I cannot tell a lie. I’m COMPLETELY TORN about my opinions regarding Jay Z’s new venture, Tidal. On one hand, if the rap mogul wants to charge users $20 bucks a month to stream high quality music, which allows other artists to get more of their fair share of revenues that they’ve earned, then there is nothing wrong with that, right? But, on the other hand if the majority of the public says $20 bucks a month for music they can get free anywhere else is ridiculous, then to each his own, correct?
The ONLY real issue I had with Tidal from day one was their choice of how they decided to market this brand. Marketing and Promoting in order to get a user to purchase a product is critically important to any brand. I believe his choice of marketing was simply – bad. Jay took the industry’s most successful artists, Nicki, Madonna, Kanye, Bey, etc – placed them all in one room, and told the public they need to get this service so that their favorite artist can make more money. Ok, that’s not exactly what he said, but once you break it down, THAT was the message.
Dear Jay and TIDAL: (1) Me and no other fan of music cares if Kanye or any other artist in the commercial goes from 40 million to 40.5 million if WE’RE struggling to pay our light bills tomorrow. WE DONT CARE!
Jay Z and the mediocre marketing folks at TIDAL decided to make THAT the premise – so that artists get bigger revenues. Why? So they can make more music about how much money they have? So they can shit on broke people even more in their songs? Damn, hope I don’t sound like a hater, but the general fan of music could care less about an artists increased bank account.
Jay Z talks about Steve Jobs and Apple, but here is what Steve Jobs and the folks at Apple did with their marketing. If you have ever watched an Apple commercial, you’ve hardly ever seen anyone famous featured in their marketing and branding. The commercials ALWAYS show everyday people, in everyday scenarios, doing fun things, looking cool, living a fun and adventurous life – and the Apple product is helping them achieve that. Yes, it could be total bullshit, but when a regular user like you or I, see a commercial with beautiful people, doing cool things and being productive all because of their IPhone, or Mac, or IWatch, then damnit, we want one too! THAT is the key of successful marketing – making it about the user, and THAT is where TIDAL made their biggest faux pas. Make it about the user Jay and not about you – and you will win. Let the people know how Tidal is going to better their music experience and benefit them, NOT HOW ITS GOING TO BENEFIT YOU.
(2) Another reason that I’m torn is because yes, I do believe that YouTube, Google, etc will do what they have to do to smear Jay and prevent Tidal’s success simply because he is now a music competitor and more prevalent in the eyes of the public, unlike many of the other CEOs of companies like Spotify, where the average person has no idea who’s the CEO. Its simply going to be easier to slander Jay Z and his endeavors. So when Jay says their is a smear campaign against him, I believe that and I think it sucks.
(3) I’m also torn because I am a true believer and proponent of entrepreneurship and honestly, I always want to see a black man win! I don’t want to see people knock Jay only because they think he already has too much money or because he’s black, or because he’s illuminati (laughs). At the same time honoring Steve Jobs or other CEOs that came from nothing to something. We should be able to root for Jay and his new endeavor. Jay says he refuses to shuck and jive, he refuses to let them treat him like a slave – hell, remember Jay said that on “H to the Izzo” :
Label owners hate me I’m raisin’ the status quo up
I’m overchargin’ niggaz for what they did to the Cold Crush
Pay us like you owe us for all the years that you hold us
We can talk, but money talks so talk mo’ bucks
(4) Yet another reason I’m so torn, is because now that Tidal is out here to be scrutinized, Jay is making all of sorts of references – all of a sudden, regarding Mike Brown, Trayvon and Freddie Gray. Hold up Hov… but where were you when we were marching and tweeting and protesting? If anyone Googles, we see a minimal amount of references to anything Jay Z has said in reference to these murders. We see minimal tweets about any of these issues during the times where we needed his voice the most. As a matter of fact, most of the stars shown in the Tidal commercial have hardly made any statements regarding these deaths. Beyoncé has made a few and posted some images on her Instagram, but a lot of major artists have distanced themselves from these tough issues. So, for Jay Z to make comparisons to the industry turning against him with references to these innocent black men, only to promote Tidal is yet another damaging faux pas.
(5) But lastly, I’m torn because I must agree that I see people (mostly black people on #blacktwitter) complaining that Jay Z is asking folks to pay $20 per month and how he is greedy. Yet we didn’t complain about Steve Jobs and those $200 IPhones we buy each time they release a new version, no one complained about the $400-15,000 IWatches that have been released, no one complained about Jimmy Iovine and the $200 Beats headphones, no one whines about Phil Knight or Mark Parker when they buy those $200 Jordans every month. However, everybody has something to say about the man, as Jay states in his freestyle – “The only one they hating on look the same as you”.
Basically I haven’t really solved ANYTHING by writing this post. For the super-fans that decide to pay $20 for Tidal, I believe they will get their money’s worth. I just think that people should simmer down and let Tidal breathe a little, its only been on the market for approximately 2 months. I hope Jay is successful and I hope he is more careful about his messages and marketing, which I believe could damage the brand. On a personal note, nope I do not want to pay $20 for a music streaming service (unless I find out I can get discounted concert tickets or something that’s going to save me money). Instead,I’m going to take that $20 a month and save it for my next overseas vacation. #shrugs In the meanwhile, check out Jay Z’s freestyle, its dope.
“So I’m the bad guy now I hear, because I don’t go with the flow
Don’t ever go with the flow, be the flow
And I don’t need no middle man to talk to my n—-s
I understand if you don’t understand, I figure I’m Jigga
That’s where we differ
I take what’s mine, you accept what they they give you, I get you
I don’t take no checks, I take my respect
Pharrell even told me go with the safest bet
Jimmy Iovine on for the safety net
Google dig around a crazy check
I feel like YouTube is the biggest culprit
Them n—-s pay you a tenth of what you supposed to get
You know n—-s die for equal pay right?
You know when I work I ain’t your slave right?
You know I ain’t shucking and jiving and high-fiving, and you know this ain’t back in the days right?
Well I can’t tell, how the way they killed Freddie Gray right?
Shot down Mike Brown how they did Tray right?
Let them continue choking n—-s,
We gon’ turn style, I ain’t your token n—-
You know I came in this game independent, right?
TiDAL, my own lane, same difference
Oh n—-s is skeptical about they own shit
You bought nine iPhones and Steve Jobs is rich
Phil Knight worth trillions you still bought those kicks
Spotify worth nine billion and they ain’t say s–t!
‘Lucy you got some ‘splaining to do’
The only one they hating on look the same as you…
That’s cool, I know they trying to bamboozle you
Spending millions on media trying to confuse you
I had to talk to myself, ‘Hov you used to it
It’s politics as usual”
Syllabus Magazine, the Carolina’s source for Music, Culture and Fashion
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