A Musical Perspective from the Blak Prophetz

Posted on Sunday, July 3, 2016 Return

Mark Anthony (aka Blak Prophetz) is a musician, Song Writer, Record Producer, DJ, and is the owner of Digital Jukebox Records (digitaljukeboxrecords. com) in Europe who works very closely with the BBC Publishing department in London. He is also on the team of A&R Consultants for Arising Artists, London, a company that deals with the coaching and mentoring for artists who need help in understanding the music industry and or services. He is and has managed several musicians within the industry and has recently formed a new Funk band called ‘The Funk Division’. Impact Global spoke to Mark Anthony, and when questioned this is what he had to say about the current state of the music indstry.

Mark Anthony says...

"The music industry is like fashion and each genre has its own cycle. I’m very much involved in many as I’m often sent briefs to score music to different TV adverts which has also included voice overs etc. I was heavily bought up within black music genre as my father was a DJ from Jamaica who would often live and work in Florida and Georgia which would explain the extensive vinyl record collection. Genres included the likes of Reggae, Jazz-Funk, R&B & Soul but I also had a keen interest in Rock and Disco music.

It is unfortunate but things seem to have changed dramatically within the music industry. The audience for one seems to have been heavily force fed and are led to believe that good music is primarily dependent on popularity rather than the sound or skill of the musician/ artist(s). In a generation where everything comes electronically fast and music can be easily downloaded without having to pay for it, I feel that the value of the product has declined, therefore the ‘skill factor’ of the musician is not considered as much.

Instead, more emphasis is based on the musician’s popularity within the media/press, personal attributes, trends and or personal misfortunes in life. Personally, I preferred a time when the ‘product of music’ was physical, e.g. vinyl and or even tapes. It seemed to have had more value and was more of an item which one could keep or collect. The impact music has on color has not changed as music is a proven tool that brings people of all nationalities together. Social Networking is a great tool and through this I have managed to also hear from people who share similar views and interests as I, therefore technology does have its advantages.

Music is colorless and skill should be respected regardless of taste. There’s a part of me that is old school and would love the return of wax and turntables into the industry as I believe that if our children of this generation had the opportunity to experience what we did, it might change their approach to the current industry. It appears that much record sales are falsified via the press to promote popularity of an artist and the industry has been totally taken over by people who have interests in money and not the art. Although I don’t think it ever will but I think this needs to change or we will continue to be force fed colorful tattooed infested none-talented pawns in the vicious game of chess we call music."