Indie Artist Music Hustle

The Psychology Behind Why Artists Create Fake Conflicts in 2025

• Host and Creator: Blonde Intelligence (Ms. Roni) • Season 4 • Episode 67

Share episode

Hello welcome to this week's Blonde Intelligence, I am your host Ms. Roni and I always seek to give you exquisite cranial repertoire. Authenticity matters more than ever in today's music landscape. As we venture deeper into 2025, the once-reliable strategy of manufacturing beef between artists is rapidly losing its effectiveness, and fans are becoming increasingly skilled at spotting the difference between genuine conflict and publicity stunts.

Drawing from insights by entertainment psychologist Dr. Lisa Williams, we explore how the transparency of social media has fundamentally changed the relationship between artists and their audiences. When an artist releases a diss track that lacks emotional depth or conveniently appears just before an album drop, today's discerning listeners can sense the insincerity. The consequences? Diminished trust, fan disillusionment, and potentially damaged careers.

What makes authentic beef different from the manufactured kind? We break down the key indicators: emotional resonance in lyrics, timing that doesn't conveniently align with promotional calendars, consistent behavior on social media, and genuine history between the artists involved. The recent Kendrick Lamar and Drake situation serves as a compelling case study in how real conflicts capture audience attention because they stem from substantive issues rather than marketing strategies.

For artists navigating this changing landscape, the message is clear: focus on creating music with depth and meaning rather than relying on emotional manipulation. As one indie artist puts it, "If you don't have anything to say, it's not gonna work in rap right now." We also share details about the upcoming UME 2025 (Unplugged Music Experience and Conference) happening November 13-16, 2025, where authentic musical talent will take center stage.

Ready to develop a more critical perspective on artist conflicts? Subscribe to Blonde Intelligence on all major podcast platforms and visit blondeintelligence.com for more insights and merchandise. Your ears—and your emotional investment—deserve authenticity.

#BlondeIntelligence #AuthenticityInMusic #RealBeef #MusicTransparency #KendrickVsDrake #UnpluggedMusicExperience 

Support the show

SPEAKER_00:

Learn about the indie artist from the indie artists.

SPEAKER_01:

I'm Shannon Keene. I'm an artist. My name is Lauren, as you already said. I am a singer-songwriter. So I'm all femmes. Originally come from the Caribbean, St. Vincent, the Grenadines.

SPEAKER_02:

My name is Brian Duser. I'm an East Coast Canadian rocker.

SPEAKER_00:

And then I found myself in Las Vegas, where I'm at currently, for dancing for Circuit Du Soleil with my own solos. I also learned from music industry professionals.

SPEAKER_01:

I'm a music producer. I've been producing professionally for about 14 years. I have uh worked with a couple people in the industry. Uh Redmi nominated, Trev Rich, Misha from 702.

SPEAKER_02:

After I got my deal with Universal Music, after the Alicia Keys and Gunner Record, and many other that I've done, and then Alicia Keys was the number one adult RB song of the year.

SPEAKER_00:

I asked the question.

SPEAKER_02:

That's a great question.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, that's a good question.

SPEAKER_02:

Ooh, uh, that is a good question. Wow. I love all these questions. These are great. Like most of the questions that I get are like, you know, tell me about Justin Bieber.

SPEAKER_00:

Indie Artist Music Hustle is for the indie artists, their fans, industry professionals, and the music lover. Subscribe on YouTube, Facebook, or the podcast on Apple, Spotify, Pandora, or Blonde Intelligence Facebook page. Don't forget to add me to your playlist. Bye.

SPEAKER_01:

It's been really fun, especially hoping someone across the pond. Let's go.

SPEAKER_00:

Welcome to this week's Blonde Intelligence. I'm your host, Miss Ronnie, and I always seek to give you exquisite cranial repertoire. This week I am going to talk about how fans can spot fake beefs. Because it seems that these days fans get emotionally involved in artist beefs, even if they never met the person or have any, I would say, personal tie to them. So I'm gonna talk about that a little bit today. But before I get started, I want to tell you about a music experience. You and me, 2025 Unplugged Music Experience and Conference. You need to save this date, November 13th through 16th, 2025. Music submissions. Write in Sessions America, which is WSA, is now accepting clean radio edited original songs in any genre for the playlist challenge. The top 50 submissions will be featured at UME 2025 in exclusive sessions including quality control listening events, panel and pitch sync listening sessions, live radio video showcases, and the icon awards. Songs will be pre-selected by October 10th, 2025. WSA will organize three focus groups to select the top 25, which will be highlighted at the live radio video showcases and icon awards. Participants must be registered to the 2025 UME conference to be eligible for consideration. Participants must submit a maximum of four MP3s to Sync Music WSA 2025 at gmail.com. Again, that is Sync Music WSA 2025 at gmail.com. In 2025, the strategy of creating fake beefs within the rap genre serves as a failing public relations tactic that can ultimately damage the authenticity and credibility of artists. And I talk about that a lot because I feel like the landscape is changing even with social media. At first, you could create like this social media persona, but I think that now people are able to, I would say, dig into people's real lives without them wanting them to do it. The rise of social media has transformed how fans engage with their favorite favorite musicians, making them more discerning and critical of the narratives presented. According to a study by entertainment psychologist Dr. Lisa Williams, the increase in transparency in the music industry means that fans are more likely to notice when beefs appear staged or insincere. And like Hendrick said in his rap beef with Drake, and a couple of other people have said, if they're gonna engage in a real rap beef, we're gonna have a real problem in creating fake problems with people. Used to will work, but now people are seeing through it. And then sometimes the fans get so emotionally involved that they orchestrate the beef. I was saying like with the situation with Jay-Z and Nas, and Jay-Z being denied the casino deal, and Nas receiving his casino deal. And I think that even if they had beef in the past, I I've said it before, ultimately in the rap in in the music industry, I would say really in the rap industry, that you getting in and you're getting out. You're getting in, you creating a your legacy, and then you're making other business investments. And I would say both of them are doing that, and it wasn't like they were trying to do it in the same exact area. They were two different places that would provide different things in that area, and from my understanding, where Jay-Z wanted to be was where Broadway were was, and that wasn't the same situation for Nas, but I feel like that because they had beef in the past, that the fans are creating a beef now when there is none. So I would say sometimes you have to be critical of that too. There may not really be a beef there, but it's being orchestrated. So again, according to a study by entertainment psychologist Dr. Lisa Williams, the increase in transparency in the music industry means that fans are more likely to notice when beefs appear staged or insincere. This skepticism undermines the intended promotional effects as fans prefer genuine connections over fabricated narratives. As a result, fake beefs can backfire, leading to fan disillusionment and diminished trust in the artist. So it used to be back in the day, if you got a new album or something coming out, you have to create some type of buzz about yourself. And a lot of artists would create a beef with another artist, especially in rap, so that people can get to talking about him. And I'm just wondering, is that really a good strategy anymore? One significant indication that a diss track is not authentic is the lack of emotional depth in the lyrics. Authentic beefs often stem from general conflict or misunderstanding that resonates on a personal level, such as I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk, I hate the way that you dress. So, you know, that's a personal level. In contrast, superficial diss tracks tend to rely on cliches and recycled insults that fail to engage listeners emotionally. Dr. Michael Thompson, an expert in entertainment psychology, asserts that fans can sense when an artist is not being truthful, which creates a disconnect. Moreover, the timing of a disc in relation to the artist's personal life can be a red flag. If the disc coincides with a major promotional event or a scandal, it is likely a calculated move rather than a heartfelt expression. Fans should also pay attention to the artist's public interaction and social media presence. If an artist who has supposedly engaged in a beef seen collaborating with their adversaries shortly after the release of the diss track, this inconsistency raised questions about the authenticity of the conflict. I'm not going to collaborate with people that I don't like, and if I do, something is wrong with that. So that's the inconsistencies that it would raise that you can't be this and this person, and then in the next few months or the next couple of years, you working with all we squashed there, we over it, we this. Was it even real? Additionally, the absence of any prior disputes or history between the artists can signal a manufactured beef aimed solely at generating buzz. These warning signs can help fans navigate the often murky waters of rap beefs and avoid emotional investment in inauthentic narratives. Now, I know that especially with um YouTube, you have um reaction channels that do reactions to new music. And they might go through and oh there was a bar, that was this, that was that. But I would say since the beef with Kendrick, I don't think, and I know it's been some others after that, but I don't think that any has been as emotionally invested. And I feel like it was real because it wasn't done because Kendrick had a new album coming out, or even that Drake had a new album coming out, or that something bad happened and we have to hide it, or we need to wrap this surprise up or wrap this disaster up in surprise. So ultimately, understanding the dynamics of fake beefs in music allows fans to maintain a critical perspective on the genre by recognizing the indicators of insincerity. Listeners can appreciate the artistry while avoiding the pitfalls of emotional manipulation because that's what it is when even if it's if it's if you're a good friend, somebody talk about your friend and you're not there, and they be like, no, that's not true. You know, stand up for you or set the record straight. So that's the same thing with dealing with fans, or even how you do your social media. If you're trying to emotionally manipulate even the person that you're trying to start a beef with, because the thing about it is you can start a beef with the wrong person, and you can that fake beef can turn into a real beef. As the industry evolves, it is essential for fans to remain discerning, ensuring their engagement with authentic content that reflects genuine artistic expression. And we have been talking about artistic expression really over the last year and a half. If you don't have anything to say, it's not gonna work in rap right now. You have to come with something that has a deeper meaning that somebody had to decipher your lyrics. So, emotional manipulation of fans, I don't think it's gonna work anymore by creating fake rap beefs in 2025. And that's what I have for you today. And remember the UM Me 2025 Unplug Music Experience and Conference November the 13th through 16th, 2025. And remember, you have to get your submissions in by October the 10th, 2025, and you have to be registered in order for to be eligible for consideration and minimum of four MP3s to Sync and Music Awards WSA2025 at gmail.com. Remember, you can find the podcast on all your podcasting platforms and on social media and on my website at www.blondash intelligence.com. And if you want to copy your merch, and I'll see you next week. Bye.

SPEAKER_03:

Hey girl, let me tell you about this podcast. Girl, everybody has a podcast these days. But this one interviews new and interesting indie artists. It's called Indie Artist Music Hustle with Blonde Intelligence. Really? Where can I find it? It's on all podcasting platforms, streams live on social media and on rpentradio.com. What'd you say it was called again? It's called Indie Artist Music Hustle with Blonde Intelligence. Girl, I'm gonna have to check her out. Give it a check, girl.