Having been connected to the genre of hip-hop and rap music as an artist for 22 years, I have witnessed the lack of support provided by the plaintiff record companies to the majority of artists, songwriters, and producers as they seek to reach their fan base. With radio choosing the more traditional, popular favorites, and the prohibitive expense of video production and other promotional devices, getting a record to the fans is extremely difficult and expensive. If the RIAA succeeds in crushing Napster and maintaining its dominance, it will have succeeded in preserving mastership over the artists and their works. Under the present recording industry paradigm, large recording companies, such as the plaintiffs, are the only entities with the necessary capital to take an artist from obscurity to stardom. The costs of recording an album are relatively low.
Many bands can afford to create their own recordings.
What they can't afford under the traditional system are the marketing and promotion costs. Email the Webmaster about a technical problem. Inc. All rights reserved. Inc. Site constructed and maintained by UBug Media . We recommend eMediaAdmin content management software.