Jay-Z Responds To LL Cool J's Comments On Poor Promotion

[bigted]

Def Jam basically gave up promo for LL's album right after it came out, they didn't arrange for LL to perform "Freeze" at any shows when it came out, maybe if he did a couple more live performances on TV his sales would've went up, LL has been touring but the tour ain't on the airwaves, that's just something for the fans, really being on the airwaves is the most important thing, Will did a lot of performances on TV and that's why "Lost and Found" sold a bit more than "Todd Smith" even though Will didn't tour for his album while LL did, btw it's been a really slow year for sales, SOHH.com said that TI's the only rapper that released an album this year that certified platinum, Justin Timberlake's probably the only singer to go platinum this year off my memory too that went platinum, probably some country singers as well, it just seems that platinum's like the new diamond if you get that you're outselling the whole industry, lol, and I gotta say that I thought that Jay-Z wouldn't even respond to LL but I guess he's pulling all the stops since he's promoting his CD, I heard about this first when I was listening to the radio this morning, the radio jock mentioned that it's hard for artists now since record labels give up on artists after first week sales if it ain't doing real high numbers they pull the plug, that seems to be the truth 'cause LL was getting major promo but came in at #6 in a week where some of those platinum country albums I was talking about came out, it was sorta unfair that Def Jam gave up after that week, LL tours and they do nothing, damn shame...

Edited October 28, 2006 by bigted

[JumpinJack AJ]

Jay-Z is a fool if he's gonna defend his promotion skillz with Def Jam. 2 videos isn't impressive at all. Way back in 1989, LL recorded 2 videos 2gether for Mama Said Knock You Out and that waz over a decade ago. Jay-Z can successfully run his own label...but not Def Jam. Def Jam is supposed 2 be the premier Hip-Hop label. He's done good things with Ne-Yo and Rihanna by spotting real talent, having them work with really talented producers, proper promotion, and gaining lots of success. Where's the real Hip-Hop?!? It's not there and most of the real emcees on the label aren't happy with how things are. Read the interviews.

Todd Smith isn't LL's best album but it's still a good album and easily better than nearly every Hip-Hop album that has hit the top 10 for more that one week on the Billboard charts. LL openly confessed that he knows his sales will slide a bit since he isn't cussing and how he openly gives praise 2 God. But his latest album should be doing much more than what it is. As an artist who has been around since the mid-80's in an ever changing music genre, u are bound 2 have an album here and there that sells weaker than other. Just like b4, he'll comeback big again.

However, after hearing "Bump This," i don't think it'll be with the Todd Smith 2 album if it actually comes out. I think it's kinda weak that LL is collaborateing with that G-Unit vermon...AND letting them cuss in his music.

Hey Jay-Z...Method Man dropped a new album...so did The Roots...where is the radio airplay and videos? Let's be real, once Russel Simmons left, Def Jam ended. When i think of Def Jam, i think of LL Cool J, Slick Rick, Public Enemy, Redman, Method Man, Onyx, Def Squad, DMX and the DefSoul artists.

[TopDawg14]

Let's be honest - Def Jam is no different than Sony, Universal, BMG or any other major label. Def Jam is about numbers not quality. Now in defense of Jay-Z, LL's album was not very good and although he is a pioneer in hip-hop a trashy album is a trashy album and it should not be hyped. My "beef" with Mr. Carter comes from not giving proper promotion to good albums from the Roots or Method Man while hyping "artists" who aren't really all that talented.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - it's time for artists to go independent. You won't get the big budget promotion and advances but you will show these big labels that you don't need them to sell records. With the internet and technology it's not that hard to make and sell music these days. You can make songs and beats on your computer now. You have websites like MySpace to promote yourself. To the artists - STOP WHORING YOURSELVES JUST SO YOU CAN BE ON A BIG LABEL!! SHOW THESE EMPTY SUITS THAT YOU DON'T NEED THEM!!!

Sorry, I just get really pissed when it comes to the music industry.

[Turntable]

Thats Bull.. Hammer tryed that, and his Album still didnt sell anything (It also sucked tho).

[bigted]

KRS and PE's recent albums have been indenpendent and probably all their albums they released combined won't equal to the total that "Todd Smith" sold alone and Hammer might as well just starting his album out of his trunk again he'll probably sell more that way, lol, he just released his album through I-Tunes, it won't hit stores until early next year, and I don't think the major labels'll care either if all the real artists went independent, that's what they want to see happen so they could profit off of weak artists and none of them will complain 'cause they ain't smart enough to know the buisiness, going indendpendent basically is career suicide, let's be real, being independent means that you won't get any airplay at all, in the music industry it's pick your poison, either you get pimped at a major label or you go independent and get no promo at all, Young Jeezy and Rick Ross put out trash albums but I see Jay-Z promoting them hard, Jay-Z is promoting Jay-Z well right now too, he has like a million commercials on TV and half his album's on the radio already and from what I hear it don't sound like the second coming of "Reasonable Doubt" either, he don't deserve all that hype, I like "Control Myself" better than "Show Me What You Got"

"Todd Smith"'s not LL's best work but he could throw up on record and sound better than those fools, "Control Myself" was LL's biggest hit in a lil' while, if Def Jam pushed other singles like that he'd be the highest selling rapper right now, they dropped the ball, but in all fairness LL wasn't happy with Russell Simmons either when he released "The G.O.A.T." and only had 2 videos released off that album, Chuck D was really pissed at the way Def Jam and Russell Simmons treated PE at Def Jam, Montell Jordan wasn't happy with Russell either, he called his next album "Life After Def" when he left there, not everything was perfect there with Russell Simmons, people hype him up to be some sort of rap god but he had flaws too, basically when he left most of the artists from the '80s/90s he already dumped so who's really to blame, Jay-Z walked into a mess basically...

Edited October 28, 2006 by bigted