The All Mine Virus

By: R.M. London

"We got sixteen-year-old net-heads buying garbage
Wanting to keep you for their personal private artist..."
- Copywrite 'June'

With the birth of peer to peer networks, file sharing programs, and media hosting sites the world of music has completely changed. Instead of saving pennies to buy one cassette tape and spinning both sides until the white print dissapears from the casing the new generation of music hounds are downloading copius amounts of music whenver they want, free of charge. The new digital trends are causing migraines for the corporate suits, who can be seen scurrying around New York and Los Angeles like headless cocks wondering what the hell happened, while the independent moguls are celebrating-- or are they?

Even with music being readily available to anyone with a broadband connection and a bit of internet browsing knowledge the independent scene, like its mainstream counterpart, is still experiencing dismal record sales. Is it because the compact disc is slowly dying? Is it because downloading free music is too easy? I say it's neither. The percentages are still low because of the same reason they were low ten years ago-- indie fans love to keep their diamond in the rough discoveries for their personal private artists.

Disagree? How could you? When you know damn well, as an underground hip hop/music fan yourself, that you have hoarded and shielded your music from other people before. Remember when you first started getting heavy into the scene and you came across some obscure Co. Flow material off their first record? Your mind was fucked. Your ears stimulated from the soundwaves of the creative and original. So excited that not only did you find a style of sound that you never new existed, but none of your friends new what it was. If one of your boys heard it in the car their mind was blown. They were shocked and wanted to know who it was, what style of hip hop was happening in the speakers, and of course-- "where in the hell did you find this?" And you, the new prestigous hip hop Archaeologist, cracked your knuckles, laid back and said-- "I don't know man. Just found it on accident. It's some weird shit, eh?" All while sporting a toothy grin because you just won the sonic lottery. But, you never told your friend the artist name, nor the song title...nothing.

I know this happens. I've experienced it with my own "wannabe elitist" music fiend friends and have watched it go on many times at college, in record stores, and at concerts. It is the plague that has devoured many innocent indie rockers, hip hop heads, and old school ravers. The "All Mine" virus. The hoarding disease that attacks and diminishes all your sharing skills that you gathered throughout your childhood. The rapid growing virus that shuts down your stereo when other people are around and causes you to hide cds, mp3s, and makes you never blurt out an artist's name. There is no cure as of yet, and it is still attacking our youth.

Yes, the majority of indie fans treat their music like secret ancient artifacts that if seen or heard by another person might crumble to dust and be forever tainted. It has reached ridiculous levels and it's about time everyone let down their guard, opened up their CD and computer folders, and let the music spill out to everyone else who is dying to hear something fresh.

The next time you hear an amazing song by some obscure artist-- Zshare that sucker and send it to a friend that you know will love it too. If you come across a record that just boggled your mind-- buy two copies; one for you and one for your friend. If someone's myspace page is full of groundbreaking music that you never fathomed existed-- add them as a friend, tell them you love it, and then post five bulletins telling all your homies who's got next.

Music is a gift that should keep on giving. I think it's about time that all of us music fans stopped hiding our rare artifacts and instead shared their wealth, because the disease of not having fresh, creative, and original music to listen to is far deadlier and rampant than any other.

Share and cure.