[brandall10]

I was curious as to why all 'SoundCloud' rappers in the mumblecore genre had face tattoos.

One interesting explanation I saw was it was a way to get exposure - few people are willing to do it, so for those who do, it's basically a right a passage and a way to show that you're the real deal. I saw an interview with Lil Xan talking about his face tattoos where he basically said as much, and on purpose made his first tattoo his mom's name so she wouldn't kill him for taking the plunge. His next tattoo was just 'zzz', which he stated was an act of branding due to his association with xanax.

It seems to me this is a pretty big difference between say an indy rock band and an indie rapper. The rock bands act like the business side of things is something they'd rather not deal with - they just want to make music and do shows. The rappers first and foremost are focused on themselves being the core of a business in which their image needs to be carefully cultivated, the support group around them needs to be taken care of, etc.

[meej]

> The rappers first and foremost are focused on themselves being the core of a business in which their image needs to be carefully cultivated, the support group around them needs to be taken care of, etc.

In the words of Jay-Z, "I'm not a businessman, I'm a business, man!"

[majewsky]

> it's basically a right a passage

FYI: You probably mean "rite of passage".

[brandall10]

Indeed, thank you :)

[scarface74]

True. How many rock bands have you heard going out to the community and passing out sample CDs?

[romwell]

>How many rock bands have you heard going out to the community and passing out sample CDs?

I've got quite a few CD's like that. So I'd say - plenty.

[scarecrowbob]

Same, I play a lot of original folk music and most songwriters are giving away their CDs in about a 1/3 of the transactions I've seen. The other 1/3 of sales are more like tipping for service workers, and the other 1/3 is genuine "folks want the music and they want to pay for it.

[brandall10]

As others mentioned, it's not uncommon.

The difference I believe is that activity seems more reactive than preemptive. Case in point, the mixtape as a precursor to the album, which exists primarily as a promotional vehicle. Even rappers that have already made it continue to do mixtapes for more experimental work or as a thank you to their fans.

[unicornporn]

> How many rock bands have you heard going out to the community and passing out sample CDs?

Close to a million.

[blackrock]

What's a CD?