The Silver Bullet Syndrome

If I only had a record deal that would change everything.  

If radio would just play my Hit song that would be the difference maker. 

If only I had better contacts.

If I had better gear.

If only I had more fans on social media.

If I only had more time to dedicate to music.  

The list of if's can be endless... 

But the reality remains the same.  

You have what is right in front of you and until you are faithful with the little, you can't expect God to give you any more.  

Use whatever time, resources, connections, talent and energy is at your disposal.  

Pursue your hustle with unrelenting determination. And maybe, more will be given.   

What matters most is that you made the most of what you had. 

Everyday we worship

What are record labels looking for?

So, What are record labels looking for?

I've been asked this question a few times and sadly, this is a very good example of a very bad question.

It is like asking me, what is a dinosaur looking for? Well, food, water... Oh, and not to be extinct.

I get annoyed at this question because it shows a complete lack of understanding of the current music environment. A lack of self awareness of what you as an individual can bring to a team or company in terms of skills, value and freshness. Often the person asking this is not thinking what can I give to add value to you but what can I take.

It shows a genie mentality towards your craft and music - I rub my magic lamp and someone else makes my wish for money, power and fame come true. 

But just because it's a bad question, doesn't mean we can't learn from it. And now that I've got that out of my system, let's jump into some lessons from this question shall we: 

Business Smarts

Fact, every business needs to make money or they will become extinct. This is a given. So lets get the money talk out of the way so we can dive into the deeper things. 

If you have no track record of selling even 100 units of anything (CDs, tickets, merchandise etc.) What on earth makes you think you can sell a million units? 

Have you ever even tried selling a 100 of anything to your potential market? It's not as easy as it sounds but it is achievable. And if it is achievable why haven't you done it yet? 

These are fundamental questions any business will ask and if you don't have answers I would suggest you begin looking for the answers fast. You need to show proof that your brand sells or has the potential to sell to a ready and willing audience. You need more than just your mom's approval to say that your talent is real at this stage of the game. 

Does your brand align with the business? 

This requires you to do your homework on the company. A rookie mistake that I see often, is when artists don't know what kind of music the company they have submitted to makes. 

What does this company stand for?

Do I see myself fitting into what they believe and how they operate? 

How do they operate?

How can I see them in action? 

What is their latest release?

These are all questions you need to answer for yourself before you even make official contact and ask them for anything. 

Professionalism

I've written on this before in a previous blog post but I believe it is so sorely underrated that it needs to be mentioned again. And again, and again... Until it sinks in. 

What does professionalism look like? Well, let me break it down for you: 

• Are you as a person able to follow simple instructions? (Think carefully about this one. Because every company has their preferred way of doing things and if you can't follow their instructions you are going to tick someone off)
• Can you email a person when it is requested.
• Call back when requested
• Respect office hours and not call on weekends and after hours without prior consent
• Can you humbly except rejection and thank the person even when it hurts
• Can you backup your claims of being wonderful and amazing through the testimonies of fans and clients
• Have you taken the time to present your product, service or yourself in a manner that is fitting of another persons respect 
• Is all the necessary information about you and your product neatly presented, written down and easily accessible 

In a nutshell, would you approach a CEO of a company you wish to work for the same way as you would approach your home-boy down the street? - Hint: The answer to this should be no.

The irony of professionalism is that none of it requires talent and can be taught, learnt and improved upon. So you have no excuse. 

Originality 

Yes, as the Bible says there is nothing new under the sun. So no matter how different you think you are, your music still needs to fit into some kind of a category and that can be a good thing.  It helps you know who your audience is and what they like and don't like is often clear to those within the tribe. As the saying goes, The Beatles didn't invent teenagers but they did show up to lead them. 

Where you can be unique however, is through your point of view. Sharing your story, speaking your truth. Which speaks to a particular world view. When I want to listen to Drake, I listen to Drake. I don't listen to his cheap imitation knockoffs. 

Education 

If you are not constantly learning more about your chosen industry you will get left behind and in todays current times with the Internet, all the knowledge you seek is usually a click away. It is easier than ever to learn more about how an industry works and who the key players in the game are. If you are not taking advantage of this you are shooting yourself in the foot.

For example you can read books like 'All you need to know about the music business' by Donald Passman. Plus many others that can broaden your horizon and perspective of the industry you wish to join.

If you have limited access to the Internet then the library makes an excellent substitute. So with the will to work hard and a library card you have no excuse.

Go and create!

Make a difference.  

Streaming - The new sliced bread

Primavera 2016

Streaming is a hot topic right now.

Why did we get into music in the first place?

If you are anything like me, I remember clearly that the goal was to get our music into as many ears as possible.

China, Spain, Poland, Ukraine - that was the goal.

Places I would go and some I may never go to. But they would know my music and they would know my name, that was the aim.

Streaming makes that possible. Why would you want to limit that?

Why would you put a ceiling on that?

Naturally, you want to capture your home turf and there will be times to be more strategic. But sometimes using a shot gun can be part of your strategy.

Streaming opens up a world of possibilities and as Indie artists we would be foolish not to take them. Go where your customers are, discover new ones.

To use a street term Streaming is like your gateway drug. You get them hooked and then you push them towards your more profit generating products and services.

To use a more politically correct example and business term: Streaming can be viewed as a loss leader or discovery tool. Introducing potential customers to your brand and then leading them deeper into more value added services and products.

(You see how I flipped it there.)

At the end of the day it's about reaching fans and converting them into real (paying) customers.

Nothing happens until you have made a sale. And if you are standing still, then you are actually moving backwards.

Side Note:

Major labels are not the enemy here. I keep hearing people referring to Indie vs Major, David vs Goliath, as if this is a losing battle. Now I don't know about your Bible but in mine, David won that battle.

Independent labels need to use the natural tools at their disposal and never lose touch with the people that are helping you to build your business. They are what matter in the long run.

Primavera 2016

Yesterday, the IMEXSA delegation and I arrived in Spain Barcelona from South Africa. All in all I think it was something like an 18 hour flight including connections. Side note - Stopping in Dubai is always fascinating, I should visit it sometime. 

Spain is a really beautiful looking place. From their buildings and architecture to the people and culture. It really does have a different energy about it. The fellas are nonchalant and the ladies all walk with confidence.  

Today was the Kick-Off of the Primavera Pro day conference, and it has been fun to take in new sights and sounds. I really do plan to capture it in the new music I am working on. So over the next while I'll be posting whatever I hear, see or smell... On the blog. 

So forgive me for being random but I have been feeling in the mood to experiment more with this wonderful blog space. Maybe we will learn something or maybe we won't but I would love to take you along for the ride:) 

Feel free to comment, share or like when you read something of interest here. I would love to hear from you.  

The Purple Prince - RIP

Click the above image to read the story in the New Yorker

The day my elephant became a dragon

Note to reader: The cool title credit belongs to my beautiful wife and inspiring muse, Lauren Lee Aboagye.

Just when I thought Evernote couldn't get any cooler, I remembered a feature that I've been wanting to try out for some time.

Enter The Dragon.

For awhile I used to use a software from Nuance called Dragon naturally speaking.

The software translates spoken word into text. An amazing little tool that can really enhance your productivity. But I've always struggled to find the right time and place to use it because you often need to be in a room so quiet that you can hear a pin drop. Plus there's always that schlep of having to train your dragon first, so that it can pick up on your pronunciation and analyse your sentence structure. The learning curve is kind of steep and honestly a little time consuming.

But now with using dictation in Evernote  I found the perfect tool that integrates both worlds. Dragon and Evernote. The convenience of having my phone in my pocket, and taking notes verbally while on the go is wonderfully freeing.

In fact I'm writing this blog post using the dictation software and the accuracy is pretty amazing.

This really opens up a world of possibilities.

If you don't already use Evernote this is a good reason to start.

Diva antics

Why oh why oh why would you want to be a diva?
If you behave like the world should revolve around you do you really think people would want to work with you?

If your attitude is; drop whatever you're doing so that you can do what I say, then the only message you're communicating is that you believe you are more important than the other person. 

"I've been touched by the hand of God so you mere mortals must listen to me."
That becomes a sad state of affairs when you believe that that is what being charismatic is about.

It's not. Being charismatic is about caring enough for the other person to actually want to make a difference in their life. Caring so genuinely that if you are not around your absence is truly missed.

So stop being a diva just because a few people know your name and you have been on television.

Money, power and fame don't make you  better, they merely amplify who you really are. If you are generous, kind and loving you will be more of those things. 

If you are a jerk... Well.

If that's what it takes...

“Do what you have to do until you can do what you want to do.” - Oprah Winfrey

Mike Tyson once said: "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth."

If you need to flip burgers so that you can do more of what you are passionate about, then do it!

If you have encountered a set back then you need to get back up and come up with a better plan.

For years I have worked as an IT Consultant, Business Analyst and Project Manager. And for a rapper it may not be as "glamorous" as drug dealing but it put food on the table and helped finance a number of music projects that have literally changed my life. Allowing me to meet some pretty amazing people along the way and continue to keep the dream alive. 

Use your environment

John Grisham the writer of The Firm use to be a lawyer so he wrote a fiction story using details he was intimately acquainted with.

Steven King use to clean sheets in motels while writing manuscripts which would later turn into novels.

John Legend use to work for the Boston Consulting Group.

Walt Disney use to work at a local newspaper company until he was fired for "a lack of creativity".

Elvis Presley use to be a truck driver in Memphis.

Eminem used to cook and wash dishes for minimum wage at Gilbert's Lodge a family-style restaurant.

J. K. Rowling was a researcher and secretary for Amnesty International when she conceived the idea for Harry Potter.  

Usually, the unexpected flip side is that the environment you are in often ends up being the material from which you can draw from to create the work of art that you are working on.

It's not where you start that matters but where you end up that counts.

The only rule I'd like to add to this is: Please keep it legal! Because if I meet another drug dealer rapper who thinks they will beat the odds like Jay Z and 50 Cent. I'm going to call the cops myself.

The bottom-line is, there is no point lamenting your current situation. For whatever reason you are where you are for a reason and you have the power to change it. The wise thing to do is use your surroundings as the catalyst for change. Use it as the creative fuel to elevate you from where you are to where you want to be.