Reason Debates 3: WeezyFGarbage (debate is over WeezyFGarbage wins)

5th Letter

This is the Reason Debates 3, just like the previous debates these are here to stimulate healthy debates in various subjects about hip hop. This debate will remain open for 24 hours, after that time the debate will be over, each poster must post one at a time, each poster is only allowed a total of 3 tries. for example poster A goes first then poster b goes second, then poster A, poster B. No editing once your work is submitted that's it, if you are caught you will lose a vote. There will be a 450 word limit. Also for the lurkers please do not post until after the debate is over. As for voting each poster participating in the Reason Debates 3 is encouraged to vote in the debates as well. When voting please give a detailed reason why you're voting for whoever you're voting for, also vote for whoever made the better argument and NOT THE SIDE YOU AGREE WITH, I will use discretion if I see a vote based on personal opinion and not count that vote. Anyway good luck to both debaters. Whichever debater can go first it doesn't matter.

In today's market should artists only focus on making singles?

Weezyfgarbage- Yes rappers should focus on singles

StillDreaming- No rappers should not focus only on singles

Yungin T. Jeezie

I vote for Brombronze

weezyfgarbage

Rappers, and the music industry, need to accept that the album format is dying out. Sales dropped 55 % from 2000 to 2009, from a billion to about 400 million, and that includes digital sales. No one is checking for albums like they used to because of the internet has made it so easy to just download music for free. First it was Napster, then it was Kazaa, then Limewire, now torrents and megaupload,rapidshare, etc. make free downloading much easier than ever before. Even youtube and the subsequent vid to mp3 sites in its stead have accelerated this process.

One problem with the format is when a few hot songs are made and the other tracks are just filler or lack mass appeal. Dudes used to buy albums just to for these few songs due to lack of choice...how else would Vanilla Ice and MC Hammer move so many copies without "Ice Ice Baby" or "Can't Touch This"? Nowadays it's easy to just download those few hot tracks, put them on your iPod, and go workout or connect it to your whip and be satisfied. And for all the people who like to play it safe, they can still download individual songs on iTunes and not worry about what they don't want to listen to. It shouldn't come as a surprise then that singles sales have reached a record 152 million...that's ~40% of album sales, even though albums have 3-5 singles out of 15-20 tracks (20 - 25%).

Hype is equally important. Releasing one album every 2 years means that you will only be generating substantial interest during the month or so before and after your release. And what do you need to generate that interest? That's right...a lead single. However, once the singles are over and the album has been around for 1-2 months, it's "on to the next one." Now compare this to releasing a single every 2-3 months, wherein there will always be hype because fans will always be checking for your music. Considering that singles are booming in success (last year's spike was the highest ever, at 33%), this is the more commercially profitable route...consider 1-2 singles going plat at a dollar apiece...that's 2 million dollars. Would you rather have that, or make a solid album worth 10 dollars that only sells 100K copies? That's half the revenue on 10x the work put in. The black eyed peas' singles "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling" have gone a combine diamond in the US, yet their album containing the other 13 songs (although 3 of them are also singles) has only gone double platinum.

Consumers want to pay less for hotter music. Artists need to adapt.

weezyfgarbage

Since no editing is allowed, I just wanna say it should be "because the internet has made it so easy" (no 'of'), and "combined" (not combine)...just some small spelling/grammar ? .

G.R.I.P. Money $$$

Yungin T. Jeezie wrote: »

I vote for Brombronze

c/s .

weezyfgarbage

They're just mad as ? because I don't share the same opinions as them...they'll vote against me regardless lol

Blue Virgo

That was a great post.

weezyfgarbage

It's just about 24 hours...what should we do?

5th Letter

I might get a replacement.