Are u a true artist if u stop rapping after your commercial career doesnt work out??

[CJ]

It is a job but it's also a hobby. Just like playin ball. You think MJ quit playin after he retired? Of course not because he's a true ball player and he loves what he does.

I see ppl keep bringin up the cost of recording a song on here to be the reason y artist will stop making music. That's a horrible reason to stop cuz it takes all of $0 dollaz to snatch up a throwaway beat and record it.

Everyone don't got time for hobbies.

 

[blackrain]

It is a job but it's also a hobby. Just like playin ball. You think MJ quit playin after he retired? Of course not because he's a true ball player and he loves what he does.

I see ppl keep bringin up the cost of recording a song on here to be the reason y artist will stop making music. That's a horrible reason to stop cuz it takes all of $0 dollaz to snatch up a throwaway beat and record it.

If your full time job is playing ball and you're not in a professional league chances are you don't earn much of an income...you think NBADL players are making money? you think farm league baseball players are making money? they barely get enough to survive on...Michael Jordan made MILLIONS playing in the NBA...it wasn't a hobby for him it was his job...if music is a hobby of yours, then i 100% agree keep doing it as long as you can and have the desire to...but if you're making it your full time job and you're not turning a profit, to keep going is just dumb...you have to earn a living somehow...

 

[blackrain]

That's what I'm implying in that statement. If you can't make money off rap, there's a million other ways to make it. No need to drop it all together cuz you're not making money. And niggas lose money off rap cuz they're not good investors. They can buy mics, mixers, programs and space rather than spending money on studio time. And if their hustle and talent match up, trust me, they can eat off this rap shit, no matter how low key they may be.

You can spend money and produce your own music...guess what happens if nobody buys it? you're taking a financial loss...and again hustle, talent, all that's cool and it does help but it's more to it than that to sustaining a career in something as fickle as the entertainment industry...there's plenty of talented people with a good business sense that simply didn't make in the music industry for whatever reason that may be...being a successful musician is a crap shoot...

 

[blackrain]

Nobody said you have to spend all of your time rapping if it don't work out. Nobody said dont try to earn another source of income and only rap if you're not sucessful at it. It takes all of 7 minutes to record a song. If you don't have time for that than you're not a true artist. You're just in it for the money. Before MJ got into the league, playin ball was a hobby. After he got out of the league, playin ball was a hobby. Like I mentioned earlier, it's nothin wrong with wanting to get money from somethin you like doing but if you TRUELY and honestly like doin it you dont stop because you not making money off of it anymore. All those D-league players got a warehouse job somewhere but I promise you, they find some time and spend at least 30 minutes every 2 or 3 weeks to go hoop somewhere. KRS-One old ass sittin somewhere thinkin of a punchline right now.

They should, Hobbies don't have to take hours. Especially rappin, it takes minutes.

Stop as in you never rap again, no you don't...stop as in you're not actively trying to get your music out there on a mass level and make it your primary career...yeah after a while you should...

 

[UPTOWN]

is that their full time job? their main source of income? or is it a hobby they do in addition to working a non-entertainment industry related job?

maybe they once owned a car detailing business LOL ... whats ur point??

 

[UPTOWN]

this needs to be further discussed

 

[bigsmooth14]

If the only reason that you are recording is for the money then I'd rather you not record people should make music for the love of the music not the love of the dollar...If your only recording music for the money then eventually your commercial success will falter because there is no heart and soul in what your doing

 

[UPTOWN]

If the only reason that you are recording is for the money then I'd rather you not record people should make music for the love of the music not the love of the dollar...If your only recording music for the money then eventually your commercial success will falter because there is no heart and soul in what your doing

my sentiments exactly

 

[MC The Rapper]

Indy rappers have a lower over head then commercial rappers. They don't have to sell as many units to break even.

 

[Knives Amilli]

This is really the biggest flaw and difference between Rap and other genres of music. Rap is pretty much solely carried by the energy of youth and the pre-adult/street/decadent experience. If you haven't made it in the industry by your 30's it becomes very difficult to capture that lighting that you once had and were more in tune with in your younger days. And there's yet to be really a such thing as a life long hip hop fan market that will still support you after your out of your prime.

 

[loch121]

I do think it takes a true passion to do something for free for a long time and I also think there is nothing wrong w/ making money.The thing about this game is every artist has the potential to be just 1 hit away.if some of the greats gave up we wouldn't have a lot of dope MCs from the majors to underground.

follow @loch121

 

[FyHunnit]

Great thread topic.

No.

It just shows they weren't real artist in the first place.

 

[westcoastnative]

Once an artist always an artist....Some were never artist....Some were just in it for the bread....Not to say LL isnt recording music right as we speak, he could be and just not releasing it to the world...He could just be making music for himself and could give a fuck about what others think....Jazz musicians may stop recording, but they never stop playing, you can always catch someone doing a jam session, or as we say it, a cypher...

 

[Bawse D.Lox]

If the only reason that you are recording is for the money then I'd rather you not record people should make music for the love of the music not the love of the dollar...If your only recording music for the money then eventually your commercial success will falter because there is no heart and soul in what your doing

C/S, no successful commercial artist got to their prime success wise over-night , Jay-Z been trying to get in the game since he was 18/19 and finally at 26, Pac had to be a rodee/back up dancer for 2 years. It Took biggie 2 years for his big break,Missy Elliot had to go thru so many BS to finally get a shot, Rozay been rapping since forever, i heard stories about him in 99', when he was called teflon don ... it Took DMX 7 years, for him to get on.

I could go on and on, what i'm trying to say if these niggaz was doing it for the commercial end they would of never got it, because their road was a trivial one. that passion and love for music out weights the lack of success, and eventually it came.

 

[Wild Self]

If your dreams don't come true by 30 and you invested at least several years into your craft without progression, then its time to quit.