hey are not receiving royalties for their work. The artists are coming forth to let their voices be heard. Lars Ulrich of Metallica has said;Let's get the obvious out of the way: This is not just about the money (as some of the more cynical people will think). This is as close as you get to what's right and what's wrong. Metallica have always been in favor of giving the fans as much access as possible to our music. This includes taping sections at our concerts, and streaming our music via our website. Moreover, while we certainly revere our fans for their continued support and desire for our music, we must stress that the open trading of any copyrighted material is, in effect, the looting of our art…Napster and other such sites were obviously not conceived to lose money. They, like the labels, must make money or they are out of business. And whatever money they are generating from their site is dirty money. It's being taken out of the hands of the artist and the record labels and put into the hands of another corporation. (RIAA 4) "I am excited about the opportunities presented by the Internet because it allows artists to communicate directly with fans". Elton John proclaims and goes on to say, "[b]ut the bottom line must always be respect and compensation for creative work. I am against Internet piracy and it is wrong for companies like Napster and others to promote stealing from artists online" (RIAA 3). The number of artists who have come forth to criticize Napster has been staggering. A great many has been from the rap community. This is shocking to some people. Most rap artists will wait ten years until the music becomes public domain and then sample or steal the main melody of a song. What about the royalties they should have paid for ninety percent of their art? They steal what real music they need and discard the rest. Is this why it is called Gangster Rap?A few artists have rallied behind Napster. Dexter Holland of the gr...
