Of course Drama made money selling mix tapes, but mix tapes are not a series of unlicensed tracks from commercial releases. Mixtape tracks are based on commercial releases, but are mixed DJ-style, edited, cut with new vocals by the MCs being featured, etc. They're a completely different thing than just an unauthorized compilations. Some labels that are part of the big 4 entertainment multinationals have full time employees whose JOB it is to give Mix Tape DJs tracks to include on their Mixes.
Mixtapes aren't strictly legal, but have largely been tolerated and encouraged by major labels. They're where the real innovation in hip hop happens, and where new artists get their break. This bust is a frontal assault on hip hop culture, fair use and fair play. The letter of the law is beside the law is beside the point -- this is a case of straight up thug b*stards from the RIAA pressuring the police to raid someone who was doing them no harm. This is big money multinational corporations using the police and the legal system as their stooges. This is white-on-black crime, not to put too fine a point on it. On 1/20/07, pauley <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
81,000 cd's ( the ammount confiscated) of other peoples music surely stretches the definition of 'mix tape' though...if he's selling those sorts of figures then 'doing it for the love' doesn't really cut it and if you want to argue the promotional side of it then again at those numbers it ceases to be promotion and becomes re-distribution...without a license...
