My name is Quinton and I'm a young African-American who's been growing up in Durham for 16 years. I want to talk to you about the music industry. I hope after reading this you will realize how important music is to our society and where music is taking my generation.

When African-American music started in the United States it was often used to express how people felt. It gave information in a lyrical way, and it was communication. Today music is considered a quick way to get out of the hood or the slums. Songs such as "All The Way Turnt Up" by Roscoe Dash have less to do with meaning and more with just trying to sell an album. A song from back in the day, "Fight the Power" by Public Enemy, had a message that we could be empowered through our political voice and musical creativity.

Illegal downloading has also changed the music industry. When people stopped buying albums and decided to download music from "torrenting," which is a word for downloading illegally, it really destroyed the incentive for selling albums. I have never downloaded except through iTunes because I want to support music and not steal money from the artists. As a beat maker myself, I would be flattered if people were "torrenting" my music, but at the same time I would feel like my hard work was for nothing.

One thing that shocks me is how many rappers there are in North Carolina. Some write music out of passion (it's something they truly love) and some write for the money. Everyone wants to be like their favorite artist. Writing is hard work and takes dedication. But rapping has become a popular thing, not a passionate thing. It takes no extraordinary talent to get off the ground rapping, and it seems that fewer rappers write to empower or enhance their musical creativity.

As a producer/rapper named QWLD, I rap and make instrumentals that I have sold to rappers such as Rakim, Lil Yit, and Tony Braggs. I have my own studio in which I mix and master vocals in software programs.

Even though I am a rapper, I'm not making rapping my ultimate career. I want to be a computer engineer because I'm smart enough to know that rapping can only go so far and is not a reliable way to make money. By being a producer and engineer I could make several hundred dollars a month charging for the mixing, mastering and instrumentals. I enjoy the creative process of making beats as a producer and the ability to create an original score that moves many people. The art of being a producer of beats gives me insight into distribution, something a rapper may never focus on. Having the exclusive rights to a beat allows me to do anything with the beat.

The music industry has taken a significant change in the last 50 years. Music should be valued as an art and not just a profit tool. My guess is that music being controlled by corporations decreases its value, but as technology advances with more independent artists the value of music will increase.

A point my friend made to me was that young teens have a short attention span. Which meant that in parties if we hear a jerking song, we will jerk for about a minute then just sit around the rest of the time. This made me realize that a hit song could be made off of the beat, hook and a crazy dance. The music industry is making more dance songs that look like a Richard Simmons workout video. Google "Hit em wit the flex" and you will be surprised. If this is what is happening now, just imagine what will happen in 2012.