Reggae Thiefs ... Who Dem?

[Upright]

Jammy thief Scientist and a truckload of other people! The whole GTA story, all major record labels thief from whomever they can!

in Belgium there's a saying; Jammy Killed more then the original dancehall!!

I think Jammy is a professional thief! Greensleeves to!

greetings

ps; let's get some clear vision on this and not start badmouthing to each other!!!

[Reggae Rhythm Update]

Your ps seems to contradict the main focus of your post.

So, other than being in Belgium, what is your context for posting this?

[Upright]

again reading an article on the Scientist vs Jammy in the GTA matter, and knowing that underpaying or not paying vocalists, musicians was a national sport in Jamaica.
another issue ... labels releasing classics on compilations ... why ... because that songs is old enough to release legally without having to pay royalties!

kinda strange that there is so much misery in a musical scene that promotes peace, love and unity!

really frustrating that producers, labels, managers, musicians, ... are getting caught up in the trickery of the money-industry!

the ps means, that we should be able to discuss this without getting verbally aggressive, if someone does not agree with the words of one, he can openly comment on it.

The rumours on Jammy & Greensleeves are not rumours, it's been discussed openly online, magazines, ... but to what extent are they thieving ... that i don't know.

Greetings

[Greg]

i agree with you upright. it doesnt just end with jammy. but many others. top of the list should be coxonne dodd. he exploited almost every artist to record in his studio! as well as bunny lee.

they have many different ways of getting around paying artists for their works. one way is riddim stealing. they would hire the bands as session musicians versus the whole band. avoiding having to give full credit. not only that but once you are a session player you are paid for your hourly services not creativity. aka slave labor once the riddim was layed down they mixed it 50million different ways to avoid getting caught up. then distributing it to all the singers in town, the producers and mixing engineers were just riding the gravy train.

[leggo rocker]

... and who killed King Tubby ...

[Jah Glu]

... and who killed King Tubby ...

I really just think it was some petty robber. What do you think?

[seb]

I think it's a bit easy to focus on producers and record companies and say here are the thieves.

Music industry has always been a bunch of crocodiles trying to eat the first piece of meat they find.

This fact not only applies to Jamaica but anywhere in the world. I wonder if there's a single exemple of a "nice" producer or record label doing this job for something else than its own interest. If so I guess his activity quickly collapsed and noone remembers him.

If you look at vinyl sellers (sometimes even CD), you'll see that some artists are reissuing albums & singles under their own labels and i would bet that they don't pay anything to the producer or record company that owns part of the copyrights. In that case, they can probably be considered as thieves themselves.

And don't forget that according to music industry we are the thieves everytime we download a mp3 (and before, everytime we copied a K7, then a CDR, and who knows what tomorrow).

I have the feeling that the only way an artist can earn money is to play live shows, do it well and as often as possible. There's nothing to expect from the albums/singles sells except fame (which brings people to the live shows).

In fact we may all be reggae thieves

[leggo rocker]

Playing good live shows as the only way for a musician to earn money?

Woah! That would sort out the armies of fakers, manufactured acts and talentless dross in double quick time.

I suspect about 95% of modern acts simply couldn't pull off a true live show. At least they can't without pre-recorded loops, backing tracks and a whole heap of FX to disguise their lack of true ability.

Funny how the hands of time are turning backwards here as this was once the way it worked. Live acts made money and recordings were practically just adverts for the artists' shows.

Bring it on...

[6anbatte]

For an absolutely hair raising (and eye opening) read check out;
**["Hitmen:Power Brokers And Fast Money Inside The Music Business"](http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_b/2 ... n&x=9&y=22)** by Frederic Dannen

[ACEtone]

Musicians and singers are now in a better position to take control of their careers than ever before, but there will always be the exploiters, the snakes, the sharks who promise much and give little in return after they have reaped most of the benefits.
That said, for every successful, producer, promoter, label there are many unsuccessful ones - just as in any business.

On the one hand, you can have a free for all system which Jamaica was for many years and probably still is - it works to the benefit of some but the detriment of many others. One wonders how so many wonderfully talented and visionary performers could end up penniless and prematurely decease due to no medical aid and poor diet.

Yet over-regulation such as the record industry in the US in recent years is an illustration of a different and more deliberate kind of exploitation. The big guns have the lawyers and the contracts and the artist is at their mercy. The lawyers job is to protect the record company and to exploit the raw material to the limits of what is legally allowed. This is considered good business and normal practice, but is clearly not moral!

One hopes that both these business models can be improved upon, but then your asking for the human animal to be improved and I don't think that is going to happen in a hurry.

Don't hold your breath!