Scarface Calls for Hip-Hop Boycott: “Culture is Being Dumbed Down”. Scarface, whose real name is Brad Jordan, minced no words as he addressed what he sees as a crisis in hip-hop culture.
“It seems like the whole culture is being dumbed down now,” he exclaimed. “And I want to be as offensive as I possibly can when I say this… The culture is being so f*cking dumbed down and manipulated and controlled by people that don’t look like us.”
The rapper’s frustration stems from the diminishing returns artists receive from streaming platforms compared to traditional album sales. “We can’t sell a $10 record no more, we got to sell an under-a-penny stream,” Scarface lamented. “There’s no money in the streams for us, but it’s money in subscriptions for them.”
Scarface’s call to action is clear: pull music from streaming platforms and demand fair compensation. He advocates for artists to take a stand against platforms that exploit their work. “Pull that sht off them fcking platforms, and don’t allow them to stream your sh*t for free,” he urged.
The issue of fair compensation in the music industry has been a longstanding concern, particularly as streaming has become the dominant form of music consumption. Scarface’s sentiments echo those of many artists who feel they are not adequately compensated for their creative efforts.
The rapper also mourned the loss of record stores and small businesses, which he believes were casualties of the streaming revolution. “You fcked a whole lot of people when you fcked over the mom and pops,” he said. “Ain’t no records being sold no more.
Scarface’s career spans over three decades, during which he has witnessed significant changes in the music industry. He remembers a time when selling millions of albums could set an artist up for life. Now, with streaming platforms paying fractions of a cent per stream, achieving financial success as a musician has become increasingly difficult.
Rap icon Scarface not only demands fair compensation for artists but also discourages discrimination in the music industry. It’s time to reclaim hip-hop culture for those who built it.
Apple Music, which pays double what Spotify does, still only offers an average pay-per-stream rate of one cent. This means that achieving platinum status, once a marker of commercial success, now requires an exorbitant number of streams—1.5 billion for an album.
While Scarface’s critique focuses on the financial aspects of the music industry, his concerns also extend to the artistic integrity of hip-hop. He believes that the culture is being diluted and controlled by outsiders who do not understand its origins and significance.
In addition to his advocacy for fair compensation, Scarface has been an outspoken voice on various social and political issues throughout his career. He has used his platform to address issues such as police brutality, systemic racism, and socioeconomic inequality.
As the debate over streaming royalties and artistic control rages on, Scarface’s call for a boycott represents a rallying cry for artists to reclaim ownership of their work and demand the respect and compensation they deserve.
In the face of an industry that seems increasingly focused on profit margins rather than artistic merit, Scarface’s message serves as a reminder of the importance of preserving the authenticity and integrity of hip-hop culture.
