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10K80 August 25, 2020
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Your favorite rapper is popped and 360 deals are to blame

When it comes to your favorite rapper 360 deals might be holding them back from earning what they truly deserve.

We all know the record companies are bastards. It’s in every movie about the industry. But just how do they screw over their artists?

It has been well known that the label takes their cut off the top and the artists take home a fraction. At least that’s the way it used to be. Back when records were more than just hipsters.

We no longer live in a world where buying an album is common. When this was the case, artists would keep their money from merch sales, touring, and appearances, and a fraction of the album sales.

However, when album sales took a steep drop in the 2000s, the format had to change. Music sales went from a record high in the 90s to a low in the following decades.

360 deals are still the worst

A 360 deal is the standard today. They take a fraction of all things artists used to keep, such as merch and touring.

Just the same, the advance the artist is paid is not money they get to keep. It’s there for artistic inspiration but will be owed back to the label. The label invests an average of $2 million per artist.

In the contract they sign, they agree to pay back all money invested, on the terms of the label. This is how artists can go hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt to their contracts.

In essence, they become slaves of the industry.

What about streams?

Streaming does not bring in the big bucks. Artists have their entire catalogs put on streaming services because of deals made with the labels. They agree to put on their artists by taking majority profit, which the artists have no say in.

The labels are pimping out their artists on the corner for dirt cheap. In Spotify’s case, they pay 70 percent to the label. Even if they’re independent, streaming still wouldn’t give much of a payout.

via Songtrust

Being paid by the stream is basically like getting paid in tips: you’ll never make as much as you’re supposed to.

What about the Lambos in their videos?

Lambo GIFs | Tenor

Loaners, without a doubt. Most artists will have a house paid for by the label for image reasons if they’re a success. This and most other high price items in the video are just there for the look.

That’s why you hear about artists getting their nice cars repossessed. They have enough for a first payment, but not continually.

Owning your masters

If you’re looking to make music yourself, it’s worth it to know a bit about music production. Being able to self-produce is one of the biggest legs up a musician can get.

The point of working with a producer is to get the sound as good as it possibly can, to elevate the album to something grand. Being signed meant people would see your record in stores.

Now, with the online tools like United Masters, you can produce and distribute your own music, keep a large percentage of your royalties! You may not have the money and backing of a big label, but starting your own ain’t a bad move either.

Beware of people selling a dream, friends.

bob dylan August 21, 2020
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Are we ready to rage again? 20 years later RATM still hits different

One of the many things we missed out on this year was the RATM reunion tour. Twenty years after their final album Renegades and their subsequent breakup, the world is ready to rage again.

With all the turmoil in the world, the message of Renegades is as relevant as ever. Though it’s a covers album, each song is made distinctly Rage’s.

The themes of the songs covered include street violence, civil unrest, and abuse of power. Similar in tone to their other work, artists like Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, and Cypress Hill are reworked masterfully.

Today, I’ll be running through my favorite tracks from Renegades.

RATM channels Bob Dylan

RATM brings an explosive element of anger to Maggie’s Farm. Describing the hardships of working on a farm for an abusive family, it’s quite possibly an allegory for slavery.

Rage has always been about aiding the plight of suffering people, so this makes sense. Often dawning a red star, signifying “power to the people,” it’s almost as if they wrote it.

Bob Dylan is my all-time favorite artist, and he penned a masterpiece (one of many). However, his studio track is lacking. He sounds bored and tired. Rage fixes that.

Here’s a live version of the original, where Dylan sounds passionate and energized.

Shoutout to Cypress Hill

Opening with a punchy tempo and a high distorted Tom Morello guitar squeal, the track starts strong yet still builds. Zach de la Rocha sounds like a menace on the mic, only whispering during the bridge to lead to the build-up: how he could just kill a man.

The track is more bass heavy than the original, and still grooves. Even the smooth instrumental break is covered, albeit with guitar fills and bass.

The original Cypress Hill cover is classic no doubt, but this one takes it in my book.

The Rolling Stones spark inspiration

Opening with a guitar made to sound like an alarm with a Whammy Pedal and a fast cymbal and snare, it sounds of danger. Sounding musically nothing like the Stones track, this track sonically translates their lyrics to equally angry music.

Referencing Los Angeles instead of London, living through the L.A. riots gave different meanings to this song to them. Street violence was at a high in L.A. in the 1990s, with law enforcement demolishing communities.

Rage formed largely in response to the abuse of the LAPD and government structures at large. This track captures the feeling of panic one may feel when in streets full of rioting and violence.

Things get tense with Devo

Far different than the explosiveness of the rest of their catalog, this track has the tension of a bomb. At just over two and a half minutes, you feel this the song will explode at any time, and that Zach will amp up the vocals.

But it doesn’t. Being as bare as RATM has ever been, there is still so much presence and emotion here. The song sounds sarcastic with such melancholy in the music, though that seems to be the intent. The original perky track is held to the light

The final line is as biting as it comes.

To be fair, Devo was sarcastic with the original as well.

Things get funky with Pistol Grip Pump

Rage’s rock and rap skills are on full display here. Opening with Tom Morello imitating a record scratch in his trademark way, Tim C and Brad Wilk lay down a solid rhythm.

Full of energy, anger, and deep bass, the original track is elevated in all senses. The lyrics cover how when you live by the gun, die by the gun. A pistol grip pump at all times is needed.

The solo added uses a whammy to great effect once again. The chorus feels like a gunshot every time it kicks. Zach sounds like someone you don’t want none of.

Both sound badass, but Rage’s version takes the cake for me.

Rage, on friends.

2020 August 19, 2020
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Y’all good? Popeyes celebrates one year of chicken sandwich craze

“Y’all good?”

One little tweet was all it took for Popeye’s to get the country ramped up in a frenzy. Going on to sell 203 million in a year, Popeyes Chicken Sandwich captured the zeitgeist.

Previously an underdog in the fast-food game, their sandwich bumped them up a few ranks. Selling 3,582 sandwiches in a single store in one day does not lie.

How the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich came up

Being most popular in Texas, more sandwiches have been sold there than anywhere else!

At its peak, between August 17 and September 1st of 2019, 338,000 online conversations sprung up concerning the ‘wich. It was a fast-food phenomenon like few else.

Without realizing what weight the tweet that launched their popularity to the stars, Popeye’s asks us: “2020 – Y’all good?”  And in commemoration of its massive popularity, Popeye’s has started a countdown to 2021 in Times Square.

Popeyes Times Square
Popeyes

The message is simple: the rest of this year may be dim, but the sandwiches are still here for our comfort. All of life’s problems can be solved by buying.

For a limited time, those looking to score some of these mysterious famed chicken bites can do so with free delivery! In a time when we can’t crowd stores and fight people in line for their sandwiches, it’s nice we can still get them.

There no shortage of videos online battles breaking out because of the coveted menu item.

The Popeyes Chicken Sandwich is just that hot!

Because word travels fast in the digital age (one might even say instant), other countries have taken an interest. Canada has just recently tested out the chicken sandwiches in their locations.

Likewise, they have been introduced to China. If successful there, Popeyes may very well establish itself as a fast-food empire, rivaling McDonald’s and Wendy’s.

With Brazil voting the sandwich No. 1 on their most popular petition site, Queremos, demand is undeniable!

Are you a fan? Just curious about the hype? Whatever you think, it seems as if the world will forever have a special love for the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich.

japan August 18, 2020
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Traveling anytime soon? A foreigner’s guide to navigating Japan

Navigating Japan for any Westerner is an experience. Once there you can expect things to run differently. What is a different continent, feels like another world entirely, and no matter what preconceived notions you had either intensify or shatter.

Being that Japan is so different in customs to the United States (or any Western country, really), we often see it as odd. It is foreign, no doubt.

Here are a number of things I ran into in while navigating Japan last year.

Bidets in almost every bathroom

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Going to the bathroom was never so clean! This was one of the hardest adjustments when coming back to America. What was standard there is a luxury here.

The few times you may encounter a bidet-less bathroom are humbling, but rest assured the next one will have. Even in seemingly lower-end restaurants and shops will you have comfort on the can.

This is only one aspect of Japan’s cultural dedication to cleanliness. Tokyo, though it’s roughly six times the size of New York City, is leagues cleaner.

This is reflected in the subways, the streets, and certainly the bathrooms.

Tattoos have a bad rap

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If you have tattoos visible on you, expect some people to be a bit concerned. Tattoos are associated with the Yakuza, which is the mafia of Japan.

The locals tend not to assume as much on gaiyajin (Japanese pejorative for a foreigner, prepare to hear that one a lot). All the same, it depends on visibility and generally how threatening you look.

You may be prohibited from certain places if your tats are visible, so be sure to cover up.

No tip…but table charges

One of the best things about navigating Japan is the cheap yet high-quality food from all sorts of restaurants. The service fee is included in the price, so we could learn a thing or two.

However, some places will include a bowl of edamame on your table. It is not free. If you take even one, they’ll give you what’s called a table charge, and applies to everyone at the table. It’s made as a trap for foreigners.

You can choose to leave it, but if it’s there… Break the cycle, friends.

Sleeping in public places

Abu Dhabi International Airport Becomes World's First To Launch GoSleep Sleeping... | Gfycat

This may happen more often than you think if you’re going out there. The subways close at midnight and open at 5 A.M. every morning, so you have to commit to a night out.

Because of this, it’s not uncommon for people to just sleep in places like bars and 24-hour fast food places. This is only until the trains open, the exhausted night-before partiers pile on.

It’s much safer to sleep in public in Japan, as you won’t have your stuff stolen and you’ll most likely be left alone. Because it’s so common, you may find people just passed out in places in the early mornings.

That first train of the day was host to many naps of mine.

No thieves

Japan is known for its low crime rate, as most criminal activity there is done online. Because of this, you will never have to worry about anything being stolen!

Even if you were to drop your wallet, wherever you leave it, someone will turn it in with everything intact.

My second day in Tokyo, I was eating at a noodle shop and left my drawstring bag on the floor next to me. Having finished, I paid, left, and walked two blocks to the nearest pachinko parlor.

It was only after running out of bills on hand that I realized I left my bag. With all my travel documents, IDs, and several thousand dollars in yen. When I came back, it was set behind the counter with a blank white sticky note on it.

Lesson learned.

“Thrift” stores

Thrift Shop GIFs | Tenor

For you fashion freaks out there, you may be disappointed that thrifting isn’t nearly as cheap as in the West. The items are pieced out and priced by internet standards.

That being said, they do have higher-end goods at their thrifts, as you’ll find luxury brands. You might even find some oversized backpacks.

There do exist thrift stores that sell items for the cheap, and you can get lucky. Keep an eye out and you just might. Travel may be a ways away, but navigating Japan is nice to consider if you’re planning to visit.

Enjoy the land of the rising sun, friends.

american blackjack August 17, 2020
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American Blackjack online offers the betting options you really want

Who doesn’t love putting down some money with a chance of doubling it? That’s the idea behind American blackjack, an app that takes casino blackjack to the comfort of your palm or computer. The money you place down and win (or lose) is all very real.

For those who don’t live near a casino but love to bet, your prayers have been answered. As per the title, the rules used in this format of the game are of the American variant.

How are other versions of Blackjack different?

Most versions of blackjack don’t differ much, all except for how the cards are dealt. In American Blackjack, the dealer gets both cards from the start.

This is opposed to European Blackjack, which grants the dealer their second card only after the players have all made their moves. This changes the dynamic of the game.

When the dealer has two cards, they can peek at their second to know if they have a natural blackjack (an Ace with any face card or 10). It’s something almost impossible to catch if you’re not paying attention.

This is why the house always wins.

There is a multitude of factors that play into the house’s edge, but American Blackjack lowers it compared to the typical casino.

How American Blackjack is played

Like with nearly all other versions of the game, the object is to get your card count to 21 exactly without going over. You place your wager down, and if you manage to beat the dealer, you win whatever you bet.

In American Blackjack, the wagers start at a dollar and go up from there. It follows the typical moves of hit, stand, split, and double down. This version, however, comes with a few more moves.

Here, you can choose to “take insurance.” This happens if the dealer has an Ace. If they get a natural blackjack, the total wager is increased by 50 percent of its original.

Likewise, you can “surrender.” If you chose to fold before seeing how the rest of the game goes, your wager is decreased by 50 percent. If this was an option at the casinos, there would be much fewer second mortgages out there…

Unless you surrender, you will only see the dealer’s upturned card after you’ve made your move.

Another important factor in the dynamic of the game is the number of decks used at a time. American Blackjack, the online version, uses up to eight card decks at a time, so card counters beware.

If you’re unfamiliar with card counting or have not seen the movie Rain Man, it’s the strategy of determining which card will appear next by what has already been played. If you can count, good on you.

However, that strategy will not be as useful as it would be in European or Classic Blackjack. In European BlackJack, you have two decks to choose from, whereas classic you have only one.

Keep in mind, if you’re in a casino and you’re caught counting, you’re outta there. Thus the benefits of betting online.

How the American Blackjack online payout works

An important thing to note about American Blackjack online is that the money you start with is all virtual. All wins or losses are in-game.

Being completely free to play, you won’t win anything until you play a version with real payout. All the same, it’s an excellent way to sharpen up your strategy and skills for the big leagues.

Likewise, it serves as an excellent alternative to those who want the feel of a gambling win, but can’t trust themselves with money. When playing for virtual wins, the dopamine movement in the brain is the same whether real or not.

However, if you are ready to move to real money down, that can be done. Just be cautious when doing so.

When money waged is virtual, it becomes easy to forget that the cash is real on the hands you lose. Keep track of what you put down and what you win.

A warning to prospective players

Gambling can be an addictive thing in some people, and predatory game developers know this. For this reason, please approach with caution when you see games titled “American Blackjack” in-app versions.

Following this link, you will be brought to a page where you can find both free to play and paid version.

A general rule of thumb when looking for different versions of the game is when one looks shady, it most definitely is. I understand the feeling of fiending as well as anybody, but those places are not your easy fix. They may be your downfall.

If you or anyone you know is addicted to gambling, suggesting this free to play alternative may be a step in the right direction.

Whether you play casually or you fancy yourself a gambler, play responsibly, friends.

fashion trends August 14, 2020
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Fashion but make it ironic: How irony shapes trends from the past

“Well yeah, I’m wearing it ironically,” is a quote we often hear from someone dressed wack. These bold friends of ours who make fashion statements outside the norm are not alone. Irony shapes trends more and more these days.

Starting around the mid-2010s, trends such as the dad hat, socks and sandals, chunky Filas, and Harley t-shirts began. Things for so long thought of as anti-fashion were being sported by Millennials and Gen Z.

 

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15. get well soon

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I first noticed this taking place was when 80s metal band t-shirts started becoming a trend. Having been a diehard fanboy for Metallica when I was 16, I thought people my age were just as big of fans!

That dream was shattered when I would ask them their favorite album, and they said “I don’t listen to them.” At the time, that pissed me off.

Moreover, it got me curious: why did this become trendy?

Nostalgia cycles (in fashion)

Being that these fashion statements of irony are reminiscent of the 90s (what was considered unfashionable then), it’s a celebration of nostalgia.

The cycle tended to work every 20-30 years before the present. People born in those past decades come of age, and into positions to put it back into our popular consciousness.

Fashion is a major example of this in action.

 

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WEBSTORE IS LIVE

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But why the “uncool” parts? That’s where the irony comes in. Nothing is more 90s than irony. By dressing in what is stereotypically unfashionable then to the fullest extent, it’s more clearly a joke.

Meme culture playing on nostalgia plays a hand in this as well. Younger generations are seeing the trends and partaking.

Kanye’s hand in this

Kanye has been influential in many things, including fashion. When he released Yeezus in 2013, it bore a logo inspired by Metallica‘s. Since its release, his metal-inspired merch began selling like hotcakes.

While people who wore metal band shirts were normally seen as weird or low-brow, they’ve now become in demand. Metallica, themselves, collaborated with Urban Outfitters to make an exclusive t-shirt line. These shirts were inspired by Kanye’s bleached designs.

Still, in rap today, rappers dawn usually oversized metal band shirts, so it’s far from a dead trend. While some who wear the shirts may not listen to the band, that’s okay. I’m sure the bands aren’t mad about it.

With his merch, Kanye inspired popularity in the style, and interest in the music for those previously unfamiliar.

Irony shapes trends but you do you

Trends come and go and come back 20-30 years later, so don’t worry about being “unfashionable.” Dress how you like, whether for serious or ironic reasons. Who doesn’t love a funny t-shirt?

Live and dress your way, friends.

fashion August 12, 2020
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Japanese fashion vs. American imitation: Spot the difference

One of the first things you notice when you enter a new land is the local fashion. When I arrived in Tokyo, this was undoubtedly the case. And I learned a hard lesson: don’t mistake Japanese fashion imitation for the real thing.

Having spent around four months in the city, I gained a sense of true Japanese street fashion. One part of this is realizing some of the shirts I had there weren’t as popular as I had hoped…

Writing on shirts

The fasted way I learned my shirt wasn’t true Japanese fashion was that it was in Chinese.

Written Japanese is divided into three alphabets. Kanji, (which used in Chinese as well) represent symbols and makes up most written Japanese. Hiragana is used for individual sounds. Katakana is the same but used exclusively for foreign words.

One of my teachers told me the front and back of my shirt were in Chinese but my sleeves had katakana. Ironically, it had been marketed as a Japanese text shirt.

This goes for the reverse as well. You will often see people there with shirts that have random English phrases or words on them. It’s probably the same phenomenon of people getting tattoos in languages they don’t speak and getting “take-out” written on themselves.

Taste for high end

While most other aspects of Japan are affordable compared to America, the clothes are not. Most people like to dress as nicely as they can, and like to shop at designer stores.

 

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Haven’t posted in a while

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Outside of exercise, you will seldom see anyone in shorts. Jeans, as well, are quite uncommon to see on the streets. Khakis and button-ups are the norm.

Even thrift stores are usually not so cheap there. You will find Gucci and Jordans in these stores as well but priced at the Internet standard rate.

Skate fashion

The Japanese fashion we adopted for America comes from Japanese skate culture. Skate culture is strong in Japan, yet skating is illegal on the streets. This is where the baggy t-shirts and long sleeves with text on the sleeves come in. Joggers are their skater pants.

When it comes to shoes, you will see brands not widely available in America, yet are affordable. At least some are affordable.

In Japan, this style of dress is seen as trendy, but troublesome. Skating has a rebellious reputation, to begin with, and in Japan the troublemaker connotation is two-fold.

Harajuku is the hub for all things fashion in Japan. You will find street fashion and high-end supply there, often together.

Japanese fashion imitation – Careful what you wear

If you go to Japan and you’re tempted to wear something with Japanese on it, try to find out what it says first. Just like there are odd phrases in English on shirts there, you can easily wear something reprehensible.

For example, I have a shirt parodying the Nintendo 64 logo, saying instead Hentai 69. Hentai is a term for anime and manga porn and was too funny not to buy. However, it literally translates in Japanese to “pervert.”

I only found this out when wearing it to school got some people to laugh and others to look at me weird. It was then when my friend Teru told me the meaning.

Though not many speak fluent English, most can read it. Be careful with what you wear, friends.

Vaping
Bruh August 11, 2020
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Are you still vaping? Yeah, you should probably stop ASAP

“It’s healthier than cigarettes,” is a line you’ve no doubt heard before. How true is this, though?

The first vapes hit the market in the early 2010s, marketed on TV as a healthier alternative to smoking. At that time, it was pure water that was vaporized, to give the effect of smoking. However, there were no chemicals in these early models.

They were like brick cell phones in the 1980s compared to what came just a few years after. Vapes were getting smaller and came with fluid containing nicotine. What was put in the vapes changed, but the rhetoric didn’t.

Many people today still champion vaping and Juul as healthier. Because of this, more people are likely to buy vapes. Just as well, they appeal to kids, with their often fruity flavors and candy-like packaging.

Vape usage

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The sustained popularity of vapes comes down to a few factors. First, it’s convenient to vape indoors, whereas smoking requires you to go outside. People who vape tend to hit it subconsciously, and would vape more nicotine than is in a cigarette.

According to The Truth Initiative, one Juul pod has as much nicotine as 20 cigarettes. I know several people who, when Juul had more flavors, went through several pods a day. They also went on to state:

“Results from a April 2018 Truth Initiative® study published in Tobacco Control show that nearly two-thirds — 63 percent — of JUUL users between 15 and 24 years old did not know that the product always contains nicotine.”

Cigarette usage is much easier to track, as it’s usually rationed in about 20 per pack. Juul and more trendy vapes don’t show how much juice is there on the surface. The Puff Bar has recently been a competitor to Juul, looking like them, but disposable and colorful.

No matter the method, the results showed are the same.

Long term effects

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For a long time, no one quite knew what the long term effects of vaping were. It hadn’t been around for long enough to see, even with heavy usage. Now, nearly a decade later, they’re starting to reveal themselves.

According to NPR, independent researchers have found that those who only vape are at a 30% increased chance of lung diseases. With 52 confirmed deaths and 2,400 hospitalizations due to vaping, the rapture has come. The study goes on to note:

“…it’s not just the nicotine — there are other ingredients, including propylene glycol, glycerin and flavoring compounds that may lead to harmful effects when heated and inhaled.”

With about one in four high school seniors vaping, their addictions and problems will start early. Just as well, since vapes tend to come in bright packaging, it appeals to kids. These chemicals, most of which we don’t know, are going into the lungs of kids.

The American Lung Association found that vaping was responsible for causing bronchiolitis, or “popcorn lung.”

Why, then, is it still allowed?

Loophole

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The FDA was supposed to require all vape companies to submit their products and ingredients for inspection. It was announced in 2017 that the FDA would delay this until 2022.

In the time of this delay, people have been confirmed to have died due to vaping. While it wasn’t seen as a big deal for a long time, the effects merely hadn’t shown. As a response, Juul stopped selling flavored pods.

This only gave rise to counterfeit pods, Puff Bars, and other imitators who are just as bad. A friend of mine recently had her lung collapse due to vaping, as she had quit smoking. She did it till it sent her to the hospital.

Stay safe, friends.

metallica August 10, 2020
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20 years later: How the Napster lawsuit gave rise to streaming

It’s been 20 years since Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) v. Napster was fought in my hometown, San Mateo, CA.

Seldom talked about anymore, it’s because of Napster that we consume music the way we do today.

What’s Napster?

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Napster was a peer-to-peer music file-sharing site launched on June 1, 1999 by Shawn Fanning. Nearly anything you wanted could be downloaded as an MP3 file to your computer.

Every music fan of Gen X’s wet dream was finally realized in the silver millennium. The popularity was instant. At its peak, its year of founding, over 60 million users were active in the United States.

Its popularity was its ultimate downfall.

Metallica leak

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Keep in mind, in the year 2000, the primary method of consuming music was on the radio or a CD. This was a time when music was still regularly bought. Such a thing did not exist virtually yet.

An early mix of Metallica’s song I Disappear was leaked to Napster. Intended to debut on the Mission Impossible: II soundtrack that summer, it was played on radio stations nationwide. Drummer Lars Ulrich heard it and immediately contacted his lawyers.

While the rest of the RIAA eventually followed, Metallica was at the forefront of this movement. Because of this, they were seen as greedy, resulting in massive public backlash.

This reputation never truly faded, as many still troll the forums to complain about it.

Lawsuit decision

In 2001, Napster was shut down and bankrupted. Many missed their easy access to free music. Some other file-sharing sites such as Limewire came to prominence. The Internet was largely still the Wild West.

It became clear that digital was the way people were getting music now. Some artists supported these file sharing sites for their exposure.

The audience was simply not paying for music anymore.

MP3 download

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By the late 2000s, video streaming online was finally widespread. Because of that, copyright music made its way to YouTube and Vimeo, often still staying up.

It was only a matter of time before video to MP3 sites emerged to rip audio from YouTube. iTunes may have been the way music became purchased then after, but people still found a way.

These sites became popular into the 2010s, and became how most people got their music until streaming.

Streaming services

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With a small flat rate to listen to a nearly unlimited library of music, these services were a win for the public. Spotify, Soundcloud, and Apple Music still dominate music streaming.

Ironically enough, Napster was bought by streaming service Rhapsody, and rebranded to become a pay-to-use service.

Companies listened: people were done with buying music. Without a physical medium to purchase, it became much harder to charge people.

With this as the new standard, the idea of making money from music has become something of a novelty. It was already inordinately hard before, and the chances now are even slimmer.

This is natural selection of the market hard at work. Things are only worth as much as the public at large is willing to pay for them. Sadly, for music lovers like myself, it’s not worth what it used to be.

When the new way reveals itself, one must embrace it or be left behind. Enjoy music your way, friends.

film August 6, 2020
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Inside Dudeism and the odd cult following of ‘The Big Lebowski’

The 1998 Coen brothers cult classic The Big Lebowski has grown larger than life over the years. Spawning conventions and even a religion, it has taken on a life that Ethan and Joel couldn’t have foreseen.

With comedies so rarely aging well, it speaks to its timelessness while being of the time. How did it get to be this way?

History of The Big Lebowski

It started after meeting producer Jeff Dowd, who referred to himself as “the dude.” He himself was a middle-aged burnout at the time. Joel and Ethan Coen had the idea to thrust his character into a complex situation he ultimately doesn’t care about.

Other inspirations for the character around The Dude who made it into the film were from the novels of Raymond Chandler. Chandler’s works often have loose plots that come secondary to the scene. This creates an episodic feel to the story, found in both cases.

Some didn’t know what to make of it. Upon release, The Big Lebowski made only $18 million. With a budget of $15 million, its $3 million profit margin was not seen as a huge success.

However, as time went by, word of mouth spread, and the quotes stuck around. Which brings us to today…

What is Dudeism?

Dudeism is as simple as just saying “fuck it.” Inspired by the simple yet happy life of El Duderino, it’s a religion that says “just take it easy, man.”

As The Church of the Latter-Day Dude‘s website puts it, “The beauty of Dudeism is its simplicity. Once a religion gets too complex, everything can go wrong.” Simply put, the core of it is just to live your own life, no need to worship anything or anyone.

That is to say, The Church of The Latter-Day Dude is not much of a religion at all, but a fascinating tribute. All the same, you can become an ordained minister via their site.

All cult classic movies have some form of big fan tribute, but only “The Big Lebowski” has spawned philosophy books about it. From Lebowski 101 by Oliver Benjamin to The Dude Testament, it’s a phenomenon like few others.

Why is Dudeism?

The devil-may-care attitude of The Dude resonates with a lot of people. He represents the side of us that just wants to do what we like without responsibilities.

Keep in mind, I’m not talking about casual fans of the movie. The Big Lebowski is in my top three all-time favorites. However, I’ve observed people from Gen X to Gen Z who may take the wrong things from it.

With a character so relatable, some have used the film as an excuse not to take care of responsibilities. Dudeism is about hedonism. Therefore, it gives the hedonists validation. However, it’s a harmless following. More obscure than anything.

So it resonates with people, but why the religious aspect to the fanbase? The beauty of cult classic movies is while they may not make much at the box office, their merch sales are usually solid, to say the least.

Where there is love for something, there’s someone trying to package that love and sell it to you. Because The Dude has the look and lifestyle of a modern-day Jesus, that may responsible for that angle of sale.

Sometimes there’s every time and place for a fanbase …

While the fanbase of the movie may be a little odd, it’s as big as it is because of how great it is. Every scene delivers laughs and quotable lines for days. The story is complex and meandering but entertaining the whole way through.

It’s a film like no other, and one you’ll never forget. The Dude abides.