The RIAA vs hip hop, and how a mix CD works

With the arrest of DJ Drama by the armed wing of the major record companies, the RIAA, I still cant believe that after all this time the RIAA just doesnt get it. So, if any of you people at the RIAA are reading, I need to just let you know what the purpose of a Mix CD is, and I want to address the problem that I know you have with them. I want to show you that Mix CDs are not such a bad thing.

First of all, the oddest thing is that DJ Drama's CDs are sold on the most legit music site on the net, EMUSIC, and in real music stores. So I just dont understand where you all are coming from, having the man jailed and taking his equipment; whats wrong with you all? His stuff is not sold by shady characters in the inner cities who get their stuff from illegal bootlegging operations. DJ Drama is not a bootlegger himself. So what is your problem with him?

Say if I download from EMUSIC one of his CD's, like Hood Music. I will hear something I like and I will go to ITunes and I will buy it. What you all are afraid of is that I will just download only what I hear on DJ Drama's CD and the artist won't get paid.

As it is, none of you really know the hip hop culture, so none of you truly understand that the DJ is the one who breaks new artists, introduces listeners to new rappers and MC's and the artist and this type of DJ have an understanding that the DJ can use their music and he wants to be promoted by him.

I guess another problem the RIAA has is that in this social circle, the record company executives are the outsiders. They want to suck the artists dry by calling all the shots in how an artist is to be promoted and pushed, because in the end it comes out of the artist royalties. Not only that, but the record companies are afraid that really the artists could just rebel against them and cut them out entirely; after all, if the artists can take care of their own distribution, promotion, and recording; why would they need any of the big record companies the RIAA supports?

The arrest of DJ Drama shows the lack of respect that the RIAA has for hip hop culture. When will the RIAA stop treating hip hop artists like they are the "dumb kids in the special ed class" and recognize them for the businessman and artists that they truly are?