ThatRetailChick

1.  That reality show stint showed a little too much  b*tch*ssness
2. Your record was only played in your state?  I guess the DJ that cosigned you forgot to tell his other DJ friends to cosign you too???
3. Is it that BIG NAME EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS can’t executive produce any hits for the groups on their record labels??? 
4. Maybe your album should have been called “HIP POP” instead of  HIP HOP.   The big RAPPER COSIGN may not help if ”HIP POP” is not a music category in stores or online???
5. Oh, so your mix tape was the one they did because “technically they like everything?”
6. The budget they gave your cosigner…should have been watched a little more carefully.  It would seem that with all the money spent on promotion you would be Mr. Right Now instead of Mr. What Happened to Him?
7. Or maybe, just maybe, the consignee did not have enough talent.

Ok, so do you get my drift here?  The cosign works some of the time.  But as of lately, are the consignees really doing a good job of finding and developing talent?  Or are they just wasting budgets along with the music consumers’ time & money?  So with that being said there are 2 choices.  The industry can either continue to just respect the cosign, or begin to respect the talent.   Which would you choose?  It may begin with the cosign but it will end with the music.  And if the music isn’t good the fans will let you know when they don’t buy it.  Comments are always welcomed at www.thatretailchick.me!

Most of my emails/blog posts are witty and informative.  But this time, there is a need for me to be serious and state some facts that may encourage you to do things a little differently.

 At a very rapid pace, music retail is dying.  There are many reasons for this and we have our opinions on where to point the fingers.   Right now that is not important.  However, it is very important for you to know what genre of music this death will affect first.

Hip Hop is probably the most influential type of music there is.  It has more than put its stamp on pop culture.  But that is not good enough, because it is getting harder to find your favorite new hip hop disc in stores.  Here are a few examples of what is happening to Hip Hop.

• Last week, Wale came out to a harsh reality.  He thought he was hot, but some non traditional music retailers thought he was not and therefore bought very little to absolutely none of his debut cd.  Fans relied on twitter to point them in the direction of the nearest music store to find #attentiondeficit.

• A couple of weeks ago, Rick Ross’s group Triple C’s came out and sold a little over 12,000 copies.  About 70% of these were sold at traditional/independent music stores.

• After calling 3 Targets inside the city of Atlanta, none of them had the newest Lil’ Boosie Cd.  It was released on September 15, 2009.  They pull you off the shelf pretty fast there huh?  (While on that call a customer asked for the Wale cd, I told the employee to send him to the West End.  She relayed the message and said…”We never got that cd.”)

• Then I decided to go on a hunt for an underground artist.  Brooklyn MC Skyzoo’s debut release “The Salvation” was only available at 1 Best Buy out side the city of Atlanta.  But they could not locate the disc in the store.

It is very important for me to say that this is not a shot at any store, record label, or artist.  This is the harsh reality of the situation you may be in if you are a hip hop artist.  And it is even more unforgiving if you are a hip hop fan. 

70-80% of hip hop music is sold physically in stores and not digitally online.  Where does that leave the artist with the major record deal if there is no music store and 1 mass merchant?  Where does that leave the artist that just needs distribution if there is no music store and 1 mass merchant?  Last but certainly not least, where does that leave the fan that just wants to go to the store and find their favorite new hip hop cd?  

I do believe that things will change one day.  Change is inevitable.  However as we wait for change to take place, Hip Hop will suffer.  The Real question is will it be able to survive? 

Please feel free to leave your comments.  These are just the facts. Conversation among us will hopefully help come up with some solutions to what I know is a really serious problem.

So I decided to take all of my “in store retail chick music shop” talk and share it with those that don’t always get the chance to come by the store.  My e-blast and post are based on just that, conversations that I have inside the store with BIG WIG MUSIC INDUSRTY PROFESSIONALS. 

Please feel free to come and join me on Wednesday November 18, 2009 at 7pm for a conversation between a retail chick & a record executive.  If you have read my blogs then you know this is surely one that you will not want to miss! This is a free event and is open to the public. 

The Record Executive I will be speaking with is Rico Brooks, President of Block Ent. here in Atlanta

It will be at…

 Deserts by Latrell 581 Edgwood Avenue Atlanta, GA 30312 678.705.3409

For more information about this event please contact me @

thatretailchick@gmail.com

Thanks for reading and I hope to see you there!

*That Retail Chick*

The other day, “my favorite rapper friend” said “Artist these days are like girls that give it up too fast, why would you spend money on a chick, if she’s putting it out for free!” It’s the same way with rap music these days.  Rappers give it up way too easy. Why would customers pay for something they can get for free? 

Someone answer this for me.  Why do you have to give away 3 CD’s if your first one built the buzz you needed to make the next one sale?  PLUS the buzz was off that one hot single is playing on the radio.  New artist that do Country, Rock, Pop, or RNB don’t give away nearly as much music as rappers do.  So, I have to ask the question at what point do rappers stop giving away their music for free in the name of buzz building, and start selling it the minute they book paid shows, get un paid for radio play and know they are hot?

Dear Rapper,

Did you not know that you have fans loyal enough to buy your free CD way before you get your deal?  Did you know that 70-80% of urban music sales are CD’s that are sold in stores!?!?

  By the time the record deal is signed, finally the album comes out, and everybody has an entire album by you already.  As a matter of fact they have 2 or 3 of them, each one with new music.  So now, you want them to come back and get their favorite single again which was your only hit single that they either got for free or paid for once before.  I’m going to quote Travis Porter…your loyal fans are going to say ”Hell You Talmbout!”

Which means the label spent a little money on you to make a new album; you gave money away when you gave away he last 3 “albums”; plus all the shows you had where you should have been selling product instead of giving it away at the door walked right out on you with free product.  GWAP GONE!  PROOF OF SALES GONE!  EPIC FAIL!

Believe it or not “Mr. Free Digital Download I’m Trying to Conquer that Internet Fan Base as Well as the Streets”; your fans…they would have paid for it…in stores and online.  They probably already have. 

So, in essence, you went to the studio, recorded your heart out, and made good sellable music that created a movement you never knew you would have.  Then  you left the studio and gave your “good sellable movement music” away  for free???

Welcome to the new music industry, featuring all the free rap music you can get!  And they never listen to me!  SMH