General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: What is Kanye Wests malfunction? [View all]Act_of_Reparation
(9,116 posts)The Grammys are bullshit. They've always been bullshit. Rarely are they a measure of artistic merit; more often they are a mechanism to generate album sales.
I don't know what Kanye's opinion of the award is, but I find it difficult to believe that he's against the music industry in principal... because he's very much a part of it. He's a glitzy, glossy, carefully manicured stage personality who, on a more or less regular schedule, cranks out hyper-produced pop-rap standards at least partly written by some of the biggest songwriting names in the biz. He's an industry darling who will never want for access to studios, equipment, engineers or producers, music video budgets, or access to marketing networks. Any time he wants to record an album or go on tour, Roc-A-Fella and Def Jam will throw money at him, no questions asked.
Beyonce moreso.
The fact of the matter is artists of their league exist primarily because of industry backing. They move a shitload of units in part because they are really good at what they do... and in part because the industry promotes the ever-loving shit out of them. The guys in suits pay for advertising, secure endorsements, pressure media outlets to play their tunes. If Kanye feels he and Beyonce aren't receiving their attention from the industry insiders, then I would suggest they both spend a day in, say, Saul Williams' shoes.
Go without the label. Make your own album yourself; finance it yourself, write it yourself, produce it yourself, and distribute it yourself. Finance your own your own tour. Travel the country in a van.
Steve Albini once attested that the vast majority of artists who are signed to a label wind up owing the label more money than their album makes. Beyonce and Kanye, meanwhile, are millionaires. All in all, I'd say the system worked pretty well for them. Not so much for the little guys.
In any event, I'd be interested in what you have to say about the "Grammy Problem". Chances are, I'm just as critical of the process as you.