With the constant change of the music industry, advances in technology and deterioration of the US economy, what’s next for the music industry and where is it heading?

Well to give you a short review this is what we can expect:

1-     Record sales will continue to drop and digital sales will increase

2-     Downloading will increase as technology advances

3-     Gold will become 250,000 records sold and Gold (500,000 records sold) will become the new platinum

4-     Artists will continue to drop singles without the possibility releasing of an album

5-     More producers, many more artists and fewer jobs

6-     Record labels will continue to decrease

7-     Artists will continue to expand through corporate America (this is already evident, Mary J Blidge-iTunes, Common-Lincoln, Jay-Z-HP, 50 Cent-Vitamin Water)

8-     Major Recording Urban artists (50 Cent, Eminem, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Alicia Keys, Akon, T.I.), will distribute their own music, independent from the major record labels.

Note:  These are my opinions and where I feel the music industry is heading.

Geffen and Interscope Records cut approximately 15 staffers today [about 60 total], spanning all departments, a source close to the situation tells Billboard.biz. Among the confirmed to exit at Geffen were two veteran publicists, Jim Merlis and Jycorri Robinson.

The cuts are the latest in a string of major label layoffs, which included Island Def Jam and Sony BMG earlier this month.

Contrary to rumors, a source tells Billboard.biz that Geffen will not be closing.

The music industry is currently in a slump, record sales are low and we have no inkling of records sales picking up. Overall the US economy is not doing well, with millions of homes going into foreclosure, the value of the US dollar declining and millions of layoffs.

2008 is not going to be any different, the economy will continue to fall and the music industry will continue to get smaller.

But it’s not the end of the world…you have to find new ways of making money. The music industry is not the only industry which focuses on music. The automotive industry, the video game industry…etc, have all developed music departments to capture the new “pop” audience.

So start looking…I wish everyone the best luck in 2008.

December 06, 2007

THE QUEEN BEE IS BACK! HIP HOP ICON, LIL’ KIM, TEAMS UP WITH TWO OF THE BIGGEST HEAVY WEIGHTS IN THE MUSIC GAME, HOT 97′S OWN MISTER CEE AND THE MIXTAPE KING DJ WHOO KID, TO DROP HER FIRST MIXTAPE TAPE EVER. ENTITLED MS. G.O.A.T

New York, NY , December 06, 2007 – The Queen Bee is Back! Hip Hop Icon, Lil’ Kim, teams up with two of the biggest heavy-weights in the music game, Hot 97’s own Mister Cee and The Mixtape King DJ Whoo Kid to proclaim herself the greatest of all time, with her first ever mixtape entitled, Ms. G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time). In preparation of her eagerly anticipated 4th album, rumor has it Lil’ Kim is looking for a new label.

Ms. G.O.A.T. will feature a slew of hip hop notables on tracks such as: ” Freaky Girl Remix” ft. Gucci Mane and Ludacris, “Wanna Lick” (Magic Stick Part 2) ft. 50 Cent, “Gimme More Remix” ft. Britney Spears, and the new banger “Chillin Tonight “. Not to mention the diss record “I Get It”, who is Lil’ Kim going at? In addition, Lil’ Kim’s crafty new freestyles from classic records such as Queen Latifah , MC Lite, and Lauryn Hill and numerous guests appearances. Ms. G.O.A.T. is truly a classic mixtape! This is not the time to count her out, the Queen Bee aka Lil’ Kim is back!

This exciting hip hop release will be hosted by first time collabo team legendary Mister Cee and DJ Whoo Kid. You may remember Mister Cee as the man behind the turntables for Big Daddy Kane during the late 80’s and early 90’s. A Bed Stuy, Brooklyn native, Mister Cee has done more than spin records. He also served as an associate executive producer for the late Notorious B.I.G’s debut album, Ready to Die.

Alongside DJ Whoo Kid who has ruled the mixtape game for years, dropping classic after classic, from 50 Cent to Snoop Dogg. He continues to take over with a prospering marketing empire and with his show Saturdays at Sirius’ Shade 45 Channel with no less than ten hours of the most star-studded and hysterically unpredictable radio in years and brought more of the same to Monday nights with his new slot on NYC’s Hot 97 . Now DJ Whoo Kid has the opportunity to co host Lil’ Kim’s first mixtape ever.

It’s going to be a hot winter, so prepare yourself for the release of Ms. G.O.A.T.

For all media inquiries on Lil’ Kim, please contact:

-Lance “UN” Rivera at Tel: 201.333.4883.

For all media inquiries on DJ Whoo Kid, please contact:

-Angel Martinez at Tel: 212.359.3000.

Mixtape will be available on www.Shadyville.biz

Premier street fashion boutique The Fizix opened its doors in the fast growing San Marcos community in San Diego, CA on June 15, 2007, and just three months later, the exclusive shop is a go-to destination for hottest streetwear of today and tomorrow. Devoted patrons know they’ll find the most fashion-foward brands-10 Deep, Lemar & Dauley, Rocksmith, Kilo Goods, Orisue, DimePiece, Homeroom, Mighty Healthy, Diamond Supply Co., DC Shoes, Absurd, Stussy, and more-at this trendsetting boutique, and the word is quickly spreading beyond San Diego through its online presence, Fizix.com.

For those trendsetters looking for something a little more unique visit The Fizix on the web @ www.thefizix.com or their physical location in North County San Diego.

Address: 577 South Rancho Sante Fe Rd. San Marcos, CA 92078

Mike “Slim” McDonnough
TheFizix.com
Marketing & Business Development Director
Shop: (760)752 7876

5. Make sure you attend college:

• Although it’s not necessary to have a college degree in the music industry, having a degree will put you ahead of everyone else.
• Besides it’s much easier to obtain an internship while attending college, most music based companies will not accept applicants who are not in college. (Note: they don’t want to pay you so they will offer you school credit as an incentive).

4. College Education:

• Having a strong background in the subjects below will put ahead of the competition.
• Take classes in: communications, new media, marketing, public relations, business, computer basic.
• Make sure you realize where the music industry is heading and be prepare to adapt to the changes.

3. Research the field of the music industry you want to enter:

• Realize the music industry contains many different departments: radio promotions, A&R, video department, marketing, publishing, finance, sales, distribution, legal…
• When applying for an internship, you should have a clear understanding of the department you want to intern for and what is required from you as an intern.
• Interning in one department does not necessarily mean that’s the department you want to ultimately work for, after your semester is completed explore other departments and network.

2. Strong Resume:

• This pretty much speaks for itself.

1. Don’t Give Up:

• If you don’t succeed the 1st time, continue to apply.

GOOD LUCK! And remember this information is not limited to the music industry.

If you have any questions please reach out to me at angel@angeljmartinez.com

Helpful Sites:

• Universal Music Group: http://new.umusic.com/jobs.aspx
• Sony BMG: http://www.sonybmg.com/careers.html
• Warner Music Group: http://www.wmg.com/jobs/
• EMI Music Group: http://www.emigroup.com/Financial/contactus.htm

Just writing to tell you that the election results have really effected the way I think about things, more specifically the way I think about: my life, my feelings, and the world we live in (government). I hope and I pray that sh*t is not going to be as bad as I am imaging it to be. We will see in these coming years how things are going to turn out.I promise you I will never ever vote again, unless I’m voting for a black president. It’s all a setup! The government decides who is going to be the president. We have no say, votes mean nothing. How can I trust a government that is not trust worthy?

This is going to be my turning point in life. I truly feel sorry for those people who do not realize that we are all puppets in this government and we are all products of our environment. Some people are given an opportunity while others have no options. How can government feed me the bulls**t that “everyone has equal opportunities to succeed”? Its bulls**t!

Government cuts inner city programs!

Government cuts budgets!

Government cuts back on school funds, which only affects the poor. This country is made for the wealthy to stay wealthy, while we (the poor/ lower class) continue to struggle day to day, check to check. F**k, why would they (the rich) care about us; they are rich, all they care about are the taxes they file at the end of the year and the tax cuts they will receive.

XXL December Issue-
On Sept. 25th, 2007…David Banner (DB) is in Washington, D.C., in a suit and tie to testify in front of the United States House of Representatives. The occasion will be a special congressional hearing titled “From Imus to Industry: The Business of Stereotypes and Degrading Images,” convened by Representative Bobby L. Rush, Democrat of Illinois…

Key points from DB speech:
-the word “nigger” appears approximately 215 times in Mark Twain’s literary masterpiece THE ADVENTURES of HUCKLEBERRY FINN, required reading in many schools.

-he makes references to the 1971 case of Cohen v. California, wherein the judge pronounced that “one man’s vulgarity is another man’s lyric.”

-then David Banner hits on the crux of the issue: that censorship is merely a cosmetic cover-up to a much deeper problem.

-”If, by some stroke of the pen, hip-hop was silenced,” he says, “the issues [our music] would still be present in our communities.

-Drugs, violence, sexism and the criminal element were around long before hip-hop existed…[Hip-Hop] is only a reflection of what is taking place in our society.

-Hip-hop is sick because America is sick.”

Interview by: Peter Relic