Profits and Perception: A Win-Win Model of Positivity-based Rap Promotion Thomas, Brandon SID: 22756159 College Writing 106 Professor Carolyn Hill Course Project Introduction Record labels should promote positive, community-uplift based rap music since doing so can increase their profits and both the reputations of their label and African- American communities, a win-win scenario for all major stakeholders. Businesses such as record labels should always pursue any avenue that can increase their profits and image, especially if doing so has positive social consequences. Rap music yields profits, but it can yield even more. Despite the complex diversity of themes and messages in rap music, the vast majority of mainstream rap music shares a common perception of violence. In an industry synonymous with African- American culture, this theme of violence reinforces negative African-American stereotypes, ironically degrading the community underpinning rap music s success. By promoting positive themed rap music, record labels can work directly against this degradation, as well as bolster their own brand image. Though violent rap music has proven lucrative, non-violent rap music has too. Record labels have yet to fully tap into this market, leaving a well of profits and positivity that benefits both labels and the African-American community untouched, ripe for exploration.
Violence in Rap Music There is no denying that much of popular rap music is excessively violent. Take for example lyrics directly from Curtis 50 Cent Jackson s platinum selling Get Rich or Die Tryin : Keep thinkin I'm candy, till ya skull get popped. And ya brain jump out the top like Jack-in-da-box. In the hood, summer time is the killing season. It's hot [outside], that's a good enough reason. 1 Another example comes from Nasir Nas Jones, one of the most commercially successful and well-respected rappers of all time. Jones platinum selling Nastradamus is riddled with examples o violence, including the following lyrics from the single Shoot Em Up : We shootin every motherf***er outside. Pulled on his block, jumped out the car, guns in our hand, at the same time everybody ran Let the trigger blow, 7 shots now he lying on the ground. Blood on the floor, then we shot some more. The chorus goes on to repeat Kill kill kill; murder murder murder. 2 The fact that such explicitly violent music has been commercially successful makes sense given consumer preference. Studies show that rap music consumers strongly associate violence with a cool image, the perception of which can boost sales; the more authentically cool a rap artist seems, the more sales they tend to generate (Wright 47). Even violence materializing outside of lyrical content can benefit rap industry profit margins, as violent public rivalries have demonstrated. For example, sales of Nasir Jones Stillmatic, initially unsuccessful, jumped to more than 1.6 million copies after a highly publicized violent rivalry with rapper Shawn Jay-Z Carter increased hype for the album ( Feuding for Profit ). 1 Jackson, Curtis "50 Cent". "Heat." Get Rich or Die Tryin'. Interscope Records, 2003. 2 Jones, Nasir "Nas". "Shoot Em Up." Nastradamus. Columbia Records, 1999.
There is thus a clear financial incentive for major record labels to market artists who exude a cool, violent image, regardless of veracity of lyrical content. Indeed, much of the content in popular rap songs are blatant lies designed to increase profit margins. For example, platinum selling artist Aliaune Akon Thiam built his image and fame around his violent experiences in prison, even naming his Universal Music Group owned record label Konvict Musik. Yet, Akon never truly spent time in prison. His ex-con image, primarily responsible for his commercial success, was a marketing tool benefiting Unviersal Music Group ("Akon's History of Prison and Arrests Revealed as a Fake Marketing Tool"). Equating Rap with Black Understanding the effects violent rap music has on African-American communities requires an understanding of African-American centrality in hip-hop. Originating in the late 1970s as a way for poor, urban African-Americans to voice their political concerns, rap music is responsible for developing the cultural phenomenon known as hip-hop. An all-encompassing outlet for African-American cultural expression, hip-hop refers to the aesthetic, social, intellectual, and political identities, beliefs, behaviors, and values produced and embraced by its members, who generally think of hip-hop as an identity, a worldview, and a way of life (Morgan et al. 176). Though it has spread away from its African-American roots, hip-hop is still largely perceived as synonymous with African-American culture. Given rap music s crucial role in hip-hop s formation, it is undeniable that rap music is the face of hip-hop; people often interchangeably use rap and hip-hop.
The fact that rap music has become nearly synonymous with hip-hop, or African- American culture, helps explain rap music s commercial success. Evidence strongly indicates that white audiences, responsible for 70% of rap music consumption, believe that by listening to rap, they are getting closer to blackness and that rappers and their music [are] accurate reflections of African Americans (Condry 644; Wright 92). Rap music has become the face of African-American culture. For any single medium to be perceived as an accurate representation of an entire culture is particularly dangerous, especially when that medium tends to reinforce negative cultural stereotypes. Research has shown that regardless of the plethora of political, socially-conscious rap available, consumers associate rap music with violence, a onedimensional representation that reinforces historically negative assumptions about African-Americans (Wright 96). African-American culture is rich with political and socioeconomic strife and triumph; it is a culture that still struggles to overcome issues of inequality, the difficulty of which is magnified while under a hyper-violent perception. Due to aggressively marketed violent rap music, consumers are exposed to an unrepresentative sample of the diversity of rap music, leading to inaccurate consumer assumptions that all rap music is violent. Ironically, even rap songs that speak out against violence reinforce the perception of violence. Studies show that rather than focus on specific discussions of violence in a given song, audiences often shallowly focus solely on the very existence of violence in rap music, concluding from its presence that African- Americans are indeed violent (Richardson 182).
Determinants of Demand It is both possible and profitable to reorganize the structure of the rap industry, to create a system in which record labels promote non-violent rap music. Importantly, promoting non-violent rap music does not necessarily mean record companies will see a decrease in profits. It is true that the industry has proven that violent rap music sells; this does not however, prove that non-violent rap music does not sell. In fact, research has proven that the most important determinant in music demand is awareness of music exactly what record labels control. Studies show that due to exogenous variables such as popular opinion, consumers overwhelmingly demand music from popular artists, even if they do not necessarily enjoy the popular music (Hendricks et al. 352). By donating significant time and money to particular artists, major record labels signal to consumers what is popular, and therein influence spending patterns. Major record labels have the resources to fund focus groups, mass marketing campaigns, and radio airtime deals, all of which contribute to album success. The ability to make these multi-million dollar investments is a direct result of major label market share, a luxury independent labels often do not have (Vaccaro et al.). Therefore, record companies control the most important determinant of consumer demand. Based on these findings, it is entirely probable that non-violent rap music can be just as commercially successful as violent-rap music. Additional evidence that non-violent rap music can be commercially successful comes from rap superstars Tupac 2Pac Shakur and Kanye West. Consider lyrics from Shakur s 1998 hit song Changes : It s time for us as a people to start makin some changes. Let s change the way we eat, let s change the way we live, and let s change the
way we treat each other. 3 Changes was a commercial success, nominated for best solo rap performance in 2000 ( Tupac Shakur Awards ). Furthermore, Kanye West, a rap industry icon, was partially propelled to fame through his hit Jesus Walks, which won a Grammy for Best Rap Song in 2004 ("Kanye Scores 10 Grammy Nominations, Usher and Alicia Keys Land Eight"). Jesus Walks actively discusses the music industry s proclivity for promoting violent music: They say you can rap about anything except for Jesus. That means guns, sex, lies, video tapes, but if I talk about God, my record won t get played. 4 These popular songs discuss community uplift and religion rather than violence. Clearly, violence is not a requirement for rap music s commercial success. Implementation Implementing a system of promoting non-violent rap music would be extremely easy record labels need only continue what they already do: promote rap music. The only difference involved is the lyrical content of rap, which is not difficult to change. Commercial rap music writers tasked with writing non-violent music are professional, creative individuals who have demonstrated their ability to write successful non-violent rap music through hit songs such as Changes. Additionally, promoting non-violent rap is very politically and financially feasible. Politically, it is hard to deny that attempting to cease perpetuating negative African-American stereotypes is an inherently morally good endeavor. Promoting nonviolent rap music might even increase record labels profits, as non-violent rap music might attract an audience currently turned off by violent lyrics (Wright 109). Financially, there is no clearly identifiable difference in promoting non-violent instead of violent rap. 3 Shakur, Tupac "2Pac". "Changes." Greatest Hits. Interscope Records, 1998. 4 West, Kanye. "Jesus Walks." The College Dropout. Roc-A-Fella Records, 2004
The costs associated with music promotion do not change based on lyrics, as there is no financial difference in spoken word. Promoting non-violent rap is also easily enforceable, as a simple listen can determine whether or not major record labels have followed through with a commitment to non-violent rap. Conclusion Companies need not immediately abandon all violent rap music. Beginning by simultaneously promoting a traditionally violent rap song and a non-violent rap song (by the same artist, with a similar song structure), record labels can compare the commercial success of similar violent and non-violent rap music, which will allow them to confidently transition in a new era of commercially successful non-violent rap music. The benefit the African-American community will receive as a result of this shift in marketing will be a long-term one, as stereotypes are strong and fueled by many factors other than just music choice. However, this small step in helping reverse the tide is one that can and should be taken by record labels. It can potentially yield extremely lucrative results on their end. At the very least, record labels owe it to the African- American community to try.
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Critical Information Sheet Intent Statement Record labels should promote positive rap music since doing so can increase their profits and both the reputations of their label and African-American communities, a win-win scenario for all major stakeholders. Businesses such as record labels should always pursue any avenue that can increase their profits and image, especially if doing so has positive social consequences. Audience description Specifically, heads of major record labels. More generally, any audience who can put pressure on record labels. Label heads truly control the strings, but if my general idea reaches alternative audiences, more interest may gather, which could inspire consumers to demand positive- themed rap music. Strategy explanation My strategy was to focus on the benefits this model would bring. Business audiences are less moved by appeals to pathos and more moved by concrete data and proof. This piece contained a significant amount of research to bolster my statement. Writer s reflection I feel like I dedicated perhaps too much space on describing the social effects of the way the current rap industry is structured. A greater emphasis on something to the effect of Hey business! This benefits you! would be more concise, but I felt that dedicating the space to the social consequences made for a more holistic paper. I have no regrets.