Selling Out

In this industry, a lot of people are accused of “selling out” because of their constantly changing images and dealings according to which audiences they cater to. What is “selling out,” exactly? In my opinion, selling out is not when you go from hard core gangster rap to pop singing, or when you only perform on independent labels then switch to major labels. I think the real selling out happens when you are not true to yourself. For instance:

Originally an R&B artist, singer Pink flipped the script when she went punk rock on us. I had a serious problem with that because I feel that if you were really a rock singer at heart, why were you singing R&B croons, doing all these fancy vocal tricks in the first place? I think it’s very important for artists to have a back bone when it comes to their artistry, creativity and talent. It takes a very strong person to say no to a major record label when they try to make you into something you’re not. And that’s what Pink failed to do.

There is also another angle to look at it from.. Who should we really blame? Should we blame the labels for putting all this pressure on artists to conform? Or should we just blame it on the game? Nowadays, you HAVE to be versatile or have crossed over into the pop charts in order to be a success. After all, the white suburban kids are the largest number of consumers purchasing most of the rap and R&B music. So should artists cater to them? If the public decided they no longer want to see Ice Cube in all black holding a gun, but now want to see him in family movies playing a great dad, is he wrong to give it to them?

It’s always a tough situation as an artist trying to stay true to yourself despite the pressure and dictatorship of the music industry… But I there are enough artists out there that beat the odds and make the music that truly makes them happy, regardless of record sales.