RJD2: Electrical Connections
“Also, by the time that I’d done the ‘Third Hand’ campaign, I basically had a good understanding of how it worked – at least on my level,” he continues. “I knew all the people that were going to get hired. I knew who was going to work the record at radio. I knew who was going to be my booking agent. I knew where and where not there were going to be opportunities to spend money on marketing and advertising. I’d already gotten a distribution deal. These are all the nuts and bolts you need to release a record, and I thought ‘If I can do this myself, why would I want to go with a label?’ It’s enormously labour intensive, and a lot more work that I anticipated, but I’m lucky to be in that scenario.”
As an artist, the current state of the music industry is an important issue. As the owner of a record label, the subject looms a little larger. With ubiquitous file sharing and the constant leaking of forthcoming releases an everyday occurrence, Krohn is of course significantly affected along with everyone else. ‘Since We Last Spoke’ for example shipped 45,000 copies in 2004. In 2010, ‘The Colossus’ shipped only one ninth of that: a mere 5,000 copies. Somewhat surprisingly, the producer is rather nonchalant about the situation.
“There’s almost no point in discussing what we think about it, because it’s going to be what it’s going to be,” says Krohn. “We’re just going to have to adapt and survive. What I do think is that downloading is a riskless crime, and perceived as a victimless crime. There are no ramifications for people. The kids
are just going to not pay for music, and the artists, they’re going to do things like send songs to Ford, and Toyota, and Honda, and whoever the fuck. Starbucks. You don’t like that? You can’t blame them – people have to make a living.”
Despite this impending feeling of doom and despair, the overriding sense is that Krohn isn’t about to forget how fortunate he is. “I’m very happy and thankful; there are so many things that I can do, that other artists – they just don’t have the opportunity to do.” In the near future, watch out for a new Soul Position album with fellow Columbus rapper Blueprint, and although RJ’s Electrical Connections was primarily started up to release the producer’s own albums, anything is possible. “If I come across some records that I believe in and somebody wants me to put it out, I’d be into it. But, I’m not trying to be Puff Daddy or some label mogul shit!”
Words: Ian Hsieh
Photography: Ben Mistak
‘The Colossus’ is out 1st February on RJ’s Electrical Connections, and will be reviewed at a later date.