Artists Step Your Game Up In 2014

I have composed a list of things rap/hip-hop/R&B artists should look into making a priority in their 2014 campaign. A few of them are what you may think are common sense, but I see people going about it wrong all the time. A few others are some of my inside opinions and tips that you may not have thought about being important. Some of this may apply to you or you may already know it all.  so take what you can from it and make up your mind on the way you prioritize the aspects of your career. These are in no particular order.

1) Master your craft
2) Know your goals with your art
3) Invest in quality
4) Be humble
5) Don’t rush things
6) Promotion is just as important
7) Travel to other similar cities
8) Network and then network some more
9) Know the business side of music
10) Don’t get discouraged

Master your craft

Mastering your craft should be one of those common sense items on here. I think that every artist needs to take a step back and look at what they can improve on. Whether it be your stage presence for shows, having your stuff together before you go into a session, making sure that your studio performances are exactly what you want the to be before ending a session, or many other little things that go into your package that you provide as a recording artist and or performer.

Know your goals with your art

Make sure that you know what you are providing to fans as an artist. Don't just emulate other artists. Be yourself and have material that you believe in strongly. People don't want to hear everything the exact same. Dare to be different while still sticking to some conventional guidelines of successful artists before you. What I’m trying to say is fans don’t always want to hear the exact same things over and over. Sometimes they want different music to listen to, but not too different. Also, try to have substance with your music. Anyone can microwave up a club song to a hot beat, but not everyone can touch peoples souls with their music. Try to find a blend of commercial success with some meaningful material.

Invest in quality

This one is one of the more common mistakes I see. I see it often because it involves what I do directly as a studio engineer. Make sure that you find someone that does good work on your beats, mixes, videos, artwork, photos, marketing, and basically every aspect of things. It may cost you a good bit to do all of these things, but it’s well worth it. Plus make a priority list on what is the most important things and invest a larger portion towards those items.

Remember that the music is the most important part in a music career. It doesn’t make sense to pay $2500 for a beat from a well known industry producer and then get your homie to mix it for free even though he doesn’t make a career out of mixing. It also doesn’t make sense to drop $5,000 on a video from a well known director if the song you are shooting the video for isn’t your hottest single. Also don’t spend the money on a video if you got a mediocre or bad beat and a bad mix on the song either.

Be humble

This one is not as common sense as all of the other ones, but I have found out that it takes you further if you implement this philosophy into your music career. Sometimes I still want to tell people what is really on my mind at that point, but it always works better to think about it for a little bit and give them a rational response instead. That being said still don’t be so nice that people push you around. Also, kind of know where you stand in the food chain. For example, if you haven’t dropped an album that has sold more than 10,000 copies or so then don’t expect someone that doesn’t know you, to pay you for a feature or a show. On the other side of thing, know your worth. Don’t be obnoxious about it, but if someone is offering way less than what you feel that you are worth then respectfully deny the offer.

Don’t rush things

Art is art,and that takes time to come up with. Don’t feel rushed to put out a mixtape or an EP just because. Now also don’t keep fans waiting too long either. Find a good balance of putting out music and still making artistic that works for you and your fans. One to two albums a year is really good fast pace to work at. If you are releasing on the lower end like one album a year or one album every other year then maybe look into releasing teasers like mixtapes and EP’s. There are many other things that you can do to keep fans involved and up to date. Look into doing interviews for blogs, magazines, radio, and internet video interviews. You could also drop behind the scenes footage of you recording your first single. Maybe you want to release a photo shoot or something else that can let fans know that you are still working and that something is coming soon.

Promotion is just as important

Here is a key to success that most artists don’t understand. You can drop 10 great studio albums in a year and no one listen to them. Trust me I know people that are horrible at promoting their hard work. If you don’t promote your music or promote it properly and well then you aren’t going to see the results that you know your music is capable of. Make sure you take full advantage of all the avenues of promotion and marketing. These avenues include internet, social media, printed magazines, videos, gear and accessories, flyers, cd’s, etc. Don’t just concentrate on one area or another make sure that you have a presence in all areas of promotion and marketing. If there are areas that you don’t understand fully or areas that take to much time to handle then look into hiring a company or someone to do it for you.

Its a very crucial aspect of the music business, and I see a lot of people just put up a new song every now and then on the internet and promote it once or twice. Take it seriously and be persistent and consistent with it. There are a lot of sites that have features to track when your internet promotions do the best. Take advantage of this and find those times and days then make it a priority to promote specifically in those times. You aren’t limited to just promoting at those times or to just internet promotion either. If your fan base doesn’t spend much time on the internet then look into more physical forms of promotion. Maybe try passing out demo cd’s or some fan gear like shirts and hats. People like free things and want to know what you are all about before they go and pay for your cd’s. Either way you go about it try to be well balanced, and put some serious time and effort into your promotional campaigns.

Travel to other similar cities

It’s always good to be a hometown celebrity. At some point though you are going to need to expand your market. Start with cities that have similar demographics and similar fan bases to where your music does best. Don’t just go to Atlanta because that’s where hip-hop is popping at currently. I mean if that fits your demographic then that would be a great option. If you are an artist that is more on the lyrical side then look into making trips to some up north or some midwest cities. Wherever you go try to make an impression and network with dj’s especially. Also try to get a meeting with some producers, promoters, other artists, club managers and owners, and just about everyone you would want to network with in your city. Its not about how good you are sometimes its about who you know.

Network and then network some more

This is so important and it kind of relates back to being humble about things. Make sure that you know what is going on with the industry, the key players, your peers in the music game, and everyone that can possibly give you an edge in your career. Always shake hands at every event, and make sure to try and stay in contact with people. Emails can be so effective to staying in touch with people that you aren’t around all of the time. They may not reply but most people read them and remember that when something comes up. Just as a reminder, don't burn any bridges. If someone burns a bridge with you that is one thing but don’t be the one who lights the match. You never know how it can effect your career especially if they are well known and have some pull in the industry.

Know the business side of music

Half of the music business is business. Actually its probably more than half. Either way know whats going on with the financial end. You may have a manager and that is perfectly fine. Actually I recommend it. Just know that all people are not good people. There are plenty of people in the music industry especially that will take advantage of you if you let them. Do some research on all of the business things that you need to know to be successful as an artist and get familiar with that info. There are some really good books and articles out there that can help you understand this more.

Don’t get discouraged

Its a tough industry. Don't let it get to you when things don't go as envisioned. Things will be very rough at times. You will encounter all of the bad things people say about the music industry, you just have to remain true to what yourself and your music. You will probably come across shady people that take your songs, try to tarnish your name, and many other evils that come with the industry. You just have to keep moving and striving to be the best artist you can be and don't let it get you down. If it does have you feeling discouraged just try to not show it. When people see you get that way they seem to want to attack like a hungry pack of wolves. Kill them with success.

Closing Statements

Overall you have to make your music career about yourself. Find out what works for you,and find out what doesn't. Take the things I have put in this blog and make them work for you. Everyone will go about there career different, just make sure that you know what you want and go for it. If you have questions or need some advice then hit me up. I have made myself very accessible to pretty much everyone that wants to get a hold of me. I may be able to answer your questions and guide you in the right direction or I may have no clue. If I don't have a clue I will be honest about it. I know its hard enough without going in the wrong direction because someone gave you bad info or advice. If you want some exclusive advice or want my company to provide some of these services then just know that its gonna have a price tag. I'm not out to try and break your pockets though. I just make a living doing this, and I cant take on any non paying jobs right now. I wish everyone the best of luck in their music career.

God Bless Amerika

Lil Wayne is back to the Wayne form that we grew to love in the 90's. The substance is amazing. I feel like he touches the feelings of most of America. We are broke and fighting against our government for our freedom. "Back to life back to reality" was a great line. It summed up what he has been doing. He kind of took a break from reality to live the life of a Rock Star. The beat tied everything together. The guitar that is very similar to what you hear the modern version of the American anthem played was twisted and strung out to get you on edge when you listen. It takes something classic and relateable and transforms it to what it is in today's reality.

The visual aspect of the video captures the struggle and emotion not only of New Orleans but of all of broke America. It lets you into the mindset of those who are in the worst of situations. If you cant relate then you haven't been there or felt that. No matter what leaps and bounds you have done in your life to get where you are you should feel it if you have been there. Some of the locations and shots really capture what is going on in our nation. The destruction and poverty that plagues this great country. When he is doing his performance shot in the living room with the graffiti over the top that reads "They Don't Care" lets you know where he is placing his anger at. Shout out to the director Eif Rivera.

I thought the timing of this video release was impeccable. Right after the not guilty verdict of George Zimmerman in the Trayvon Martin case. I know that this will cause a stir in the hiphop community as well as the United States. It will definitely open some eyes as to what is going on. I always think it is great to use music as a way to get your points and opinions across especially when it is intended for good and bettering those who don't have the opportunities you do.

Props to Wayne on this one.
Also check out a song we did similar to this over a year ago. It is called "To whom it may concern" by Definition, Jarvis and K-DA.
http://www.reverbnation.com/djwrightful/song/16985969-to-whom-may-concern-definition

#MusicMonday Networkin Event Started

We got the first session of our #MusicMonday Networking Event in the books. Not as many people showed up as expected but we kept it moving anyways. We had a cypher session, recorded a track and got some good footage. I hope that we can continue to build on this event and that it grows to something people will want to be on a guest list for. We also viewed the newest video shot by Definition. The track is "Why Marry" by Ishmel Colion. The song goes hard and so does the video. Check it out and give it a thumbs up. I will have up some footage next week on Monday to promote that week's event. I will release the footage from each week the following week the same way. Artists, producers, beat makers, managers, photographers, videographers, models, graphic designers and all people involved in the music industry are encouraged to come out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1OJRYVqqkk


Also I rerecorded Rona's and Henny Speakin on Sunday and got the sound I am looking for. I changed some things up and it is finally ready to mix and master. It should be released next Tuesday July 23rd. I hope that all of the paperwork gets done in time for it to come out. If not I have a backup plan to get it circulating anyways. So stay tuned for Tuesday to find out how to get a copy.

I took care of a little bit of business yesterday as well. I confirmed the booking for the show on August 3rd at B.B. Kings. I know I will be performing and Lil Ville will be doing the cypher that comes with my slot. Since he cant get in to the club to perform I figured I would hook him up with something. Beezy BOS! and K-DA are set to meet with the promoter this week to confirm their slots as well. So it will definitely be a show with some Officially Well Connected presence.

Speakin of business, if you need studio or video work done hit me up. Also if you don't have cash and like to use card we now accept all major credit cards thanks to PayPal. I received a mobile swiping device this week so we can now take payments anywhere we go.

Also the homie Definition released another video last week. Its pretty out there. The video and track reminds me a lot of the song "Kim" by Eminem. The song is called "Fuck Her" by Chad Cornellies. Check out the video and lemme know what ya think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di6zaNcTwLQ

Ronas and Henny Speakin

So we knocked out the recording of "Ronas and Henny Speakin" last night. The recording definitely turned out better and the song should be released next Tuesday as long as the mix and paperwork go smooth. The track is a real club banga and should get a good buzz goin.

I also talked business with a show promoter and we have a few artists includin myself that will be performing at BB KINGS in Nashville on August 3rd. I will ddfinitely be performing Ronas and Henny Speakin and another track or two. So everyone mark it on ur calendars and come out to show some love. I will have more details next week on both the show and the track release.

Also subscribe, follow, like all of the pages to show some love and keep up to date on all the things goin on wit myself (DJ Wrightful) and Officially Well Connected.


http://www.reverbnation.com/djwrightful

https://www.facebook.com/djwrightful

https://www.twitter.com/djwrightful

http://www.youtube.com/wrightfulproduction1

Good Night in the Studio

Tonight was a great  night in the studio. First and foremost we had a representative from every group in Officially Well Connected. We had myself, Definition, and Jarvis from Wrightful Productions. We had Mac Millionaire from Soul Star, Slim from ATM, X from Street Life, and we had Beezy BOS! and K-DA from Game Tyme Officialz. We had a good writing session and we also discussed some promotional moves in the future.

As far as the promotional moves go we are planning to start doing a #MusicMonday session each Monday. This will be a networking, songwriting, beat making, or listening session depending on where each one takes us. I encourage all artists to come out each week starting Monday July 15th at 6pm. We will be hosting it at Wrightful Productions Studio and the face book page will be below this paragraph. To make this worth the time for artists, producers, managers, beat makers, and musicians we will be filming throughout the session and placing a promo video out each following week. I hope this takes off and we have to move it to a larger venue soon. I feel really positive about the idea and where it can go. Also I will be posting some pictures of the studio below the link for the facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/WrightfulProductionsStudio

Also I have a single that I will be dropping next Tuesday if everything goes as planned this week. Its called " Rona's and Henny Speakin". Its a club anthem so get ready to turn up wit me on this one. I have the artwork already finished but I need to re-record the song. I will be doing that tomorrow evening and mixing it throughout the week. Here is the artwork for it.

 

 

I hope to be on more often I just have to get in the habit of doing it. So tomorrow I will post some behind the scenes footage of me recording " Rona's and Henny Speakin" to give me an opportunity to get some more blogging under the belt. 'Til then yall take it easy and remember to like the pages follow and subscribe to show some love.

 

 

http://www.reverbnation.com/djwrightful

 

https://twitter.com/DJWRIGHTFUL

 

https://www.facebook.com/djwrightful

 

http://www.youtube.com/wrightfulproduction1

It's Been A Minute

Man its been a minute. Since I last got on here we haven't had too many blockbuster events. That being said I am going to promote a few artists that are on the team and a few that we have worked with over the past few weeks.

 

I did start my internship at Clear Channel in Nashville since I last blogged. It is going good and I really enjoy working for bot 101.1 The Beat and 107.5 The River. I have helped with everything from CMA fest to Dave Chappelle. It is really an honor and privilege to get to intern there. I get to do some pretty cool stuff. Everyone should come out and check us out whenever possible. Also listen in to the stations to show some love.

 

I am going to try to get more involved with the blogging and do shorter blogs everyday. I will start tomorrow and try to continue a good consistent pace. I will also try to upload more videos and pics of me putting in work in the studio. So that everyone can see what it is that I do on a daily basis. Trust me some days it is a complete week worth of work to most people.

 

Also I want to get something off my chest. I pissed off another club/venue. I guess we are now banned from The Rutledge in Nashville. I could care less but, this is BS because I did nothing incorrect. If they want to tell me some stuff at last minute about charging me extra because we cancelled within 14 days I have no business with them. If they would have told me that from the beginning or put in a contract then I would have no problem with it. I understood that I was going to lose my deposit because that was made clear, but when you don't have a contract or don't discuss things before hand it isn't good business to try to bring them up at last minute. So to the owner or manager of The Rutledge in Nashville (whom ever  was the one who made the decision) we don't want to be in your establishment anyways. I will also encourage other artists to avoid your venue as well. This isn't the first instance I have heard about with bad business from your venue. As hip hop, rap, and r&b artists, promoters, and managers we are used to having to adapt to the BS that clubs and venues try to impose on us, and as always we will find a way to prevail with or without your help or cooperation. Im not going to say fully how I feel because I am trying to keep my remarks somewhat PG. That's all I have on that one.

 

K-DA did a performance at F-5 in Antioch. There were some difficulties with the DJ so he had to do a song acapella. Myself and Definition got some pretty good footage so check out the performance below.

 

We also filmed our first wedding. It was a bit of a challenge. We got poured on by a huge thunderstorm as soon as the ceremony started but we managed to do pretty well in my opinion. The video isn't public so I cant put a link up for everyone to view it.

Definition also shot a few music videos one of them was Allergic to Money by Saxston ft. 615 Juggernaut. The link to the video is below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF2j6E2F7GQ

He also shot video for Mac Milly the song is called Winning. This is off of Mac Milly's mixtape Call It What U Want. You can check out all of his music at http://www.reverbnation.com/millionaire615 below is the link to the music video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFmItP0WY8s

We also helped film a live performance for Jw2 and TjBeatZ featuring Marissa Milele. The link to the video is below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn8ZHJsTvdU

As always check out the pages and subscribe for new updates.

http://www.youtube.com/WrightfulProduction1

http://www.reverbnation.com/djwrightful

https://www.facebook.com/djwrightful

https://www.facebook.com/OfiiciallyWellConnected

https://twitter.com/DJWRIGHTFUL

http://instagram.com/djwrightful

http://www.youtube.com/DefineUnder

The Grind

What's up everybody! I've been away for a while again. I have been extremely busy working on some projects and getting things together. Since I last blogged we have performed a few times at some nice venues. On April 24th we performed at The End in Nashville. We don't have any footage of that show up yet but it should be coming soon. Beezy BOS! and K-DA did a performance later that week at Island Breeze Café in Nashville. Here is a little bit of footage of Beezy's performance of the song Feelin Like A Million.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGz1hDtuFkI

On May 5th we performed at an artist showcase at The Hard Rock Cafe Nashville that was hosted by King Ryan Events. It was a great opportunity because there was a few judges that actually hold some credibility. Here is our footage from that event.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-B-0O1YFGc

On the music video side Definition shot part of the Neva Forgotten video that I blogged about last time and just needs a few more shots from X to complete that video. He also shot and edited a video for High Rolla called "Coulda Had It Made" ft. D-Real. Its a killer video with an awesome story line so check it out at the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN2_H4t2fYM&list=UUcUA2x4Ki7tDgUeCVr41ROQ&index=20

On top of performances we have been in the studio cooking up some great new tracks and instrumentals that will be dropping soon. We have material coming from K-DA, Beezy BOS!, Skip, X, Sanzio, Sir Preame, Definition, Mac Millionaire, Deuce, myself and a few more artists that have been in the studio grindin it out. Go follow all of these artists on twitter.
@DJWRIGHTFUL
@The_Definition1
@Lil_Beezy_BOS
@Skip4Real_ATM
@Millz615
@deuceburn1
@SirPreameLSMG
@RaphaelSanzio1
@GTOKDA

Speaking of the studio. We moved things around and redesigned some stuff. It now has a more open and spacious feel. It also just looks better. Here is a pic of hot it currently looks.

http://instagram.com/p/ZXB7QCjxRE/#

Also probably some of the biggest news is that I got an internship for my summer quarter with Clear Channel Radio in Nashville. They have the only major Hip-Hop and R&B station in the Nashville area. They also have a few other stations that are in the building so I will be working with all of them. I am the most excited about working with 101.1 The Beat Jamz because of the hip-hop aspect. I will start sometime in June and be working with them throughout the summer.

This is just a quick rundown of the major things going on. If I had time to break it down this blog would be pages long. Long story short; we got big things happening and plenty of big things to come as well. Yall stay tuned to the blog, and if you're an artist that wants featured on here shoot me an email to djwrightful@hotmail.com

I'm Back

Ok so I know it’s been a while since I posted my last blog. A lot has happened since then. It’s been very eventful and stressful but at the same time productive. I will start by saying that unless artists retweet/post/share my blogs and show some support I won’t be doing the reviews of their tracks. I will be recapping my week and posting new material when I get it. Definition and I have come up with an idea to post some behind the scenes footage and at least an instrumental each week. I will also attempt to post a new track each week as well. Now to what's been going on. 

We had an amazing album release party and released the new album from Officially Well Connected titled Winners Circle. The party was crazy and everyone had a great time, at least until the next morning when we had to clean up. The album can be found for download on iTunes and here is the link. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/winners-circle/id597642197

Also we have completed a few new music videos. First we finished Royal Flush by Beezy BOS! and you can view that here.

We also finished a video for X called Burn 1 and here is the link for that.

We also had a show at The Rutledge downtown Nashville on March 3rd. It was a great show with an amazing turn out. Here are a few links to videos from the show.

 

 

 

Both of these videos were filmed, edited, and directed by Definition. We have also started filming for a few other videos for K-DA, High Rolla, and done a DVD of the Compete for Cash showcase for Jay Man. We have an upcoming video shoot for a song by Jarvis, X, and Jae-H for the song Neva Forgotten off of the Winners Circle album. Here is a link to that song for you to check out.

http://www.reverbnation.com/djwrightful/song/16828310-neva-forgotten-jarvis-x-jae-h

A few of us have made trips to other cities to promote the music as well. Definition, Jarvis, Beezy BOS!, and I went to Indianapolis during the Sweet 16 and got an amazing welcome and response from the city. Shout out to DJ Tec for showing love up there. For the Final Four in Atlanta it was K-DA, X, Definition, Jarvis, and I promoting the music and chilling in the city. We had a few complications with the hotel reservations, so it didn't go quite as smooth as Indianapolis. Long story short do not book through hotels.com. We still had a great experience after that though.

We also released a new track not on the album by K-DA ft. Jarvis and Sanzio called Go Gorilla. The song is available for FREE DOWNLOAD at the link below.

http://www.reverbnation.com/djwrightful/song/16848215-go-gorilla-k-da-ft-jarvis--sanzio

We also have a few shows coming up in the future. We have our closest on at The End in Nashville on April 24th. If you would like to come out and show some support here is the link for the tickets.

http://www.aftonshows.com/OfficiallyWellConnected

We also have some stuff planned that isn't set in stone yet as well. We have a show in late May and a show in late June as well.

I have also done a few projects for school, finished a quarter, and started a new quarter of school. I had an amazing class discussion in Media Business and Law about copyrights and royalties and how they relate to getting paid as an artist. We also discussed how this relates and trickles down to all of the other people in the industry getting paid. It really boiled down to people not willing to pay for music and illegally downloading it. I wish everybody would respect and appreciate artists and pay for the songs they are listening to. Not paying artists for the songs is like if you were to go do your job and not get paid for it. Just something to think about, because I put in about 100 hours a week working on music and doing other work in the music industry.

Talk to everyone next week.

Album Release Party

This week started off rough. I started the week off sick. That’s never a good start, but on Thursday, Jarvo, a good friend and artist on the label got in to town for some events. I didn't really accomplish much on Friday or Saturday because of the way I felt. Sunday I had to get caught up on some assignments. I wrote out an interview that I have coming up, I updated my cover letter, and I did some more finishing touches to the radio edit of Only 4 2Nite. Yesterday I ran through the company budget, planned for this weekend's album release party, made a soundscape for a video game idea using only an acoustic guitar, wrote a hook to an upcoming single, and started prepping for some upcoming trips out of town. Looking forward to this album release party this weekend, and I will try and have some pictures to post up next week. Oh yeah ladies Happy Valentine’s Day!

This week I didn’t have enough time to research a good underground track to listen to and review. This is partly because the internet seems to be acting up and running extremely slow. Also a message to underground artists if you would like a song reviewed and featured on here please email me the song and let me know that you want it featured on the blog.

The industry song I am reviewing is Suit and Tie by Justin Timberlake ft. Jay-Z. I like the song overall. I figured I would write about this since it is buzzing this week with the Grammy Awards Performance, the new video, and all of the other buzz. I really didn't like the intro to the song but once it gets started I mess with it. It’s definitely on some grown people stuff. It’s always good to hear music that has a little more meaning behind it than most of the hip-hop out at the moment. It kind of makes me want to rock the suit and tie at the album release party this weekend. It’s definitely an up tempo feel good kind of song that captures a movie scene type of environment when you hear it. Jay-Z adds the perfect element of diversity to it as well. He brings his smooth flow and on point lyrics right where they belong on this song. I love how it slows down to half speed when his verse comes on. I think it’s a good collaboration for both artists and that it's good for the industry in general. I feel like we need more rapper singer collaborations like back in the day. I just think that the tracks have a better feel to them. It conveys soul and meaning when you hear that combination. Other than the intro I like the song, so to Justin and Jay keep doing your thing because you're killing it with this one.

Lessons Learned and New Albums

I started my week off by going to a hip-hop showcase in Antioch. The name of the spot is F-5. All I got to say is that I'm tired of rappers always talking about Choppas n Dope. Friday I had a session with the band I am working with for my class project and we helped them tighten up two of the four songs that we are producing for them. Saturday I helped record for another group in my class. We recorded four songs by a band called Prince Coyote and the Dogmen. It was definitely unique. Saturday night was just a party night with some promotion, but someone hit my car while it was parked in a public lot. Sunday we watched the Super Bowl then went to another showcase at F-5. Once again Choppas n Dope was the subject. Monday I toured two studios. One was a large scale studio, and one was a smaller more real world practical studio. The large scale studio was Blackbird, and the smaller one was Sputnik Sound. I was supposed to have a rehearsal session with the band I was producing for class, but they cancelled at last minute. The band had already changed on me from the original plan, because the drummer I spoke to is in two bands and didn’t inform me that it was a different band than what I knew that he played for. Tuesday I knocked out the first hook of my upcoming album. I had been rearranging it in the car for a few days, and I just decided that I was going to record it that day. I will probably be going back to rerecord it when the beat gets finished, and I record the verses. I also went to a singer songwriter night to try and recruit someone to replace the band I was producing for class. It didn’t produce anything that night, and I ended up only getting like two hours of sleep. That made Wednesday extremely rough. I had to run some errands early then had to get some promotion done throughout the day. There was also a failed attempt at doing my homework that I was going to post on here. I was going to do a screen capture tutorial on Native Instruments Maschine, but I had some issues between the software and my console. I also had to do preproduction for a session that I had with the band later that night. The session didn’t go as planned we didn’t get much laid down because the band was still ill-prepared. This led into Thursday and we now have a new band that we will be tracking on Saturday so I will keep everybody updated on that next week. It was a rough week, but I had some key learning experiences. The good news is that I started on my album and it will be dropping soon. I also discussed some of the details and timelines with Beezy BOS! on his two upcoming albums, and with K-DA on his upcoming album. This means Beezy will be dropping Tunes In My Boombox and Flight 1989 shortly. Also K-DA will be dropping Recognition Respect real soon.

The Underground track I listened to this week was Juggernaut by Overdosa. He is out of Balch Springs, Texas. I liked the song. I thought it was a good beat with sounds that captured the feeling of the track. I thought the mix was severely lacking. The vocals could have come up over the beat a good amount. I also thought the beat could have been mixed much better. I liked it but certain sounds where definitely up in the mix way too much. The piano and the high pitch bell sound in the hook were really noticeable. The choir that came in was a little bit loud as well. The overall blend of the beat was lacking and that may have made it harder to mix the vocals in with it. On a good note I thought he ripped the track. Definitely some killer bars in there. I liked the hook as well. Plenty of variety yet it was catchy enough to keep you in to it and different from the verse. Overall keep grinding and putting music out because there is always room for improvement if you are passionate about it.

The industry track I listened to was Outstanding by Talib Kweli ft. Ryan Leslie. This is a great combination. Talib is one of my favorite artists doing a track with one of my favorite producers, Ryan Leslie. I know Ryan Leslie featured on the track, but I like him most as a producer. I'm not sure, but I'm assuming he produced the song. I like him as an artist as well I just think he is a killer producer. I thought it was an amazing track that should catch on as the weather warms up and people start heavily mingling again. I really like the old school sounding drums with the soft key sytnh, and the strings that come in accent it perfect. I can just picture riding around with the top down in the spring with something beautiful in the passenger seat. It paints a great picture and that is what music is all about. The mix was great as it usually is with industry produced tracks. They just have more money to fund the mixing and mastering stages. They just have more money to fund their music in general. I love the song though.

All in all it was a good week. It didn’t turn out as well as I had planned but I learned from my shortcomings. I always take that as a win.

Keepin the grind goin.

This week has just been one of those weeks where I just got to keep looking forward and pushing this music. It wasn’t nearly as eventful as last week, but I still feel like all I did was work. I had a couple of vocal sessions with artists this week, but it was all album material so I don’t have anything to publish. I did finish mixing and mapping out an instrumental, and I will post a section of it on here. I did get a lot of school work done, including a work tape for the band I am producing in the class that I talked about last week. It was a very interesting session to say the least. They were a little bit nervous because it was their first time working with me, and for the guitar player it was his first time in a big studio. I also did a lot of BS assignments that I hate doing, but I got to pass these classes to graduate in September. One of the assignments I did was to create all of the sounds for a car commercial using just my voice/mouth. I ended up making a few sound effects and just beat boxing over the commercial. It was pretty funny, and I will not be posting that on here. Back to the business side of things, I wasn’t physically there for the final filming day of the music video that we started filming last week, but it did get finished and I will put up a link to that as well. I stayed in contact with the designer that is constructing the Wrightful Productions website, so that will be coming soon. I believe it should be up and running at the beginning of March. Overall it was definitely a more productive week than most weeks last year. I am still going to keep grinding hard every day of this year to ensure that I succeed in this business. That’s my weekly review.

Here is the music video. Start From Scratch  by Beezy BOS! and Skip

Here is the Instrumental I did this week.

Go-Hard-Instruental

For the underground artist that I listened to this week I chose a record label from San Diego, California. I don’t know who the exact artist is because it wasn’t listed on the site that I listened through. The label is Intrigue U Records and the song is called Grown and Sexy. I loved the song from the second it started. It definitely has that West Coast R&B feel. It took me back into 90's, and I loved 90's Hip-Hop and R&B. The only suggestion that I have for the song is to maybe get a rapper to do a verse on it. There was definitely plenty of open room for vocals in the verse. I really liked the overall feel though. The deep melodic vocals compliment that deep bass that drives the track. I also love the simple old school West Coast synth. Plus I love the hook. I think I’m going to lay it down to this track at some point, if you know what I’m saying. That is my underground review for the week.

Next up is the industry track of the week. I know last week I put the industry track first, but I think I am going to start doing it this way from now on. Who knows though, I may decide to switch it all the time. That being said the industry track I listened to a lot this week was Big Boi ft. T.I. and Ludacris In The A. It is a newer single off of Big Boi's newest album Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors. I thought this was a killer collaboration of the best Atlanta has to offer. They are all going to be legends in the game at some point. That’s only if you don’t consider them legends already. I thought the beat went super hard. Only to be completely out done lyrically. I think that each one of these artists just keep getting better with time, and continue snapping on tracks. I look forward to listening to T.I.'s new album Trouble Man, which I just haven’t had the time to go get, and I can’t wait to get the upcoming Ludacris album Ludaversal.

I’m looking forward to another week of adventure in this music circus.

Good start to 2013

This week was somewhat busy. It is definitely a good start to the new year. Throughout the week I recorded for 6 artists. Shout out to Beezy BOS!, Skip4Real, Sanzio, RumbleLouie, Slim Deezy Montana, and Youngen for coming through and getting in the booth. I also mixed and edited two songs for radio play. The songs are off of the recent release Winners Circle by Officially Well Connected. They are the two singles off of the album, Winners Circle and Only 4 2Nite. I got the ball rolling on an upcoming show on March 3rd. I had to get the tickets printed so that we can get some pre-sales. we are using self promotion for the show, so we need as much time as possible to try and get people out to watch us perform. We also did a photo shoot and a video shoot. The photo shoot was done by Definition. He did the shoot for myself, Lil Ville, and Sanzio. We used some different locations at Centennial park in Nashville. The video shoot was for Start From Scratch by Beezy BOS! and Skip4Real. It's another song off of the new album. We filmed a story-line based music video that follows them throughout the day. We also collaborated with Get it Right Entertainment to film a few more episodes for an upcoming web show that we are going to start airing soon. On a lil bit different tip, I started pre-production for a project with a rock band. The band name is Indigo Sol. I will be recording a 3-5 track demo for them, and I had to start planning it out. That's my week in a very condensed summary. It was definitely productive and I cant wait to get to doing more this week.

One of the photos from this weeks photo shoot.

The industry track I want to address is the one that got Lupe Fiasco kicked off of the stage at the Inaugural celebration. I don’t want to address whether it was right to kick him off stage, or whether I agree or disagree with his opinions. I am just going to break down the song. The instrumental really captures the emotion of the song, and propels the flow of the track. The synth tracks are very dark and very dissonant. The synths are also kind of all over the place, which puts you on your toes. It also has a piano which sounds semi-sad, and the other half of the piano sounds triumphant. This combination gives the emotion of being pushed down and getting back up stronger. This fits with the theme of the song because he is essentially asking his listeners to stand up for what they believe in, and speak against the government. I also like how he has the gun shots not as a main part of the beat but as an accent to his lyrical content at the moment. He has some very controversial lyrical content that pushes listeners to analyze the world around them and pay attention to the things that are controlled by the government. The reverb and open sound to the drums also puts the feel of hysteria into the track. The snare reverb swells out and back in as if it is trying to put the listener is in a simulated state of shock. I also feel like Skylar Grey has the perfect voice for the chorus. Also, I really like on his third verse how the beat is EQ'd to make it sound distant and muffled, and how that really brings out his voice to be heard. It kind of portrays how if you keep speaking your voice gets louder. I want to end it with saying that I have become a huge fan of Lupe over the past few years. I think he may be the best artist that is currently putting out albums. He is definitely top three of current artists, and in my top five of all time. You should definitely go check his music out if you haven’t been keeping up with it.

For my underground track, I listened to an artist from Maryland that goes by Infamous A-Smooth. The song I listened to was Step in the District. First and foremost I respect all artists, so I try and give them as much constructive criticism as possible. I always listen to the track about 20 times to get a good idea of what to say. I liked a few things about this song and a few things that I wasn’t feeling. I thought the hook was very repetitive. I like the idea of the hook, but maybe switch up a few things on every other two bars. Like instead of "you say you want it you say you got it" every time, come up with another bar and plug it in every other time. That’s just a suggestion though. Also, I don’t think the delay on the dub of the verse worked that well. I thought it took away some of the clarity, and made it a little bit hard to understand the lyrics. Maybe try shortening the delay if you really want to keep it in the track. This would help the clarity issues. I really liked the delivery overall though. I thought there was great energy in the track. I have two more suggestions. First is to get original beats. You need to bring your own style to your own track. The second is to maybe spend a little more on the mix. If you mixed yourself then maybe pay a mix engineer to do the mix next time. If you had someone else mix it you can do one of two things. Either throw them a little more money to get better quality, or if that is their best, then try and find a better mix engineer. I like your style, and it is definitely something to work with. Just having a few things cleaned up will push you to that next level.

Getting started

What's good blog world? This my first post to my blog. I just want to lay out what I will be covering on here and my credentials. I will cover all genres of music, but have a main focus on hip-hop, rap, and r&b. I will basically cover my week and how hectic it can be in the music industry. I will also write a review of a single or an album from both a mainstream artist, and an underground artist. I will be as critical as I feel about with no holds barred, so if you are an artist reading my review on your music know that is at least my honest opinion. I will try and take requests on who to cover each week. This means if you are an underground artist and want a review on your newest single or album feel free to send me a request. Just know it will be a critique, so if its bad I will let you know. I will also let you know what I think you can do to improve your work.

Let's get to my credentials, because you are probably wondering who is this guy and why does his opinion matter. I will start with the most basic. I am a music fan. I love everything about it. The way it can take from one world to another in an instant is just an amazing feeling. I also think it is a universal language, so I believe that music can be a ground breaking feature in solving major problems.

My second credential is that I am almost finished with Bachelors of Arts in Audio Production. I attend The Art Institute of Tennessee-Nashville and will be graduating at the end of this summer. I maintain a high GPA and have good recommendations from my instructors. I have conducted many large scale projects and have a good understanding of all aspects of the music industry. I also have acquired a great working knowledge of the industry which helps me in other aspects of my music career.

Next up I am a producer. I know this is a very broad term and can be taken as a lot of different positions. I feel that I am actually what a producer should be. I know there are a lot of beat makers in the hip-hop world that consider themselves as producer, but if you just make beats you are not a producer. You have to have the musical skills and knowledge to make a track or album, and see it all the way through. This means you need to be there or involved with the artist during the beginning stages all the way until it is released.

Finally, I have my own record/production company. With the company I do a lot of things on a day to day basis. I am the lead engineer on most sessions, I do almost all of the mixing and mastering, I currently act as a manager for my artists that are with the label, I recruit the talent that I feel has the potential to be successful, I DJ the onstage performances when the opportunity is available, I am an artist on my own label, and I also see all of the artists on the label through the entire process of their music. I also make beats, but that simply doesn't make a producer. Some of the other things that I do, like seeing them through their process of making albums and singles, makes me a producer.

I would love to hear your questions, comments, complaints, and mostly your music. You can email me or hit me up on Facebook, Twitter, Reverbnation, and anywhere else that you can find a profile for me.

Let the music in your head be heard!