The Golden Goose of Hip Hop: How Corporations Profit from Culture
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Chapter 1: The Exploitation of Hip Hop
You’ve likely encountered an advertisement for the Biggie Bag. Consider this: if The Notorious B.I.G. hadn’t been around, would Wendy's have come up with the name Biggie Bag? Unlikely. The way businesses are approaching public domain issues, especially in relation to hip-hop, is becoming increasingly careless. Back in the day, when The Notorious B.I.G. was known as "Biggie Smalls," another lesser-known rapper sued him for the name, claiming prior rights. B.I.G. had to alter his name but continued to call himself "Biggie" in various tracks, leading to the hip-hop community adopting that title. This created a fortunate loophole for the "Biggie Bag."
Section 1.1: Borrowing from the West Coast
West Coast enterprises are equally aggressive when it comes to borrowing phrases. If your partner subscribes to Fab, Fit, Fun, they might receive a gym bag emblazoned with "Gym & Juice." While I’m not suggesting Snoop Dogg should engage in a legal battle, it’s worth noting that pursuing legal action against a small company might not be financially viable for him. Although the phrase is reminiscent of "Gin & Juice," the alteration of a single word complicates any claims of copyright infringement. However, the essence of "Gin & Juice" still lingers. Who is going to put a stop to businesses profiting from creators who are often unaware of the exploitation?
Subsection 1.1.1: The Impact of Copyright Laws
Section 1.2: The True Nature of Sampling
Contrary to popular belief, hip-hop didn’t simply steal from other genres. The notion that hip-hop thrived due to relaxed sampling laws is only partially accurate. Copyright laws eventually caught up, which is why groups like 3rd Bass have never reaped royalties from their work, including The Cactus Album. Similarly, De La Soul’s album, "De La Soul is Dead," which was the most sampled hip-hop record at its release in 1991, has faced similar issues. The song "Talkin' All That Jazz" by Stetsasonic tackled this issue head-on, with Daddy-O stating: "You see you misunderstood, a sample's just a tactic/A portion of my method, a tool, in fact it's/Only of importance when I make it a priority/And what we sample's loved by the majority…"
Chapter 2: The Financial Struggles of Hip Hop
The first video, "Tayyib Ali - Golden Goose [Official Music Video]," explores the impact of hip-hop culture on modern music and its commercial implications.
The second video, "Connor Price - GOLDEN GOOSE (Lyrics)," delves into the lyrical themes surrounding success and the influence of hip-hop on society.
It can be argued that hip-hop is paying excessively for its cultural contributions, largely due to the corporate world's disdain. Despite generating vast sums of money, hip-hop culture often fails to receive the recognition it deserves for revitalizing older music and brands. A few artists, like saxophonist Gary Bartz, advocate for hip-hop's rightful place in the music industry. Bartz, who owns most of his master recordings, benefits from sampling.
It’s not merely a battle of corporate America against hip-hop; it’s fundamentally about intellectual property. Rappers need to act swiftly to protect their rights, much like Steely Dan did when they pursued legal action against Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz. The key lies in forming partnerships. For years, Run DMC successfully collaborated with various sports brands, merging their iconic logo with those of different teams, proving to be mutually beneficial.
One shrewd player in this arena is Erick Sermon, who has invested in enhancing hip-hop’s standing. His platform, Tracklib, provides a streamlined solution for artists and producers to clear samples easily, pay necessary fees, and negotiate percentages. This initiative not only preserves the art of sampling but also allows easier access for both established and emerging creators, positively influencing contemporary music. Esteemed figures like jazz fusionist Bob James, as well as rappers J. Cole and Ludacris, support this endeavor.
Hip-hop artists, DJs, graffiti artists, breakdancers, and producers deserve proper compensation for their artistic contributions. The value inherent in hip-hop is undeniable, and while it generates billions in revenue, it continues to face significant appropriation. 🧈
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