LimeWire Music Blog

Seminal rap act Public Enemy makes no bones about asking for money, and they are exhorting fans to donate in order to fund their next record.

In what seems to be  a fresh new method of mainstream music support, invoking equal parts Radiohead and Amanda Palmer, Public Enemy have signed up with SellaBand, a company created to accept money for band expenses, and are aiming to earn $250,000 for the as-yet-untitled record.  Fortunately, supporters get more than the satisfaction of helping a band in need, as any fan who donates to the Public Enemy album fund will share in the revenues of the record, as well as receive a numbered copy. Meanwhile, the band will retain all rights to their record and ultimately get to decide how to reward the fans for their donations.

Public Enemy’s very own mouthpiece Chuck D is rather excited about the program. ”SellaBand’s financial engine model goes about restructuring the music business in reverse,” he explained in a recent statement. “It starts with fans first, then the artists create from there. The music business is built on searching for fans and this is a brand new way for acts to create a new album with fans first, already on board.”

To me, this sounds like a curious venture, and it vaguely reminds me of Einsturzende Neubauten’s now-defunct Supporter Series, an off-the-radar interactive program installed to fund the band’s foray into increasingly experimental waters. Only time will tell, but perhaps SellaBand, led by Public Enemy’s example, will become a valuable commodity in the post-major-label future. If anything, I’m just happy to hear talk about a new Public Enemy album.

Headline by Judy Berman.