Over the past few years, the ‘independent’ artist has grown stronger and stronger. No label, no huge team, just them connecting with people who love their music. Here are a couple of independent artists that you should definitely check out and support.
Dawn Richard
Dawn Richard (formally of groups Danity Kane and Diddy Dirty Money) is changing the game for independent artists. From her artistry to her insane visuals to her incredible live shows, Richard is an artist you need to get into. Jumping from pop (Danity Kane) to R&B/hip hop (Diddy Dirty Money) to now a genre free artist, Richard is able to blend the barriers between genres to create insane music. Her heart trilogy starting with ‘Goldenheart’ to ‘Blackheart’ to the forthcoming ‘Redemptionheart’ showcases how an independent artist can create a beautiful set of music that passes what most major label artists in the modern day can do.
Chance the Rapper
Chance the Rapper is arguably one of the biggest up and coming rappers in modern day rap. Chance has stated many times he is not going to sign to any record label and remain independent, giving away his music for free to his fans. Chance has caught the attention of mega stars such as Jay Z, Beyoncé and Kanye West (with the latter working with him throughout 2015 and 2016). Chance is important to younger artists who look up and see these high expectations, expensive routes into the industry etc. He’s showing that sheer talent can create a story, a legacy, a piece of music that connects with people globally.
So why are independent artists so important?
Independent artists are able to show up and coming artists that connecting with people who love your music is more important than trying to grasp the #1 on the charts. Dawn Richard, for example, can give you visuals that look better than most major label artist music videos. The so-called ‘machine’ (major labels) sometimes doesn’t control everything, the artists can control what happens.
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