The music business can be a cruel industry to try to make it ‘big’ in ”“ chewing and spitting out thousands upon thousands of talented (and no-so-talented) hopefuls. Image is everything in the business. Try too hard to impress, and you run the risk of alienating potential listeners. Don’t have enough confidence or lack a unique sound, and you can easily fall through the cracks. In other cases, music companies manufacture gimmicky package deals on a fairly routine basis. Just ask 2 Chainz and Lana del Rey”¦two repackaged music artists who struck gold the second time around”¦with the help of influential backers.
Nowadays, rapper 2 Chainz is everywhere. He’s guest appearing on the tracks of major artists, performing alongside well-established bands, climbing the music charts with his own collaborations, and even has his own sneaker commercial. That’s a huge difference from the short-lived success of Tity Boi ”“ the first stage name that Tauheed Epps used when he initially entered the music scene.
In 2007, Tity Boi rolled out a hit single titled ‘Duffle Bag Boy’ that attracted a great deal of attention in the hip-hop/rap world. It seemed at the time that he was destined to become a one-hit wonder when the artist eventually faded into obscurity. It’s been more than five years, and Epps has reemerged as 2 Chainz ”“ the ultra- popular rapper that originated out of Georgia. He’s currently in demand to guest star on the latest songs, and often appears alongside Young Money associate Drake ”“ another successful artist in the music industry.
To the untrained music lover eye, it looks like 2 Chainz came out of nowhere and hit it big, but sure enough ”“ he’s already run a few laps around the music track, so to speak. Rumor has it that music management decided to wave their magic wand and spent a great deal of interest in fine-tuning the image of 2 Chainz so that he could become a success. Some say that the Illuminati had a role in this transformation.
In the case of Lana Del Rey, not only did wealth and influence play an important role in catapulting the singer’s new image, but also the heightening of her sensuality. Before Lana Del Rey was dubbed the next ‘indie’ wonder, she had already started out as someone completely different”¦herself. Lizzy Grant had already tried to impress the world with her singing vocals, but she turned out to be a huge disappointment. When management stepped in, they assigned her a new name, gave her a new image, and implemented a new marketing strategy. There’s even talk of plastic surgery, which Del Rey denies. The new and improved artist was sexier, more seductive, and physically attracted a wider audience.
The revamped Del Rey has become a by-product of clever marketing, and having a millionaire for a father didn’t hurt either. The changes made to Del Rey’s persona worked. When her album ‘Born to Die’ was released, it debuted at the number two spot on the Billboard 200. She also signed to Interscope, which is also the same label as suspected Illuminati-puppet, Lady Gaga.
Those who had been an early fan of Del Rey or who already criticized her music did not seem too happy with the manipulative approach used in branding the singer. In the beginning of her career, Del Rey went from being completely unknown to gracing the covers of many magazines. Across the Internet, people were craving to know more about this artist. She even landed an appearance on Saturday Night Live. Her new songs and music videos are now flashier and more provocative. She’s not opposed to posing half-naked in short films ”“ a far cry from the shy Lizzy Grant that sung in New York City clubs.
To make matters worse, the evidence that pointed to Lizzy Grant’s failure seemed to have been erased. Her failed album and all of her social media websites were eliminated from the Internet just before Del Rey hit the scene. Audiences, listeners, and fans do not like to feel tricked.
Just how far will the elite, the Illuminati, or those who pull all the strings go to make money and spread the kind of messages that they’d like to send out to the masses?