Photo by Sabelo Mkhabela.
The SAMAs Rejected Reason’s Album Because It Was Only Released Digitally
In 2018, wtf?
South African rapper, Reason took to Twitter to share with his followers that his fourth studio album, Love Girls, was rejected by the South African Music Awards (SAMAs).
"It's 2018 and @TheSAMAs have rejected #LoveGirlsAlbum as an entry into #Sama24 because it was a DIGITAL release with no PHYSICAL COPIES?" the rapper tweeted.
This is really backwards of the SAMAs. As much as physical copies still sell in South Africa, mostly because of high bandwidth rates, it goes without saying that a lot of music fans consume music digitally.
Apple is even rumored to be doing away with downloads and prioritizing streaming in the near future, but we are still stuck on taking an album seriously only if it's released physically.
Reason then went on to explain why he decided to release the album only digital platforms and why it doesn't make sense for the SAMAs to discredit an album on that basis. And we couldn't agree more.
You can read the rest of his tweets below.
So. It's 2018 and @TheSAMAs have rejected #LoveGirlsAlbum as an entry into #Sama24 because it was a DIGITAL release with no PHYSICAL COPIES? pic.twitter.com/vzwGgfkC8a
— #TopSeven👌🏾 (@ReasonHD) 29 January 2018
Lemme back track a bit.
Last year saw me and @Mr_Instro coming together to make and release #LoveGirlsAlbum by ourselves.
The point being, as first time record execs and independents, we wanted to learn the music industry's machine, outside of being rapper & producer. pic.twitter.com/5fDlUQcy2m
— #TopSeven👌🏾 (@ReasonHD) 29 January 2018
One of our most interesting obstacles was physical distribution.
1. Doing this with a major came with a contract to sign to one, when were avoiding it.
2. The drop in CD sales has presented distributors with various limitations.
3. And We couldnt afford to do it ourselves.
So... pic.twitter.com/J9iJjwiXsP
— #TopSeven👌🏾 (@ReasonHD) 29 January 2018
We decided to release the #LoveGirlsAlbum as a strictly digital release. pic.twitter.com/sY4QlRHPj7
— #TopSeven👌🏾 (@ReasonHD) 29 January 2018
This made sense for various reasons.
1. The album is available worldwide
2. AVAILABLE ON ALL CELLPHONES!
3. Reason fans are digital consumers (since the freestyles 4 years ago)
4. CD stores are closing slowly cause people stream now.
5. And It's more affordable. pic.twitter.com/KN850p2aRN
— #TopSeven👌🏾 (@ReasonHD) 29 January 2018
However. We have no been informed by the @TheSAMAs that we can't enter #LoveGirlsAlbum for #Samas24 with no PHYSICAL copies?
WHY??
The album is out!!!
With a RISA barcode that authorizes it to be sold in various stores. Including all the DIGITAL ones we used. pic.twitter.com/t0yZgvQeVh
— #TopSeven👌🏾 (@ReasonHD) 29 January 2018
@TheSAMAs While this may seem like an opportunity to discredit a system, I'd like to rather use it as a window to improve it.
The world is migrating all its purchase solutions to technology and internet and y'all need to acknowledge that equally. pic.twitter.com/pThHT4IrCk
— #TopSeven👌🏾 (@ReasonHD) 29 January 2018
This is like telling me, that I can't enter an album cause I didn't print Vynils and cassettes.
It's the same thing. Different format.
If not for me. For the everybody else who sees Digital Distibution as a more feesable solution than physical. pic.twitter.com/RZBvZEIBuJ
— #TopSeven👌🏾 (@ReasonHD) 29 January 2018
By the way. What about all those singles we drop with no albums.
Do they also need physical copies to qualify for @TheSAMAs??? pic.twitter.com/h4UiuJI7uI
— #TopSeven👌🏾 (@ReasonHD) 29 January 2018
Come on guys.
Please be the progressive @TheSAMAs you've always been to us, when you included cellphones downloads/purchases and RBT's into your equations, and it was all @djcleo1 needed to change the game.
Y'all recognised him then.
Recognise us now.
Yours Truly,
HIP HOP pic.twitter.com/eS2QQSjVLV
— #TopSeven👌🏾 (@ReasonHD) 29 January 2018
P.S #LoveGirlsAlbum.👏🏾 OUT👏🏾 NOW👏🏾 ON👏🏾 ALL👏🏾 DIGITAL 👏🏾PLAT👏🏾FORMS!!!👏🏾👏🏾 pic.twitter.com/RBUAVWOBuM
— #TopSeven👌🏾 (@ReasonHD) 29 January 2018
