these days.
I think people just need to stop complaining and do something about it. Like I said, you don’t like what you hear or see, turn off the TV. Simple.
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:55 pm
Rap is in a fragile state.
You probably don’t know who Dio is.
Good music is more alive than ever.
Oh wow, CD’s on Amazon. Next thing you know, people will be ordering CD’s from McDonalds.
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:55 pm
and this wtf are you talking about guy doesn’t know wtf he’s talking about
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:00 pm
dude my problem is not with you, stop trying to stick up for your friend here. everything he says is pretty much dumb.
“Trying to explain my taste in music
is like trying to teach Physics to a five-year old.”
could you be any more stuck up?
my iTunes is decked out with everything from Jay-Z, to Guns N’ Roses, to Radiohead, and even Asher Roth.
o0o0o0o0o you have the rapper with the most expensive contract, the band on every football team’s pepup CD, THE most popular band in the world and some terrible rapper thats proof hip hop is dead.
this guy needs to get over himself
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:01 pm
you mean ronnie james?
yah you just named one of the most influential man in metal. my pet rabbit knows who dio is…
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:03 pm
Yes good music is alive as ever. Theres plenty going on in the underground, but its mainstream that needs a new set of idols
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:04 pm
I’m not trying to defend him, I’m just stating my opinion. I actually love the fact you are here on the site and we are having this discussion. You and everyone here can say whatever you want.
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:05 pm
You were giving head to some guy? LOL.
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:06 pm
I honestly don’t think there is any “dumb music”. I like what I like, you like what you like.
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:07 pm
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Panda Bear, The Smiths, Sonic Youth, Broken Social Scene, Converge, Fucked Up, Interpol
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:10 pm
Now I’m just lost, you want to give me head? Lol jk man.
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:10 pm
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:13 pm
HAHAHAH YOU GO ON PITCHFORK?????
that place is also ruining the music industry
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:14 pm
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:15 pm
its some place where people use over the top words to describe music to make themselves feel better.
horribleplace
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Oh ok that clears everything up for me. Is it anything like this site?
June 3rd, 2009 at 7:37 am
Pitchfork states opinions. Simple as that. Unfortunately they do it in a manner that requires people like you to go to your local dollar store and pick up a dictionary.
Hey, I personally own “The Queen Is Dead”, and “Daydream Nation”, so I know where you’re coming from. Its just frustrating to see good music fall into the abyss.
June 3rd, 2009 at 1:44 pm
Can’t we all just get along? Lol dude we need to make every post comment’s like this.
June 5th, 2009 at 10:52 am
June 5th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
June 9th, 2009 at 8:00 pm
but I also have to say that you shouldn’t submerge yourself with just one genre of music, like Hip-Hop. Not saying that Hip-Hop is a bad form of music, but having a diverse sense of music in your mind and vocabulary can improve the way you enjoy music :D.
But anyways, it’s good to know that someone is willing to write about something without all that ‘ ahh fuck this shit, ah, fuck this, fuck that ‘ type of typing.
June 9th, 2009 at 9:44 pm