Mixtapes – Changing the Music Game For Artists
The music game has changed forever. No longer is signing to a record label the only path to getting your music heard. These days, the hottest, latest music is found online. MySpace, iTunes and imeem have created new platforms to showcase music that completely bypass the traditional outlets provided by record labels. Many artists deciding to go the independent route, have setup their own labels using the many resources available online. CDBaby, Tunecore, and Magnatune are just a few of the avenues available to artists looking to distribute their music on their own.
Another one of the biggest tools available to artists today are mixtapes. Once regulated mainly to the underground, mixtapes have become mainstream and now have become the source for the newest music available. Lil Wayne, 50 Cent, Kayne West, Jay-Z and pretty much every major Hip Hop artist have used mixtapes as a way to release new music and remixes of their popular songs. Mixtapes have even crossed over to genres outside of Hip Hop -Maroon 5, Fall Out Boy, Limp Bizkit, Travis Barker, Mary J Blige, Jamie Foxx and Trey Songz have all released “official” mixtapes that not only remix some of their most popular song but also offers exclusive tracks that can’t be found anywhere else.
The glue that binds this all together are the mixtape DJ’s. They are the ones who get the music from the artist to the audience. Some of these DJ’s become celebrities in their own right, and are sought after by artists so that they can “leak” a new track to build street buzz. Many artists have released highly anticapated albums aided by having a few hot tracks appear on the latest mixtapes from FunK Master Flex,DJ Clue, Ron G, or DJ Red Alert.
Here in New England we have a number of mixtape DJ’s who release cd’s featuring music by both independent and major artists. Our website regulary features mixtapes from area DJ’s and we will begin to profile some of the people behind the music available on our site. Our first mmixtape DJ is out of Amherst, MA and creates mixtapes under the name Mixtapeton. We recently had a chance to talk to the DJ behind the music.
How did Mixtapeton. Inc get started?
Mixtapeton Inc. started in 2007 with the idea of creating a quality product whose presentation and content go hand in hand. Let me explain myself, you can make a mixtape with the best new songs and the best artists but if the cover is not good it won’t catch anyone’s attention and vice versa. One of the things that differentiate us from other mixtape DJ’s is that we don’t concentrate in just one music genre. Right now we have a series that’s called, “One Nation: Two Cultures” which has the best of Hip-Hop and Reggaeton. We also have R&B, Reggae and Latin music series. These mixtapes will be available for download on our webpage MIXTAPETON.COM absolutely free
Where does your inspiration come from when creating a mixtape?
Well, I am inspired by the current events, new phrases and even well-known movies. Such as the one we have of Jay-Z and Beyonce. Is called “The Carter’s” because of the marital union between the two (Carter is Jay-Z’s last name). I am also inspired by the artist name. Our Jagged Edge mixtape, “Welcome to the Edgecenario” is a good example of this. We like to play with people’s imagination and at the same time have fun when we do our work.
Tell me, what is the purpose of Mixtapes?
Our thinking is that a mixtape is like an appetizer before the main course. If you don’t do well in the mixtape do not expect for your record sales to go well. Hip-Hop and Reggeaton were started in the street, therefore, to be successful in urban music you must first start in the street whether it is by giving out the mixtapes or selling them. They give you the respect you need in the streets and respect is very important.
They say that Hip-Hop is dead, How do you think that mixtapes are helping this genre?
Hip-Hop is not dead. What we need is better lyricists. Nowadays many artists are focusing more on the commercialism side because that’s where the money is. But they are not realizing that they are letting the root of true Hip-Hop die, which was once more focused on the lyrical content rather than the commercialism we are now listening to. As I mentioned earlier, mixtapes are the appetizer before the main course. These have helped artists like Lil ‘Wayne and 50 Cent. They rose from nowhere to sell millions of albums in a week because of the mixtapes. Mixtapes are also a good way for new artists to promote their music. Many times the resources of these artists are not enough for them to make their own album and using this method allows them to be heard without any boundaries. Today mixtapes are more accessible to consumers due to their low cost; and they are often free. If you want free mixtapes in your email, every week, visit our page www.mixtapeton.com and fill out the form with your information and we will send them to you.
By; Jackie Santos “Fuzeonline.com”
