Misery Loves Company


Apparently, I'm not the only blogger who is not a fan of the people at Stonesthrow Records. Some bloggers have gotten so tired of the people at Stonesthrow taking down their Stonesthrow related mixes that they've resorted to posting Stonesthrow mixes with the above title. Now, I am not going to post the mix because I do respect Stonesthrow's prerogative to take down what they believe to be copyrighted material. However, I've never quite understood why the people at Stonesthrow Records have taken down mixes from this site (and others) where they themselves are posting the mix for free. Why can't I give away a mix if you're willing to give it away? Now, I guess I understand taking down the mix if it's a website traffic issue. However, I find it a little hypocritical that Stonesthrow Records is hiring people to track-down posted copyrighted material when many of their mixes contain material that they themselves do not own the copyrights to. For example, even with the beloved Thank You Jay Dee mixes, I bet that Stonesthrow doesn't have the legal permission to use Dilla's music that is copyrighted to MCA and Delicious Vinyl. Or, do you think Stonesthrow has the legal rights to all the music used in the Valentine's Day or Area Codes podcasts? I think not. In any event, I won't post the mix here, but I do think that all of you should know about the practices of one of your favorite record labels.

7 comments:

DIGUMSMAK said...

Yes siiirrr...it is strange!! I had a similar experience with stones throw. I too along with many others did a "dilla tribute" type mixtape (and i believe you still have it posted up on your site). Well an anonomous person from the afformentioned label contacted me about my mixtape. I was informed that i was "riding the coatails of a deadman" and that the money I made off of these mixtapes should go to the pocket of MA DUKES.

Well I would have zero problems giving the money I made from these mixes to her without a doubt. The only problem here is I never made a penny off of any of those mixes. I hardly make any money off of any of the mixtapes that I make. Its just something that i love to do.

So I pretty much understand what you are talkin bout here PIPO. I still have much love for STONES THROW, Peanut Butter Wolf and the whole alliance!! They make GOOD quality music!!

pipomixes said...

Yeah, I respect the music that STR releases (which is why I've held my tongue on this subject). However, I wish they'd realized the hyprocacy of their practices.

I bet they wouldn't appreciated all the sample artists on a Madlib album coming after them. And you know they aren't paying royalties to those dudes

Anonymous said...

honestly, they need to stretch a dollar down at stones throw - internet geekism is the only thing keeping that boat floating.

Unknown said...

Yeah well Pipo you know my stance on the issue, I had no problem with the retail mixes been "asked" to be taken down but as you and many are wondering.....why do they remove the FREE stuff? I mean I know it has something to do with the website traffic issue, it has too and the fact they can't afford to host their own archives but maybe if they were smart enough they'd have some sort of conjoined effort with blogs like ours so we could help archive them for the people who want to listen to or have missed out on them? Don't they think the fans deserve it? I sure as hell do.
As for any of us making cash off of them, especially where Dilla is concerned that seems a tad hypocritical, considering they are the ones who have probably made the most from his untimely death, as I doubt they gave EVERYTHING they made to Ma Dukes, I'd love to see the paperwork for the accounting in that one.
On the same subject, I and I'm sure most of you fellow bloggers make sweet f*ck all from your blogs and if any thing spend $ to keep them going, so that part of their argument is flawed.
I respect a lot of their music and artists just not the way they practice the public relations on the matter because they come off as money hungry douche bags, I mean coming after little blogs like ours is pretty pathetic, especially when you know they don't have the balls to go after the Third Party Hosts or Torrent dump sites that actually host their stuff. If they really wanted to take all the associated material down they would hit the big wigs, I mean if they don't have it how can we re direct the links?
Bleh stuff it, I'm over it, you can argue about it till the cows come home but I won't be posting anymore directly related material to PBW or Stone Throws, plenty of other better stuff out there.
Peace.

Unknown said...

i do find it quite hypocritical or stones throw to be so militant about people giving away any of there content free or otherwise when they are quite happy to use uncredited up paid for samples freely. if you're gonna jack, prepare and accpet to be jacked yourself.

but to be on your case for giving away mixes that were free originally? that's just plain stupid.

i think the whole sampling isue was covered pretty well on hip hop is read

http://hiphopisread.blogspot.com/2008/03/sample-sets-hurting-hip-hop.html

it's like a backwards 360 of what made hip hop what it is and what got these guys into it and what got us all more into the funk and soul roots and why albums like pauls boutique can't be made anymore.

then again maybe what stones throw is doing is the net equivalent of beating down the bootleggers selling your shit out the back of their trunk on the corner of the block.

but when when everyonees giving it away, what's the beef?

pipomixes said...

"if you're gonna jack, prepare and accpet to be jacked yourself. "

^^^^^^^^^^^^
I think that sums it up right there

Unknown said...

Well said khy, couldn't have summed it up better myself, oh and btw they have totally taken down my two posts where I try to tell the truth about them, even after I removed the links they specifically asked me to, they dobbed me in to Google and had them removed, they really are trying their best to impersonate the Nazi regime.
I wonder now if they will remove mixes that other DJs give me that contain their tracks? Like how about the J.Rocc mixes, he posts for free, will they ask to have them removed as well, I really hopes they do it because then it will show the world what a bunch of two faced hypocritical douche bags they are.
I will refuse to take down any mix, that a DJ themselves give me, especially with their blessing, retail or free, if they wanna start beef then they can take it up with the DJ, let's see how well that goes down?