Pre-emptive fundraising is all the rage in the music world lately, with many indie artists using websites like Kickstarter and Sellaband to hit their fans up for money to help pay for upcoming projects. Public Enemy became one of the biggest acts yet to get in on this trend earlier this month, signing with Sellaband in search of $250,000, $25 at a time. Fans are promised copies of the album and various other swag in return for their contributions. Apparently the scheme is working: Great Britain’s NME reports that the rap revolutionaries have already raked in $50,000.
I’m impressed by how much cash PE has been able to raise in such a short period of time. Now I’m curious to see whether they’ll hit that $250,000 mark, and how long it will take them. Seems like this could be a cool new option for artists who, for whatever, reason, can’t or won’t get financial backing for their music from a corporate label. So what do you say: Would you pay $25 to help Public Enemy make its next record? Who else do you think would be smart to try this approach?
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Photo credit: Peter Kramer/AP Images
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Absolutely, their last album was excellent (especially “Harder Than You Think”). PE is so much classier than most hip hop acts these days. 50 Cent can’t touch them.
I imagine it will take a lot more than $250,000 to get the Bomb Squad back together. And Public Enemy without the Bomb Squad is, how to put it nicely… underwhelming.
It is not actually “paying” it is called “investing” and I did GLADLY, actually for more than 1 part. Sellaband offers you an opportunity to support music you want to hear, without the influence of a major label who dictates what music artists have to make, how they have to look, and who they have to use to produce the music.
I wish PE much success but let us not forget by PE choosing to do this on Sellaband there is a ton of exposure going to other independent artists who are using Sellaband.
Love the Fact that PE is going this route! Would people on here be willing to support other Artists on this site besides PE? Like Catself, M. Harris, Hind, Reese Angel, Ann Marie Sunshine…. Hopefully PE won;t put a Monopoly on money invested to Sellaband!