Officially Official: Jay-Z Stepping Down as Def Jam President

[starvin harlem]

Cats is talkin bout "watch this" "watch that" I aint watchin %+#! cause it aint happened yet, I can reflect on what HAS actually happened,but I guess everyones a %@*@%%% fortune teller now . . . Or a Jay Z fan waiting to say "told you so"

Artists on the label is gonna sell records, it aint like EVERYone is gonna flop now?? IDJ is always gonna have a certain level of success, that'sinevitable . . .

But as far as blaming LA Reid?? For the Roots?? LL?? Red?? Meth?? How stupid does that sound?? What sucessfull hip hop project has LA Reid ever overlookedoutside of Outkast at LaFace?? The same being said for Jay Z, what R&B artist was ever sucessfull under Jay?? Rell?? Christian?? Come on . . . Rhianna& Neyo would sell anywhere, look at Ciara and Chris Brown at whatever label their at, they sell well . . . Now Tiarra Marie, she was on Roc A Fella, andnow she works at K Mart with Amil . . . As far as Jeezy & Rick Ross, they're selling well because the south is poppin . . . %+#! Chamillionare, PaulWall, Mike Jones, TI all them dudes was sellin too . . . Rick Ross bout to have his reality check in Feb. Tho

 

[true 3 blue]

But as far as blaming LA Reid?? For the Roots?? LL?? Red?? Meth?? How stupid does that sound?? What sucessfull hip hop project has LA Reid ever overlooked outside of Outkast at LaFace?? The same being said for Jay Z, what R&B artist was ever sucessfull under Jay?? Rell?? Christian?? Come on . . . Rhianna & Neyo would sell anywhere, look at Ciara and Chris Brown at whatever label their at, they sell well . . . Now Tiarra Marie, she was on Roc A Fella, and now she works at K Mart with Amil . . . As far as Jeezy & Rick Ross, they're selling well because the south is poppin . . . %+#! Chamillionare, Paul Wall, Mike Jones, TI all them dudes was sellin too . . . Rick Ross bout to have his reality check in Feb. Tho

Ok, if Rhianna and Neyo can sell anywhere can Meth, LL, Roots etc.. sell anywhere?

 

[x Buddha Bless x]

^ Yo you know there's a difference between an artist who can sell on their own and a artist who needs promotion. An artist like Biggie wouldnt have soldthe way he did if it wasn't for Diddy and promotional plans he had in the works. Also Im surprised you would gague sales of an R&B act with rappers. Toanswer your question yes they could with the right promotion especially Meth and The Roots(especially The Roots)

 

[true 3 blue]

but im sayin, them dudes already have their supposed loyal fanbase they should be able to sell regardless am i right?

 

[x Buddha Bless x]

Originally Posted by true 3 blue

but im sayin, them dudes already have their supposed loyal fanbase they should be able to sell regardless am i right?

What they're suppose to have and what they do have are 2 diff things unfortunately. Its 2007 and that loyal fan base can only do so much, it makes senseto promote the older artist to this generation who are buying albums(cuz I know they ALL can't be into Soulja Boy) This aint no diff from when I was a kidyou promote the artist and aslong as the music is good they will purchase it if they're loyal fans cuz it appeals to them. I mean who really wants to sayThe Roots have been making bad music and thats why they dont sell(a specific example) Dudes like Meth and LL can be doing better in sales than they arecurrently(under the assumption that the albums are good).

EDIT- To what Nay said I actually woulda preferred for some of those better artists to just leave and Ol Man Jigga coulda remained in the position. Maybe itwas loyalty to the label but I dont understand why dudes stayed there hat long when they coulda went from a independent drop a good album n then back to amajor who would actually support them(like maybe SONY) it seems like a lot of these older acts have to go throught the same motions of being a new artistagain.

 

[starvin harlem]

Any established artist has a fanbase, or else they wouldn't be on a major label I thought . . . As far as the 3 acts, the Roots have before, they were doinpretty well at their former label before they folded, as far as Meth and LL, we've never seen an album by either artist on a label other then Def Jam intheir history . . .

I mean established fanbase or not you still need promotion, look at Janets last album, is she not established?? You need promotion, that's just a fact ifyou're aiming to have a successful project, if you as a label decide to release a product with your imprint on the back of the CD, you should be confidentin your product, and the artist you're paying that it can sell units, if not why not just part ways with the artist?? I mean if this is about saving thelabel money, wouldn't getting rid of these dudes be the best bet?? It makes more sense then printing up a bunch of CDs you've put no effort intogetting off the racks . . .

 

[true 3 blue]

what you both said is all true, and thats why i think it was good for both sides that he stepped down.

 

[nachobroadweezy]

If the music is good, the fans will find it. Never blame promotion.

 

[x Buddha Bless x]

Originally Posted by NachoBroadway

If the music is good, the fans will find it. Never blame promotion.

Find and buy are 2 VERY diff things. I can "find" 100+ albums if I didnt support certain artists.

 

[starvin harlem]

Fans aren't the only ones who buy and or support your music, that's why projects need to be promoted . . . How does lil Johny and Suzie know artist Aand B have an album yet if he hasn't seen a video, heard the song, seen an add or anything?? People are pretty simple, they eat what's on the plate, ortable . . .

It sounds good in theory, if the music is good people find it, but who goes to the record store to LOOK for and find $*%#?? In 07?? Finding something usuallymeans downloading it, last time I checked that doesn't help soundscans . . . (Unless it legal of course)

 

[deuce king]

It sounds good in theory, if the music is good people find it, but who goes to the record store to LOOK for and find $*%#?? In 07?? Finding something usually means downloading it, last time I checked that doesn't help soundscans . . . (Unless it legal of course)
Exactly, so how do you purpose record execs. combat illegal downloading which is hurting soundscans in the first place??

 

[iwhohavenothing]

I'm interested in seeing what ll I sgonna say when he flops

..I wouldn't wish flopping on anybody...but well see. Hopefully he does good. Ican't believe a lot of yall aint say nothing bout them bashing a black man when he gets some power(hov) funny.....they never say anything bout anyone else.But hov will br blamed cause he's a rapper...its a catch 22.

 

[jhc239]

OTher than The Roots, who have never been a comercial groupe, even though their last album had 3 commericals on BET, I don't understand this arguement.

LL had plenty of promotion. He had a Hype Williams video with J-Lo in it. I knew the exact day his album dropped and it came with a free poster. What else didhe want from Jay-Z?? I guess Jay could have made a commerial with him self in it and no LL telling fans to buy the album. Oh, and that album had every majorfeature artist that was poppin' that year plus the ones tht weren't and it still sucked.

Meth's albums have progressivly gotten worse. They put that out for his core fanbase. I remember reading a while back that BET won't even put him on tvbecause he is no longer relevent. So why give him a lot of major video money knowing that out the gate? Every review and blog trashes his album by the way.

Redman caught a brick with a Timbaland produced single in the middle of Timbo's biggest year. His album is basicaly the same as MEth's as in only hisreal fans were checking for it. BEt said the same thing about him too.

These dudes need to put in work. Make a great album! Follow Kanye's example, he made his own video for THroug the Wire. Kanye is so pasioate about some ofhis songs that he has created multipile videos for them. Create your own buzz. Kanye, 50 Cent, Jay-Z make an event out of their albums.

I Don't bu albums because of promotion. I don't see an ad in a mag or on tv and run out and cop. I buy off a combination of single, reviews andprevious album quality.

I don't care how much promo you get, if every review i read says your album is wack i ain't copping unless I've heard it and disagree.

these cats need to create their own promo.