Harsh Tweet Gets Fan Kicked Out Of Nerd Rapper's Show

from the disconnecting-from-fans dept

We talk an awful lot about the need for artists to connect with their fans in order to succeed. One of the easiest tools to use in this effort is Twitter. In fact, Twitter is so easy to use, it has almost become the default method for many artists to communicate and connect. Unfortunately, it has an equal ability to cause strife between an artist and a fan. This is the lesson that one nerd rapper, MC Chris, learned recently.

It all started when one fan, Taylor, sent a tweet complaining about the opening act of an MC Chris concert. This tweet was then read by MC Chris while he was preparing to go on stage. It all went down hill from there.

"I was in my green room checking on my Twitter," he said. "During the show, someone tweeted something negative about Richie. And I don't have a problem with stuff like this. I get made fun of and called all sorts of name every day. But if someone messes with my friend I have this weird reaction that happens, and I do things that probably are kind of not normal, abnormal. I just become extremely protective.

"I marched onstage, and in between songs with Richie, I grabbed the microphone and I said 'Who is this person's name,' he came up, and I said, 'You're going to have to go off with somebody with the venue and tell them to escort you off for talking shit on Twitter.'"

Taylor relented and left the show. Then it got even worse, but mostly for MC Chris. Not only did Kotaku get ahold of the story, but Taylor also posted his story to Reddit. It was this widespread dissemination in the online community that eventually led to MC Chris apologizing on video and breaking down in tears while doing so.

There are a number of lessons to learn from this. The internet provides a way for us to quickly express our opinions. Not all of those opinions are going to be well received, particularly by those we criticize. However, the best response to something like that is not to attack the source of the criticism or the tool those people use. The lesson that MC Chris has learned the hard way is that by responding to online criticism with an attack on the person behind it, he has not lost just one fan but the respect of a whole lot of others. While his apology seems sincere, such things tend to not heal wounded fans very easily.

That said, it is great that MC Chris was taking an interest in what his fans were saying about him and his opening acts. Doing so can be a great way to gauge the how well recieved you are and how you can improve. However, lashing out when negative opinions are shared will do nothing but harm your reputation and your ability to monetize your work. We know that if people like you and your work, they'll pay.

Filed Under: back firing, communications, connecting with fans, mc chris, twitter