The whole Independent vs. Commercial culture in music is nothing new. It’s been going on for decades. That’s why the same people that listened to Bob Dylan would listen to Immortal Technique, The Roots, Mos Def, Pink Floyd. Truth generally doesn’t command a large audience and that is essentially what the independent artists sell, except a few who are just wannabe commercial sell-outs.
What exactly is a commercial sell-out? Pandering to the masses need to instantly gratify all of their natural urges with reckless abandon… Sex, Drugs, Money and a general culture and mind-set of Celebrity-worship and getting-it-at-all-costs or get-rich-or-die-trying (sound familiar?). The independents, even though some may have record deals, they are not as wide-spread as others for one simple reason… they sell something not so popular, the Truth.
: Pink Floyd, Immortal Technique, Mos Def, The Roots, Independent, Commercial
karim.co.za
Fists in the Air…