Did you know that A&R people are also responsible for Artist Development? Probably not, since these days a newly-signed artist is more likely to be stripped of their identity and given one that falls in step with what's popular or, even worse, none at all. Take Cheri Dennis, for example. While her album has a respectable amount of solid R&B tracks, we still don't know who Cheri Dennis is, what sets her apart from everyone else or even what she sounds like. But, she has earned the distinction of being signed to her label for nearly a decade with no album to speak of. .
The above passage is just one example of what artists in Hip Hop are facing in todays business climate. No more development, grass roots hands on experience in the field. Nope, the A.R's now "surf the web" looking for who has the most hits, visits and online buzz and expects any artist they encounter to basically be a ready made brand of their own before they ever do anything beneficial for them. Beneficial like signing them into a Slave....I mean 360 deal to make up for the fact the sales are so low in the game.
The fact is that just like in sports, new prospects need grooming. They need direction and training before you throw them to the loins. Shows at smaller revenues, financial and legal schooling. The industry so blatantly rapes these kids that their signing bonus should come with Vaseline. They squeeze out whatever consecutive hits they can make and toss then aside.
But thats not the case so you end up with artists trying to get on by doing this....
