Master P Bundles Hip Hop Trends & Launches Profanity Free Take A Stand Records
Master P is going profanity free on both his own records and with the new label he's launching, Take A Stand Records. Related initiatives include a contest for "artists with street music without offensive lyrics" and a scholarship entry.
Master P and Romeo will also be releasing a joint profanity free album this fall that will be entitled Hip-Hop History.
The official website for Take A Stand Records should eventually have more information but, honestly, their homepage caught me by surprise with its mix of informative news links, YouTube videos and NAACP promotion, none of which promote Master P himself, though there are pics of him and Romeo. The site bills Take A Stand Records as "A Record Label for Responsible Hip Hop Artists".
Looking back through the article by Chris Richburg on Master P's plans, I get the distinct sense that he's not just responding to the immediate controversy but has launched himself on a trajectory that partakes of the social entrepreneurship of Russell Simmons and many separate but related developments while focusing it in on actual music projects rather than leveraging celebrity appeal.
Which is not to say that Master P is insincere but is to say that, however many ways you spin this, Master P is making a business call regarding current trends that have been emerging in multiple threads, bundling them together in a nice package and going for it.
These threads include recent controversies driving calls for social responsibility in rap as well as such trends as a growing interest in the early years of hip hop, from books to recognition from museums, the ongoing grassroots development of community programs using hip hop to reach youth at risk, the growth of the children's market and the corporate recognition that supporting hip hop related programs can be a way of appearing to support social justice.
Like the man says, "We're planning to team up with companies such as Wal-Mart, Target, and other companies that have direct contact with our communities."
Which should be a lot easier than their plans to "make a [successful] street album without explicit lyrics."
Is it true that this new label will pick up Corina Lang to promote and head this new responsible hip-hop format? Since her resignation she was in private talks but has anyone heard anything? There has been a lot of talk about this changing the face of hip-hop and I can only see it working with people heading it who can walk the walk. Consumers are not stupid they will be watching very closely and the critics are going to be coming out of the woodworks to see this fail!
Posted by: Jamil Johnson | July 12, 2007 at 01:37 AM
I highly doubt she would take on this position. There has been a lot of talk about which offer she will take since her resignation but my sources say she will more than likely be teaming up with Kenny Edmunds on some new projects including SOULCHILD/GOSPOCENTRIC. My source also says her focus is on her marriage rumored to be taking place on her birthday in August and then she will make some moves. I'm pretty sure she'll take on the new post with Russell Simmons. Master P hasn't made any significant changes internally so maybe he's just waiting like the rest of us.
Posted by: Tasha | July 18, 2007 at 02:31 PM
Jamil, sorry about not responding previously. I'm not really up on any of these folks.
Posted by: Clyde Smith | July 18, 2007 at 03:46 PM