Rapper/producer Cho PD recently shared his thoughts about several controversial issues haunting the music industry, such as the bulk purchasing of albums and ‘hype’ versus stable success.
Cho PD began by expressing his determination to come out on top through good music and careful planning. Although Cho PD once shunned TV appearances in favor of gaining recognition through his music only, he’s since changed his opinion on the matter.
The producer recognized the growing importance of TV promotions, but also warned that it’s foolish to expect success to come from that alone. “It’s important to increase the level of closeness you have with the public through TV broadcasts,” he said. “But to think that you can become the best with just that alone is delusional.”
“Plastering one’s self all over TV shows and buying albums in bulk can only achieve superficial success, and it cannot be sustained,” he flatly explained. “There’s no reason to even criticize that kind of behavior because the truth will come to light after the hype dies down in just a year or two.”
He continued, “You can figure out the current response when visiting a record store or going to one of the performances. If the song is #1 on the charts but their albums don’t sell and the audience response is mediocre, is that not proof of hype rather than real success?”
Cho PD also stressed the importance of content planning and cited SM Entertainment and YG Entertainment as agencies that achieved success through their content in an era when the K-Pop we know today, was not the dominant force in the music industry. “When both H.O.T and Jinusean made their respective entrance into the K-Pop scene, SM and YG were inferior in a lot of ways to others in the industry. But the two groups defeated the big players of their era and went on to becoming the companies that represent the nation.”
“The number of albums being sold back then was much higher than now, and it was much harder to defeat the biggest names in the industry back then, as there was all sorts of absurdity during that time period, so it was probably very difficult to overcome the traditional big players. Their rapid progression is a good example of how elaborate, meticulous planning and powerful content results in an explosive reaction from the market.”
He continued, “In the beginning, YG and I had the same manager and so I heard a lot about the company. Back then, YG did not have an in-house management system, so they had to look for outside sources whenever they wanted material. What’s noteworthy here is that developing an in-house team (which most major labels have) was not as importance to them. Their first priority was on developing content.”
“In comparison to [the start] of those two senior labels, Brand New Stardom is in a very good situation despite being in its early stagse. All that we need to grow even further is a ‘syndrome’ that starts in the [music] market, rather than looking for a shortcut. If we were to start buying our albums in bulk, it would make our situation more difficult.”
Source + Photo: Newsen via Nate, Star News via Nate,
