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Trinity: DIY Chicago Style
Posted by Justin Boland on May 01, 2012 | 0 Comments
More Chicago talent this week: a motivated and talented young rapper named Trinity has been quietly building a name for quality. She is living the DIY hustle like a full-time job and learning every aspect of the industry available. This was a dope interview and I hope you can catch some of this energy. There are cats working this hard all around the country right now: hustle different. Here’s how Trinity makes it happen…
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The Homeboy Sandman Interview
Posted by PremRock on Apr 11, 2012 | 0 Comments
When I moved to NYC almost 4 years ago, there was no name or figure more ubiquitous in the underground hip-hop scene than Homeboy Sandman. Everyone I met and everywhere I went they were talking about the Queens MC. After taking the NY scene by storm Sands dropped numerous well-received projects, gained an incredible amount of buzz nationally and internationally and even inked a deal with the prestigious Indie Stones Throw. Always one of the most magnetic people in the room, and seemingly always in the room, Sands built his name not only through an undeniable skill set but also through a tireless work ethic and sharp business acumen.
Recently, Sands graciously took time out of his hectic schedule to tell me about the journey from open mics to being one of the most buzzed about MCs today. Take notes…
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Clarity: Promoters vs. Fans
Posted by Justin Boland on Mar 28, 2012 | 0 Comments
Real simple: If you need to charge your opening acts money, you’re not a promoter. You’re a fan.
This is about what job titles really mean in 2012.
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Clarity: Listeners vs. Fans
Posted by Justin Boland on Mar 25, 2012 | 0 Comments
A short, simple clarification on the difference between fans and listeners, and why it matters.
Chances are pretty good you’re doing it wrong. Hopefully this helps.
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Promote the Promotion!
Posted by Kosha Dillz on Mar 08, 2012 | 0 Comments
Many of us go “hustle happy” when we accomplish a great feat. We drop the new single and then we get all the buzz on the blogs and college radio. Awesome. Thats what you’re supposed to do. Once we land on the blogs, no matter how big or small…what do we do after that?
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A DIY Hip Hop Guide to Touring Europe
Posted by PremRock on Mar 06, 2012 | 0 Comments
Got something awesome for you this week: NYC artist PremRock shares some gems on booking European tours as an independent artist. He’s gone into considerable detail here and I’m honored to share it you folks…enjoy.
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Godforbid & Thirtyseven - "Big Day for the Little People"
Posted by Justin Boland on Feb 23, 2012 | 0 Comments
I’ve been tightening up my video promo this year, starting with the Humpasaur Jones project. I’ve been getting into elaborate lyrics videos, like this puppy here…
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The Re-Up: Tev95 Talks Album Promotion
Posted by Justin Boland on Feb 17, 2012 | 0 Comments
We’ve featured NYC producer TeV95 twice before — Crime Loops and Crime Loops 2, specifically — and this post is the first time we’ve talked about the Dark Arts of promotion and marketing. His upcoming project, Delorean, is a perfect example of an effective, low-cost independent promotion campaign. I’ve written about the concept a lot, but this is analyzing a real world example. Here’s how to make it happen.
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Rusty Redenbacher: Making Indianapolis Great
Posted by Justin Boland on Jan 27, 2012 | 0 Comments
When it comes to building something out of nothing, miracles are the name of the game. “It can’t be done” is a comfortable conclusion for lazy artists, but cats like Rusty Redenbacher don’t accept reality — they sculpt it. This is an interview about how he and his team have been putting in work to build a hip hop scene in the unlikely venue of Indianapolis. We’re talking team building, daily routines, digital promo and of course…chicken limos.
