50 Cent: File-Sharing Doesn’t Hurt Artists, Industry Should Adapt

[gamepin126]

Curtis James Jackson III, aka 50 Cent has been a drug dealer, he’s been shot, he’s a hugely successful artist - selling over 20 million albums - and he even has his own label, G-Unit Records.

Thirty minutes before getting up on stage at a club in Oslo, 50 Cent gave an interview with Pål Nordseth. Most of the interview was spent with him denying using cocaine on live TV in Zagreb.

Pål asked 50 Cent: “How are G-Unit Records doing in these times of file-sharing?

“Not so good.” he responded. “The advances in technology impacts everyone, and we all must adapt. Most of all hip-hop, a style of music dependent upon a youthful audience. This market consists of individuals embracing innovations faster than the fans of classical and jazz music.”

“What is important for the music industry to understand is that this really doesn’t hurt the artists.”

Thats quite a statement. Organizations like the RIAA are always talking about how the artists get hurt by file-sharing but 50 Cent clearly doesn’t agree. In fact, he appears to appreciate the value of a good fan, whether he buys or file-shares his music, as he explains:

“A young fan may be just as devout and dedicated no matter if he bought it or stole it.”

Indeed. It’s been said time and time again - get the music out there by any which way, fill the gigs and capitalize on the merchandising and ends will meet. 50 Cent agrees:

“The concerts are crowded and the industry must understand that they have to manage all the 360 degrees around an artist. They, (the industry), have to maximize their income from concerts and merchandise. It is the only way they can get their marketing money back.”

He finishes up: “The main problem is that the artists are not getting as much help developing as before file-sharing. They are now learning to peddle ringtones, not records” he said.

“They don’t understand the value of a perfect piece of art.”

A huge thanks to RayJoha for his great work on this piece

50 Cent: File-Sharing Doesn’t Hurt Artists, Industry Should Adapt | TorrentFreak

I lol'd cuz he says this after he quit being a solo artist and his records stopped selling.

[BD-ICY]

He's right tho

It doesn't hurt the artists it hurts the Record Lables

[han_han]

Yea, he's right. Now maybe the RIAA will stop using aritists as justification.

[FlamingAsterix]

The RIAA and the record labels have been abusing artist's names for years, and have been damn good at it. Why should they stop now because a few artists are contradicting them? It's not like the major artists are actually taking a stand or taking action. They're just stating that they support file-sharing and then going for another ride in their diamond-studded limousines.
There's an absolutely excellent blog post on this topic here.

[Indefinite]

Well, as hard as I dislike rap and 50 Cent's persona, I gotta give him props for being another, let's say, artist clearly stating, that it's not the artist that get hurt by file-sharing.

But I have to disagree with another thing. If the music industry would focus their attention on an artist's gigs/concerts, then the cost of tickets would propably shift up enormously.

As to merch - lotsa times it's already sponsored from the scraps that artists get from their albums, so leave merch alone, it's just another way for an artist to get his/her fair share.

So in my opinion, flie-sharing actually works in favor of the artists, 'cause they still get known and therefore attract people to their gigs. And, as far as I'm concerned, that's something that the industry was supposed to do. However, they're not doing their job anymore, mainly because they want to get paid for something, that you can actually get for free on P2P networks.

Therefore I personally think that this so-called "industry" should die naturally, instead of trying to keep alive a dying limb.

[phantoma]

Actually, he show a very good point, that a fan will go through the entire process of downloading pirating music just to hear some songs from a certain artist. Such dedication to a product needs to be celebrated not destroyed, like a drug addict to a narcotic, this need of the consumer must be met inorder to make a maximum profit.

The market needs to adapt inorder to meet the needs of a changing consumer. Music seems to be more of a way to promote the artist or the experience rather than being sold as a stand-alone product. Its seems to be more of a 3 minute commercial than a product.

The problem is that the music industry is becoming more commerical-focused than music focused, the day of solo singer/songerwritter is over. Music and Musicans are being made in the offices rather than the studios, most popular bands weren't formed before their success and their fame last as long as their songs.

This changing market has already been shown in the movie industry, where the main profits of the film are not necessarily done in the theatre but in DVD sales and merchandising. Creating a brand from what may have once been just a simple single film.

Sure, this changing market and business practices will affect most and offend others. But is that not the nature of the beast, in reality this change wont affect the artist, real artist will find a way to share their work. In reality file sharing has made it easier on the artist to share their work, however making it harder for the industry make money off of it.

In the end 50 cent has made all the money he needs, with his past record success and his recent high earnings off the vitamin water sale, he's giving an honest opinion.

[Super]

Most of the music I pirate isn't even worth buying, so I think it's actually me avoiding getting my money stolen. I enjoy the occasional Morbid Angel or !T.O.O.H! song, but I would never spend money on their albums.

[JeweyK]

50 Cent should go die.

[Bonum83]

50 Cent should go die.

sarcasm isn't your best.

[JeweyK]

That wasn't sarcasm.

[CrazyGerbilEater]

I dont listen to much of the newer music because most of it sucks, all the good bands came out in the 70's and 80's. A few still still come out, i view file-sharing as trying the product out before you buy. Ill try a game or cd out before i buy it. If i really like the band ill buy a hat or shirt, and go to a concert.