Q-Tip’s new album is a perfect example of everything that is wrong with the music industry.  I’m not saying that the music industry can’t do anything right…they’re just more skilled at doing things wrong.  See, Q’s album is not actually a new album…it’s an old album that’s been sitting around since 2001.  Why?  Because it’s a concept jazz-infused hip-hop album without a break-out single which makes it impossible to promote…in their eyes.  To the record label, singles are what makes an album successful.  And in the 90s that worked.  But now we have itunes…and for the past decade…the labels have been still pushing singles over albums…and what has happened?  Album sales have plummeted.  If you heavily promote a single over an album, people will just go buy that 99 cent single without buying the album.  Why spend $10 if you only want one song?  That’s what people are doing…and the labels are left scratching their heads about the decline in album sales.

Because Q’s album marketing plan was too difficult of an egg to crack…the album sat and sat and sat.  Meanwhile, for years it was traded…downloaded…burned to anyone who wanted it.  An internet frenzy that called it nothing short of a masterpiece.  All the while, the lable lost thousands…if not millions of dollars on album sales.  It’s hard to feel bad for the guy with one leg who shot himself in the foot.

Since Q-Tip’s people are running around taking down all the Q-Tip posts with MP3s…nothing for today…which means…I don’t have to provide a link where you can buy it.  Sorry Q, if you’re going to punch me in the back…I’m not going to scratch yours.