My first experience with reality tv and the music industry was Diddy's second making the band, where he tried to form the rap group. That was some classic television in every way, the two Southern rappers had a dramatic 3 hour rap battle at about 79 bpm with no punchlines, the white guy cried because a dj called him a cracker, Diddy came in on the fat dude like "How many grilled cheese sandwiches did you have!!!!?!".
The best part was the utter flop of the album, the lack of a single, them all really happily counting show money and doing shopping sprees, and then when the deal they won came online it was 50k split between about 6 people!!! Damn.
The only person who came up off a Diddy tv show was Donnie because he got a solo deal but his album sucked so he's done anyway.
I digress, the important part of all this is to showcase the complete ludicrousness of these tv shows as any representation of the record industry. Yes they show album recording, show practice, shows, random meetings etc. but ALL of these people have terrible record deals, like worse than Willy Northpole terrible, 6 albums with options and no advance and no masters etc. 112 owned 25% of their masters, imagine what Day 26 owns...
Everyone watches them though, I believe in connection to my previous post on artists really trying to absorb whatever information they can on the industry. No one ever shows how these artists get the shows, how these producers put together the tracks, how the label heads decided to give them a deal etc.
I remember when Run's son on Run's House got a record deal with Lock(something) records, not based off talent (they sucked some bad cheese), but off the show (this is after his FAILED internship with Russel Simmons, who lets that fall apart?!). That was ridiculous, they looked like idiots, rapped even worse, weren't marketable and refused to practice. And they had a development deal which meant no bread.
The difference between a regular deal and a development deal is that the label spends money to "develop you", ie get your image right, get you in shape, improve your sound, vocal coach, show practice etc. All that money they spend you owe back as usual, and your advances and numbers suck terrible because they developed you.
That's why I'm happy we have a solid package. Full show, full production, solid image. Sure I need vocal coaching and Carnegie needs a trainer but those are pay by session things. No ones offering us development deals thank god.
American Idol is the worst, because if you get the deal you're trapped into it (and no has popped and stayed consistent. Ruben Studdard?), and if you don't get the deal you can't sign for 5 to 7 years because American Idol owns all the contestants (with the exception of those who had smart management, few and far in between)!!! Which is why contestants end up singing cover songs at clubs (Barcelona in AZ has a Latin guy David Hernandez from idol). The best hope you have for a career after AI is singing in Las Vegas with a band... Not a horrible life... Well, okay its a horrible life.
I remember we had one kid (well, grown ass man) who wanted to "manage" us who had put us in touch with a lawyer in Atlanta who wanted to get us on an MTV reality show. First they wanted us to add a girl to the group and they sent us the most ridiculous girls to choose from. White trash girl rappers, black girls with no flow, ugly chicks etc. If they had given us a cute white girl who talked dirty, an asian girl etc. we would have considered it. We said no to the scenario, but they we're all acting like this was the best foundation ever for our career. When the show aired (something like Want to Be a Popstar) it was so depressing everyone did covers and the show sucked and the groups we're supremely un-marketable and I'm so happy we didn't do it. 6 months after the show, and not one has a record deal.
My favorite scene in any music reality television that actually influenced me was when Donnie gets introduced to 7 Aurelius (the wierdest man ever, officially) and they go into the studio and he's got fog machines going and everyone is on the floor with incense and they're playing the Dr. Love beat and Donnie looks like he's afraid he wandered into a 1970's black panther den.
Those are the kind of producers I like to deal with lol. Have some character! Like when I met M. Rell in the boonies of black Florida and there were no lights in his house like a batcave... Step in the right direction.
I want a music industry reality show with substance, I want to see booking agents bribing people for tours and promoters stealing the cover money and people getting their publishing bought for 25k (muahhahaha) and managers being talked greasy by A&R's. Action dammit! I guess there's no fun left in the industry, people do these things without the same passion as the last 30 years.
Anyway, rewriting a new track ttyl.
Currently Listening To: Eric Prydz ft. Pink Floyd- Proper Education
