Ramblings about Sales and Beats and Raps.

[Keithjmoon70@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 4/18/2003 6:54:05 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
pkeets@hotmail.com writes:

> Will a new album sell as well this year as it would have last year?
> 

I think so.  Hitwise, I believe it has more to do with the music composition 
than the lyrics. Music is not so dependent on what is happening in the world. 
Of course we know better than that and are not so shallow, but facts are 
facts in the sales dept.

I have paid some attention to what is hot from getting to know what my kids, 
step kids and nephews listen to over the years.  I listen to it with them.  
While my own boys like mainly the big 4 (5) from England, (They're geniuses)! 
The others like The Who just fine but they get into the stuff that their 
friends like too.  Now Rap is almost over. Eminem is hot at present, but even 
he is doing sort of a Long Live Rock lamentation about the state rap is in. 
He has vision and cares, believe it or not. There are main players like Snoop 
Dogg (the best rapper out there in my opinion) who have genuine talent along 
with other now-old guys like Dr. Dre, who is a master at making the beats. He 
is incredible.  Dre personally gets one million dollars to produce each song 
and my nephew, who is a music insider out in LA said that he did 65 last 
year.  That is some serious cash.

My point is that the words don't really matter *that* much to kids as long as 
they flow; the beats do. In rap, the "beats" are the entire arrangement that 
supports the rap song and they are often used on many songs with different 
words/artists. To kids, (the ones who buy the records) if a song doesn't make 
you feel it, the words are not that important.  Eminem is a wordsmith. So is 
Snoop. They are the other half of the equation in the rap world. Dr. Dre 
produced the Eminem show.

In rock, Pete Townshend does both. He is a master in both areas and doesn't 
hire out. He makes the "beats" and is a wordsmith. I am sure he is paying 
attention to this formula. 

Isaac Hayes made a very true statement when he said "If you want to know if a 
song is going to be a hit, just ask some kids. They know a hit as soon as 
they hear it."

Jon in Mi