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The Aztext: DIY Hip Hop Management
Posted by Justin Boland on Oct 28, 2009 | 0 Comments
Doing an interview with The Aztext was doper than usual, because I got to see their operation from three different perspectives. I’m talking in depth with all three members, covering promotion, product, performance, and songwriting. If you’re just getting started, or trying to push your act to the next level, this interview is full of gems on all aspects of managing a hip hop group in 2009.
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Audible Hype 2009 Survey
Posted by Justin Boland on Oct 26, 2009 | 0 Comments
This is a short, simple survey about what you think is working, and what could be improved. I want Audible Hype to be useful to you. The results will be shared with everyone in an upcoming post about survey design and collection.
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Goldmine for Crate Diggers 2: Sample Laws
Posted by Justin Boland on Oct 14, 2009 | 0 Comments
The only hard part about running Audible Hype is this: I’m trying to out-do myself every time. After the first installation of our series on advice from hip hop production veterans, I wanted this to be like a textbook…that didn’t suck…about dealing with sample laws and the business side of making music. From Large Professor to Cut Chemist to The RZA himself, this is a collection of the best quotes I’ve found from reading thousands of pages about hip hop history and business. I eat books for reals…but the real winner is you. Enjoy.
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The World Around Records Website Drops Today
Posted by Justin Boland on Oct 13, 2009 | 0 Comments
I have awesome news: we’ve finally launched the World Around Records website. This is a quick rundown of the features and goals, plus three questions I’ve got about the site. Your answers are hugely and greatly appreciated.
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The 3 Most Essential Internet Tools for New Artists
Posted by Justin Boland on Oct 08, 2009 | 0 Comments
I’m writing this because I have divergent opinions. Everyone is trying to hype up their websites, and for the most part, everyone is lying. (This is pretty much the same in every other industry, too.) Audible Hype is written for smart kids, nerds who have (or at least want) actual lives and abundant free time to be outside.
Social media can be fun. However, promoting music on social media is only “fun” if you are literally and legally retarded. My list of tools reflects that opinion.
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The Template: Planning Your First Album
Posted by Justin Boland on Oct 01, 2009 | 0 Comments
Here’s a long overdue article: one of the most common questions I get is about how to prepare for releasing a hip hop album. Here, I’ve laid it out with picture and diagrams and the tools you’ll need. Since this is Audible Hype, that wasn’t enough, so I’ve also got contributions from Dru Ha and Godamus Rhyme. Enjoy.
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Krukid Talks Integrity, Creativity and Business
Posted by Justin Boland on Sep 22, 2009 | 0 Comments
Krukid is dope. He’s a natural performer, and he writes powerful verses: check out his track Invisible Children, from AFRiCAN. I’m psyched to drop this interview because Krukid has been hustling hard for a long time and he’s got a lot of experience to share. This interview is the first of two parts: here, we’re talking about songwriting, staying organized and planning your next album.
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Willie Green on Instrumental Hip Hop & Promotion
Posted by Justin Boland on Sep 20, 2009 | 0 Comments
Willie Green found his way to my headphones with his recent instrumental album …Of Heroes and Villains, a Backwoodz Studioz release. When I got in touch with him for an interview, I found out he was also an experienced professional, and he was working an a short documentary video about the making of his album. Willie Green puts in work and here we’re talking organization, no-budget promotion, and how the market for instrumental hip hop is looking in 2009.
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Hip Hop 2009: 5 Big Open Questions
Posted by Justin Boland on Sep 08, 2009 | 0 Comments
Now that the audience for Audible Hype has grown, I’d like to spark a few conversations. I’ve been amazed by the folks who have dropped comments and gotten in contact with me, and I’ve got 5 Big Questions. I’m not asking you to answer them all, but if you can speak on any of them…please do. It’s going to be a long, cold winter and we’ve gotta figure out how to build art into income. Join the cipher.
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Hip Hop 2009: The Big Picture
Posted by Justin Boland on Aug 25, 2009 | 0 Comments
This is an expansion on the first article in the series, Year of the Glut-which painted a depressing picture and probably moved too fast. Here, I’m staying strictly focused on numbers, trends and facts. The discussion here is based around a recent NPD Group report claiming that iTunes represents a full 25% of the entire music business…obviously, that’s a claim I’m going to be questioning. Can we find numbers we can trust in 2009? Dig in…
