I was just on my Sunday morning/afternoon run to Dunkie’s for a nice sausage, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich, when something hit me. I hopped in my Chevy Malibu, and Chiddy Bang’s “The Opposite of Adults (Kids)” was blasting out of my car’s speakers. I didn’t think twice about it at first, as this scenario has been a common occurrence for months now. Jump in the car, throw some Chiddy Bang on the iPod, and go to Dunkin’ Donuts…it’s been nearly routine. But then I looked down and saw that my iPod wasn’t connected; in fact it wasn’t even in the car. Yet Chiddy was still bumping out of the speakers clear as a bell. I checked the radio station, and wouldn’t you know, they’re being blasted on Jamn94.5, “Boston’s #1 for Hip-Hop and Today’s Hottest Music”. I have absolutely no affiliation with Chiddy Bang other than being a huge fan, but I felt like a proud father today when I heard their jam on mainstream radio. I switched stations after the track ended, and La Roux’s electro-pop anthem “Bulletproof” socked me in the face…another favorite from the blog circuit last year.
The combination of hearing Chiddy Bang and La Roux back to back on mainstream radio in Boston just struck a chord with me, and solidified a belief I’ve had ever since I started The Chuckness. Plain and simple, music blogs are quickly becoming the new backbone of the music industry. If you’re an upcoming artist who’s looking to make it big, the first thing you do once you have some solid material is dish it out to the most popular music blogs, in hopes of them posting the song and giving it some exposure. If one of the top blogs posts your track, you can expect hundreds of other blogs to follow suit. All of a sudden, your little 3 minute jingle has been seen by everybody and anybody who checks music blogs for new tunes. In turn, it’s found its way onto thousands of different iPods around the world. In reality, there has never been a better way to build a legitimate fanbase and cult following. This is the exact method that Chiddy Bang took, and without even releasing an album, they’ve been signed to a major UK label and they’re on mainstream hip-hop radio stations across the country.
It’s just cool to think that anybody out there with a catchy jam has the ability to get their music out there and heard instantaneously. With the music blogs acting as the middle man between the artists themselves and the labels, it’s more possible than ever to make it in the industry. My bad for the rant, here’s a sick video of Xaphoon and Chiddy stirring up some gem without even trying…props to Tony with the find.
