Among the attendees was a small group of unfamiliar faces who stayed to themselves and made no attempt to socialize beyond their circle. Speaking to those I knew, we joked about the theme of the meeting as many of us did not care for rap music and failed to see the purpose of being invited to a private gathering to discuss its future. I remember about 25 to 30 people being there, most of them familiar faces. The meeting was held at a private residence on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Little did I know that we would be asked to participate in one of the most unethical and destructive business practice I’ve ever seen. This may explain why in early 1991, I was invited to attend a closed door meeting with a small group of music business insiders to discuss rap music’s new direction. Since technology and media weren’t accessible to people like they are today, the industry had more control over the public and had the means to influence them anyway it wanted. I came from Europe in the early 80’s and quickly established myself in the business. So I've simply decided to leave out names and all the details that may risk my personal well being and that of those who were, like me, dragged into something they weren't ready for.īetween the late 80's and early 90’s, I was what you may call a “decision maker” with one of the more established company in the music industry.

I have struggled for a long time weighing the pros and cons of making this story public as I was reluctant to implicate the individuals who were present that day. This anonymous letter landed in my inbox about a minute ago:Īfter more than 20 years, I've finally decided to tell the world what I witnessed in 1991, which I believe was one of the biggest turning point in popular music, and ultimately American society.

Song lyric hip hop hip hop anonymous