Indie Reviews: $35

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Word on the twitter is that Kevin Nottingham charges indie acts $35 for reviews? What part of the game is that? If this is true, it undermines everything that indie culture stands for. Supporting the culture, and helping it move, is NOT taking ends (i.e. potential sales) from the artists. Period. I don't respect anyone who does that - no matter how big or small.

Most of those cats are spending dumb loot to get their music featured ANYWHERE - if a cat is sending me the album for free, how can I then charge them to review it? Morals = out the window?

I really hope this isn't true. If it is true, that needs to be fixed up really quick.

EDIT Oh wow, it looks like its true. Talk about losing respect.

EDIT Talk about missing the plot. You mean to tell me this blogging shit isn't about sharing your thoughts/ideas with the masses? It's just a way to dupe the artists whose cause you claim to champion? Is that how we're doing it? That's how you get accolades? I've done so much free writing, and while I have been comissioned by labels and artists to write press releases and bios for their artists, I have never and will never charge to write a review on this site. It's totally opposite to what myself and my true peers believe. Using your skills at blogging to get some ends, that's one thing - if done with integrity (like HiPNOTT); that shit doesn't sit with me correctly AT ALL. Now, I'm not sure if dude is mocking or being on the level - either way, that shit stinks, and I'm not feeling that.

I guess it doesn't matter anyways - its not like you write the shit.

EDIT So Kevin Nottingham actually wrote (!) a response. And it's just what I figured it would be: "you gotta pay a lil to get somewhere" b2b "I'm a family man and I have a lot going on in life - server costs - blah blah". He mentioned that the reviews are such a small part of the site - then what the fuck are you charging for them for? And I wonder how many reviews they are getting - especially if, I imagine, the writers get paid for reviewing - are they pocketing the whole $35, or do they split those costs? While I see dude's points, I still thinks its a big slap in the face for something you consider to be a "sliver" of what goes on with your site. If your SOHH/XXL namechecks and other accolades can't do it for you... I don't even know.

And this wasn't some "bomb first, ask questions last" type of reaction - its was a "this dude is making a mockery of the shit that we do, and believing its OK" type of reaction. Thing is, there's no reasoning with assholes like that, if you know them or not. You've lost the respect of a number of your peers, not that you give a shit, which makes it that much more despicable in my eyes.

EDIT So Kevin's no longer selling review for $35 a pop. Shouldn't have been doing it in the first place, nigga.

EDIT And in what should be the final statement on this, Kevin Nottingham has both posted the reviews in question, and fired Sean Deez for not sticking up for his part. Sean sounds like a sucker, and if Kevin put his name on this product, and had a bad feeling about shit like charging artists to review their shit and didn't stand up for it, he should've manned up and not put the wheels into motion. Sucka shit, and I'm sorry it has to be like that, but you did it to yourself, KNOWING you weren't feeling it? I hope those ends are paid back to the artists. That's repulsive.

EDIT KeepItTrill.com charges, too? WTF is the blog game coming to!?

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