In this insightful clip from EYL, host Rashad Bilal sits down with music industry legend David Banner to break down how big corporations take over independent brands and reshape entire industries—including hip hop and music. Banner and Rashad dive deep into the legendary Beats by Dre/Apple acquisition and uncover how companies often "buy to shelf"—buying a successful brand only to suppress it and eliminate competition.
David Banner shares game-changing stories from his own journey, revealing how major labels and corporations systematically absorbed independent artists, distributors, and even mom-and-pop record stores to achieve near-total control. Banner reflects on how independent success used to be possible through solid distribution and creativity, but the system changed dramatically when large entities started buying out every level of the music business.
This discussion goes further, exploring how the transition to streaming has impacted artists' earnings—comparing the $10 per album model to today's "fractions of a penny" per stream. Banner calls out the psychological tactics used by major labels, echoing Swizz Beatz’s insight from Harvard: giving artists the illusion of ownership (like offering their own sub-labels), while the real power and profits remain with the parent company.
The clip is packed with hard-hitting truths on:
If you care about music, business, or want to understand the machinery behind the scenes, you don’t want to miss this one. Banner’s raw honesty and Rashad’s sharp questions make this a must-watch for anyone trying to navigate business or creative industries in the age of big money.
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