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Just recently, Lil Wayne talked to MTV News about his projects leaking on the Internet prior to it's debut and it appears that he is finally embracing the leaks. He went on to tell MTV that the Carter III will have "bionic" versions of the songs that leaked which will have new lyrics, in addition to some new songs. Lil Weezy is clearly demonstrating that he is embracing the leaks by being creative around those tracks in which were leaked while still generating an interest of his fans. Similarly, Alternative Rock group Radio Head - put their music online for free and offered their fans a Pay What You want model.

The more and more I am hearing about albums and films being leaked premature to their release dates, the more I think it is being done intentionally. We already learned that American Gangster leaked last week, and over the summer of 2007 there were several albums and singles that leaked in Hip Hop including releases from 50 Cent, Kanye West, Common Sense, and Talib Kweli. It is worth noting that all of these artists experienced either a #1 Billboard debut, Platinum or Gold Sales, or significant exposure as a result of the leak. Hence - the proof that leaking your album can prove in positive sales without any cost or expense to an artist or record label.

On the other hand - Hip Hop Artists Trina and Lil Weezy who were once a couple, have also had their material leaked during the summer of 2007. As a result, Trina's new single "Single Again" is blazing the Internet and Terrestrial Radio Airwaves. In addition, she is on every blog or Hip Hop web site every week. I have been following Trina since her Slip and Slide debut over the last 7-10 years. I have to say that this is the most exposure I have seen her ever get. Not even when she popped off with "Naang Nigga" was she getting this much exposure. Meanwhile, Lil Weezy dominates the airwaves in Southern Radio stations, he has successfully manage to get New York on his side with the streets loving Weezy, and he continues to stay in the news daily. There is no denying that you have not stopped hearing about him all year round in 2007.

I would argue that leaking a single or album is by far the best marketing tool an artist or the music business has. Especially for the caliber of artists like Lil Wayne, 50 Cent, and Kanye West. The traditional ways to market a record is to pay your way into getting local radio airplay. Labels spend countless hours and dollars making calls to all press and radio outlets, while the artists are forced to create a national interest in their music by spending 80% of their time on the road doing promotional tours.

Why not just put the music out and let the internet push the music across the world creating a much larger interest globally? Just look at the File Sharing Trends Globally these days as reported here as a problem, but I think it is a solution. Leaking your project can be a great marketing tool for the artist. Just merely stating to the press that your album or single was inadvertently leaked can have the Internet going nuts. This will get all the bloggers and internet viewers interested as they go to download it, share it, and before you know it you have millions of people who have taken an interest in your project.




While traditional methods still can work, we know that it does not promise results. The R.I.A.A will tell you that over the 35,000 records released yearly in the U.S, less than 1 percent actually turn a profit. So when you watch the next BET or MTV Music Awards, you are literally looking at less 1/3 of the 1 percent of the music industry who has actually managed to make a profit. Putting things in that context may want to make you rethink having a career in music all together.





If Lil Weezy or Kanye were reading this article, I would tell them that they are better off leaking their album 1 month prior to its release to see better promotional and sales results. If their record label were reading this, I would say that their is more ROI (Return on Investment) from leaking a project on the net than than buying a $5,000 per page ad in the Source Magazine or Paying FunkMaster Flex to play a record on Hot 97. Save those dollars for advertising on EG Radio Online - The Number 1 Hip Hop and Latin Urban Podcast and Radio Show online!




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