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.
Man… You got the skills and talent, but damn… the field you’re trying to break into is infested with wackness.
I wish you all the best and will support all you do… but damn! LOL
Man am I glad I stumbled on your blog this morning.
The whole day yesterday I kept contemplating myself and feeling a bit frustrated as to how many ppl I had dropped an email or too to just check out the music let me know something and most of it was just *insert cricket noise* some though were nice enough to reply and even go as far as blogging my stuff, for that I’m grateful.
Still as an mc I can’t help but think I’m being overlooked even to the point of feeling, “man those guys are getting shine, why aren’t I” but I try to remember I’m not competing with anyone plus I’ve got to wait “my turn” so to speak..
I dunno its like if you’re not affiliated with a certain clique they won’t check for you no matter how dope your stuff is..even regular folk, if you’re not in the circle of music they constantly peep they won’t even try to give your stuff a chance to get heard..
and you are right sometimes you can grind grind grind and that’s all you can do. btw I’ve peeped your myspace on a number of occassions, you’ve got some serious heat rocks, won’t mind working with you at some point. I’m on a personal mission to work with as many unknown producers as possible…lol
thanks for the good words, esbee. post up your myspace, i’m not sure i’m familiar with your work.
but yeah. one thing i’ve definitely learned is that the right affiliation/association gives you a serious leg up on your less-fortunate friends.
i’m not gonna front though, it’s hard as shit to check EVERYBODY’S myspace, or everybody’s cd, so i don’t expect or promise any miracles, but i gotta do better ’cause there’s probably 100 dudes around me who’s shit i would believe in if i gave it a chance. talent interconnects with talent, all of a sudden you got a movement that doesn’t need a superstar or an A&R’s cosign.
the powershift from corporate funded music to independent music has been obvious in recent years, so there’s no reason to assume that you still need that sort of recognition, or that you need to be discovered by somebody with clout. sure, it’d be nice, but fuck it. it’s a hard wall to penetrate, there aren’t many soft spots. and then, like you mentioned, we’re also in a rush. lol, its been 6 years since i first started doing this and it seems like it’s been forever and that i’m up for my shine now, but there’s people who been doing it longer and have gotten less (i think, probably not)
*shrug*
if you can’t get the head shot, you gotta infect em from the ground on up. get those little projects and give ‘em your all, get better, make more noise, promote creatively and network with people who got the same vision as you; not necessarily those already seeing their vision come to fruition.
…least, that’s how i see it.
ihsan, there is a lotta wackness. that’s why i feel like i got a shot!!! haha. money to be made, man.
I look at it like there’s too much music out there, if we’re meant to hear it we will and the cream always rises to the top (see: blu & ex, Danny!, etc.)
Humbly, i think cats like us have good ears and you know like I know most of what’s coming out just isn’t up to par, even cats whose hearts are in the right place just aren’t hitting like that.
I gave up on my dream of being an industry insider who could seriously affect change and being out the music I like when I saw first hand most of it was fakeness and empty promises. So now I’m just building on the blog thing and it’s created a slow but sure buzz.
I think you’ll be alright or at least well on your way when PGHI drops.
re: too much music-
that’s another point i wanted to touch on. like with the advent of supercheap/free recording technology, any and everybody can cut a record now, with proficiency approaching professional levels. and cut records they do.
so there’s this massive influx of music that isn’t very good, and shit, even if it was all good to excellent, the deluge is hardly manageable.
there’s 5000 guys as good as me that want to get exactly what i’m going for. that’s why my focus for this year is what i mentioned in my last comment: creative promotion. that’s what’s gonna get artists, small or large, over the hump. it’s a real vague descriptor but i think that’s the best way to encapsulate it… people are going to have to revamp the way they package their product, and i’m not just talking about units for sale, it’s the whole kit and caboodle. shows, marketing, cross promotion, everything. people gotta revamp it and come brand new.
but on the consumption side, i dunno. pace yourself. with all this cheap storage and mp3s, download away and then set schedules. if you take it upon yourself to be a purveyor of music, you gotta figure out a system because the music is out there.
point blank, it’s a tough industry to break into right now, from any angle. production, performance, executive positions, even a writer. clique city and stalwart-ish antiquated models of doing business.
best we can do is prepare for the industry implosion and get ready to settle the remains like we some Quakers. ’cause the shit’s just around the corner.
Here’s my myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/plussign2
if you like anything on there hit me up let’s discuss further..
I think we’re friends even..lol. I know I prolly added you off the strength of your work on Tanya Morgan..I remember that much.
Yeah man I completely agree..it is tre dificile to check every add request and see what type of music it is at one point I even got tired of having fellow artists add me ‘cos it was like, “arrgghh!!! what can you do for me?” but I understand it better and I’m trying myself to listen and if I remotely like anything I’ll venture to add. I comment on their page and thank them if I like their stuff a whole lot, like I’ve been thoroughly surprised in the past few months by some young up and coming emcees who are still in their teens and went ahead to give them encouragement.
You;re right @ building a movement. Even on okp as much as we post back and forth we still have little cliques and groups that really don’t interact and interconnect with one another though I think we’re gradually breaking the mold a bit in that regard. I love to network with like minded folk that’s just my personality..