By, Wendy Day (www.IndieLabelBuilder.com)
The most dangerous person in the music industry is the one who doesn’t understand how it actually works. They chase false goals and are doomed to follow wrong paths! --Wendy Day Twitterism
We’ve all heard the adages about how during a recession, music sales increase. But we’ve never been through a depression before (they won’t start calling it that until we come out of it for fear people will grip onto their spendable dollars even tighter). And prior to the shitty economy, music sales were taking a nose dive anyway…some say because of bad music choices, and some say due to downloading and free P2P music swapping. Others say it’s due to too many entertainment choices vying for our attention; we all only get 24 hours each day.
Chris Anderson wrote a great book called “The Long Tail,” and what I took away from it was that each artist now needs to reach his or her own niche directly--through building their own movement and interacting with fans, and potential fans, directly. I see it reinforced everyday on Twitter. Those who are skilled at interacting and inviting their fans into their circle will fare the best. Ludacris (@Ludajuice) and Tyrese (@Tyrese4Real) are exceptionally skilled at this. Gucci Mane and Yo Gotti are exceptional at working the streets and clubs. Drake and 50 Cent are great on the mixed tape circuit. But the real challenge is to be great at it all!
I’m fortunate in that the indie labels that I consult are doing very well. They still are able to sell CDs and downloads by spending promotional dollars in places where it matters, with people who are legitimate, and grind like their lives depend on it—which they do. But not everyone has this same experience. The key is to make great music, market and promote it well to people who would buy it, and work harder than every other artist out here.
Word of mouth and people hearing songs that they like are what sell music. Therefore, promotional efforts should be based around letting people hear your music, and sparking people to talk about you. Everything you do needs to revolve around working your single and getting your word of mouth buzzing. Spreading your music while showing your image is important. Some artists use mixed CDs, snippet CDs, YouTube videos and footage, and upload stuff to places like WorldStarrHipHop.com and VladTV.com. Most artists tour and do shows whenever and where ever possible. The more someone sees you is the more they recognize you!
Artists with bigger budgets use radio spins, promotional tours within a 3 to 5 state area, and songs featuring other artists in addition to the other promotional methods. Keeping in touch with fans via phone calls, email, newsletter e-blasts, twitter, websites, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, etc. With the over saturation of music and rappers, it takes more work and more time to sell less music. It almost seems like giving away music for free and selling merchandise, shows, and endorsements makes more sense. It’s about good music and an interesting story to get people talking about you. A fucked up image can do more damage than bad music, however.
While most artists are still begging the major labels for record deals, the smarter artists have realized that working their own project to build a buzz and sell their own music is the ticket to success. The best start is to make good music that has a competitive sound. That does mean that it needs to sound like all the other crap out there, but it can’t be so completely different that no one wants to hear it. The quality needs to be relatively tight, at least professional enough to compete in the marketplace. Can your single be played on the radio between Young Jeezy and Kanye and still sound good?
When you’ve got good music, it’s best to get feedback from DJs and retail stores to see what they feel are the best songs (let them choose your singles). Then focus on the single to build awareness. Depending on the budget you have available (and like EVERY business, this one also takes some money to make money), you draw a circle around your city. For example, you draw a circle that’s a 3 hour driving radius around your city, or with a bigger budget, you draw a circle that’s a 5 or 6 hour driving radius around your city. That circle becomes your target market area.
You cover every inch of that market promoting at clubs, barber shops, malls, high schools, flea markets, clubs, hair salons, colleges, car washes, strip clubs, community centers—anyplace where your market hangs out. If your music is more street (like Gucci Mane, Maino, or Young Jeezy) you focus more on the ‘hoods and streets. If your music is more lyrical (like Kanye or Drake) then the focus is college and high school campuses. I believe every artist should hit everywhere, even if your stronger focus is more street or more college oriented. If your music is younger oriented (like Souljah Boy), make sure your focus is high schools, middle schools, community centers, arcades, teen clubs, and skating rinks. Make sure your music is clean if you’re promoting to younger people.
The best tools to utilize are posters, flyers, t-shirts, wrapped vehicles, snippet CDs, mixed CDs, postcards, so people can see your image and hear your music. E-blasts of your single, YouTube videos and footage help tell the story of who you are and what your music is about. Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter let fans see personal aspects of you and your personality. Filming behind the scenes footage also involves your fans in your movement.
Gone is the day where fans want to see artists flaunt that they have more material goods than the fan will ever possess. Gone is the day of having one or two good singles and a bunch of filler to make a $20 CD sale. Today, fans pick and choose the songs they like and free music is all the rage. I read a post on Bob Lefsetz’ blog by the artist Moby, who said that his #1 sold download on iTunes was a song that he’d been giving away for free for two months. Free does help sales as we all suspected.
DJ Smallz told me that the Blogs today are what the mixtape DJs used to be to music. Bloggers are now the people who spread the word about which artists are hot and who’s who. They also now get the new music first. I’ve downloaded more mixed CDs from RapRadar.com lately than from any other source, including the e-blasts that used to spread the music. I find that I am more pro-active now, looking for the music rather than waiting for it to come to my in-box. I’m also burned out by all of the music delivery services that popped up when they saw Digiwaxx controlling the marketplace. We sure do burn shit out in this industry. If someone sees someone else doing something, rather than start a different business, they start the same one whether it’s profitable or not. In the past month, I’ve counted 30 e-blasts services that spread music for a price…most of which is free because none of them can make money with the over saturation. Some of them boast 100,000 email recipients…c’mon now. Are there THAT many DJs and tastemakers in the world? Doubtful. Save your money for the respected ones.
There are a few great services for spreading singles. I certainly don’t mean to say that none are legitimate. Just some folks jumped on a band wagon without the ability to really deliver. In this industry, there are so many bogus people—bullshit promoters, bullshit radio promoters, bullshit street team promotions, bullshit marketing companies, bullshit label consultants, bullshit event planners, bullshit publicists, etc. It’s really important to check the credentials and track record of anyone you give your hard earned money to. 99% of the people in the music industry are full of shit just trying to make a come up off of an uninformed person with money.
Once you market and promote within that 3 to 5 hour radius which is your market area, you build the buzz until there is a strong enough demand for your album (usually after fans have heard a couple of songs and a mix CD or two). You’ll be able to feel the buzz because you will most likely be getting paid to perform at shows now. Your demand will be increasing….more incoming phone calls, more web hits, more Twitter followers, more MySpace friends, more followers at shows, more invites to events, etc. Also, more local artists and producers will be hounding you to work with them. At this point you can upload your music to an aggregator like TuneCore.com for digital sales and an independent distributor (someone LEGITIMATE who can get CDs into stores for you—REALY, REALLY, REALLY check references here! More distributors are bullshit than legit). Once your music is for sale in the marketplace you have to work even harder to get people to support you and buy it. It’s truly a popularity contest, and fans vote with their dollars whether they like you or not!
In today’s declining and challenging marketplace, it’s no longer necessary to be backed by a major label or a sub-label (usually owned by another artist or producer). Provided you have the budget, or the ability to find an investor, the playing field is more level today than it ever has been in the history of the music business. Just make sure you know what you are doing and have found good guides along the way to help you. If not, this can be a very expensive hole into which you could waste a lot of money!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Sunday, March 8, 2009
My Judgment Day
By, Wendy Day from Rap Coalition (www.WendyDay.com)
Today was the first really warm day in Atlanta—warm enough to drop the top on the Beamer. I was riding through an upscale, white suburb of a suburb of Hotlanta, about 40 miles north of the city, up by the lake. There was an old Impala chasing me…it was clean! Gorgeous rims, sound system to rival mine, and in great shape. I wasn’t nervous at all about being chased, as I was coming from the firing range and therefore perfectly safe. He pulled up beside me at a light. I had to turn Jeezy down to hear him. He saw my PacNBig license plate. He wanted to know if I liked rap—he was kinda half laughing at me, a middle aged white woman jamming unreleased Jeezy very loudly. I smiled.
He cranked his system back up…the 808 was pounding. The light was about to change. My smile was not because he didn’t think I fit the stereotype to give a fuck about rap; I was smiling because the shit he was listening to was one of my artist friends, and the track was made by my favorite producer. I was in the studio when that song was made, and as he drove away bobbing his head, all I could do was smile at the memory.
On the introspective tip, it reminded me of all of the times I looked at someone, or knew a small fact about someone and assumed I knew everything. I reflected on my relationship with the real Ricky Ross and how he is nothing like the street lure and the DVD re-enactments (he’s even better), or Demetrius who is all about being real and having balls, not just about the flash that surrounded him at one time. I’ve learned so much from both friends about them, life, loyalty, truth, and myself.
T.I. told us, on his last album, to appreciate what we have instead of focusing on what we don’t have. In a world where materialism is king, and fame and money are the alter at which we worship, it’s hard to remember to be thankful for what we have. I tend to focus on my losses instead of the successes. And in 2008, I got sucked in to giving attention to my haters and detractors instead of the thousands of people who love and support me in this industry—detractors that are barely in the industry one short year later. Look, I’m doing it again in making my point…grrrrr!
I’ve been soul searching a lot this past year as many of you know who follow my ramblings and writings. I’m bored with this declining industry. And then it hit me all at once this week: if I don’t like the way that it is, I’m going to have to change it. Or at least change my little section of it. I suck at keeping in touch with folks, which is pathetic because this is a who-you-know industry. I’ve decided to create a strong inner circle of people around me who are successful at what they do, those who really want to implement positive change, and anyone interested in moving together as part of a team. United we stand, divided we fall. We can bitch about the haters, the lack of creativity in the music, and the declining sales in the marketplace, but until we do something about it, this is what we will be stuck with.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate the current environment, I just hate some of the things that are making it stagnant and ruining the business side of what we do. The plus side is that a depression in any economy forces out those who don’t have passion or staying power. It forces out the bad business folks. It forces out, naturally, the bullshit. This week marks the beginning of my 18th year in the urban music business. I’m still doing today what I started when I got into the industry—helping artists. Some of you haven’t even lived as long as I’ve been making a difference in urban music. There are years where I didn’t make a dime, and years where I made a grip of gwop. Neither slowed me down or stopped me. Money doesn’t drive me. There are years where my name came up often and years where folks barely heard from me. But I’m still here. I am tremendously thankful that I am still good at what I do, still successful, and that I am still relevant (at least in most circles).
I had a long discussion with a wise friend last week. He told me about when he was locked down and sitting in the hole for the sixth consecutive week. He shared with me that it wasn’t the memories of the material shit that kept him sane or brought him joy. He couldn’t recall how the new Bentley smelled, or how it felt to move into the 15,000 square foot house, or even how it felt to fuck three women at once. But he distinctly recalled his baby’s touch. Those irreplaceable moments are what saw him through.
I remembered back to a time when I didn’t care what I drove (a 1995 Isuzu Rodeo), or what I wore (pajama bottoms from Target run $11), or what purse I carried (a $20 back pack holds more than a thousand dollar Gucci purse any day). I looked around my cluttered house that’s so overcrowded with stuff I don’t need that I bought on shopping trips that I thought were making me happy at the time. Truth is, if my house caught fire in the middle of the night, I’d grab my little dog, photos of my Mom and my boyfriend that I can’t replace, and probably my baby blanket that has sentimental value to me. Everything else can go.
After I did the Cash Money $30 million deal, they didn’t pay me (please don’t email me about this: I sued them and long story short, three years after I did their deal, they paid me right before we went to court). Because I had been cash advancing my credit cards to survive while I worked their deal, not getting paid had resounding affects. I got evicted, my credit went into the toilet (which lasted until just a couple years ago), and I lost everything I owned in the eviction. A humbling experience. But it sure made moving easy, and rebuilding fun. Some of the stuff I can’t ever get back like baby pictures, photos of my father who passed away, old out of print books, demo tapes from now-famous rappers, etc. But it’s all just stuff!! I really didn’t lose anything—I got to keep me. It’s like my friend said about sitting in solitary confinement…what he missed most was his daughter’s touch. The stuff that matters…
Materialism: Worshipping At The Alter of a False God
We’ve always had excessive materialism in urban music. In the early 80s, I heard Slick Rick say in a rhyme that he had his Ballys on. Once I learned that they were shoes, I couldn’t go buy a pair of Ballys fast enough. When you grow up poor with nothing, you want to be able to obtain whatever you feel you’ve missed out on, it’s just natural human desire. The Hip Hop Nation is no different.
I wanted to own all of the things that I grew up around, but could never afford. Having been raised with morals, ethics, and a conscience slowed me down a bit, but I found industries where there was a fast track to money. For a minute I rebelled against my love affair with money, and studied African American studies with the intention of helping young Black folks start businesses—the only true way that I saw to empower oneself. Often distracted from that path by the glitz of the music industry, and by the smoke and mirrors of fame, I found my journey to be more cyclical than an even growth upwards.
And the music seemed to follow my own evolution. The positive lyrics of Public Enemy in the late 80s clashed with Jay Z and Biggie’s early love of popping bottles in the early 90s, just as today Lupe Fiasco and Talib Kweli try to overtake Young Jeezy and T.I. in my CD changer. But here’s what I have learned over the years, and if sharing my insight helps one person reading this, then today is a great day: Balance and moderation, in life, are key! Materialism and the love of money is not necessarily evil—it’s letting them control and consume your life that is. Just as we all need toys and trinkets to play with, so do we need things in our life that give us hope and something to believe in!
Making money for the sake of buying shit and collecting cash is empty. Doing something you believe in and are passionate about is fulfilling. Collecting trinkets and souvenirs along the way makes perfect sense, provided it is done with intelligence and wisdom. Buying a $125,000 car to drive doesn’t make good financial sense if you can’t afford it or if you have other more important things to do with your money. Then your trinket becomes another source of stress….just ask most of the rappers out here who didn’t figure that their careers wouldn’t always be on an upswing and got in over their heads.
This is probably a great place to interject that making music or songs for the sake of collecting a check is also empty. If your music isn’t based on truth and your own passion, you may sell a few CDs and downloads at first, but your follow up release will tank heavily when the fans catch on that you’re just a gimmick. The masses will have moved on to the next gimmick, and the 100,000 or so hard core fans that do believe in your movement won’t keep you afloat unless you are indie—and you aren’t, because you chased that big advance check (which is long gone). The music industry is not the new dope game. There are no quick licks to hit here, I promise you!
I’ve been reading a lot of goal setting and motivational books over the past year. They helped to an extent…but I had to do the inner work myself. I had to figure out what makes me happy and what I really want to do next with my life (sometimes it’s as much pressure to reach your goals and have to figure out what’s next, then it is to never reach a goal to begin with LOL). I had to fix the problems in my life and celebrate the positives. This was challenging because I tend to focus on what I don’t have and what went wrong, rather than to focus on the blessings I have and what went right.
I’ve decided to get more organized, be more active in the positive segments of my community, and to make changes to the aspects of this industry that I don’t like (but have the ability to impact). I’m becoming less judgmental, less know-it-all prone, and more generous and sharing than ever (which is a challenge because I was already pretty open with that). I’m expanding my inner circle to include like-minded successful folks, and I’m devoting more time to helping those less fortunate (my personal focus is on non-violent offenders who are incarcerated). The negative folks around me and those looking to tear others down rather than build themselves up can all eat a fat baby’s dick. They no longer exist in my vision and I refuse to give any credence or energy to them. They’ll fade away in a minute anyway, as they always do.
"Your values are in disarray, prioritized horribly
Unhappy with your riches 'cause you're piss poor morally"
--T.I. "Live Your Life"
Today was the first really warm day in Atlanta—warm enough to drop the top on the Beamer. I was riding through an upscale, white suburb of a suburb of Hotlanta, about 40 miles north of the city, up by the lake. There was an old Impala chasing me…it was clean! Gorgeous rims, sound system to rival mine, and in great shape. I wasn’t nervous at all about being chased, as I was coming from the firing range and therefore perfectly safe. He pulled up beside me at a light. I had to turn Jeezy down to hear him. He saw my PacNBig license plate. He wanted to know if I liked rap—he was kinda half laughing at me, a middle aged white woman jamming unreleased Jeezy very loudly. I smiled.
He cranked his system back up…the 808 was pounding. The light was about to change. My smile was not because he didn’t think I fit the stereotype to give a fuck about rap; I was smiling because the shit he was listening to was one of my artist friends, and the track was made by my favorite producer. I was in the studio when that song was made, and as he drove away bobbing his head, all I could do was smile at the memory.
On the introspective tip, it reminded me of all of the times I looked at someone, or knew a small fact about someone and assumed I knew everything. I reflected on my relationship with the real Ricky Ross and how he is nothing like the street lure and the DVD re-enactments (he’s even better), or Demetrius who is all about being real and having balls, not just about the flash that surrounded him at one time. I’ve learned so much from both friends about them, life, loyalty, truth, and myself.
T.I. told us, on his last album, to appreciate what we have instead of focusing on what we don’t have. In a world where materialism is king, and fame and money are the alter at which we worship, it’s hard to remember to be thankful for what we have. I tend to focus on my losses instead of the successes. And in 2008, I got sucked in to giving attention to my haters and detractors instead of the thousands of people who love and support me in this industry—detractors that are barely in the industry one short year later. Look, I’m doing it again in making my point…grrrrr!
I’ve been soul searching a lot this past year as many of you know who follow my ramblings and writings. I’m bored with this declining industry. And then it hit me all at once this week: if I don’t like the way that it is, I’m going to have to change it. Or at least change my little section of it. I suck at keeping in touch with folks, which is pathetic because this is a who-you-know industry. I’ve decided to create a strong inner circle of people around me who are successful at what they do, those who really want to implement positive change, and anyone interested in moving together as part of a team. United we stand, divided we fall. We can bitch about the haters, the lack of creativity in the music, and the declining sales in the marketplace, but until we do something about it, this is what we will be stuck with.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate the current environment, I just hate some of the things that are making it stagnant and ruining the business side of what we do. The plus side is that a depression in any economy forces out those who don’t have passion or staying power. It forces out the bad business folks. It forces out, naturally, the bullshit. This week marks the beginning of my 18th year in the urban music business. I’m still doing today what I started when I got into the industry—helping artists. Some of you haven’t even lived as long as I’ve been making a difference in urban music. There are years where I didn’t make a dime, and years where I made a grip of gwop. Neither slowed me down or stopped me. Money doesn’t drive me. There are years where my name came up often and years where folks barely heard from me. But I’m still here. I am tremendously thankful that I am still good at what I do, still successful, and that I am still relevant (at least in most circles).
I had a long discussion with a wise friend last week. He told me about when he was locked down and sitting in the hole for the sixth consecutive week. He shared with me that it wasn’t the memories of the material shit that kept him sane or brought him joy. He couldn’t recall how the new Bentley smelled, or how it felt to move into the 15,000 square foot house, or even how it felt to fuck three women at once. But he distinctly recalled his baby’s touch. Those irreplaceable moments are what saw him through.
I remembered back to a time when I didn’t care what I drove (a 1995 Isuzu Rodeo), or what I wore (pajama bottoms from Target run $11), or what purse I carried (a $20 back pack holds more than a thousand dollar Gucci purse any day). I looked around my cluttered house that’s so overcrowded with stuff I don’t need that I bought on shopping trips that I thought were making me happy at the time. Truth is, if my house caught fire in the middle of the night, I’d grab my little dog, photos of my Mom and my boyfriend that I can’t replace, and probably my baby blanket that has sentimental value to me. Everything else can go.
After I did the Cash Money $30 million deal, they didn’t pay me (please don’t email me about this: I sued them and long story short, three years after I did their deal, they paid me right before we went to court). Because I had been cash advancing my credit cards to survive while I worked their deal, not getting paid had resounding affects. I got evicted, my credit went into the toilet (which lasted until just a couple years ago), and I lost everything I owned in the eviction. A humbling experience. But it sure made moving easy, and rebuilding fun. Some of the stuff I can’t ever get back like baby pictures, photos of my father who passed away, old out of print books, demo tapes from now-famous rappers, etc. But it’s all just stuff!! I really didn’t lose anything—I got to keep me. It’s like my friend said about sitting in solitary confinement…what he missed most was his daughter’s touch. The stuff that matters…
Materialism: Worshipping At The Alter of a False God
We’ve always had excessive materialism in urban music. In the early 80s, I heard Slick Rick say in a rhyme that he had his Ballys on. Once I learned that they were shoes, I couldn’t go buy a pair of Ballys fast enough. When you grow up poor with nothing, you want to be able to obtain whatever you feel you’ve missed out on, it’s just natural human desire. The Hip Hop Nation is no different.
I wanted to own all of the things that I grew up around, but could never afford. Having been raised with morals, ethics, and a conscience slowed me down a bit, but I found industries where there was a fast track to money. For a minute I rebelled against my love affair with money, and studied African American studies with the intention of helping young Black folks start businesses—the only true way that I saw to empower oneself. Often distracted from that path by the glitz of the music industry, and by the smoke and mirrors of fame, I found my journey to be more cyclical than an even growth upwards.
And the music seemed to follow my own evolution. The positive lyrics of Public Enemy in the late 80s clashed with Jay Z and Biggie’s early love of popping bottles in the early 90s, just as today Lupe Fiasco and Talib Kweli try to overtake Young Jeezy and T.I. in my CD changer. But here’s what I have learned over the years, and if sharing my insight helps one person reading this, then today is a great day: Balance and moderation, in life, are key! Materialism and the love of money is not necessarily evil—it’s letting them control and consume your life that is. Just as we all need toys and trinkets to play with, so do we need things in our life that give us hope and something to believe in!
Making money for the sake of buying shit and collecting cash is empty. Doing something you believe in and are passionate about is fulfilling. Collecting trinkets and souvenirs along the way makes perfect sense, provided it is done with intelligence and wisdom. Buying a $125,000 car to drive doesn’t make good financial sense if you can’t afford it or if you have other more important things to do with your money. Then your trinket becomes another source of stress….just ask most of the rappers out here who didn’t figure that their careers wouldn’t always be on an upswing and got in over their heads.
This is probably a great place to interject that making music or songs for the sake of collecting a check is also empty. If your music isn’t based on truth and your own passion, you may sell a few CDs and downloads at first, but your follow up release will tank heavily when the fans catch on that you’re just a gimmick. The masses will have moved on to the next gimmick, and the 100,000 or so hard core fans that do believe in your movement won’t keep you afloat unless you are indie—and you aren’t, because you chased that big advance check (which is long gone). The music industry is not the new dope game. There are no quick licks to hit here, I promise you!
I’ve been reading a lot of goal setting and motivational books over the past year. They helped to an extent…but I had to do the inner work myself. I had to figure out what makes me happy and what I really want to do next with my life (sometimes it’s as much pressure to reach your goals and have to figure out what’s next, then it is to never reach a goal to begin with LOL). I had to fix the problems in my life and celebrate the positives. This was challenging because I tend to focus on what I don’t have and what went wrong, rather than to focus on the blessings I have and what went right.
I’ve decided to get more organized, be more active in the positive segments of my community, and to make changes to the aspects of this industry that I don’t like (but have the ability to impact). I’m becoming less judgmental, less know-it-all prone, and more generous and sharing than ever (which is a challenge because I was already pretty open with that). I’m expanding my inner circle to include like-minded successful folks, and I’m devoting more time to helping those less fortunate (my personal focus is on non-violent offenders who are incarcerated). The negative folks around me and those looking to tear others down rather than build themselves up can all eat a fat baby’s dick. They no longer exist in my vision and I refuse to give any credence or energy to them. They’ll fade away in a minute anyway, as they always do.
"Your values are in disarray, prioritized horribly
Unhappy with your riches 'cause you're piss poor morally"
--T.I. "Live Your Life"
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
“Dancing With The Devil”
By, Wendy Day from Rap Coalition
Mark Curry is my new poster child for Rap Coalition, but he doesn’t know it yet. Not because he has written a tell-all book slamming Puffy’s business practices, not because he takes responsibility for his own bad decisions, but because he tells his firsthand experience about the shadier practices in the entertainment industry that prevail in almost every company. And he tells it loudly, with examples, and from his experiences in the music industry being signed to Bad Boy for more than a decade.
This is a similar story that I have heard over and over and over in my 17 years in this industry. The story hasn’t changed much in 40 years since artists were given fancy new Cadillacs in exchange for their music, nor does my reaction to this and similar stories change (it always depresses me; I am not desensitized to it). When I sit down with most artists, it’s more of “to what degree did you get jerked?” than “did you get jerked?” Obviously they got jerked. Most do. Sadly, it’s the price many creative people are willing to pay for their chance at “getting on” or some primal need for money and fame. Every time I hear this similar story, my first question is always “why did you stay so long?” The answer always floors me: I believed him. We were family. I knew he needed me so he’d have to do right eventually. He said if I would just wait a little longer, all of my dreams would come true. It’s a building process. My turn would come. All I wanted to do was buy my Mom a house, and he was on his fourth Bentley so I knew he’d break bread eventually. Blah, blah, blah.
Mark Curry was signed to Bad Boy Records through a production company that was bought out almost immediately. It is a way for people behind the scenes in the industry to get a quick pay check. Someone finds an artist and brings the artist to the record label (in this case, a well known street dude). The label recognizes the value of that artist and wants that artist in their camp. The label “tests out” the artist’s talent by giving him, or her, an assignment. The assignment is usually to write a song or make a track for another already signed artist who is struggling for a hit record to “help” the family, or company, or team. In Mark Curry’s case, it was P Diddy himself looking to make a hit single for a soundtrack to a Godzilla movie. Mark delivered.
Once the label is convinced the artist has value, it comes time to pull out the paperwork. In Mark’s case, he says Puff gave him a contract to sign with the middleman. When Mark asked why he couldn’t sign directly to Bad Boy instead, he was told because the middleman was Puff’s friend (as an ironic twist, this same friend is the person Puff testified in front of the Grand Jury that he didn’t know his real name—the same crime that sent Lil Kim to prison in a different case) and actually found Mark and brought him to Puff. After Mark balked at the language in the contract that he was unable to understand, he says Puff was kind enough to send him to an attorney (after Puff allegedly asked that famous question, “Don’t you trust me? I thought we were cool?!”). That attorney, Kenny Meiselas, turned out to be one of Puff’s entertainment attorneys at a strong and credible law firm. Conflict of interest? Not exactly, Mark wasn’t exactly signing to Bad Boy. Mark was advised to sign the deal by counsel, so he did. Puffy then bought the contract from the middleman, thereby putting a wad of money--recoupable money from the artist, in the middleman’s pocket and landing Mark Curry on Bad Boy.
That contract, entitled Mark to a $75,000 advance: $25k was a signing bonus (recoupable), $25k was for the rights to half of his publishing (recoupable), and the remaining $25k would be given to him upon release of his debut album (also recoupable)--an album that never came. Since the middleman had taken half of Mark’s publishing off the top, he received that $25k, so all Mark received for signing to Bad Boy was $25,000. He knew it didn’t feel right, but he focused on the future and what other ways there were to make money in this business—touring, endorsement deals, etc. I wonder why we didn’t see this scenario on any episode of The Making Of The Band. It’s all too commonplace in this industry.
As Mark was consistently promised the opportunity to work on his own album, he was side tracked with tours, writing songs for Puff, and teaching Puff how to deliver his rhymes. Basically, he was put on hold to build the artistic career of his boss. Mark went along with that because he saw everyone else in the camp doing so, and figured it was the way things worked. He watched Puff enact sales pitches on the “Bad Boy family” of other artists and producers to get them to do whatever he needed done. He watched Puff get into numerous legal scrapes to emerge victorious. He watched Puff use Biggie’s death to increase his own popularity, fame, income, and fan base. Mark watched one disgruntled artist after another leave Bad Boy. He babysat other artists under the guise of “developing” them at the label. And Mark watched promise after promise fade into dust, even when he was most desperate.
When Mark Curry reflected on why he spent ten years at Bad Boy without ever releasing his own record, he surmised that he had more value to Puff building Puff’s career. He also felt that it was because he was trusting enough to believe his mentor and label president when he spun him by telling him the timing wasn’t right, or that he was busy with the planning of his next party or his clothing company or his world tour…or the most common excuse: we’re waiting for your budget to be approved (a lie that a label accountant finally exposed upon telling Mark that Puff never had submitted a budget for Mark’s project).
In “Dancing With The Devil,” Mark pointed out numerous ways that Bad Boy and Puff, directly, was able to profit from artists. In most Bad Boy contracts there is a clause stating that the artist has to pay Puff for appearances on a record. Since Puff is creating the album, he controls those appearances on all singles and album cuts. At $40,000 per appearance (even if just whispering “Bad Boy! Bad Boy!” in the background), he can make a fortune on appearances on his own artists’ records. Bad Boy artists often record at Daddy’s House, a studio owned by the mogul. If an artist receives a recording budget of $250,000, that fund can easily be spent with Hitmen producers (you guessed it, producers who are signed to the mogul with a stake in the publishing rights) at Daddy’s House studio (rumored to be the current going rate of studio time at $125 an hour in the late 90s). Not only does the production and recording fund go to Bad Boy owned entities, but it is all recoupable from the artists’ budgets—a double win for any company willing to do business this way.
Mark also pointed out that when Mary J Blige was recording at Daddy’s House, for example, she would be billed for 8 hours in the studio, but may have only used 6 hours. Those additional 2 hours would be paid from her MCA recording budget, but would be used by Bad Boy Recording artists to record-- artists with no ties to MCA. Mark also set the record straight about Kirk Burrowes, a former Bad Boy President, who was allegedly threatened into signing away his 25% ownership in Bad Boy, but was strung along long enough (apparently with the promise of money) to miss the statute of limitations deadline to sue for what he claimed was rightfully his. Once he filed suit, he was falsely painted in the media as a disloyal, money-grubbing liar out to gold dig a mogul (for the record, Puff spent more on jewelry for his women than he paid in annual salary for Kirk Burrowes to run the label during the early years of Bad Boy--his argument being that Kirk was a 25% owner of the label and would make money in the long term). The “relationship” that Puff had with his artists and staff seems to have been a powerful hold which kept them around long enough that they couldn’t do anything about it, and close enough that they didn’t want to….until they caught on and it was too late. In which case, either violence allegedly ensued, or images and careers were destroyed.
There are two things I didn’t like about “Dancing With The Devil,” although it’s an amazingly honest, insightful, and brave book. The way Mark listed names of street dudes who were in Puffy’s circle was a bit excessive. Now, I’m not saying he did not tell the truth, but I don’t feel he needed to discuss by name who allegedly shot Tupac in Quad, or who allegedly killed Puff’s bodyguard Wolf, or who allegedly shot Jake that fateful night that is credited with kicking off the East Coast/West Coast beef. Secondly, while there are more artists than not who’ve signed to Bad Boy and eventually cried foul, shady industry tactics are not the sole dominion of Bad Boy. Shady and fraudulent practices exist at many other companies throughout the music business. It doesn’t seem to be a Black or white problem specifically, but a green (money) problem. I realize Mark is speaking from his personal experience, and it is his autobiography, so he is only speaking about what he knows. Bad Boy is NOT the only company, by any means, in this industry that has been accused by its artists of shady business practices. Although it IS one of the most successful, and has been accepted without due diligence by journalists, the media, fans, executives, the industry, star fuckers, hoes, and party goers alike.
All in all, “Dancing With The Devil” was a riveting read, and a must for anyone who takes a career in the music business seriously. Once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down til I was finished the book. It is available at www.MarkCurryBooks.com.
“I told you that we won’t stop…” –Sean “Puffy" Combs
Mark Curry is my new poster child for Rap Coalition, but he doesn’t know it yet. Not because he has written a tell-all book slamming Puffy’s business practices, not because he takes responsibility for his own bad decisions, but because he tells his firsthand experience about the shadier practices in the entertainment industry that prevail in almost every company. And he tells it loudly, with examples, and from his experiences in the music industry being signed to Bad Boy for more than a decade.
This is a similar story that I have heard over and over and over in my 17 years in this industry. The story hasn’t changed much in 40 years since artists were given fancy new Cadillacs in exchange for their music, nor does my reaction to this and similar stories change (it always depresses me; I am not desensitized to it). When I sit down with most artists, it’s more of “to what degree did you get jerked?” than “did you get jerked?” Obviously they got jerked. Most do. Sadly, it’s the price many creative people are willing to pay for their chance at “getting on” or some primal need for money and fame. Every time I hear this similar story, my first question is always “why did you stay so long?” The answer always floors me: I believed him. We were family. I knew he needed me so he’d have to do right eventually. He said if I would just wait a little longer, all of my dreams would come true. It’s a building process. My turn would come. All I wanted to do was buy my Mom a house, and he was on his fourth Bentley so I knew he’d break bread eventually. Blah, blah, blah.
Mark Curry was signed to Bad Boy Records through a production company that was bought out almost immediately. It is a way for people behind the scenes in the industry to get a quick pay check. Someone finds an artist and brings the artist to the record label (in this case, a well known street dude). The label recognizes the value of that artist and wants that artist in their camp. The label “tests out” the artist’s talent by giving him, or her, an assignment. The assignment is usually to write a song or make a track for another already signed artist who is struggling for a hit record to “help” the family, or company, or team. In Mark Curry’s case, it was P Diddy himself looking to make a hit single for a soundtrack to a Godzilla movie. Mark delivered.
Once the label is convinced the artist has value, it comes time to pull out the paperwork. In Mark’s case, he says Puff gave him a contract to sign with the middleman. When Mark asked why he couldn’t sign directly to Bad Boy instead, he was told because the middleman was Puff’s friend (as an ironic twist, this same friend is the person Puff testified in front of the Grand Jury that he didn’t know his real name—the same crime that sent Lil Kim to prison in a different case) and actually found Mark and brought him to Puff. After Mark balked at the language in the contract that he was unable to understand, he says Puff was kind enough to send him to an attorney (after Puff allegedly asked that famous question, “Don’t you trust me? I thought we were cool?!”). That attorney, Kenny Meiselas, turned out to be one of Puff’s entertainment attorneys at a strong and credible law firm. Conflict of interest? Not exactly, Mark wasn’t exactly signing to Bad Boy. Mark was advised to sign the deal by counsel, so he did. Puffy then bought the contract from the middleman, thereby putting a wad of money--recoupable money from the artist, in the middleman’s pocket and landing Mark Curry on Bad Boy.
That contract, entitled Mark to a $75,000 advance: $25k was a signing bonus (recoupable), $25k was for the rights to half of his publishing (recoupable), and the remaining $25k would be given to him upon release of his debut album (also recoupable)--an album that never came. Since the middleman had taken half of Mark’s publishing off the top, he received that $25k, so all Mark received for signing to Bad Boy was $25,000. He knew it didn’t feel right, but he focused on the future and what other ways there were to make money in this business—touring, endorsement deals, etc. I wonder why we didn’t see this scenario on any episode of The Making Of The Band. It’s all too commonplace in this industry.
As Mark was consistently promised the opportunity to work on his own album, he was side tracked with tours, writing songs for Puff, and teaching Puff how to deliver his rhymes. Basically, he was put on hold to build the artistic career of his boss. Mark went along with that because he saw everyone else in the camp doing so, and figured it was the way things worked. He watched Puff enact sales pitches on the “Bad Boy family” of other artists and producers to get them to do whatever he needed done. He watched Puff get into numerous legal scrapes to emerge victorious. He watched Puff use Biggie’s death to increase his own popularity, fame, income, and fan base. Mark watched one disgruntled artist after another leave Bad Boy. He babysat other artists under the guise of “developing” them at the label. And Mark watched promise after promise fade into dust, even when he was most desperate.
When Mark Curry reflected on why he spent ten years at Bad Boy without ever releasing his own record, he surmised that he had more value to Puff building Puff’s career. He also felt that it was because he was trusting enough to believe his mentor and label president when he spun him by telling him the timing wasn’t right, or that he was busy with the planning of his next party or his clothing company or his world tour…or the most common excuse: we’re waiting for your budget to be approved (a lie that a label accountant finally exposed upon telling Mark that Puff never had submitted a budget for Mark’s project).
In “Dancing With The Devil,” Mark pointed out numerous ways that Bad Boy and Puff, directly, was able to profit from artists. In most Bad Boy contracts there is a clause stating that the artist has to pay Puff for appearances on a record. Since Puff is creating the album, he controls those appearances on all singles and album cuts. At $40,000 per appearance (even if just whispering “Bad Boy! Bad Boy!” in the background), he can make a fortune on appearances on his own artists’ records. Bad Boy artists often record at Daddy’s House, a studio owned by the mogul. If an artist receives a recording budget of $250,000, that fund can easily be spent with Hitmen producers (you guessed it, producers who are signed to the mogul with a stake in the publishing rights) at Daddy’s House studio (rumored to be the current going rate of studio time at $125 an hour in the late 90s). Not only does the production and recording fund go to Bad Boy owned entities, but it is all recoupable from the artists’ budgets—a double win for any company willing to do business this way.
Mark also pointed out that when Mary J Blige was recording at Daddy’s House, for example, she would be billed for 8 hours in the studio, but may have only used 6 hours. Those additional 2 hours would be paid from her MCA recording budget, but would be used by Bad Boy Recording artists to record-- artists with no ties to MCA. Mark also set the record straight about Kirk Burrowes, a former Bad Boy President, who was allegedly threatened into signing away his 25% ownership in Bad Boy, but was strung along long enough (apparently with the promise of money) to miss the statute of limitations deadline to sue for what he claimed was rightfully his. Once he filed suit, he was falsely painted in the media as a disloyal, money-grubbing liar out to gold dig a mogul (for the record, Puff spent more on jewelry for his women than he paid in annual salary for Kirk Burrowes to run the label during the early years of Bad Boy--his argument being that Kirk was a 25% owner of the label and would make money in the long term). The “relationship” that Puff had with his artists and staff seems to have been a powerful hold which kept them around long enough that they couldn’t do anything about it, and close enough that they didn’t want to….until they caught on and it was too late. In which case, either violence allegedly ensued, or images and careers were destroyed.
There are two things I didn’t like about “Dancing With The Devil,” although it’s an amazingly honest, insightful, and brave book. The way Mark listed names of street dudes who were in Puffy’s circle was a bit excessive. Now, I’m not saying he did not tell the truth, but I don’t feel he needed to discuss by name who allegedly shot Tupac in Quad, or who allegedly killed Puff’s bodyguard Wolf, or who allegedly shot Jake that fateful night that is credited with kicking off the East Coast/West Coast beef. Secondly, while there are more artists than not who’ve signed to Bad Boy and eventually cried foul, shady industry tactics are not the sole dominion of Bad Boy. Shady and fraudulent practices exist at many other companies throughout the music business. It doesn’t seem to be a Black or white problem specifically, but a green (money) problem. I realize Mark is speaking from his personal experience, and it is his autobiography, so he is only speaking about what he knows. Bad Boy is NOT the only company, by any means, in this industry that has been accused by its artists of shady business practices. Although it IS one of the most successful, and has been accepted without due diligence by journalists, the media, fans, executives, the industry, star fuckers, hoes, and party goers alike.
All in all, “Dancing With The Devil” was a riveting read, and a must for anyone who takes a career in the music business seriously. Once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down til I was finished the book. It is available at www.MarkCurryBooks.com.
“I told you that we won’t stop…” –Sean “Puffy" Combs
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Producers And Beatmakers
By, Wendy Day (www.WendyDay.com)
Over the past ten years, the price of equipment to make beats has come way down. In addition, the ability to upload production to the internet and circulate music quickly, easily, and cheaply has made the amount of producers and beatmakers soar in the urban music industry. And if you also factor in that EVERYONE thinks they have the perfect ear for music and knows exactly what is missing from the current music industry, you get exactly what we have today in the music industry: a glut of producers.
Producers, like rappers, have exploded onto the urban music landscape in droves. Hundreds of thousands of artists have set up MySpace pages attempting to sell their music, influence the industry, and take their shot at fame and success. What we have is way more producers than we need. What this means is that the supply far outweighs the demand, driving down the income and opportunity for all producers.
Very few producers really stand out in today’s business. The ones who do rise above the din most assuredly have platinum hits under their belts. The majority of A and B list artists and the bulk of label executives seek out the producers who have a track record of success in delivering hit singles, and are willing to shell out bigger checks to secure the hits. Meanwhile, there are usually between 10 and 15 songs on a CD, leaving room for the album filler to be filled by lesser known and new producers. The prevailing attitude at labels is that maybe we’ll get lucky, and one of the $1500 to $5000 filler tracks will be the next big radio hit. The more entrepreneurial rappers have set up production companies and signed their own production teams so that they can even claim ownership of a larger share of the music on their own releases. Very few are willing to use producers outside of their own camp because that eats into their profit margin.
At the labels (major or indie), each artist has a recording budget. The budgets are determined by a mathematical formula based on how many CDs the label projects the artist can sell either based on previous sales, or based on the buzz and hype of the artist. For example, 50 Cent or T.I. will have a larger recording budget than Hurricane Chris or Alphamega because of their track record of success. However, Hurricane Chris and AlphaMega will have a larger budget than Roccett or PapaDuck because their buzz is bigger.
An entire album must be delivered within the confines of the recording budget. That budget includes production, studio time, features, sample clearance, and often mixing and mastering costs. If an artist has a recording budget of $250,000, then the album must be delivered to the label without spending more than that $250,000. If mixing and mastering costs $15,000 and recording at a decent studio is $125 an hour, that doesn’t leave much for the production of 10 or 15 songs—especially for artists who believe in recording 25 or more songs and choosing the best 10 or 15 for the album. If the artist wants a Jazze Pha, Jim Jonsin, Mannie Fresh, or Drumma Boy track that can cost anywhere from $20,000 to $70,000 depending on the relationship. It is easy to spend $100,000 or more on the production for three or four hot potential singles. And since it seems that one out of six Americans is a producer today, finding the remainder of the album filler is quite easy. The competition to sell tracks today is crazier than I’ve ever seen it. Even my mailman makes beast on the side.
The best way for an aspiring producer to sell beats is to develop a relationship with the artists and the label A&Rs who buy beats. Selling tracks is an on-going thing, because you just never know who is buying beats and when. And because there are so many producers out here hawking beat CDs, you need to have your music in front of the decision maker at the exact moment he is buying tracks. Easier said than done!
For a producer without access to large number of artists (meaning you don’t live in southern FL, Atlanta, or NY), and who isn’t able to make the regular rounds to the record labels (meaning you don’t live in New York City or Los Angeles either), this approach can be very difficult. The next best thing would be to find artists in your local area and provide their sound—their production, hoping that they blow up and achieve some level of success. That way, when they blow up, you blow up. This worked for Beats By The Pound, Mannie Fresh, Dr Dre, and others. Of course, it’s harder now than ever for local, regional acts to break through and secure the attention of a major label the way No Limit, Cash Money, and Death Row did back in the 90s.
Sha Money XL, who manages many producers, feels the best way to get on as a new producer is to “be the man everyone goes to for tracks in your area. Work with every artist and build a name for yourself locally and then expand that. Get your name out there as much as possible. In today’s viral world that’s easier than ever! The internet is a great tool to spread the word. To sell beats on-line, you may need to be a little better known, but spreading the word is still key on-line for a new producer.”
Some producers have even chosen to take the loss and give up part ownership in their own music to secure a spot in a production company owned by a more established producer or artist like Jermaine Dupri, Dr Dre, Jazze Pha, CTE, etc. The thinking is that it’s better to give up half now to build a name and reputation underneath someone else. In my personal opinion, this doesn’t work out very well—just ask Sam Snead, Mellman, Butta, Ced Keyz, Carl-So-Lowe and the list goes on and on….
So what’s a newer producer to do?
The good thing about the glut in the marketplace is that only the truly dedicated will survive. The folks doing this because they think it’s easy, or because they think they can make a quick buck, will give up quickly and leave. When they see how hard it is to survive, they will move on. Only the folks with music in their blood and souls will be able to withstand the bullshit.
Also, there are many levels of producers. The key is to figure out where you want to fit in and go for it. Not every producer needs to be a Dr Dre. There are many underground producers in the ‘hood selling beats for $100 to $500, and perfectly content to be that underground go-to guy. Fearing my article was sounding a bit pessimistic, I put in a call to the ever positive Drumma Boy for advice. His opinion is that “this industry has always had a lot of competition making beats. Right now is no different…just the numbers have changed. It’s important to figure out what level you want to be on as a producer, and go for it. Opportunities open for those who are prepared and talented. Always have your beat CD on you. I’ve made connection with artists at the airport. They might not buy a beat then, but they’ll remember me.”
I asked Drumma if he was a new producer today, what he’d do to sell beats. “It’s still all about getting to the artists. I’d pop up at studios every night. If I were in a smaller town, when the artist came to do a show I’d be at the club with my beat CDs. I’d still do what I did to get on…pop up on the artists. If Jeezy is performing, I’d be at the club pressing a CD into Jeezy’s hand-- not anyone in his entourage if I can help it, but Jeezy’s hand. After doing this over and over again, they’ll at least know about you at some point. They remember the tracks that bump. Every artist wants the hot tracks. Eventually they’ll call if your beats are hot enough.” Thanks Drumma!
What else should a newer producer do?
It’s important to focus not just on the creative process, but also the business side. Making hot music is necessary, but so is understanding how the business works. The price a producer quotes for his beat is really an advance against backend royalties. Depending on the budget, and depending on how badly the artist or label wants your track, a new producer is usually paid $1500 to $5000 by a major label, and $500 to $3000 by an indie label for a track. The producer almost always goes into the studio with the artist to record. This is the difference between a beat maker and a producer. A preliminary agreement called a “producer dec” is usually circulated, prior to recording, between the lawyer for the artist or label and the producer’s lawyer (yes, you have an experienced entertainment lawyer who is well versed in production agreements on your team).
A producer gets paid half of the advance upfront BEFORE GOING INTO THE STUDIO TO RECORD, and half after delivering the track (that second half is usually paid when the album is released, if it’s a major label). The “backend” royalty is whatever you agreed to accept while negotiating, usually somewhere between 2 points and 5 points (3 points is average). Those points come out of the artist’s share, and artists rarely recoup. That means there isn’t always a backend, but be sure to negotiate it just in case there is. If you don’t understand what points are, there’s an excellent explanation in Donald Passman’s “Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About The Music Industry.” At the very least, read that chapter on points and royalties in your local Barnes and Noble store. Also, attending Sha Money’s producer conference, One Stop Shop, in April in Phoenix is money well spent--it’s the best convention of all of the ones that I attend each year!!
And if you remember nothing else about this article, remember this: keep 100% of your publishing on ANY track you create. If you choose to sample, monies will be withheld from your backend and from your publishing to pay for the sample. That is why more experienced producers rarely sample anymore. Avoid any and all agreements that ask you to sell your beats as “work for hire.” They are fuck boy contracts.
Even though the production side of the urban music industry is over saturated, it is possible for producers to eek out a nice living. If you have the talent, and the drive to succeed, you will. If not, make sure you have a back up plan. This industry can be ruthless.
Over the past ten years, the price of equipment to make beats has come way down. In addition, the ability to upload production to the internet and circulate music quickly, easily, and cheaply has made the amount of producers and beatmakers soar in the urban music industry. And if you also factor in that EVERYONE thinks they have the perfect ear for music and knows exactly what is missing from the current music industry, you get exactly what we have today in the music industry: a glut of producers.
Producers, like rappers, have exploded onto the urban music landscape in droves. Hundreds of thousands of artists have set up MySpace pages attempting to sell their music, influence the industry, and take their shot at fame and success. What we have is way more producers than we need. What this means is that the supply far outweighs the demand, driving down the income and opportunity for all producers.
Very few producers really stand out in today’s business. The ones who do rise above the din most assuredly have platinum hits under their belts. The majority of A and B list artists and the bulk of label executives seek out the producers who have a track record of success in delivering hit singles, and are willing to shell out bigger checks to secure the hits. Meanwhile, there are usually between 10 and 15 songs on a CD, leaving room for the album filler to be filled by lesser known and new producers. The prevailing attitude at labels is that maybe we’ll get lucky, and one of the $1500 to $5000 filler tracks will be the next big radio hit. The more entrepreneurial rappers have set up production companies and signed their own production teams so that they can even claim ownership of a larger share of the music on their own releases. Very few are willing to use producers outside of their own camp because that eats into their profit margin.
At the labels (major or indie), each artist has a recording budget. The budgets are determined by a mathematical formula based on how many CDs the label projects the artist can sell either based on previous sales, or based on the buzz and hype of the artist. For example, 50 Cent or T.I. will have a larger recording budget than Hurricane Chris or Alphamega because of their track record of success. However, Hurricane Chris and AlphaMega will have a larger budget than Roccett or PapaDuck because their buzz is bigger.
An entire album must be delivered within the confines of the recording budget. That budget includes production, studio time, features, sample clearance, and often mixing and mastering costs. If an artist has a recording budget of $250,000, then the album must be delivered to the label without spending more than that $250,000. If mixing and mastering costs $15,000 and recording at a decent studio is $125 an hour, that doesn’t leave much for the production of 10 or 15 songs—especially for artists who believe in recording 25 or more songs and choosing the best 10 or 15 for the album. If the artist wants a Jazze Pha, Jim Jonsin, Mannie Fresh, or Drumma Boy track that can cost anywhere from $20,000 to $70,000 depending on the relationship. It is easy to spend $100,000 or more on the production for three or four hot potential singles. And since it seems that one out of six Americans is a producer today, finding the remainder of the album filler is quite easy. The competition to sell tracks today is crazier than I’ve ever seen it. Even my mailman makes beast on the side.
The best way for an aspiring producer to sell beats is to develop a relationship with the artists and the label A&Rs who buy beats. Selling tracks is an on-going thing, because you just never know who is buying beats and when. And because there are so many producers out here hawking beat CDs, you need to have your music in front of the decision maker at the exact moment he is buying tracks. Easier said than done!
For a producer without access to large number of artists (meaning you don’t live in southern FL, Atlanta, or NY), and who isn’t able to make the regular rounds to the record labels (meaning you don’t live in New York City or Los Angeles either), this approach can be very difficult. The next best thing would be to find artists in your local area and provide their sound—their production, hoping that they blow up and achieve some level of success. That way, when they blow up, you blow up. This worked for Beats By The Pound, Mannie Fresh, Dr Dre, and others. Of course, it’s harder now than ever for local, regional acts to break through and secure the attention of a major label the way No Limit, Cash Money, and Death Row did back in the 90s.
Sha Money XL, who manages many producers, feels the best way to get on as a new producer is to “be the man everyone goes to for tracks in your area. Work with every artist and build a name for yourself locally and then expand that. Get your name out there as much as possible. In today’s viral world that’s easier than ever! The internet is a great tool to spread the word. To sell beats on-line, you may need to be a little better known, but spreading the word is still key on-line for a new producer.”
Some producers have even chosen to take the loss and give up part ownership in their own music to secure a spot in a production company owned by a more established producer or artist like Jermaine Dupri, Dr Dre, Jazze Pha, CTE, etc. The thinking is that it’s better to give up half now to build a name and reputation underneath someone else. In my personal opinion, this doesn’t work out very well—just ask Sam Snead, Mellman, Butta, Ced Keyz, Carl-So-Lowe and the list goes on and on….
So what’s a newer producer to do?
The good thing about the glut in the marketplace is that only the truly dedicated will survive. The folks doing this because they think it’s easy, or because they think they can make a quick buck, will give up quickly and leave. When they see how hard it is to survive, they will move on. Only the folks with music in their blood and souls will be able to withstand the bullshit.
Also, there are many levels of producers. The key is to figure out where you want to fit in and go for it. Not every producer needs to be a Dr Dre. There are many underground producers in the ‘hood selling beats for $100 to $500, and perfectly content to be that underground go-to guy. Fearing my article was sounding a bit pessimistic, I put in a call to the ever positive Drumma Boy for advice. His opinion is that “this industry has always had a lot of competition making beats. Right now is no different…just the numbers have changed. It’s important to figure out what level you want to be on as a producer, and go for it. Opportunities open for those who are prepared and talented. Always have your beat CD on you. I’ve made connection with artists at the airport. They might not buy a beat then, but they’ll remember me.”
I asked Drumma if he was a new producer today, what he’d do to sell beats. “It’s still all about getting to the artists. I’d pop up at studios every night. If I were in a smaller town, when the artist came to do a show I’d be at the club with my beat CDs. I’d still do what I did to get on…pop up on the artists. If Jeezy is performing, I’d be at the club pressing a CD into Jeezy’s hand-- not anyone in his entourage if I can help it, but Jeezy’s hand. After doing this over and over again, they’ll at least know about you at some point. They remember the tracks that bump. Every artist wants the hot tracks. Eventually they’ll call if your beats are hot enough.” Thanks Drumma!
What else should a newer producer do?
It’s important to focus not just on the creative process, but also the business side. Making hot music is necessary, but so is understanding how the business works. The price a producer quotes for his beat is really an advance against backend royalties. Depending on the budget, and depending on how badly the artist or label wants your track, a new producer is usually paid $1500 to $5000 by a major label, and $500 to $3000 by an indie label for a track. The producer almost always goes into the studio with the artist to record. This is the difference between a beat maker and a producer. A preliminary agreement called a “producer dec” is usually circulated, prior to recording, between the lawyer for the artist or label and the producer’s lawyer (yes, you have an experienced entertainment lawyer who is well versed in production agreements on your team).
A producer gets paid half of the advance upfront BEFORE GOING INTO THE STUDIO TO RECORD, and half after delivering the track (that second half is usually paid when the album is released, if it’s a major label). The “backend” royalty is whatever you agreed to accept while negotiating, usually somewhere between 2 points and 5 points (3 points is average). Those points come out of the artist’s share, and artists rarely recoup. That means there isn’t always a backend, but be sure to negotiate it just in case there is. If you don’t understand what points are, there’s an excellent explanation in Donald Passman’s “Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About The Music Industry.” At the very least, read that chapter on points and royalties in your local Barnes and Noble store. Also, attending Sha Money’s producer conference, One Stop Shop, in April in Phoenix is money well spent--it’s the best convention of all of the ones that I attend each year!!
And if you remember nothing else about this article, remember this: keep 100% of your publishing on ANY track you create. If you choose to sample, monies will be withheld from your backend and from your publishing to pay for the sample. That is why more experienced producers rarely sample anymore. Avoid any and all agreements that ask you to sell your beats as “work for hire.” They are fuck boy contracts.
Even though the production side of the urban music industry is over saturated, it is possible for producers to eek out a nice living. If you have the talent, and the drive to succeed, you will. If not, make sure you have a back up plan. This industry can be ruthless.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Death
By, Wendy Day
I had written an article for this month’s column about the proliferation of negativity in this industry—namely, HATERS! It has gotten so bad that some of my more powerful friends have been holding conference calls with each other to block and destroy the people who are attacking them with words (both publicly and privately). And while I am a more karma driven person than a pro-active blackballer, I have to admit that I understand it.
But I guess you’ll have to wait til next month to read about how to handle the haters in your life, because last night I heard that Shakir Stewart shot and killed himself. And while I understand why people want to stop the pain they are feeling, I have to admit that the news of his death shocked the shit out of me. It brought back the pain I felt when I heard Pac passed, and when I got that call from Vanessa Satten at XXL telling me there were rumors that Pimp C had died, and could I call his Mom to see if he was OK…I mean how do you ever make THAT call—“I hear your son may be dead, what are YOU hearing?” Nah, I’ll pass on that call. I immediately called Chad’s cell phone and was able to leave him a voicemail—that was an encouraging sign that his voicemail wasn’t full. I called Julia Beverly at Ozone and Grouchy Greg at AllHipHop, neither of whom had heard the rumor yet—more good signs. Both did call me back within the hour to verify his death, however, while my assistant called Greg Street who also verified it as truth, not fiction.
The thing about death is that it is both personal and public. So not only do you have to deal with your own feelings of loss, but you have to deal with others’ reactions as well. So, not only did Shakir leave my life, and the industry, but he left the lives of his family, friends, children, co-workers, artists, and fans. He also left the people he interacted with along the course of his daily life from the person who cut his hair to the guy who parks his car or sells him coffee in the morning.
So bear with me as I talk about death a bit, because it’s how I’m working out the loss of a guy who from the outside looking in seemed to have everything going for him, success, a dream job, a great life, money, connections, power, kids, etc-- but a ton of pain that he wasn’t able to handle any longer… Just goes to show ya…you never know what the next person is going through.
When Biggie passed away (I really wanted to say when Biggie was gunned down viciously but it sounded angry, and I’ve been too angry in this column in ‘08), it was a mess. He left a wife, a mother, children, and a label president, all of whom seemed to have some stake in ownership in him. Biggie left no will, no paperwork, no instructions for what HE wanted to happen after his death, so there was nothing to sort out the mess besides time and fighting. When Pimp C passed, it was also a mess. He had a wife who had legal say, but also a mother, artists, a label, and a partner, all of whom had emotional claim to what came next. Chad also died without leaving any instructions.
The outcome after your passing may be a scenario that you would never want to have happen. So handle it now. Here are the basics:
• A Will: A will is a legal document that enforces your wishes of what happens in the event of your death. It says who gets what, whether you’ll be buried or cremated, if you want to donate organs or body parts, and who gets to make decisions about your estate. When I die, I want to be cremated and sprinkled in the ocean, and this document specifies exactly that.
• Life Insurance: This is the insurance policy you take out if you have children or loved ones that you want supported financially, after you are no longer alive to do so. I can’t speak for the rest of you, but I pay a little under a thousand dollars a year, for a million dollars worth of coverage. If I die, my Mom will become a wealthy woman because it is my intention to take care of her as she gets older, and if I am not here to do so, someone has to—hence the life insurance policy.
• An Executor to run your estate or foundation: If you are someone who has wealth, this is an important aspect of your instructions. You need to choose a friend, a family member, or a professional (like an accountant, lawyer, or business manager) to handle your business when you are gone. Biggie’s Mom handles his estate. Tupac’s Mom handles his estate. A business manager named Artie Erk handles J Dilla‘s estate. My entertainment attorney will handle my estate—I trust him and he knows me well enough to know what I’d want and not want.
Here are some of the things an Executor will need to know:
• Vital Statistics and Data: Parent's address, Children’s names and addresses (and birthdates), and your correct date of birth. Gather this information in a notebook: Full Name, Address, Birthplace, Date of birth, Social Security number, Marital status, Husband or wife’s name, Children names and dates of birth, Father's name, birth date and birthplace (city and state) Mother's full maiden name, birth date and birthplace (city and state). To assure accurate vital statistics, keep copies of your official birth certificate and social security card with this personal information.
• Personal Data: Year moved to current address; Education: High school attended, year graduated, colleges attended, dates of graduation and degrees; Occupation: Employed by or retired from and any additional employment information you want known; Church Membership or Affiliation; Heritage/Ancestry; Veteran: Branch of Service, Date enlisted, Serial number, Date of discharge, Location of discharge papers, Last rank, Additional military information (It is helpful if a copy of the veteran's discharge and form DD214 are stored with this personal profile); Professional/Fraternal/Charitable/Social Organizations
• People to Notify: List Full name, address, phone number and your relationship to this person
• Personal Records: List all Bank Accounts-- Checking and Savings-- Name of bank, Type of account, Address, Phone number, Account number; Safe Deposit Box: Name of bank, Address, Telephone, The name on the box if not your own, Location of key; Insurance Policies List policies with name of Company, Policy number, Name of insured, Amount of benefit, Beneficiary, Location of policies; Pension Plan: Name of company, address; Real Estate Owned: Address, Location of Deeds and Titles, other documents related to the real estate
• Location of Important Papers: Automobile Registration; Birth Certificate; Income Tax Records for past 3 years; Marriage Certificate/Divorce certificate; Last Will and Testament; Original Last Will and Testament and the copies; Stocks and Bonds; Attorney's Name, Address, Phone number; Accountant's Name, Address, Phone number; Executor's Name, Address, Phone number; Real Estate Broker's name, Address, Phone number; Stockbroker's Name, Address, Phone Number; Authorized persons to arrange final details of funeral (chose two); Additional information: extra keys, car title, bills, loans information that needs to be paid off, etc.
• Funeral Service Choices: Choice of funeral home, name, address and phone number; Type of service, Catholic, protestant, new age etc.; Location of service, name address and phone Officiate, Clergy, other: Name, address and phone. Other speakers or readers at service: Name, address and phone numbers; Participating Organization: Fraternal or Military Pallbearers: Name, Address, phone numbers; Honorary Pallbearers: Name, Address, and phone numbers. Obituary: Yes or No, Photo attached?; Name of newspaper, address; Family Visitation: yes or no; Public Visitation: Yes or no; Casket: Open or closed; Casket type: Steel, Copper, Bronze, Wood, other; Casket Color, Interior Color; Flag: Yes or No, Folded or Draped; Clothing: From current wardrobe or new; Jewelry: Yes or No; Preference of Flowers; Memorials: Full name and mailing address; Favorite Poetry, scriptures or other readings; Music; Items to Display: Collection of Family Photographs, Favorite possessions, Family mementos, Awards received; Special Items to be placed in casket, etc.
• Cremation: Urn: Wood, Metal, Steel, Copper, Bronze, other Disposition of Remains-- Earth burial, Entombment, Kept by the family, Scattering, other Special instructions if kept by family: Special instructions for scattering. If Earth Burial: Outer Burial Container: Yes or No Concrete, Steel, Bronze, Other Exterior Color Inscription Name of Cemetery: Location: Lot in name of: Section: Lot: Block: Plot: Inscription for memorial marker: If Entombment: Name of Columbarium, Location, Inscription for memorial marker
There are professionals who handle this planning for you, before you die, to make sure everything will go smoothly when you do die. There are lawyers and accountants who specialize in estate planning. They have access to insurance people who can implement the necessary policies. But the bottom line is that you need to take care of it now because after you pass away, it’s difficult enough for those you leave behind. Don’t allow them to fight amongst each other because you were too lazy, or too scared, to plan for your future beyond your life—especially if you have kids.
I have watched too many friends die and the uncertainty that surrounds everything is cruel, at best. When Proof passed away, he had an entire record label but no instructions on who’d run it, how it would run, how it would be funded, what would happen to the staff and artists signed to the label. And it came to a screeching halt. I can’t imagine Proof would have wanted it to end like that. When Pimp C passed away, the careers of his artists came to a grinding halt. This forced his wife to wake up the next morning as a label owner, plus deal with her husband’s death, whether she wanted that responsibility or not.
Planning for your death doesn’t mean you are going to die anytime soon. It’s just the responsible thing to do. And if Biggie, Pac, Proof, Pimp C, and others made plans for what would happen when and if they passed away, it would have made the lives so much easier for those they left behind. Hell, folks will already be grieving over your loss….and to make them step up and handle business, make hard decisions, and fight over what remains (worst case scenario) is crueler than cruel.
I had written an article for this month’s column about the proliferation of negativity in this industry—namely, HATERS! It has gotten so bad that some of my more powerful friends have been holding conference calls with each other to block and destroy the people who are attacking them with words (both publicly and privately). And while I am a more karma driven person than a pro-active blackballer, I have to admit that I understand it.
But I guess you’ll have to wait til next month to read about how to handle the haters in your life, because last night I heard that Shakir Stewart shot and killed himself. And while I understand why people want to stop the pain they are feeling, I have to admit that the news of his death shocked the shit out of me. It brought back the pain I felt when I heard Pac passed, and when I got that call from Vanessa Satten at XXL telling me there were rumors that Pimp C had died, and could I call his Mom to see if he was OK…I mean how do you ever make THAT call—“I hear your son may be dead, what are YOU hearing?” Nah, I’ll pass on that call. I immediately called Chad’s cell phone and was able to leave him a voicemail—that was an encouraging sign that his voicemail wasn’t full. I called Julia Beverly at Ozone and Grouchy Greg at AllHipHop, neither of whom had heard the rumor yet—more good signs. Both did call me back within the hour to verify his death, however, while my assistant called Greg Street who also verified it as truth, not fiction.
The thing about death is that it is both personal and public. So not only do you have to deal with your own feelings of loss, but you have to deal with others’ reactions as well. So, not only did Shakir leave my life, and the industry, but he left the lives of his family, friends, children, co-workers, artists, and fans. He also left the people he interacted with along the course of his daily life from the person who cut his hair to the guy who parks his car or sells him coffee in the morning.
So bear with me as I talk about death a bit, because it’s how I’m working out the loss of a guy who from the outside looking in seemed to have everything going for him, success, a dream job, a great life, money, connections, power, kids, etc-- but a ton of pain that he wasn’t able to handle any longer… Just goes to show ya…you never know what the next person is going through.
When Biggie passed away (I really wanted to say when Biggie was gunned down viciously but it sounded angry, and I’ve been too angry in this column in ‘08), it was a mess. He left a wife, a mother, children, and a label president, all of whom seemed to have some stake in ownership in him. Biggie left no will, no paperwork, no instructions for what HE wanted to happen after his death, so there was nothing to sort out the mess besides time and fighting. When Pimp C passed, it was also a mess. He had a wife who had legal say, but also a mother, artists, a label, and a partner, all of whom had emotional claim to what came next. Chad also died without leaving any instructions.
The outcome after your passing may be a scenario that you would never want to have happen. So handle it now. Here are the basics:
• A Will: A will is a legal document that enforces your wishes of what happens in the event of your death. It says who gets what, whether you’ll be buried or cremated, if you want to donate organs or body parts, and who gets to make decisions about your estate. When I die, I want to be cremated and sprinkled in the ocean, and this document specifies exactly that.
• Life Insurance: This is the insurance policy you take out if you have children or loved ones that you want supported financially, after you are no longer alive to do so. I can’t speak for the rest of you, but I pay a little under a thousand dollars a year, for a million dollars worth of coverage. If I die, my Mom will become a wealthy woman because it is my intention to take care of her as she gets older, and if I am not here to do so, someone has to—hence the life insurance policy.
• An Executor to run your estate or foundation: If you are someone who has wealth, this is an important aspect of your instructions. You need to choose a friend, a family member, or a professional (like an accountant, lawyer, or business manager) to handle your business when you are gone. Biggie’s Mom handles his estate. Tupac’s Mom handles his estate. A business manager named Artie Erk handles J Dilla‘s estate. My entertainment attorney will handle my estate—I trust him and he knows me well enough to know what I’d want and not want.
Here are some of the things an Executor will need to know:
• Vital Statistics and Data: Parent's address, Children’s names and addresses (and birthdates), and your correct date of birth. Gather this information in a notebook: Full Name, Address, Birthplace, Date of birth, Social Security number, Marital status, Husband or wife’s name, Children names and dates of birth, Father's name, birth date and birthplace (city and state) Mother's full maiden name, birth date and birthplace (city and state). To assure accurate vital statistics, keep copies of your official birth certificate and social security card with this personal information.
• Personal Data: Year moved to current address; Education: High school attended, year graduated, colleges attended, dates of graduation and degrees; Occupation: Employed by or retired from and any additional employment information you want known; Church Membership or Affiliation; Heritage/Ancestry; Veteran: Branch of Service, Date enlisted, Serial number, Date of discharge, Location of discharge papers, Last rank, Additional military information (It is helpful if a copy of the veteran's discharge and form DD214 are stored with this personal profile); Professional/Fraternal/Charitable/Social Organizations
• People to Notify: List Full name, address, phone number and your relationship to this person
• Personal Records: List all Bank Accounts-- Checking and Savings-- Name of bank, Type of account, Address, Phone number, Account number; Safe Deposit Box: Name of bank, Address, Telephone, The name on the box if not your own, Location of key; Insurance Policies List policies with name of Company, Policy number, Name of insured, Amount of benefit, Beneficiary, Location of policies; Pension Plan: Name of company, address; Real Estate Owned: Address, Location of Deeds and Titles, other documents related to the real estate
• Location of Important Papers: Automobile Registration; Birth Certificate; Income Tax Records for past 3 years; Marriage Certificate/Divorce certificate; Last Will and Testament; Original Last Will and Testament and the copies; Stocks and Bonds; Attorney's Name, Address, Phone number; Accountant's Name, Address, Phone number; Executor's Name, Address, Phone number; Real Estate Broker's name, Address, Phone number; Stockbroker's Name, Address, Phone Number; Authorized persons to arrange final details of funeral (chose two); Additional information: extra keys, car title, bills, loans information that needs to be paid off, etc.
• Funeral Service Choices: Choice of funeral home, name, address and phone number; Type of service, Catholic, protestant, new age etc.; Location of service, name address and phone Officiate, Clergy, other: Name, address and phone. Other speakers or readers at service: Name, address and phone numbers; Participating Organization: Fraternal or Military Pallbearers: Name, Address, phone numbers; Honorary Pallbearers: Name, Address, and phone numbers. Obituary: Yes or No, Photo attached?; Name of newspaper, address; Family Visitation: yes or no; Public Visitation: Yes or no; Casket: Open or closed; Casket type: Steel, Copper, Bronze, Wood, other; Casket Color, Interior Color; Flag: Yes or No, Folded or Draped; Clothing: From current wardrobe or new; Jewelry: Yes or No; Preference of Flowers; Memorials: Full name and mailing address; Favorite Poetry, scriptures or other readings; Music; Items to Display: Collection of Family Photographs, Favorite possessions, Family mementos, Awards received; Special Items to be placed in casket, etc.
• Cremation: Urn: Wood, Metal, Steel, Copper, Bronze, other Disposition of Remains-- Earth burial, Entombment, Kept by the family, Scattering, other Special instructions if kept by family: Special instructions for scattering. If Earth Burial: Outer Burial Container: Yes or No Concrete, Steel, Bronze, Other Exterior Color Inscription Name of Cemetery: Location: Lot in name of: Section: Lot: Block: Plot: Inscription for memorial marker: If Entombment: Name of Columbarium, Location, Inscription for memorial marker
There are professionals who handle this planning for you, before you die, to make sure everything will go smoothly when you do die. There are lawyers and accountants who specialize in estate planning. They have access to insurance people who can implement the necessary policies. But the bottom line is that you need to take care of it now because after you pass away, it’s difficult enough for those you leave behind. Don’t allow them to fight amongst each other because you were too lazy, or too scared, to plan for your future beyond your life—especially if you have kids.
I have watched too many friends die and the uncertainty that surrounds everything is cruel, at best. When Proof passed away, he had an entire record label but no instructions on who’d run it, how it would run, how it would be funded, what would happen to the staff and artists signed to the label. And it came to a screeching halt. I can’t imagine Proof would have wanted it to end like that. When Pimp C passed away, the careers of his artists came to a grinding halt. This forced his wife to wake up the next morning as a label owner, plus deal with her husband’s death, whether she wanted that responsibility or not.
Planning for your death doesn’t mean you are going to die anytime soon. It’s just the responsible thing to do. And if Biggie, Pac, Proof, Pimp C, and others made plans for what would happen when and if they passed away, it would have made the lives so much easier for those they left behind. Hell, folks will already be grieving over your loss….and to make them step up and handle business, make hard decisions, and fight over what remains (worst case scenario) is crueler than cruel.
Signing To A Label Owned By An Artist
By, Wendy Day from Rap Coalition (www.Rap-Coalition.com and www.rapcointelpro.com)
In my experience, there are two ways to get signed to a deal that could possibly lead to a successful career in the music industry. One way is to put out your own CD and sell enough CDs regionally to create the leverage to entice a major label into signing you to a deal that will lead to success, and the second way is to sign to an already established platinum recording artist, and come through the deal he or she has worked out with a major label that wants to be in business with that artist.
There are both upsides and downsides to signing underneath an already signed artist or producer. There are more artist owned or controlled labels than at any other time in the history of the urban music business. Some of those current opportunities are:
Artist examples
• Young Jeezy’s CTE (formerly known as Corporate Thugz) through Def Jam
• 50 Cent’s G Unit through Interscope
• Eminem’s Shady through Interscope
• T.I.’s Grand Hustle through Capitol or Asylum
• Ludacris’ DTP through Def Jam
• Nelly’s Derty Entertainment, through Universal
Producer examples
• Mr Colipark’s label through Interscope
• Polow’s Zone 4 through Interscope
• Dr Dre’s Aftermath through Interscope
• Kanye’s G.O.O.D. Music through Sony
• Pharrell’s label through Interscope
DJ examples
• DJ Drama’s Aphilliates label through Asylum
• DJ Khaled’s label through Koch
When a major label has an established artist with a strong sales track record of success (platinum or better), that label often offers a label deal to the artist to keep him or her happy. In some cases, it’s a real label (such as DTP, Shady, CTE, G-Unit, etc) with real offices, with their own dedicated staffs. And in some cases, it’s just a logo printed on the back of a CD to appear that the artist has his or her own label. There are a variety of reasons why these different types of deals exist, but that would be a topic for another article…
If one of the ways to get established in this industry is by coming up underneath an established, successful artist, you should consider the pluses and minuses.
Downside:
• The money, if and when it comes, passes through the hands of middlemen. If 50 decides to sign you to G-Unit, the money eventually goes from Interscope through G-Unit and then (hopefully) trickles down to the artist.
• There’s often a long wait--most artists already have their friends that they want to put on through their deal. Therefore, if you are an outsider in that camp, you’d have to wait your turn to come out.
• Compilation albums are usually the first release from a major artist who has just been given his own label deal. Often, this is because the artist has too many artists coming up under him or her, and compilations often allow one artist to stand out from the rest.
• If the major artist pisses off the major label, your project will suffer exponentially.
• If the major artist’s next release doesn’t do very well, the label deal will often suffer because the need to keep that established artist happy is no longer as strong.
• Many artists sign other artists who are not as talented so they will not be upstaged. Very few major artists are secure enough with themselves to sign artists who are better than they are or who can out rap them.
• Most artists do not have strong business sense and not many have the business acumen to hire professionals with a strong track record of success to run their companies for them. You could end up signed to a label run by (and therefore trusting your career to) the artist’s best friend who has no music business experience.
• Most releases under a major artist’s label are seen by consumers as just “friends” of the artist and are rarely taken as seriously as unknown artists. Murphy Lee will always be seen as Nelly’s boy, D-12 will always be Eminem’s buddies, P$C are T.I.’s friends, and Tony Yayo will always be seen as 50’s childhood friend. Whether they have this kind of history or not, that is the perception—admit it, you were thinking that when those albums dropped.
• You will never have a better deal than the deal your artist label-owner has with his label (unless you sell more CDs than him and can renegotiate). For example, if you are signed to an artist who received 18 points from Def Jam in his deal (that’s 18% of the retail selling price of each CD, after you paying back all of the expenses), you will likely get a lesser percentage than 18 points. He can’t give you more than he gets.
• You will most likely have to use newer, less established producers for your beats—or even the in-house producers, because there’s rarely a budget for you to record with the A-list hit makers like Mannie Fresh, Jim Jonsin, Dr Dre, etc. In a hit-driven, radio-focused industry, that could be somewhat challenging.
Upside:
• If the artist who signs you is a priority at the label (like Eminem, Ludacris, TI, 50 Cent, etc), there is a better chance that your project will be a priority at the label as well. The level of effort the major label makes on your project is in direct proportion to the level of financial value of the artist to whom you are signed.
• You gain immediate recognition in the marketplace when a major artist gets behind you and co-signs you.
• You are signed to a label that is run by an artist so the understanding of the music and artform is much stronger than if you are signed to a label run by a lawyer or an accountant.
• Your first release is almost guaranteed to feature the platinum recording artist because you are signed to him or her, and there is a financial stake in being promoted (and co-signed) by that artist.
• You are thrust into a career that starts out at a mid-level. You get to tour with an already established artist, you get to learn the industry through the eyes of a platinum recording artist, and you gain part of an already established fan base. The opportunities for exposure for you are immediately greater.
• You get to see the inside view of a superstar’s career. You can learn from the mistakes or successes of that artist who comes before you. It is next to impossible to get such an insider’s view without being right there to live it firsthand. This education is invaluable if you are smart enough to apply what works to your own career and not experience those same mistakes and pitfalls yourself.
While there are upsides and downsides to every deal, each artist must weigh these for themselves and their own situation. Signing to an established artist may not be good for everyone, and it may be the best route for others. The trick is to know all of the pluses and minuses of any opportunity and then to make an informed decision based on what is best for your own career and your own situation. After all, signing any record deal is usually a commitment of 5 to 7 years of your life. In most cases, this is the life span of a rap career, so choose very wisely.
In my experience, there are two ways to get signed to a deal that could possibly lead to a successful career in the music industry. One way is to put out your own CD and sell enough CDs regionally to create the leverage to entice a major label into signing you to a deal that will lead to success, and the second way is to sign to an already established platinum recording artist, and come through the deal he or she has worked out with a major label that wants to be in business with that artist.
There are both upsides and downsides to signing underneath an already signed artist or producer. There are more artist owned or controlled labels than at any other time in the history of the urban music business. Some of those current opportunities are:
Artist examples
• Young Jeezy’s CTE (formerly known as Corporate Thugz) through Def Jam
• 50 Cent’s G Unit through Interscope
• Eminem’s Shady through Interscope
• T.I.’s Grand Hustle through Capitol or Asylum
• Ludacris’ DTP through Def Jam
• Nelly’s Derty Entertainment, through Universal
Producer examples
• Mr Colipark’s label through Interscope
• Polow’s Zone 4 through Interscope
• Dr Dre’s Aftermath through Interscope
• Kanye’s G.O.O.D. Music through Sony
• Pharrell’s label through Interscope
DJ examples
• DJ Drama’s Aphilliates label through Asylum
• DJ Khaled’s label through Koch
When a major label has an established artist with a strong sales track record of success (platinum or better), that label often offers a label deal to the artist to keep him or her happy. In some cases, it’s a real label (such as DTP, Shady, CTE, G-Unit, etc) with real offices, with their own dedicated staffs. And in some cases, it’s just a logo printed on the back of a CD to appear that the artist has his or her own label. There are a variety of reasons why these different types of deals exist, but that would be a topic for another article…
If one of the ways to get established in this industry is by coming up underneath an established, successful artist, you should consider the pluses and minuses.
Downside:
• The money, if and when it comes, passes through the hands of middlemen. If 50 decides to sign you to G-Unit, the money eventually goes from Interscope through G-Unit and then (hopefully) trickles down to the artist.
• There’s often a long wait--most artists already have their friends that they want to put on through their deal. Therefore, if you are an outsider in that camp, you’d have to wait your turn to come out.
• Compilation albums are usually the first release from a major artist who has just been given his own label deal. Often, this is because the artist has too many artists coming up under him or her, and compilations often allow one artist to stand out from the rest.
• If the major artist pisses off the major label, your project will suffer exponentially.
• If the major artist’s next release doesn’t do very well, the label deal will often suffer because the need to keep that established artist happy is no longer as strong.
• Many artists sign other artists who are not as talented so they will not be upstaged. Very few major artists are secure enough with themselves to sign artists who are better than they are or who can out rap them.
• Most artists do not have strong business sense and not many have the business acumen to hire professionals with a strong track record of success to run their companies for them. You could end up signed to a label run by (and therefore trusting your career to) the artist’s best friend who has no music business experience.
• Most releases under a major artist’s label are seen by consumers as just “friends” of the artist and are rarely taken as seriously as unknown artists. Murphy Lee will always be seen as Nelly’s boy, D-12 will always be Eminem’s buddies, P$C are T.I.’s friends, and Tony Yayo will always be seen as 50’s childhood friend. Whether they have this kind of history or not, that is the perception—admit it, you were thinking that when those albums dropped.
• You will never have a better deal than the deal your artist label-owner has with his label (unless you sell more CDs than him and can renegotiate). For example, if you are signed to an artist who received 18 points from Def Jam in his deal (that’s 18% of the retail selling price of each CD, after you paying back all of the expenses), you will likely get a lesser percentage than 18 points. He can’t give you more than he gets.
• You will most likely have to use newer, less established producers for your beats—or even the in-house producers, because there’s rarely a budget for you to record with the A-list hit makers like Mannie Fresh, Jim Jonsin, Dr Dre, etc. In a hit-driven, radio-focused industry, that could be somewhat challenging.
Upside:
• If the artist who signs you is a priority at the label (like Eminem, Ludacris, TI, 50 Cent, etc), there is a better chance that your project will be a priority at the label as well. The level of effort the major label makes on your project is in direct proportion to the level of financial value of the artist to whom you are signed.
• You gain immediate recognition in the marketplace when a major artist gets behind you and co-signs you.
• You are signed to a label that is run by an artist so the understanding of the music and artform is much stronger than if you are signed to a label run by a lawyer or an accountant.
• Your first release is almost guaranteed to feature the platinum recording artist because you are signed to him or her, and there is a financial stake in being promoted (and co-signed) by that artist.
• You are thrust into a career that starts out at a mid-level. You get to tour with an already established artist, you get to learn the industry through the eyes of a platinum recording artist, and you gain part of an already established fan base. The opportunities for exposure for you are immediately greater.
• You get to see the inside view of a superstar’s career. You can learn from the mistakes or successes of that artist who comes before you. It is next to impossible to get such an insider’s view without being right there to live it firsthand. This education is invaluable if you are smart enough to apply what works to your own career and not experience those same mistakes and pitfalls yourself.
While there are upsides and downsides to every deal, each artist must weigh these for themselves and their own situation. Signing to an established artist may not be good for everyone, and it may be the best route for others. The trick is to know all of the pluses and minuses of any opportunity and then to make an informed decision based on what is best for your own career and your own situation. After all, signing any record deal is usually a commitment of 5 to 7 years of your life. In most cases, this is the life span of a rap career, so choose very wisely.
Monday, July 7, 2008
The Basics
By Wendy Day from Rap Coalition (www.WendyDay.com)
This article is dedicated to Mannie Fresh, who was kind enough to give one of my indie clients a hit fucking record for a great price!! Mannie is in the process of putting out his first artist, The Show. I have chosen to devote this article to giving my friend some free advice, since he was kind enough to give me the ammunition that I need to win with my group. A smart reader would evesdrop and apply it to his or her own situation!!
Mannie is a super producer, and I have proven to be skilled over the years at putting out records (not to mention negotiating deals)—we all might learn something:
Dear Mannie;
Putting out an artist, either independently or through a major label, is a tremendous amount of work as I am sure you know. Even with your relationships and connections, knowing who to trust and who can really benefit your release if difficult—imagine if you didn’t have the access or name recognition that you have!! Most others in this industry don’t….so you are already a step ahead.
I understand what you mean when you talk about the talent and passion missing from this industry today. While I do agree with you completely, just talent alone isn’t enough to win. Much like you, I am a purist. I believe that the beats and rhymes are key and the folks who are doing this solely for the money are fucking it up for everyone. That’s really why the sales are down. So many folks treat the music industry like it’s the new (legal) drug game. Those without passion, however, won’t be able to withstand the licks that this wicked industry doles out. They won’t stand the test of time. You will, and have!
But in addition to the driving passion, I also realize the need for an artist to sell CDs. My favorite rapper is Ras Kass. He’s lyrical as hell, but has he been able to sell CDs? You’ve heard Jay Z, Common, and Talib Kweli talk about dumbing down the lyrics, and we’ve all watched Bun B go from dopest southern lyricist to rap star able to sell CDs (thank God! He deserves it!!). There’s nothing wrong with making a living from one’s artistic craft. That is not selling out! Those who believe that it is, need to go get real jobs and make CDs as a hobby and pass them out for free.
I like the Mixed CD that you and DJ Wop made for The Show (“Victory Lap”). It highlights his lyrical abilities over some incredible Mannie Fresh beats, and gives the fans 27 examples of what’s to come. But in my opinion, the mixed CD lacks slam dunk, hit singles—radio records. You most likely chose not to put them on a mix CD, saving them for his release. In today’s environment, it will be difficult to go to market without a hit radio record or two. This is especially true if you have a major label behind you, like Def Jam, because they survive on that formula of radio records to drive sales and exposure. It’s not that it is right or wrong, it’s that it just “is.” If that’s what they have to do to blow up an artist, any artist, then so be it. It’s up to you to give them the ammunition that they need.
Hopefully, that was part of your thinking before doing a deal with a major, and that you chose one that needed what you could deliver (I only say that because some folks see all of the labels as interchangeable and only care about getting a check—truth is, the checks are small and the opportunities are shrinking everyday). If not, you will find that you have to build a ridiculous buzz on the streets to get them interested in working your release. The reality is that if you want someone who excels at chasing radio hits to get excited about your project, and you decide not to deliver radio hits to them, you will need to show them how to work your records, make it appear to be cheap and easy, and then let them take 100% of the credit when it happens.
I guess it’s like you driving that gorgeous new Bentley. If someone was only used to Hondas, there may be some apprehension and discomfort in driving such an artful machine. But once one is used to driving perfection and sees how easy it is, it becomes easy. We all become comfortable with what we know—you with good music, a major label with hit radio records.
Here’s the dichotomy though: hit radio records do not always equal sales. There have been plenty of hit records that the labels paid to drive up the charts, but the full length CDs tanked when they came out. My guess is that they only had one or two good records on the album. You are Mannie Fresh, therefore I’m not worried about that. You make great music. And The Show is lyrical and seems to be able to make great songs.
Here’s what I would do: since he’s based in New Orleans, I’d build a buzz in LA, TX, and southern AL. I’d make those my “Phase 1” market areas. I’d attend all of the events in the Summer and Fall where large amounts of potential fans gather (Summer Jams, park parties, college Home Comings, music festivals, etc). I’d also go from town to town promoting The Show.
I’d throw him in a wrapped van, and hit a different city every day. I’d make sure we went through radio, retail stores (chains and independents), clubs at night (performing if possible), strip clubs, and hip hop gear shops. If you really want to grind it out, I’d also hit the chicken wing spots, key barber shops and nail salons, high schools and colleges, and make sure you spend time in the ‘hoods. Your name will open a lot of doors for him. I’d be sure to pass out flyers, hang posters wherever I could, and sign as many autographs as humanly possible. I’d advertise ahead of time the cities we were hitting through his website and his MySpace page (and yours).
Also, I’d suggest explaining to The Show that artists don’t really make money from their record deals. It’s important that he knows he’s grinding this out for something bigger down the road, but it would suck for him to think it was one thing and it became another. Especially because of the way you, and other artists before you, got jerked out of money in this business. It’s important that he understand how the payments work and how the money comes from shows, endorsement deals, and other opportunities that the fame will bring. He’s very bright, he probably already knows this. But it’s important that he understand it fully. That alleviates problems down the road.
After building the buzz in that 3 state area, his buzz will organically grow. As college students return home for their Breaks and vacations, they will spread his music. People will naturally share great music with friends, and the internet speeds up this process. It spreads like fire…usually in an orderly fashion. So as it is spreading to MS, OK, AR, TN, GA, etc, you can be chasing that spread with Phase 2 of your promo tour. You can also start working a single at radio. The DJs will already be aware of The Show, now it’s time to spread that awareness to program directors around the region. Focus on the south—it’ll be cheaper to back up an area that’s somewhat contained. Also, in the south, fans will buy good music whether you are indie or major, so it’s a naturally good market to work.
And lastly, work the project for a minimum of 4 months before you drop the album--six months is preferred and 9 months is even better. If you aren’t coming through a Major label, make sure you choose a distributor with a strong track record of paying, and one that has great relationships with rap record buyers and stores. This is NOT the area to take risks—it’s your money!
A hit radio record will make the promoters start calling to book shows faster. A super hot record will make the show price increase quickly. When The Show is making good money, it will be easier for him to work even harder. It’ll be more hectic, but better. It will save you money too. As he travels to different cities on the promoters’ dime, you can hit radio and retail in those cities.
Lastly, make sure The Show is the shit at home. Be certain to give back to the local community, especially New Orleans because it needs the support more than any other place. Offer picnics in the park and Kids’ Days. Support the Moms and the schools that need help. Speak to the kids and keep them from going down the wrong path. That’s not mandatory, but it is the right thing to do.
Mannie, you are shit! You’ve been down a long, hard road. But you survived and survived well. No one can take that from you. You have legions of fans and soldiers, just waiting for you to do something for yourself. The Show is it! Go get it baby! And I am always here when you need me. Always. I love you Chubby Boy!
With Love and Respect,
Wendy
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