Record Pool Pimp

At and early age I learned a phrase from my mother that has never lost its truth. Shakespeare wrote “Sound and Fury, Signifying Nothing”.

Looks like I wrote an article that hit a little too close to home for a certain record pool “pimp”. My article on Changes Within the Entertainment Industry Vocabulary brought out a real snake in the grass. A certain "pool" director READ 2 PARAGRAPHS of the article, took it personal and decided to have his rebuttal posted within an industry newsletter. This was an unwarranted one-sided nonsensical rebuttal. After reading his rebuttal I haven't figured out exactly what he was trying to say. It seems that my telling the truth has pulled the covers off of his schemes and he now feels that I am taking business away from him. A friend told me today that “…sometimes when you throw a brick people just run straight into it and swear you threw it at them”. This guy should have ducked.

The entertainment industry has changed and new avenues of marketing & promotion have made the concept of record pool’s change. Online marketing of music, marketing of pool dj’s, record pool events and regular record pool meetings is the common norm. It is not hard to deduce that this particular record pool “pimp” can not compete in today’s business environment.
This person has a record pool but does not have a roster of confirmed DJ's that are playing weekly in clubs. He has a reputation of taking your musical cd's or 12" recordings and "running" directly to an independent store in the city where he sells them to live. He has not had a major record in his pool in years for the major labels and the independents that want to reach the masses know not to do business with him. His reporting techniques are sporadic and his charts have little to no meaning for any product that he reports. They do not match any definable or traceable airplay or club play. They have no ability to track sales, either physical or digital. And calling a record HOTT means what exactly?He fancy's himself a record promoter but can't tell you who is working at what radio station anywhere in the state that he lives and works. His claim is that he has been in business for years, but like Janet Jackson I ask WHAT HAVE YOU DONE LATELY? Being in business for years is the reason that today Hollywood Video, Levitz, Sharper Image, Performance Team Freight, Linen N Things, Circuit City, Bed Bath and Beyond ALL claimed bankruptcy. You must change with the times or you won’t be able to compete.

Pool meetings? Where, when, why, none of these can be answered intelligently for they are non-existent.

His snide references to having a college education, shows the depth of his illiteracy. It really isn’t my fault that you never went to school I just hope that you don’t pass on your hatred and jealousy of education and success to your children. They deserve better than that.

And what does your mother have to do with the record pool? She was a fantastic talent when she was alive, you are not.

It is no wonder that he refers to receiving music from “unknown” artists. This gives him the ability to work his “pimp” game upon them. New artists don’t have the knowledge of past events to show them who is honest and who isn’t.
I won't give him the pleasure of naming him or his pool for that would be giving him publicity and if he can't get it on his own than TOUGH. I already understand that attempting to slam me personally is his only way to get attention. It surely isn’t because he has great connections with the record labels or radio stations.

At the end of the day the business is changing rapidly and a few smart executives are making the change with joy, honesty and intelligence. Sometimes it is wrong to think that you have talent when you have never done anything to prove your talent in your life.

It is always wrong to try and fool the people, especially when the people are intelligent and aware.