Fresh off the B96 premiere of the hit single "The Stars", LA & Mr. Music took the bar at Level nightclub for a one night performance! During the cold December night, hundreds packed into the tri-level club, which was dimly lit with bright neon accents on each floor. After having the single re-played multiple times on each level, the Chicago duo took the bar for a two song performance of "One Nite Girl" followed by "The Stars".
Level nightclub is one of the premiere and poppin' clubs out here in the heart of the city. One thing we noticed here in Chicago is the lack of industry establishments, which ironically force talented Chicagoans to look elsewhere in the States to get signed. However, the one major conglomerate here is the radio and the club scene. We've noticed the only proven way to really jump off in Chicago on your own is to capture the mainstream radio's attention in combination with the club scene (Ex: Jeremih). They hold all the power here... for now.
Hip Hop is evolving drastically and Tibs mentioned to me recently that autotune has helped evolve hip hop beyond to what it was in the late 90's. Now, a lot of new school hip hop has an infused dose of pop. Now that's not necessarily a bad thing, but merely a reflection of where we are as a culture now. I know icons like Lady Gaga, Kanye West, and T-Pain had a lot to do with this cross pollination, as did the death of the late Michael Jackson and 80's craze we've began to experience. History tends to come full circle appropriating the past to make the modern.
Looking ahead to the near future, I can see digital outlets like blogs and music websites taking some of the control radio and club have in pushing music regionally. PerezHilton.com is a great example as his timely gossip news has taken away thousands of readers from magazine publications which held all the power years before.
While physical realms like the club scene will stay in power, radio and print will have to evolve to stay relevant as the digital world becomes a powerhouse economy in the years to come. For now upcoming talent like LA & Mr. Music have to hit both the old and new-coming outlets to succeed at the tip of the changing music industry.
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