According to Forbes, R & B and hip-hop are the most listened to genres of music and are at the forefront of the revival of the music industry. In the same article Forbes stated that Goldman Sachs reported that in 2017 live music made $26 billion, music publishing made $6 billion and recorded songs made $30 billion. Goldman Sachs predicted that these figures would increase to “$38 billion for live music, $12.5 billion for publishing, and the biggest gain will be seen in recorded songs at $80 billion” by the year 2030.
Music streaming services are a major factor of growth in the music industry as they are making music more accessible to a greater number of people. Andrew McCaskill who is a Senior Vice President of Nielsen has stated that the African American demographic is leading trends in both the creation and consumption of music specifically and culture generally. He also noted that brands must not miss out on the significant economic power of the African American population particularly if they are interested in growth.
OGDuka and Eazy Money Records
Eazy Money Records is a record label which is focussed on demonstrating the immense talent and star power of artists from the Southern states of America. They are aware of the tremendous potential for both cultural impact and economic growth which African American people represent. They are also invested in developing the representation of Southern artists who tend to be overlooked and underrepresented.
Eazy Money Records was started by OGDuka when he and his brothers noticed that the talent which was prevalent in their community was not getting the spotlight which it deserved. OGDuka is from Amite County in Mississippi and this is where Eazy Money Records was born. The record label first represented the artist T Peezy and found initial success with this venture. Based on their representation of T Peezy their brand name became much more recognisable particularly in Southern Mississippi.
To further develop their success Eazy Money Records began traveling and producing live music events in which they performed songs such as “Topic” and “In My Bag”. Live music functioned as both a stream of revenue for the business and as a means of further expanding their brands and their artists public profile. This was particularly true of the communities from which they originated.
Another Eazy Money Artist to see major success is 17thstreetmula. The record label helped this artist secure a deal with Hitmaker Music Group who compounded his fame considerably. As a result of the artist’s increased profile he was able to amass over 500,000 views of his music on Youtube.
OGDuka and Eazy Money Records are currently working hard to continue to provide representation and recognition to Southern artists. They are actively producing music and continuing their project of helping Southern artists increase their profile. Eazy Money Records has the goal of partnering with major music labels to be able to foster and produce a high level of music from artists in their home region of Mississippi.
OGDuka on Violence in the Black Community
OGDuka is vehemently opposed to violence in the black community and strongly believes that this has to stop. He grew up surrounded by poverty and hate and sees empowerment as a solution to these debilitating issues. He sees music as a means of empowering the black community, especially the youth. Through Eazy Money Records he is able to use music and the music industry to provide platforms and opportunities for members of the black community. OGDuka also believes that other members of the black community who have seen success should be similarly engaged in empowering other members of their community.
Final Thoughts
OGDuka and his record label Eazy Money Records are tapping into the abundance of talent which exists in the Southern states of the US. This talent often goes unrecognized which is what OGDuka seeks to address through his musical project. Eazy Money Records is bringing southern artists the platform to achieve their dreams and reach mainstream audiences and levels of success. OGDuka sees his project of musical empowerment as a method of combating some of the issues which are plaguing the black community in the US. He views uplifting artists as a method of helping fellow members of his community to achieve the success which they are capable of.
