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There are several different levels of fucked-up in this situation. Cannon and Drama aren’t street-level bootleggers, for one. Check out the video report from Atlanta’s Fox affiliate and you’ll see that the CDs (“mix tapes” are usually CDs) the authorities are seizing (check out those butch FBI-style RIAA windbreakers) aren’t burned copies of the new Young Jeezy. They’re the latest installment of the latest Gangsta Grillz mix tape, and every rapper on it is there by his own free will, not from getting his shit jacked over Limewire. Mix tapes at Drama and Cannon’s level are comprised of exclusives and “officially” leaked tracks–it’s a point of pride that they don’t have to steal. Cannon and Drama aren’t ripping off these rappers — they’re making their careers. At this point Drama’s considered one of the most respected and successful tastemakers in hip-hop, and the Dedication Vol. 2 mix tape he did with Lil Wayne last year ended up on a ton of major year-end lists. And Young Jeezy owes more than a little of his platinum success to Cannon’s tour de force production on “Go Crazy.”
At this point, it’s hard to imagine rap music without mix tapes. They’ve evolved from an adjunct to the mainstream scene to an integral part of it, and for the fans and artists who get off on the anarchic thrills they offer, they’re probably the best part. With this bust, the RIAA isn’t just saying that it’s no longer willing to let Drama and Cannon keep making money on their side hustle. It’s saying that it doesn’t give a fuck about hip-hop.
