DIY-- Common Ground For The Small to Larger Band And Artists
Do you think you have what it takes to be the best? Do you have what it takes to be on the big screen, rock a stadium?
In the words of Montell Jordan "THIS IS HOW WE DO IT!"
With the tide against me (a usual day in my music career)--various racial slurs being emailed to me, put downs, and hate-filled statements balanced with the occasional support of my family, I decided to continue this grind of independent music. I want to let you know that the better you do, the more people hate on you (this includes your family sometimes). The more successful you become, the more people try to bring you down.
But then once, that one time, it suddenly happens, and you begin to feel people are supporting you. I have found this out in the past few months. When you begin to let people support you and just treat everyone nice in return, it can happen. People are supportive. If you're circle is not supportive and conducive you might be in the wrong circle.
Ironically (or not), I found myself, all by myself as usual, on a plane trip to Hip-Hop Kemp, a festival that features hip-hop from all over the world at some old air base in Hradec Kralove, 1 1/2 hours out of Prague, with hopes I might be on that "summer jam screen" as Jay-Z says. After $1000 in expenses, 3 pairs of socks, shorts and underwear, and a carry-on bag filled with tee shirts and CDs, I decided to do a PR campaign in a city who’s name I can not even pronounce! Mind you, I landed on stage, with everyone who is anyone in underground rap.
I approached every video camera back stage and demanded an interview and offered a custom freestyle just for their audience. I gave out CDs and sold them as well. I needed to build the adrenaline. Not for my sake, but for my careers sake. I realized the impact I was making was not as a tourist, but as a hard working musician overseas in Europe with the opportunity to make tons of friends.
I rapped on every bus. I rapped in every cab. I performed for every soul I met there with the intention of making it bigger than I was before I got on that plane to Paris or to Prague.
Whether you are holding an iPod letting people listen to your indie rock band at the last Bamboozle Fest or rapping in a cypher or playing your music on a sidewalk in Austin, Texas, there is not other thing you need to do except "believe."
In face to face conversation statistics say that 7% of the things you say will be remembered, 36% of your tone of voice is remembered, and 54% of your body language will help you be remembered in how convincing you are. That's crazy, right? Only 7% of what you say is remembered. By the end of the festival, I did interviews with media from Croatia, UK, France, Italy, Germany, Russia, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Austria. I speak English, Hebrew and Spanish. Go figure.
So whether you are a band, comedian, rock-star on a acoustic, emcee, or the average fire juggler, you better BRING IT...because if you don't believe it, it can’t be done.
* November 10 is the release date of Kosha Dillz' highly anticipated solo debut, Beverly Dillz produced by Belief. It is awesome because you can drink a lot of coffee while listening to it without eating pastries, which leads to less weight gain than the normal album listening session.*
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
