Meet the Rappers Who Are Still Selling CDs by Hand
Highlighting musicians eschewing digital in favor of guerrilla marketing.
It’s one thing to rely on CDs as the main source for monetizing music (unless you’re Adele). It’s another to rely on outdated guerrilla marketing tactics to then promote said music in today’s digital-forward world. However, a few rappers in New York are managing to utilize both nearly defunct aspects in order to succeed and thrive off donations from strangers. Pigeons and Planes has launched a short documentary titled “Street Dreams” highlighting the underground economy nestled in Times Square comprised of those who’ve chosen to make a living off of handing out copies of their mixtapes to random passerby. There’s also a matter of determination and grit as Jadon Woodard, one of the subjects in the documentary, freestyles live in the subway cars in order to promote his music. Watch above to get a glimpse of the daily hustle surrounding three rappers as they talk about dealing with rejection, facing arrests from authorities and possessing an entrepreneurial mindset in order to thrive in this ad hoc market.
