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Who is Kiana Ledé?: The Story Behind the “Jealous” Singer

April 28, 2023

From Kidz Bop idol to R&B and pop singer, Kiana Ledé has fully planted herself within the music industry. The release of her latest single “Jealous” featuring Ella Mai adds to her growing achievements

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Breaking The Silence: A Look At Mental Health In The K-pop Industry

April 23, 2023

In the past few years, the K-pop culture has experienced a number of suicides, which has devastated the Korean entertainment industry. Sulli from f(x), Jonghyun from SHINee, Goo Hara from KARA, and

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Breaking Down The Genius of SZA’s Album ‘SOS’

April 20, 2023

Since SZA has released her latest album ‘SOS’, it has made a lot of buzz in the music industry. The album has received positive reviews for its combination of R&B, pop, and hip-hop and featured.....

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Korean Indie/Pop Rock Bands You Need To Know: Day6, The Rose, & HYUKOH

April 20, 2023

With K-pop bands like BTS, BLACKPINK, TWICE, and SEVENTEEN, Korean music has been on the rise over the past ten years. But Korea’s music culture doesn’t stop there....

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Show Me The Money: South Korea’s No. 1 Rap Competition

April 10, 2023

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WONHO: Rising Success After Departure From Monsta X

April 8, 2023

In October 2019, member of the K-pop group Monsta X, WONHO, faced allegations of drug usage, resulting in his departure from the group. Fans were disheartened by the news of him leaving and wondered..

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BMI’s Court Case Win Helps Songwriters in the Live Music Industry

April 1, 2023

Songwriters, composers, and publishers have long been underpaid when it comes to the live concert industry. However, a successful court case may be the first step to changing that.....

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How Has Social Media and Music Platforms Influenced and Evolved Music Creators?

March 28, 2023

Society has always placed a high value on music. As technology starts to become more part of our lives, social media and music platforms have become more and more prominent in the music business....

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The 24th Annual Latin Grammy Awards Put The Spotlight On Songwriters

March 28, 2023

The Latin GRAMMY Awards are changing it up this year for songwriters! On March 21, 2023, The Latin Recording Academy released a press release announcing various additions and changes to the awards...

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Meet NewJeans: The K-Pop Group Taking the World by Storm

March 22, 2023

Even if you haven't heard of NewJeans yet, there's a good chance you'll soon be humming along to their infectious tunes. The Korean pop group is quickly gaining international attention and breaking..

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Max Martin: Why a Pop-Hit Songwriter and Producer Created a Musical

March 31, 2023

Even if you don’t know who Max Martin is, you’ve definitely heard his songs. Hit-pop songs are kind of his thing after all. Martin first stepped into the music world in 1985 as a frontman for....

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MANILA GREY: Vancouver's Rising R&B Duo

March 18, 2023

The Filipino-Canadian duo from Vancouver has been releasing new tracks left and right, and they are known for their most streamed songs on Spotify, “Timezones,” and “Silver Skies.” Previously .......

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Like the Early Days of Hip-Hop: The Future of Blockchain in the Music Industry

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Photo: Royal

One of the biggest questions many spaces face today is how blockchain technology may overhaul industry norms, and the music industry is no exception. In particular, creators and listeners alike are wondering whether blockchain might disrupt long-held understandings of ownership, earning, and engagement through the distribution of musical non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

An early mover in the music and cryptocurrency space is rapper Snoop Dogg, who earlier this year launched his first NFT project with the blockchain gaming company Gala Games, making his newest album Bacc on Death Row available for purchase as a digital token. Other prominent artists such as Eminem, Lil Pump, and Nas have also provided their own drops for fans interested in the emerging space.

Hip-hop creators appear to be the most eager to embrace blockchain’s place in the music industry. Snoop Dogg’s son Champ Medici, a crypto entrepreneur, has likened NFTs to the early days of hip-hop.

In a conversation with skidrowcrypto, Champ Medici said, “When I look at the footage, and I see people in New York, see Biggie on the corner freestyling, and my dad in Long Beach freestyling with Nate Dogg and Warren G, I’m like—yo, this is the same shit we’re doing with NFTs. I’m linking up with artists, graphic designers, and creative people to come up with a concept that can keep people entertained and engaged. That’s the same as making music."

Snoop Dogg believes that NFTs have the potential to upend the current status quo in the music industry and make it more fair to artists and consumers. Placing the ownership of musical works in the hands of artists and consumers instead of record labels allows artists to retain much more of their earnings, and for fans to engage with their favourite creators in new ways, including collecting and selling works in similar ways to other collectibles markets. Taking the label out of the equation can also afford the artist more creative freedom and room for self-expression.

This new form of engagement will not completely see record labels out of the picture, however.

“[Labels] know that they have so much control traditionally,” Snoop says. “And all that they’re hearing about in the NFT [and] Metaverse space is that the artist has control.” As a result, he predicts, record labels will slowly but surely find ways to enter this space in an effort to maintain control.

While the exact role blockchain will play in the music industry remains uncertain, it is definitely carving out a place for itself, especially among hip-hop creators and fans. If you are an aspiring music creator interested in the crypto space, be sure to keep an eye out for new developments as there is no doubting that blockchain technology is here to stay.