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How Grime artists look beyond the label deal
By Music Ally, Published in Sandbox on July 28, 2011
When UK urban music kicked off its latest chart renaissance nearly two years ago many heralded it as the gold rush era for a set of young, fresh, talented and predominantly Grime-focused artists. Many of these got signed, many simply dreamt of the day it would happen.
Skipping to the present day and only a handful of these acts have truly established themselves as anything close to chart regulars. To many outside the scene this has been perceived a disappointment or even a failure. But the music, the scene and its characters are moving stronger than ever. Many are finding new and interesting ways of communicating with their fans and using new services to help produce more professional campaigns - all to expand their careers without the reliance of a label advance.
Traditionally disorganised at its core, Grime established itself utilising pirate radio, scene mixtapes and DVDs – mechanics clearly associated with its entangled ancestry of rap, rave and garage. As Nick Russell from leading urban blog Blatantly Blunt comments: “Having been inspired by the self made millionaires such as Jay-Z and Master P, many of the grime scene entrepreneurs pursued an illegal lifestyle - investing their profits into music to create their own buzz from the community centres to the radio stations. When the internet came about the Myspace page became the demo tape available to all.”
And with the dawning of social network use amongst young people and, later on, smartphone penetration, these artists have taken on an increasingly direct line of communication with fans. This has lead to a growing confidence that it can sometimes be smarter to do things independently, or at least be perceived to be doing so.
Dizzee Rascal for example, being the number one role model for up-and-coming Grime artists, is seen by young Grime artists as a man who has risen in spite of, not because of, the label deal he had. The luxury of professional support while his career was on the rise has not shattered the perception, correctly or not, that he has ascended to the top of UK music royalty all by himself.
One of the brightest examples of true Grime self-sufficiency is JME – a North London rapper, producer, director and label boss. He has resisted the many attempts to acquire his signature on a recording contract in order to enjoy creative and marketing freedom – and with stunning results. This has lead to a more personal connection with his fanbase, reaping the benefits when his independently released album “Blam!” hit the top 40 with simply a distribution deal in place.
One of the best components of his self-executed promotional mix was awarding a free iPad to one fan, personally delivered by the man himself, for sending an album proof of purchase to him via Twitter. Although the mechanics may seem crude there were many reasons why this resonated so well with his young audience: his timing was impeccable (the iPad had just been released); both the artist and the product’s newsworthiness meant that many urban forums, websites and blogs promoted the competition for him; he personally thanked every entry via Twitter; and the iPad handover for the winner was turned into a video feature syndicated to rwdmag.com.
These kind of campaigns resonate highly within a scene where young fans and artists can reach out to their idols in an attainable way both online and at raves. Services like TopSpin help artists to keep their independence whilst retaining the components of a professional, all-encompassing campaign. Matt Bullamore, the owner of a small creative support agency StraightHype.com explains: “Independent artists we work with may have existing relationships with a video director, maybe a PR or a distributor, but not everyone they need for a particular campaign. We project manage any part of the campaign which they do not have their own personal access to. Essentially we can fill in the gaps in any project and the artist can expect it to be done efficiently and cost-effectively. Everything from SEO to trademarking merchandise and all the bits in between.”
Independent artist, Tempa T is one such act using a service like this. The MC from Stratford, East London has found that his independence does not necessarily mean he can’t compete with his peers when putting together a release campaign. “For my next single I have more or less got the basics covered – mastering, press, video production through my friends, but I can get help with other elements without having to organise it all myself or sign to a label. It means I can be confident that all the parts of my campaign are going to be of a high standard but without breaking the bank or relying on outside funding.”
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