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Gangsta Rap in Decline?
Carlsbad resident Carlos "Numbiz" Rodriguez performs as a solo artist and with Latin rapper Blaze in a group called LPLD. More lucrative are the hip-hop lyrics and beats Rodriguez composes and sells to producers for between $1000 and $15,000. The only negative aspect to this gig is that he has to relinquish publishing rights; Rodriguez is not listed as a songwriter and earns no royalties.
"If you are a Latin artist, people are afraid to invest in you," says Rodriguez. "Fat Joe [from Puerto Rico] and [Cuban] Pit Bull are the only two artists who have videos on BET [Black Entertainment Television]. Chingo Bling from Texas is the only Latin artist of Mexican descent who is breaking right now." He notes that San Diego's Lil' Rob has earned some national attention.
"If I was African [American] or even Anglo," says Numbiz, "people would look at me as if I was worth a lot more. People think that because I'm not aggressive, I'm not worth the same amount as someone doing the exact same job....
"A couple of labels are interested [in signing me as a solo artist], but I almost feel disrespected because there are other people who get double the amount."
Numbiz says even though major labels still sign "gangsta" rappers, that type of hip-hop doesn't always yield a return on the labels' investment.
"I talked to one record [exec] and he dropped $1.2 million on this one artist. There is no way they will be able to recoup that. If they gave me a small budget of $50,000 or $100,000, I could double it.... The reality is that people don't want to hear that anymore; people like Fergie are selling more hip-hop records than hip-hop artists."
Numbiz, a business major, starts his last year at Cal State San Marcos this fall. He plays in L.A. next weekend at Club Tokyo (July 12) and the Standard (July 13); on August 17, he'll be at Club Mystere in Tijuana.
Here's something you might be interested in.
Gangsta Rap in Decline?
Gangsta Rap in Decline?
Carlsbad resident Carlos "Numbiz" Rodriguez performs as a solo artist and with Latin rapper Blaze in a group called LPLD. More lucrative are the hip-hop lyrics and beats Rodriguez composes and sells to producers for between $1000 and $15,000. The only negative aspect to this gig is that he has to relinquish publishing rights; Rodriguez is not listed as a songwriter and earns no royalties.
"If you are a Latin artist, people are afraid to invest in you," says Rodriguez. "Fat Joe [from Puerto Rico] and [Cuban] Pit Bull are the only two artists who have videos on BET [Black Entertainment Television]. Chingo Bling from Texas is the only Latin artist of Mexican descent who is breaking right now." He notes that San Diego's Lil' Rob has earned some national attention.
"If I was African [American] or even Anglo," says Numbiz, "people would look at me as if I was worth a lot more. People think that because I'm not aggressive, I'm not worth the same amount as someone doing the exact same job....
"A couple of labels are interested [in signing me as a solo artist], but I almost feel disrespected because there are other people who get double the amount."
Numbiz says even though major labels still sign "gangsta" rappers, that type of hip-hop doesn't always yield a return on the labels' investment.
"I talked to one record [exec] and he dropped $1.2 million on this one artist. There is no way they will be able to recoup that. If they gave me a small budget of $50,000 or $100,000, I could double it.... The reality is that people don't want to hear that anymore; people like Fergie are selling more hip-hop records than hip-hop artists."
Numbiz, a business major, starts his last year at Cal State San Marcos this fall. He plays in L.A. next weekend at Club Tokyo (July 12) and the Standard (July 13); on August 17, he'll be at Club Mystere in Tijuana.
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