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So I'm listening to the new Mos Def album right now, and it's fantastic... but there's something that puzzles me. Why in the hell did Universal saddle it with such craptastic packaging? The CD comes in a bare plastic case adorned only with a Parental Advisory label and a sticker on the back with the FBI anti-piracy warning, copyright info, and a notice that reads "Credits available at www.mosdefmusic.com". The only place Mos Def's name and the song titles are listed is on the CD label; there are no liner notes, not even a single-sheet insert like the cheapest budget label releases contain.

What the hell is going on here? Did the execs at Geffen think, "******** it, everyone's just going to download it anyway, why should we put any effort into the retail release"? I thought the idea was to deter illegal downloading by including more in the physical package: bonus DVD's, lyrics, links to extra Internet content, etc. Maybe Universal just doesn't care enough about a release by a less commercial (though still well-known and respected) rapper to give it any serious attention-- the fact that it's been dumped on the market right after Christmas suggests they don't expect to sell a lot of albums. But it's highly irritating, and disrespectful to both the artist and the consumer.