I remember back in the days the closest you could get to knowing rappers or r&b artists personally besides interviews was the fan mail shyt in the back of Word Up or Vibe or Source Mag. Back then rappers/r&b singers were mythical, when you didnt know shyt about them but their music and the interviews they give here and there. Social media is one of the elements of the decline of hip hop culture where alot of these rappers and r&b singers can't help but fiend for attention and in result expose how lame they really are.
Chris Brown
Wale
Joe Budden
These three are the main examples of social media ruining your entire brand. Even Talkb Kweli to an extent..dude stays on twitter forever arguing with racists and black folks about political subjects. Makes him come off as just another cornball who is always arguing while his music is an afterthought.
Social media is the devil. You will never see a elusive mythical soul like Sade using it or on there talking about her personal life or feelings on a political subject. Sade was always known for her mysteriousness which was an additional appeal to her music. Many artists today should take note.
You can stay connected to your fans by giving them music. That's it. You owe them nothing else. Not even a thank you. Because at the end of the day, your downfall is more entertaining than your rise. Alot of these "fans" out here just wanna see you fail. Don't give them a reason to