Blogsmacked: Mixing Up Reactions To The Mixtape Crackdown

noah | January 18, 2007 4:00 am

– Jay Smooth’s videoblog calls out the boneheaded reporters at Atlanta’s Fox affiliate, redefines the word “snitch.” [hiphopmusic.com] – “The fact that record labels CAN NOT break music without mixtape deejays is a problem for some in power. The fact that A list artists are dealing directly with popular mixtape deejays is a problem for those in power. With the advent of new technology, the DJ in 2007 has all but perched to move to higher levels and seriously change the game.” [Davey D’s Hip Hop Blog]

More reactions after the jump.

– “This raid is the first time the RIAA has gone directly after a big-name mixtape DJ, and they’ve gone after probably the single biggest name in that world. So maybe I’m just being naive here, but I don’t think the raid represents a sea change in the music industry’s tolerance of mixtapes, mostly because the music industry doesn’t employ any evil masterminds smart enough to orchestrate a sweeping change in policy like that. More likely, it’s just another example of the industry’s staggering incompetence and disorganization, a case of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing.” [Status Ain’t Hood] – “If you think all this shit is wrong, don’t spend your time decrying the RIAA, or loudly proclaiming that music should be free when bands ask that you please not post the music they have made, or pretending that all your disclaimers and justifications make what you’re doing legal. Pressure labels that support mixtapes and MP3blogs and mashups and all those sorts of mutually beneficial uses of copyrighted material to lobby to have the laws changed. You have a relationship with labels? Great. Write them an e-mail and tell them to support copyright reform. Tell them that the double standard they’ve supported lets them have it both ways while sending mixtape makers to prison.” [Clap Clap Blog] – “DJ Drama himself is signed to Atlantic Records, so its not like they weren’t aware of what he was doing. Many artists even have “underground provisions” in their record contracts that explicitly allow them to work with third parties to put out promotional mixtapes. This isn’t a case of an employee running off with company property and making a fast buck off of it on the black market, this is an employee being told by his company that part of his job is to go out and sell that property on the street corner. ” [33 Jones]

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