> [but it's pretty crazy that arguably one of the most popular forms of music in the world is distributed for free] I agree and I love it. I think it partly h

> [but it's pretty crazy that arguably one of the most popular forms of music in the world is distributed for free] I agree and I love it. I think it partly has to with the fact that many rappers started out in the actual ghetto by selling mixtapes (many from my local area such as Meek, Cassidy, Beanie Sigel, etc...). Releasing mixtapes shows that thay're still related to the streets and haven't gone completely commercial yet (sold out), which is important depending on the type of vibe that they're aiming for. For example, it's very important for someone like Meek Mill to maintain an image of being "real", where as it's not as big of a deal for someone like Drake who's more along the lines of a pop star. Submitting to the demands of a record label goes against everything that conventional hip hop stands for in my opinion, so I'm glad that these guys keep releasing their mixtapes for free.