Many people don't understand the difference between a recording artist and a performing artist, let alone recognize that the two are not correlated. There is a difference between being a recording artist and being a performing artist; title says it all. Very few have mastered both realms, and those who have are legends.
What young artist need to understand, and I stress this to my artists all the time, they need to have something that isn't on the CD or the album. They need to have something that is going to keep fans wanting to see them live in concert over and over again. If a fan goes to see an artist live and their concert sounds exactly like what they heard on album...what’s the point of going to the concert when there is nothing special about the show. You’re just paying to hear the album extra loud.
This blog is also featured at:
http://agoneent.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Crumbs today, feast tomorrow
I have a story, and this story took place recently. It’s summer, and rightfully so my boys and I took a vacation. Not so much of a vacation as an extended weekend get-a-way. Anyway, we were in Vegas and I know "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" but this story needs to be shared.
So I was walking down the strip headed back to my hotel with the fellas when I notice a man standing on the corner holding CD’s, which turned out to be his demo. As I approached, we made eye contact and he asked me if I was a fan of hip-hop. I told him I was a fan, but I failed to mention how much of a fan I really was as well as to what degree my involvement in hip-hop stems. He told me he’s a young rapper trying to get his hustle right by making music and selling it, as well as getting exposure along the way. He offered to let me listen to his mix tape, and tried selling it to me for 10 dollars.
First, I asked why he was selling it for so much money. He told me because there were 22 quality tracks on the mix tape. Then I asked him, if he really wants people to listen to his music, why not just give it away to people who are interested in listening? (Now one of the worst places to do so is probably the Las Vegas strip since a high percentage of the people walking by are probably intoxicated and won’t hold on to anything for dear life except their drink). He asked me, “If I give away my music, how am I supposed to eat?” …so I told him:
If you are really trying to get your music heard and build a fan base, you need to supply people with music to listen to. Unless you find that rare person that thrives off finding fresh new talent to listen to, or someone that enjoys following the career of an artist as they move up in the game, no one really wants to buy music from someone they’ve never heard of. Especially, when everyone can download music from an artist they know they will like, for free. You'll make your money doing shows, because if you are dope on record then people will want to come see you live...from there your success comes from not just being a recording artist, but a performing artist as well.
That’s the gist of what I told him before I walked off. The point I was trying to make to him is that using your music as a promotional tool to build a fan base rather than as a unit to turn profit would be way more beneficial to an artist in the long run as opposed to earning the quick buck now. You could make some money now and acquire a few fans, or develop a large fan base that will ideally garnish you with enough people to sell out a venue for a show…I personally would choose the career move.
this blog may also be viewed at:
http://oneloveforpeace.wordpress.com/2009/08/22/crumbs-today-feast-tomorrow/
So I was walking down the strip headed back to my hotel with the fellas when I notice a man standing on the corner holding CD’s, which turned out to be his demo. As I approached, we made eye contact and he asked me if I was a fan of hip-hop. I told him I was a fan, but I failed to mention how much of a fan I really was as well as to what degree my involvement in hip-hop stems. He told me he’s a young rapper trying to get his hustle right by making music and selling it, as well as getting exposure along the way. He offered to let me listen to his mix tape, and tried selling it to me for 10 dollars.
First, I asked why he was selling it for so much money. He told me because there were 22 quality tracks on the mix tape. Then I asked him, if he really wants people to listen to his music, why not just give it away to people who are interested in listening? (Now one of the worst places to do so is probably the Las Vegas strip since a high percentage of the people walking by are probably intoxicated and won’t hold on to anything for dear life except their drink). He asked me, “If I give away my music, how am I supposed to eat?” …so I told him:
If you are really trying to get your music heard and build a fan base, you need to supply people with music to listen to. Unless you find that rare person that thrives off finding fresh new talent to listen to, or someone that enjoys following the career of an artist as they move up in the game, no one really wants to buy music from someone they’ve never heard of. Especially, when everyone can download music from an artist they know they will like, for free. You'll make your money doing shows, because if you are dope on record then people will want to come see you live...from there your success comes from not just being a recording artist, but a performing artist as well.
That’s the gist of what I told him before I walked off. The point I was trying to make to him is that using your music as a promotional tool to build a fan base rather than as a unit to turn profit would be way more beneficial to an artist in the long run as opposed to earning the quick buck now. You could make some money now and acquire a few fans, or develop a large fan base that will ideally garnish you with enough people to sell out a venue for a show…I personally would choose the career move.
this blog may also be viewed at:
http://oneloveforpeace.wordpress.com/2009/08/22/crumbs-today-feast-tomorrow/
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Artist Integrity
At what point is making a sacrifice considered selling out?
It seems that a majority of the recording artists, writers, musicians and producers that I’ve worked with in the music industry all have their own project that they are trying to get off the ground. While that is in the works, they all seem to be working behind the scenes on other artists projects just to fund their own… myself included.
I find myself to be very picky with whom I work with; reluctant even. Some really dope opportunities have presented themselves, but I didn’t necessarily choose to pursue them. My hesitation might have been with the image that particular artist was trying to portray or even the content/context of their music in general.
As I’ve gotten older and more business savvy in the game, I find myself picking up jobs that I might not have necessarily picked up a few years ago. However, these jobs are career moves. They are gigs that have the potential to further my networking on a major scale or even catapult me into different genres. More importantly, these gigs are providing me with a steady stream of income and sustainability so I may continue to pursue my own career as a writer/performing artist. As it stands now, I long for the day that I can finish my own project and be on the performing artist circuit once again.
Anyway, keeping with career moves vs. passion moves…I think the most notable artist to “sellout” in recent years would have to be Common. Now, don’t get it twisted…Common is one of my idols and biggest influences in my writing. But the Common who wrote, “I Used To Love H.E.R.” would not have done a “Peace, Love and Gap” campaign nor would he have been on a record with the Jonas Brothers.
Obviously, we all know Commons biggest passion project (musically speaking that is) was “Electric Circus,” which I feel was some of his dopest work. It might have over shot his target audience, but his fans still appreciated it regardless. Even his past three albums, which brought him to super stardom, would not have been possible if he hadn’t done the Gap placement. That brought him into a whole new genre and put him in front of a larger demographic other than hip hop heads. It brought sustainability into his career as an artist. His music isn’t as raw and gritty, and he doesn’t come off as that hungry emcee but he still has quality music; he still has a message, a theme, and substance.
Now, without Common making career moves and taking the Gap placement, would he have had the number one album in the country? Would the same amount of people who listened to the music or bought the album, heard what he had to say? Taking it a step deeper, would a quarter of the people who had never heard of Common until “Be” or “Finding Forever” researched his career and have their world opened to a higher quality of hip hop music?
A big fear I have is being viewed as a “sellout,” despite what I do I’m pretty sure there will be those who think I am a “sellout”. There are things I am very unhappy with in the music industry and I feel I can be part of a catalyst for change. However, in order to move up in ranks and obtain a sustainable career there will be gigs or jobs I take in order to put me in better position to initiate the change I want to see.
blog may also be seen at:
http://oneloveforpeace.wordpress.com/2009/08/13/artist-integrity
Friday, August 7, 2009
Carlos Santana
I've always wanted a fat guitar strap dripping with heritage, just like his.
Chicano Rock is the genre label that is given to him on Wikipedia. I don't know why, but I find the most interesting things on Wikipedia; too bad not all of it is relevant/correct.
Santana has such a distinct sound from his guitars, and the way he is able to speak through music is just beyond me sometimes. I think what I like even more is that as his career progressed the sound of his music changed, (ie, features, collaborations, etc) but no matter the style of the music there was still the distinct tone in the guitar that let you know, "oh yo, Santana is on this track."
The thing about having a distinct sound puts you in a compromising position. People will love you because they can count you on you bringing that consistent dope sound, or people will get bored because they know what to expect from you.
What I hope to do as an artist is touch base in multiple genres and styles of music. I have a bad habit of staying in my comfort zone, taking the safe approach, if you will. I mean not just musically, but that's a whole other blog. I believe I have made tremendous progress in my writing, my composition, my themes and ideas. But...I want to be more progressive with my sound. Maybe not as far as Electric Circus, but along those lines....
I really like how Akapela Jonz is playing with his tracks, not being confined to a traditional song structure but expressing himself in a dope manner.
So I recorded two of my own songs the other day for the first time in months...i don't really like how they came out...but lack of dedication to my own stuff shows in its progress....however, it is a work in progress and i may be able to dedicate a significant amount of time to my own stuff rather soon :)
its a great summer ya'll...i hope you're enjoying it, too!
Chicano Rock is the genre label that is given to him on Wikipedia. I don't know why, but I find the most interesting things on Wikipedia; too bad not all of it is relevant/correct.
Santana has such a distinct sound from his guitars, and the way he is able to speak through music is just beyond me sometimes. I think what I like even more is that as his career progressed the sound of his music changed, (ie, features, collaborations, etc) but no matter the style of the music there was still the distinct tone in the guitar that let you know, "oh yo, Santana is on this track."
The thing about having a distinct sound puts you in a compromising position. People will love you because they can count you on you bringing that consistent dope sound, or people will get bored because they know what to expect from you.
What I hope to do as an artist is touch base in multiple genres and styles of music. I have a bad habit of staying in my comfort zone, taking the safe approach, if you will. I mean not just musically, but that's a whole other blog. I believe I have made tremendous progress in my writing, my composition, my themes and ideas. But...I want to be more progressive with my sound. Maybe not as far as Electric Circus, but along those lines....
I really like how Akapela Jonz is playing with his tracks, not being confined to a traditional song structure but expressing himself in a dope manner.
So I recorded two of my own songs the other day for the first time in months...i don't really like how they came out...but lack of dedication to my own stuff shows in its progress....however, it is a work in progress and i may be able to dedicate a significant amount of time to my own stuff rather soon :)
its a great summer ya'll...i hope you're enjoying it, too!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
I fight for love, and peace of mind.
"I fight for love, and peace of mind" is what I said to her.
Yesterday I was having a conversation with a friend about how I like to debate and sometimes start a discussion defending a point of view that I might not necessarily agree with just because i enjoy playing devils advocate. She told me that I was more of the fighter-type person opposed to the lover-type person she assumed i was...and my response was, "I fight for love, and peace of mind."
There are times when you just say something in response to someone, where the emotion and sentiment is so real and genuine..when you look back at it you're like "Damn, that was a great statement." That's how I feel about that line. Its been in my head for the last two days and I intend to work into a song or poem real soon.
It stems from a recent decision I've made in my personal life. I had decided to go back to school and work on my masters in communication management. My emphasis was Health and Social change...from reading the course descriptions and program outline, it seemed to be right up my alley. When I get there, its nothing like what i expect. Although everything i was learning was great, it had nothing to do with where i am in my career or where I would want to be later in life. Every project we had I found ways to relate it to music or the music industry. The class was called "Communication of values, behaviors and attitudes," and all the class had to do with was ads, advertising and ad campaigns. On the flip side the professor did think my point of view was innovative and my paper topics were refreshing...but still my mind and my heart weren't in it. So with inspiration from a conversation I had with a dope up-and coming emcee, Akapela Jonz, I decided to walk away from the program.
Now, its a complicated situation. School was always going to be my Plan B...and walking away from it would mean i am solely relying on plan A...music. I am still looking for a program that'll fit where i want to be and what i want to do, but until i really need to go back i don't see a reason to pursue it just yet. I am finding a lot of success with AG One at the moment and spreading myself too thin would only mean taking away less energy that could go into making a strong presence with the label.
Like I said before, I was inspired by a conversation I had with Akapela Jonz in one of our first meetings. He was telling me the name of his project Don't Quit Your Day Job, and where the idea had come from. Basically he was saying don't give up your dreams, which I just didn't understand at first...how do you get pursue your dreams if you DON'T quit your day job? Jonz continued to explain to me with the rhetorical question, "what do you spend most of your time thinking about...regardless of where you are, what your doing or what your working on?" He said to me whatever it is that consumes your mind for a majority of the day...that thing that occupies your thoughts all day and all night, that is your day job...and you can't give that up.
Of course, i played it off like, "oh yeah son, that's a dope concept...run with it, I'm excited to see where you take it." But it wasn't until recently that it all kind of sank in, and I should probably thank him for it the next time i see him. For Right now though, I need to stay true to myself, my people and my goals. Its time to put my energy into what has always been on my mind; music.
We are in Year 2 of officially establishing AG One Entertainment, and its looking even more promising with every new day and every new accomplishment.
Thank you for the love and support, and more importantly for me helping me keep my mind right when its gets off course.
Yesterday I was having a conversation with a friend about how I like to debate and sometimes start a discussion defending a point of view that I might not necessarily agree with just because i enjoy playing devils advocate. She told me that I was more of the fighter-type person opposed to the lover-type person she assumed i was...and my response was, "I fight for love, and peace of mind."
There are times when you just say something in response to someone, where the emotion and sentiment is so real and genuine..when you look back at it you're like "Damn, that was a great statement." That's how I feel about that line. Its been in my head for the last two days and I intend to work into a song or poem real soon.
It stems from a recent decision I've made in my personal life. I had decided to go back to school and work on my masters in communication management. My emphasis was Health and Social change...from reading the course descriptions and program outline, it seemed to be right up my alley. When I get there, its nothing like what i expect. Although everything i was learning was great, it had nothing to do with where i am in my career or where I would want to be later in life. Every project we had I found ways to relate it to music or the music industry. The class was called "Communication of values, behaviors and attitudes," and all the class had to do with was ads, advertising and ad campaigns. On the flip side the professor did think my point of view was innovative and my paper topics were refreshing...but still my mind and my heart weren't in it. So with inspiration from a conversation I had with a dope up-and coming emcee, Akapela Jonz, I decided to walk away from the program.
Now, its a complicated situation. School was always going to be my Plan B...and walking away from it would mean i am solely relying on plan A...music. I am still looking for a program that'll fit where i want to be and what i want to do, but until i really need to go back i don't see a reason to pursue it just yet. I am finding a lot of success with AG One at the moment and spreading myself too thin would only mean taking away less energy that could go into making a strong presence with the label.
Like I said before, I was inspired by a conversation I had with Akapela Jonz in one of our first meetings. He was telling me the name of his project Don't Quit Your Day Job, and where the idea had come from. Basically he was saying don't give up your dreams, which I just didn't understand at first...how do you get pursue your dreams if you DON'T quit your day job? Jonz continued to explain to me with the rhetorical question, "what do you spend most of your time thinking about...regardless of where you are, what your doing or what your working on?" He said to me whatever it is that consumes your mind for a majority of the day...that thing that occupies your thoughts all day and all night, that is your day job...and you can't give that up.
Of course, i played it off like, "oh yeah son, that's a dope concept...run with it, I'm excited to see where you take it." But it wasn't until recently that it all kind of sank in, and I should probably thank him for it the next time i see him. For Right now though, I need to stay true to myself, my people and my goals. Its time to put my energy into what has always been on my mind; music.
We are in Year 2 of officially establishing AG One Entertainment, and its looking even more promising with every new day and every new accomplishment.
Thank you for the love and support, and more importantly for me helping me keep my mind right when its gets off course.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Random Acts of Kindness...Pass it on
So this morning I was running late. I get to the train station about 5-10 minutes before my train was due to arrive and there were no parking spots available. So I head out to park on the main street about a block or so away from the station and start running down the street. As I'm running, a beige F150 pulls over and a woman yells out at me, "are you late for your train?!" Now I'm thinking myself, "Great...I'm going to get harassed on my way to work," but then woman says, "Get in, I'll give you a ride." Marie, who works in Mission Viejo, was telling me about how she wishes she could ride the train into work everyday, but she is unable to because there is no way for her to get from the train station to her office. We had maybe a 2 minute ride together and she was once of the nicest strangers I have ever met. She didn't asked for anything in return nor accept my monetary compensation. She just wanted to give me a ride so I wouldn't be late for work. I hope she wasn't late for work in exchange for helping me make my train on time.
Well, I don't remember if I ever got to say it Marie, but thank you for the ride. I did make it on time and hopefully I see you again one day to let you know how much I appreciated the lift.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Longevity in Music.
"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change."
There are artists that are timeless, and artists that move with the time. Its a fine line that you have to walk but I believe the most successful artists are those who are able to recreate themselves without compromising the integrity of their artistry. I look up to the artists who's music seems to always fit the time. Whenever you hear it, you can still relate it to daily life.
On one hand, I strive to write what I THINK people can relate to or what they'll like...but it doesn't always work out for me. I come up with what I think is a really dope punch line or play on words and I might not get a reaction from the crowd that i was hoping for.
Well the other day, I was talking to a friend about this...and now that I think about it the explanation I giving right now probably had nothing to do with her original question...oh well, that's just how my mind works. Anyway, I was telling her about how sometimes I write pieces that are self reflective or just talking about something I've recently been through, or a part of, and I get a lot of positive feedback from those pieces. Those pieces that seem to be too unique or just so crazy that you wouldn't think other people could relate, but they do. Its so ill having someone come up to you and be like, "Yo man, that NLC piece...I'm LIVING that second verse right now!"
So I guess you could say I had a mini revelation while writing this blog. Maybe its more of a question, or even a theory. The way to writing a timeless piece is to write about emotions, or how things make you feel or how it affects you...since history seems to find a way of repeating, that would make emotions/feelings/reactions timeless...I suppose.
With my theory in affect, that makes me question if am now writing to appeal to the people or am I still writing to express myself, my opinions, my thoughts and that just so happen to appeal to the people...in a timeless fashion. :)
only one way to find out...I need to put out some new music!
my goal for the end of summer is 3 new joints.
There are artists that are timeless, and artists that move with the time. Its a fine line that you have to walk but I believe the most successful artists are those who are able to recreate themselves without compromising the integrity of their artistry. I look up to the artists who's music seems to always fit the time. Whenever you hear it, you can still relate it to daily life.
On one hand, I strive to write what I THINK people can relate to or what they'll like...but it doesn't always work out for me. I come up with what I think is a really dope punch line or play on words and I might not get a reaction from the crowd that i was hoping for.
Well the other day, I was talking to a friend about this...and now that I think about it the explanation I giving right now probably had nothing to do with her original question...oh well, that's just how my mind works. Anyway, I was telling her about how sometimes I write pieces that are self reflective or just talking about something I've recently been through, or a part of, and I get a lot of positive feedback from those pieces. Those pieces that seem to be too unique or just so crazy that you wouldn't think other people could relate, but they do. Its so ill having someone come up to you and be like, "Yo man, that NLC piece...I'm LIVING that second verse right now!"
So I guess you could say I had a mini revelation while writing this blog. Maybe its more of a question, or even a theory. The way to writing a timeless piece is to write about emotions, or how things make you feel or how it affects you...since history seems to find a way of repeating, that would make emotions/feelings/reactions timeless...I suppose.
With my theory in affect, that makes me question if am now writing to appeal to the people or am I still writing to express myself, my opinions, my thoughts and that just so happen to appeal to the people...in a timeless fashion. :)
only one way to find out...I need to put out some new music!
my goal for the end of summer is 3 new joints.
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