Farewell To The Flesh; Indie Hip-Hop Abandons CDs - Goes Purely Digital

02.16.2007

Farewell To The Flesh; Indie Hip-Hop Abandons CDs - Goes Purely Digital

Indie Hip-Hop Artists Bukue One and Move.meant At the Forefront of Digital-Only Trend

(Brooklyn, NY February 16, 2007) Faced with the realities of the shrinking music market, many independent hip-hop artists are embracing digital-only distribution through download services such as iTunes, Napster, eMusic, and Yahoo.com. Bay Area-based emcee, graffiti artist, and skateboarder Bukue One and LA-based trio Move.meant are among the first to adopt this trend. Bukue will release his debut full-length album Intromission via Alpha Pup Records while Move.meant will release their full-length debut album The Scope of Things this spring via their own label, Wax Paper Records.

Bukue One and Move.meant decided to go down the digital-only road after growing tired of the politics of the music business. "We were approached by a couple labels but they wanted multiple albums without putting real money on the table," explains Move.meant emcee Champ. "The prospect of having a bullsh*t record deal coupled with substandard distribution is simply not feasible for an independent group like us." Members of Move.meant are still open to the idea of putting out physical CD's but only if the deal works in the favor of both parties and not just the record label's favor. Bukue One also decided to go digital-only for cost efficiency reasons but he also embraced the self-sufficiency aspect. "It's liberating to go straight to the fans without having to deal with a middle man or extra opinions," explained Bukue. "I embrace the digital age and I love the fact that I don't have to wait a full year to release an album. Going digital is more direct and more personal."

With artists getting a higher percentage of sales without having to recoup manufacturing costs, it' no wonder why independent artists are starting to exercise the option to release their album only through digital downloads. "Despite the advantages, there aren't really too many hip-hop artists right now that are releasing their albums only through digital means, though it's slowly gaining more acceptance," said Paloma Belara of INGrooves. "Bukue and Move.meant are leading the pack in being among the first to flex their muscle in this new and exciting realm."

Move.meant's album, The Scope of Things, which is scheduled for release on April 3rd, is already garnering praise from industry tastemakers, bloggers, and critics. The group has already had their music featured in the Academy Award winning movie "Crash" as well as several TV shows and video games.

Bukue's album, Intromission, is due to be released on March 6th. Bukue holds his ground not only in being a respected emcee but also in the areas of skateboarding, writing graffiti, and bowling. (He recently bowled a perfect score of 300 during one of his league matches.) A true hip-hop renaissance man, Bukue One is a force to be reckoned with.

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