is anybody REALLY interested in the talent that’s out here?

as an “up-and-coming” musician with considerable talent, the hardest part of this hustle has been getting people to care about what i’m doing, and what i’m trying to do.

you can hone your skills til you get arthritis in your knuckles, pound the streets til your feet bleed, pass out your music until you eclipse some other superlative, but the end result is typically the same for the plurality of us “up and comers”.

my experience is that lip service that people in the industry are so good at shelling out mirrors very little of what happens inside the war rooms, on the phones, in emails, and anywhere else that the general public can come in contact with these types.

i’ve read the lip service– so called A&Rs on PMPWorldwide talking about how it’s their job to find new and talented individuals to bring into the fold and mature– or managers talking ad nauseam about the treasure hunts they routinely take on to find and spring that next New Shit.

the truth is, though: that’s hardly what’s happening.

’cause to follow that up, i’ve contacted– albeit a cold call– those same people and said, “what’s up? here’s some of my music. what do you think?”

of course that’s a condensed and flatly informal version of what i say, but generally, that’s all i’m asking. i’m not trying to hock a deal, not trying to move a track for some obnoxious amount of money, i just want a clue.

their response? “i’m booked/can’t listen/*silence*/sorry!

aka: NO.

the truth is, people don’t really want to listen. i’ll be the first to admit. i don’t want to listen either. people approach me with their music, i know the law averages says that 7 out of 10 of these guys will be BAD, 1.5 out of 10 will be mediocre (it’s actually probably higher than that.)

so i’m turned off from jump. i won’t tear the plastic off rapper XYZ’s cd that he hands to me free in the street, because i told him i ain’t have enough money to pay up the $5 and support “good hiphop”.

so how could i expect an established person– with work on their plate and budgets to maximise and artists to manage– to check for me?

i guess this blog is to look at it from my side of things. if producer X or rapper X comes to me and says yo, check my music… that’s the fuel that moves the machine how i want it to move right there! and i feel bad because i don’t do it. i do not pay any attention to that small gesture, yet in turn i expect everybody to do it for me.

i’m good, but i’m not THAT good.

now, i don’t necessarily believe that my good deed will beget a good deed flying my way. if i check MC Nobody.Special’s new LP, two weeks later Jay Z’s people will hit me up talking crazy numbers. i’m too cynical for that.

but it’s gotta start somewhere.

i expect a lot of my passion to create music. won’t even front. and i suspect anybody who’s invested what i have and spent as much time learning as i have expects the same. so i’ma make a commitment to check for y’all. get familiar with my peers. when some good shit hits my lap, i’ma rally for you. ’cause especially in this climate? we’re all we got.

…pardon the ramble.