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Hip Hop 2009: 5 Big Open Questions
Posted by Justin Boland on Sep 08, 2009 | 0 Comments
Now that the audience for Audible Hype has grown, I’d like to spark a few conversations. I’ve been amazed by the folks who have dropped comments and gotten in contact with me, and I’ve got 5 Big Questions. I’m not asking you to answer them all, but if you can speak on any of them…please do. It’s going to be a long, cold winter and we’ve gotta figure out how to build art into income. Join the cipher.
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Hip Hop 2009: The Big Picture
Posted by Justin Boland on Aug 25, 2009 | 0 Comments
This is an expansion on the first article in the series, Year of the Glut-which painted a depressing picture and probably moved too fast. Here, I’m staying strictly focused on numbers, trends and facts. The discussion here is based around a recent NPD Group report claiming that iTunes represents a full 25% of the entire music business…obviously, that’s a claim I’m going to be questioning. Can we find numbers we can trust in 2009? Dig in…
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5 Reasons Why Slaughterhouse "Failed"
Posted by Justin Boland on Aug 21, 2009 | 0 Comments
The excellent blog The Smoking Section put up a rant blaming internet hip hop fans for the “failure” of the Slaughterhouse album, which “only” moved 18,000 units. The conversation they sparked has been a fascinating look at all the factors that make the music biz such a complex and confusing place in 2009. Rather than just co-signing or debunking, though, this article is an exploration of internet promotion, the importance of live shows, the changing face of hip hop, and the behind the scenes moves that can make or break an album.
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Man Mantis: Playing the MPC from Studio to Stage
Posted by Justin Boland on Aug 20, 2009 | 0 Comments
Sorry for the one week pause, party people. We’ve migrated servers (I told you August was Nerd Shit month) and it took awhile for the hiccups and SNAFUs to disappear. I’ve been itching to drop this interview for awhile now, because it is awesome. I’ve already interviewed the Madison hip hop scientist Man Mantis once before, and this is a richly detailed follow-up interview. We’re talking about the recording and mixing process for the latest dumate album, We Have the Technology, and going in on the technical, practical side of using the Akai MPC as a tool for both composition and performance.
Also: thank you and welcome to all the new readers. I have so much new material lined up it’s absurd. Although I always think it’s cheeseball as fuck when people say it, but for me it’s become the simple truth: Hip Hop is my life.
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A Goldmine for Crate Diggers, Volume 1
Posted by Justin Boland on Aug 14, 2009 | 0 Comments
By reader request, Audible Hype is going to start including a lot more articles for producers. The format here is exactly like the DIY Hip Hop Business Master Class: a collection of the best gems of advice, sourced from dozens of different interviews. The next two installments will be topical (addressing Sample Laws and Making Dope Beats, respectively) but this first batch is decidedly random.
Please leave a comment if you dig it…and leave a comment if you don’t. Reader feedback is how I’m running Audible Hype, folks…your voice counts for a lot.
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Philthy Drummond on Beat Battles, Organizing Emcees and Paying Dues
Posted by Justin Boland on Aug 11, 2009 | 0 Comments
My apologies to Philthy Drummond-he did this interview quite awhile ago, and it’s taken me way too long to publish it. The topic is huge. We’re discussing the roots of the Fresh Coast battle scene, and Philthy Drummond has been involved as an organizer, manager, promoter, producer, cameraman, archivist and web guy over the years.
This is a cat who’s used to juggling 10,000 details as a way of life. He’s going into making albums, herding emcees, putting on quality events, and building a global network.
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DIY Hip Hop Business Master Class, Volume 2
Posted by Justin Boland on Aug 03, 2009 | 0 Comments
This is the second round of the Audible Hype “Greatest Hits” collection-the best advice, the most useful insights, the meaty details, gathered from veterans and experts and living legends. This installement is focused on the people working behind the scenes, and the mundane shitwork that make the music business actually work.
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August is Nerd Shit Month at Audible Hype
Posted by Justin Boland on Aug 01, 2009 | 0 Comments
To finish off the summer season, we’re going to geek the fuck out here at Audible Hype. This site is going to take a long, detailed look at the largest and longest group project I’ve ever done: World Around Records. Welcome to 30 days of “more content per square inch.”
By the way, this post is more than an announcement, it’s also a disorganized goldmine of dope links and good articles and it goes a little something like…
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DJ Trackstar: Honest Hustle and Quality Control
Posted by Justin Boland on Jul 29, 2009 | 0 Comments
I’m very grateful to be presenting this interview. DJ Trackstar is an upstanding Good Guy in the hip hop world…a dedicated DJ who’s been making noise on a national level, but remains humble and still reps St. Louis artists whenever he gets a chance. Here, he’s talking organization, presentation and building better scenes. He’s also got a great mantra for 2009: “I have faith that as long as I do MY thing, MY way, and stay consistent and make good decisions when faced with a challenge, I’ll get to where I need to go.”
Amen to that, right? Check him out.
