R&B fans, allow me to introduce you to Duke Terrell.

Formerly a member of JPat Records group, Kwiet Storm, the 19 year old singer, songwriter & dancer has decided to embark on a solo career. Equipped with a perfect combination of charisma, wit, and fresh lyrical content, Duke Terrell is ready to take his exhilarating style and sound to the top of the charts.

His first single, “Splash” is just a taste of what’s to come with his upcoming EP, All Or Nothing.

Listen & download “Splash” below:

Make sure to add Duke Terrell on Twitter and MySpace.

I don’t think it’s a secret that I’m somewhat of a online junkie  - okay fine, a major online junkie.

I’m always discovering & messing with every new website and tool that pops up. Most end up getting pushed to the side, never to be used again – but every so often, I come across one that makes me wonder what I did before it.

ExtensionFM is a new tool I simply can’t live without.

As the tagline on their website says, it turns the web into your personal music library. Basically, it pulls audio files from websites you visit and lists them in your player, for playback while you occupy yourself tweeting about what kind of sandwich you’re eating or fist-pumping with other Jersey Shore fans – you know, doing important things.

Created by Dan Kantor, the same guy behind Streampad, and other awesome tools; ExtensionFM is a seamless and unobtrusive extension that sits in your browser’s toolbar with no need to keep an extra tab or window open (I only open the tab when I feel like browsing through the library).

Personally, I’m all about music discovery, so I try not to get stuck in the familiarity of my iTunes library too often. I’m always listening to new music, of every genre, and love the randomness of online music streaming, but hate the obtrusiveness & level of involvement most other services require. ExtensionFM, on the other hand, does all the work for you.

It’s currently only available for the Google Chrome browser (Mac & PC), although it’s still in pre-release, so there will likely be several improvements and additions in the coming months.

To give you a quick overview of ExtensionFM, check out the intro video:

As it’s still in a pre-release stage, you need an invite code to get ExtensionFM.

Luckily, I have 20 to give away!

To get your invite code, please leave a comment below with your Twitter username (you have to be following me so I can DM you). Alternatively, you can send me a message with your email address & I will email it to you.

If you miss out on the 20 invite codes, you can still request one on their website. *Update: All 20 invite codes are now gone. You can still request your code on their website. They’re pretty quick with releasing invites.

Once you receive your invite code and install ExtensionFM, I recommend checking out Tumblr’s music directory to get you started.

TIP: If you’re already on Tumblr (it only takes 10 seconds to create an account if you’re not), follow your music blogs of choice to have their new posts appear in your Tumblr dashboard. Whenever you log into your Tumblr account, it will automatically refresh your ExtensionFM music library.

I never thought of using Tumblr as a tool like this, but now that I do, I think I’ll likely start posting a few more tracks on my own Tumblr page.

Do you know of any great music websites that work with ExtensionFM? Share the links in the comments below.

As you may have noticed, you’re no longer on MakingTheMogul.com.

For several reasons, I’ve decided to move my blog over to moearora.com/blog. The move was a little tricky – mostly because all the little technical things that were required were a little over my head; but everything should be pretty good now.

If you notice any broken links or missing images, please let me know on my contact page or on Twitter.

If you’re subscribed to my blog via RSS, there’s no need to update your settings, as they’ll remain the same. If you link my site, however, please update your blogroll with my new URL.

(Hopefully, I’ll actually post more now.)

[pic]

Whether working with Beenie Man on the club favourite, “Who Am I (Sim Simma)”,  Tanto Metro & Devonte on “Give It To Her”, or helping dancehall music break into the mainstream with his own artist, Sean Paul – music producer & manager, Jeremy Harding has been influencing pop culture for years.

I had the incredible opportunity to speak with him about production, getting into management and the overall music business.

Read the interview below, where he offers a wealth of knowledge and insight:

Being a proud Montrealer, I have to start off by asking you about your connection with my hometown. I’ve heard you mention it in a few interviews in the past & I know we have some mutual friends; so what exactly is your connection to Montreal?

Well, I left high school in Jamaica in 1986, then went to boarding school in Ottawa, a place called Ashbury College, for 2 years, then came to Montreal to go to McGill University around 1988-89. I did a couple of years there in Chemical Engineering.

While I was there, I got really into the nightclub scene there. And actually, let me say, I played music when I was a kid; I went to a music school here in Jamaica, so I learned to play guitar and I sang in the choir – all that stuff.

When I went to high school, I wasn’t too interested in music anymore, but I really got back into it when I was in Montreal and started hanging out at the clubs.

Then, there was a friend of mine on campus who came up to me and said we should do a radio show together. I’m from Jamaica, he’s from New York, and we both have this love for Reggae music and Hip-Hop. So, he wanted to do a radio show on McGill college radio.

So, we got a show on CKUT on Tuesdays from 3pm-5pm, called Native Tongues with DJ Genius & The Prophet. We would play a mix of dancehall reggae, hip-hop, and sometimes house music.

We did that for about 3-4 years, and while I was doing that and going to university, another friend of mine told me about a school called Trebas Institute, where they teach production and engineering; and he told me I should check it out.

So, I checked it out and decided to enroll. I ended up graduated from there in 90-91.

While I was doing that though, I still had the radio show and a friend of mine & I also managed and produced 4-5 acts at the time. I would produce them and play them on the radio show, and my friend would book them at all the big concerts coming in town.

I met a lot of people doing that; I still have a lot of good friends there. Yeah man, Montreal was where I really came into my own and developed as a producer.

You mentioned going to music school. This is one of the most difficult decisions aspiring producers are faced with; whether to enroll or not. From your own experience, do you recommend others to go to music school, or to develop themselves on their own?

If you go to a music school, you’re going to be miles ahead of people learning on their own. Because when you learn on your own, you’re going to miss out on certain fundamentals that you can learn from someone with experience.

Learning on your own is great, and you have to do a lot of learning on your own anyways, even when you finish the school. But, you know, I meet a lot of kids who want to be in music production, and you know, they buy their keyboards and software and they’re talented.. they know how to play the keyboard and know how to work a drum machine, but then they may be missing on certain basics like connecting patches or even something like not knowing what MIDI is and how it works.

That’s a basic building block of electronic music, but they just never got to that part. They may know how to use a plug-in but if you give them the hardware, they won’t know how to use it; they’re just lost.

So you can learn on your own, and it’s great to – you need to – but there’s going to be gaps.

Even when you go and work in studios in Florida or New York; all the interns there are graduates from Full Sail or other schools.

I have friends who are dope engineers with tons of experience, that have done live engineering and studio recording for all kinds of major artists but some of them can’t get jobs right now because there are some people who look to see if you have formal knowledge or not, so that there’s no gaps in your knowledge.

So, I would definitely recommend, if you have the opportunity to go to music school, then go. Even just for the fact of getting hands-on experience with some of the equipment they have. It can take you years, if ever, before you can get your hands on some of that equipment when learning on your own.

Also, the whole music-making process, it’s about working with people. Unless you’re going to sit down and record yourself, make your own beat, engineer yourself, place the mic, sing it yourself and do everything. But realistically, you’re going to have to work with people at some point; other producers, other musicians, other engineers, other artists, A&R guys, managers, record label people, etc.

When you’re in that school environment, you learn how to interact with others in the studio environment. You can distinguish that line between who’s the engineer and who’s the producer. You get to work with other artists; coach them, talk with them and make an actual record with them. It’s all about that experience.

I wanted to discuss Auto-Tune with you. Before it became a trend in hip-hop, you were already using Auto-Tune as more than simply a pitch correction, but in the full vocoder effect it’s used in today. Can you tell me a bit about that.

Well, I’ll tell you this; when I came back to Jamaica from Montreal, and I had my little studio here, I was one of the few people here using a DAW (digital audio workstation). Jamaica was still mainly big studios where you have to rent time, buy your 2-inch tape to record analog in there.

So, I was one of the first guys there using a a DAW system. I had an early Digidesign system called Session 8, which was a PC based system. I used that for a while, then graduated from that and kept moving on to bigger systems.

Digital studio technology was still pretty cutting-edge in Jamaica – most were still using tapes and analog systems. So just from me using a lot of this digital technology, of course, I discovered Auto-Tune. Since most people in Jamaica were still using tapes at the time, they didn’t really know about Auto-Tune.

So anyways, I found out about it and had it in my plugin collection, so I started using it in the real way it was intended – as a pitch-correction software. But of course, with my background DJ’ing dance music, I was listening to records from Daft Punk, Kraftwerk and whatnot, and they use a lot of vocoder effects, then I heard Cher had a certain vocal effect on “Do You Believe In Love”. Also, in hip-hop, everybody kept sampling Roger Troutman, so there was already something there.

So you get to hear all these things and all these uses of vocoder effects, and when you read up on the songs, they discuss the effects and mention that Cher’s song uses this plugin, but they used it in a different way. So I would read this and think, “wait.. I have that plugin”. So, I would go in and mess around with it, try different things, and it worked!

I put that on one vocal, for one person, which was an artist named Loukey D. He loved it. Then, I recorded Devonte & Tanto Metro for a song called “Give It To Her”, and they heard what I did for Loukey D, and wanted to try it, so I put it on their record too, just for the hell of it.

But all this while, I kept thinking it’s still kinda corny and just something to try, but still a gimmick, you know. But actually, I was using Melodyne from back in the day, since version 1. And the whole purpose of that was to do pitch-correction, so I was already using this technology for a while, but the Auto-Tune effect, to me, was always kinda cheesy.

I don’t think the effect necessarily had anything to do with the song doing really well, other than the fact that it got your attention – it was still a great song without it.

I never intended to use it ever again on another record [laughs], but a lot of cats in Dancehall started using it on every single song. But you know, once everybody started discovering tools like the Digi 001, and they see that they can get Pro Tools themselves for a couple thousand bucks, and then when people started to roll over the Digi 001 system, dudes started getting M-Boxes, and everybody got hip to the plugin game, then they started to use them and do the same thing. To me, I just thought it was becoming too misused and overdone; they put it on everything – on their singing, on their deejaying.. dancehall deejay, I mean, like rapping. It didn’t make sense, it didn’t sound good.

But with that said, let me say this; a lot of people criticize T-Pain, but T-Pain is writing great songs regardless of Auto-Tune. He has really catchy hooks and great songs. He doesn’t need that. But people notice his success and think it’s only because of Auto-Tune, but really, he’s just a really great songwriter. Kanye made great records before using Auto-Tune too.

But of course, T-Pain decided to make that his sound, so people are going to say that he’s only good because of Auto-Tune.

I just think it’s overused though, I would get bored creatively. How many records can I make with the same effect? I’m the producer, I would just get sick of it.

I like it when people use it in smaller amounts to accentuate parts of the vocal. Black Eyed Peas does a good job of that, in “Boom Boom Pow” – they used it in little sections, they didn’t use it for the full song.

Then again, it’s a production style. It’s there to use, so people use it and make money off of it.

Production goes through phases though, you know. Everybody used to use the 808 kick drum, then everybody uses that Korg M1 organ sound on every House record – you know that Crystal Waters sound – everybody had to have that.

It’s the same thing; they use it and overuse it until they eventually get sick of it. It’s just another phase to go through.

Being that you were already making movements as a producer, how did you transition into management?

It was more of an accident than a transition actually. Sean (Paul) hadn’t really had much success working with other producers before, but then we started working together and I did a couple records for him – and those records got a lot of play in Jamaica, so we knew had something there.

So, he used to be by my studio a lot after that, and people used to call my phone to get in touch with him and to get information about him.

It was funny, people would call and say they want to book Sean Paul in New York and ask me how much, I’d tell them to hold on, and Sean was right beside me in the studio so I’d tell him they want to book him for a show in New York and ask him how much he would do it for. He’d say “I dunno. Tell them… $1500?”, so I’d go back on the phone and say “yeah, Sean says $1500”, and they say “okay cool, how many tickets should I send?”. I’d look at him and say “I’ll go with you if you want”, and Sean will say “yeah man”, so I’ll go back on the phone and tell them send 2 tickets, so I’d just go with him.

It actually used to cost me money to go with him, because $1500 isn’t really anything for 2 people. So I would have to go to the bank and withdraw money, so that I could go on a show with Sean. At that time, I was already making money producing records anyways. So, it was more of a favor than anything else – I never really viewed myself as his manager, per se; I just saw myself as one of his producers.

But after about 2-3 years of that, I realized I was already dealing with all of his affairs, so I figured ‘shit, I guess I’m managing you then’.

[laughs]

But it developed really out of working together in the studio and making some good records with him; not really from a business standpoint, where I said I can spot talent and I wanted to be his manager. It just kind of developed from the us working together closely and getting along well.

I’d been a fan of Sean Paul since the early years, so I know it took him some years to break through to the mainstream; however once he did break into the mainstream, it seemed to be an incredibly quick transition to the very top. In your opinion, what is it that enabled Sean Paul to go from a Dancehall secret to a mainstream superstar?

I think it’s a cultural thing that Sean managed to overcome. Whenever there was a reggae show, a lot of us would travel together: Merciless, Lady Saw, Elephant Man, Mr. Vegas, Beenie Man, Red Rat, Spragga Benz, and tons of other guys. So, we’d go do shows with them, share buses with them and all that. And when we’d go to the places like the US or London, you’d start to notice how people were when they’re out of their environment – socially.

We’d be in Manhattan and everyone would be hungry, but some of the dudes would say they need to drive to Brooklyn because they have to find a Jamaican restaurant. They need that Jamaican food, they don’t want to eat anything else. And Sean was like “well, I don’t need to go all the way to Brooklyn, we’re already here in the city. How about we just stop and get some Italian or we go by Ruby Foos and get some Chinese food or whatever”, and half these guys would look at him like “What? we can’t eat that, we need Jamaican food.”

[laughs]

But, you know what I mean though, it’s just a cultural thing. This is just an example of how quickly Sean was able to assimilate to US culture. When we used to go to New York, we always wanted to stay in Manhattan, because we wanted to stay close to the record companies and close to all the action. We didn’t want to spend time just hanging out in some of the other areas because it didn’t make sense to us that we were in New York, and we’re just going to hang out the same way we can back home. If we’re in New York City, let’s take advantage of the fact that we’re in New York City.

So because of that, Sean spent a lot of time in Manhattan and spent a lot of time with the Puerto Rican and Dominican communities, and doing shows in Jersey, Queens and Manhattan. In doing so, he got on the radio and got to go to Hot 97 and meet Angie Martinez and DJ Enuff, and others at the station. So whenever he would be at the station and would promote a show, it gave him a whole new level of exposure, so people got familiar with him very quickly.

These other Jamaican artists would never go into Manhattan, period, and the promoters they’re were working with were doing their thing out in Queens or Brooklyn and didn’t need to advertise on Hot 97. So, he just assimilated very quickly in New York.

Miami, it was the same thing. He assimilated to their culture very quickly. Sean plays basketball a lot in Jamaica, so whenever he’s up in New York or Miami, he’d play some basketball with the people there and they’d remember, “that’s that reggae dude, Sean Paul”.

You understand what I’m saying though, it’s a cultural thing. People used to tell us, they just felt comfortable with Sean. As a Jamaican artist, he didn’t feel so alien. A lot of people used to tell us that; even the DJs used to say to us “yo, I like your kid Sean Paul man. He got a regular name – Sean Paul! He doesn’t have some crazy name like Admiral Something or some shit I can’t pronounce. He’s got a regular name that I can pronounce.”

[laughs]

And when Sean would go up on stage and adjust the Jamaican Patois, so it wasn’t so thick, so this way he could talk to people and they could understand what he was saying. He would do that when he would be on air with Angie Martinez; he would swing it back & forth, and they felt comfortable with him; they could vibe with him.

So you know, the fact that he could assimilate early on to American culture was a big help to him. And that just opened the doors and people just got the vibe – he left a great impression on a lot of people and they helped him give that same impression to the fans.

Let’s talk about the current industry for a minute. Is there anything that you’re doing differently now in order to adapt to the current climate in the music business?

Well, one thing we can all agree on is that the whole idea of record sales is slipping away – in terms of being the main driving force behind an artist. Great artists with great records are selling way less than what you’d expect them to sell. The whole concept of selling records has changed and the whole concept of income streams from music has also now changed. Anybody who doesn’t adapt is going to be left behind.

You gotta re-organize how you deal with music and how you deal with being able to earn from music. Everything from licensing to endorsements, and making music for TV shows and video games – and just re-thinking the overall usage of music, and not so much about the sale of your music.

Also that usage of your music can generate other streams of income, for example touring income, merch, or getting endorsements or partnerships with a mobile provider. The streams of income are a lot different.

It’s an adjustment, because we get into this business with dreams of selling millions of records and having plaques on the wall, and all that, you know. I think, one of the first times it really hit home to me was on Sean Paul’s “The Trinity” album. We handed in the record, and the label was so excited when they heard it; then they told us that when we get back to Jamaica, they want us to send them 15 & 30 second snippets of all the songs.

I didn’t even know what it was for, I was confused; so I asked them why they want that. They told me they need the snippets for ringtones. Now, understand; as a producer, I was thinking here I just produced an entire album of music, and now they’re telling me to go and cut the songs to 15 seconds each? It was almost like I was disgusted. What the hell is the point if you’re just gonna use 15 seconds of the song on a tiny little cellphone speaker, where you can’t even hear the beat? There goes my creation, you know what I’m saying?

That was something that was really offputting, and made me think about it; but then the reality was, they told me on iTunes we’re going to be selling our songs for 99 cents – the complete song – and the ringtones were $2.99.

The thing with iTunes is, kids need to have an account and set it up with a credit card, so they have to ask their parents or older brother or sister for that. There’s a lot more to go through, just to buy a song off of iTunes. But with the ringtones, once a parent buys their kid a phone, they have access to everything right away. Some phones have a ringtone section that they can just navigate to and download ringtones from, or they can just text a phone number to get a ringtone, and it bills right to the phone bill; which the parents are paying for anyways. They don’t have to set up a separate account or ask their parents for their credit card information, just to download a ringtone. So for kids, buying and downloading ringtones is easier than buying songs off of iTunes.

It’s just funny how the human psyche is, where people have a problem paying 99 cents to buy a full song off of iTunes, so they go to Limewire to get it, but yet they don’t have a problem paying $2.99 for 15 seconds of the same song. You know what I mean? It’s just funny.

But you have to get your head around the usage of music and how people see music.

You see, I’m coming from a DJ background; I want to listen to music loud and on massive speakers. That’s where I get my enjoyment of listening to music. Nowadays, people are getting used to just listening to snippets on the tiny, little speaker on their phone – that’s enjoyment to them. So, once you stop and think about that and realize the usage of music, then you get to understand it a little better.

That’s one of the biggest adjustments you have to make, in the current state of the music game. You have to start realizing how your music will be used by the fans.

Lastly, you have to keep up with technology, obviously. You can’t be stuck behind. I remember when blank CDs were first coming in, and people could burn their own CDs – back then it was something to burn your own CDs, you know. But now, you can’t even give a CD to a disc jockey; they don’t want your CD, just email it to them. Now you gotta have your email list, and send them out through there. Of course, some will still tell you mp3s don’t sound as good, but it’s also about convenience.

There’s still a lot of guys out there, especially in Jamaica, talking about they want to put out a CD and saying they need an investor so that they can press 5000 CDs for distribution and all that. But really, for what? Where are you going to sell them? What are you even talking about? CD stores are closing all over the place.

But it’s hard for some people, because we’re so used to having a physical medium, so digital is funny for a lot of people. Some people don’t want to have a Blackberry, some people don’t want to be on Twitter or Facebook. In Jamaica, it’s hard man. Imagine a country like this, you got a lot of musicians and all kinds of people, and a lot of these people don’t have internet access, or even own a computer. It’s a totally different culture. It’s a funny time, you know – you really have to make some adjustments. Nowadays, you have to be up on your MySpace, your Facebook, your Twitter, Blackberry, iPhone, email, mp3s… there’s so much technology to be up on to be involved in the music business right now, and in a place like Jamaica, not everybody is equipped with that access yet.

A minute ago, you brought up an interesting point when you mentioned the usage of an artist’s music when fans download and play a song on their iPods and their cell phones. I’ve noticed, there’s also a change in terms of production, when artists begin to see some level of touring success. The first time around, they put all their energy into just making good music period, but once they achieve some level of success and get bigger bookings, they focus much more on performance tracks… stadium songs. As a producer, is that something you’ve noticed being a common trend, and if so, how do you approach a song differently than you would otherwise?

That’s a really interesting point. It’s funny that you say that, I never thought about it that way. Usually, on the second time around, there’s a bigger focus on making records that are more Top 40 friendly, where it might have 3 choruses and less verse material, so the whole record pretty much sounds like a hook.

We used to make records where the verses would sound very quiet and calm, and when the chorus came, we’d throw in all these instruments and raise then energy – then remove them all again for the next verse. Nowadays, most records sound like one big chorus, that’s always running, from beginning to end.

Production style definitely changes on an artist’s second-time around, because the label wants it to be high-impact; everything to jump out on radio and sound exciting. I guess it does translate to performances as well. Especially urban music, it’s a lot of call-and-response music.

When Rihanna sings “Just live your life”, the whole crowd will yell back at the stage “ay ay ayyy”, or  Souljah Boy will yell “turn my swag onnnnn” and the whole crowd rocks back “yeahhhhhh”.

[laughs]

You know what I mean? Call-and-response is big in urban music, so I can definitely see that, as you said. I know it definitely changes towards radio, but I see how it could change towards live shows too; that’s a good point.

Also, I wanted to mention something – I heard a comment a little while ago; my label president was talking with Clive Davis about Whitney Houston’s project, and about radio in general. Clive Davis said to him “Imagine, I have a number one album with Whitney Houston right now, and I can’t even get a song of hers on the radio. When have you ever seen the industry this topsy-turvy, where the radio and sales are not correlating at all?”

This was a few months ago, when Whitney’s album came out, but you know what I mean? It’s a weird time. People love Whitney and everybody went and bought her comeback album the first week; so she was selling units, but she had no record on the radio. And it’s not because they’re not trying to put records on the radio, but because she’s not making the kind of records that radio wants to play. I’m not quoting him directly, but he was basically saying that he’s never seen a stranger time in music. You can have a hit song being sold, in stores or as a download, and yet, not even be on the radio.

Even Darius Rucker from Hootie & The Blowfish; he had a platinum record, and wasn’t being played on radio. I’m sure he feels pretty good about his music career right now though. He wasn’t being played on radio, but he has real fans who went out and bought his records. He’s been building his fanbase for years, with Hootie & The Blowfish.

I think artists need to start thinking that way; they have to build their fanbase and get those people who will still go out and buy their music, even when it’s not being played on the radio, or they’re not putting Auto-Tune on their voice.

It’s a funny time in the music business, and everyone is still trying to figure out how to make sense of it all, so we all kinda have to keep our eyes and ears open, you know.

Definitely. So, let me ask you about something that people are always strongly opinionated about. What’s your take on 360 deals?

That’s a strange one. Here’s my thing about 360 deals. It’s very dubious in my experience with labels, in terms of how much they can do for your artist – outside of what the label normally does.

The idea of the 360 deal is that the label takes on more work; so in addition to being your record label, they’re also going to help you with your touring, put their hand in merch, and this and that. So in exchange for all of that, you sign a 360 deal with them, so they get a piece of all the action. That’s the argument the label brings to you.

In my experience, I found it very difficult to realize what they can do outside of the regular record business. I’ve seen them struggle with trying to do merch, and I’ve seen them struggle with trying to do touring and all that; which leads me to thinking, well… why would I sign this with them, if they can’t really handle all these other facets of the music business.

It’s like a separate industry when you start dealing at that kind of level. Some people would be shocked to know that the people in the marketing department at the record label have no idea of the A&R process; they’ve never been to a recording session or have a clue about that process. They don’t know anything about graphic arts, or doing an album cover, or printing something on a t-shirt; much less being able to book a show and know how to read a rider. I’m sure some might know some things here and there about these other areas, but my point is that some artists mistakenly assume that because they’re signing with a big company like Sony, Universal, Warner, or whatever, they think that these guys must know everything about everything. That’s not necessarily the case.

The label’s point of view is that since they’re not selling records right now, so any income the artist is making, they want a piece of the action. So artists get put in a position, where it’s almost like they don’t even have an option.

But you have to be very careful. Some of them try to go after your publishing, which I think is wrong, and I think you should stay away from that completely. For touring – well for reggae, we’re different – because we have our own touring market, even when we’re not signed with a major label. If you’re in R&B or hip-hop, it can be really difficult to book a tour based off of only 1 single. For that, I could see where a label can be helpful, to help put you in a promo tour and putting you in with a booking agent. I can see where they can be helpful there, but there’s still an argument there – it just depends on your particular situation.

For merchandising, it’s kind of the same thing. They’ll start of doing merch for promo usage; so they’ll do some free promo merch, and then that turns into them thinking that they can just expand that and start selling that merch. They’re already in a position where they’re making the t-shirts, and printing baseball caps, and wristbands and all that, so they start thinking, since they’re already making it, why don’t they just start selling it and that’s how they weasel their way into a merch situation.

A lot of people don’t have that sort of outreach, to put their hand in all those different areas. So, for a really young band out there, that really has nothing, maybe just a manager that’s a smart person, but doesn’t really know much about the business; then it could be a good situation for them to be in a 360 deal. Because then they’ll be mothered, and shown these different sides of the music industry.

For people with more experience in the music business, it’s probably not the best situation for you. Because you’ll become so savvy by this point, you’re going to have your relationships with bookers and doing your own shows, and all that.

If you started as an indie guy doing your own shows Moe, and you had to print up your own t-shirts and all kinds of merch for your own shows; then you know you can do all your own stuff. What would you need the label to dip their hands into these things for? You don’t need it, because you can already do that stuff on your own. You have to leverage all this stuff to what makes sense for you.

The big scary thing the label tries to tell you, is that if you don’t commit to a 360 deal, then they won’t spend that much time or money on your artist; which I believe is a bluff anyways, because if they’re going to go through with the deal anyways and commit a budget to your marketing, your videos, your packaging and everything, then they’re already into you. They’re making so many drawbacks already, they’re not going to let their money go to waste just because you don’t sign a 360.

Right. It’s a negotiation tactic. Their job during the signing process is to get you to agree to as many of their terms as possible. That’s why it’s so important to hire a great entertainment attorney; so not only can they fight for your terms, but also, they know which of the label’s tactics are bluffs.

Exactly! That’s it. Most artists that are just starting out and getting their first deal or maybe their second, but don’t have strong guidance, they don’t know that; they don’t realize that.

Don’t let your label trick you by showing you what their left hand is doing, while doing something sneaky with their right hand. When they take on more responsibility with a 360 deal, they’ll try distracting you by telling you how many hits you’re getting on your website and how many shirts they might be selling, but what they’re not telling you is that you aren’t selling any records. Don’t let them fool you into thinking they’re doing a great job because they sold 1000 of your t-shirts or they got 10,000 people hitting you on your webpage.

Who the hell cares? If I have 50,000 people following me on Twitter, I don’t need their record company webpage. I have my own online game on lock. I got my boy Moe blasting out my song, getting it retweeted for me, we’re getting more downloads ourselves than the record company can do for me.

So, you have to figure out what the best situation is for you, but limit how much they can put their hands into your pocket. Their main job is to sell your music; whether it’s digital downloads or physical albums, their main job is to sell your music – don’t let them distract you.

Great point! To expand on what we just spoke about; there are so many stories and warnings out there about getting into the music business, but of course, the best lessons are ones we learn from our own experiences. Can you share a lesson that you had to learn the hard way?

To be honest with you, I think I’m fortunate that I’ve never really been screwed over that badly in this business.

I don’t know if this is really a hard lesson, but I can definitely tell you about this one thing that I had to adjust to when I first started getting into the music business.

There’s music, and there’s the music business. Some people are in it for the music, some are just in it for the business, and some who like it for both. When you’re a person coming from the creative side, and you dig music because you’re a musician, an artist, or DJ – you dig music for music’s sake only. It doesn’t really matter to you what the marketing plan is, or what everybody’s selling – you like a song because you like that song; that’s it. You make music because you feel like you have to make music. You enjoy the expression and listening to all kinds of music.

You have some people who are just in it for the business of music. In other words, they love the hustle, they love the deal-making, they love the afterparties, they love the album launches, they love the fancy dinners, hanging out in the clubs, riding in fancy limousines – they love the excitement, the spectacle, the show, people screaming and cheering. It doesn’t really matter to them what the music is, the actual song itself. Just as long as it’s working and it’s generating sales. It’s like the people who like Hollywood for the sake of Hollywood – they’re not film critics or anything. They don’t really care. All they really care about is the blockbuster movies and who’s the hottest star, and just wanting to be in Hollywood.

Same thing in the music business.

You need the music side to exist to have a music business, and you need the business side to exist to have a music business. If you take away either part, the whole thing disappears. If you take away the music, it’s just business then; nothing to do with music. If you take away the business, then it’s also disappears because we’re not just making music for ourselves in our basements. We have to buy equipment and instruments and all of this costs money. At some point, business gets involved.

Whether you’re playing at the local bar on the corner, and you’re making a few bucks – or if you’re selling platinum across the world, or if you’re selling some tracks on your website – there’s still going to be some business at some point or another, to keep things going.

The big mistake is ignoring the fact that there are people on the other side of the coin who you have to work with, that have an opposite view of the same picture. So, if I walk into the record label with my artist’s new album, and I’m all excited because I think it’s the greatest album there is – the chorus for this track is a hit, and the keyboard part of that song is incredible, and the beat on that track is a smash – if I walk in there with that kind of excitement, I have to understand that 99% of the people in the record label could not care less about any of that.

What they’re going to care about is, is the record on the radio? How many spins are we getting per week? Do we have the marketing plan done for the artist? Have you finished the album cover? Do we have a photo shoot? What does he or she look like now? How are we going to make the music video? What’s the budget that we have to spend on this record? What’s the total spending on this album all together? What’s the demographic of this artist? Is it Urban, is it Pop, is it Rhythmic Crossover… what is it? What are the strongest markets for this artist? Is it Miami and New York, is it Eastern Seaboard, or is it out west? Is it California, or even Hawaii? Or what about Mid-West? Do we have the South?

This is what they think about when you walk in the door with your record.

They’re not listening to the record. It doesn’t really matter to them. They just need somebody telling them that the record is working. “There’s spins on the radio? Okay great, it’s a smash.”

They’re not listening to the records, they don’t care.

It’s funny, the A&R Manager that used to work at Atlantic Records before – he’s the one who handles all the A&R work for all the artists on the label; he gets all the mixes and the masters, gets all the studio budgets in, and makes sure all the credits are right, all that – so anyways, I asked him one time what he listens to. He asked what I mean. I said “what do you listen to? Not work related, just what you listen to.” The man told me he mainly listens to Billy Joel.

Nothing’s wrong with listening to Billy Joel, but you’re overseeing an entire label of artists making music for today and you don’t even listen to today’s current music? Forget urban music, just current music, period! He doesn’t care; it’s just business to him.

That’s one thing that’s very hard to grasp when you get into this business. Some people just don’t care about music; it’s all business.

I remember, years ago when I was living in Toronto, going to a Cool Runnings soundtrack launch party with Supercat and all these guys. So, I’m at this party and I met the head of Urban Music at Columbia Records at the time, who was a white lady around 58 or so. I just thought to myself, “this lady’s head of Urban?”.

I’m thinking the head of Urban’s supposed to be somebody’s who’s “urban”, you know.. somebody who’s ethnic and young, and who knows hip-hop and reggae music. They told me she’s good at her job; she’s good at marketing, she knows her numbers, she’s from here in Canada so she knows how it works and what worked at radio and what the stores were asking for and all that.

When you get into the music business being in love with music, we don’t think that way in the beginning. There’s kids right now making beats, thinking “yo man, I gotta get up in Interscope and talk to my boy. He’s gonna put me onto this dude…”

They’re thinking they’re going to go in there with that attitude and meet people like them. They think they’re just gonna walk in and some young guy is going to be there yelling “Ohhhhh snappp! THAT BEAT’S CRAZY SON! That track’s a SMASH son!” and get all excited the way them and their friends do when they’re in the studio making music.

[laughs]

But you’re not going to get that. You’re going to go in there and they’re going to get straight to the point:

“So, you said you have a MySpace page. How many hits do you have? Do you have a viral marketing campaign? Are you on Twitter? How many followers do you have? What else have you done? Have you gotten this on your local radio stations? How many spins are you getting? What about shows? How often are you getting booked? How many people came to your last concert?”

That’s what they’re gonna ask you. They’re not going to ask you about your music.

That’s one of the rough things about being in the music business, as a musician. You’re in it because you just love the music so much, and you think it’s all about the music alone, and that’s what’s going to make it work, and your music is just going to touch people, and when they hear that beat, they’re going to go nuts, or when they hear that hook, they’re going to go crazy.

You just have to be aware of that.

Also, there might be a kid making beats right now thinking “Man, I have the greatest beat. If only Sean Paul could record on this beat. I need to sell it to his manager.” Or Lil Wayne, or 50 Cent, or whoever. They think they’re not blowing up because they don’t have Sean Paul or 50 Cent on their beat.

But you can’t get 50 Cent on your beat just like that. You can’t start with 50 Cent. You can’t just start with Sean Paul. You know what Sean’s been through? It’s been 15 years of doing music and working with all kinds of different producers, and going through all kinds of situations. You have to build yourself up and start seeing things from other perspectives instead of just your own.

It’s a lot of work to build yourself up, and you have to think if you’re really built for this. That’s what I can’t understand; crazy kids with their hands out.

I don’t consider myself a particularly talented musician, per se. I have lots of people all around me, way more talented than I am, but it’s about taking things step-by-step and doing things like DJ’ing and going to music school, and always trying to find ways to put myself in situations to be involved in music.

You can’t just sit in your bedroom, make music on your laptop, and think that you’re just gonna sit there and send out music over the net, and you never have to go out and meet anybody, you don’t have to go to studios, you don’t have to hang out with people, you don’t have to get to know artists or anything. You can’t think you’re just gonna grab some email addresses and send beats to people, and then you’re gonna get put on. That’s nonsense.

And the funny thing is, you would be so unprepared if that every really happens. If you never worked with any other artists or released any music before, but ended up getting a magic placement with a major artist somehow; you wouldn’t even know what to do. You wouldn’t know how to tell the engineer to EQ your kick drum because you never actually spoke to a person about it, you wouldn’t know much to charge, or how to negotiate the contract. You would be completely lost with the business side of it, and figuring out publishing and all that.

At the end of the day, most artists can’t do business with a person like that because it takes too long to get anything done since the person has no experience dealing with any of it.

So you know what I mean; it’s not just about talent anymore; you have to go out there and earn it. Gain your experience. You need it.

And again, you have to remember that the music business is a business; your music is the product. You have to realize that.

You can find Jeremy Harding on Twitter – @misterharding
(tell him @moearora sent you)

He can also be found offering even more valuable insight through his Formspring page – http://www.formspring.me/misterharding

As you guys already know, I usually don’t post music on here. When I do, it’s a rare occasion meant to show my support of an artist that’s doing something different.

That said, I’m definitely a supporter of electro-rock duo, The Fire And Reason!

Time Out Chicago calls TFaR “a combination of Lower East Side rock chick, ’80s Madonna, South American hipster and global jetsetter … The band has the potential to break electro-rock in the mainstream–they could give the Ting Tings a run for their money”.

Check out the video for their single, “Do It Again”:

I’m with it! I can’t wait to watch as their career continues to rise.

Download The Fire And Reason - “Do It Again”(Right-click & choose “Save As”)

Click here to buy The Fire And Reason’s EP on iTunes

You can also find them at the following links:

Twitter – Bella Saona
Twitter – Steve Narvaez
Facebook
MySpace

Rick Rubinism:
A hip-hop head who tends to stray away from most (but not all) current hip-hop, in fear of stagnation.

Never question the knowledge of someone afflicted with Rick Rubinism, though. Crooked caps don’t represent knowledge.

[spotted via Broke Mogul]

With all the technological advances we’ve seen in recent years, if there’s ever been a sign that said “welcome to the future”, it’s the N Building.

This commercial building in Tachikawa, Japan, has a QR code designed on the outside panels allowing cell phone users to take a picture of the 2D barcode (similar to Blackberry Messenger & other apps) and be directed to the building’s website.

Furthermore, users with an additional app installed on their device (only available on iPhone right now), can aim their camera towards the building and be greeted with an augmented reality layer over the building, showing a more interactive display of the the building’s stores, their sales/promotions, and even showing tweets from within the building.

If you’re confused – or amazed – just watch the video below.

Welcome to the future 2010:

N Building is a commercial structure located near Tachikawa station amidst a shopping district. Being a commercial building signs or billboards are typically attached to its facade which we feel undermines the structures’ identity. As a solution we thought to use a QR Code as the facade itself. By reading the QR Code with your mobile device you will be taken to a site which includes up to date shop information. In this manner we envision a cityscape unhindered by ubiquitous signage and also an improvement to the quality and accuracy of the information itself.

December 15th, 2009 we held an opening which included the limited release of an iPhone application made specifically for N Building. If a QR Code is static, what could we do with a dynamic device like the iPhone? Our proposed vision of the future is one where the facade of the building disappears, showing those inside who want to be seen. As you press on the characters their comments made on online appear in speech bubbles. You can also browse shop information, make reservations and download coupons. Rather than broadly tagging, we display information specific to the building in a manner in which the virtual (iPhone) serves to enhance the physical (N Building). Our goal is to provide an incentive to visit the space and a virtual connection to space without necessarily being present.

Project by teradadesign+Qosmo.
Music by Airtone.

I just watched this video and had to share it with you guys.

Many of us get so caught up in our everyday lifestyle, we take the simplest things for granted, and occupy our lives with the most frivolous issues. Sometimes, it’s those with far greater challenges that end up inspiring us to value what we have and to make the absolute most of it.

Patrick Henry Hughes, and his father, Patrick John Hughes, are two of those great inspirations.

Please take 15 minutes to watch these 2 videos. I promise you, you will be grateful you did.

Father and son on the Today Show:

Incredible!

[via Holy Kaw]

I just wanted to post real quick to wish you guys a happy new year & a happy new decade!

Many times, we get so caught up in routine and habit, we end losing steam on accomplishing the major goals we set out for ourselves.

Wherever the past 10 years have taken you, you now have the next 10 to make it count.

“It isn’t the mountains ahead, to climb, that wear you out – it’s the pebble in your shoe.” – Muhammad Ali

In this next year, and in this next decade, I invite you to join me in a challenge to remove all the pebbles from your life, and conquer that mountain ahead.

Meet you at the top!

[pic]

This is great:

Created by Time, Inc and The Wonderfactory.

[spotted via BrandonHixon.com]

I’m about to break one of the cardinal sins of blogging: I’m going to tell you why I haven’t updated recently.

I know I’m notorious for my gaps in posting, but that was usually due to time management issues, or writer’s block, or laziness. This time it was for a different reason.

I’m annoyed.

When I originally launched this blog, it was to discuss topics involving the music industry and chronicle a few of my experiences in it. While I did that for a while, it forced me to stay current on industry news so I would have new content to discuss & post. I always made it a point to stay up-to-date on everything before, but now I had to do so more actively & was set up to receive updates left, right and center from every site related to music news, music marketing, and everything to do with “Music 2.0″. I had a pool of information to go through every day.

As I kept up to date on everything, I became increasingly annoyed with what I kept hearing on every blog, newsletter and in every conference seminar and general discussion.

I know a few of my peers are going to hate me for saying this, but the truth is, most advice about Music 2.0 and “succeeding in today’s music business” is bullshit. There are very few real leaders around nowadays; the rest just regurgitate the same few buzz words over and over until somebody believes them enough to pay them – mind or money.

Same thing with “social media experts”;  most of them have no clue what the hell they’re talking about. And when you actually take a closer look, you realize that most of them are each other’s only fans. It’s a flock of sheep supporting a flock of sheep. But where’s the leader?

Although, I’m annoyed with the flood of  these self-proclaimed experts, the real problem is not them – it’s the people who follow them.

Is this not the entertainment industry?

The entertainment industry is the biggest cultural influencer on the planet. So then, why are so many people who are supposed to be leaders and influencers still following?

The industry can complain about the internet, and leaks, and everything else that’s not within its complete control – and I’m not saying those aren’t issues – but one of the biggest problems is the lack of real leaders and innovators.

Everybody wants a ready-made template to achieve success. If there was a ready-made template, that ensures everybody success, don’t you think everybody would jump on it immediately?

Oh wait, it already exists – they’re called trends.

Neptunes & Lil Jon tracks are what’s hot? Then get a Neptunes or Lil Jon track.

Auto-Tune hit big? Then Auto-Tune every vocal you ever speak, rap, sing or bark.

Ustream is poppin? Then live stream yourself every night so other bored people can guess what toppings you got on your pizza delivery to the studio.

Skinny jeans are in? Then wear the skinniest jeans until your little soldiers stop swimming.

Once something is proven to work once or twice, everybody jumps on it and milks it until it’s completely over-saturated and the audience hates you for it. It’s like a bunch of hungry cockroaches, feasting away until the thing they’re feeding from is completely devoured.

And then, of course, you have the people who argue with everything.

An artist or group will actually find a strategy that works for them, yet, they’re greeted by unsuccessful artists and wannabe marketing strategists crying that it only worked because the successful artist had A, B and C in place, and without A, B and C, they couldn’t have done it.

Don’t you think maybe that’s why they did it?

If someone develops a strategy that works for them, then it works for them because it was made FOR THEM!

Why would anybody stop themselves from making progress just because it can’t be converted into an industry standard? Fuck an industry standard! If you can’t develop an effective strategy for yourself, that’s your own problem. Stop whining about it and go back to the drawing board to develop one that can.

Like I said earlier, the entertainment industry is the primary influencer of mainstream culture – keyword: influencer.

That means you lead; you don’t follow.

That means you make the trends, you don’t follow them.

There’s a plethora of “Music 2.0” advice out there, and while some of it may be valid, everything should be taken with a grain of salt.

The reality is, technology and social media are developing far quicker than most can develop strategies for. I was creating Facebook campaigns in 2005 (while it was still only for college & university students), and Twitter campaigns at the beginning of 2008; and while they’re both still useful, I’m already developing strategies for other upcoming social networks and mediums, for the near future.

It’s about paying attention to the direction that technology and culture are moving. It’s about experimenting, and trial and error. It’s about using your own mind to develop a strategy that works for you.

Anybody who tells you “_____ is the only way to be relevant now” is a sheep.

Stop putting your career in the hands of random people who speak nothing but buzzwords. If the idea of social media or new technology intimidates you, then find someone to help, but what matters most is that you know yourself, and you know your music. Develop around that.

Stop changing yourself to fit a marketing plan. Change your marketing plan to fit you.

I guess that’s it for now. Just remember that as entertainers, and those who work in entertainment, you are meant to be leaders. So stop following and LEAD!

Jermaine Dupri recently spoke at BlogWorld Expo 09 about the effects of blogs and social networking sites like Twitter, on the music business.

Here are 2 videos of the panels he spoke on:

Also, social media blogger, Wayne Sutton caught up with JD for a quick convo about his talking points on the above panels:

What are your thoughts on what JD said?

Do you agree/disagree, and why?

I wanted to let you guys know about a new R&B artist/producer I’ve recently began working with, Tony J.

He’s been making a name for himself in his hometown of Houston, and today, we’re releasing his new single, “U Need A Man”.

Here’s a quick bio rundown:

“With the new generation of R&B artists singing tales of promiscuous lifestyles, today’s R&B music has lost its connection with love and romance. Houston native, Tony J, wants to change that.

Having been raised in Houston (a primarily hip-hop market), Tony’s musical influences range from 90s R&B artists like Case, Avant and Jagged Edge, to the Houston-born Chopped & Screwed style, pioneered by the late DJ Screw. This vast range offers a unique twist to Tony J’s music.

From the vocals he records, to the words he sings, to the music he composes – Tony J is a well-rounded artist and musician.

With his first single, “U Need a Man”, Tony J is bringing romance back to R&B.”

After working relentlessly on artist & album launches for different record labels and artists, I’m more than happy to be working on one of my own.

Here’s the single, which you can choose to stream, share and download the song (high quality, lossless files available). And for the DJs & remix artists, the instrumental and acappella are also available for download at http://music.tonyjforever.com.

Download page – http://music.tonyjforever.com
Twitter – http://twitter.com/TonyJForever
MySpace – http://myspace.com/savernbtonyj

One of the biggest problems with the music business (or any business, for that matter) is that you’re never quite sure who you can trust. People talk a lot; the difference is some can back up their talk, while others simply can’t.

And other times, not only can they not back it up – they go to the extreme to create an entire façade.

Fakes.

Frauds.

One of those frauds is Antoine Keane a.k.a “Dominic Edmonds”.

I got contacted by this guy a couple months ago about doing some consultation work for his independent label, SRB/WongGee Records. He claimed to have distribution with Warner Music and that he had some family inheritance which he’s invested into his company (he claims to be the son of Babyface’s brother, Kevon Edmonds).

Obviously, I hear people run their mouths often, so to be honest, I didn’t really pay this guy much mind at first – but he continued to hound me, so I finally decided to take a call.

After speaking to him for 15-20 minutes, I grew even more suspicious about him and his character.

I know some trust fund babies who share similar characteristics with this guy (they talk a lot… A LOT) but sometimes actually do have capital to invest in their ideas. I really wasn’t sure how to read him, but I figured I would give him the benefit of the doubt.

Anyhow, over the next few weeks, while I still had some suspicions about him, some of what he was saying was actually checking out. He told me Lacey Schwimmer from ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars”, is making her music debut and that he had just signed her.

I didn’t believe him, until I noticed some press coverage announcing her signing to his new label, WMS/WongGee, as well as video of her in the studio with him (he’s the skinny kid sitting down eating chicken). That offered me some proof that maybe – just maybe – this guy checks out.

As some of you know, I decided to close my old business in September, so when Antoine a.k.a Dominic asked me again for consultation work, I told him I was no longer for hire. He insisted that I join his team and help him run things.

This wasn’t the first time I’ve been asked to help run an indie, but obviously given the fact that I had just closed my old business to focus on other goals, I refused his offer.

He continued to persist, hoping I would change my mind, but after realizing that I won’t budge, he asked if I could submit any tracks for Lacey’s project.

That’s when we really started talking.

I sent him a couple tracks (from some producers I work with) and after a few days, we agreed on a placement. After that, he started calling me every hour of every day.

If he couldn’t reach me by phone, he’d send me a message on Blackberry Messenger. If he couldn’t reach me on BBM, he would email me.

When we would talk, he never had any updates on the placement. No Producer Agreement, no recording itinerary, no payment – nothing.

He would try to keep me on the phone for as long as he could just to talk about random things. I got suspicious.

Is he just trying to find out more about me?

Does he suspect that I’m suspicious about him and he’s trying to break down the barrier?

What’s he doing?

Everytime I’d mention the paperwork for the placement, he would offer a new excuse and a new delay. Half of his excuses didn’t even make sense. I began to suspect maybe he’s just a rich kid who read one or two books about the music business and now wants to play “industry”.

I was extremely skeptical about the validity of Antoine/Dominic.

Then, I got an email from someone warning me about Antoine a.k.a Dominic, confirming all the suspicions I’ve had about him. I decided to take it a step further and contact a few others whom I knew he had been in touch with.

The second I brought up his name, they all reacted extremely, telling me their experience with this guy.

Fake distribution, fake assets, fake affiliations… fake bank accounts.

Let me repeat that once more – FAKE BANK ACCOUNTS!

Some of the affiliations Antoine Keane a.k.a Dominic Edmonds claims are Babyface, Kevin Liles, Rick Rubin, and Chris Lighty. He even registered an 800# which he’s set to display Chris Lighty’s name on the outgoing caller ID.

Dirty!

If you get a call from someone claiming to rep Chris Lighty – check your sources!

In the past week alone, I’ve been in touch with several others who have all been contacted by Antoine Keane a.k.a Dominic Edmonds (Antoine Keane probably isn’t even his real name either). They all share similar stories about his claims and their similar suspicions.

Fortunately, I wasn’t taken as many of the people I’ve been speaking with have been. I only lost time – others lost their money.

Babyface & Kevon Edmonds’ family don’t know of him. Kevin Liles & Chris Lighty never heard of him. None of his claims are real. Beware!

By the way, I’m not the only one reporting this dud. Gyant from GyantUnplugged.com has also posted about this wannabe.

The music business is littered with snakes and trash-talkers, but it’s also a relatively small network, when discussing the people involved.

Everyone knows everyone.

And even those whom you don’t know – it’s usually not that difficult to get in touch with them. So when someone like Antoine Keane/Dominic Edmonds attempts to bamboozle others, we will find out – and we will air you out.

Sorry dude, game over.

–

DJ AM (R.I.P) in DJ Hero video game

In this struggling state of the record industry, most artists, producers and labels are desperately looking for different streams to generate revenue.

Video games have long been a great alternative revenue stream, however in recent years games are becoming even more dependent on musical content (Guitar Hero, Rock Band, DJ Hero, etc), making this an even more attractive option to consider.

Below is a great slideshow presentation offering a quick overview of the Top 10 Trends in Music & Games prepared and presented by Stuart Dredge of MusicAlly.com:

Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.

- Albert Einstein

You guys are starting to get familiar with my TwitterRants, where I usually vent about an issue publicly on Twitter. I still have a few bottled up which I may express sooner or later, however, in the meantime, I’d like to share one with you from my homegirl, Fadia Kader.

During a recent TwitterRant, she offered some cautionary tales, while providing some incredibly useful advice, for those working their way up in the music business (and any business, really).

You’ll notice that these tweets are well over 140 characters. This was done using TwitLonger.com

#tempted to share some #freeadvice … maybe a TOP 10 list on what not to do when you are on a “COME UP” …

Ok..so here is the deal..my TOP 10 LIST list of what not to do if ur trying to get on a come up in any field…especially in my f*cking lane

….There’s an art to appreciating someone else and their accomplishments BUT when it gets to the point where you study their every mvmnt..

#10 Dont Steal someones contacts.

In any form, especially emails. You can get Alex Gidewons email list and Diddys assistants Rolodex… but if you dont work to build that list, you wont be able to ever f*cking work it the way I did and still do and will be doing for a long time.

You cheated.

#9 Dont abuse the contacts you are given:

I worked hard for every contact I have ever acquired?(except the ones I got off the emails that come without a BCC, i snatched those emails… sorry, at least I admit it)…

If you want access to my rolodex that is very extensive (as you clearly know) ,you had 2 options to gain access to it: simply ask me and allow me the opportunity to decide to do one of the following:

1)might charge you a flat rate to blast out something?

2)might blast it out out of love?

3)might give you FULL ACCESS

and in this case I choose 3. For several reasons: cause you had nothing and the other being that I KNOW/KNEW YOU WILL NEVER WORK IT THE WAY I DO.

in the mean time.. dont spam my people and dont act like you just busted your ass to get that list.

please+thank you

#8 Always be aware of “6 degrees of separation.”

I’m sure we all know what that is.?And in this day and age its more like ONE degree of seperation.

With that being said..BE WISE in how you use peoples names and what YOU have done with them,for them and so on. Cause you know damn well you didnt do any of that shit. Those you are trying to get in business with always fact check (more on that in a bit) … so what makes you think if we are in the same field, same lane, that the truth wont come out about what your background is?

#7 How to be an Opportunist properly.

Its human nature, we all thrive for the opportunity to get a pinkie toe in that door.. be a step closer to success , or simply just be able to sit behind the screen door and breath the same air as someone that you admire and their accomplishments on the other side where the grass is greener..

so I understand the nature of the beast and competitive nature of what we do in this lane.. I respect it .. because Im an opportunist in certain situations and I will be the first to say it…

BUT.

I pass on many opportunities because I know my boundaries. I never bite off more than I can chew..

There is such a stigma to being called a “opportunist” , but to be a “ignorant and under-qualified” opportunist who will just tell the other person seeking your business EXPERTISE anything to lock them in.. is plain FOUL.

Your f*cking with someones progress if you enter the situation with little to no knowledge of how to help that person achieve their dreams.

but I guess thats where your studying ass ways come into play.. 6 Months ago, half the shit you are speaking on was not in your vocabulary or even a possibility. Now your a “marketer”.

Sit Down.

Or go intern with someone ( time with me didn’t count) , go back to school.. or read up and be honest with people about what you are capable of.

#6 Background Check.

Networking with people and possibly “politic’n” and “building” is like applying for a job.

Just cause you came to the table talking all that “im on my shit” talk and how you were apart of “that” concert, how you have access to “that person” and how you can get “that” job done..
reminder asshole: If they were smart people thinking of going into business with anyone.. they will FACT CHECK.

Just cause you leave one scene and go to another scene or move to another town,city,state,country.. trust.. this is the entertainment industry.. we know the same people..

So when someone comes to me to ask me about YOUR CREDENTIALS .. im assuming you want me to lie for you? lol

Nah.. I wont say shit homie. Im gonna let you hang yourself..cause time will come when you have to back the shit you were talking..

And when you fail and they are looking at you sideways.. you know whats the first thing they are gonna think about?

The smirk I had on my face when they ran the “credentials” you ran on them and asked me about you… I CHOOSE NOT TO BE A “HATER” and block your blessing.
but you blocked yours cause you dont have the credentials to get the job done.

#5 Strength + Weakness

If your the person doing all the “soaking of the knowledge” from someone who has proven to be slightly more accomplished than you.. dont take their time and the experience you got for granted.

This one is hard for me, because my judgment is sometimes clouded.

I often see the “potential” in people..?I typically surround myself with “like-minds” and people that can keep up with me.. some wayyyyyy more accomplished than me and possibly will ever be.. some just starting off or were doing it all wrong.. and all I want to do is take them in and make sure they dont make the same mistakes I have made on this road and still make..

I know I know.. let them learn on their own..But if I have true respect and love for you.. I just wont do it at all… I save the “opportunist” and cut throat shit for those I dont respect and whom dont respect me.

Instead, when someone lets you into their world , please sir/madam, wipe your feet off when you make that entrance. Leave the malicious intent and dirty business outside.

We can already tell your hungry..hell we all are.. but thirsty is not the way to go. Cause there will come a time when you have drank out of everyone’s well and its all dried up when it comes to you.

The whole time you look at that person letting you into their world with the intention of GREED caused by your thirst thinking this might be a sign of weakness in the operation..

you got it wrong buddy..

Its their STRENGTH that allowed you in because they have nothing to fear.?They saw your weakness and let you borrow their strength by sharing their experience..saving you the disappointments.
the weakness is not realizing the strength it takes to be able to see the potential of someone who can easily be as great, if not greater than you in your field.. and still take them in..

why? cause they have confidence in how they got where they are.

#4 Be Still.

Well this one goes out to the person/people investing in “that” person that you think might have the potential to just be full of shit.

There are signs you can pick up on.. so many to go thru but I wont..Just be aware, learn to have a memory like an elephant..because the truth is hard but a lie is harder to maintain… and folks like that typically have to use one lie on top of another lie to maintain their story..

Just listen and register.?Watch.?Wait till that moment when they are so comfortable in their lies, because naturally they will start to get lazy and sloppy with their story lines and actions.

I will be honest.. im not the best at this in my personal life.. I’m overly aggressive and a truth-hound and will jump if Im feeling froggy..but I had to learn the hard way.. to make sure that aspect of my life doesn’t trickle into my non-personal world.

The only way a working relationship will work with that person is if you are the same way or are just really oblivious to their acts.

Again. Actions do seriously speak louder than words. Just Listen

TRUST YOUR STRUGGLES.

#3 Law #10- Avoid the Unhappy and Unlucky

“You can die from someone else’s misery – emotional states are as infectious as disease. You may feel you are helping the drowning man but you are only precipitating your own disaster. The unfortunate sometimes draw misfortune on themselves; they will also draw it on you. Associate with the happy and fortunate instead.”

I tweeted this last week after talking to this one dude who always downplayed my accomplishments..

First thing I thought about was the #10 law..

If you are good at what you do , do it and do it well. Dont doubt yourself. Its human nature to feel a slight jealous stab when you see a colleague doing better than you and you are struggling
but NEVER and I mean never try to down play their hard work and accomplishments..they had to make a ton of sacrifices to get there and just because you dont know what those sacrifices are, doesn’t mean you have the right to try to block their blessings.

Now if that person is the one who’s clearly in misery.. dont try to save someone in business or personal relationships that doesnt want to be saved.?Because they are typically never content until you feel their “so-called” struggles.

#2 Passion

All you can do at the end of the day is Be as passionate as you can possibly be in anything that you do for yourself or someone else.

There are two things that I say all the time so Im gonna take it out of the interview i did with @beecardoza for area84.com

1)?”Females:?if they call you emotional, show them how emotional you can get *wink*, cause “SOME” men in the industry CONVENIENTLY get in touch with their feminine side out of nowhere and get emotional at times. Trust, they would never talk to the next man like that. Just smile and let em rant.”

2)?Never apologize for who you are, or being all about YOURSELF and YOURS.. cause trust, the more successful you get , the more your peers will attempt to call you out and say you are being selfish or monopolizing, smile and keep working hard.. CREAM RISES.

Its good to have people who have your back.. but understand that you always have your own FRONT.. cause a dagger through the front is worse than going through the back.

If you have your own FRONT..you can look them in the eye and trust me they will re-consider the damage they were about to do.. not just to you.. but to themselves.

Cause only cowards put on a mask.

#1 I AGAINST I

I got something tatted on me last year as a daily reminder:

I against I (picture —> http://i25.tinypic.com/205w5mf.jpg)

Right there.. when I wake up and look in the mirror its on my shoulder staring right back.

A daily reminder that there are two sides to every story.

The story your mind tells?or?The story that your heart tells

As much as I am my biggest fan, I’m my worst critic. That Its ok for me to be a competitive person, its healthy.. I challenge myself on the daily, but I can also cause my own demise. I play hard and fight harder, but I never fight to draw blood.

My victories doesn’t lie in that persons success or loss, it lies in me.?And if I lost the fight. Its only because I am my worst ENEMY.

When I fail I sometimes blame it on others.. or the situation..or luck.. or a opportunity i deserved more than the next person .. or the fact that maybe I thought of it first, or they did it better than me.. you get the picture………..
but then when the smoke clears and those emotions are gone im left with one thing..

It was always I AGAINST I

I choose the situations that I was/am in. I choose the path, I choose the players, I choose the fights. I choose to cross the finish line or give up.

We all have RIGHTS. but always seem to forget about our responsibilities.

So at then end you have to be responsible for all the actions your brought on to yourself.

Cause you are where you NEED to be in life, not where you WANT to be.

FIN

#Conclusion —> Never Run

“Run Run this ain’t no race, more like an endless raggedy chase” -LB

I was never running in your rat race.

*Make sure to follow Fadia on Twitter.

I felt like sharing this with you because not only does Fadia offer some great insight, but also because all of us – and I do mean ALL of us – have encountered these kinds of people and situations. A few personal experiences happen to come to mind.

How do you deal with snakes? Are there any tips you’d like to offer others on how to manage dealing with these kinds of situations?

One of my biggest annoyances is receiving mass emails with my email address exposed in the TO or CC field; along with 500 other unsuspecting recipients. It breeds unwanted solicitation and spam, as well as encouraging others to dismiss netiquette.

If you need to send mass emails, please look into email marketing solutions and mailing list software. If you don’t want to pay for a mailing list service, and instead choose to simply use your regular email account, then please remember to use the BCC function.

If you’re unfamiliar with the BCC function in email, it stands for blind carbon copy. That means, when you place an email address in this field, the recipient will still receive your email, but their email address will not be exposed.

When sending mass email, you should enter ALL email addresses in the BCC field so that you don’t expose your contacts’ email addresses to others.

It’s just simple email manners, and your contacts will appreciate it.

I’m developing an almost zero-tolerance for non-BCC’d emails; regardless of whether if the sender is a friend/contact or not. I decided to post this as a reference point to direct all the non-BCC’ers out there.

Another point worth mentioning…

Another major email faux-pas is emailing the wrong address. If you are emailing a blogger, please check to see if they have a separate email account for music submissions or press.

Some of us have certain methods of managing our email, and by ignoring our request, you are making it difficult for us to pay attention to whatever it is that you are sending.

In my case, I ask that people only send direct communication involving business to my work email account. All other non-direct, non-work email should be sent to my blog email address.

I will often email people to remind them of my request, if they send it to the wrong address. If they continue to ignore it, I simply mark their email address as spam, causing their emails to be directed to my spam folder (which I never check) and eventually deleted. And it doesn’t matter who it is – I do this with friends too. (I’m ruthless, huh?)

If someone can’t respect my simple request, then they don’t need access to me anyhow.

So when I ask someone to email me at my blog email address; I am not dismissing their email – I’m simply asking that you send it to the account that I will check on my computer, when I have the time to go through it, and watch/listen to the media that you’re sending me.

The main point is, when someone gives you their email address, they are giving you access to communicate with them. When you abuse it, you’re showing them that you do not appreciate that access – therefore not appreciating them.

No disrespect to those of you whom I, or someone else, have directed to this post – we’re just asking for some common courtesy.

When was the last time you truly fell in love with an artist?

I don’t mean someone that just made you bop your head a couple times or even enticed you to get up and dance. I’m talking about an artist, whom from the very first moment you heard their music, you just knew that you couldn’t live without it from that day on.

That is how I feel about Brittany Bosco.

For the next few minutes, turn off/mute your phone, IM and all other distractions, so that you can get into a zone to really listen.

Once you’re in that zone, click to make the following video full-screen and press play.

Now, just watch & listen:

See what I mean?

Brittany Bosco isn’t an artist you just listen to – she’s an artist you experience. The musical arrangement, her vocal range, her facial expressions, the video and graphic visuals… everything. Every aspect of her is an experience in itself.

I love it. I co-sign Brittany Bosco to the fullest.

She recently released a free EP titled Spectrum 2.0, which I highly recommend everybody to download and experience for themselves.

PREVIEW:

DOWNLOAD:

Stream it, download it & let me know what you think.