Check out this open letter to black artists written by Sebastien Elkouby on behalf of ‘The Industy’, over at Rap Rehab.
Dear black artists,
We regret to inform you that the need for your services will soon come to an end as we enter a critical restructuring period. Fortunately, after having spent nearly a century meticulously studying your art, language, fashion, and lifestyle, we have learned enough to confidently move forward without your assistance. We thank you for your contributions but have decided to make some necessary changes as a result of your decreasing value. Focus groups show that consumers are looking for more relatable images. While 2013 marked the first time in Billboard’s 55 year history that there were no black artists on the Hot 100 chart, this was a great year for us with Justin Timberlake, Robin Thicke, and Macklemore claiming the #1 spot on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart, proving that market demands are shifting. Consequently, in the next few months, we will be gradually phasing out your positions as we finalize this reorganization. In the meantime, we ask you to continue with business as usual, training your replacements Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber until instructed otherwise.
Sebastien Elkouby
Satire which touches on many TRUTHS!
Your thoughts please….
Categories: News
MAD NEWS UK 
This is perfection!! #truth
This dude is bang on point, when are we gonna wake up
Reblogged this on Forever Black Effusion.
This doesn’t make sense because there’s a lot of upcoming black artists making it big, also “relate-able images” is stupid because there’s a lot of fans including black fans that prefer black artists n actually listen to material made by ethnic artists. “Decreasing value”, what does he mean by that, more ethnic people are making it bigger now than ever n being part of everything, afrobeats is bigger than ever n appreciated. He’s insulting black people rather than being honest, I guess he wishes for them to disappear. “Wake up”, to what?, read between the lines, he’s just being a pessimist.
No I think you need to wake up.
@Diplo
What do you mean by making it big? do you mean big as in mainstream across England and the world? or big in in the minds of mainly black audiences or big within the genre?
And in the last 3 years who are the black artist that are making it bigger than before? (not including Jay-Z, Beyonce and K West).
And is the man really insulting black people (mind you it is satire) when he is only repeating what a lot of black people are noticing and talking about already?
@cameron Making it big as in sales and popularity and this doesn’t have to be nationwide. Even if it’s mainly with black audiences, vice versa most white artists have more white fans and aren’t popular nationwide. Black people think everything is about race, when they are the first ones to bring it up. If it bothers them so much then why not support their fellow coloured people.Black music is still valued, otherwise Jay-Z, Beyonce, and Kanye West would’ve lost a long time ago.
Coloured people? Okay it’s a wrap. No point in continuing this debate with you.
Oh dear Diplo, you sound like a middle aged Daily Mail reader with that “coloured” comment.
The guy was talking about mainstream industry (or pretending to be the voice of the mainstream industry), not specific genre’s or about how many non white faces you see doing music in general, nor was he talking about how many white people buy music of other races compared to non-white.
But please i may be wrong, lets talk about the British market. Please tell me (as you mentioned earlier) what non-American black music artist from early 2013 until now are out selling every other artist?
What black music artist is dominating daytime TV or chat show constantly?
what black music artist is dominating the top 10 charts?
What black music artist is all over the show biz pages in the newspapers and front covers of top selling magazines?
What black artist is getting a serious push by major record labels?
I wrote this article to make the point that the industry is slowly shifting and Black artists are exploited until they are no longer needed. It’s satire based on current trends in the business. Believe me, I wish I didn’t have to write anything like this but I wrote it to hopefully wake people up to what’s going on. Peace.
Is this the real DIplo? Imagine, my daughter rates him and was even in one of his videos. She bloody well won’t be rating him by the time I show her this. Mek him eff off with his negritude, old carpetbagger!