KID ROCK VS. STEVE JOBS

To say that Vince and I aren’t Kid Rock fans probably ranks with statements like “Vince and I aren’t Limp Bizkit fans” or “Vince and I aren’t Disturbed fans” in terms of its level of “Well duh”-ness. I once heard some jackass on VH1 says that “Bawitdaba” or whatever the fuck it was called “Sounds like rock re-entering the building,” but to me is always sounded more like dignity taking a nose-dive off the roof.

All of that being said, Kid Rock’s statements in a recent interview with the BBC actually make him sound less like a a rap metal redneck and more like Trent Reznor. When asked why his music isn’t readily available on iTunes, Rock said that “the internet was an opportunity for everyone to be treated fairly, for the consumer to get a fair price, for the artist to be paid fairly, for the record companies to make some money,” but that iTunes stuck to an “old system” whereby everyone gets paid… save for the artist.

The article continues with Rock admitting that he will inevitably lose the fight to keep his albums off of iTunes, but that that doesn’t mean fans should give their money to the Steve Jobs enterprise:

“The performer – whose real name is Robert Ritchie – said his record company Atlantic had asked him to ‘stand up for illegal downloading’ a few years ago because it told him ‘people are stealing from us and stealing from you.’

“‘And I go: ‘Wait a second, you’ve been stealing from the artists for years. Now you want me to stand up for you?’

“‘I was telling kids – download it illegally, I don’t care. I want you to hear my music so I can play live.’”

Of course, Rock ends the interview on a semi-obnoxious note, saying that he doesn’t have to steal because he’s rich, but hey, at least he’s being honest.

Reading these statements, it would seem that it’s only a matter of time until Rock ditches his label and goes the Nine Inch Nails route. That could be a move worth applauding, even if the idea of someone handing out copies of “Cowboy” for free scares me.

-AR