Closing out 2023 and setting up 2024

 Holy shit it has been 5 years since I posted to this blog!  This is all changing as we close out 2023 and move into 2024.  So what does this mean for the blog?  Well I plan to cover as many concert events as I can this next year, attend the 2024 Gathering of the Juggalos, review as many albums as I can for Faygoluvers.net and most of all get back to the energy and love of the Juggalo community!  This post is short but I will be working hard the next week to get a review of some new music posted!  If you want me to review your album hit me up at juggalotus0069@gmail.com

Peace,

Juggalotus

Successful artist or weekend hobbyist?

This blog is going to give the secret to making it in the music business, hell any business for that matter. 

The secret is this, surround yourself with people whose primary goal and focus is helping you get ahead.  Not pushing their own agendas, projects, or ideas.  Artists should hire a good manager who will do everything in their power to help the artist make money (if the artist makes money so does the manager!).  The manager of course will have a contract that has percentages of the profits on shows, merchandise, and appearances that go to them for their time and effort in promoting, finding shows, setting up merchandise deals, etc.  Most contracts have options to cancel if you are not satisfied with their services, if they don't be wary.  Your manager will have a majority of control of the business side of  your career, this is what you want.  If they are a good manager they will handle all business affairs, while including you in the decisions, with your best interest in mind.  They will help you hone your craft and produce the best possible product to market you effectively.  I can tell you from experience there in no artist in the world who can handle both the business and creative side of things.  It is way too much for one person or two people to do.  At the same time a manager should help you with the quality of sound and production they should not take over what you write, how you write it, or any part of that process. 

Over the past 6 months I have watched as people close to me surrounded themselves with "friends" that were helping them in the music business.  These so called friends may have had the best intentions when they started out but as I have watched I see these people doing everything except helping the artist get ahead.  In most cases the "friends" are riding the artists coat tails to fame and notoriety while doing nothing to help that artist get ahead. 

In a few cases their lifelong friends have managed to drain the artist of their money while doing nothing to help them get money back.  They do this by stretching the artist in too many directions, get them involved in things that are not relevant to their careers, or have them running and doing shows that are not benefiting the artist. 

Some of these so called friends are what I call part timers or hobbyist in the business.  They will put in minimal effort, finances, and time to the project they are working on with the artist.  By doing this they force the artist to pay for a majority of the albums, shows, or merchandise out of their pockets while barely doing enough to "make it work."  I have said many time that there a only a few traits an artist must have to be successful.  Those traits are:

-Commitment
-Willingness to invest in themselves
-Natural talent
-Willingness to learn and adapt

That is the most simplified list.

The last thing these "friends" do is drag you into their drama filled lives.  They will fail to pay rent and get you kicked out of houses or apartments.  They will make it a point to make drinking, drugs, and living the "rock star life" the number one priority.  They will allow their personal trials and tribulations to ge tin the way of doing what is best for the artist.

It was said to me not too long ago that the music business was just like any other business.  The example I was given was an author and editor.  Authors are wary of trusting editors to edit their work.  They are worried the editor is more concerned with making money off of the author.  When in reality a qualified and great editor will do everything in their power to make that author successful.  By doing this the editor will make more money over the long term.  This same principal applies to musicians, athletes, or anyone else who must market themselves to make it.

Please don't think I am naive to the fact there are shitty managers out there who do take advantage of artists.  I understand that any business can be abused.  I would ask all of you artists this simple question, what are the people around you doing to help you?  If you cannot think of a long list of things they are doing to pitch in and promote you as an artist, maybe it is time to change your circle.  I know a lot of you have life long friends that you wouldn't want to cut ties with.  But if those people are weighing you down and hurting your career why would you want them around?  Your manager should be your friend and closest confidant.  They should be the one you talk with about where you want your future to go knowing they will work their ass off to help you get there.

If you have 10 different projects going on with close friends how do you have time to complete your solo work?  How are you finding the money to support all of those projects?  How many of those projects are you in with part timers? 

If you are the only person putting 100% effort into your career and projects while others are just along for the ride it should not matter how long you have been down.  This is a business first and foremost.  If that isn't your focus then you need to reconsider what you are doing.

Do you want to be a successful artist or a weekend hobbyist?

Why local Hip Hop is failing

Since I have moved to Tucson I have noticed the same thing I have noticed in any city I have lived in for the past ten years, Local Hip Hop artists refuse to support other artists in their cities.  There seems to be this accepted understanding that if you or your friends do not like another group of people you have to do everything you can to stop them from making moves.  I understand that the complex mix of envy, jealousy, fear, anger, and loyalty drives this idea.  The local hip hop scene is dying a slow death because of this philosophy. 

  The solution to this problem is quite simple, whether you like the music they make or not you should have respect for the fact they are trying to make it just like you.  The other day on Facebook the guy who runs the Tucson Rap page posted a cypher which had 4 white guys on it as part of his Southwest Cypher Series.  Almost immediately another rapper posted this:

 "Y'all need to stop showing these whack white boy rappers and focus on artists. The only true artists in tucson are EMG, EZ Goin, the Kennedy's and efresh. Stop showing this stupid typical tucson rap because that's why no one gives tucson love."

This is exactly what I am talking about.  This guy has a few people he supports and because of race has decided the guy on that cypher are whack.  It is a fact one of the best rappers in the world is Eminem and he is white.  I think it is time we move beyond the idea that a persons skin color makes or breaks their ability in Rap and Hip Hop.  Why does it matter if the guys on the cypher are white?  It doesn't.  Stacc Styles is one of the best chopping rappers in this city.  Crookyd is hands down one of the best battle rappers here.  They have been asked to perform at shows and have been the only Tucson rappers on the bill.  This isn't by chance it is because they work constantly on their craft.  They don't make cheap ass music or music videos.  The hustle hard, make quality music, and always have their eyes on what is important, their career and what they want to accomplish.  That is how you succeed.  They also show love to anyone trying to make it and actually doing the work needed to make it.  Rap isn't a hobby, I have said it before, it is a business.  In order to succeed you need to do anything and everything to make it.  Deprive yourself of sleep and other things to make your dreams happen.

There have been times I have heard people say "I would love to see the headliner but I don't support the locals on the show so I am not going."  How does this make any sense?  You should be buying tickets to shows for the headliner not the locals.  Who knows if people gave someone they heard was whack a chance they might actually dig what the guy(s) do.  If local scenes continue to get shows of 25-30 people and by the time the headliner is out you can count the fans on your hands because the fans only came to support their friends then rappers and other artists who can give you exposure will not come to town.  Then nobody wins.  Small or big a national tour can get you exposure and fans nationwide.  If any artists refuses to see that then it is time to quit and get a 9-5 job.

There is a movement by some on social media to "support locals" and that in words is great.  But the same people who post such things do not back up that idea with actions.  What they in turn are saying is "Come support my friends because I think they deserve it, but I will not return the favor."  As local shows refuse to support one another the entire movement fails.  Not until we can all band together and support people because of their hustle, abilities, and drive and stop hate because of envy, jealousy, fear, anger, and blind loyalty will the hip hop movement in any city begin to see success and love from anyone outside of that city. 

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Paying dues

The more I work with artists on all levels in the music business the more I am seeing the downfall of the industry.  Far too many rappers bring the street mentality to business.  By this I mean they handle their music career like they would handle a drug deal on the street.  Established artists continually fail to remember that they once were opening shows in their local areas and struggling to make ends meet.  They use their position in the business to abuse, intimidate, and use local acts to pad their bank accounts.  Popular performers in local cities are charging nationwide touring prices for a show in their home cities.  And up and coming artists are no longer willing to put in work to get known and advance their careers beyond the local level.

Each of these things is killing the business locally and nationally.  I am going to break each one down so I can expand on the problems I see and ways we can overcome these issues and once again make live music exciting, profitable, and most of all trustworthy.

First the big name acts.  These people have paid their dues.  They deserve to get paid above the cost of their tours to do a show.  They have earned the right to ask people to pay a reasonable ticket price to see their shows.  They have marketed themselves, have national exposure and following, and have earned their spot on the ladder.  The problem comes in when these acts use that position to not only exploit promoters and local acts but abuse their position and prevent others from making moves up the ladder after them, thus killing competition.  I have personally seen "street tactics" used to exploit promoters for money that they were not entitled because shows had been cancelled.  These shows usually do not have a non-refundable deposit (Which would protect that shows cost for the artist) and normally do not have a signed contract to back up their claims.  So the artists end up making verbal threats and resorting to these "street tactics" to exploit money they are not entitled.  The other way they kill up and coming artists is by charging thousands of dollars to do a verse for the newer artists.  Most of the time the big name artist does little to no actual thinking about the verse they record.  They give a canned verse to a beat or a verse they had recorded for something else.  There are some out there that do not do these things and those people have earned my respect.

Next we have the big local name act.  These guys may be known in the city, state, or region they are in and are entitled to get paid a small amount to do shows in these areas.  They have earned the right to charge a few hundred dollars and travel expenses to do shows but not more than that.  These guys usually are easier to deal with but some can still have the ego issues and have been known to back out of shows at the last minute and not give the booker/promoter anything back for the time, energy, and money invested in promoting these guys for those shows.  A lot of these guys promote their own shows and then fall into the habit of charging openers high amounts to fill slots on their shows knowing their notoriety locally will "encourage" the smaller local acts to pay just to have the right to say they were selected by the artist to open their shows.  Once again not all of the bigger local names are like this and you can find trustworthy people to work with.

Lastly is the local guys who have paid to open shows for these big local or national names and now feel entitled to be paid for their performance, not have to sell tickets, or be treated like a big fish when they are not.  These people usually resort to "street tactics" because that is all they know.  Some sell drugs, are in gangs, and are too young to have any business experience or knowledge.  Those reasons are why "beef" gets brought into shows causing violence and making venues not host any hip hop or rap shows.  Cities that have been huge support cities for major artists have been crippled by these things.  These artists have yet to earn their stripes.  They haven’t paid their dues.  They have no right to charge a promoter to open the show with no guaranteed ticket sales or assistance in promotion.  In my blog "what-exactly-is-pay-to-play" I outline how a show should be booked and promoted.  This format makes everyone some profit for every show.  This is the format these types of people should be following when they do local shows.

I have quite a few low and mid-level artists in the business that I speak with frequently and they agree that this format is the best one for everyone.  Many of the mid-level guys still only charge a small appearance fee and travel costs to go anywhere and do a show.  They do this not because they can’t get paid more money but they understand they haven’t earned that right yet.  They are still grinding and hustling to get known nationwide.  They know how to properly work up in this business.  These types of artists give me hope that live music isn't and will not be dead in the near future.

There was a time in this business it was like a family.  We all looked out for one another and supported each other because we had to in order to survive.  We all went to shows, stayed for everyone’s sets, bought merchandise from others, and stood by one another to make every show a kick ass time.  I truly believe this mentality isn’t dead.  I believe that honest hard working artists still exist and know that by grinding, paying their dues, and supporting others will pay off in the end.  Yes there will always be snakes who take advantage of this.  That is why we must stand up and stop these abuses from happening.  Stop paying high value for minimal effort.  Stop letting these abusers get away with it.  This is a BUSINESS and should be handled as such.  Live music should be an event.  It should make people not want to leave because for several hours they were able to leave their problems and worries at the door and cut loose.  In the end everyone should leave with something, whether that is money, memories, or new friends.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

The Movement

A ton has happened in the last week and I have learned a great deal.

First thing I wanted to formally address was the first show Wicked Butterfly Entertainment booked and promoted here in Tucson, the Snug Brim Arroggant Tour. After James Barone royally screwed that tour booking up Snug Brim trusted a long time friend to rebook the tour. For those who don't know James Barone was taking deposits from promoters and artists and not passing the cash onto Snug Brim. Anyway the tour got re-booked and I sent Snug Brim the first half of his appearance fee, $225.00. Not a lot but it was what had been negotiated. After he got that money I could not reach him for any kind of flight info, arrival times, or anything. Bottom line is Snug Brim no-showed the appearance and has yet to return any of that deposit money back to me. No I normally don't air dirty laundry on here but I think if a thief is discovered they should be called out! Despite that fact the show went awesome. I heard many comments that it was the best local show they have had here in Tucson in many years. As many of you know from previous blogs I promote so that the artists, venues, and myself all make money in the end. If you want to know how I do it go back and read my last few blogs. The night had a variety of local Tucson Hip Hop artists. They included first time performances by From Tha Ash and Chi!pz, Full Kontakt Entertainment, Tha Silent 1 & J Dawg, The Source and Cultivate Creative Sound(CCS) stepped up as the headliners. Top to bottom all of the acts performed very well. The crowd showed love consistently throughout the night for all of the acts. In the end we all had a kick ass time and I think we all are looking forward to the next show as I bring T.O.N.E-Z and Poe Whosaine to Tucson Aug 28th!

Now to the main theme for the post, The Movement. I have seen this past week a lot of love for my promotion method and how it benefits everyone at the show. I had several people come up to me at the show and after and state that they have never seen a crowd stay through every act in a show. Like I said all the acts and their fans stayed at the show and gave each and every act love. In the weeks leading up to the show all the artists were given a chance to make money bringing people to the show, and I hope most did in the end. So I am starting The Movement, the Promoters and Artists working together to make each and every show a success. Instead of each side trying to screw the other so they make more money, everyone works together and everyone makes money. Sure no one person or group is making thousands of dollars on the shows but in this economy every hundred bucks helps. There are too many times I have seen headliners do what Snug Brim did to me, get a deposit(make it non-refundable) and not show to perform. This hurts everyone and it needs to stop. Artists, if you are paid to show up and perform, do it! That is easy. The promoters are paying you, covering hotel costs, and in some cases travel cost and all you have to do is show up and do 45 min to an hour on stage, that is your JOB! Mars told me once he keeps a list of promoters and performers he has worked with. Each one has notes, if he trusts them and a label on if he will work with them in the future. I have started to keep a list as well. I hope as The Movement gets going we can build a network of trustworthy promoters and artists so we all can get ahead in the music business. That is what it is a BUSINESS! In my blog Business or Hobby  I make it clear where I stand.

The next show Wicked Butterfly Entertainment is hosting is DJ Clay's Scratch the Surface Tour with Mars in Albuquerque, NM on July 26th! 2 weeks away so get the word out!

I truly feel as though this movement is needed and wanted in the business. Leave me some comments and let me know where you stand!

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

The more you know

  Wow has it been a month already?!  I know I have been super busy but heck I have had a ton to blog about, especially with the events happening in the underground.  Here is a quick list of topics I am going to give some thoughts on!

1. KMK vs Subnoize
2. The Gathering of the Juggalos 2013
3. Breaking the fourth wall and getting to know artists/rappers personally

So lets get at it!

A lot has been said back and forth between KMK and Zinger of Subnoize Records.  My take is this, what happens between them is really not important to fans of the label or music.  The only thing affected by all of this is who is involved in business at Subnoize and what label pays KMK.  The music is still going to be released by both entities.  Various Subnoize artists might jump ship if Daddy X does not manage to get the label and forms his own, then again they might not.  This is yet another camp diving into chaos.  A few years ago the top labels in the underground were Psychopathic and Subnoize.  Now they are both in a free fall due to internal conflict and Strange has quietly taken the top spot.  I know there are those of you who would disagree but I guess it is all a matter of opinion and since this is my blog that is my opinion!  I will continue to buy KMK albums, review KMK albums, and support their music.  I will also continue to support Subnoize and any artists associated there.  I have friends on both sides of this argument and respect everyone involved for their contributions to our music genre as a whole.  If you were a KMK fan before this stuff, you should be a fan after, period.

This years Gathering of the Juggalos has been dubbed "Rise of the Underground". I have no issue with Psychopathic giving love and some spotlight to Underground artists as long as their intention is just that.  I think Kung Fu Vampire deserves to have a slot on the main stage along with several other big names in the Underground.  But my fear is that the shift in focus is due to Psychopathic saving money either but cutting corners and not trying to get big name artists (Ice Cube, Ice T, etc) or no big name artists being willing to show some love.  As we have seen in the past few years big name artists get booked and just fail to show.  I hope it is just that, a fear of mine.  I do think Psychopathic should spotlight more Underground artists but I do feel there is a place for a few big names on the bill too.  I hope to be able to attend the Gathering again this year and hope it is as fresh as it was last year.  I would also like to see more Family love.  Last year the golf carts were rarely seen and when they were the main guys (ICP, Twiztid) were not on em.  I saw ABK, Chop, and a few other but the big guys stayed hidden away.  Maybe I just missed em I am not sure.  So that is my take on the Gathering this year.

Now with both of those topics out there let me say the past year and a half has been very eye opening to me.  I have had the oppotunity to do some great interviews for Faygoluvers and meet a lot of good guy and bad guys in the business.  That is when I discovered that breaking that fourth wall is a blessing and a curse.  Now I am not going to name people who I love as artists but really have grown to dislike as people but I will give you all a glimpse at artists who say they support the family and actually are good people on and off stage.  The first guy I can say is a down to Earth dude is Bukshot.  I contacted him about a collab for my guys in Black Project and he was nothing but professional.  We talk often and I consider him a friend in business and life.  He has nothing but respect from me.  Another is Kung Fu Vampire.  I have met and talked with him quite a bit and he is always down to chop it up.  Respect is definitely earned by me as well.  Potluck, cool dudes who always have love for the Juggalos and have earned my respect on many levels.  Liquid Assassin, great guy and I hope to work with him in the future.  Mr. Grey, met him at the KFV show in Mesa, cool dude and definitely talented.  Mars, some people hate him and some people like him, my interactions with him have been all on the positive.  He sat down for my very first interview and has done several collabs with my guys.  I consider all of these guys my friends as they have always held themselves to a higher standard and make me appreciate this business.  Now on the other side there are guys I have met and they all seem dope at first but as I have gotten to know them and how they do business I realize they are self centered, egotistical jerks who will only be cool with you as long as you can do something for them.  Unfortunately there are a ton of them in the business and they make me question being involved at all.  Luckily the guys who I mention first have made it all worth while. 

As a fan I had respect for many artists and as a reported/reviewer/interviewer I have lost respect for some.  I guess that is the real pitfall of being involved beyond the fan level.  Do I regret it, hell no!  I love what I do.  I love listening and reviewing everything submitted to me by artists and Scottie D.  I have nothing but love and respect for all artists out there grinding on a daily.  I hope to continue to provide this blog, Faygoluvers, and other media outlets positive vibes on the Family and movement.  Most of all I appreciate everyone who comes here and checks out my brain droppings and then goes over the Faygoluvers and hits up my reviews.  I have Much Family Love for life.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Brutal Honesty

For a while now I have written blogs about honesty in music.  This week I got a shock when a review I did on an rapper's CD led to his quitting.  Yes you read that right, I made him quit.  The CD was good as far as recording quality but it lacked substance, originality, and passion.  Since I started reviewing CD's for Faygoluvers.net I have prided myself on giving brutally honest reviews.  I have done a few negative reviews in the past and had artists take my criticism to heart and change the way they do things.  I have also had artists disregard my opinion totally.  But never have I had someone quit.  I have said in the past that any artist in any genre needs to surround themselves with people who will tell them the truth.  People who will tell them when what they are doing is not good or needs improvement.  So many rappers surround themselves with yes men.  People who refuse to tell them what they are doing might need work for fear of losing their friendship.  So it came as little suprise that this review was so hurtful the guy quit.  I hope he takes it in stride, modifies what he is doing, and comes back to prove me wrong.

I do not review albums this way to be cruel or force people to stop being creative.  I do it because without that brutal honesty the whole genre suffers and gets a bad name.  I am trying to make the overall acceptance of the music more common.  There are a ton of talented artists in Horror Core that are often overlooked or lumped in with the unimaginative and uncreative masses in the genre.  I have reviewed so many artists who deserve to "make it" but are not even given a glance because they are Horror Core.  I will never back down from the standards I have set for music.  I will always be as honest as I can in my opinions.  But at the same time they are just that, my opinions.  I do not expect everyone to agree with me, heck I expect at least 90% of people to have a different opinion.  I always welcome comment, opinions, and feedback.

Scottie D over at Faygoluvers appreciates my honesty as do many big name artists in the Underground.  That is why I will never comprimise that position.  If we as fans, reviewers, and artists set a higher standard for our craft we can make positive changes.  We can make our genre more accepted.  If no one speaks up nothing changes.  Sure 1 man can't changes the world but no man speaking up cannot change anything.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Can't believe it's been 2 years!

In looking at my blog stats I was very happy to see it finally passed 9300 page views!  I never thought it would get that many.  Then I was looking back at all my posts and realized an even bigger achievement, this blog has been going strong for 2 years yesterday!

The evolution of the blog is funny to look at because it started as a way for me to show support to Juggalos/Juggalettes and help promote the Family in a positive light.  Since that time things in my life have changed and evolved.  I now manage Black Project in their music, write reviews of CD's for Faygoluvers.net, am doing freelance reporting for American Media Distribution (Hopefully they will send me to the Gathering to write a positive story and get rid of more stigma associated with us), have booked and promoted a concert, and have worked with a lot of Underground artists and gotten to know them which I never expected.  It is so funny to me that my life went for 31 years and then the last 2 have gone by so fast it makes my head spin.

The current theme in my blog is giving advice to artists, promoters, bookers, and managers.  I am no expert but I do business honestly.  I truely think we need more honesty in this business.  Now I have had my share of haters and that is ok with me.  I respect everyone's opinion and welcome any comments all the time on this blog.  I take an active role to respond to everyone in some way and show my appreciation for the time they give to read my ramblings.  I have started a new non-rap blog this year which has yet to get it's legs but hopefully soon. 

I am very intersted to see where we go from here.  If you are a regular reader know that I appreciate you taking the time to read this.  If you are new welcome!  Feel free to comment or hit me up on email.  I am looking forward to more years to come!

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Business or Hobby

  So since my last post I have had several discussions with some rappers that feel my views might not be right in the context of the business today.  They have told me I am out of touch.  I disagree completely.  I also have been told that too many rappers today look at music as more of a hobby than a business, thus why this blog post is being written.

What are some things that make music a business vs a hobby?

1. Quality of recordings.  Rappers today do not feel the need to pay money for an actual sound engineer to mix and master their music.  They feel that their $300 mic and closet setup are good enough to sell records.  There was a thread on the Faygoluvers forums about Fruity Loops which touched on this.  It was the view of one of the participants that in his studio he could get a recording 96% perfect so why should he pay money to get it to be 99% perfect.  My answer is simple, his mixing and mastering is no where near 96%, at best he puts out 60% as for the quality of the recording.  Not because he doesn't have the skills but because he doesn't have the compressors and other equipment needed to even out and fine tune the tracks properly.  95% of rappers today do not know how to properly level the music and vocals so they are even and sound the best they can.  A trained and educated engineer can do that and more.  I have had a few people I work with that thought their recording, mixing, and mastering were on point.  Then I take their track into the studio with a pro engineer and when I am done they have realized the difference immediately.  If you are not willing to pay for quality you think of Rap as a hobby.

2.  Fan base.  If you are the hottest rapper in whatever city you are in that is good on you.  If no one except people from your city know you, you are doing it wrong.  To move from this being a hobby to a business you need to expand your fan base, do shows in as many cities and states as possible, and put in the work to get your name known by more people.  The fans worldwide should eventually know you and what you do, if that isn't happening, you think of Rap as a hobby.

3.  Performance.  Most new rappers need as many performances as they can in the beginning to shake the nerves, get used to the stage, and learn how to play the crowd.  The problem is rappers who don't learn anything while doing these performances.  If you do a show once a week and never change what you are doing, you are wrong.  You should grow with each and every performance.  You should have people around you willing to tell you what worked and what didn't work in the show.  Accept criticism.  No matter how long you have been doing this business there is always room for improvement.  There is always a young guy or gal on your heels that will some day pass you up.  The time most rappers spend at the top is relatively small in comparison to how long they worked to get there.  If you are happy doing a show once a week, never making things better, and surrounding yourself with yes men, you think of Rap as a hobby.

4. Money.  The number one thing that shows you consider Rap a business and not a hobby is money.  If you are not spending money to improve your product with confidence that it will be returned you are destine to fail.  We all can say all the time "I could get paid nothing and I wouldn't care.  I do it for the love of the music"  That's great, does love of the music pay the bills?  No it doesn't.  In any business if you forget that making money is your number one priority you will not be in business long.  I do believe you should make the music because you love it.  You shouldn't be afraid to make money or make music that will make you money.  If all you care about is the "Love" of the music, you think of Rap as a hobby.

I have encountered quite a few underground rappers who, for lack of a better way to say it, suck.  The quality they put out is sub par, their performance on stage is horrible, and their ego is way to large for where they are in their hobbies.  That is the point of this blog really.  Stop making music if it is a hobby.  If you cannot commit time, energy, and money into making a product that makes you money, then don't.  The underground is so flooded with egotistical half talented hacks and it is making us all look horrible.  There are some shining stars and even they get hated on for the money they are making.

All businesses start out as hobbies we enjoy.  The time hobbies become businesses is when you focus your efforts on making money.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Friends are friends and Business is business

  Over the past few days I have had a few conversations that bring this point to light.  The first was with one of my friends.  We had a disagreement about how some business should be handled.  While discussing business we both got annoyed and aggrivated with the other person.  This led to us not discussing the problem but getting into stuff that had little to do with the actual issues.  After some time I made the point that he is my homie but business is business.  That made something click in my head.

  Then a day or so later another friend of mine was discussing some concerns he had about a member of their group.  The basics are this, his life is falling apart.  His girl left him, he lost his job, etc.  The problem is that this group has a lot of offers on the table which do not include this member.  My friend was having a hard time cutting him out and I completely understand this.  He didn't want to make the guys life worse but if he didn't let him out of the group the whole group would suffer.  My advice was simple, friends are friends and business is business, you have to do whats best for the group and have concern for your friend outside of that.

So why am I dedicating an enitre blog to such a simple concept?  Well most people have a very difficult time making that distinction and it leads to a lot of hate, animosity, and ill feelings.  I also got an awesome shout out on twitter for this blog and feel like maybe some people in the business are listening to me and agreeing with some of what I am putting out there.  That being said I have experiences I am trying to share to make the underground movement better and want to reach as many people as I can.

With my military background we were trained to make the seperation of work and personal.  In this business that distinction is not always so clear.  Most rappers grew up with the guys they work with.  Most know all of the dirty laundry of the other and vice versa.  Most cannot seperate their personal crap from the business.  And that is what this is a business.  Not a hobby.  Not something to do in your spare time.  Not something you can commit to half heartedly.  This is a business and is here to make money.  Once you let personal feelings get involved in business you fail.  Because at that point you spend more time and energy spreading crap online, in venues, to other people than you do on your product.  A lot of guys find themselves getting arrested and put in jail cause they cannot stop the hate toward the other person, even if it means they lose money and freedom to do it.  BUt in the end their point may be proven but their talents go to waste.

Most of us know what happened to Wicked Wayz.  That is a prime example of what I am talking about.  The personal feelings caused us to lose a talented rapper to gun violence and another to prison.  Not the way any of them wanted it to turn out.

So I will end this post by saying quite simply Friends are Friends and business is business.  If you cannot make that seperation you might want to look at working with other people and leaving your homies out of the business.  Please take time to show love to your friends and respect to the business.  It will benefit us all in the end.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Opening acts and fans are being used

  I have been rolling this idea around in my head for a while.  Several years ago when Alex Abyss left Psychopathic Records I noticed a shift in the promotion, marketing, tickets, and merch that made me a little more than concerned.  The focus of the label shifted from taking care of the fans (family) to making the almighty dollar.  Now don't get me wrong I understand you are in the business to make money.  But from the beginning ICP and Psychopathic Records has made great effort to treat the fans as family.  They always kept ticket prices reasonable for most fans.  The merch was relatively inexpensive.  And the CD releases actually gave a little back with free add ons and other releases outside of the main ones.  Since the change in management I now see ticket prices for shows higher than ever, the Gathering unattainable by most of the fans due to cost, VIP access is $100 and now does not include the $20-25 ticket for the show (the Gathering is only $175 and covers the 4-5 day event) making normal shows almost as much as the Gathering, album releases are at least 3 versions with the only difference being 1 or 2 tracks, and merch through the roof so most of the family cannot afford it.  Psychopathic Records knows their fans are rabid and will buy almost everything they put out regardless of weather or not it is worth it.  All of these things make me feel like they are taking advantage of us as fans.  We deserve better and I think that is one of the main reasons Twiztid has left the label (although they have kept the VIP with no ticket thing).

When I moved near the Amarillo/Lubbock area I started this whole managing musicians thing.  I also booked, promoted, and threw my own concert.  That is when I noticed the opening acts being used.  A promoter will book a show and then charge openers $200-$400 for a 10-15 min slot on the show.  Then they book 8-10 openers which if you add it up comes out to $1600-$4000 from their opening acts!  That covers all of their cost for the show so anything they make from ticket sales goes directly into their pockets.  The crappy thing is opening acts feel that is just how the business works because they have been fed that crap for so long.  Truth is if a promoter wants an opener to sell let's say 20 tickets for a slot at $10 a piece I understand that.  It benefits everyone because more people are at the show and some of the cost is deflected.  But if they do that they should be willing to give their opening acts say $1-2 per ticket they sell as incentive to sell more tickets!  Then everyone is making a little something and is happy.  This is how openers are getting robbed and being used.  If you are an opening act don't fall for it.  Find promoters willing to do the last thing I suggested.  You will still have shows to do, you just wont be getting used to cover all of the promoters costs.  If you guys unite against this stuff it will stop.  The promoter should be making his/her money off the ticket sales from his/her own promotion of the shows.  If they can't make their money back they shouldn't be doing the shows!  I thought it might have just been that area but now I live in Tucson and am seeing the same thing here.  For the upcoming Drive By shows in Farmington and Tucson openers are being asked to sell 75 tickets at $20 a piece.  That comes out to $1500 for a 15 min time slot, or $100/min!  Why would this be ok?  Why would a struggling local act pay that much money to get on a show that will pull some fans but not anywhere near enough to justify that cost.  The only Psychopathic group that would be worth that would be ICP.  I have seen 40-45 date tours with a cost to join of around $2000.  That is 40-45 shows not 1!

The last thing I wanted to touch on was the fact that in Amarillo, Lubbock, Albuquerque, Tucson and many other cities there seems to be a trend of division in the local scene.  This means that any new acts to the area are forced to choose sides or not get put on any shows.  It also means that quality acts from outside that city are not being put on shows so that the promoters friends, venue owners friends, or people down with a certain clique are the only people ever allowed to perform.  Promoters if you have a quality act willing to pay their own way to get to your city to perform and all they ask is that you don't make them pay to play or sell a certain number of tickets (due to their cost of travel and hotel) let em get on your shows!  It can only make it better.  Local acts, don't be so quick to tell an outsider to get lost.  They might be really good and you both can help each other.  All the division is the reason we are losing the edge we once had.  We are so worried about our own personal squabbles we are losing sight of our purpose, making money.  If someone gets you into a diss war, you lose focus on making a great album which can make you money!  If you are beefing in your city and fighting anyone who doesn't like you, you will end up in jail, which makes you lose money!  Leaving petty difference behind and supporting another artist will not kill you and it improves your chance for success.

We need to change these things in our own community.  If we don't we will continue to be used and continue to lose money.  I am not an expert by any stretch but I have seen my fair share of business and how successful people make it.  If we don't change the course of these things we can guarantee the Underground movement will not survive.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

New interview series

I wanted to take a few miutes and let you all know about the work I am doing with Faygoluvers.net.  A few months ago I was asked to send in a review of the Mighty Death Pop as a try out for a spot reviewing CD's on Faygoluvers.  I sent it in and a few days later was asked to join the team!  To say I was excited would be an understatement.  Well over the past several months I have done a lot of CD reviews including Twiztid's Abominationz which has gotten the most views ever for an album review on the site.  A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to interview Potluck at the Abominationz tour stop here in Tucson.  Now I had been trying since May to get an interview with those guys and our schedules didn't really line up until then.  The interview itself was around 20 min long and that got me thinking.

So this upcoming weekend at Kung Fu Vampires Love Bites tour stop in Mesa, AZ I will sit down with the man himself.  This will be the second interview I do for Faygoluvers.  Since the first one was 20 min I decided that this one will be 20 min as well.  This being my second of what I hope will be many interviews I made the decision to call my interview series "20 Min with..."  So all of my interviews will be about 20 min, give or take, and be in a continuous series to set mine apart from the other guys on the site.

So be on the lookout for that interview this weekend and keep checking the album review section over on www.faygoluvers.net for all of my most current album reviews, many of which are from underground artists you may not have heard of before but will still dig.  My reviews are my honest opinion of the album and I tend to not sugarcoat anything.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Changes, Moves and making moves

Sorry I have been away for a minute!  Just moved to Tucson and getting grounded here.  This month we got some big things coming up over at Faygoluvers.  I have posted a ton of new reviews.  But I will be doing a special interview with none other than Kung Fu Vampire and it will be posted over on Faygoluvers.net the first week of Dec!  Black Project is on schedule to get their album "Highly Classified" released on 04/20/2013.  There will be some great featured artists on there so you wanna check it out.  Also will be posting my reviews for the Twiztid and Kung Fu Vampire shows this month here on the blog!  So there are big things happening, stay tuned for more to come!!

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Perception vs Reality

  It has been a little while since I had a serious topic to discuss, but today we get back to voicing opinions about topics to help up and coming artists.  I have found as I grow into my position as a manager I am finding very different types of rappers/artists.  The first group is the group who have never lost sight of where they stand in the business.  They constantly hustle, constantly strive to improve themselves, never forget what they went through to get to where they are in the business, and always try to remember that there are other people who may not be as far along that might need help.  They are aware they may be a medium fish in a small pond and are not afraid of giving a little to smaller fish to help them grow.  Then we have the second group.  This group hustle when it benefits only them, have a view that they are more important than they are, think the world owes them something because they may be starting to make waves, and are consistently regarded as a pain to work with or and asshole. 

Group one has a lot of characteristics that I find desirable.  My first experience with this group was when I was booking and promoting the T.O.N.E-Z show in April of this year.  I had 6 openers and 2 headliners.  Most of the headliners fall into group one.  They were hustling tickets til the day of the show.  Even the day of the show they were at the mall or out trying to get more fans out to the show.  Most of them knew the bigger the crowd the better the show.  After the show two of the openers hit me up for management services because they knew a good manager can make your career move further.  Yes a manager does charge fees and very rarely puts and monetary funds into the acts themselves, the manager puts time and effort into making collabs happen, making merch discounts happen, finding shows for the artist to perform at and spending their own time and energy to get your name known outside of your town or city.  Because of the time and effort involved in making all these things happen the manager normally takes a monthly fee and gets a percentage of all merch sold, appearance fees, etc.  The first group also realized that as they get more popular they might be asked to collab with newer artists.  This can be a positive and negative for all parties involved.  The positives are that the new artist is getting a known artist on a track that may or may not make them famous, but the money involved can be quite high.  The known artist takes the most risk.  If they are not selective and just do all the collabs that come along because someone is paying them they risk overexposure and weakening their standing by having their name on sub-par tracks.  Artists in the first group are willing to take some risks to help further their career or other artists careers.  For newer artists (1-4 years in the business and a few mixtapes or debut album for sale) who are beginning to get asked to collab on tracks my advice would be to do the collabs for free or a max of like $50 for a verse or hook.  Doing this will get your name more known, get you some money for it, and allow newer artists to help both of your careers.  For more established artists (4-6 years in the business and at least a few CD's being sold on the market) I would say no more than $200 for a verse and $100 for collabs.  Of course artists can make their own choices but should definitely consult your manager for their advice.  The artists in this group will also rely on their manager for business decisions.  If they want to collab with more known artists they should tell their manager and let him/her work out the details.  If you want a music video made tell your manager and let them work out the details.  By doing this you will allow yourself less stress and more time to worry about what is the most important, writing lyrics, creating beats, and recording your next hot track.  A good manager/artist relationship is one where the artist focuses on music and the manager handles the business side of the house.  For all these reasons the first group gets my respect and continued support.

Group two is the group I will only work with until they prove they belong in group two.  Artists/promoters/bookers/etc all have similar characteristics. Here is the list to watch out for:

-  Egotistical, they have an inflated sense of self.  This means they may have no cd's on the shelf, no exposure outside of a small geographic area, and limited stage or recording experience but still want to charge $200 for a verse or hook because they "deserve it"

-  Not trustworthy, They think everyone else in the business is fake or not real.  They constantly talk negative about people and have no loyalty to anyone but themselves. If someone can't get them money or fame they will do everything in their power to make that person fail.

-  Two Faced, they will say all the right things to your face to make sure you think they are your friend but as soon as you are not around they bad mouth you.

- Self promoting, refusing to work with anyone they feel "isn't in their league" or is "below them"  May have a very limited following but feel the need to price their merch or collabs way to high because they feel it is owed to them.

Now don't get me wrong I feel most artists need a little ego to make sure they produce great music, but too much ego is a bad thing!  Self promotion is also a good thing as long as you don't lose your head.  People in group two will want to be pampered and waited on hand and foot.  They want other people to tell them how great they are and kiss up to them.  They don't think a manager deserves anything if they haven't put money into the artist.  They feel like no other artist is anywhere near their skill level so they will not work or do shows with most of them.  To them the rap world owes them something even if they have done nothing to earn it.  If you are an artist and after working with most people they don't want to work with you again, you might want to rethink what you are doing.  If you gained a fan base that is so faithful they will buy anything you are selling, don't take advantage of them at every turn to make a buck.

I know I am relatively new to the business but I know who I will and will not work with ever again.  My past blog posts have exposed some people from both groups.  I didn't do it to start beef or make anyone fail in the business.  I did it to make other managers/promoters/bookers aware of the people I have come across that they might wanna look out for.  There is a huge movement right now in the underground rap scene that people are taking notice of.  This movement is made up of people like me with similar feelings on how things should be done.  So if you think I am alone in this I can guarantee you I am not.  Things are changing for the better.

That is all I have right now.  If you have any input please feel free to comment!

MMWFL,

Juggalotus

Huge news!

  This week has been awesome for me and all of my performers.  First off I found out I am getting a new job in Tucson, AZ.  What does this mean for my music ventures?  It simply means that Wicked Butterfly Entertainment is expanding our wings to cover Arizona now too!  So for those AZ Juggalos and Underground artists be ready cause we are coming out there and taking over!!  Second, Black Project will finally be exposed to the world in the form of their debut album, Highly Classified, on 4/20/2013.  This album will be fifteen tracks and contain five tracks with exclusive features.  I can say we will have a collab with none other than that underground hustla Mars.  I confirmed this week we will also have a song featuring a guy who is blowing up thanks to a little EP you might have heard of, Underground Avengers, Bukshot will make an appearance!  There are 3 other artists we are in negotiations with at the moment and until I have confirmation I have to keep those Highly Classified.

  Wicked Butterfly Entertainment is proud to be a few of the featured acts at this years Slaughterfest in Albuquerque, NM on Sept 28 and 29.  Thanks to Bloodshot for making that happen.  I can promise you we are bringing that straight West Texas fire.  I really don't think you all are ready for the flavor we are bringing.  Draztik the Terrible will be representing on day one.  Black Project and Sikone will be holding it down on Day two!  So come check it out if you are in the area, I promise you will not be disappointed.

  Sikone will have his debut album sometime in the near future.  The album will be called Powerfull.  As of right now it is unknown exactly what will come out of the reborn Sikone but I can say he is always unpredictable and never disappoints.

  Draztik the Terrible is slated to release Between Heaven and Hell on Dec 21, 2012.  As of today I cannot say what or who will be on the album but I can say he has been putting in work.  He has been writing, recording, remixing, and doing all he can to make this one of this years hottest releases.

  We have so much flavor coming to your earholes the next 12 months it is unbelievable!  So be on the lookout for all updates here on the blog and on my Twitter and Facebook.

MMFWFL,

  Juggalotus

Kingz of the street Aug 3, 2012

  I was in attendance at the Kingz of the street show at the 12052 Event Center in Amarillo, TX on Aug 3, 2012.  Why is this review so late you might ask, well I went to the Gathering of the Juggalos and didn't get time to post it prior to leaving!  Anyway the show turnout was much better than the last few shows I have attended, but that was due to it being a different promoter.  The promoter seemed to have done a great job getting people out to the show.

First up on the stage was a new young rapper named Pastor J.  He put on a good stage show even though he was really young.  The set was enjoyable but not memorable. 

Next we had Concrete Connection, otherwise known as Mr. 806 and his crew.  They did their normal set and the crowd really seemed to dig it.  I was indifferent as it was not my genre of choice.  But that being said they always are enjoyable to watch.

The next group I cannot remember their name and honestly cannot remember their performance.  I guess that says all you need to know about it.

Then we got to Ill literate Productions and the Balaholic family.  They had issues with to many people talking on the mic at once.  They tended to walk over each others vocals which made for a disjointed and kinda annoying set.  When they were not talking over each other they did well.

After that we had a little down time before getting to our hosts for the night Worldz Kollide.  Rezerect and his crew absolutely killed it.  They got the crowd hella hype and definitely made the show pop from that point forward.

Second to last in the night was Black Project.  They performed old classics and a few new tracks.  One of the new tracks was called Dig Your Grave and it was dope as hell.  They had some audio problems but overall it was a good show.

The night ended with Sir Johnson and his crew on the stage.  To be honest I had to leave to get home so I missed a majority of their performance.  But knowing Sir Johnson the show ended on a high note.

  Thats it.  For the first show I have attended by this promoter I have to say I am looking forward to working with them again.  The show was dope and I had a really good time.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Bridging the divide

  At the beginning of the month I signed Black Project Productions and Sikone to Wicked Butterfly Entertainment as you may know, if not check out my other posts for that news!  Anyway a few days after signing them I got a text from Dmize in Albuquerque, NM about a show he was putting on call Night of the Wicked.  He asked if Draztik the Terrible would perform at the show.  As I was answering I got another text from 806 Outlaw asking if I could get them on the show as well.  So once I asked Dmize he said it was all good and all of the artists I had could come do the show!  How does any of this apply to the title of my blog?  Well it is simple, 806 told me he had been trying to get a show in Albuquerque for about 2 years with no success.  As I asked some questions it became clear there had been issues in the past and very few Texas underground rappers had been welcomed into that city.  The war of words had prevented great music from being shared across borders.  It became a feud the likes of the Hatfield's and McCoy's.  Because of petty egos rappers had been shut out of certain markets.  So the title Bridging the divide means just that.  This show on Friday night will be all of our opportunity to leave petty differences aside and enjoy a night of music together.

  I do not care what kind of "beef" someone might have with another performer.  We should all be professionals and adhere to a thing called professional courtesy.  That means we can all be on the same show and not have to hang out or anything.  We can all perform, get some love, and then go our separate ways.  I am asking every artist on the ticket to please treat this night as a celebration of all of our accomplishments, because if we plan to make moves and put the SW on the map we all need to support one another professionally!  I can tell you as the manager of all the artists on Wicked Butterfly we are coming there to blow the roof off the place.  We will make a mark with our performances and nothing else.  We will not be there to start any problems and hope you all will do the same.  We don't have to like each other to co-exist. 

  As I have told my guys Success is the best revenge.  That simply means talk is cheap and if you succeed your enemies can't say anything.  I know we can make this show live as hell.  I know each and every artist on there puts on a show.  I know we can make it a fun night with zero issues.  This is our chance to make people see we are not all wanna be thugs and criminals.

Let's all do the right thing this weekend.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

Black Project Productions

  So I have been saying for about a month or so that I had some big news for my blog, well here it is, 806 Outlaw and Narkotix otherwise known as Black Project Productions have officially signed onto Wicked Butterfly Entertainment!  That means I am now officially representing them as their manager!  For those who don't know anything about them here is a brief biography:

Black Project Productions is a rap duo based out of Amarillo, TX.  This group is made up of Randy Forester, aka 806 Outlaw, and Cecil Martinez, aka Narkotix.  Let’s take a look at where it all started and how they became the group we know and love today.

 In 2004/2005 Randy was a solo artist named Devian the Outlaw.   Cecil and their Homie Orlando were a group called Diemondaze.  As a group, the three of them entered the Underground Psychos Contest held by ICP, entering their EP, Forest of Dismembered Bodies.  They lost the contest, but that alone set them on the road which would eventually lead to bigger and better things.  Around 2006, they added Guadalupe Rios aka Corerupt and became the Underground Assassins.  They released the first UGA CD “The Next Level”.  It was an EP they produced the beats for, rapped on, mixed and mastered themselves.   In 2008, due to internal issues, the group was disbanded.  Londo Martinez, aka Kano Kiljoy, and Guadalupe dabbled in music while Cecil took a break from making music.  Randy went on to rap for a label called Thug Luv with his Homie DPG.  He was on the label until 2009 and then moved labels to All Legit Records, with two more Homies of his, DJ OD and DJ Baby E, where they started getting recognition.  Shortly after this they hooked up with Rezerect and began getting the Juggalo scene noticed in Amarillo. In 2011, once again due to internal issues, the group broke up.  Randy and Cecil split from All Legit Records and formed Black Project Productions.  They began creating original beats and rhymes.  From this, they performed at countless shows in Amarillo but rarely had a chance to grow out of the city’s borders.  In April of 2012, they were invited to perform at a show in Lubbock, TX.  This would be the beginning of great things to come.  In July 2012, they signed a deal to become the second and third members of the newly founded Wicked ButterflyEntertainment.  While this partnership is in its infant stages, the company has secured them a performance later in July in Albuquerque, NM.  This is a huge step, as most underground Texas rap groups have not been welcomed into New Mexico to perform.  Look out in the future for new projects and performances.

  So there you have it.  Keep tuned into this blog and all the Facebook and Reverb pages for any news and updates to come!  Also be on the lookout for another bio this weekend for the 4th member of Wicked Butterfly Entertainment.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus

I guess I should apologize....

  I have heard some very good feedback about this blog I have going.  I have heard things like " bout time somebody can be completely honest bout the fucked up business thats goin on in the area" and "Props to this killaz for always speaking his mind. Whoop! Whoop!" I can tell you it is so nice to hear feedback like that.  But of course there is also the other side of the coin.  I have been told that some people are saying the "things he writes are him trying to start beef with everyone" and other statements along those lines.  So this post is in response to those who feel that way.  Here we go!

First I write the blog for me.  Am I happy other people check it out, for sure.  But first and foremost it is my way of keeping track of all the shows I go to, participate in, and help with.  This allows me as a business owner to make better decisions on who I work with in any city.  This allows me to log an artists growth as I see them perform more often.  I have several artists that I have signed to manage based on these methods of doing business.

Second, I make it a point not to call out venues, promoters, bookers, etc by name as to not drag their name through the mud.  I intentionally leave peoples names out of it because those I am referring to know who they are by the show!  If you are in that category and I have offended you I am not going to apologize, there is no need for that.  I write an honest blog based on what I see happening at the shows.  Of course I don't know how much time anyone has put into the promotion and other things but I have not seen any promo being done outside of certain social media sites.  I have also spoken with some people who have told me things in confidence which I don't include in the blog but definitely take into consideration when writing about these things.

Third is to the artists.  I have absolutely no ill will in writing a negative review of your show.  If you didn't do well take the criticism as just that.  Make changes if you want to.  Don't make changes if you don't want to.  All I can do is give my best most honest review of your performance that night.  As some may have seen then past 2 shows, I criticized 2 Skare in the Kisa show review but the show on Wed got a more favorable review based on his choice of changes.  I appreciate the fact he may have made some of those changes based on my blog.  Much respect to him for that.  And yes the artists do get named because it is their stage performance I am critiquing.  I am hoping that by giving the most honest assessment I can it will make people better.  If I give you a negative review it's not because I have beef with you, it is because I think an artist needs to hear honesty!  I critique the artists signed to my company, Wicked Butterfly Entertainment, just as hard if not harder because they are my guys.  They know it's nothing but feedback to make them better.

Lastly for every artist, promoter, booker, etc. I have absolutely no stake in your success or failure unless you have signed on for my management.  Thus I have no reason to start beef with anyone.  I am only trying to give people an accurate view of a show, album, song, whatever so people can take it and make themselves better.  If we all start to top the underground charts we all put the Southwest on the map.  If you don't want my feedback that's cool too, don't read my blog.  I will never apologize for being honest.  I will never apologize because that honesty hurts your ego.  I love each and every one of you guys out here on the grind.  I hope you can see that and give it back.  I will never "beef" online, never put your name out there, and never turn my back on the truth.

MMFWFL,

Juggalotus