I'd like to believe that CDs will never go out of style but it's becoming more and more apparent that they already are. Personally, I've been a harbinger of compact discs since I first fell in love with hip-hop and signed up for BMG Music Service around 1996. And even in this age of digital consumerism, I still made it to Best Buy once in a while to cop a CD I wanted to actually own.

Well, things done changed lol, as this depressin' recession leaves little room in our tightening budgets to sacrifice dollars for our favorite artists. As a result, I think the last album I bought was 808s & Heartbreak, not for lack of quality music because I'm a huge fan of The Dream's and Ryan Leslie's albums--I just have yet to shell out money for them. At this point, financially, buying CDs has become a luxury, much like buying magazines, I presume. While folks are still going to the movies and renting Netflix flix by the droves (their business is up), I read last week that no albums have gone platinum in first quarter 2009. Of course, sales aren't everything and they don't tell the whole story of an artist's influence. But it used to be that it did. When Wayne sold a million copies in his first week, I wondered who exactly went out and spent their money on that album when they could've just downloaded it. Was it the desire to own a potential classic? But the album was already available online and early reviews were mixed--it definitely wasn't considered a flawless album.

Rob has been bumping his watermarked Asher Roth CD (mine is on the way!) And I'm digging the kid, so considering purchasing his album, if only to support artists who are actually talented. DT recently inquired what hip-hop CDs you've bought recently. My question is what does it take for you to buy a CD in the first place? Why are you spending that money? Does it have to be an artist you connect with? Only your favorite rappers? Will you buy an album that you already downloaded? -clovito

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