The Hidden Seeds That Help Artists Grow

Is this more than just some silly conspiracy theory?

It's assumed that the first thoughts that could pop into your mind range from "What the h*ll is that?" to "Sheck Wes." Okay, does anyone remember those allegations, or is it just me? The term' industry plant' has been floating around the net for some time but has yet to have much of a solid definition. Before social media's impact on the music industry, an industry plant would be described as an artist whose career has been propelled due to the label they're signed to. These labels relentlessly marketed their artists through various means of advertisement, brand deals, and more. 

The impression of authenticity is essentially stripped from the artists, which sometimes isn’t noticeable to said audiences depending on how much of a slick rick the exec is. Labels have a set formula for expediting an artist’s notoriety, all for worldly gain. It’s sort of like those cheat codes we’d right down for old video games to give us a bit of leverage. It’s becoming quite conflicting for fans to want to fully support artists when it feels as though Mattel is manufacturing them. This can be made evident in the progression of Jennifer Lopez’s music career. Yes, the same Jennifer Lopez who once screamed “I’m Real” with Ja Rule is a fake. One can’t discredit her talents because she’s come such a long way, but at what cost and who’s a dime?

Tommy Mottola’s, to be exact, for he’s the former CEO of Sony Music Entertainment and, coincidentally, Mariah Carey’s scorned ex-husband. Once Mottola and Carey divorced, he had it out for the singer and attempted to do everything in his power to manipulate her stardom. In search of competition in an attempt to top his successes with Carey, Mottola scouted small names within the industry attentively. By finding Jenny and throwing her out on the block, Mottola got not only street cred for the collaborations he’d made possible for Lopez but hit records too. He earned his short-lived satisfaction by creating an entity entirely for someone else’s demise using prominent resources. The same could also be said for Nicki Minaj. Super fans began speculating about Cardi B’s rise to fame due to the time frame she emerged. Her stardom was sudden and enormous for such an unfamiliar face. She received platinum plaques and copious awards, including a Grammy, which many acclaimed female hip-hop stars have never accepted. Certain artists began alleging large record companies like Atlantic would approach them with grand amounts of money in hopes of them recording a diss record against Nicki. That very label just happened to sign Cardi around the same period they were attempting to bribe other artists for their dirty work, and you all know the rest is history.

The post-social media definition of an industry plant goes as follows: any artist who comes off as independent and credits their supporters only, but in reality, they have labels pulling some strings. This is typically associated with new-age artists, as older ones wouldn’t shy away from their powerful associations. Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X, and even Drake have been accused of being industry plants. People mostly point fingers at artists who have a more questionable background, thrusting into the limelight.

Ice Spice is also a prime example. Her spontaneous emergence had folk dissin’ their munches and cultivated a massive following for it. While we all may assume she struck gold with a TikTok hit, you’ll be surprised at who people know behind the scenes. Ice Spice’s producer, RIOTUSA, is the son of Hot 97’s DJ Enuff. With the connections and marketing abilities that come along with them, it would be fair to say Spice certainly had an advantage compared to her peers. And once she officially signed to a label, the brand deals, advertisements, and collaborations set her to heights uncommon for relatively new artists.

The conversations surrounding industry plants are still imposing people’s feeds and sparking doubt about the credibility of some artists. As stated earlier, people want authenticity and relatability. So, when there’s no genuine connection built naturally between the artist and audience, there’s no longevity. And when the curtains fall, and people spot the new Milli Vanillis, they can easily pull back. Don’t get it twisted, of course, it’s their job to invest in their artists, but it’s only contradictory when labels are playing dirty for profit.