Is  The  Music  Industry  Killing  Creativity?   By  Vanessa  Martinez     The  American  music  industry,  like  all  creative  industries,  is  one  that  is   constantly  forced  to  straddle  the  fine  line  of  creativity  and  business.  While  a   business  expertise  is  paramount  in  the  successful  management  of  music  related   business  transactions,  the  actual  product  of  music  has,  throughout  history,  never   been  a  clearly  defined  product.  Recorded  music  is  not  computers,  fast  food,  or   automobiles,  mass-­‐produced  and  distributed  in  one  set  manner  that  is  generally   accepted  across  the  world.  Music  is  a  unique  product  that  is  created  differently  from   country  to  country,  state  to  state,  and  individual  to  individual.  On  the  other  side,   music  is  consumed  and  enjoyed  differently  by  every  single  individual  inhabitant  of   our  planet.  This  fact  is  what  makes  music  such  an  integral  part  of  the  human   identity.     Today,  music  is  more  popular,  accessible,  and  influential  than  ever.  This   growth  in  the  importance  and  demand  of  music  has  not  only  increased  the  social   reach  and  influence  of  many  of  today’s  greatest  performers  and  writers,  but  has  also   drastically  increased  the  commercial  value  of  music.  Much  like  a  musical  California   Gold  Rush,  this  increase  in  monetary  value  has,  in  turn,  attracted  large  quantities  of   people  to  the  industry  looking  to  capitalize  on  the  billions  of  consumer  dollars   funneling  its  way  through  the  music  industry,  which  has  directly  pushed  the  music   industry  into  today’s  currently  volatile  state.  Although  it  is  easy  to  point  to  piracy  as     1   the  source  of  the  industry’s  problems,  peer-­‐to-­‐peer  networks  like  Napster  and  The   Pirate  Bay  are  not  solely  responsible.     The  commercialization  of  music,  from  the  early  1900’s  until  today,  has  slowly   pushed  music  into  a  place  that  the  art  form  should  have  never  been  allowed  go.  This   commercialization  has  molded  one  of  humanity’s  most  free  and  pure  forms  of   creativity  into  a  product  that  is  mass-­‐produced  and  distributed  to  millions,  no   different  than  a  Big  Mac  or  a  Vente  Starbucks  coffee.  This  change  is  not  the  fault  of   the  writers  and  artists  themselves,  but  rather,  of  the  “professionals”  that  control  the   business  operations  of  the  music  industry.  These  individuals,  mainly  record  label   executives,  have  never  understood  or  care  to  advance  the  creative  energy  and   passion  that  is  put  into  the  creation  of  music.  These  figures  have  established  and   perpetuated  the  notion  that  creativity  and  business  cannot  be  joined  together  in   order  to  produce  and  distribute  the  best  artistic  product  possible.  As  more  money   poured  in  from  record  sales,  record  labels  began  to  retain  more  creative  rights  and   control  in  an  effort  to  maximize  profits,  which  has  ultimately  led  to  today’s   commercial  music  products  being  constructed  with  only  a  fraction  of  the  creative   energy  and  ability  of  its  historical  predecessors.     The  music  industry  pressures  and  practices  of  today  and  the  past  handful  of   decades  have  singlehandedly  killed  creativity  in  music.  As  a  result  of  these  business   practices,  many  of  the  greatest  creative  minds  of  the  past  50  years  have  been  stifled   and  silenced  creatively,  subsequently  robbing  loyal  and  passionate  music   consumers  of  the  opportunity  to  experience  some  of  humanity’s  greatest  pieces  of   creative  output,  all  in  the  name  of  money  and  mass  appeal.  This  trend  has  affected     2   blues  singers,  experimental  musicians,  and  rappers  alike.  For  decades,  industry   pressures  have  stifled  the  creative  output  of  Diamond  certified  groups  and  Grammy   Award  winners,  attempting  to  consistently  replicate  such  outstanding  success,   ultimately  resulting  in  creative  and  commercial  failure  time  and  time  again.     Today,  as  the  once  abundant  stream  of  record  sale  revenue  rapidly  declines   and  artists  and  labels  alike  fight  to  cling  on  to  the  remaining  fraction  of  music   revenue  currently  available,  the  music  industry  must  rethink  their  profit  oriented   goals  of  the  past  and  return  to  the  root  of  what  makes  music  so  special  and   appealing,  it’s  creativity.  By  analyzing  the  careers,  recordings,  and  record  label   disputes  of  5  artists  spanning  multiple  genres  and  6  decades,  we  can  begin  to  shed   light  on  this  trend  that  the  music  industry  so  desperately  needs  to  rectify.       Captain  Beefheart   Captain  Beefheart  is  arguably   one  of  the  most  creative  recording   artists  of  all  time.  Over  a  career  as  an   artist  that  spanned  two  decades,   Captain  Beefheart  recorded  twelve   studio  albums  along  with  his  Magic   Band  and  was  faced  with  industry  pressures  every  step  of  the  way.  The  very  first   deal  Captain  Beefheart  signed  was  with  A&M  records  in  1966.  At  the  time,  British   blues  acts  like  The  Rolling  Stones  and  The  Animals  had  begun  to  achieve  vast   popularity  in  the  United  States,  leading  record  labels  to  seek  out  American  artists     3   that  fit  the  mold  of  the  emerging  British  blues  sound.  A&M  Records  viewed  Captain   Beefheart  as  such,  signing  the  artist  and  his  band  to  a  deal  for  two  singles,  “Diddy   Wah  Diddy”  and  “Moonchild.”  Upon  fulfilling  the  deal  and  presenting  further  demos   as  a  proposition  for  the  band’s  first  full-­‐length  album,  the  label  rejected  the   proposition,  stating  that  the  demos  were  too  unconventional  and  negative.  A&M’s   co-­‐founder  Jerry  Moss  further  stated  that  the  content  was  too  risqué  for  his   daughter’s  ears  and  subsequently  dropped  Beefheart  &  his  Magic  Band  from  A&M   while  still  under  contract.1                                      Captain  Beefheart  –  Safe  As  Milk                                  The  Rolling  Stones  –  High  Tide  And  Green  Grass   *Captain  Beefheart’s  numerous  record  labels  blatantly  attempted  to  mold   Beefheart  and  his  Magic  Band  into  an  American  version  of  extremely  successful  British   blues  bands  like  The  Rolling  Stones.                                                                                                                     1  From  Swanson,  Dave,  “45  Years  Ago:  Captain  Beefheart  Releases  Trout  Mask  Replica”     4       Bob  Krasnow,  a  music  industry  entrepreneur  was,  at  that  time,  working  for   Karma  Sutra  records  and  signed  Beefheart  &  his  Magic  Band  under  their  subsidiary   label,  Buddah.  Despite  the  fact  that  Beefheart  &  his  Magic  Band  had  been  able  to   secure  a  second  record  deal  with  a  different  label,  the  label’s  intentions  were  not  to   support  Beefheart  as  an  original  artist  with  unique  creative  ideas  and  contributions,   but  to  mold  him  into  the  next  emerging  white  blues  star.  At  this  time,  the  British   invasion  had  already  become  a  significant  factor  in  the  American  music  industry,   with  the  sound,  look,  and  idea  of  white  blues  musicians  now  fully  established  as  the   industry  standard.  The  success  of  British  blues  bands  had  influenced  two   consecutive  record  labels  to  attempt  to  mold  Captain  Beefheart’s  creative  output  in   an  attempt  to  fit  this  sound,  with  Captain  Beefheart  refusing  to  comply.2   When  looking  at  the  career  of  Captain  Beefheart,  he  and  his  Magic  Band  had  a   very  negative  history  with  record  labels.  Virtually  every  album  was  released  under  a   different  label,  demonstrating  an  unfortunate   trend  for  the  artist,  based  solely  off  his  unique   musical  style  and  controlling  industry  pressures.   With  this  negative  history  in  mind,  fellow   experimental  musician  Frank  Zappa  looked  to   change  this  pattern  by  signing  Beefheart  upon  the   establishment  of  his  label,  Straight  Records,  in  1969.  This  deal  was  unique  for   Beefheart,  as  Zappa,  who  worked  as  the  album’s  producer,  gave  the  artist  complete                                                                                                                   2  From  Bangs,  Lester,  “Captain  Beefheart’s  Far  Cry”     5   creative  control  for  the  first  time  in  his  career.3  This  album,  Trout  Mask  Replica,   became  one  of  the  most  influential  albums  of  all  time.4  The  album  has  been  heralded   for  decades  due  to  its  creative  contributions  to  music,  most  notably  being  named  the   #58  album  of  all  time  by  Rolling  Stones  Magazine.5  At  the  time  of  the  composition  of   the  album,  contractual  uncertainties  with  previous  record  labels  resulted  in   Beefheart’s  previous  recordings  being  tied  up  in  old  record  deals.  Fully  taking   advantage  of  his  newly  granted  creative  control,  Beefheart  took  this  opportunity  to   compose  and  rehearse  all  brand  new  material  for  Trout  Mask  Replica.  The  end  result   was  28  original  and  extremely  difficult  compositions.  These  compositions,  inspired   by  blues,  free  jazz  and  avant-­‐garde  western  art  music,  resulted  in  an  album  that  has   a  legacy  like  no  other  Beefheart  record  and  like  few  other  albums  in  the  history  of   recorded  music.  When  analyzing  Trout  Mask  Replica  alongside  the  rest  of   Beefheart’s  creative  body  of  work,  it  becomes  very  evident  that  such  outstanding   creative  output  was  a  direct  result  of  Beefheart’s  creative  power  at  Straight  Records,   speaking  volumes  to  the  potential  that  such  an  ability  has  in  the  hands  of  a  creative   genius  like  Captain  Beefheart.       Trout  Mask  Replica  was  and  remains  Beefheart’s  masterpiece,  truly   demonstrating  the  potential  creative  power  of  Captain  Beefheart,  when  ultimately   removed  of  creative  pressures  and  limitations  at  the  hands  of  record  labels.  Captain   Beefheart’s  second  album  under  Frank  Zappa’s  Straight  Records,  Lick  My  Decals  Off,   Baby,  further  speaks  to  the  power  that  Beefheart’s  creative  control  had  on  his                                                                                                                   3  From  Loder,  Kurt,  “Captain  Beefheart:  The  Man  Who  Reconstructed  Rock  &  Roll”   4  From  Swanson,  Dave,  “45  Years  Ago:  Captain  Beefheart  Releases  Trout  Mask  Replica”   5  From  Rolling  Stone  Magazine,  The  500  Greatest  Albums  of  All  Time     6   musical  output,  as  Beefheart  continued  to  push  the  bar  creatively,  with  the  album   widely  considered  around  the  same  caliber  as  Trout  Mask  Replica.  In  his  1970   Rolling  Stone  review  of  the  album,  critic  Ed  Ward  said  of  the  album,  “From  a  formal   standpoint,  musically  and  rhythmically  it  is  all  wrong,  but  once  you've  heard  it,  you   cannot  deny  its  logic.”6     Upon  leaving  Straight  Records,  Captain  Beefheart  was  never  able  to   recapture  the  same  creative  authority  or  artistic  output  again  in  his  career.  The   latter  portion  of  Beefheart’s  career  spoke  to  the  intense  pressures  imposed  upon   him  by  the  commercial  music  industry.  Growing  ever  frustrated  by  the  lack  of   commercial  success  of  his  material,  paired  with  constant  record  label  pressures  to   create  commercially  acceptable  music,  Beefheart  spent  the  rest  of  his  musical  career   attempting  to  fit  in  with  commercial  music  industry  standards.7  The  result  was  a   collection  of  7  albums  that  pale  in  comparison  to  his  early  work.  Writer  Lester   Bangs  describes  later  albums,  such  as  1974’s  Unconditionally  Guaranteed  and   Bluejeans  &  Moonbeams,  on  Mercury  Records,  as  “baldface  attempts  at  sellout.”8  This   latter  period  of  Beefheart’s  career  ultimately  ended  in  retirement  in  the  early   1980’s,  as  Captain  Beefheart  gave  up  recording  to  focus  his  creative  exploits  into   painting,  perhaps  due  to  the  greater  creative  freedom  that  the  art  form  presented.   Captain  Beefheart  passed  away  in  2010  at  the  age  of  69,  after  having  virtually   disappeared  altogether  for  many  years,  even  from  friends  and  collaborators.                                                                                                                     6  From  Ward,  Ed,  “Lick  My  Decals  Off,  Baby  –  Album  Review”   7  From  Bangs,  Lester,  “Captain  Beefheart’s  Far  Cry”   8  From  Bangs,  Lester,  “Captain  Beefheart’s  Far  Cry”     7   The  career  of  Captain  Beefheart  speaks  to  the  power  that  music  industry   pressures  can  have  on  an  artist.  For  nearly  20  years,  Captain  Beefheart  navigated   himself  through  a  career  filled  with  creative  compromise,  record  label  demands,   termination  of  recording  contracts,  and  failed  attempts  at  giving  in  to  such   pressures  and  demands.  Although  Captain  Beefheart’s  influence  and  creativity  is   still  felt  today,  more  than  30  years  after  the  release  of  his  last  album,  thanks  to  a   passionate  cult  fan  base,  the  fact  remains  that  the  artist  was  only  able  to  live  up  to   his  creative  potential  on  only  2  of  his  12  albums.  The  commercial  music  industry   effectively  barred  Captain  Beefheart  from  truly  revealing  his  creative  potential  to   fans,  ultimately  leaving  the  artist  no  choice  but  to  retreat  into  retirement.           Frank  Zappa       "I  prove  to  you  that  I  am  bad   enough  to  get  into  hell,  because  I   have  been  through  it!  I  have  seen   it!  It  has  happened  to  me!   Remember:  I  was  signed  for   Warner  Brothers  for  eight  fucking  years!!"  –  Frank  Zappa9                                                                                                                   9  From  Zappa,  Frank,  Titties  &  Beer     8     Frank  Zappa  was  a  musician,  composer,  producer,  film  director,  and   entrepreneur  who  was  extremely  active  in  the  music  industry  from  1955  up  until   his  death  in  1993.  Zappa  composed  some  of  the  most  interesting  and  influential   music  the  industry  has  ever  seen,  drawing  from  his  early  influences  of  20th  century   western  art  music  and  early  R&B.  Frank  Zappa’s  body  of  work  represents  true   creativity  and  innovation  in  music,  as  he  continuously  pushed  the  boundaries  of   musical  expression,  lyrical  content,  and  performance  styles.  Throughout  his  career,   Zappa  was  very  vocal  about  many  social  issues  including  creativity  in  the  industry,   the  most  famous  of  which  being  when  he  testified  before  the  United  States  Senate  in   defense  of  freedom  of  speech.  For  all  of  his  advancements  in  creativity  and   musicality  over  his  career,  Frank  Zappa  was  famously  met  with  much  controversy   and  backlash  from  many  of  the  figures  involved  in  his  career,  especially  his  record   labels.  At  every  step  of  his  career,  Frank  Zappa  was  forced  to  battle  attempts  by  his   labels  to  limit  his  creative  expression  and  force  him  into  the  artistic  box  so   representative  of  the  commercial  music  industry.  In  a  true  testament  to  his  artistic   and  personal  strength,  Zappa  never  backed  down,  unlike  his  creative  peer  Captain   Beefheart,  and  engaged  in  numerous  lawsuits  against  his  labels,  ultimately  earning   the  right  to  control  his  own  masters,  starting  his  own  record  labels,  and  developing   a  musical  estate  that  is  extremely  valuable  to  this  day.   Perhaps  the  worst  and  one  of  the  most  well  known  of  Zappa’s  disputes  with   record  labels  was  his  highly  publicized  dispute  with  Warner  Bros.  Records  in  the   1970’s  over  the  release  of  his  album  Läther.  Zappa  initially  landed  with  Warner     9   Bros.  in  the  mid-­‐1970’s  after  settling  a  legal  dispute  with  his  previous  record  label,   MGM  Records,  over  the  issue  of  copyright  ownership.10  Despite  leaving  previous   legal  issues  behind  at  the  beginning  of  his  deal  with  Warner  Bros.,  Frank  Zappa  was   quickly  entrenched  in  further  legal  battles  with  his  new  record  label.       Upon  signing  with  Warner  Bros.,  Frank  Zappa  planned  to  quickly  fulfill  the   requirements  of  his  deal  with  the  creative  project  Läther.  Not  long  into  the  contract   with  Warner  Bros.,  Zappa  famously  went  to  executives  with  completed  copies  of  the   4  separate  albums  that  made  up  Läther,  technically  fulfilling  the  requirement  of  his   contract  in  one  fair  swoop.11  According  to  author  and  lawyer  Donald  Passman,  this   incident  was  legally  within  the  rights  of  Zappa  and  has  since  prompted  record  labels   to  mandate  both  minimum  and  maximum  release  periods  for  all  of  their  artists,  a   consideration  previously  neglected  at  the  time.12     Despite  the  fact  that  this  move  by  Frank  Zappa  was  technically  within  his   contractual  rights,  Warner  Bros.  refused  to  release  the  quadruple-­‐album  as  Frank   Zappa  had  creatively  intended.  After  attempts  by  Zappa  to  press  the  album  for   release  were  blocked  by  Warner  Bros.,  claiming  copyright  ownership,  Zappa   famously  broadcasted  the  entire  quadruple-­‐album  on  Los  Angeles  based  radio   station  KROQ,  encouraging  listeners  to  record  their  own  bootleg  copies.13  A   transcript  from  the  1977  broadcast  spoke  to  Zappa’s  growing  artistic  frustration   and  willingness  to  stand  up  for  his  belief  in  what  is  right,  even  at  the  expense  of  his   own  personal  revenue.                                                                                                                   10  From  Rolling  Stone,  “Frank  Zappa  Biography”   11  From  Passman,  Donald,  All  You  Need  To  Know  About  The  Music  Business   12  From  Passman,  Donald,  All  You  Need  To  Know  About  The  Music  Business   13  From  nndb.com,  “Frank  Zappa”     10     “And  the  way  it  stands  now,  my  future  as  a  recording  artist  is  dangling  in  mid-­‐air   pending  court  procedures,  which  in  California  for  civil  cases  can  take  anywhere  from   three  to  five  years  just  to  get  a  day  in  court  and  have  your  case  heard.  Since  I  don't   think  that  anybody  wants  to  wait  three  to  five  years  to  hear  my  wonderful  music,  I   have  taken  it  upon  myself  to  come  down  here  and  advise  anybody  interested  in  the   stuff  that  I  do  to  get  a  cassette  machine,  and  tape  this  album.  You  can  have  it  for  free,   just  take  it  right  off  the  radio.  You  know-­‐-­‐don't  buy  it,  tape  it!”14     Eventually,  the  lawsuit  concluded  in  1982  with  the  awarding  of  intellectual   property  rights  of  the  recordings  in  question  to  Zappa.  The  pending  lawsuit,   however,  did  not  stop  Warner  Bros.  from  releasing  all  4  pieces  that  made  up  the   album  Läther  in  their  preferred  method  of  individual,  spaced-­‐out  records.  The   release  of  these  albums  was  further  marred  by  controversy,  as  Zappa  went  on  the   record  numerous  times  in  the  late  1970’s  bringing  to  light  all  of  the  individual  issues   surrounding  the  album.  Stories  of  dropped  recordings,  changing  of  album  and  song   titles,  and  allegations  of  unpaid  earnings  surrounded  the  release  of  each  component   of  Läther,  which  were  released  over  1978  and  1979.  Due  to  the  extreme   circumstances  surrounding  the  controversial  quadruple-­‐album,  it  was  never   released  as  originally  intended  until  1996,  3  years  after  the  death  of  Zappa.   Nevertheless,  the  dispute  between  the  multimillion-­‐dollar  company  Warner  Bros.   and  the  headstrong  Zappa  became  a  music  industry  legal  dispute  that  made                                                                                                                   14  From  Frank  Zappa  KROQ  Interview  –  December  1977     11   headlines  and  is  still  being  talked  and  written  about  today  by  music  writers.  This   extremely  public  nature  of  the  issue  was  initially  perpetuated  by  Zappa’s  attitude   when  discussing  the  issue  at  the  height  of  its  volatility.       “[The  lawsuit  entails]  A  nice  person,  who  is  me,  versus  a  bunch  of  assholes,   which  include  all  the  people  involved  in  the  suit.  Very  simply,  I  lived  up  to  the   terms  of  my  contract  with  Warner  Bros.  I  delivered  four  albums  to  them.  My   contract  says  that  when  I  give  them  the  albums,  they  give  me  the  money.  They   didn’t  give  me  the  money.”15       The  various  disputes  over  Zappa’s  Läther  are  very  strong  examples  of  record   companies  overstepping  their  creative  boundaries  for  the  sake  of  monetary  gain.   There  was  nothing  artistically  wrong  with  Zappa’s  presentation  of  the  quadruple-­‐ album  Läther,  except  for  the  fact  that  it  would  not  have  made  as  much  money  for  the   label  like  4  separate  releases  would.  In  this  instance,  Warner  Bros.  exerted  their   power  as  a  company  to  dramatically  stifle  Frank  Zappa’s  creative  vision,  resulting  in   an  ugly  and  drawn  out  battle  between  creativity  and  business,  an  action  which   ultimately  hurts  Frank  Zappa’s  loyal  cult  fan  base  by  denying  them  the  true  creative   output  of  an  idolized  and  revered  figure.       After  his  dispute  with  Warner  Bros.,  Frank  Zappa  eventually  managed  to   secure  the  rights  to  his  masters  made  under  Warner  and  other  previous  record   labels.  By  finally  gaining  creative  and  business  control  of  his  music,  Frank  Zappa                                                                                                                   15  From  Frank  Zappa  Interview  with  OUI  Magazine,  April  1979     12   was  able  to  release  numerous  innovative  and  influential  albums,  up  until  his  death   in  1993.  Today,  the  Frank  Zappa  catalogue  and  estate  remain  very  lucrative  pieces   of  intellectual  property,  only  rightfully  secured  after  a  significant  investment  in  legal   action  against  record  labels.  This  particular  case  has  a  positive  ending  for  music  fans   and  music  industry  as  a  whole,  as  we  now  still  have  access  to  the  profound  creative   work  of  Frank  Zappa  over  2  decades  after  his  death.  Had  Frank  Zappa  and  his  family   not  fought  for  the  right  to  own  and  retain  their  rightful  creative  property,  many  of   such  recordings  would  have  been  exploited,  tampered  with,  and  lost  in  history  as   initially  creatively  intended.       Kool  Keith   Keith  Thornton,  better  known   as  Kool  Keith,  is  one  of  the  most   creative  and  innovative  figures  in  the   history  of  hip  hop  music.  Since  his   debut  in  the  late  1980’s,  as  a  member  of  the  group  Ultramagnetic  MC’s,  Kool  Keith   has  pushed  the  boundaries  of  rap,  with  the  release  of  over  20  albums  and  the  use  of   over  50  various  stage  names  and  pseudonyms.  While  Kool  Keith’s  contributions  to   hip  hop  are  vast  and  have  spanned  almost  30  years,  it  is  1996’s  Dr.  Octagonecologyst   that  represents  his  creative  prowess  and  potential  that  has  since  been  marred  and   stifled  by  major  record  labels  and  the  music  industry  as  a  whole.       Although  originally  released  in  1996,  Dr.  Octagonecologyst  remains  an   innovative  hip  hop  album  to  this  day.  This  fact  is  further  demonstrated  by  the  legacy     13   that  the  album  holds  today.  The  album  has  been  named  the  #12  best  rap  album  of   1980-­‐1998  by  Ego  Trip  Magazine16  and  earned  a  place  in  Robert  Dimery’s  1001   Albums  You  Must  Hear  Before  You  Die17,  amongst  other  accolades  by  music  industry   publications.  Performing  under  the  alias  Dr.  Octagon,  Kool  Keith  tells  a  story  from   track  1  to  20  of  a  time  traveling,  alien  gynecologist  from  Jupiter.18  The  album   explores  a  unique  style  of  experimental  hip  hop,  developed  by  Kool  Keith,  that   hasn’t  come  close  to  being  touched  by  any  other  rapper  since.  Back  in  1997,  Rolling   Stone  reviewer  Chairman  Mao  described  this  style  as  one  within  “an  area  where  hip-­‐ hop  meets  hallucinatory  sci-­‐fi  and  porn.”19     This  innovative  and  revolutionary  album  was  only  made  possible  due  to  the   creative  freedom  that  Kool  Keith  possessed  during   the  album’s  creation.  The  album  was  the   independent  creative  brainchild  of  Kool  Keith,  along   with  collaborations  with  legendary  producer  Dan   “The  Automator”  Nakamura  and  turntable  pioneer   DJ  Qbert.  Between  1995  and  1996,  Kool  Keith  and   his  collaborators  produced  Dr.  Octagonecologyst  independently,  only  shopping  it  to   record  labels  after  the  album’s  creation.  After  an  initial  limited  release  on   independent  label  Bulk  Recordings  in  1996,  the  album  received  much  critical   acclaim  and  was  eventually  picked  up  and  re-­‐released  by  major  label  DreamWorks                                                                                                                   16  From  Ego  Trip  Magazine,  “Hip  Hop’s  25  Greatest  Albums  By  Year:  1980-­‐98”   17  From  Dimery,  Robert,  1001  Albums  You  Must  Hear  Before  You  Die   18  From  Thornton,  Keith,  Dr.  Octagonecologyst   19  From  ‘Chairman  Mao’,  “Dr.  Octagonecologyst:  Dr.  Octagon:  Review”     14   Recordings  in  1997.20  While  this  major  record  deal  for  Kool  Keith  initially  proved   successful,  drastically  increasing  the  consumer  reach  of  the  album,  the  move  by   DreamWorks  speaks  to  the  unfair  way  that  record  labels  approach  the  signing  of   new  artists  and  musical  products.  DreamWorks  simply  jumped  on  a  new  release   that  it  had  nothing  to  do  with  creatively,  only  to  exploit  it  later.  The  eventual  success   of  Dr.  Octagonecologyst  and  subsequent  record  deal  with  DreamWorks  launched  a   tumultuous  solo  career  for  Kool  Keith  that  has  seen  its  fair  share  of  unfavorable   recording  contracts,  legal  battles,  and  stifled  creativity  that  persists  today.  Because   of  his  unique  style  and  creative  desire  to  push  boundaries,  Kool  Keith  is  yet  another   creative  casualty  of  the  commercial  music  industry.     The  surprise  success  of  Dr.  Octagonecologyst  ultimately  led  to  attempts  by   numerous  major  labels  to  mold  Kool  Keith’s  alternative  style  and  masterful  lyricism   into  a  form  that  is  more  suitable  for  the  commercial  hip  hop  industry.  The  creative   control  that  many  of  Kool  Keith’s  previous  record  labels  imposed  did  not  sit  well   with  the  artist,  leading  to  many  failed  record  deals,  legal  disputes,  and  a  plethora  of   independently  released  recordings  regarding  the  subject  of  the  music  industry.  The   issue  of  record  company  mismanagement  and  creative  interference  has  become  one   of  Kool  Keith’s  most  prominent  creative  topics,  allowing  fans  to  get  a  unique   perspective  on  this  aspect  of  the  music  industry.  By  analyzing  the  content  of  these   recordings,  like  2000’s  independently  released  “Test  Press,”  we  can  get  a  true  sense   of  many  of  Kool  Keith’s  individual  issues  with  his  record  labels  from  his  perspective   as  an  artist.                                                                                                                     20  From  ‘Chairman  Mao’,  “Dr.  Octagonecologyst:  Dr.  Octagon:  Review”     15     Excerpt  from  “Test  Press”  (2000)   “So  Ruffhouse  politically  had  to  freeze  my  album   Regular  Colombia  don’t  know  what  the  hell  is  goin’   on   With  a  sheisty  distribution  switch  behind  my  back   I  worked  on  my  album  February  last  year   13  months  passed  by,  all  I  heard  was  a  bunch  of  lies”21       In  the  song,  Kool  Keith  discusses  a  period  in  1999  that  saw  the  release  of   arguably  his  two  most  important  albums  since  his  solo  debut  as  Dr.  Octagon,  First   Come,  First  Served,  under  the  alias  Dr.  Dooom  through  independent  label  Funky  Ass   Records  and  Black  Elvis  /  Lost  in  Space,  as  Kool  Keith  through  major  labels   Ruffhouse  and  Colombia  records.  Kool  Keith’s  original  plan  was  to  release  both   albums  on  the  same  day,  which  would  have  added  appeal  to  both  albums,  especially   amongst  faithful  Kool  Keith  fans  appreciating  the  creativity  of  this  move.   Stylistically,  both  albums  are  very  different,  with  First  Come,  First  Served  depicting   the  character  of  an  eccentric  and  profane  serial  killer22  and  Black  Elvis  /  Lost  In   Space  dealing  with  space  travel  and  other  futuristic  themes,  in  a  surprisingly   profanity  free  delivery.23  This  drastic  stylistic  difference  would  have  further  added                                                                                                                   21  From  Thornton,  Keith,  Test  Press   22  From  Thornton,  Keith,  First  Come,  First  Served   23  From  Thornton,  Keith,  Black  Elvis  /  Lost  In  Space     16   to  the  allure  of  this  unique  release  schedule,   allowing  fans  simultaneous  access  to  two   opposite  creative  styles  of  Kool  Keith.     Ultimately,  however,  Ruffhouse  Records   neglected  to  recognize  the  commercial  value  for   the  Black  Elvis  /  Lost  In  Space  album  and  took   every  opportunity  to  undermine  Kool  Keith,  starting  with  a  4-­‐month  delay  in   releasing  the  album.  The  record  label  also  took  steps  to  limit  Kool  Keith’s  creative   control  as  the  album’s  sole  producer  by  attempting  to  implement  more  industry   standard  production  styles.24  Kool  Keith  further  discusses  this  struggle  on  “Test   Press.”     Excerpt  from  “Test  Press”  (2000)   “Dubbin’  my  cassette  for  the  industry,  it  got  silly   Opinions  from  people  who  don’t  know  jack  about  music   In  the  industry,  know  what?   Had  to  do  the  album  practically  over”     Upon  the  release  of  Black  Elvis  /  Lost  in  Space,  Ruffhouse  Records  had  given   up  on  the  project,  switching  the  album’s  distributor  from  major  label  Sony  Music   Distribution  to  the  independent  and  much  smaller  Relativity  Entertainment   Distribution.  Ruffhouse  Records  also  decreased  its  promotional  investment  in  the                                                                                                                   24  From  Thornton,  Keith,  Test  Press     17   album  to  next  to  nothing,  leading  Kool  Keith  to  publically  publish  the  email   addresses  of  multiple  Ruffhouse  Records  executives  and  encouraging  fans  to  write   requesting  more  promotion  for  the  album.25  As  a  result  of  this  dispute,  Black  Elvis  /   Lost  In  Space  drastically  underperformed  commercially,  coincidentally  during  what   turned  out  to  be  the  music  industry’s  strongest  sales  year  ever.26  Today,  the  album,   arguably  one  of  Kool  Keith’s  best  albums,  is  virtually  unavailable  to  consumers.  The   album  is  not  available  on  iTunes  or  Spotify,  rendering  this  great  album  virtually   gone  from  hip  hop  history.  Fortunately  for  consumers,  Kool  Keith  is  an  artist  with  a   strong  enough  voice  and  will  to  detail  these  normally  behind  the  scenes  music   industry  disputes  in  songs  like  “Test  Press.”   The  issues  surrounding  Kool  Keith’s  1999  releases  have  proven  to  not  be  the   only  problems  between  him  and  his  record  labels.  Beginning  in  2002,  Kool  Keith   attempted  to  revisit  his  Dr.  Octagon  character  and  ultimately  signed  with  the  small   Los  Angeles  based  independent  label  CMH  Records  to  help  facilitate  the  release  of   what  became  known  as  The  Return  of  Dr.  Octagon.  At  the  time  of  this  deal,  Kool  Keith   stated  in  an  interview  with  Rolling  Stone,  "I  chose  to  go  with  somebody  that  will   take  this  as  a  creative  project,  not  a  marketing  project."27   Unfortunately  for  Kool  Keith,  his  initial  perception  of  CMH  Records  was   incorrect,  as  the  label  immediately  began  to  demand  creative  control,  leading  Kool   Keith  to  battle  the  label  legally  in  order  to  halt  the  distribution  of  the  album.  In  an   attempt  to  quietly  fulfill  the  requirements  of  his  record  deal,  Kool  Keith  provided  the                                                                                                                   25  From  HipHopIsntDead,  “Kool  Keith  –  Black  Elvis  /  Lost  In  Space”   26  From  RIAA.com,  “Scope  of  the  Problem”   27  From  Moayeri,  Lilly,  “Kool  Keith  Revives  Dr.  Octagon”     18   label  with  old,  unused  vocals  that  CMH  Records  subsequently  distributed  to  OCD   International,  a  virtually  unknown  record  label  in  Barcelona.  Citing  their  contractual   right  to  independently  remix  any  material  created  by  Kool  Keith,  CMH  Records  and   OCD  International  released  The  Return  of  Dr.  Octagon  in  2006  unbeknownst  to  Kool   Keith  himself.28  The  final  product  is  a  sorry  excuse  for  an  actual  Kool  Keith  release,   featuring  unpolished  scratch  vocals  and  production  that  had  nothing  to  do  with  Kool   Keith  at  all,  an  artist  who  normally  prefers  to  produce  all  of  his  tracks  himself.     The  issues  surrounding  The  Return  of  Dr.  Octagon  eventually  became  a  story   about  a  tiny  record  label  exploiting  the  prolific  name  of  an  artist  to  achieve  success,   all  while  delivering  to  consumers  a  product  that  does  not  fully  represent  the  normal   creative  output  of  an  artist  like  Kool  Keith.  Because  of  Kool  Keith’s  progressive  and   outspoken  nature  as  a  person  and  artist,  he  is  one  of  the  best  examples  of  unethical   label  tactics  and  stifled  creativity  that  we  have  from  the  modern  music  industry.   Although  Kool  Keith  is  still  one  of  the  most  influential  and  innovative  figures  in  hip   hop,  the  fact  remains  that  his  output  to  consumers  and  imprint  on  music  history   could  have  been  much  greater.  Today,  Kool  Keith  is  a  shell  of  his  former  self   creatively,  with  over  20  years  of  music  industry  wear  and  tear  obviously  affecting   his  morale  and  artist  identity.  His  2012  song  “Goodbye  Rap”  is  a  testament  to  this,  as   Kool  Keith  seemingly  retires  from  the  music  industry,  citing  issues  such  as  the   merging  of  hip  hop  and  pop  by  record  companies,  the  chronic  sampling  of  “old  man   records,”  and  the  industry  promoting  false  images  of  what  a  rapper  should  look                                                                                                                   28  From  Downs,  David,  “Kool  Keith  CD  Scam  Exposed”     19   like.29  The  industry  has  sadly  killed  a  large  chunk  of  the  creative  genius  of  Kool   Keith,  which  has  ultimately  hurt  the  artist,  the  fans,  and  the  labels  alike,  leaving  both   cultural  contributions  and  money  on  the  table.       Outkast     For  roughly  20  years,   Outkast  has  been  one  of  the  most   successful  and  respected  names  in   commercial  hip  hop.  Comprised  of   rappers  Big  Boi  and  Andre  3000,  Outkast’s  7  albums  have  gone  on  to  sell  over  20   million  copies  in  the  United  States,  establishing  the  group  as  one  of  the  only  hip  hop   acts  to  successfully  merge  creativity,  artistry,  and  musicality  within  the  commercial   hip  hop  industry.  After  their  first  three  albums  all  hovered  between  1  and  2  million   total  U.S.  sales,  their  2000  album  Stankonia,  led  by  crossover  hits  “Ms.  Jackson”  and   “So  Fresh,  So  Clean,”  more  than  doubled  their  previous  sales  averages  with  over  4   million  sales  in  the  U.S.  alone.30     Following  the  success  of  Stanktonia,  Outkast’s  label,  Arista  Records,   operating  under  Sony  Music,  attempted  to  push  Outkast  into  that  same  style  and   sound  on  their  next  album.31  Rather  than  release  what  their  label  wanted,  Outkast   decided  to  take  an  entirely  different  approach.  In  2003,  they  released  Speakerboxxx   /  The  Love  Below,  which  not  only  was  presented  as  one  solo  album  each  by  both                                                                                                                   29  From  Thornton,  Keith,  Goodbye  Rap   30  From  Hunting,  Benjamin,  “Outkast’s  Stankonia  –  10  Years  Later”   31  From  LaBarrie  Ariana,  “Outkast’s  Speakerboxxx  /  The  Love  Below  Turns  10”     20   members  of  Outkast,  but  also  featured  the  complete  abandonment  of  rapping  by   Andre  3000  (long  considered  Outkast’s  biggest  talent  and  main  source  of   commercial  appeal),  instead  opting  to  sing  for  the  majority  of  his  half  of  the  double   album.  Because  Speakerboxxx  /  The  Love  Below  became  an  album  that  Arista   Records  was  not  pleased  to  release,  the  label  did  not  promote  it  or  ship  it  to  the  level   that  a  major  album  of  its  kind  should  have.  Ultimately,  the  album  wildly   outperformed  its  expectations,  selling  all  500,000  copies  that  were  shipped  out  for   the  first  week,  winning  the  2004  Grammy  for  Album  of  the  Year  (the  only  hip  hop   album  to  ever  win  the  honor),  and  eventually  selling  over  10  million  copies.32   Despite  the  album’s  success,  however,  it  is  extremely  disheartening  to  view  Arista’s   initial  lack  of  promotion  and  support  of  the  album,  based  solely  off  of  fears  that  it   would  not  meet  the  expectations  of  consumers.   Although  Speakerboxxx  /  The  Love  Below  was  ultimately  a  successful  album,  it   became  apparent  that  Outkast  was  creatively  and  artistically  out  pacing  the  desires   of  Arista  Records.  After  one  more  album  together,  the  soundtrack  for  the  2006   Outkast  movie  Idlewild,  the  group  announced  a  hiatus  in  2007,  undoubtedly   influenced  by  the  differing  artistic  expectations  of  Outkast  and  its  record  label.   Andre  3000  moved  on  to  pursue  acting  and  fashion  design,  while  Big  Boi  signed  a   deal  as  a  solo  artist  with  Def  Jam.     The  creative  genius  of  Outkast  was  stifled  again,  and  in  a  big  way,  with  the   release  of  Big  Boi’s  2010  solo  debut  Sir  Lucious  Left  Foot:  The  Son  of  Chico  Dusty.   Leading  up  to  the  album’s  release,  interest  for  the  album  was  generated  when  it  was                                                                                                                   32  From  LaBarrie  Ariana,  “Outkast’s  Speakerboxxx  /  The  Love  Below  Turns  10”     21   revealed  that  Outkast  would  record  together  again,  as  3  of  Big  Boi’s  solo  tracks  were   to  feature  Andre  3000.  Jive  Records,  which  owned  the  recording  rights  for  Outkast   as  a  duo  at  the  time,  immediately  fought  Andre  3000’s  presence  on  the  album,   ultimately  leading  to  all  of  Andre’s  verses  being  pulled  from  the  final  album,   significantly  disappointing  fans.33  Despite  receiving  significant  critical  acclaim  for   Sir  Lucious  Left  Foot,  Big  Boi’s  solo  debut  received  very  little  commercial  success,   selling  62,000  copies  in  its  first  week  and  less  than  300,000  copies  to  date,  34  a  total   that  would  have  undoubtedly  been  higher  had  the  songs  featuring  Andre  3000   actually  been  released  on  the  album.     When  analyzing  the  catalogue  of  Outkast  over  the  past  20  years,  it  is  clear   that  record  label  involvement  played  a  significant  role  in  the  abrupt  hiatus  of  the   group.  Since  Outkast  developed  into  one  of  the  most  commercially  successful  hip   hop  acts  of  the  2000’s,  Arista  Records  and  Jive  Records  have  had  their  hands  on  the   artistic  output  of  the  group.  Arista  Records  improperly  released  one  of  the  most   important  hip  hop  albums  of  all  time  because  it  wasn’t  commercial  enough  for  them,   with  Jive  eventually  blocking  future  Outkast  recordings,  simply  because  they   weren’t  being  made  on  the  record  label’s  terms.  Thanks  to  these  acts  by  the  record   labels,  both  Big  Boi  and  Andre  3000  have  been  pushed  away  from  their  exploits  as  a   group  and  into  other  solo  ventures  devoid  of  such  outside  control.  By  overly   controlling  the  work  of  Outkast,  the  business  side  of  music  industry  has  blocked  fans   from  receiving  the  best  possible  creative  output  from  the  legendary  duo,  potentially   for  the  rest  of  time.  Even  if  the  duo  eventually  reunites  to  record  a  new  project,  the                                                                                                                   33  From  Michaels,  Sean,  “Outkast’s  Record  Label  Blocks  Big  Boi  &  Andre  3000  Collaboration”   34  From  Wikipedia.org,  “Sir  Lucious  Left  Foot:  The  Son  of  Chico  Dusty”     22   creative  output  will  not  be  as  strong  as  it  would  have  been  if  the  group  had  not  been   significantly  stifled  creatively  at  the  peak  of  their  artistry  and  success.     Lupe  Fiasco     “I  am  a  hostage.  I  gave  them  what  they   wanted.  If  I  didn’t,  at  the  end  of  the  day  the   album  wasn’t  coming  out.”  –  Lupe  Fiasco     The  story  of  rapper  Lupe  Fiasco’s  disagreements  with  his  label,  Atlantic   Records,  is  another  well-­‐documented  case  of  creative  control  in  the  urban  music   industry.  At  the  time  of  his  debut,  in  2006,  Chicago  born  Lupe  Fiasco  was  considered   a  ‘breath  of  fresh  air’  in  the  hip-­‐hop  genre  for  his  socially  and  politically  conscious   lyrics  that  ultimately  led  him  to  sign  a  deal  with  Atlantic  Records.  He  followed  up  his   universally  acclaimed  debut  album  Food  &  Liquor  with  a  gold  certified  sophomore   effort  The  Cool,  featuring  the  top-­‐ten  single  “Superstar.”35  Despite  his  success,   however,  Atlantic  Records  delayed  his  third  album,  Lasers,  for  two  and  a  half  years   because  they  feared  it  lacked  the  commercial  singles  that  they  had  envisioned  for   the  project.  In  late  2010,  Lupe  Fiasco  addressed  the  issues  he  faced  surrounding  the   composition  of  Lasers  in  a  keynote  speech  at  the  Second  Regional  Academic  and   Cultural  Collaborative  in  Dayton,  Ohio:                                                                                                                     35  From  Canton,  Rafael,  “The  Artist  vs.  The  Record  Label”     23   “The  record  company  [Atlantic  Records]  sent  me  a  song  and  said  ‘Lupe,  you   need  a  number  one  smash  [single].  And  this  is  a  number  one  smash.’  They  sent   me  a  track  and  a  hook.  And  then  they  sent  me  seven  of  those.  On  the  last  one,  I   was  like  ‘I’m  done  fighting.  I’ll  just  Martin  Luther  King  this  one.  Just  go  ahead   and  I’ll  turn  the  other  cheek.’”36     Lupe  Fiasco  goes  on  to  claim  that  this  exchange  continued  to  occur,  even   resulting  in  Atlantic  Records  changing  a  hook  sixty  times  to  try  to  eventually  create   a  “smash”  record  that  could  dominate  the  Billboard  Music  charts.     It  is  no  secret  that  a  decline  in  record  sales  has  affected  the  way  that  record   companies  have  made  decisions  over  the  last  two  decades.  This  has  prompted  music   executives  in  various  departments  to  take  an   active  role  in  the  creative  process  of  album   production.  Fiasco  asserted  in  an  interview  with   the  Chicago  Sun-­‐Times  that  he  was  explicitly  told,   “don’t  rap  too  deep  on  this  record,”  confirming   that  the  major  record  label  had  interfered  with  his   ability  to  write  freely  and  express  himself  as  an  individual  through  music.  “That  was   a  specific  order  from  the  top.  ‘You’re  rapping  too  fast  or  too  slow,  or  it’s  too   complex.’”37   Lupe  Fiasco  consistently  resisted  many  attempts  from  Atlantic  Records  to   adopt  a  more  mainstream  style  as  a  rapper.  Still,  his  artistic  career  was  negatively                                                                                                                   36  From  “The  Urban  Daily,”  Lupe  Fiasco  Exposes  Label  Practices   37  From  Jaco,  Wasalu  (Lupe  Fiasco),  2010  interview  with  the  Chicago  Sun-­‐Times     24   impacted  as  a  result  of  failing  to  comply  with  Atlantic’s  demands.  In  2009,  he   refused  to  sign  a  360  contract  with  the  label  so  that  they  could  gain  rights  to   revenue  in  his  other  business  endeavors,  including  tours  and  his  endorsement  deals   with  Reebok  and  Hewlett-­‐Packard.  Because  he  wouldn’t  reach  an  agreement  to  this   type  of  deal,  Fiasco  alleges  that  Atlantic  Records  didn’t  bother  to  promote  his  single:     “I  was  told  because  you  didn’t  sign  this  360  deal,  we  may  or  may  not  push  your   record.  When  [my  2011  single]  ‘Beaming’  came  out  and  you  never  heard  it  on   the  radio,  it’s  because  they  never  took  it  to  the  radio  in  the  first  place.  The   reason  that  there  is  a  video  for  ‘Beaming’  is  because  I  shot  it,  with  my  own   money.  The  only  reason  that  it’s  on  MTV  is  because  I  have  friends  at  MTV  that   said  ‘Lupe  we’re  going  to  play  your  video…’”38     Luckily,  Lupe  Fiasco  has  been  a  successful  artist  over  the  past  8  years  and   maintains  a  strong  and  loyal  fan  base.  His  followers  started  a  petition  and  planned   to  protest  outside  of  the  Atlantic  Records  headquarters  while  there  was  still  a  hold   on  the  release  of  Lasers.  The  company  quickly  gave  in  and  announced  an  official   release  date  of  March  8th,  2011.39   For  many  artists  like  Lupe  Fiasco,  having  a  deal  with  a  major  company   involves  great  struggles  that  will  ultimately  end  in  creative  compromise.   Unfortunately,  numerous  musicians  have  been  caught  in  the  midst  of  transitional   periods  within  the  recording  industry  that  affect  business  decisions.  The  ambitions                                                                                                                   38  From  Blanco,  Alvin,  “Lupe  Fiasco  Explains  ‘Lasers’  Delay,  Blames  Atlantic  Records”   39  From  Canton,  Rafael,  “The  Artist  vs.  The  Record  Label”     25   of  some  music  executives  and  companies  do  not  necessarily  foster  a  creative   environment,  but  rather,  an  opportunity  for  artists  to  sacrifice  quality  music   conception  in  exchange  for  a  small  earning  of  the  overall  profits  made  yearly  in  the   business  of  entertainment.  The  story  of  Lupe  Fiasco’s  album  Lasers  shows  that   today,  more  so  than  ever,  record  label  executives  are  demanding  creative  control   from  their  artists.  Lupe  Fiasco’s  statements  on  the  dispute  are  proof  that  today’s   music  industry  does  not  care  about  maintaining  the  artistic  beauty  of  the  product   they  sell,  instead  submitting  to  the  overwhelming  desire  to  top  the  Billboard  charts   and  rake  in  millions  of  dollars,  at  the  expense  of  the  creative  will  and  ability  of   profound  lyricists  like  Lupe  Fiasco.         As  with  all  business  entities,  the  major,  multi-­‐million  dollar  companies  that   make  up  the  music  industry  can  be  analyzed  both  internally  and  externally.  Today’s   troubled  music  industry  is  characterized  by  the  overwhelming  trend  of  analyzing   their  affairs  with  an  exclusively  external  eye.  All  too  frequently,  the  problems   currently  facing  the  music  industry  are  blamed  on  piracy  and  other  uncontrollable   external  factors.  For  the  past  decade,  the  industry  has  exhausted  countless  hours   and  resources  to  fight  these  external  issues  to  no  avail,  while  continuing  to  engage  in   harmful  internal  practices  day  in  and  day  out.     The  careers  of  Captain  Beefheart,  Frank  Zappa,  Kool  Keith,  Outkast,  and  Lupe   Fiasco  speak  to  the  negative  and  harmful  internal  practices  that  have  remained   essential  components  of  the  DNA  of  major  record  labels  for  over  6  decades.     26   Although  only  a  small  collection  of  the  countless  examples  of  creative  exploitation   and  manipulation  within  the  music  industry,  these  powerful  stories  speak  to  how   firmly  these  acts  are  engrained  within  the  majors.     From  as  early  as  the  1960’s,  major  labels  have  been  documented  as  operating   solely  according  to  profit  maximization  and  the  bottom  line.  As  record  labels   followed  and  chased  trends,  much  like  during  the  early  career  of  Captain  Beefheart,   and  forced  creative  artists  into  one  presumed  formula  for  commercial  success,  the   perceived  goal  was  to  perform  these  actions  in  the  name  of  the  consumer.  These   decisions,  however,  have  ultimately  proven  to  be  completely  counterproductive,  as   the  almighty  music  consumer  has  been  neglected  and  hurt  at  every  turn  for  over  60   years.  Time  and  time  again,  cherished  artists  are  pushed  further  and  further  from   their  true  fan  bases,  with  the  creative  genius  they  possess  limited,  fought,  and  in   extreme  cases,  pushed  to  the  brink  of  extinction.  Simply  imagining  the  possible   further  artistic  contributions  of  artists  like  Frank  Zappa  and  Kool  Keith  if  not  for   these  long-­‐standing  realities  is  extremely  disheartening.   It  is  no  wonder,  then,  that  at  the  turn  of  the  millennium,  consumers  leapt  at   the  opportunity  to  hit  the  commercial  music  industry  where  it  really  hurts.  The   music  industry  had  become  so  complacent;  so  entrenched  in  decades  old  habits  that   it  is  still  struggling  to  adapt  today.  The  digitalization  of  music  and  the  subsequent   rise  of  peer-­‐to-­‐peer  file  sharing  finally  gave  music  consumers  a  voice  and  allowed   them  to  take  retribution  for  decades  of  disrespect  and  mistreatment  of  both  the  fans   themselves  and  the  artists  that  they  idolize.  Given  such  a  negative  and  controversial   history,  it  is  no  wonder  that  fans  were  finally  tired  of  having  new  release  after  new     27   release  of  generic,  unoriginal  material  masquerading  as  quality  creative  content   shoved  in  their  faces.     The  lives,  careers,  and  creative  output  of  Captain  Beefheart,  Frank  Zappa,   Kool  Keith,  Andre  3000,  Big  Boi,  and  Lupe  Fiasco  speak  to  the  overwhelming  benefit   that  music  can  have  on  society.  Unfortunately,  each  artist  represents  the  battle   between  creative  integrity  and  profit  margin.  As  the  music  industry  looks  toward   the  future,  we  as  figures  within  the  music  industry  must  learn  from  industry   mistakes  that  are  now  littered  throughout  the  songs,  radio  interviews,  and  magazine   write-­‐ups  of  the  past  60  years.     Creativity,  originality,  and  the  advancement  of  culture  and  society  have,  over   the  years,  been  killed  within  commercial  music.  Now,  for  the  first  time  in  many   decades,  all  parties  involved  within  the  music  industry  value  chain  have  the  power   to  combat  these  issues  and  finally  revive  creative  progress.  Herein  lies  the  answer  to   renewing  the  music  industry’s  powerful  form  of  the  late  1990’s.  A  rebirth  in  the   creativity  of  music  and  re-­‐acceptance  by  the  major  labels  is  our  path  back  to  a   successfully  functioning  music  industry  in  the  United  States  and  around  the  world.                     28   Works  Cited     Arf.ru.  “Frank  Zappa  v.  Warner  Bros.  Story.”  Accessed  May  3,  2014.   http://www.arf.ru/Notes/Ziny/append.html     Bangs,  Lester.  “Captain  Beefheart’s  Far  Cry.”  Accessed  May  18,  2014.   http://www.beefheart.com/captain-­‐beefhearts-­‐far-­‐cry-­‐by-­‐lester-­‐bangs/     Canton,  Rafael.  “The  Artist  Vs.  The  Record  Label.”  Last  modified  October  12,  2010.   http://dailycollegian.com/2010/10/12/the-­‐artist-­‐vs-­‐the-­‐record-­‐label/     Chairman  Mao.  “Dr.  Octagonecologyst 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