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THE INCENTIVE TO CREATE MORE – THE LUPE FIASCO EFFECT

By VERSE

There is a pandemic phenomenon that is cancerous to the creative process here in North America and across the world to a smaller extent.  We are inebriated and swollen, drunk off the newest heist we have pulled off; the theft of creative property.  I know, this is not new and is by no means a topic in need of further exploration as a whole but there is a slow death occurring and its not just affecting Hip Hop.  When I read Lupe’s heartfelt response to the theft and illegal release of his new single ‘I’m Beaming’ and then read the various comments in response to his outcry I was appalled at the general response he received.  In short, Lupe was told by his fans and detractors to “get over it”.   A small part of your creative spirit dies when you are exploited, even more so when the wrong is not acknowledged.

Fast forward to the conversation I just had with my promotions officer Trevor Fernandez, former head of promotions at KOCH/E1, where we discussed the bleak state of the Canadian urban scene and the harsh realities of the methods needed to turn a profit.  The discouraging, self defeating sinking feeling began to set in.  The conundrum; how to sell a product that few are willing to buy but deeply desire?  As artists we create out of love of the art and for self expression but the reality is that on a commercial level there is a cost attached to the process.  If I want to rap I can freestyle or rhyme over free beats but if I want to create a song, collaborate with a producer as skilled at his/her craft as I am at mine, then I must pay and often pay a lot.  Production, studio time, engineering, photo shoots, clothes, advertising time, wining and dining, promotional product, etc. – the bill racks up quickly.

I say all of this to illustrate one point, we are in a time where more than any other time the quantity of art and entertainment, especially music, has far out-paced the quality of it.  Radio is repetitive and seems as a whole only to entertain the casual listener.  In life, if you appreciate quality, you are accustomed to paying for it; there is a price difference between a Bentley and a Cavalier but even the Cavalier is not free.

Beware, the more the artists are pimped and raped for their creative works the more the entertainment business will see its biggest and brightest potential stars turn their backs to the audience and walk off stage in pursuit of happiness elsewhere.

P.S.

It should be noted that I say this while marveling at the quality of pirated movies that can be purchased at Pacific Mall at a price of 7 DVDs for $20.   It is an uphill battle.