Is Kendrick Lamar the best execution of an industry plant in the history of music?

[Cynic]

I thought Tech9ine was the CEO of Strange Music. The hell? This cac is the leader?

That cac is the reason tech went independent to begin with .....

 

[SirBiatch]

Drake is the most successful pop rap plant
Kendrick is the most successful "conscious" plant

Kendrick's whole story is perfect
-From Compton, a city with a lot of hip hop history behind it, as well as being known as a rough city to grow up in
-Got a Dre cosign
-"goes against the grain" of the mainstream while simultaneously being a part of it
-"Gets signed" after being indie when in reality he's been signed for years
-Critically acclaimed no matter what he does, like Kanye, even for subpar records like Section.80
-Section.80 his breakout record received shyt tons of critical acclaim at a perfect time
-Major label backing
-Massive debut of GKMC (which is really a subpar record), tons of guests from the industry, Dre cosign
-Critically acclaimed crew when they're all pretty subpar, Ab-Soul especially
-Schoolboy Q receiving critical acclaim for not good records
-came from a group that was buzzing in the undergound, likely completely manufactured as a group
-Released hipster bait "jazz" hip hop and some kind of overarching concept that people can't seem to agree on
-Make it slightly more difficult and inaccessible so people can pat themselves on the back for liking it
-Enlist industry legends such as George Clinton who can't name a single Kendrick or lyric when asked
-Got more critical acclaim
-Connected himself to 2pac in one of the most corny moves in hip hop history, trying to solidify his "GOAT" narrative
-Buzz over a trash verse in Control simply because he called people out
-Conveniently connected to interscope and aftermath, a group known for manufacturing "GOATs" (Eminem anyone?)

And does Kendrick ever really say anything controversial? Is anyone paying attention to what Kendrick is saying besides the fans? I doubt it. He's no household name.

To me this is like Eminem's story. They just made a pop star into a GOAT rapper by having a dude with some talent. Em has no real classics, Kendrick, well he definitely wont. TPAB is damn sure no 9/10 though. It's all marketing, and you know they're invested heavily into Kenny and the whole narrative they have going. They have SO much money in this. It's not Drake vs Kenny and the people, it's Drake's McDonald's vs Kendrick's Burger King. Two manufactured icons.

fixed and Great post. Gonna anger a lot of rosenbergs though.

 

[CASHAPP]

Hope you work out your medical issues Aries Spears JR!!!

 

[SirBiatch]

Please ignore me. I'm whoring for your attention and my struggle jokes aren't working. You make me so angry on a daily basis I begged the mods to ban you and nothing happened

Aight weirdo

 

[hex]

I mean we're supposed to believe him because? Sounds like word of mouth shyt to me. And how does this make one a "industry plant?". Why is that a problem? To whom does it affect? People listen to music and either fukk with or don't. Besides...

You can be signed to a label and still make independent. The rest is just "tinfoil" bullshyt

How is it word of mouth shyt when Strange Music was obviously working with TDE during the time frame he's talking about? He's not giving you a second hand account....Interscope had to approach him to make the deal happen.

Ask yourself why wouldn't you believe him? Aside from it paints TDE in a negative light. Because the alternative....he's just lying for no reason....makes no sense.

And hiding a major label deal while pretending to be indie is the definition of being a plant. If you don't care about it neither do I for the reasons you outlined but let's not play dumb here.

Fred.

 

[Kaypain]

How is it word of mouth shyt when Strange Music was obviously working with TDE during the time frame he's talking about? He's not giving you a second hand account....Interscope had to approach him to make the deal happen.

Ask yourself why wouldn't you believe him? Aside from it paints TDE in a negative light. Because the alternative....he's just lying for no reason....makes no sense.

And hiding a major label deal while pretending to be indie is the definition of being a plant. If you don't care about it neither do I for the reasons you outlined but let's not play dumb here.

Fred.

So you're obligated to announce a deal the moment the papers are signed? I'm confused

Why does it matter when it's announced?

As I said you can be signed and still make independent albums.

 

[KEEPITTRILLA]

if anyone ever asks you to explain the booth to them just show them this thread yall clowns r funny as fukk

 

[Biscayne]

nah but Strange Music CEO (the person who gave Jay Rock his debut) already explained it.

Its fact. Kendrick is a plant.



and to answer the OP yes...next to Drake.

I watched this whole interview last night. And while it was VERY interesting and informative(I learned some things about Tech and Strange Music that I didn't know) he doesn't explain how Kendrick is an industry plant, at all....

Only thing he touched on was them going to TDE and how TDE was Indy. None of them corroborate the laundry list of reasons that users have posted in here, as to how KDot is an industry plant.

 

[hex]

So you're obligated to announce a deal the moment the papers are signed? I'm confused

Why does it matter when it's announced?

As I said you can be signed and still make independent albums.

You aren't confused, you're in denial. The shyt is not hard to understand, at all.

He literally said "they didn't immediately announce the deal so it would seem like they were independent"....you ain't gotta guess why they did it, or be confused. Or say things like "but they aren't obliged to announce it". He is point blank telling you the agenda behind not announcing it.

And again, Jay Rock was signed to Strange Music in 2010....he's the only one from TDE Strange Music signed. You're acting like this guy is a random poster on The Coli just talking out his ass....he had business dealings with TDE before anybody even knew who they were.

he doesn't explain how Kendrick is an industry plant, at all....

Only thing he touched on was them going to TDE and how TDE was Indy. None of them corroborate the laundry list of reasons that users have posted in here, as to how KDot is an industry plant.

He said TDE/Kendrick hid the deal long after they signed to Interscope, in an attempt to appear indie to fans. That is the definition of a plant.
As I said before I don't even give a fukk if he's a plant but some of you dudes are taking easily understood facts and "so how is he a plant, what's a plant, what's the harm in hiding the Interscope deal?"....the shyt is silly.

Fred.

 

[Biscayne]

You aren't confused, you're in denial. The shyt is not hard to understand, at all.

He literally said "they didn't immediately announce the deal so it would seem like they were independent"....you ain't gotta guess why they did it, or be confused. Or say things like "but they aren't obliged to announce it". He is point blank telling you the agenda behind not announcing it.

And again, Jay Rock was signed to Strange Music in 2010....he's the only one from TDE Strange Music signed. You're acting like this guy is a random poster on The Coli just talking out his ass....he had business dealings with TDE before anybody even knew who they were.





He said TDE/Kendrick hid the deal long after they signed to Interscope, in an attempt to appear indie to fans. That is the definition of a plant.
As I said before I don't even give a fukk if he's a plant but some of you dudes are taking easily understood facts and "so how is he a plant, what's a plant, what's the harm in hiding the Interscope deal?"....the shyt is silly.

Fred.

How much did Kendrick appearing Indie appeal to fans or boost record sales, or shape people's opinions on his ability to rap? This Industry Plant nonsense is a new millennium, silly, internet culture phenomenon. I need the stats on how that influences people's personal views on an artist. Speaking for me, I heard Good Kidd Maad City, and AUTOMATICALLY thought it was one of the greatest albums I heard.

I didn't give two DAMNS about if TDE was an independent label, who they were funded by, who was in charge, literally NONE of that stuff had any bearing of what I enjoyed sonically from that album. Before hearing that album, I only heard Kendricks name here and there, but I had no real interest in listening to his music, until a friend of mine posted his whole album on his facebook timeline.

He said the album was dope in his status, and I said to myself "Aight I'll listen" I literally went into that album with NO preconceived notions on who Kendrick was as an artist and his rise to power. I need the receipts on how the perception of his rise to power influences people's views on his rapping skills, his sound, and him as an all-around artist. This is all silly as hell.....

 

[Wacky D]

I don't care, here's what you can do, debate these points if you want...you ain't changing my mind but you might change someone elses.

- Kendrick has been given a platform..you might think he's overrated or outright wack, but I don't think a lot of people would disagree that he's making good with his opportunity and honestly expressing himself through rap...that's enough for me.

- Grooming an artist "behind the scenes" and getting them polished before they went public was standard practice. The only reason they do it like they do it now is because there is no reason to waste time "practicing" when you can let them develop as "indie" artists and still sell their music.

You nikkas act like figuring that out is such a revalation and such an important thing to point up, who gives a fukk...Record Labels sell music, surprise surprise surprise.

As for your point in the bold, we NEVER really owned this shyt. We may have had more say/input at one time because we were the core demographic of consumers and the gate keepers as far as the parameters of the culture, but the jack move was in effect as soon as Rappers Delight hit the air waves.

Pointing out "industry plants" is a lost cause. You aren't going to get control or ownership back of some shyt we never controlled or owned in the first place...L-I-G it Reggie..there are better ways to go about this.

youre completely ignoring the part about the façade being created that these guys were underground kings who were later signed after having an immense organic buzz. that's the main point and you know it.

and stop acting like labels are doing this with all artists.

great post.

You're right I've never heard someone use the term plant outside the internet..

Plus the record company job is to push an artist. It's a business I don't see why people can't understand that. Maybe my definition of plant is different, but it's really to me.

that's because the internet is where these plants are worked!!!!

people who aren't internet savvy are under the assumption that these guys popped off in their respective hometowns/regions/countries first.

I wonder what words people used to use before 'industry plant' was invented?

Oh that's right, people didn't give a shyt just as long as the music was dope.

this term is nothing new breh.

its just new to you.

First it was Chance the was a industry plant, now y'all running with the Kendrick is a plant angle now

Based on y'all criteria, anyone selling in hip hop these days is a industry plant

Any rapper that's not trap or biting dancehall is a industry plant huh?

Any rapper that's not making chicks twerk they ass off in the club is a industry plant huh?

where you been?

we were calling Kendrick out on being a plant before anybody even knew who chance the rapper was.

This is circular reasoning. Do you work in Interscope accounting? I'm explaining to you that merely having an affiliation with Interscope and getting a "push" does not guarantee success. I even reminded y'all that Dre came out and publicly endorsed Kendrick so this idea that he was being cultivated secretly is bs.

I just threw Truth Hurts in there as another Interscope/Aftermath flop that had a major release.

theres a difference between having an affiliation and getting a push.
theres also a difference between getting a push and being a plant/

Kendrick was signed long before they announced it.

they even had dre, snoop, kurupt, etc publicly endorse Kendrick while they were still frontin like Kendrick was independent.

 

[SunZoo]

youre completely ignoring the part about the façade being created that these guys were underground kings who were later signed after having an immense organic buzz. that's the main point and you know it.

and stop acting like labels are doing this with all artists.

I'm ignoring it because it doesn't matter.

All I car about is if he's doing justice to the craft, he is in my opinion.

The rest of that shyt..

 

[hex]

How much did Kendrick being Indy appeal to fans or boost record sales, or shape people's opinions on his ability to rap? This Industry Plant nonsense is a new millennium, silly, internet culture phenomenon. I need the stats on how that influences people's personal views on an artist. Speaking for me, I heard Good Kidd Maad City, and AUTOMATICALLY thought it was one of the greatest albums I heard.

I didn't give two DAMNS about if TDE was an independent label, who they were funded by, who was in charge, literally NONE of that stuff had any bearing of what I enjoyed sonically from that album. Before hearing that album, I only heard Kendricks name here and there, but I had no real interest in listening to his music, until a friend of mine posted his whole album on his facebook timeline.

He said the album was dope in his status, and I said to myself "Aight I'll listen" I literally went into that album with NO preconceived notions on who Kendrick was as an artist and his rise to power. I need the receipts on how the perception of his rise to power influences people's views on his rapping skills, his sound, and him as an all-around artist. This is all silly as hell.....

I don't personally care about this either.

But there's a difference in saying "I don't care"....and disingenuously taking the evidence and saying it don't exist. Which is what you did.

As far as how effective his ploy was....who knows....but if the CEO of one of the biggest indie labels on the planet is telling you "this is something artists do, they pretend to be indie to drum up interest"....it's kinda goofy to demand hard stats. He's telling you it happens, what more proof do you need? The exact number of people this swayed to buy his albums? Because that info is obviously not available.

Fred.

 

[SunZoo]

I don't personally care about this either.

But there's a difference in saying "I don't care"....and disingenuously taking the evidence and saying it don't exist. Which is what you did.

As far as how effective his ploy was....who knows....but if the CEO of one of the biggest indie labels on the planet is telling you "this is something artists do, they pretend to be indie to drum up interest"....it's kinda goofy to demand hard stats. He's telling you it happens, what more proof do you need? The exact number of people this swayed to buy his albums? Because that info is obviously not available.

Fred.

I think it's less to sell albums and more to establish an emotional connection for when they actually "debut".

You had cats on here not wanting to count S80 as an album when it went gold when it was time to compare his first album to the other top 5 rappers of all time.

 

[R.E.N. Spells Ren]

I always thought the term 'industry plant' referred to someone who was put in place for ulterior motives.

Reading through this thread I see y'all use it to describe anyone who gets a push behind them. Who gives a shyt about that?