In a capitalist society, tha dog eat dog mentality couldn't prove any more true. I've experienced it time and again, you know, when cool products and services are released then dry up for selling out to other conglomerates. It's a cold feeling, to be honest with you. And it breeds all kinds of toxic volatility across multiple industries. For example, when we think of our favorite mainstream brands such as McDonald's, T-Mobile, and say, Denny's for example, we think of a "good" place. But, you look up one day and they're endorsing public figures that are known for explicit lyrics and materials.
What good can we really be if we can always be bought by other interests? Crazy how they've managed to do this with paper money that has no intrinsic value. And this leads me to tha point of this article. Artists. Known for being "disruptors" of order, artists are known for their abilities to mix with different types of peoples, energies, and tha like. But, this infamous stigma of artists being stubborn is only told that way depending on who you ask or let tell it. From tha artist's perspective, their expressions are a mere act of their metaphysical exploration of reality. This is why we started tha article off with "capitalism". Because that's where everything takes a turn for tha worse.
Let's face it. It's 2023 and local artists have been victimized by capitalist loan sharks under tha guise of appealing brand images for decades. Generations, at this point. Artists don't even embrace tha idea of being local once they've been lulled to sleep by tha vane image of success produced in tha music industry. A record label's idea of artist development primarily revolves around tha investment in artists they have on contract. But, peel back tha scab and notice that artist development, in and of itself, is it's own niche.
Take tha biggest artists, tha largest musicians of our time. They have all been, at some point in their lives, victims of BIG BUSINESS in tha entertainment industry. I mean, for whatever reason they want to use, financial literacy and basic law is not included in core curriculums in our public school systems. Too often, artists fall victim to tha image before getting tha knowledge. And, I'd make tha argument that it's not entirely their fault.
After having conducted hundreds of interviews with artists from all over tha world, including my own communities, I can no longer help but to realize what tha game has been missing. Our communities are missing local artist development centers. Centers that bridge tha gaps in our communities when it comes to giving local residents a safe and creative space to express themselves. An institution designed to meet people where they are at with a patient heart, love, and understanding. We are losing too many of us from post traumatic stress, low self-esteem, lack of direction, and poor influence. And, we believe that the local music scene should have a humanitarian aspect to it's members.
Local artists can't even live in their own hometowns anymore because they, too have been victims of gentrification. Our cities are lacking tha organizations necessary to combat our biggest issues. Homelessness, addictions, and mental health.
I, Mistah Wilson, am on a mission to build a foundation for the local music scene by establishing artist development centers that can fill these voids. And I can't do it on my own. I need your help. Please check out our NO ARTIST LEFT BEHIND fundraiser on GoFundMe to get a better idea of what our vision is for a unified local music scene. I encourage and value all input from anybody that has an idea of what the local music scene is and how one should function.
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