6:41 PM | Posted by
Janus
Yea, this Beanie Sigel vs. Jay-Z beef is old news…but what still surprises me the most is some people's reaction. A lot of people didn’t see this coming. And I wonder why…I mean, name the artists who became “the sh*t” w/ the help of Roc-A-Fella. The only people who created the buzz on this label are Jay-Z and Kanye West. Actually, the label was created to release Jay's “Reasonable doubt” and as one of the founders (Roc-A-Fella was founded by Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Damon Dash & Kareem "Biggs" Burke) he always made sure to get the best. So there's no surprise that he succeeded. Kanye…well, hate him or love him, but no one can deny that he is a musical genius. He controlled his own “project” as much as it was possible. By the moment he started his rap career he had already been known as a hot producer and songwriter. So I don’t think that Kanye owes his career exclusively to Roc-A Fella. And what about other artists? Roc-A-Fella was founded in 1996…13 years ago. It has signed/discovered a lot of different artists, but they either stayed in the shade of Hova, or got dropped. Those people who had a name before the Roc simply left the label. The same thing goes for the founders. Kareem Burke was the first founder who left the fam. Today not a lot of people even remember his name or know that he was a part of the Roc. Dame Dash didn’t stay for too long either. So why is everyone soooo surprised? This label has never actually helped to build any artist's career except for Jay-Z’s. Yes, Beanie Siegel stayed w/ the Roc for a while, probably he had certain hopes, but it wasn't hard to tell that this situation would occur. As any other artist, Sigel wants to be recognized, he doesn’t want to be under someone, he wants to have his own voice. He has been riding with this crew for a long time, so he wants his dividends. Is it a crime? But what's actually interesting…is that major labels run by artists don’t have artists brighter than the “CEO”. Bad Boy Records (Entertainment) is another bright example. The label gained its popularity w/ the help of Notorious B.I.G.’s success and (since Christopher Wallace departed) Diddy remains the only “star”. During its 16 year history, the label has had a lot of artists, they created some buzz, but they never had a chance to become stars of the show. And I can’t say that former Bad Boy artists are wack. As a matter of fact, the Lox is living proof that they were the sh*t during the Bad Boy era and Sean Combs didn’t give them enough of opportunities.
Are Jay-Z and Diddy fools to lose good artists? No, they are only businessmen. They got their minds on their money, money on their minds. On the one hand, they want to make money, but on the other hand, they don’t want other artists to outshine them.
Am I judging them? No, I just wanna say a word to young artists. When something like this is going on, be smart enough to take notes. A lot of rappers love to say “Somehow the rap game remind me of the crack game”…translation: it's business and nothing personal; if you are sure that you belong to the rap game, be ready to watch your back. Hip-hop lives in the streets, the moment the contract is signed it turns into business…And who told ya that business was a fair play? “I'm a hustler homie you a customer cronie”…do you remember this? I'm not saying that you have to betray your business partners…it's a no no, but I do say that you have to be business educated to know what's going on behind your back. In the words of Malcolm X, “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today”. Think about it…
P.S. A few words from Joe Budden on the situation: “Bottom line is... i'm a fan of both dudes music & will always be... i just dont care to know the person behind the artist, IT NEVER MATCHES”... I think that it's a good point/advice.
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