.::Behind the scenes of the : DJ Drama MixTape Raid

By: Big Tah of Strong Arm Management

The arrest of DJ Drama and Don Cannon is just a sign of something bigger that's about to go down. Those of us in the music business know that the majority of the mixtapes that Drama and Cannon host are from major label artists. In fact the money that they're paid to host the mixtapes are from the labels themselves. A "Gansta Grillz" mixtape is now a staple in the marketing plan of most major label hip hop artist. Doesn't the RIAA know this?

Now I'm sure people who support them being arrested will say that the labels only pay them to host the mixtapes and not sell them. They're suppose to be for promotional use only right? But how does the label expect the mixtapes to be manufactured and distributed? They're not doing it. So its one of those things where the labels turn their heads and EXPECT the mixtape to be pushed by the DJ hosting it and even the bootleggers. This is money that they save when they don't have to manufacture and distribute the product. Even more so from a marketing stand point people want to feel like they discovered the artist's new music and it not being forced to them by the majors. So a mixtape DJ & the Bootlegger are the avenues in which new music is introduced to the "streets" to get the buzz going before the majors but their big marketing and promotions machine behind the project.

What we need to watch is how the music industry responds to the arrest of Drama and Cannon. If they support them then we know that the record companies and the RIAA aren't on the same page. If they leave them hanging and out to dry then we know that its a CON spiracy and the game will never be the same. Well actually it will just mean that artist will either have to put out mixtapes with original music on it, (which some already do) they're called Street Albums or Mixtape DJs will have to get releases from the labels licensing them to be able to manufacture and distribute these mixtapes for profit. Hmm maybe the labels just want in on some of that money. The news says that they confiscated 50k CDs. At $5 a pop that's comes to $250,000. Maybe they want to be able to soundscan that too so sales won't look so bad? Let's see what happens.






Big Tah of Strong Arm Management

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