50 Cent: File-Sharing Doesn’t Hurt Artists, Industry Should Adapt
Written by enigmax on December 08, 2007Before getting up on stage at a club in Oslo, 50 Cent gave an interview. In it he denied taking coke on live TV in Zagreb and then dropped a file-sharing bombshell: “What is important for the music industry to understand is that this really doesn`t hurt the artists!” Wow. No-one cares about the coke now.
Curtis James Jackson III, aka 50 Cent has been a drug dealer, he’s been shot, he’s a hugely successful artist - selling over 20 million albums - and he even has his own label, G-Unit Records.
Thirty minutes before getting up on stage at a club in Oslo, 50 Cent gave an interview with Pål Nordseth. Most of the interview was spent with him denying using cocaine on live TV in Zagreb.
Pål asked 50 Cent: “How are G-Unit Records doing in these times of file-sharing?
“Not so good.” he responded. “The advances in technology impacts everyone, and we all must adapt. Most of all hip-hop, a style of music dependent upon a youthful audience. This market consists of individuals embracing innovations faster than the fans of classical and jazz music.”
“What is important for the music industry to understand is that this really doesn’t hurt the artists.”
Thats quite a statement. Organizations like the RIAA are always talking about how the artists get hurt by file-sharing but 50 Cent clearly doesn’t agree. In fact, he appears to appreciate the value of a good fan, whether he buys or file-shares his music, as he explains:
“A young fan may be just as devout and dedicated no matter if he bought it or stole it.”
Indeed. It’s been said time and time again - get the music out there by any which way, fill the gigs and capitalize on the merchandising and ends will meet. 50 Cent agrees:
“The concerts are crowded and the industry must understand that they have to manage all the 360 degrees around an artist. They, (the industry), have to maximize their income from concerts and merchandise. It is the only way they can get their marketing money back.”
He finishes up: “The main problem is that the artists are not getting as much help developing as before file-sharing. They are now learning to peddle ringtones, not records” he said.
“They don’t understand the value of a perfect piece of art.”
A huge thanks to RayJoha for his great work on this piece
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[quote comment="235225"]@Andy–
So what you’re saying, Andy, is that the record industry should continue it’s practice of suing college students and young mothers for downloading songs rather than adapt its business model to recoup expenses through concert sales and merchandise. I believe you are the one missing the point of the article.[/quote]
No. I’m definitely not missing the point.
When downloading started with napster, the record labels sued people, instead of harnessing the power that downloading would quickly achieve. They shot themselves in the foot.
And now they are making up for their mistakes by using artists solely for money. Paramore doesn’t yet realize that they’ve been screwed with their 360 deal.
So no, I’m not missing the point. At this point in time, many artists from NIN to Radiohead to Saul Williams have demonstated they are capable of independent distribution.
Major record labels need to die. There is no other way to almost restart the system that has gotten so fucked up.
although i am not a huge fan of mr 50 well i really do hate his style of music he speaks the truth and this will be more widely known as the younger music artists come into the big time as now the newer artist were the ones who started the whole peer2peer thing i wouldn’t be surprised is more than half of the music industry downloads music i have seen an interview with moby a while back he doesn’t care how people are getting his music he is in the business because he loves making music and as long as people like the music then who gives a crap hes happy the consumers are happy the only ones that aren’t the the recording companies etc the ones that make the big bucks
Easy to say when you sold 20 000 000 albums!
Not the same for small/medium artists. And now record labels will want a cut on the concerts too. Great.
I’m not a rap fan but this goes to show that more and more artists are growing in support for p2p distribution systems and finding the old way of doing things to be quite archaic.
It’s easy for 50 cent to say that labels should do 360 deals now that he’s loaded and coked up to the eyeballs, but that attitude fucks up the people tryin to release real original music to a wider audience that don’t have the financial backing he had with his hiphop/pop music. (not dissin hiphop)
The guy has his own label that he’s ripping his artists off with 360 deals and everyone is giving him a big up and saying they want to buy his cd!
I lived like shit for the last ten years so i could write decent songs and play a good live show and the last thing i’m gonna do is give a douche bag like that 50% of my publishing/merch/gig money.
I give my tunes away for free to any one that cant afford it or doesn’t want to risk their hard earned cash on something there not sure about but don’t give this guy props about tryin to fuck poor artist in a new way than they already are!
Amen! Thanks you Fitty! This is awesome. I hope this encourages other artists to speak out.
Just learned he is a member of the celeb club millionairecupid.com. Seems he has created a nice album there.
I dont care much for his music, (would not bother downloading it either) but I’ll be sure to listen to any and all comments he makes on this issue in the future, and who knows I might just buy one of his album, out of respect for the guy.
i agree
50 shame on you…how can you diss croatian people because of your own mistakes…we are honest people
Thank you fifty cent for endorsing file sharing. This sorta makes up for all that terrible music you’ve created in the past few years.
Where have some of you been? The “industry” has been skimming off of ticket and t-shirt sales for a while now.
I am glad that 50 has seen the light to some extent, but that still doesn’t earn him any points with me. His noise is far from being “art”, and the thug message he, and the likes of, have pushed on our youth, is despicable.
Hm.
I get the distinct impression that this is a trojan horse.
Fiddy, thank you for acknowledging that a fan is a fan, and a supporter is a supporter, whether they are protesting the mafIAA middlemen or not; no other big names in pop have admitted this.
But as you, we, and the mafIAA realize that mafIAA CDs-only profiteering days are dead and dying; as we realize that the ONLY way to actually support the artists without Fking the guys on either side of the mafIAA middleman; as we realize that this is both the only money source both untapped by the mafIAA and unviolated by the P2P community [at _least_ as much out of respect ... nay, love for the artist as out of technical constraints];
The mafIAA understands that the only way to keep gouging the artist and fucking over P2P is to steal from this last reserve.
And Fiddy, you just gave them your blessing. Did they pay you enough? Are you sure it’ll do you for the rest of your life? Because sure as shite, the time is coming where you _will_ see an immense drop in your income as the bloodsuckers attach themselves to your only remaining money source…
Thanks for posting this. I clip a quote for my blog. Tom / http://www.pwnership.com
Check out this gospel rapper getting at 50.. the video is blowin up on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYqTvRixDkU
This guy is as fake as N*Sync, another of Hollywood’s products designed to keep the minorities in line and killing each other off in the name of bitches and bling, y0. And we’re supposed to give a fuck what he thinks about file sharing? C’mon, he’ll say whatever they tell him too, as long as it keeps paying for the Crystal and Escalades. So really, how shocking is it when he says something in favour of the studios getting more of the money that used to go to artists?
Just another bitch pimping for the MAFiAA.. pay no mind.
Regardless of your personal opinion of his art, personally I think it’s crap, like most of the rap for the past 10 years, but he makes a very intelligent point. Prior to the release of distributable media (cassette tapes esp.), the artists made all of their money from live concerts. That still is true today, the only people really loosing out on this torrent p2p file sharing thing is everyone BUT the artists and us! As for anyone one else who gives a shit? We get the music we love (or loathe), and the artists get the big mansions and bitches yo. The only people bitch’n in the first place are the people who have made trillions of dollars off of us over the past 20 some-odd years, who really don’t do shit. They what? Make a pretty album cover, record it to a disk that costs like 12 cents, then sell it to the next guy, who sells it to the next guy, who sells it us. By the Time we get it, we are paying 1000 fold what it costs to make, so everyone can make a quick buck for really doing nothing. I would love to get the chance to ask Mr. 50 how much EXACTLY he has personally lost. If it is less than most of us make in ten years, who frikkin cares? Unfortunately the only people that loose, are the same dipshits that have the ability to BUY* the laws, and change them to their favor. But us computer dorks will always be one step ahead of them. And untill they understand and adjust prices accordingly, we will still dl from the net, if the overall quality and availability are not outweighed buy the overall product and price. THIS IS A BATTLE THAT WE AND THE ARTISTS WILL WIN, BIG BROTHER CANT WATCH ALL OF US.
[quote comment="234308"]The file sharing community has been endorsed by 50 Cent. Surely our credibility has now tripled[/quote]
No we merely accrued a fifty-cent dividend.. LOL
[quote comment="234670"]He was high on crack when he said that . Gonna apologize on behalf of the big’old record companies tomorrow.[/quote]
AND he was in Scandinavia (OSLO). He was drumming up fans.
And to all the peeps who will buy a 50 disc after this, politics is politics, and a person’s artistic output is output. Support the idea, but don’t mix the two up. He still creates misogynistic violence-glorifying drivel.
Boring.
[quote comment="234772"]If you all wanna protect yourselfs and others stop being scared you will goto prison.
Thats why I made this guide here:
http://www.mininova.org/tor/1034577
it’s a guide I made I want every filesharer to see, it has tons of useful information on how to protect yourself from going to court when you fileshare.
This ebook will protect you all from RIAA/MPAA.
Protect ourselves while we can.[/quote]
Grabbed it. Thx. Will read.
HI!
IM IM ALI.IM LIKE YOU MUSIC ITS WAERY GOOD. :D
WAHER ARE YOU FROM?
IM GOO BYE
Yeaha bru fiddy all da way.
i whip yo head boy you know i will.
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