GROUP DYNAMICS: BALANCE OF POWER WITHIN HIP-HOP GROUPS
- chriswindmusic
- Nov 24, 2014
- 3 min read
Nov. 24, 2014 12:25pm - C. Wind talks about the dynamics of being in a Hip-Hop group and how the balance of power is determined using Wu-Tang Clan, Wind Clan, and others as examples. --Stevario Windhom
In a recent article on HipHop DX, Rza and Cappadonna discussed a tier system that was established to determine the rate of pay for members within Wu-Tang Clan. Let's admit it--some of the Wu members have experienced a little more success due to other ventures and likely draw more support from fans when a group project is underway. Even so, Rza (who incidentally would likely be worth more than any other Clansman these days) doesn't agree with the tier-based system and feels that everyone should get his equal share.
From my own experience, no one person in a group becomes more popular or famous by accident--they're doing a whole lot of SOMETHING to get that extra attention. Sometimes it's because that member is working that much harder, or in some cases it could be that a member is constantly in the news for getting in trouble. I can relate to Rza on this one because though I wear many hats when it comes to Wind Clan, they're all of my own choosing. Nobody told me to write, produce, promote, design products, etc. I took those responsibilities upon myself because I was able. Of course, I saw the value in teaching a lot of my skills to the other members so that they, too, could contribute in similar ways, but it isn't my place to force them to do what they don't want to do. One thing I can say is that I'm blessed to have groupmates who understand that they get what they put in. I started off as a solo artist, testing the waters and gathering intel, so I had a little headstart on the others. With E&J's latest mixtape project, they're getting the opportunity to learn some of the things I learned through my own experiences--all of which will only add to the impact when we come together on a full group project.
It's one thing when management determines a tier system based on observations of the member contributions, but it becomes a mess when any one member starts going off about deserving more. Even if they're justified, it causes a type of tension in the group that hurts you in the long run. Key members start becoming frequent no-shows at performances and interviews, chemistry on songs starts to deteriorate...just a lot of things that bring the group down. That's why it takes wisdom to be the "leader" of a group. It's not my place to declare myself the leader; I lead through my actions and take the whole group into consideration before making decisions. Ego and petty disagreements have torn groups apart, not only in Hip-Hop, but other genres, too--look at The Beatles!
If I get paid more for anything in particular, it should be directly associated with my personal investment. You get what you put in. If a group feels it is necessary, they can itemize tasks that need to be completed for the success of a particular venture. Each task will have an associated cost, and each task will be available for anyone to take on. If one person takes on more of these tasks, he will naturally earn more money. The thing to remember is that NO ONE gets money if the project isn't successfully executed If the integrity of the project is compromised by someone not completing a responsibility that he himself chose to take on, everyone fails.
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