A lot can be said about the “gangsta rap” sub-genre. Some may say that it is degrading to
women. Others say that it is poisoning
the future of African-American youth.
Still some may refer to the music as mind-less and void of actual
art. But, no matter what one may think
of the genre, one fact remains. Gangsta
Rap is a multi-million dollar industry.
And as such, its artists must be managed.
But how do you manage the seemly unmanageable? Especially when you consider that the
“artists” of this genre are self-described “gangstas”. As an executive, personal manager, PR
professional, etc., where do you draw the line between an artist’s antics being
profitable and when their behavior becomes bad for business?
Consider the recent arrest of gangsta rapper Waka Flocka Flame. Here’s an artist that is no stranger to law
enforcement. Waka Flocka joins the growing ranks of rap artists arrested firearm
violations. Waka was charged
with carrying a weapon in a prohibited place.
That place was Atlanta’s Hartsfield Airport.
So, what is the ultimate job of an
artist manager? Is it to prevent
situations like this from occurring? Or,
is it to finesse the problem? Maybe it
is to guide the media into reporting it in a positive light. Most of job descriptions that I have found do
not include the title of babysitter.
However, for a drama and stress free working experience, maybe it should. But, on the other hand, how and why should
you try to limit the actions of an artist when, more often than not, it leads
to a larger revenue stream which translates to a larger piece of the pie for
the manager.
I say that to ask this one question. What are the ethics of a “gangsta”? Should we as industry professionals even care
when dealing with a genre where jail time equals dollar signs? Maybe whoever said, “there’s no such thing as
bad publicity” was right. I know it
seems that way, at least when it comes to hip-hop, because the artists always
seem to bounce back bigger and better.
No matter what you take on this is one thing remains to be certain. The madness must be managed.
