Marathon Of Dope: An Indie Label That Gets It Right

In the days of where artists like Saul Williams and Nine Inch Nails promote online with their new projects to pay what you want for their projects, you do not come across labels that specifically make this happen. You may have sensational online devices such as bandcamp. But a label like Marathon Of Dope is one in itself. Based out of Canada, this label appears to build a very concrete buzz with their basic digital philosophy on their website. Here's what is quote when you first visit in the right hand column:

The music on offer at Marathon Of Dope is available for free download. We feel very strongly about delivering our music to your ears. After all, we make the music for our fans and listeners to enjoy. When you like the music you've downloaded (and we know that you will), you have the option to make a purchase to help offset the costs involved in producing the music. All artists have expenses related to creating their music. Studio time, equipment rentals, engineers, and advertising are just a few of the things that require money when a new project is developing.

Whatever money you decide is reasonable to pay for the music at Marathon Of Dope will go directly to the artists. That money will enable them to continue making high caliber music and bring it directly to you.

So there you have it-- the straight dope on how we sell music at Marathon Of Dope. The album is FREE or it costs whatever you feel it's worth.

We trust you'll see the value of the music we produce and we appreciate everybody's support past, present, and future. THANK YOU!

The importance of what they're doing with their pay what you want strategy is allowing the fans an option. Is it cost effective? It has to be with the strategy they are presenting. However, they have are correct about the expenses the artists accrue in putting their projects together. Will they generate enough money from the pay what you want strategy to cover these costs? Lets say 50 people download an album. 25 pay and 25 don't pay. 10 pay 15 dollars, 10 pay 10 dollars, and 5 pay 5 dollars. 275 dollars, right? Seems like the more of that goes into viral promotion, the more donations you could possibly get in variation. And that 275 dollars could become 500 dollars......which could turn into a 1000 dollars. Depending upon how the gospel of what Marathon Of Dope spreads in terms of its branding.

The upside is that they are picking up artists that are on different labels for different projects that already have established a name for themselves. For example, Peanuts & Corn label mates, John Smith, Pip Skid, and Birdpares all have projects on this label. They have established themselves in the hip hop scene in the Vancouver area. Definitive Jux rapper/producer, Mike Ladd, is also a good look for Marathon Of Dope as a label. As they develop their brand some more and target their audience even further, you can expect to hear more good things from this label.

Another thing to consider is if Marathon Of Dope will expand into different mediums of distributing their content. If they were to be retro and distribute their music on tapes and vinyl for people that request it as a specialty. It could possibly cost extra but its something you could see as a collectors item from this particular label. Overall, I think more labels should follow this example of giving the customer more to chose from in terms of price and how they can match it with the talent that they are supporting. My hat goes off to Marathon Of Dope for this movement.

A Place Called DC9

The blog post I am about to make hits pretty close to home in my community. And how this relates to the entertainment industry is a big domino effect. And a story that you will probably never again like it.

First lets start with this article to sum up a few things:

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2010/11/05/charges-dropped-against-dc9-five/

Above is an article about a venue that I am familiar with in terms of the employees and the clientele that have attended this venue. Apparently on Oct. 15th, one owner and 4 employees were accused of killing an Ethiopian man after he was thrown out of the venue for his overly intoxicated behavior. The man came back with a brick and threw it through the window. The 4 employees and one of the co-owners present caught the man and subdued him until DC Police came handled the situation. The man dies in police custody and accusations are being thrown around that the man was beaten to death by the media, Chief Lanier of the DC Police Department, and others. The medical examiner concluded no evidence showed that the man was beaten at all. As the article indicates, the charges were dropped from accusing the 5 men who were allegedly responsible for this issue. Eventually, the charges were dropped after no evidence was found. The Ethiopian community has protested as a result because no direct answers have been given by the police department. The tragedy has affected a family who has not received any answers that they are seeking. However, the investigation continues and charges could be brought back if any new evidence or information has been found. The autopsy of the body is supposedly going to take up to 60 to 90 days.

The key point that has been made has been what the media and Chief Lanier has stated before evidence was examined: that the accused men were guilty without examining the facts.Ever since the incident happened, the police department close the venue until further notice. And the liquor license was removed. However, charges were dropped and a hearing with ABRA (Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration) was held on November 17th denying the re-opening of DC9 even though charges were dropped. ABRA claims that they would like to know if "their spouses would be safe at a venue" as this. Until the autopsy of the victim comes out, ABRA did not grant them their liquor license and DC9 will remain closed. This has placed the booking company that works with DC9, Hood Booking, in a particular hole to move performance acts to different venues to perform at. The employees have had to get other jobs to make ends meet when they are available. The general managers and owners have lost investments on their profits as a result of this incident. There has not been any estimates of how much this has costed the business but, rent on the space is still being paid without any income that has been received. The employees who worked for DC9 who were not involved with the incident have been able to find work at different venues that have been connected with DC9.

The point I am making is that something as violent as throwing a brick a window caused this big of an issue. It has now involved a community of people who are dealing with the loss of their own and a community of people who care for a well-respected bar/venue in the music scene. Hopefully, answers will be given within the next few months or so and issues will be resolved. With that said, only time will tell.

Creative Commons: The Fair Game Of Licensing

Two things that have concerned the music industry have been sampling and distribution of unauthorized work. In my line of business, this would be important in getting the word out with USB distribution. And the musical content that would be on these flash drives. My company would look to expand to other artists beyond the local area and connect with those different areas. However, some of these artists would use associations that would allow it. Therefore, we take a look at Creative Commons; a non-profit that is based on the use of sharing copyrighted work.

Creative Commons describes their organization as the following:

Creative Commons is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to making it easier for people to share and build upon the work of others, consistent with the rules of copyright.

We provide free licenses and other legal tools to mark creative work with the freedom the creator wants it to carry, so others can share, remix, use commercially, or any combination thereof.

With this in mind, the legal tools to for others to re-use and re-mix music or any other art forms is endless. My company would not go as far as providing this an option to the patrons that we would deal with. We would basically reach out to this non-profit association to see if there's any artists linked to it that would like to have their music distributed through the service we provide.

Also it seems that Creative Commons not only deals with the works of artists. It also deals in the world of education and science. The association is fairly new and started in the early 2000's. Here's a timeline of how the who organization and its different branches were divided for usage:

Founding
Founded in 2001 with the generous support of the Center for the Public Domain, CC is led by a Board of Directors comprised of thought leaders, education experts, technologists, legal scholars, investors, entrepreneurs and philanthropists.

Creative Commons licenses
In December 2002, Creative Commons released its first set of copyright licenses for free to the public. Creative Commons developed its licenses — inspired in part by the Free Software Foundation’s GNU General Public License (GNU GPL) — alongside a Web application platform to help you license your works freely for certain uses, on certain conditions; or dedicate your works to the public domain.

In the years following the initial release, Creative Commons and its licenses have grown at an exponential rate around the world. The licenses have been further improved, and ported to over 50 jurisdictions.

Science
Since 2005, Creative Commons has undertaken projects to build commons-based infrastructure for science through identifying and lowering unnecessary barriers to research, crafting policy guidelines and legal agreements, and developing technology to make research, data and materials easier to find and use.

Education
Creative Commons also works to minimize legal, technical, and social barriers to sharing and reuse of educational materials, with dedicated projects in this field since starting in 2007.

Global infrastructure for sharing
Creative Commons licenses, public domain tools, and supporting technologies have become the global standard for sharing across culture, education, government, science, and more.

I think its safe to say that Creative Commons definitely bridges the gap of sharing work with others. Hoping to achieve some sort of middle ground between people who want permission to use others works and people who grant that permission. This could be the result of having a level of respect amongst peers who want to avoid illegal use of copyrighted works. I would definitely like to connect my company with this organization in order to gain some sort of knowledge on working with different artists and gaining their permission for distributing their work.

Inspirational by connecting people.

I was looking around on this www.TED.com trying to find a particular speech from a inspirational speaker with their thoughts and ideas. I saw a few good ideas that I figured were not bad but nothing that I could see that reflected my vision. Until I saw this video:

Very inspiring to see this come together. And it spoke it to me because it is the very innovation of music that I have been witnessing over the past few years. The conductor, Eric Whitacre, was not formally trained to be a classical music conductor until he was 18. Now he is a ranked one of the best composers of all of our generation. I feel kind of odd not knowing who this person was beforehand. Its probably due to my in-depth knowledge for hip hop and etc. but, the fact that he has connected with technology with classical music is very motivational.

A choir over the internet is something you wouldn't have been able to tell me about before. Its almost as if he didn't even need to speak on his shortcomings, struggles, and etc. to become one of the most well-known composers. Its all in the music he is presenting in this video. A peaceful sentiment of gathering melodic voices. Visuals that show togetherness in a shape or form that we never thought we would see in this manner. Its almost like Eric Whitacre is saying that after the hard work he has done and continues to do, he is at peace with himself with what he has accomplished. Or it could interpreted as something that he has always wanted to do as far bringing others together to share the experience of music with him. Who knows. But The one thing that speaks high volumes about this video is that he has truly made an art out of his goals and accomplishments. It has been recognized and by seeing this proves how powerful his motivational has been to have people join him in his creative process.

There are already collaborations taking place via internet. The producer will send a track to the vocalist and the vocalist will the track back with the vocals and await for a mix and final product of the song. This shows the ability to have a live connection at the same time. Having everyone in sync to have one voice. I think thats what really speaks to me about this. The fact that this can be the future of musicianship. A virtual world where everyone is logged into the internet to collaborate on a project at the same time. I hope to see more of this in the future.

Droppin' Science 1st Anniversary (Video Killers)

I had the pleasure to attend a innovative weekly event that takes place in uptown area of Washington, DC. Thanks to promoter Molly Ruland, I have been honored to attend an event called Droppin' Science which infuses DJs using videos to mix with their music by a group called Video Killers. And they are managed by Molly Ruland's entertainment group, One Love Massive Entertainment. The event took place last year and has been running every Thursday at Science Club (1136 19th St. NW) ever sense. It is free of charge and no dress code but it is 21 and up with your ID required. The main DJ, John Bowden, takes classic videos from rock/hip hop/reggae/dance music genres and remixes the audio and visual parts of each song. For example, an acapella of a Young Jeezy song could be heard over an instrumental reggae track by Peter Tosh as a mash-up. Tons of examples of these kind of remixes has made this event stand out within the Washington, DC area. Along with good marketing that involves such logos seen below which currently there are t-shirts for.

One thing that I have discussed with Molly Ruland about setting up this event is that the planning process for completing takes a long time. One thing she has told me is that it started slow and that when the event first began, it started in the fall season when the weather was pretty rough. She had to prepare with her team for that aspect and make sure that she secured the location to hold Droppin' Science at this venue. The planning to development event relied on expansion of the event and outreach to other people to assist with putting the event together. One Love Massive Entertainment has made a deal with another company, Ugo 1st Productions, in bringing in talent every other work. Mostly emcees to host the event. Ugo 1st has been planning acts at least 5 to 6 weeks in advance which has been working in their favor.

Financially, Molly and her company had to make sure that even though the event is free, the bar, the DJ, and the staff at the event get paid. Just like a lot of events like these, Molly's company takes percentage at the bar. Depending on the turnout and how the bar makes it sales will determine how much she is able to distribute amongst her team after she settles her payout with the venue. Earlier, Molly indicated that it did a take a financial hit a few times where coming out of pocket was the only way to maintain stability for this event. But now, the pace has improved for this event and Droppin' Science has gain more notice over the years.

I think most important lesson to pull away from what Molly Ruland, John Bowden, and the rest of the people who have helped developed Droppin' Science is that, persistence pays off in the end. The marketing and packaging of the event has helped developed the name of it more so than ever. Also, it gave Molly's company a chance to connect with other who would like to help out with event. And yes, I will be involved with helping this event and I am one of those people whom she reached out to. And I will end this post out with video of me showing the event some love.

Ardamus Showing Birthday Love! from OneLoveMassive on Vimeo.

The Power Of Teamwork: Doomtree (Minneapolis, MN) and Living Legends (Los Angeles, CA)

One thing about the entertainment industry is that teams are key to any success. No matter if it is a full team of colleagues backing one person or the playing field is even with everyone involved, it is key that the support is there. For music labels, groups, or crews, you will have various folks focus on different aspects. You will have a mastermind that can support marketing (especially in multimedia), a talented ear that can support the audio production as well as the mixing and mastering, and then you have the performance talent. This is the real importance of having a team support you. The combined efforts of people completing a big project can help more than what one person could attempt to do. Lets look at a few examples.

There's a hip hop crew by the name of Doomtree out of Minneapolis, MN. A newer group to the scene that has punk rock ethics tied to how they put their music out and support each other on their projects. You can even see it in the videos.

For example, we have one of the crew members, rapper Mike Mictlan, with his own video, "Prizefight". In support of one of his projects. Now, in the background for this you have one of the producers (also vocalist) of the group, Lazerbeak, supporting him. And you see Mike's shirt that reads "Doomtree" which indicates the support of the group as a whole even though he is enduring a solo effort.


In Lazerbeak's"Let It Go" video, you will see Mike Mictlan to the side of him in the beginning of the video. Which indicates initial peer support for the group.

Lazerbeak "Let It Go" Music Video from Doomtree Records on Vimeo.

Now, it is a small task just to appear in someone's video but honestly this proves one thing: a project can be a continuous process overall with constant support from the group. The project management here is that you are not stopping with one album as the project and are to be done with the group. The catalog of the group begins to develop as time goes on with the help of people of talents behind the scenes. Producers of the group, P.O.S., Cecil Otter, Paper Tiger, and MK Larada, often handle more than one aspect of the group's appearance and output of releases. It also helps them to become more noticeable as a unit throughout the release of their projects when people hear of them as one. Its funny because I happen to stumble upon this promotional tool of more of the artists in the Doomtree group. A website by the name of Daytrotter has created a free download of some of the crew members music to show their diversity as a musical group and overall unity as artists together (http://www.daytrotter.com/dt/doomtree-concert/20030911-37381997.html). This following write-up points out the social commonalities that the other crew members, Dessa, SIMS, Mike Mictlan, and Cecil Otter share with each other musically and in the form of the message.

To take it back a few years, lets look at indie hip hop group, Living Legends. The one thing about this group that has stuck over the years if the DIY theory they have maintained and supported one another with over the years. And as a result they have been able to grow and gain successful fame from it. Which goes back the idea of the project overall does not stop with one project but several projects. And the overall outcome is a group with a consistent sound that has a catalog.

Take a look at this video from one of the last Living Legends video.

This a song taken from their project "The Gathering". In an interview with rapper MURS, formally signed to Warner Bros., it was admitted that "The Gathering" was made once there was an opportunity for the group to use professional studios as opposed to the studios in other group members's houses. And after touring with another for so many years and not being able to put anything as a group for a while, it was seen as a good project to bring the group back together.

They have achieved their goal and it seems that the catalog of they've done is very much proof of it (click here). Doing a lot production, recording, and marketing themselves has not only garnered them a good reputation but it has financially kept them sound from project to project that they put out on an independent level. Whether it is collaborative efforts amongst each other, with outside artists from different labels, or as a crew together, Living Legends has exemplified the importance of project management many times over and over. They are all supportive of one another which has helped them endure sponsors from different companies such as clothing line LRG and Reebok to put limited edition shoes attributed to the hard work put forth by the Living Legends crew.

Overall, the point is that the team work involved in the projects that both crews have put out get recognized and they become seen as one force. Maintaining individuality with respect to everyone's craft and giving support to each other when it is most needed. And the results from these continuous collaborative efforts set the standard for unity, discipline, balance, and persistence.

Hip Hop + Internet + Innovation = www.djbooth.net

There are quite a few websites that you visit that have poor presentation. And if they have media available, its never user friendly and it gets to be a hassle to check out the website. But it looks like www.djbooth.net has broken the mold with its updates of new artists and willingness to keep its audience interested.

First thing that you will notice in the toolbar is that the website is obviously connected to the PLN Network. Their facebook currently has 11,309 fans on their page and as for twitter, they currently have 17,610 followers. This is a true testament to how this website has been able to lock down their target demographic. The site itself is complete with a sections for recent updates, new music to download, interviews, website features, and etc. all at the audience's disposal. One thing about the site that I found pretty interesting is site very own media player. Lets take for example an artist (who I actually enjoy listening to), Greenspan, was able to put out his new mixtape, Got Green 2, through DJbooth.net. One thing that DJBooth gives you the option of doing is previewing the mixtape before you download it for free. The downside of it is that you can't share the media player because honestly, its worth doing However, you share the link with options for using email, facebook, twitter, and others.

The independent charts for DJBooth.net says a lot about the artists they support. If it is an artist that is registered to the site, they use this as a promotional tool in order to have fans of the artists support their placement within the charts. However, how these charts are voted upon is still a mystery. Regardless, the charts are very up to date and current within the week's span.




There is also a section for album reviews. Not only can you read the review for yourself but you can also rate the project and give a commentary on the review also. The rating system is based on stars. The features section premieres more so events and upcoming projects that their audience maybe interested in. This is where you can see the overall usage of the site being friendly to the visitor. Beyond just being able to preview the free music they post, DJBooth is dedicated to making sure that the visitors that they have on their site are able to function on the site well.

In conclusion, I frequently visit DJBooth.net as a source of new music and innovative creativity that they put forth. This is one of the very few hip hop sites that does it well with quality and quantity even on the same playing field. Whenever you get the chance, definitely support this website.

Blockhead: The Producer You Need To Support

Known for his heavy hitter production for the Def Jux camp, his releases on Ninja Tune, and his comedic side on the Party Fun Action Committee album, I was able to get a few responses from Blockhead. Currently, he has released his new album "The Music Scene" which has gotten some good response on the PLN network (Twitter, Facebook). Before Blockhead set off to go on tour and promote his new album, he was cool enough to sit down and answer a few questions.

Blockhead. How'd you ever get that nickname? I know you had some other nicknames that were just as funny.

I got the name from my square head. back when I took it on, I was rapping and it was the early/mid 90's. Back when rappers had self depreciating names. As for other nicknames, I actually never had any. I wanted to go by YNOT (cause my real name is Tony) but Common Sense' boy had already taken that.

Ok, cool, so I think I first heard you producing back in between when Aesop Rock put out "Applseed" and when Mush Records put out Aesop Rock's "Float". Breakdown how you got you start in production.

As I said earlier, I was a rapper first. Around late 94 I decided to buy a sampler. Up until that point I had been going over to friends houses and back seat driving with their beats and I wanted to do my own shit. Shortly after that my dreams of being a rapper faded and I realized I was much better suited for making beats.

All of your albums tend to have a heavy visual presence. From seeing your last video, "The Music Scene", you have quite a connection with making sure its done right. How'd that video come about?

Actually, I hod nothing to do with it. My label asked me if it was cool if some dude did an animated video for one of my songs. I said "sure" but didn't really think about it after that. 5 months later , That video came out and I was blown away.


"The Music Scene" from Anthony Francisco Schepperd on Vimeo.

A long time ago, I think you mentioned Willie D was one of you favorite rappers. You ever send him some beats?

HAHA! Nah...I wish. I actually think he still has good verses left in him (when he's not selling bogus cell phones in Abu Dabi or some shit). I simply have no solid connect to him and not enough money to pay him if we did connect. It would be awesome though...

For the beatmakers/producers who drool over their MPCs, what do you use for production?

I rock an old ass ASR-10. Same one I've had since the beginning. Over the last few years I've added Abelton into the mix but I still work primarily off the ASR.

Just recently, it has been clear that Def Jux is either on some sort of hiatus or closing its doors. Being that you were a part of that family producing for Aesop Rock and doing parody music with Party Fun Committee, How do you feel about that?

I'd say it was par for the course. Record labels and selling music are pretty much a wrap unless you're one of those rare, lucky acts that still had crazy fan support. I think Jux pulled out at the right time. It's sad to see it go but , shit, these things happen. Now , more than ever.

Who is the one person you have yet to work with that you are trying to work with?

Hmm...depends. I'll always wanna work with Doom And Ghostface. Willie D. Kool G rap ( for old times sake). As for new guys, Danny Brown, Jay Electronica and Earl Sweatshirt. Basically, cause they're the only new rappers I really check for anyway.


Any final comments?

Eh, Live long and prosper?

Blockhead's new album, "The Music Scene", is out on Ninja Tune.

Downloading is not all black and white. There's some grey areas.

In the field of the music industry, the main topic is always how the average has access to download music. Furthermore, there are online content providers, or also known as bloggers, that have posted such music for free. Take for example, a popular album by a popular artist on Atlantic may drop and the album is leaked online. The labels will do a quick shutdown of the link found that is giving the musical content for free. Most of the time, its major labels who do this but, quite a few independent music labels follow this trend as well. This is very common and nothing really new if you keep with the trend of consumers downloading music more be it legal or illegally online. With that being said, what is the thin line of a legal and illegal download.

In recent news, there is a blog website I visit often called . Which is a very popular hip hop website dedicated to promoting a lot of underground artists and some major label music. From time to time, there have been links uploaded of various remix projects or original sample projects of classic albums on the website. This has has given kevinnottingham.com its standout presence within the blogosphere world of hip hop hop music. Recently, the owner of the site, Kevin Nottingham, just released a statement voicing his frustration of cease and desist letters he has received from lawyers about some of the content he has distributed. The latest cease and desist letter he has received was involving a tribute project to LL Cool J's "Mama Said Knock You Out". In all actuality, Mr. Nottingham pointed out a few things wrong with this issue. First of all, the project was free and there no profits being made the project. Second, it was a tribute so, albums that usually tributes do not have to go through the same process as regular albums. Third, the producer of the original album applauded the effort of the tribute album and did not voice an opinion of wanting of taking legal action. There was also an assumption that LL Cool J probably has not heard this album himself. Good points made by Kevin Nottingham but lets hope the legal team of Todd Smith does not go to greater lengths to sue for an album that is not making profits.

One has to question if the issue of downloading is reaching a bit. Its understandable if its an illegal download that has not been paid for. But certain downloads that are free that major labels and legal teams jump feels like they're not reading in between the lines. And also, it can sound like a desperate attempt to salvage money for clients and artists if they're in the wrong. Lets take famous producer of Gnarles Barkely, Dangermouse, for example. He remixed Jay-Z's Black Album with the Beatles White Album and made the Grey Album. If you don't the story here's a summary. This story important always has a few people scratching their heads because, EMI was trying to sue Dangermouse but what could they sue for? Promo copies of the album circulated and continually, the interest in the album grew. Therefore, in the end of all the chaos, the label thought "ok, lets make a deal with this guy". Apparently, they saw the popularity behind what Dangermouse has done and figured an olive branch of peace to be extended was in order.

So, in conclusion, the viral marketing of downloading is not anything easy to explain when it is a promotional tool being used to reach a broader audience. Hopefully, more companies will understand the importance and make wise decisions about downloads. They will know when stop a download from being illegal and know when a download is actually better marketing than some of their usual marketing tools. Its not easy to point out in details but it can be done.

Google Music Is Coming For You.....And You......And You.....

Its like Google will not give up on taking over. And make Apple aware of that in the distance. If you are unware of what I speak, it is the newest installment of what Google is doing. If you are unaware of what I speak of, do yourself a quick favor and do a twitter search or even look up on facebook to find out about Google Music. Or matter of fact, you can google it; pun intended. Funny thing is the timing of when the Google Music application will be launched.

According to this recent article, http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/09/07/itunes-beware-google-music-coming-soon/, the launch of Google Music will be within the holiday season. Also, it is to be used as an alternative to iTunes. The significance of that is that even though iTunes itself has become a universal tool to use, it definitely has not been the most helpful for consumers who would like to buy music. Even with a Mac computer, the accessibility to iTunes its not always perfect and you take a chance with a PC for access; too bad Windows Media Player hasn't made more of stance in this department.

Now part of this article is asking if iTunes should be worried. Well, its funny that was brought because not only is Google talking to the record labels about their service, there will also be some involvement with the android phone (http://mashable.com/2010/06/22/google-music-android/). Seems like the future of the music business is here and we don't see it. Its not making things cheaper and its not making everything completely easier in the business. Its making everything more accessible than what most people can imagine. However, the way of how it will work seems to be very in general. Will it compete with the newly launched iTunes Ping? Sounds like it will but knowing Google, the search function for Google Music with be remarkable. And with Google Music possible giving an alternative to what iTunes can provide, we can only imagine the endless possibilities.

If you haven't seen what Dr. Dre has been up to, take a look at his latest products at http://beatsbydre.com. And no, the products are not cheap. But apparently worth every cent.

Pretty fancy, right? A producer in the hip hop community who pretty much needs no introduction is going the path of technology in order make up for the delays of his upcoming project, Detox. Or with the help of, Jimmy Iovine (president of Interscope Records), he is taking a new market that has been explored but not at this level. But wait, there is more. Check out what else Dr. Dre is doing:

Now, its getting serious. I have to thank Full Sail for providing me with a Macbook Pro but I cannot get over the crazy specs on this limited edition laptop HP created (http://www.shopping.hp.com/go/beats). Designed with Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine's vision, they pretty much created a laptop that can handle multimedia capablities. In particular, its for audio production. The laptop and the headphones both have been out since last year with the price on the products dropping as the product gets more popular.

I might be a little late on posting this but the point of this is to see what is the new trend of the music industry. Will everyone come out with their very own pair of headphones? Lady Gaga apparently did (http://beatsbydre.com/products/Products.aspx?pid=B5596) and oddly enough, it is connection with Dr. Dre's new franchise. Diddy, owner of the successful Bad Boy Entertainment record label, was also convinced (http://www.beatsbydre.com/products/Products.aspx?pid=B5624). Looks like the attachment of a product will be one of the saving graces in the music industry. Well, at least thats what it appears to be on the major labels. Hopefully, the independent industry can experience the same kind of oppurtunities.