If you did not know, although it was pretty hard to miss, over the last weekend the government (ICE - Homeland Security) shut down tons of popular hip hop and music websites, using copyright infringement as their general reason. The problem is, most websites including OnSmash.com say they always followed any suggestions by record labels to remove or even to post music, yet they were given no warning and their site was taken away.... Well now rappers are weighing in on the situation.
"This is bad enough that the climate of the industry is cold. Using viral outlets such as OnSmash makes us hot, once they take that away from us what outlets are we going to use to help feed our families." (Jim Jones Tells VIBE)N.O.R.E. released a statement on the situation and offered his thoughts on what alternative decisions could have been made for the seized sites.
"In light of the recent shut down of these great websites that I admire I wanted to speak. I remember having talks wit my partner Tito about only posting iTunes/amazon links of artists music of militainment and others. For the record I don't agree what the goverment is doing planning and plotting it's terrible. But I do see why the record labels are snitching. The Internet is so wonderful for asap attention,but perhaps no one has figured out how to get to make dollars and cents. I feel wit all the power that's these great websites have we can flip this into something good.FOR example when a artist drops a video or song I think it would help had the websites also post the iTunes/amazon links right next to it. I love giving away free music but if there's is a way for a artist to eat of that I am all for it.I am a partner in a website but I'm also a artist so people let's try and make it work ESP for those independent mother f*ckers who don't got corporate America behind them pause peAce hanghang hood chicken good morning good afternoon and got night." (57th Ave)
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