Does anyone know what's the equivelent in rap? Can I assume most mainstream rappers(Kanye, Wiz, 50 Cent etc.) heavily contribute to their own lyrics? I'm particularly curious about Eminem.
On the flip side, Dr Dre is known to have his lyrics ghostwritten & is primarily known for his production skills.
I think nowadays he's more know for his overpriced headphones tho.
They might be overpriced to you, but to the thousands of people who've bought them, they seem worth the value.
It's brilliant marketing, sure. But it's like taking a $2 bottle of wine, rebranding it, and saying it's worth the value at $19.
That's like complaining that Nike can markup a pair of Jordans for $150 even though they're objectively "just as good" as a pair that costs $70-$100. A "brand" is valuable.
Case in point - that "rebranding" of the wine, just got you an extra $17 in margin.
[0] Look at the writing credits on Yeezus. http://www.stereogum.com/1385792/yeezus-credits-revealed/new...
It's far more commonly known that people buy beats from producers.