Drop Your $$$ for West Coast Hip Hop History

Posted on August 13, 2012 by LiteMoteef

Did you catch that really, really, REALLY shit film IRON SKY? The flick about Nazis who fled to the dark side of the moon?

My mates and I walked out around the 1/2 way mark – usually it’s not me to make an early exit, I didn’t even do it during Harry Potter (never tried Twilight).

But yeah, I walked out, wondering how the hell a film like that could get ANY funding at all… So I went home and tried to suss it out.

I’d heard before about crowd funding, about creating your fan base before production. This is what ‘Iron Sky’ did – people really dug the idea of alien Nazis I guess, and visually it looked quite slick. The better your pitch, the more likely people would give you dollars.

As a wannabe filmmaker, I began researching different online sites that provide the means to crowd fund your films. Kickstarter and Pozible are two such websites. They’re not just for filmmakers though – just scroll down their home pages: musicians, organisations, inventors, artists… The projects vary greatly.

Now, if this interests you, remember to read the small print, the terms and conditions. I know that Kickstarter won’t hand you the money if you don’t hit your target, it just goes straight back to the people who’ve donated. Whilst if you do get there, a certain percentage will be taken by Kickstarter and their partners for having provided the service.

If you wanna be a backer, you can drop anything from 1 buck to 100s. If you donate certain amounts, nine times outta ten they’ll give you a thank you gift. Some of them are a bit silly, some aren’t half bad – signed copies of albums, posters, free tickets to premiere etc.

Now I didn’t obviously start this article with the biggest high five to these sites, considering I was knocking the deluded crowd who somehow thought ‘Iron Sky’ was worthwhile, but there are good projects on these sites that need funding. And if you’re a budding artist with serious banking issues, have a go at it yourself.

I’m gonna plug just one – WEST COAST HIP HOP: A History in Pictures by Michael Miller. Below is the pitch, have a read and if you think it sounds even half-good, I encourage you to chip in. The more stuff out there on the best music genre ever is imperative. Ha.

“This kickstarter campaign is for the 2nd edition of West Coast Hip Hop: A History in Pictures Book by Michael Miller. He documented the early days of West Coast rappers, shooting album covers and editorials for all the groups that came out of the west. 

Snoop Dogg, Tupac, Eazy E, NWA, Ice Cube, Ice T, Too Short, Cypress Hill, DJ Quik,and the list keeps going, over 45 artists.

This era changed pop-culture!  After giving out hundreds of books for promotion, this book has been a favorite coffee table book for Snoop Dogg, Shepard Fairy, Ice Cube, Mister Cartoon, Estevan Oriol, Cypress Hill, Retna, Will-I-Am etc… 

Everyone that gets there hands on it says it’s a must have. The first edition sold out with in the first 3 months and had a soft launch.

Everyday the word is spreading about one of the most important books that documents the groups in their early days. Michael’s tells the stories about each shoot, what it was like working with these icons.

With the 2nd edition he hopes to share this book with the world. Production costs are extremely high so we are asking for help from the kickstarter posse around the world.”

 

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WAvQg99dIM]