In this segment of a panel discussion held at Loyola University, New Orleans in 2008, the panelists discuss Russell Simmon’s assertion that hip-hop artists reflect the realities lived by hip-hop fans back to them, and to what degree this is true.

In this panel discussion, one of four convened at Loyola University, New Orleans in 2008 as part of the Music Industry Department’s senior projects, panelists Kendall Minter, Carol Guess (both entertainment attorneys), producer Bennie Diggs, student and street team organizer Ben Brubecker, communications professor Lisa Martin, and producer Mike Moe address some of the problems and opportunities that the hip-hop industry faces today. They discuss music piracy, marketing in traditional and online venues, how artists reach an audience, and the role of controversy, misogyny and violence in selling hip-hop in the marketplace, and what effect these forces have on artists, the record-buying public, and society.

In this segment of a panel discussion held at Loyola University, New Orleans in 2008, moderator Stephen Brown introduces the panelists: entertainment attorney Kendall Minter, entertainment attorney Carol Guess, producer Benny Diggs, student and street team organizer Ben Brubecker, communications professor Lisa Martin, and producer Mike Moe.

In this segment of a panel discussion held at Loyola University, New Orleans in 2008, the panelists discuss how technological changes like Pro Tools have changed how hip-hop is made and distributed, and reveal which marketing methods are tried-and-true for getting the most bang for your marketing buck in large and small markets. They also discuss the copyright issues around mixtapes, and whether distributing mixtapes on a large scale is actually legal.

In this segment of a panel discussion held at Loyola University, New Orleans in 2008, the panelists discuss who bears the most blame for “misbehaving” artists in the hip-hop world – labels, artists, audiences, or someone else. They dissect the decisions made by labels, promoters, artists and distributors that affect the quality of the music, and share their thoughts on what kind of music sells, why, and how it affects the marketplace.

In this segment of a panel discussion held at Loyola University, New Orleans in 2008, the panelists They dissect the decisions made by labels, promoters, artists and distributors that affect the quality of the music, and share their thoughts on what kind of music sells, why, and how it affects the marketplace and hip-hop culture.

In this segment of a panel discussion held at Loyola University, New Orleans in 2008, the panelists discuss how internet sales are affecting the musical and business sides of hip-hop, whether record companies are prepared to get the most out of online marketing of the genre, and how young entrepreneurs can take advantage of internet marketing to reach fans in otherwise isolated locales.

In this segment of a panel discussion held at Loyola University, New Orleans in 2008, the panelists address Russell Simmons’ claim that hip-hop ought to and does reflect a reality as lived for its listeners, and whether fantasy or reality are more powerful sales tools. They also discuss the barrage of marketing that consumers today experience, and whether this mass of messages has a lasting effect on customers’ worldviews.

In this segment of a panel discussion held at Loyola University, New Orleans in 2008, the panelists address the issue of controversy and whether manufactured controversy is the prime mover of record sales and artist success in the hip-hop market. They also discuss the paradox in which up and coming artists are pressured to be just like everyone else – that is, “controversial”—and how this dynamic tends to stifle creativity and originality in hip-hop, and whether the fact that the violence and misogyny in some hip-hop is in music rather than in another medium which is easier to avoid makes that imagery more corrosive and harmful.

In this segment of a panel discussion held at Loyola University, New Orleans in 2008, the panelists take questions from the audience. They discuss controversy, message, and historical context in hip-hop (that is, is Soulja Boy any different from Rick James?), and where hip-hop artists will make their money in the future as the bottom falls out of CD sales.

In this segment of a panel discussion held at Loyola University, New Orleans in 2008, the panelists take questions from the audience. They discuss the ability of the record industry to support the tendency of children to rebel and what role parents play in guiding the listening habits of younger listeners, as well as the predominance of misogyny in hip-hop and what kind of effect this kind of imagery has on the listening public.