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"Spend, Spend, Spend."
Posted by Zilla Rocca on Oct 04, 2014 | 0 Comments
Stop talking and start spending money.
We stopped paying for studio time, stopped paying for CDs and white label vinyl, stopped paying for posters and fliers to bomb the city, stopped paying for physical press kits and shipping tons of promo packets out. We’ve been seduced by the instant gratification of putting up music for free online minutes after the song is done. But in most cases, that’s not enough.
Now, everything is free, cheap, and fast. And everyone wants everything for nothing. How has music survived? Most of the old guards have not. The myth is that we all have a fair shot now, that the internet has provided a great democracy of choice, that having access to every song and video ever made with the touch of a smartphone screen makes it easier to make a career out of music. Not true.
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The Open Mike Eagle Interview
Posted by PremRock on Aug 15, 2014 | 0 Comments
The phrase “It” rapper or “It” artist often gets tossed around in the circuitry of music nerds but rarely does it equate to a worthwhile act. In layman’s terms “it” means the artist those in the know are constantly clamoring for it and the product seems to match the hype. Open Mike Eagle is just such an artist. Already a favorite amongst fellow artists in the indy lane as well as a healthy amount of critics, Mike seems poised to take the next step this year and beyond. You’ll be pretty hard pressed to find a person who has a microbe of a bad thing to say about the Chicago native and LA representative, but that really isn’t the point. There simply aren’t many rappers doing rap at as high a level as Mike is. Open Mike Eagle is an exceptional talent and one of the brightest minds in music today. On the heels of the release of the exquisite “Dark Comedy,” Mike took the time in between the road and home to give some answers for the questions burning a hole in my brain. Hope you enjoy.
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Nobody is Going to Put You On
Posted by Justin Boland on Apr 22, 2011 | 0 Comments
Reader question: “Do you think A&R’s are important, and how does a new artist send in his stuff or get looked at?” Quick Answer: Fuck no and don’t bother. Not being funny or even sarcastic: no label is investing in artist development and nobody in A&R cares about you until you’re making serious waves already, on your own, and building a track record of proven profitability. The long answer is more interesting than that, though…
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!llmind: Building a Business off Beats
Posted by Justin Boland on Jan 16, 2011 | 0 Comments
Humble, hardworking and successful, it’s hard to beat !llmind as a role model for hip hop producers in 2011. This is the second in a series of Case Studies (the first was Oddisee) focusing on the strategies behind the success stories. The principles behind !llmind’s hustle are pretty straightforward, but as you’ll see, actually implementing them takes serious discipline and patience…
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Love Thy Hater: How to Learn and Profit from "Bad" Feedback
Posted by Justin Boland on May 27, 2010 | 0 Comments
This is about how to take criticism and profit from it. When I think about what separates successful music entrepreneurs from the rest of us, this is one of the most important differences. They don’t catch feelings, they just listen and learn. Pretty much once a week, I deal with artists who cannot take criticism without being insulted. It’s a widespread and common problem that’s way bigger than hip hop. This is about making the change to an open, successful mindset and turning your haters into a business asset. This is about becoming a better person and acting professional, and if you’re not into that then fuck you.
