As we wait for KXNG CROOKED’s Sex, Money & Hip-Hop mixtape, the Cali import of the Slaughterhouse family pens this open letter to the fans.
If it weren’t for the online world of Hip-Hop supporters — generally called “the internet” — Slaughterhouse’s KXNG CROOKED likely wouldn’t be where he’s at today. The internet embraced Crooked and his House Gang brothers long ago, which ultimately led to the creation of Slaughterhouse and their signing to Eminem’s Shady Records. The internet helped carve out a solid career for Crooked and has allowed him the opportunity to travel around the world and do what he loves to do. Every blogger, every online journalist, every forum comment and social media share played a part in his brand development.
While it’s true that the internet has been an amazing launching pad for countless artists, there are times when it has been a pain in the ass to major record companies. Album leaks, for one, have somewhat crippled the industry and thrown months and even years of hard work to the wayside.
Now fresh off the heels of his appearances on the #1 Billboard album in Hip-Hop — Shady XV — KXNG CROOKED prepares to release Sex, Money and Hip-Hop, a mixtape experience centered around the idea of the pre-internet days. The days of nostalgia for many, when the only way to hear an album was to go down to the local record shop and buy it with your hard-earned cash, or pick it up from your local DJ selling mixtapes out of the trunk of his car. We want this to truly be a mixtape experience — the way so many of us grew up on.
Therefore, with the release of Sex, Money and Hip-Hop we are counting on the fans. We are asking the fans who purchased this album NOT to upload it anywhere online, but to keep it tucked away in your own little stash for your own mixtape experience. This is a piece of history. A collector’s item. A rare piece of art. There are limited copies of this album being manufactured, and you may just be one of the lucky few who own a copy forever.
We believe the fans will want to keep this art from going public via the internet and we are trusting you with this. You see, if this album is uploaded online the value of it decreases drastically, much like a baseball card or a rare comic book. It’s simple: keep it retro. Keep this album offline and keep it valuable.
As a special gift to you from KXNG CROOKED and SMH Records and as a thank you for your cooperation, we are including a second copy of the album for FREE with your purchase (while supplies last). One is for your listening pleasure, and the other is a keepsake for you to hold onto, unopened, as a Limited Edition collector’s item.
So thank you, Internet, for all you’ve done for us. We are not turning are back on you, we are simply keeping it authentic for a throwback mixtape experience.
