WTF does this have to do with music??

The other day, I had to go see an Entertainment Attorney about getting my paperwork together. The app was at 9am. I walk through the doors and see all these uppity niggums in tailored suites walking with their chests out and noses 90 degrees in the air. I'm dressed in Jeans, Adidas top tens, and a t-shirt that I slept in the night before. (I did wash-up real quick and chewed a stick of gum before I got there though.. so I was presentable! haha). This Attorney represented Dilla back in the day, really pretty lady, spoke in a really soft tone, and charged me $55 for 30 minutes of conversation. Basically, it went like this; "Wheres' your logo, copyrights, paperwork, contract agreements..ohh, you don't have this in order? What you want me to do for you? Come back when your ready, and ohh, don't forget my cheese negroid..I wants my doe!"
So I left there with my tail tucked between my legs, and I started to think, "Damn, this music schyt is completely out of control!" I make beats.. this is Hip-Hop music..Why does Two turntables and a microphone require legal representation?? ASCAP/BMI is nothing more than a way for the government to monitor THEIR money. Bar Codes is nothing more than a system for the government to get THEIR money. Legal representation is just a way for Attorneys and lawers to get their bread to "protect" us. Who makes up these copyright laws?? It's not the musicians.. I don't know anyone that plays drums that knows people in congress. laws claim to protect the people, but who really benefits? Is it all really necessary, or should we just be like "funk-it" to the system and just do our own thing? No ones buying music anyways nowadays, so if someone samples my music, and no one buys theirs, WTF do we need protection from? I can understand Registering it, this way, if someone sells a couple million, you can sue, but all this other stuff is ridiculous. Basically, to get into the business system of this music game, you have to buy your way into it. This attorney, knows this person, and he knows someone else, and they know someone else, but guess what, they each require a fee for their services. It's some bullschyt, but they make it necessary bullschyt. The system is a mothafunker. Don't want to get involved? then you'll forever be in the basement/bedroom making hotness to post on myspace.

Thats the Biz side of it. It sucks and its ugly...but it is what it is.

roxstar wrote:The other day, I had to go see an Entertainment Attorney about getting my paperwork together. The app was at 9am. I walk through the doors and see all these uppity niggums in tailored suites walking with their chests out and noses 90 degrees in the air. I'm dressed in Jeans, Adidas top tens, and a t-shirt that I slept in the night before. (I did wash-up real quick and chewed a stick of gum before I got there though.. so I was presentable! haha). This Attorney represented Dilla back in the day, really pretty lady, spoke in a really soft tone, and charged me $55 for 30 minutes of conversation. Basically, it went like this; "Wheres' your logo, copyrights, paperwork, contract agreements..ohh, you don't have this in order? What you want me to do for you? Come back when your ready, and ohh, don't forget my cheese negroid..I wants my doe!"
So I left there with my tail tucked between my legs, and I started to think, "Damn, this music schyt is completely out of control!" I make beats.. this is Hip-Hop music..Why does Two turntables and a microphone require legal representation?? ASCAP/BMI is nothing more than a way for the government to monitor THEIR money. Bar Codes is nothing more than a system for the government to get THEIR money. Legal representation is just a way for Attorneys and lawers to get their bread to "protect" us. Who makes up these copyright laws?? It's not the musicians.. I don't know anyone that plays drums that knows people in congress. laws claim to protect the people, but who really benefits? Is it all really necessary, or should we just be like "funk-it" to the system and just do our own thing? No ones buying music anyways nowadays, so if someone samples my music, and no one buys theirs, WTF do we need protection from? I can understand Registering it, this way, if someone sells a couple million, you can sue, but all this other stuff is ridiculous. Basically, to get into the business system of this music game, you have to buy your way into it. This attorney, knows this person, and he knows someone else, and they know someone else, but guess what, they each require a fee for their services. It's some bullschyt, but they make it necessary bullschyt. The system is a mothafunker. Don't want to get involved? then you'll forever be in the basement/bedroom making hotness to post on myspace.

Homie, you sound like me in June of 2006, when we walked into our Attorneys office, washed up, clothes from the night before type sh.t, and when we left, i was thinking the same thing, why do i have to deal with this... but when you make enough money, guess what, you can pay another person to deal with what you dont want to deal with(another person added to the payroll)... But in the end, the saying always goes.... IF IT DONT MAKE DOLLARS, THEN IT DONT MAKE CENTS(SENSE) however you wanna look at it..... I told a younger cat about that today when he came by the studio, people only wanna take you to the next level, only if they see a way that they can benefit, if not, youre not worth their time. ITS A MONEY GAME


and not to mention paying your own taxes, so you dont have to pay an accountant yet

yea this aint the first time ive heard this rant (no dis) but it is neccisary when you tryin to take it to another level. on some real shit you are nice wit the beats (ive listen to your shit other than on here), you need this type of shit. the last thing you want is for somebody to run off with yo sh!t and get rich and thats more that just jackin one of your beats. how would u like for another **** (or corporation) to run off wit the sh!t u've been building for years only because u didnt have your legal sh!t straight? it happens everyday and not only with music. as much as it is bullsh!t, its needed. if it wasnt for that there would be alot of people claiming shit that aint there's. copyright's logo's and agreements are things that lawyers need in order to represent you the right way (which resulkts to payin more people). yea it sucks but thats bizness at the end of the day. i feel as far as the this is hip hop aspect. its **** up that people that have nothing to do with hip hop have the more power than the artist themselves but shit that america homie. cant do shit without the man gettin his cut. and thats the difference between legal and illegal any time swat raids a studio after mixtapes only because he didnt have his name and address on the cd's. and for anybody that didnt kno it is illegal to give out/give away cd's without your name and address on it.

?uestlove had a quik sit down wit me when they came to canada... & there new bass player...
when i asked him bout tha bidness... he laughed & said " wow, ( chuckled )if u think 4 one min that this industry
is gettin better, thangs are only gettin worse, yes its bout money but not only that, its whut they more less
want u to be sayin jus to make there $$dollaz$$.... then stated " jus stay indie, do thangs urself
truss some1 will look past all the bullyish... He jus really made things clear 4 my ear.... & imma older cat that
has "DJed" since the late 90's... started me own label, done next 2 nuthin since its be up....
more less confussed bout all this industry $hit... readin to much bout it leavin me 2 ponder !!!!
so i feel u kinda, jus not tha attorney part.... YET
much respect

haha, thanks for the responces. I decided to hire the attorney. I'm tired of not doing anything. Making beats is cool, but I want to see some money now, and right now, the dudes that I know that want beats don't have any. I need some real connects, actually, we all do, and if I (we) continue to buy records, devote time, and give the material away, then I (we) are basically doing all this for nothing. I'll take the risk of trying this Attorney out. I may be out a few hundred/thousand bucks, but if she can lead me in the right direction and get me some prospective contacts, it will be worth it.
She's got 6 months for me to see a difference. I'm trying to get distribution on cd's already created, and copyright's all tightened up. I'd love to hear my music in a movie (not some porn flick) or even commissioned to compose for a commercial. Something, anything, but all I know is that making beat after beat is getting really redundant.

roxstar wrote: Something, anything, but all I know is that making beat after beat is getting really redundant.

Yeah, i feel ya... some people claim its for the luv or music, but when your life is tied up into it as well, you need to see some money.

"some people claim its for the luv or music, but when your life is tied up into it as well, you need to see some money."

Yea, I hate that response, mainly because for the most part, the people that say that are usually the ones that want something for free! I can agree with it to a certain extent though. I don't do this for the primary reason of making money, but anything you love to do should be profitable after a while, especially if other people enjoy what you do. There's a lot of people that love and enjoy dressing up like clowns that are making more money than I am. Maybe I need to give this beat schyt up and become a Ronald McDonald mascot. Probably pays a lot better than what I'm currently making off this music! HAHAHA

music is not a hustle.....

its not a means to an end

rox your attitude explains the current state of the industry....too bad i miss when cats actually had love for this

jaem wrote:music is not a hustle.....

its not a means to an end

rox your attitude explains the current state of the industry....too bad i miss when cats actually had love for this

here we go


The jumpoff....


how does this state that he doesnt actually have love for it?

rox said making music was getting redundant bcuz he wasnt getting paid to do it

jaem wrote:rox said making music was getting redundant bcuz he wasnt getting paid to do it

So you mean to say, you don't feel what he's saying? There isn't a single person on here that doesn't want to get paid for making music.

Most of us are jaded. We spent a lot of time, money, blood, sweat and tears into our music. After anything from getting jerked, to just not getting anywhere, or getting only small and infrequent returns, to all types of trials and tribulations....I think it's normal to feel like "what am I doing? I'm getting nothing back, and I'm sick of it."

After working hard, all that time doing it, all that time HATING doing it, and spending all that money on your hobby...seeing some people with arguably less talent cake off of something you can do....the sht is frustrating. Especially, when it is really all you want to do in life....

I think it's "whatever" how roxstar feels about music and money...he's using that feeling to try and do his business the proper way, and good for him. He ain't going to be happy staying a bedroom producer. He wants more. So lets get off dudes jock and let him try and get his.

"rox your attitude explains the current state of the industry....too bad i miss when cats actually had love for this"

Ohh boy.. this MF'ing Jaem idiot...
I've dedicated about "8+" years, not getting paid for it, stopped hanging out, developing my style, spending money on equipment, selling schyt for pennies on the dollars that I didn't like, recording vocals for wack rappers, buying recording equipment that I don't need, endured my schyt being stolen, replaced it before the insurance kicked in with my own money, traveled all over AMERICA AND CANADA trying to get my music in the right hands, sent 1000's of packages to various labels and college/commercial radio stations. I'm not sampling a beat off youtube, adding some fruityloop drum loops and expecting to get paid. Making beats is a LONG process for me. Some people can make 10 wack beats a day, I "may" do one DOPE beat a week. I quit my job to make more time for this, so I really don't know who your talking to with that "for the love" schyt..
Post some beats so we can hear your "love"... All your link shows is that you love Pit Bulls..on an MPC forum! Anyone can love what they do when they feel appreciated at what their doing. You wouldn't go to work unless you got paid for it, and if your self employed, you wouldn't do that if you didn't see a check roll in every once in a while. Your boss patting you on the back saying, "Great job jeam" would not pay a single bill and I guarantee, your local utility company would not accept that as payment! I'm 34, and this music is the only thing that makes me feel good, so why shouldn't I want some money off this now? Who doesn't need money? Who wouldn't want money off what they believe in? If you were a good painter, wouldn't you want to get paid? How would you feel if your customers told you, "i miss when cats actually had love for this" right when payment was due. Isn't eight years of free service enough??? So yea, I'd like to see some cash roll in, does that mean my love for producing is decreasing? I never said I was quitting, but somebody is gonna show me some money for this schyt.

PS. Afrika Bambaataa, Run-D-Mc, Tribe called quest, Pete Rock, Gang Starr, and many others all had love for this, and all got paid for it. If your really passionate about anything, the money will come later. So who do you miss that "had love" for this? Drop some names of the infamous broke MF'ers that you personally know.

time put in does not guarantee u get money out of it....

8 yrs, so the fuk what?

I make music because I enjoy doing it...I DJ parties cuz I enjoy doing it...not for some check
I got a gig for that. My music will never suffer because I'm doing it for a check.

u dont like not getting paid, then quit
do some research and you will find that historically musicians and artists do not make a lot of money....

the real question is if there was no opportunity to make money would you still be doing this?
I would

and call me and idiot and criticize all u want but my pits make me and my fam a very good amount of bread, not to mention i recently met a breeder in indy that sells a litter of pups for more than what most make in a year up in here.

quit ya crying. no one owes you $hit. time means nothing. 8 yrs? please...I been at it since about 92-93
34? u sound more like 14.

what a shame jaem doesnt breed pits for "the love"...