The Game in Joburg this Thursday

[Buff Pound]

People will treat you how you let yourself get treated. Big CONcerts know that most artists are desperate to get international shine and be able to put, 'performed with The Game' on their CVs. Truth is, most local warm-up acts don't even get to shake hands with the headline act, let alone chill with them backstage. You're just another groupie.

We've all got to get rid of this small time groupie mentality. Who gives a f*** about The Game? If you wanna see him as a fan, that's cool - just pay for a ticket and take your girl to the concert and enjoy yourself. Don't try to shine off his shine and see performing for free as some kind of business opportunity. Focus on your own shit. Work yourself to the level where you can approach him as an equal to do a collaboration (if you like his shit).

Doing concerts for free is cool if you're doing it for your record label (to promote your album, for example), or for friends. There's so much money available when big sponsors get involved - you're disrespecting yourself if you don't demand to get paid.

D, isnt it a business move if you are promoting your album as you have just mentioned?

[Papa ThReAdS]

F*ck all those crackers on Mtv caking off these cotton picking minstrels.

The least they can do is give yall one of those hampers with mealie meal, pilchards and naartjie flavoured drink-o-pop. All that tap dancing is too much hard work, especially if its for free.

[cash]

Damn, everybody give Blaklez [PROPS] right now.
Its very important that we become more honest with each other.
We need to.
We have to start unifying(yes, weve said this before a million times), but I cant see myself spending my time,effort,sacrifices,finances for much longer in this game if we dont pull together and make this industry respect us.

I just told the Woodstock guys to eat a dick cos now they claim they only have R2500 budget for hiphop acts per hr(and they give each act 20 minutes). Thats +-R800 per hiphop act.
Thats a spit in the face(even for a small group like DEM CRACKBOYS)

Whether or not you like our music or what we look like, or how we live our lives, i think its pointless now for hiphop artists to beef amongst each other about petty things anymore.

Its time we unified and created an ORGANISATION that will serve and protect our needs and interests.
This cant go on.
Peace fellas.
I respect Buff for sayin "i still gotta go see Game,its a personal choice", i cannot do it though. But lets meet up afterwards so we dont have this same conversation at the next "international" event.

[General Ratzinger van Stilzkin]

The least they can do is give yall one of those hampers with mealie meal, pilchards and naartjie flavoured drink-o-pop. All that tap dancing is too much hard work, especially if its for free.

ROFL!!!!!

[Trinidad-Hux]

Buff, come on my nig. What would HHP and Pro gain from performing alongside Game for free? These dudes are fulltime artists. Thats their job. I wouldn't expect you to install cables in Sandton for free in order to expose yourself as a good engineer. Like these dudes, you've been earning a living from your profession and have proven yourself as a capable engineer. It would be a backward step to do pro bono work for people who can more than afford to pay you. 

[Buff Pound]

Yeah, point taken BUFF.
Theres always 3 sides to a story.
the thing is YES, you will be SEEING the Game, But at YOUR cost.
He will also be SEEING you, but at YOUR cost.
As a matter of fact hiphop artists are now doing hiphop, at their cost(all of us).
How can we continue to conduct business like this?

ps. The Anvils are in the top 5 Biggest groups in SA. They SHOULD be invited to come see The Game and shake hands at least. Its called "Public Relations", but i guess hiphop artists arent seen as part of the public.

Just like if "Lady Smith Balck Mambazo" go to the US, Quincey Jones, P Diddy,etc. will be INVITED to come shake hands with them.

Im not even joking anymore, the situation in SA hiphop hurts me deeply.

networking costs bro, im tied of this sense of entitlement while cats aint puttign in work, the anvils will get to that stage where they command that typa respect at the moment according to the event organisers and the various brands responsible for sponsorsing the events, clearly not. so lets keep it moving. pro took a stand thats kul, but hhp took a different stand, thats also kul for him, we all working our different angles and im not accountable to no one else but myself when it comes to my livelihood.

cash yesterday we spoke about this, cats taking up gigs without no pay, while y'all be turning them down for ur own reaons. we will never know the true story and even so, if HHp decides to take up that offer without pay while prokid decides to turn it down, well hey its their decisions. it will be very difficult to take responsibility for another mans decisions. perhaps the idea of a committee is not a bad one but for now, lets keep it moving. remember one common thing about human beings, we are self serving, even if people wont admit to it, ive learnt this, in this world no one else will take care o u, but urself, so who are we to question a cat who decides he will get on stage even if he doesnt get paid? he has weighed his options and felt its the right move for him and it might not be for everyone else.

[Buff Pound]

Buff, come on my nig. What would HHP and Pro gain from performing alongside Game for free? These dudes are fulltime artists. Thats their job. I wouldn't expect you to install cables in Sandton for free in order to expose yourself as a good engineer. Like these dudes, you've been earning a living from your profession and have proven yourself as a capable engineer. It would be a backward step to do pro bono work for people who can more than afford to pay you. 

point taken loud and clear lez, like i said in ma previous post, it only means that HHP has weighd his options and as big an artist as he is, he has decided to go without pay, now ask urself what is it that he see's that you are not seeing?

[Dpleezy]

@Buff - Obviously each artist has to decide for themselves what their motivation is. I would just say that all 'exposure' is not the same.

If Pro Kid does a show in the hood for TS Records, he's there as the main man - he's getting the shine and people are gonna remember him as the star.

Warming up a set for a big international act can do you more damage than good sometimes. People aren't there to see you - you're just the annoying time-filler before the main show. It's about the way you're treated throughout the whole process too - being paid is just a part of it.

I understand that The Game has many more fans that most local acts. He's an international platinum-selling artist so his presence is a big incentive for people to go. However, this whole thing is supposed to be a celebration of African talent. We have to start believing in ourselves and stop seeing ourselves as warm-up artists.

Everywhere Sharpa performed in Europe he was treated as an equal to the other acts (despite not that many people knowing him). He got treated the same as the big names - he was paid properly, his name was big on the flyers and posters, he was marketed properly, we were collected at the airport, looked after in VIP, introduced to the other acts backstage, did the same press as the other acts etc.

I'm not saying that our local acts won't be treated well by Big Concerts, but the fact that they aren't willing to pay is a sign of disrespect that doesn't exactly give you confidence that the rest will be taken care of. They are just exploiting our desperation to get any shine we can.

[Trinidad-Hux]

If there's no money involved then I'm glad I'm not seeing what he sees. 

[Buff Pound]

Damn, everybody give Blaklez [PROPS] right now.
Its very important that we become more honest with each other.
We need to.
We have to start unifying(yes, weve said this before a million times), but I cant see myself spending my time,effort,sacrifices,finances for much longer in this game if we dont pull together and make this industry respect us.

I just told the Woodstock guys to eat a dick cos now they claim they only have R2500 budget for hiphop acts per hr(and they give each act 20 minutes). Thats +-R800 per hiphop act.
Thats a spit in the face(even for a small group like DEM CRACKBOYS)

Whether or not you like our music or what we look like, or how we live our lives, i think its pointless now for hiphop artists to beef amongst each other about petty things anymore.

Its time we unified and created an ORGANISATION that will serve and protect our needs and interests.
This cant go on.
Peace fellas.
I respect Buff for sayin "i still gotta go see Game,its a personal choice", i cannot do it though. But lets meet up afterwards so we dont have this same conversation at the next "international" event.

eyo mayn it is what it is, lets form that committee, LOL. anyhow hit me up when yall finalised things around Zim and the quote  

[cash]

Buff, come on my nig. What would HHP and Pro gain from performing alongside Game for free? These dudes are fulltime artists. Thats their job. I wouldn't expect you to install cables in Sandton for free in order to expose yourself as a good engineer. Like these dudes, you've been earning a living from your profession and have proven yourself as a capable engineer. It would be a backward step to do pro bono work for people who can more than afford to pay you. 

I agree with Lez 100%.
@Buff, it frustrates me that we TURN shows down,then niggas jump on the same shit for free,simply because now we will be seen as the REBELS(ie.the ones who dont conform), just like PRO seems to be looking like a diva cos HHP is doin it with no complaints.Now PRO seems like he bein "difficult"
Do you see the foulness in this situation?
Not every business move is a WORTH WHILE move.

I think HHP could get payed AND STILL get whatever he is getting out of the event. you should never have to CHOOSE.ie Pay or Other Incentives. thats not healthy business.

You must get payed, AND BE OFFERED the extra incentives.
I mean GAME is getting The WHOLE PIE. Pay,exposure,more sales,he does not have to choose.

If you are given the opportunity(with a price attached), its just plain disrespect. It smells like " We are doing you a favour" mentality.
I guess some of us are more used to this tratment than others.
I personally cannot stomach it.

[Buff Pound]

@Buff - Obviously each artist has to decide for themselves what their motivation is. I would just say that all 'exposure' is not the same.

If Pro Kid does a show in the hood for TS Records, he's there as the main man - he's getting the shine and people are gonna remember him as the star.

Warming up a set for a big international act can do you more damage than good sometimes. People aren't there to see you - you're just the annoying time-filler before the main show. It's about the way you're treated throughout the whole process too - being paid is just a part of it.

I understand that The Game has many more fans that most local acts. He's an international platinum-selling artist so his presence is a big incentive for people to go. However, this whole thing is supposed to be a celebration of African talent. We have to start believing in ourselves and stop seeing ourselves as warm-up artists.

Everywhere Sharpa performed in Europe he was treated as an equal to the other acts (despite not that many people knowing him). He got treated the same as the big names - he was paid properly, his name was big on the flyers and posters, he was marketed properly, we were collected at the airport, looked after in VIP, introduced to the other acts backstage, did the same press as the other acts etc.

I'm not saying that our local acts won't be treated well by Big Concerts, but the fact that they aren't willing to pay is a sign of disrespect that doesn't exactly give you confidence that the rest will be taken care of. They are just exploiting our desperation to get any shine we can.

i take the highlight as the salient point in ur post. all im saying is that, jabba has been in the industry for close to 10 years give or take a few years. all i am saying is that he didnt get to where he is today through making bad decisions only, probably more good ones than bad and i believe that there is more to him choosing to perform than not to. or perhaps he had an off day and was like, no bookings this weekend, i might as well do it for the love, LOL. the fact of the matter is we do not know. i will not rally up behind decisions whose rationale and motivation i do not know.

i guess all it boils down to is individual choice because only the individuals know the rationale behind their choices. so this whole we are the world BS is rubish, cos i can tell you right now, 80% of the artists on this site would all amke different decisions when such opportunities get presented to them, cos they all have different needs and drivers, so this lets all hug and rally behind one common cause when we all know that we are all pulling in different directions individually is bull. like i said perhaps the committee is not a bad idea. sumone put their money where their mouth is, lets start that committee? will you join in D? Pro? Lez Cash etc etc etc?

[cash]

The Congress of Hiphop aka Hipkota (jokes)

Seriously though,I will definitely draft something up and present it to whoever may be interested in joining such an organisation. Its crutial right now.

I think we must all brainstorm on it and see the COMMON ground.Then we MUST ACT.

[Dpleezy]

Don't get me wrong Buff, I'm not dissing HHP or any other artist that makes the decision to perform for free - that's their business. I just don't agree with the principle of it.

I salute Pro and Cash for turning down gigs where the money ain't right. I do it myself every week. If people want to see that as being 'difficult', then those aren't people I want to do business with.

[Dpleezy]

The Congress of Hiphop aka Hipkota (jokes)

Seriously though,I will definitely draft something up and present it to whoever may be interested in joining such an organisation. Its crutial right now.

I think we must all brainstorm on it and see the COMMON ground.Then we MUST ACT.

http://www.risa.org.za/