But What Do I Know?

Can't believe the Festival was a week ago. I'm still tired.Maya told me some MC's were mad at us and drinking a litlle hater-ade. Turns out they were cats who didn't make it on the bill. So for those cats I have...

Suggestions for artists from the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival Chair

1. Build Relationships

Not one of the artists on the bill this year was picked via a frontal assault.
Constant and belligerent emails fell on deaf ears quickly.

Every artist and DJ on the bill was vouched for by someone we personally trusted.
Obviously Kane and Ralph were elders and needed no recommendation.

There were many artists who wanted to get on the bill and went about it in the wrong way. People tried using guilt, intimidation, and retribution to get on the bill. None of it worked.

My suggestion to those cats is to use your resources and work your angles. If you are on your hustle most people are no more than 3 phone calls away.

Greg and I have been doing this for so long that our network is pretty deep. Kim and Alma are on the grind so much one of your boys has to know a writer or DJ who knows Alma. Our interns are still young enough to be going out, find Ronnie or someone at the bar at APT and beat him in the head.

Once one of the people we trust fight for you, you’re at least on the Agenda. Then the music has to carry you the rest of the way.

-Maya was recommended by Michelle who used to work here and is still good friends with Alma

-Kane is booked by TAG who we used to work with we managed J-Live, They helped us out based on our relationship over the past 6 years

-We are cool with OM who signed Strange Fruit

-The Procussions and Rawkus are our clients-Sleepy is on Virgin, one of our best clients

-Our homeboy Kyle is in Panacea-Cap, Eclipse, and Sucio have been supporters since the beginning

Like it or not, it is who you know that gets you in the door, but it’s your talent that closes the deal…

2. Make sure you have a Myspace page and that it’s tight

It is bugged how important Myspace has become in such a short span of time. And this year’s Festival drove that point home for me.

Maya Azucena, who the office now loves, was booked on the strength of Michelle’s recommendation and her Myspace page. We didn’t even have her album until we did the XM interview. We went to her Myspace page, read her bio and listened to her tracks. She had a live song on there that we all heard and made our decision.

From her Myspace page we got a sense of her professionalism, dedication as well as her music.

Same thing with Strange Fruit. After the pitch from OM we went to their Myspace page and then went back to OM and said ‘we want them.’

A good Myspace page is just as good if not better than a good manager or booking agent. It’s always open, always available, and always working. More than can I say for many managers.

3. You never know who you are talking to

Once you get to the event remember you never know who is there so be cool to everybody. Don’t just turn on the charm for MTV and the pretty girl with the camera.

That dude who you think is a runner could be the Festival Chair (take note dude from Ultra Magnetic).

That random dude backstage who wishes you luck could be a male groupie or could be a blogger we read every day to keep us in the loop.

There were a few artists there who turned people off and should be concerned about getting future gigs. And there were other cats who people are going to be bending over backwards to support. Obviously you want to be the latter.

Take my advice for whatever it’s worth

Have a good holiday