The Breakdown
The Breakdown: Manage Me! Manage what, though?
Written by Satori Ananda Wednesday, 10 April 2013 10:15
Satori Ananda is executive assistant to label and multimedia CEO Guy Routte, W.A.R Media,LLC and personal assistant to Pharoahe Monch and Jean Grae. In addition to community activism and social justice organizing Satori has worked with names like Brand Nubian, dead prez, Erykah Badu, Wutang Killer Bee's, Homeboy Sandman, J-Live and more. Currently managing international artists SamUiLL, Pihon and 7Knuckles of Black Chamber Movement keeps her involved in the world hiphop scene as well.
Manage What, Though?
Let me start out saying if you have not yet read my previous article "You are the Product" , I definitely recommend it before reading this. But, if you have caught up then let's talk about representation. A Manager. It seems that everyone successful has one, so you might be feeling like it's what you need to take your success to the next level, too. It's true a well connected manager CAN definitely open some doors. But, let's talk about if YOU are ready to be represented.
Have you decided to pursue music seriously? Or is this more of a hobby for you? The industry at least on local levels is saturated by weekend warriors. You know them.. dudes who feel they should be given all the benefits of full time hard work when they are part time on the scene. They post some links here and there, burn some cd's and expect everyone to put them on their show because they can rhyme a few words together. They have no real goals for their career other than thinking they have arrived to resurrect hiphop. If this is you, you don't need a manager, you just need the open mic schedule.
If you are just getting started and still building your name, working on your product, your social networking or developing your sound.. honestly you don't need a manager. Proper scheduling of self promotion and organization are the best management you can give yourself at this time. Once you notice you are starting to get requests from people (ones you don't know), promoters, blogs etc to perform or inquiring when your next song release is going to be out is a pretty good indication of needing some help with representation.
Creative focus. That is the biggest and best benefit of having a manager. Not having to run around after promoters, send pitches to journalists and bloggers leaves room for rehearsals, creating and recording new music. In the beginning of your career having a friend who is interested in supporting you and may want to break into the industry as a manager can also be a good look for you. It is a mutual benefit to both of ya'll and can serve the early portion of your career without costing you too much money that can be better used to enhance your sound or look.
Does the manager have other clients/responsibilities? This is something to consider because time and availability can become an issue. I struggle with this as a manager. I have artists I work with and artists I work for. Sometimes it gets overwhelming and having to determine which artist get the most attention or the best shows can leave others feeling a way. But, having a manager with various artists on their roster can also be beneficial. Cross promotional and touring opportunities, established names in the industry etc are good looks for the new guy.
Does the potential manager have a good brand themselves? What is their work ethic reputation? Do the knowledge to their character. If you have access to anyone they previously or currently work with don't be afraid to ask questions.
Do you and the manager understand your goals and personal definition of success? This may be the most important.. so definitely make sure YOU can define it for yourself.
The money. How do they expect to get paid for their work with you? There are a few scenarios out there, when contracts come out.. it's lawyer time.
Don't forget this is a business first and foremost. A manager is also in this for their career, it may be based in love but it has to pay the bills for them too. So always remember they have their interests in mind as well. You are the product. It's not personal. If you want to make music and not be involved in the business, the internet allows for that as well. :)
Sa'tori Ananda
W.A.R. Media is an evolutionary multimedia company committed to providing unique, innovative, and exceptional content worldwide. We are the agents of change – We Are Renegade
The Breakdown: Perform for free? Who, Me?
Written by Satori Ananda Sunday, 13 January 2013 13:24
Satori Ananda is executive assistant to label and multimedia CEO Guy Routte, W.A.R Media,LLC and personal assistant to Pharoahe Monch and Jean Grae. In addition to community activism and social justice organizing Satori has worked with names like Brand Nubian, dead prez, Erykah Badu, Wutang Killer Bee's, Homeboy Sandman, J-Live and more. Currently managing international artists SamUiLL, Pihon and 7Knuckles of Black Chamber Movement keeps her involved in the world hiphop scene as well.
So your mom and school told you everyone was special. Kinda not true. If everyone is special then no one is. Sorry if it's the first time you are hearing this. Truly. There is also no Santa Claus (those of you who know I am an atheist should be proud I stopped there. lol). Okay, now I have some good news; being special is actually possible in Hip Hop. Especially right now. Mediocrity is at an all time high. Individuality is almost non existent, and being special is definitely what we need from you. SPECIAL. Please be special.
SPECIAL: distinguished or different from what is ordinary or usual.
Some of you reading this have already determined you are in fact the resurrection of Hip Hop (I know, I know, Hip Hop isn't dead), and are that special someone we have all been waiting for. You just haven't been heard (kinda makes me think - if a tree falls in a forest and no one hears it, does it make a sound?). I can tell a lot of you feel this way, because when people are asked to perform at shows, they think they are worth way more than their value.
Uh oh. We are about to get sensitive now.
VALUE: estimated or assigned worth.
This is the hardest part to decide about yourself and your product. What are you worth? Let's talk about that in terms of business. First, are you treating your brand/music/product like a hobby or a service? Are you one of those artists who does music on the side? If the perception of you is that you just do music "sometimes", you will likely be treated as a non-professional. It is up to you to create the environment that you want to exist within. Do you have a following? Does your performance fee justify the amount of tickets/heads that will be paying to see you? The simple math is this: if you are charging 200.00 for a 15-20 minute set, you would have to be worth at least 25 paying people for the promoter to make any profit off booking you at a door price of 10.00. IF the value of booking you is only worth your performance.
Many artists think that just having a good sounding product and putting time into their craft equals opportunity. Nope. No one really cares. It's a business. Honestly, most people are in the industry because they want to make a living. That means the venue owner, the promoter, the booking agent, your manager, your producer, the printing company, the bartender... everyone involved in making a great show. It's not a charity. It's the entertainment BUSINESS. Being "special" is what will keep you in the business longer. Once you are about your business. And that means having a show. That means getting on as many stages as you can to perfect your presence, lots of rehearsal time, and studying the greats who came before you. It means studying video from the audience perspective. Have someone record the audience to catch their emotions and participation during your set.
There are other ways though that can make booking you worth the value you have determined for yourself. These are negotiating points in your favor when speaking with promoters or talent buyers. Okay, so let's say you have rocked many stages but don't yet have a following that would purchase tickets, but you are great with promotions and street team work. You can often provide proven methods of how you would help spread the word about the show, which would translate to ticket sales. Or perhaps you can sell tickets in advance which would equal the amount of money you feel you are entitled to. In reality, no one is trying to risk losing out on booking your act just because they believe in your music. If you find those people.. don't let them go. They are a gift!
A few ways to increase your worth by gaining fans, which in turn become paying audience members, is to optimize your online presence thru blogging about other subjects and people. Create a website with your music AND other topics that will drive traffic, research SEO :). Get friendly with DJ's, they are still the most organic way to build a credible buzz in the underground about your sound - if it's "special" lol. Ask people personally to listen and write reviews. Word of mouth has never gone out of style. Open mics are your friend. Leave your ego at home and get on the stages at the local mics. Go to areas you don't usually frequent. Believe me.. if you are "special", people in attendance will start talking, tweeting and everything else.
REALITY CHECK: corrective confronting of reality.
Is everyone else getting paid but you? Are they REALLY?
The truth is, at many larger shows there are set fees for opening acts. It has nothing to do with your fee or how much the headliner makes. It has even less to do with the preset value you have for yourself, and a lot more to do with the show budget. If you are headlining there are situations where you can negotiate a door deal, and that is great if you have a following or if you have that HUSTLE!
sidenote: If I owned a venue that would be the only way I would book local talent.. real talk. It separates the hobby from the career artists QUICKLY.
At very large shows the value of performing may be promotional. And that can be priceless. In some cases there are what is called "buy on".. this is where unknown groups/artists are actually paying to be the supporting act. WHAT.. you didn't know? Now you do. Many artists have invested in this type of promotional tour. It is a type of distribution opportunity because you are being given access to their fans and you can give away or sell CD's. Once again, I recommend this for "special" acts. It pays off if you are truly special, because everyone will be talking about you, which increases your future worth.
Value is determined by you. Weigh the options of money vs. promotional opportunity. Decide what investments are smart moves if you find yourself coming out of pocket to travel to shows that don't pay cash, or pay less than you are desiring.
Remember, access to fans when you have merchandise AND did something SPECIAL on the stage can turn into a great money making opportunity while you build a fan base.
So yeah.. keep working on being special, star. And special will pay off.
Sa'tori Ananda
W.A.R Media
@satori06
"We Are Renegades"
W.A.R. Media is an evolutionary multimedia company that is committed to providing unique, innovative, and exceptional content worldwide. We are the agents of change – We Are Renegades
Pharoahe Monch "DAMAGE" now on iTunes
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/damage-single/id564663556
Download Jean Grae's song "Kill Screen"
http://soundcloud.com/warmedia/kill-screen
Kill Screen Video - http://youtu.be/QzK-fn9NaCE
Download Mela Machinko's new song "What You Want Me to Do ? (I'm Sorry)"
http://soundcloud.com/warmedia/mela-machinko-what-you-want-me
Pharoahe Monch W.A.R album in stores & available on iTunes now!
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/w-a-r-we-are-renegades-bonus/id424258341
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The Breakdown: You Are The Product
Written by Satori Ananda Tuesday, 20 November 2012 20:30
One of the questions I get asked the most often is how to market and brand effectively. My response is generally, "What is your goal?". Often that question is met with silence. Surprisingly, many artists haven't thought too deeply about their target audience, their sales goals, or the strategy to reach their goal. In today's market, especially in the underground as well as the up & coming scene YOU are your own public relations, marketing firm, and sales team. Having a firm goal and personal measure of success is critical to manifesting your dream.
Okay, Satori... sooooo help me out here. How do I set a goal? Success is personal. I can't define it for you and you can't define it for me. It could be financial freedom, (does that exist? lol) personal fulfillment, it could be radio play or getting signed to a major label. So first figure out what success means to you. Deal with reality, people. Please. Else you are only setting yourself up for disappointment.
TweetThe Breakdown: The Fan (EOHH 2012)
Written by Satori Ananda Sunday, 08 July 2012 00:00
It's Monday following the Elements of Hip Hop 2012. Pics and videos from Saturday are still being posted on Facebook, and I am looking at my new friend requests from the people I met while thinking about playing a couple of the CD's I was handed throughout the day. My car still houses the t-shirts I copped from vendors and my windshield is colorfully decorated with about 8 flyers. As I said its Monday AFTER the Elements festival.
There were so many highlights this year, so many " did you see that" moments and from a couple of perspectives (artist manager, Poor Vida affiliate and culture aficionado) I can't say there were any flaws (big ups to Christina and J Lo) .. it literally appeared to be perfect. And that is from ME, a definite scene critic.
I considered for a couple of days prior to the event which Hip Hop Element I was gonna cover on The Breakdown: the Emcee, The DJ/Producer/ The Graffiti, or the B-Boys... but I chose instead to cover something each of us in the culture can relate to being. The common denominator of us all. The FAN.
An element is a pure substance which cannot be broken down into simpler substances.
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The Breakdown: Poor Vida Affiliated 2012
Written by Satori Ananda Thursday, 10 May 2012 10:21
** Editor's Note **
The Breakdown is a new section of the Poor Vida website, written by our friend Satori, who is a promoter & activist in Dallas. You probably know her, and if you don't, you probably should. This new section will feature Satori speaking on a variety of topics - album reviews, video breakdowns, social commentary, etc. Basically, Satori will be speaking her mind. Knowing that her razor sharp focus may not always cast some subjects in the kindest of light, we asked her to kick off this series by turning the spotlight on our own most recent project, the Poor Vida Affiliated Mixtape. So grab a copy (posted at the end of the article), and check out what she has to say.
When I got my copy of Poor Vida Affiliated SXSW2012 I didn't listen to it for a couple of weeks. I kept seeing it in my car but for whatever reason I didn't make the commitment to open the plastic. I walked in one afternoon at SamUiLL and Pihon's crib and heard a rockish beat being played with a catchy hook and background being sung by a female I didn't recognize (it ended up being track 5 by A.S.A.P). I looked on the table and saw the Poor Vida Affiliated sleeve and was rewarded with my 1st of many listens.
So straight up I expected to see some familiar names on any Poor Vida production. I knew it would definitely have a Drama the King track, a Neva Dug Disco crew joint, and probably some Mozez tha Great. I wasn't disappointed and the strong opening by Art-of-Fact & Molekular was definitely the welcome mat I was looking for. "One Mo Gain" and a couple other joints from the project made their way into my personal rotation. When Art of Fact said "didn't have to chase my dreams / music chased me in em" it kinda set the tone for me.
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