[JACQUES] If you don’t protect your music, someone is probably going to leak it. Today
hacked songs even appear on *paid* streaming services, where things are supposed to be
cleared.
For instance, take Atlanta’s Playboi Carti.
Fans can't wait for his upcoming project "Whole Lotta Red" and while Carti is working on it,
instead of music, all we've gotten is a whole lotta leaks.
The songs keep escaping like in June when 5 cuts ended up on Apple music - much to his
frustration.
Or, in May 2019 when a leak of Young Nudy’s “Pissy Pamper” featuring Carti made it
to No.1 on the Spotify Viral 50.
When Genius spoke to Lil Kambo who posted the leak, he told us quote.
I posted it to my channel not thinking about how big it would get. I posted it on the Playboi
Carti reddit to help the fans find the song.” It feels like the only person *not* putting
out Playboi Carti’s music is Carti himself.
But like the Kambo told us, it’s because the fans, subsisting on a steady diet of snippets,
want the real product. Carti isn’t alone - his frequent collaborator
Lil Uzi Vert, is in the same boat with his often delayed project, Eternal Atake.
In April, two E. A. songs leaked - the Working on Dying produced “Sanguine Paradise”
and “That’s A Rack.”
The songs were later released officially but in an interview with Genius, W-O-D manager
Finesse said the leaks were fueled by desperate fans, like another rapper’s situation in
‘08. [FINESSE] This is very reminiscent of that
era of Wayne where his music was leaking...
And now we’re getting to the point where if the artist doesn’t give it to em, they
say we’re going to come take it. [JACQUES] And take it they will - in fact,
Uzi fans even crowdfunded money to pay for songs. Who can forget Uzi confronting
an alleged leaker in 2016? [UZI] Fucking hacking all my shit motherfuckin
leaking my music. Yea that my goddamn job. Fucking up relationships with other motherfuckers
that I fuck with ol' bitch ass nigga. [JACQUES] And leaks do mess things up.
[FINESSE] In no way shape or form do we support leaks because it hurts the artist and it hurts
the producer. From a financial standpoint, from a marketing standpoint...it’s hard.
[JACQUES] In addition to Uzi and Carti, Young Thug recently faced a massive leak. And Kanye
West’s “Yandhi” album has endured crowdfunded leaks - sometimes running into the thousands
of dollars. One producer even asked a fan to take them down.
Ultimately, leaks ruin marketing and recording plans that were months in the making.
[UGLY GOD] It fucks up the roll-out of shit. I haven’t dropped music in so long that
when I drop shit I want it to be like damn this nigga hasn’t dropped shit in a minute.
[JACQUES] That’s Ugly God. The 2017 XXL Freshman recently announced that his next
release, “Bumps & Bruises” would drop on August 2019, two years after his first
project, 2017’s “The Booty Tape.”
But in June, he accidentally sent 100 songs to a fan who then held them for ransom.
[JACQUES] He brushed it off - but *believe it or not* this wasn’t the first time. In
March 2019, someone hacked his twitter account offering to sell folks the scavenged music.
[JACQUES] And it’s not just rap - pop has its share of leaks too.
Singer Charli XCX hasn’t released a full length album since December 2014’s ‘Sucker.’
In the interim she dropped two mixtapes 2017’s “Number 1 Angel” and “Pop 2.”
While prepping her third album she suffered a massive leak and pretty much had to start
over. [CHARLI] It was like all my music ever...I
found out because I just saw people tweeting about it and I was like ooo bummer.
[JACQUES] She bounced back and in June 2019, announced that her eponymously named third
album will finally see the light of day in September.
But for some, a leak can be so bad that they don’t want to start over. This was the case
for British singer Jai Paul who’s early 2010s songs “Jasmine” and “BTSTU”
made him the talk of pop music.
In April 2013, he was the victim of a massive leak and responded by stepping out of the
public eye.
In June 2019 Paul returned with a mastered project of the some of the same leaks from
April 2013 and two new songs - “He” and “Do You Love Her Now?”
He even included a note explaining the leaks and his departure saying quote.
I understand that it might have seemed like a positive thing to a lot of people – the
music they had been waiting to hear was finally out there – but for me, it was very difficult
to deal with...I believe it’s important for artists as creators to have some control
over the way in which their work is presented, at a time that they consider it complete and
ready. These are just a few examples of artists trying
to keep their music to themselves, so, is there a happy medium between creating the
best art and giving the fans what they want? Who knows. I’m Jacques Morel with Genius News, bringing
you the meaning and the knowledge behind the music. Peace!