What NOT To Do: Unknown Rapper Threatens To Quit Rap Due To Limited Blog Coverage
I guess there are lots of ways to get into blogs but setting yourself up for ridicule is an unlikely path to success. Kadeem Spencer, aka Corduroy The Fox, says he's been doing everything he can to succeed in rap but bloggers won't support him with enough coverage for him to break through and make a name for himself. So he's quitting. Except that if he does get enough blog coverage out of this maneuver he's continuing.
Corduroy The Fox is quitting rap (via @wesdavenport) because:
"I don’t get enough blog coverage, and that’s the truth. A year ago, I thought that since I’ve supported a blog for five whole years, they would say, 'Come right on in, Corduroy.' I thought they would post my shit whenever I wanted. I came to the realization that dreams are for dreamers, not people like myself."
Corduroy The Fox got some attention late last year for writing 1000 words for Pigeons & Planes about why the blog should feature his music.
None of the reasons he gives are actually reasons most blogs would post his work though he does have an interesting anecdote about a rapper on Lean.
But a lot of what Corduroy's argument comes down to in both posts is that because he's "supported" a blog for years, they should cover him.
The concept of "support" is an even bigger concept in hip hop than in other genres of music. The constant calls to "show some love" from people you've never heard of who seem to feel they're owed something because of the work they supposedly put in are but one example.
I don't want to say too much more because I don't want to go overboard criticizing someone who so openly reveals why he hasn't gotten anywhere. But John Walaszek highlights some of the ridiculous nature of Corduroy's thinking with a parody post.
Let me just one make one thing clear:
If you think there's only one way to succeed (for Corduroy that means blog coverage) and that way is blocked then you have to either find other routes or quit. Corduroy doesn't really want to do that. He makes it clear by the end that he really wants more blog coverage.
So here you go.
But, I have to say, anybody that can write a whole blog post about what he's been trying to do to make it in music but never mentions fans or even listeners unless they're name dropped for validation is clearly lost.
As William Ketchum III states in the comments:
"Blog coverage 'can' be huge, but it's not the end all be all. Blogs are only one avenue that people use to find music. YouTube, Soundcloud, Tumblr, etc. – all different avenues that people use to find music. Fans spread the music they like themselves, not just blogs."
At the end of the day, fuck third parties and gatekeepers. Find your audience. Connect with your audience. Then we'll be forced to write about you!
More:
Hypebot Senior Contributor Clyde Smith (@fluxresearch) also blogs at DanceLand. Send news about music tech startups and services, DIY music biz and music marketing to: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.
More so than anything Corduroy needs to understand what blogs, and fans, are ultimately for–making revenue. If you can’t convince people to listen without a cosign you might need to work on your music a bit more.
I agree that this guy should stop whining. Who wants to believe in a rapper like that…oh, wait:
“You don’t realize, I am so frustrated. I am so frustrated. I’ve got so much I want to give. I’ve got ideas on colour palettes. I’ve got ideas on silhouettes. And I’ve got a million people telling me why I can’t do it. You know, that I’m not a real designer, that I’m not this. I’m not a real rapper, either! I’m not a real musician, either! Like, I don’t know how to play the piano. I’m an artist. I went to art college and was looked at like I’m soft because I wore like Italian clothes, you know what I’m saying, when I’m rapping in front of Cam’ron. And my pants is tight.”
@Seth Keller
I think the difference between Corduroy and Kanye is that Kanye has already had successful fashion projects with the Air Yeezy and his Louis Vutton shoes, that he had an internship with Fendi, and that some consumers actually look to him for fashion cues. Don’t get me wrong, I think that he’s pretty entitled too, and that he should’ve put in more work before feeling like he deserves all of this, but there’s a difference between him and Corduroy, lol
https://www.youtube.com/user/l3ondr3w1/videos