Black artists dominate but Taylor Swift is everywhere?

Think about someone like Adele. She makes a certain type of music, but if African American R&B singers make the same they get no play. Yes, good for Adele, but where is Ledisi, people like that who sing soulful but with no fanfare? Lots of pub for white artists who sing R&B, but none for Anthony Hamilton and the like. Interesting.

* If Rick James was still here he'd call all this shit out

MadamGoodnight said:

Black artists dominate but Taylor Swift is everywhere?

Think about someone like Adele. She makes a certain type of music, but if African American R&B singers make the same they get no play. Yes, good for Adele, but where is Ledisi, people like that who sing soulful but with no fanfare? Lots of pub for white artists who sing R&B, but none for Anthony Hamilton and the like. Interesting.

* If Rick James was still here he'd call all this shit out

Um... least we not forget Teena Marie was never huge on the hot 100 and she was white and had soul right?

And yes Taylor swift maybe played everywhere but Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and the like run shit.. idc what anyone says. I have heard few artists in my life time as overplayed as Rihana they even play her in places where they play non english music but will throw in Diamonds

Lets see last year we had from her...

You Da One

Princess Of China

Birthday Cake

Take Care(With Drake)

Fly(With Nicki Minaj)

Where Have You Been

Talk That Talk

Diamonds

And the year before that with red hair she had like 10 singles And all those songs were overplayed as hell, and all of Nicki songs overplayed as hell... Breezy as well.

Yeah i hear Taylor Swift and shit but basically anything made by Rihanna, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Drake, Lil Wayne etc. Is guranteed to be a hit because they and their people(Of all races) RUN shit andi have heard horror stories from people...

These mofos get wtf they want when they want! i heard crazy ass stories of Jay-Z wanting like 3 personal airplanes and his own runway

And one of my friend's worked on a 2 Chainz music video and he wanted a bell air mansion, a huge ass pool & his own yacht.

And because he had ties with Jay and his people he got whatever the fuck he wanted.. so o am saying people can believe what they want but those people mentioned & the people behind them of all races and backgrounds control and run this shit and it has little to do with white privilege.

Gunsnhalen said:

MadamGoodnight said:

Black artists dominate but Taylor Swift is everywhere?

Think about someone like Adele. She makes a certain type of music, but if African American R&B singers make the same they get no play. Yes, good for Adele, but where is Ledisi, people like that who sing soulful but with no fanfare? Lots of pub for white artists who sing R&B, but none for Anthony Hamilton and the like. Interesting.

* If Rick James was still here he'd call all this shit out

Um... least we not forget Teena Marie was never huge on the hot 100 and she was white and had soul right?

And yes Taylor swift maybe played everywhere but Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and the like run shit.. idc what anyone says. I have heard few artists in my life time as overplayed as Rihana they even play her in places where they play non english music but will throw in Diamonds

Lets see last year we had from her...

You Da One

Princess Of China

Birthday Cake

Take Care(With Drake)

Fly(With Nicki Minaj)

Where Have You Been

Talk That Talk

Diamonds

And the year before that with red hair she had like 10 singles And all those songs were overplayed as hell, and all of Nicki songs overplayed as hell... Breezy as well.

Yeah i hear Taylor Swift and shit but basically anything made by Rihanna, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Drake, Lil Wayne etc. Is guranteed to be a hit because they and their people(Of all races) RUN shit andi have heard horror stories from people...

These mofos get wtf they want when they want! i heard crazy ass stories of Jay-Z wanting like 3 personal airplanes and his own runway

And one of my friend's worked on a 2 Chainz music video and he wanted a bell air mansion, a huge ass pool & his own yacht.

And because he had ties with Jay and his people he got whatever the fuck he wanted.. so o am saying people can believe what they want but those people mentioned & the people behind them of all races and backgrounds control and run this shit and it has little to do with white privilege.

Graycap23 said:

Gunsnhalen said:

Um... least we not forget Teena Marie was never huge on the hot 100 and she was white and had soul right?

And yes Taylor swift maybe played everywhere but Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and the like run shit.. idc what anyone says. I have heard few artists in my life time as overplayed as Rihana they even play her in places where they play non english music but will throw in Diamonds

Lets see last year we had from her...

You Da One

Princess Of China

Birthday Cake

Take Care(With Drake)

Fly(With Nicki Minaj)

Where Have You Been

Talk That Talk

Diamonds

And the year before that with red hair she had like 10 singles And all those songs were overplayed as hell, and all of Nicki songs overplayed as hell... Breezy as well.

Yeah i hear Taylor Swift and shit but basically anything made by Rihanna, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Drake, Lil Wayne etc. Is guranteed to be a hit because they and their people(Of all races) RUN shit andi have heard horror stories from people...

These mofos get wtf they want when they want! i heard crazy ass stories of Jay-Z wanting like 3 personal airplanes and his own runway

And one of my friend's worked on a 2 Chainz music video and he wanted a bell air mansion, a huge ass pool & his own yacht.

And because he had ties with Jay and his people he got whatever the fuck he wanted.. so o am saying people can believe what they want but those people mentioned & the people behind them of all races and backgrounds control and run this shit and it has little to do with white privilege.

Hey i am just trying to make a point for all of you who seriously believe that white people are the only ones pulling the strings in the music game.

Ya'll believe what you want but the truth is that those artists mentioned and there people run the music industry and it is not just white people pulling strings at all.

Taylor Swift is big and but you ever notice how Ri Ri, Minaj or Breezy can make albums year after year.. also make deluxe versions etc. Taylor, Pink, Kesha hell even Katy Perry at least can go away for awhile.

The other artists mentioned are always aroun and take no more than a few months off before making a new single that is always guranteed to be a hit. And ya'll want to act like it's only white artists behind the scenes and only white artists getting a ton of airplay

Gunsnhalen said:

Graycap23 said:

Hey i am just trying to make a point for all of you who seriously believe that white people are the only ones pulling the strings in the music game.

Ya'll believe what you want but the truth is that those artists mentioned and there people run the music industry and it is not just white people pulling strings at all.

Taylor Swift is big and but you ever notice how Ri Ri, Minaj or Breezy can make albums year after year.. also make deluxe versions etc. Taylor, Pink, Kesha hell even Katy Perry at least can go away for awhile.

The other artists mentioned are always aroun and take no more than a few months off before making a new single that is always guranteed to be a hit. And ya'll want to act like it's only white artists behind the scenes and only white artists getting a ton of airplay

There is a big difference between daily operations vs the head honcho.

Gunsnhalen said:

MadamGoodnight said:

Black artists dominate but Taylor Swift is everywhere?

Think about someone like Adele. She makes a certain type of music, but if African American R&B singers make the same they get no play. Yes, good for Adele, but where is Ledisi, people like that who sing soulful but with no fanfare? Lots of pub for white artists who sing R&B, but none for Anthony Hamilton and the like. Interesting.

* If Rick James was still here he'd call all this shit out

Um... least we not forget Teena Marie was never huge on the hot 100 and she was white and had soul right?

And yes Taylor swift maybe played everywhere but Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and the like run shit.. idc what anyone says. I have heard few artists in my life time as overplayed as Rihana they even play her in places where they play non english music but will throw in Diamonds

Lets see last year we had from her...

You Da One

Princess Of China

Birthday Cake

Take Care(With Drake)

Fly(With Nicki Minaj)

Where Have You Been

Talk That Talk

Diamonds

And the year before that with red hair she had like 10 singles And all those songs were overplayed as hell, and all of Nicki songs overplayed as hell... Breezy as well.

Yeah i hear Taylor Swift and shit but basically anything made by Rihanna, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Drake, Lil Wayne etc. Is guranteed to be a hit because they and their people(Of all races) RUN shit andi have heard horror stories from people...

These mofos get wtf they want when they want! i heard crazy ass stories of Jay-Z wanting like 3 personal airplanes and his own runway

And one of my friend's worked on a 2 Chainz music video and he wanted a bell air mansion, a huge ass pool & his own yacht.

And because he had ties with Jay and his people he got whatever the fuck he wanted.. so o am saying people can believe what they want but those people mentioned & the people behind them of all races and backgrounds control and run this shit and it has little to do with white privilege.

Most of the artists you listed are straight garbage to me. My post spoke on R&B music. REAL music, by REAL singers. Not autotuned, studio singers who can't sing their way out of a paper bag. I am talking about people with quality talent, gifted vocally.

You lumped in Nicki Minaj, no singing Rihanna's ass, and Breezy with Ledisi and Anthony Hamilton? SERIOUSLY? I started off with Adele, how did you get to 2 Chainz? You know what, not trying to be mean, but I really can't have this discussion with you if that's where you're at. We can just agree to disagree.

My point still stands. Not changing a word. Take a look at black artists singing REAL R&B, and the treatment they get vs. white artists who sing the same type of music. I'm speaking on the genre.

You posted about working in the industry. Do you think you are the only person here who works in the industry? Read in between the lines. The Org is filled with musicians, producers, writers, artists, & people who work behind the scenes. They may not put in in every post like some, but it's easy to tell.

MadamGoodnight said:

Black artists dominate but Taylor Swift is everywhere?

Think about someone like Adele. She makes a certain type of music, but if African American R&B singers make the same they get no play. Yes, good for Adele, but where is Ledisi, people like that who sing soulful but with no fanfare? Lots of pub for white artists who sing R&B, but none for Anthony Hamilton and the like. Interesting.

* If Rick James was still here he'd call all this shit out

Many times, it has to do with the packaging of an artist, too. Beyonce and Rhianna do not look like the "average" black woman. I have heard black artists say in the past if people outside of your black audience are more comfortable with your image, you are likely to see more crossover success.

Must be friday.

MadamGoodnight said:

Gunsnhalen said:

Um... least we not forget Teena Marie was never huge on the hot 100 and she was white and had soul right?

And yes Taylor swift maybe played everywhere but Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and the like run shit.. idc what anyone says. I have heard few artists in my life time as overplayed as Rihana they even play her in places where they play non english music but will throw in Diamonds

Lets see last year we had from her...

You Da One

Princess Of China

Birthday Cake

Take Care(With Drake)

Fly(With Nicki Minaj)

Where Have You Been

Talk That Talk

Diamonds

And the year before that with red hair she had like 10 singles And all those songs were overplayed as hell, and all of Nicki songs overplayed as hell... Breezy as well.

Yeah i hear Taylor Swift and shit but basically anything made by Rihanna, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Drake, Lil Wayne etc. Is guranteed to be a hit because they and their people(Of all races) RUN shit andi have heard horror stories from people...

These mofos get wtf they want when they want! i heard crazy ass stories of Jay-Z wanting like 3 personal airplanes and his own runway

And one of my friend's worked on a 2 Chainz music video and he wanted a bell air mansion, a huge ass pool & his own yacht.

And because he had ties with Jay and his people he got whatever the fuck he wanted.. so o am saying people can believe what they want but those people mentioned & the people behind them of all races and backgrounds control and run this shit and it has little to do with white privilege.

Most of the artists you listed are straight garbage to me. My post spoke on R&B music. REAL music, by REAL singers. Not autotuned, studio singers who can't sing their way out of a paper bag. I am talking about people with quality talent, gifted vocally.

You lumped in Nicki Minaj, no singing Rihanna's ass, and Breezy with Ledisi and Anthony Hamilton? SERIOUSLY? I started off with Adele, how did you get to 2 Chainz? You know what, not trying to be mean, but I really can't have this discussion with you if that's where you're at. We can just agree to disagree.

My point still stands. Not changing a word. Take a look at black artists singing REAL R&B, and the treatment they get vs. white artists who sing the same type of music. I'm speaking on the genre.

You posted about working in the industry. Do you think you are the only person here who works in the industry? Read in between the lines. The Org is filled with musicians, producers, writers, artists, & people who work behind the scenes. They may not put in in every post like some, but it's easy to tell.

Lol.......4 sho.

kitbradley said:

MadamGoodnight said:

Black artists dominate but Taylor Swift is everywhere?

Think about someone like Adele. She makes a certain type of music, but if African American R&B singers make the same they get no play. Yes, good for Adele, but where is Ledisi, people like that who sing soulful but with no fanfare? Lots of pub for white artists who sing R&B, but none for Anthony Hamilton and the like. Interesting.

* If Rick James was still here he'd call all this shit out

Many times, it has to do with the packaging of an artist, too. Beyonce and Rhianna do not look like the "average" black woman. I have heard black artists say in the past if people outside of your black audience are more comfortable with your image, you are likely to see more crossover success.

Completely disagree and Rihanna is not African American.

I do agree they have the cross overlook: European features and lightbrown skin.

They have a "package image" which doesnt just end with "looks" but Ive seen plenty of black girls who look like Beyonce and alot that look better. Yes she is attractive but yall really overrate her looks like she is Elizabeth Taylor Her marketing/backing is why she is popular and has lasted as long as she has. She overexposes herself because trust and believe nobody cares about her. She has peaked.

Tamia, Mya, Ameria, Monica, Esperaza ETC are all attractive African American women BUT dont have the same marketing and dont make the same lack luster pop music. People kill me with making it seem like Beyonces look is "rare" when most of her attractiveness has to do with her intensive weave and makeup.

She is apart of a machine and has a corporate backing, that is why she is constantly in our faces.

[Edited 4/12/13 14:46pm]

MadamGoodnight said:

Gunsnhalen said:

Um... least we not forget Teena Marie was never huge on the hot 100 and she was white and had soul right?

And yes Taylor swift maybe played everywhere but Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and the like run shit.. idc what anyone says. I have heard few artists in my life time as overplayed as Rihana they even play her in places where they play non english music but will throw in Diamonds

Lets see last year we had from her...

You Da One

Princess Of China

Birthday Cake

Take Care(With Drake)

Fly(With Nicki Minaj)

Where Have You Been

Talk That Talk

Diamonds

And the year before that with red hair she had like 10 singles And all those songs were overplayed as hell, and all of Nicki songs overplayed as hell... Breezy as well.

Yeah i hear Taylor Swift and shit but basically anything made by Rihanna, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Drake, Lil Wayne etc. Is guranteed to be a hit because they and their people(Of all races) RUN shit andi have heard horror stories from people...

These mofos get wtf they want when they want! i heard crazy ass stories of Jay-Z wanting like 3 personal airplanes and his own runway

And one of my friend's worked on a 2 Chainz music video and he wanted a bell air mansion, a huge ass pool & his own yacht.

And because he had ties with Jay and his people he got whatever the fuck he wanted.. so o am saying people can believe what they want but those people mentioned & the people behind them of all races and backgrounds control and run this shit and it has little to do with white privilege.

Most of the artists you listed are straight garbage to me. My post spoke on R&B music. REAL music, by REAL singers. Not autotuned, studio singers who can't sing their way out of a paper bag. I am talking about people with quality talent, gifted vocally.

You lumped in Nicki Minaj, no singing Rihanna's ass, and Breezy with Ledisi and Anthony Hamilton? SERIOUSLY? I started off with Adele, how did you get to 2 Chainz? You know what, not trying to be mean, but I really can't have this discussion with you if that's where you're at. We can just agree to disagree.

My point still stands. Not changing a word. Take a look at black artists singing REAL R&B, and the treatment they get vs. white artists who sing the same type of music. I'm speaking on the genre.

You posted about working in the industry. Do you think you are the only person here who works in the industry? Read in between the lines. The Org is filled with musicians, producers, writers, artists, & people who work behind the scenes. They may not put in in every post like some, but it's easy to tell.

Preach!!!

MadamGoodnight said:

Black artists dominate but Taylor Swift is everywhere?

Think about someone like Adele. She makes a certain type of music, but if African American R&B singers make the same they get no play. Yes, good for Adele, but where is Ledisi, people like that who sing soulful but with no fanfare? Lots of pub for white artists who sing R&B, but none for Anthony Hamilton and the like. Interesting.

* If Rick James was still here he'd call all this shit out

Wow, this is a reeaalllllll touchy subject, but I actually agree with you. It's like JT singing R&B, and suddenly r&b is popular because JT is singing it, but if a Black male R&B sings R&B today, they will not be promoted at the same level as JT, even if they sang the songs JT sings. I agree about Adele as well. Imagine if Ledisi sang Adele's songs. Now I ask you, would she have been embraced the same way and popularized like Adele?

Alice Smith, Imani Uzuri, just two of many Black female artists, with beautiful voices that gives you chills, but even though Alice Smith, is getting a little more attention than before, she still may not receive as much press/promotion as Adele. There are so many R&B Black male/female singers who are very good singers/very talented, but not being embraced at that same level, like JT or Adele is, singing the same type of music. For me, if the music sounds good, then I will support the artist regardless of thek musicians'/artists' race. I just don't like the unfair games the music industry plays though.

Hate to say that, but it's an uncomfortable truth to admit for many, because we all want to believe that even the music industry has rid itself of race issues, sadly it hasn't. We shouldn't be that ignorant to believe there is no racism in the music industry. Unfortunately, it still exists.

[Edited 4/12/13 16:19pm]

2elijah said:

MadamGoodnight said:

Black artists dominate but Taylor Swift is everywhere?

Think about someone like Adele. She makes a certain type of music, but if African American R&B singers make the same they get no play. Yes, good for Adele, but where is Ledisi, people like that who sing soulful but with no fanfare? Lots of pub for white artists who sing R&B, but none for Anthony Hamilton and the like. Interesting.

* If Rick James was still here he'd call all this shit out

Wow, this is a reeaalllllll touchy subject, but I actually agree with you. It's like JT singing R&B, and suddenly r&b is popular because JT is singing it, but if a Black male R&B sings R&B today, they will not be promoted at the same level as JT, even if they sang the songs JT sings. I agree about Adele as well. Imagine if Ledisi sang Adele's songs. Now I ask you, would she have been embraced the same way and popularized like Adele?

Alice Smith, Imani Uzuri, just two of many Black female artists, with beautiful voices that gives you chills, but even though Alice Smith, is getting a little more attention than before, she still may not receive as much press/promotion as Adele. There are so many R&B Black male/female singers who are very good singers/very talented, but not being embraced at that same level, like JT or Adele is, singing the same type of music. For me, if the music sounds good, then I will support the artist regardless of thek musicians'/artists' race. I just don't like the unfair games the music industry plays though.

Hate to say that, but it's an uncomfortable truth to admit for many, because we all want to believe that even the music industry has rid itself of race issues, sadly it hasn't. We shouldn't be that ignorant to believe there is no racism in the music industry. Unfortunately, it still exists.

[Edited 4/12/13 16:19pm]

It's unfortunate. It's an ugly truth. Very touchy indeed. Great points.

To Guns, I now see how you came up with that list though after reading again. I did drop Taylor Swift's name in my first post. Still, 90 percent of them I refuse to listen to

Gunsnhalen said:

Graycap23 said:

I'd suggest u re-read BlaqueKnight's comment.

He is wrong in a lot of his statements. Black artists promote white artist, asian artist promote black artist and so ona nd so fourth. So i find that comment entierly false i am afraid.

And also a lot of people of every color are tricking artists into 360 deals it is not JUST whites. I mean ya'll can believe what you want i am just simply saying what i learned and have personally seen from the music industry

You misquote me and then disagree with the misquote. They call that strawman arguing.

I didn't say that janky behavioral business practices like 360 deals were exclusive to white males. I said that MOST of the presidents of the larger corporations that run the industry are white and Jewish. THEY ARE. A few years back I listed some of them and some idiot on here disagreed, with their defense basically being "How can we be sure?" when these peoples' positions in their perspective companies are PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE. Then they had the nerve to ask me to post verification when Goolge/Bing/everyotherdamnserachengine is right at the click of another tab or opening up another browser window. It is easy as hell to find out who runs what company. All of that info is public knowledge, which is why its easy to find simple answers.

If you are trying to say that the heads of these companies, who set the standard for their business behaviors, are not mostly white...then I am calling you a liar. I can prove what I am saying. Can you?

A lot of rappers sign to smaller companies and the smaller companies sign to bigger companies. If the heads of the bigger companies didn't want 360 deals in the business, they would not be there. They dictate the corporate culture that goes on in the music business. There was mention of Sony earlier. Do you know who Doug Morris is? Ed Berger? If not, then you aren't ready for this conversation. You think a lot of what I said is wrong?

Try to book not even Taylor Swift but somebody like Seether or The Strokes if you are a known "urban" booking agent. Its not gonna happen.

There is no way you could work that end of the business and not know this. Most black promoters don't even try, since they focus on markets they know. They may not have a clue as to what The White Stripes might bring in but they probably have a good idea as to how much Miguel or R. Kelly could make. At the same time, if they wanted to get The Hives or Brad Paisley, they wouldn't be able to. William Morris has been sued over this shit many times before. I'm not wrong; its just not politically correct. Don't try to shoot the messenger. The truth will still be the truth.

Bester24 said:

Does anyone believe there is still white privilege in music? I personally believe there is. I mean why is Elvis and the Beatles STILL the best selling artists in America when really it should be MJ and Whitney. Why is Elvis still considered the King of Rock And Roll... we all know the truth behind the origins of RocknRoll but Elvis is still champ? Why is Eminem the best selling rapper ever, above Tupac and (maybe) Outkast. He's definitely not more talented than either one of them, so I mean WTF?! I know white privilege permeates throught society in general as well but I want to talk about music for this particular post because I am such a big fan of music. What do you think?

In reference to Elvis and the Beatles vs. Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, Elvis and the Beatles sold more because they've been around longer.

MadamGoodnight said:

To Guns, I now see how you came up with that list though after reading again. I did drop Taylor Swift's name in my first post. Still, 90 percent of them I refuse to listen to

I feel ya and i hope you or no one else caught feelings over this cause it is just my opinion and what i have seen so... not trying to be rude.

BlaqueKnight said:

Gunsnhalen said:

He is wrong in a lot of his statements. Black artists promote white artist, asian artist promote black artist and so ona nd so fourth. So i find that comment entierly false i am afraid.

And also a lot of people of every color are tricking artists into 360 deals it is not JUST whites. I mean ya'll can believe what you want i am just simply saying what i learned and have personally seen from the music industry

You misquote me and then disagree with the misquote. They call that strawman arguing.

I didn't say that janky behavioral business practices like 360 deals were exclusive to white males. I said that MOST of the presidents of the larger corporations that run the industry are white and Jewish. THEY ARE. A few years back I listed some of them and some idiot on here disagreed, with their defense basically being "How can we be sure?" when these peoples' positions in their perspective companies are PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE. Then they had the nerve to ask me to post verification when Goolge/Bing/everyotherdamnserachengine is right at the click of another tab or opening up another browser window. It is easy as hell to find out who runs what company. All of that info is public knowledge, which is why its easy to find simple answers.

If you are trying to say that the heads of these companies, who set the standard for their business behaviors, are not mostly white...then I am calling you a liar. I can prove what I am saying. Can you?

A lot of rappers sign to smaller companies and the smaller companies sign to bigger companies. If the heads of the bigger companies didn't want 360 deals in the business, they would not be there. They dictate the corporate culture that goes on in the music business. There was mention of Sony earlier. Do you know who Doug Morris is? Ed Berger? If not, then you aren't ready for this conversation. You think a lot of what I said is wrong?

Try to book not even Taylor Swift but somebody like Seether or The Strokes if you are a known "urban" booking agent. Its not gonna happen.

There is no way you could work that end of the business and not know this. Most black promoters don't even try, since they focus on markets they know. They may not have a clue as to what The White Stripes might bring in but they probably have a good idea as to how much Miguel or R. Kelly could make. At the same time, if they wanted to get The Hives or Brad Paisley, they wouldn't be able to. William Morris has been sued over this shit many times before. I'm not wrong; its just not politically correct. Don't try to shoot the messenger. The truth will still be the truth.

If you ever read any of my posts you would know i am a sound designer in the industry so i am simply talking abotu what i have seen. Do you want me to tape my days for you boo?

At the end of the day you believe what you believe and i will believe what i do. Do you work in the industry as well? cause simply reading shit on the internet and hearing conspriacy theroies is only half of it. Until you actually experience it then you can come back and talk to me about how shit is run.

And if you are in the indusrty then why don't you share stories in that case i would be interested to hear them.

sexton said:

Bester24 said:

Does anyone believe there is still white privilege in music? I personally believe there is. I mean why is Elvis and the Beatles STILL the best selling artists in America when really it should be MJ and Whitney. Why is Elvis still considered the King of Rock And Roll... we all know the truth behind the origins of RocknRoll but Elvis is still champ? Why is Eminem the best selling rapper ever, above Tupac and (maybe) Outkast. He's definitely not more talented than either one of them, so I mean WTF?! I know white privilege permeates throught society in general as well but I want to talk about music for this particular post because I am such a big fan of music. What do you think?

In reference to Elvis and the Beatles vs. Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, Elvis and the Beatles sold more because they've been around longer.

oh I see

I would venture to say that The Beatles have sold so much cause they have probably the most diverse musical careers in history. Everyone likes something that the beatles did. Their evolution is unparalleled.

mjscarousal said:

Bester24 said:

Does anyone believe there is still white privilege in music? I personally believe there is. I mean why is Elvis and the Beatles STILL the best selling artists in America when really it should be MJ and Whitney. Why is Elvis still considered the King of Rock And Roll... we all know the truth behind the origins of RocknRoll but Elvis is still champ? Why is Eminem the best selling rapper ever, above Tupac and (maybe) Outkast. He's definitely not more talented than either one of them, so I mean WTF?! I know white privilege permeates throught society in general as well but I want to talk about music for this particular post because I am such a big fan of music. What do you think?

MJ is third behind Elvis and The Beatles as far as sales so he is not that far behind them (I think he will eventually surpass him in the future because he is so close)

Quiet as it kept, MJ was/is bigger than Elvis world wide because he has fans of many generations, demographics and backgrounds. (I know the media likes to lump him with Elvis but he was way bigger than him)----so I agree with your arguement to a degree when it comes to that issue

When it comes down to certain artists that card is played but not ALL the time.

On Eminem: I dont think that necessarily has anything to do with white priviledge. Em made different kind of music than Tupac/Outkast and his music was marketed differently. There are a ton of African American rappers that sell alot Lil Wayne, Jay Z etc it doesnt mean there talented or there music is good they just have cross over appeal or good marketing.

I dont think racism exists in music as much as it once did but to rule it out completely is like arguing the grass is not green or the sky is not blue.

Just because its not a visible issue doesnt mean it still doesnt exist. (And that is what pisses me off about people when it comes to that issue but thats another topic )

No one comes close

lazycrockett said:

I would venture to say that The Beatles have sold so much cause they have probably the most diverse musical careers in history. Everyone likes something that the beatles did. Their evolution is unparalleled.

When you say the most 'diverse' music careers in history I'm puzzled. Certainly their musical career/appeal was/is not more diverse than MJ as is no one's. That was part of MJ's genius that he/his music appealed to EVERY race, ethnicity, age, sex,culture WORLDWIDE (Africa, N.Amer, S. Amer,Asia,etc). No one has surpassed MJ is this area. The Beatles audience has been mostly adult Whites in Europe and America. During their peak it was mostly white teenage girls. MJ/his music appealed to EVERYONE from 2 to 92 worldwide. Can't say that about the Beatles. You said everyone likes something the Beatles did.. well everyone likes a lot of what MJ did from the time he was a little boy.

sexton said:

Bester24 said:

Does anyone believe there is still white privilege in music? I personally believe there is. I mean why is Elvis and the Beatles STILL the best selling artists in America when really it should be MJ and Whitney. Why is Elvis still considered the King of Rock And Roll... we all know the truth behind the origins of RocknRoll but Elvis is still champ? Why is Eminem the best selling rapper ever, above Tupac and (maybe) Outkast. He's definitely not more talented than either one of them, so I mean WTF?! I know white privilege permeates throught society in general as well but I want to talk about music for this particular post because I am such a big fan of music. What do you think?

In reference to Elvis and the Beatles vs. Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, Elvis and the Beatles sold more because they've been around longer.

ya kno they inflate Elvis sales so it's laughable. I mean Elvis Presley has NOT sold a billion records. They inflate his and deflates Michael's. Yeah I said it. Big time racism in the music industry. Believe that.

BlaqueKnight said:

We can go back and forth on artists all day long. The real differences are behind the scenes, where the average person does not venture.

The real differences come in when its time to get that money. Most of the BIG bosses in music are old white guys. Yeah, you can name Diddy, L.A. Reid and a couple of others but those guys are mid-level to upper mid-level players and are just tokens put in place to keep up appearances. None are on Sumner Redstone's level or people of his ilk. They are all older white males and most are Jewish.
Everyone in the industry knows there is a club and everyone knows who's in it. People in the industry know who signs the checks and they know who not to piss off.
In the promotions game, if you are black, you are not allowed access to rock or pop shows. Promoters will promote ANYONE WHO WILL BRING IN REVENUE. Its not that black promoters don't want to promote white artists; THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO.
William Morris is big business and big business is white privileged. If a black promoter tried to promote Timberlake or Pink or Taylor Swift, they would not be allowed to., even if everything else was already in place (venue, etc.)
If a white promoter wanted to promote any black artist or artist of color, they are allowed full access. The promotions game is the legwork of the music industry and is still almost as racist as it was in the 60s. It still operates the same way because there is no checks and balances system in the promotions game.
Almost all of the equipment rental businesses are white owned. If you book a venue, you have to also rent the sound system if the venue does not have its own available for rent.

The black-owned rental businesses usually rent to very small venue-.
So, yeah you can be a black artist because they have your ass under contract nd you are an indentured servant. 360 deals are as common as sub prime loans for black artists. You can create the music, produce other artists, mix the music (although most studio owners are also white) and you can operate in limited capacities in other aspects of the game. Make no mistake, there IS white privilege and even racism in the music biz. The faces on the outside don't reflect the faces on the inside.

All of THIS!^

mrsnet said:

sexton said:

In reference to Elvis and the Beatles vs. Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, Elvis and the Beatles sold more because they've been around longer.

ya kno they inflate Elvis sales so it's laughable. I mean Elvis Presley has NOT sold a billion records. They inflate his and deflates Michael's. Yeah I said it. Big time racism in the music industry. Believe that.

I've always been suspious of that

Let do the infamous prince.org class of black act & while counterparts.

Little Richard = Jerry Lee Lewis (more so than Elvis)

The Jackson Five/The Jacksons = The Osmonds

New Edition = New Kids On The Block

RUN DMC = The Beastie Boys

MC Hammer = Vanilla Ice

Usher = Justin Timberlake

Blues = Country

Funk = Metal (?!?)

Jazz = Classical (OK, I'm being silly on THIS one!)

House, Electro, Techno, & Breakbeat = Trance

mrsnet said:

sexton said:

In reference to Elvis and the Beatles vs. Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, Elvis and the Beatles sold more because they've been around longer.

ya kno they inflate Elvis sales so it's laughable. I mean Elvis Presley has NOT sold a billion records. They inflate his and deflates Michael's. Yeah I said it. Big time racism in the music industry. Believe that.

Crazy Michael Jackson fans are a joke.

sexton said:

Bester24 said:

Does anyone believe there is still white privilege in music? I personally believe there is. I mean why is Elvis and the Beatles STILL the best selling artists in America when really it should be MJ and Whitney. Why is Elvis still considered the King of Rock And Roll... we all know the truth behind the origins of RocknRoll but Elvis is still champ? Why is Eminem the best selling rapper ever, above Tupac and (maybe) Outkast. He's definitely not more talented than either one of them, so I mean WTF?! I know white privilege permeates throught society in general as well but I want to talk about music for this particular post because I am such a big fan of music. What do you think?

In reference to Elvis and the Beatles vs. Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, Elvis and the Beatles sold more because they've been around longer.

Elvis, Michael, 2pac, & Whitney are selling more than ever because they're dead.

The Beatles are still selling because 2 member (John & George) are dead.

mjscarousal said:

kitbradley said:

Many times, it has to do with the packaging of an artist, too. Beyonce and Rhianna do not look like the "average" black woman. I have heard black artists say in the past if people outside of your black audience are more comfortable with your image, you are likely to see more crossover success.

Completely disagree and Rihanna is not African American.

I do agree they have the cross overlook: European features and lightbrown skin.

They have a "package image" which doesnt just end with "looks" but Ive seen plenty of black girls who look like Beyonce and alot that look better. Yes she is attractive but yall really overrate her looks like she is Elizabeth Taylor Her marketing/backing is why she is popular and has lasted as long as she has. She overexposes herself because trust and believe nobody cares about her. She has peaked.

Tamia, Mya, Ameria, Monica, Esperaza ETC are all attractive African American women BUT dont have the same marketing and dont make the same lack luster pop music. People kill me with making it seem like Beyonces look is "rare" when most of her attractiveness has to do with her intensive weave and makeup.

She is apart of a machine and has a corporate backing, that is why she is constantly in our faces.

[Edited 4/12/13 14:46pm]

Rihanna may not be "African American" but I consider her to be a black woman. And I think she identifies as such. Her mother is darker-toned and her father is bi-racial.

To the OP, because of the history of the US white privilege is everywhere in life. Whether it be in the music industry, job market or being pulled over by the cops. It's not going anywhere.

One thing that's bugging me right now is how stations that don't normally play rap will play Macklemore. I mean, come on, the dude has a song about white privilege, and these stations can't even see why what they're doing is fucked up? I agree that this type of thing is a reflection of the racism of our culture, but I think as music lovers a lot of us would like to think that we can hold our favorite art form to a higher standard. Plus, music has often been the first place where barriers are broken, so I can see why it's frustrating to look deeper and see that those barriers aren't as broken down as they appear at first.