I have seen a growing and stupiud trend in the underground, mostly Juggalo, fan base lately. That is to post surveys like "If you were on a psycho killing spree what song would you be playing?" or "Do you prefer knife, hatchet, or gun?" Here is my take on any and every single person who posts or answers these surveys, if confronted with the possibility of actually killing someone a vast majority (98+ %) would not have the guts to do it. I am sick and tired of these people thinking you have to act or claim to be a psycho killer because you listen to our music! If you listen to the music and dig it, that is great. But if you honestly think any of the lyrics that ICP, Twiztid, etc have in a song is actually anything they have ever done you are a complete moron! Their music is entertainment. Nothing more and nothing less.
For me the music is a way to release certain emotions that I have no other outlet for. It helps me battle anger and depression. It has helped me through so much and these kinds of displays do nothing but devalue the music and what it helps people through. It also helps the outside world to say "See they are all degenerates." That is why when we have shows and Gatherings the cops are always there and in some cases shut it down. In life peoples first impression can make or break what they think of an entire group of people. Why would we as a fringe group want to further push that negative image?
ICP and Psychopathic have done a lot recently to help change that perception. With toy drives and other charity events they are showing us what we need to do to help fix the FBI and gang label problem. Why is it that they get mocked and made fun of for doing it? People say they are getting soft or bitching out, I disagree. They couldn't be any better an example for the fans to follow. There is nothing wrong with being a socially responsible person in society. People will never look at our fan base any differently unless we give them something different to look at.
Don't get me wrong there are a ton of groups in local communities that are doing good work and trying to make positive changes. But if you go on Facebook and browse through Juggalo groups you will find a large population of these "Internet Psychos" and that is what some people see first. I personally try very hard to change peoples ideas when I am in public. I don't flip off cops and yell fuck the police. I wear the hatchet proud while acting like a productive citizen. You know how many times I have been harassed or arrested for wearing the clothes or chain? Not once. The cops have so many other things to be concerned with that what someone is wearing or listening to on their iPod makes no difference. If you do the things I said then you more than likely will get hassled. If you draw attention to yourself no matter what you have on you will be harassed, period.
When it comes down to it the fact is we are the ones making us look bad. We are the ones continuing to make people think negative of us. We are the ones who can ultimately change these things. As a united group we need to do the right things, act like productive citizens, and try our best to improve our communities. Until we do those things all anyone will see is a bunch of "Internet Psychos."
MMFWFL,
Juggalotus
Showing posts with label underground artists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label underground artists. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Sunday, August 31, 2014
My 20 min with interview series
For those of you who might not know, I do an interview series for Faygoluvers.net called 20 Min with..... In this series I interview various artists for about 20 min. Now the difference in my interviews is that I take a lot of pride in asking questions that other interviewers may not. For instance I interviewed Potluck a while ago. At one point I began asking about their song "My Dad" and in the interview I ask 1 Ton about his father who just passed and how much of an influence their fathers were on their career. The question seemed to catch them off guard a little bit. But that is what I do. I actually research my interview subject and try my best not to ask the same thing they get asked all the time.
I also review albums on the website. All of my reviews are 100% honesty as far as my opinion. Now I have had artists ask me to remove my review once it was posted because they were not happy with my thoughts. I will never remove a review once it is posted. I also will never give a glowing review if the album does not deserve it. I take pride in giving constructive criticism. I also take pride in being genuine. I don't get paid to do reviews or interviews. I do it because I love music and the genre of Horror Core. I would be lying if I said I didn't hope at some point in the future I could get paid for those things but for now it isn't happening.
If you want to check out my interview series head over to https://www.youtube.com/user/FaygoluversHeaven/videos and check out my latest and greatest with Mr. Grey, Sozay, Ganxsta NIP, Zug Izland, Cryptic Wisdom, Slaine, and many more.
To read my album reviews head over to http://www.faygoluvers.net/v5/category/reviews/albumreviews/ and look for reviews posted by Juggalotus0069.
I hope to keep this blog more current as I have been hella busy and slacking. If you dig my blog here and want to help spread the word I would seriously appreciate it! Please leave me some comments and let me know you checked it out and where you are from. I am really interested in where my readers are at!
MMFWFL,
Juggalotus
I also review albums on the website. All of my reviews are 100% honesty as far as my opinion. Now I have had artists ask me to remove my review once it was posted because they were not happy with my thoughts. I will never remove a review once it is posted. I also will never give a glowing review if the album does not deserve it. I take pride in giving constructive criticism. I also take pride in being genuine. I don't get paid to do reviews or interviews. I do it because I love music and the genre of Horror Core. I would be lying if I said I didn't hope at some point in the future I could get paid for those things but for now it isn't happening.
If you want to check out my interview series head over to https://www.youtube.com/user/FaygoluversHeaven/videos and check out my latest and greatest with Mr. Grey, Sozay, Ganxsta NIP, Zug Izland, Cryptic Wisdom, Slaine, and many more.
To read my album reviews head over to http://www.faygoluvers.net/v5/category/reviews/albumreviews/ and look for reviews posted by Juggalotus0069.
I hope to keep this blog more current as I have been hella busy and slacking. If you dig my blog here and want to help spread the word I would seriously appreciate it! Please leave me some comments and let me know you checked it out and where you are from. I am really interested in where my readers are at!
MMFWFL,
Juggalotus
Saturday, April 19, 2014
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?
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?
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Underground to the mainstream
There has been a transformation in the underground that many "fans" have shown immense hate for. There seems to be this belief that once an artists gets underground fame they should never be allowed to do anything remotely similar or involved in the mainstream. For instance, once Twiztid left Psychopathic and released New Nightmare they were skewered for working with "mainstream" artists such as Caskey. The truth is I praise them for doing whatever they want and working with who ever they want. Another example is Tech N9ne and Strange music. In the Faygoluvers forum recently someone said "Strange music isn't an underground label anymore. All of the artists are mainstream except maybe." Another person commented that Tech had "sold out" because he is finally getting recognition in the popular arena. In the same breath those people praise ICP for their work on Fuse TV for finally "getting their dues." This is the double standard I was speaking of. Why is it that the number one group in the underground, the originators of the underground wicked shit are given a pass when others are not?
I personally feel that any artists that represent us, the Juggalos, should be praised for getting us recognized. The fans should continue to support these artists even if we might not like the artists they collaborate with. Each and every artist that comes from the depths and breaks through in pop culture brings us closer to being accepted and better understood. Tech N9ne didn't sell out, he MADE IT! Twiztid is not selling out, they are making music they want to make. There is absolutely no reason for anyone to hate these guys for making these decisions. I think a lot of the hate has to do with jealousy. People don't like that these guys are making money doing the things they love.
I was working with a group for a while out of Amarillo. From a business perspective I was trying to do what was best for the longevity of the group in the business world. Shortly after we had a small dispute and parted ways they posted "We don't kiss ass to be accepted period. *********** will stay running local shows before we sell out just because its doing "good buisness" fuck you if you don't like it" When they mention kissing ass it was in reference to my trying to keep a business relationship with a printer who supplied stickers, backdrops, and other printed items to us at a great discount because of my friendship with him. Unfortunately this is the attitude that leads to people never getting ahead, never making it, and never, ever getting out of their cities. Guys like this are proud to be local opener heroes for guys in the business that are making moves and getting ahead. This group, while very talented lacked the most important traits: Commitment, ability to control their emotions, and common sense. The biggest problem with guys like this is that they are the biggest haters towards people making moves. I promise you that guys like this will not get anywhere in this business.
So I guess I can sum up this article by saying as Juggalos we should back these artists even if they are working with people we may not like. We should support these artists until they begin to make music we don't like. It shouldn't matter if someone is on MTV or BET regularly. Hell ICP was on MTV back in the day! We all need to remember, even if you are an underground artist, that if you were offered a good chunk of money to be on Strange, Subnoize, or any other bigger named label you would be an idiot not to take it and run with it! If you are not in this business to make money, you shouldn't be in this business. As it is a majority of these artists in the underground will never make it. Not because they are being shunned, held back, or kissing enough ass but simply because they don't have the talent, connections, or drive to make it. For most of these guys they do music as a hobby nothing more. They work from a studio in their basements, garages, or closets to save money. In order to be successful in this business you need to invest in it. That means investing time, money, and energy into everything you do. Find the best studio you can afford, get your tracks mastered by professionals, and don't try to sell cd-dvr's with sharpie as "the hottest thing on the market" When I get those I rarely listen to them. A first impression can only be made once.
I got nothing but love for every single artists struggling to make it in the business. I got nothing but love for my Juggalo Family. Let's stop hating on los and lettes for making it. Let's celebrate their success. Hate and jealousy will eat you alive and make you do and say things that will hurt you in the long run.
MMFWFL,
Juggalotus
I personally feel that any artists that represent us, the Juggalos, should be praised for getting us recognized. The fans should continue to support these artists even if we might not like the artists they collaborate with. Each and every artist that comes from the depths and breaks through in pop culture brings us closer to being accepted and better understood. Tech N9ne didn't sell out, he MADE IT! Twiztid is not selling out, they are making music they want to make. There is absolutely no reason for anyone to hate these guys for making these decisions. I think a lot of the hate has to do with jealousy. People don't like that these guys are making money doing the things they love.
I was working with a group for a while out of Amarillo. From a business perspective I was trying to do what was best for the longevity of the group in the business world. Shortly after we had a small dispute and parted ways they posted "We don't kiss ass to be accepted period. *********** will stay running local shows before we sell out just because its doing "good buisness" fuck you if you don't like it" When they mention kissing ass it was in reference to my trying to keep a business relationship with a printer who supplied stickers, backdrops, and other printed items to us at a great discount because of my friendship with him. Unfortunately this is the attitude that leads to people never getting ahead, never making it, and never, ever getting out of their cities. Guys like this are proud to be local opener heroes for guys in the business that are making moves and getting ahead. This group, while very talented lacked the most important traits: Commitment, ability to control their emotions, and common sense. The biggest problem with guys like this is that they are the biggest haters towards people making moves. I promise you that guys like this will not get anywhere in this business.
So I guess I can sum up this article by saying as Juggalos we should back these artists even if they are working with people we may not like. We should support these artists until they begin to make music we don't like. It shouldn't matter if someone is on MTV or BET regularly. Hell ICP was on MTV back in the day! We all need to remember, even if you are an underground artist, that if you were offered a good chunk of money to be on Strange, Subnoize, or any other bigger named label you would be an idiot not to take it and run with it! If you are not in this business to make money, you shouldn't be in this business. As it is a majority of these artists in the underground will never make it. Not because they are being shunned, held back, or kissing enough ass but simply because they don't have the talent, connections, or drive to make it. For most of these guys they do music as a hobby nothing more. They work from a studio in their basements, garages, or closets to save money. In order to be successful in this business you need to invest in it. That means investing time, money, and energy into everything you do. Find the best studio you can afford, get your tracks mastered by professionals, and don't try to sell cd-dvr's with sharpie as "the hottest thing on the market" When I get those I rarely listen to them. A first impression can only be made once.
I got nothing but love for every single artists struggling to make it in the business. I got nothing but love for my Juggalo Family. Let's stop hating on los and lettes for making it. Let's celebrate their success. Hate and jealousy will eat you alive and make you do and say things that will hurt you in the long run.
MMFWFL,
Juggalotus
Sunday, November 24, 2013
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
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
Friday, August 30, 2013
The fine line between business and friendship
Anyone in this business knows that we all take our steps into this business with friends usually. We find our lifelong friends or people we grow to know as friends and make our way into music together. Most of the time the line between friendship and business is hard to distinguish. Most people are unable to separate the decisions made for the benefit of the group or business from personal feelings if things don't work out. This is the case for Black Project and I today.
I am not going to dive into great detail but will say that some business I had outside of the group has been rough. I had trusted friends to let me vent when things were not going the best. Due to this my friend felt the need to approach the other party in that other business. I talked with that party last night and let them know I wasn't happy my friend took it upon himself to write and get into business that wasn't his own, even though I understood he was just trying to look out for me as a friend. This whole series of events led to a huge disagreement between them. I refused to take sides and in the end Black Project felt by me not taking sides I was not taking their side. Then made the decision to not keep me as their manager.
While I did not want that to happen I cannot stop them from making that decision. So I made a public announcement stating that they were released from Wicked Butterfly Entertainment due to professional disagreements, because to me that is what it is. I have nothing but respect for Black Project and wish them the best in all they do in the future. I have at every turn put my own money up to pay for studio time, demo pressing, and other expenses and allowed them to pay me back at their leisure. I never pressed them to get me the money back immediately as I understood their circumstances. I have taken a lot of my time, energy, and finances to help them be successful. In return today one of them went on a twenty minute rant saying I did nothing for them, held them back, and hurt their career. I am really sorry he feels this way as this is the first time I have heard they were not happy. Our management contract was a six month contract the ended officially at the beginning of January and I have not pressed them to renew it, so I have been providing my services for nothing but our friendship. I have put up my own funds in this time to mix and master tracks for them to have for shows they had coming up.
I cannot change how anyone feels but I can say that I have acted in a professional manner in the best interest of Black Project for over a year. I have gained absolutely nothing for myself financially. At this point I have lost money I have put into the group.
I will not ever attack them personally as I have no issue with them on the personal side of things. Business wise I am upset they feel like I screwed them over but once again I will not say anything negative about them. Part of being in business is understanding that not every bad thing that happens is personal. Sometimes people are mad because that line gets crossed. Sometimes people involve themselves in dealing that they have no involvement in except to be a friend to one or more of the parties.
It is a hard lesson for people to learn or see happen and I wish nothing but the best for my homies in Black Project. I am always here if they need advice or to vent as unlikely as that may be.
Keep business as business and friends as friends. Make sure you don't blur the lines and think business decisions are anything but just that.
MMFWFL,
Juggalotus
I am not going to dive into great detail but will say that some business I had outside of the group has been rough. I had trusted friends to let me vent when things were not going the best. Due to this my friend felt the need to approach the other party in that other business. I talked with that party last night and let them know I wasn't happy my friend took it upon himself to write and get into business that wasn't his own, even though I understood he was just trying to look out for me as a friend. This whole series of events led to a huge disagreement between them. I refused to take sides and in the end Black Project felt by me not taking sides I was not taking their side. Then made the decision to not keep me as their manager.
While I did not want that to happen I cannot stop them from making that decision. So I made a public announcement stating that they were released from Wicked Butterfly Entertainment due to professional disagreements, because to me that is what it is. I have nothing but respect for Black Project and wish them the best in all they do in the future. I have at every turn put my own money up to pay for studio time, demo pressing, and other expenses and allowed them to pay me back at their leisure. I never pressed them to get me the money back immediately as I understood their circumstances. I have taken a lot of my time, energy, and finances to help them be successful. In return today one of them went on a twenty minute rant saying I did nothing for them, held them back, and hurt their career. I am really sorry he feels this way as this is the first time I have heard they were not happy. Our management contract was a six month contract the ended officially at the beginning of January and I have not pressed them to renew it, so I have been providing my services for nothing but our friendship. I have put up my own funds in this time to mix and master tracks for them to have for shows they had coming up.
I cannot change how anyone feels but I can say that I have acted in a professional manner in the best interest of Black Project for over a year. I have gained absolutely nothing for myself financially. At this point I have lost money I have put into the group.
I will not ever attack them personally as I have no issue with them on the personal side of things. Business wise I am upset they feel like I screwed them over but once again I will not say anything negative about them. Part of being in business is understanding that not every bad thing that happens is personal. Sometimes people are mad because that line gets crossed. Sometimes people involve themselves in dealing that they have no involvement in except to be a friend to one or more of the parties.
It is a hard lesson for people to learn or see happen and I wish nothing but the best for my homies in Black Project. I am always here if they need advice or to vent as unlikely as that may be.
Keep business as business and friends as friends. Make sure you don't blur the lines and think business decisions are anything but just that.
MMFWFL,
Juggalotus
Sunday, August 11, 2013
2013 Gathering of the Juggalos thoughts
So the Gathering of the Juggalos went back “Underground” this year. The event has been going on since Wed Aug 7 as people started lining up to get into the grounds. Well on Monday Aug 5 there were several people who overdosed and had to be taken to the hospital; mind you this was before anyone was allowed to be there except the crew setting everything up! Having gone to the event last year I saw more drugs available than anywhere else I have ever been. This should have been a sign of things to come. The apparent drug causing the problems is a designer drug called 25I. The street name for the drug is N-Bomb, Smiles, and 25I. It is similar to LSD in its effect on people.
News breaks Friday that someone was found dead in their tent of apparent overdose. The cause was initially reported as 25I but has also been reported as a Heroin overdose. No matter what the cause this is absolutely horrible news. Why you ask? Well it is simple, the public at large is finding any way possible to label us delinquents and shut the Gathering down. Drugs have expanded way out of control and last year I saw people who were obviously “professional” dealers who were only there to make money off dumb ass Juggalos who did not even remember their experience at the Gathering because they were wasted the entire time. Drugs are out of control at this event. Why is this important to me? I GIVE A CRAP that’s why! People need to go out there and enjoy themselves but this is getting ridiculous. We have now lost Family because of this problem. I suggest we as Family get this under control. This is our Mecca (as Violent J said today).
Now the other huge news everyone was waiting for was promised by Violent J to be “The biggest news we have ever released in our career!” and we were promised this life changing news at the seminar today. Let’s briefly go over what they released at the seminar:
· Juggalos at the Gathering are the most elite Juggalos on the planet!
· ICP considers the Gathering the mecca of Juggalo-ism
- He gives us the epitome of news in the Juggalo world
- Psychopathic is resuming the Mighty Death Pop tour right after J’s knee surgery
- Tour will include Denver, Salt Lake City, Albuquerque, Florida, Texas; Last show of the tour will be Hallowicked
- November dates for the tour in Australia
- ICP theater has 8 episodes (3 of which have aired so far). If ratings are good, they will get 25 more episodes for season 2!
- They are starting the 3rd Joker’s card of the new deck after Hallowicked!
- Planning of the 3rd card will be more precise
- It will be available on CD! The rumor that it would only be on digital is “straight bullshit”
- He said the difference between a physical copy of the album and a digital copy is like the difference between porn and a real neden!
- They are bringing back Psychopathic Radio after the Gathering!
- Shaggy is off probation (finally!) so they will be touring in Canada!
- On Juggalo day, they will be performing the Great Milenko in its entirety! It will be available on iPPV, and may not be in Detroit! More Joker’s cards shows are in the works!
- Violent JJ made 3 beats (beatboxing) and they will release it on the Internet
- 6th Joker’s card box set is ready to go!
- Violent J confirmed that Blaze ya Dead Homie did officially leave
- Psychopathic isn’t trying to replace anyone who left, just trying to leave a legacy of great artists!
- They want to do more concept music like Wizard of the Hood or solo albums like Shaggy’s Fuck the Fuck Off
- They said that Twiztid told Psychopathic they were leaving via text message
- They then announced that Axe Murder Boyz and Boondox are officially back on the label!
- Everyone was handed a ticket before the seminar started, without knowing what it was about. They then started talking about the Chronicles of the Dark Carnival series that was filmed for SyFy years ago.
- They said that the end product they got back had a “little twinge of suck”. Jumpsteady said it was SO BAD that it came full circle and ended up being entertaining again!
- They said it would ONLY be available for Juggalos who were in attendance at this year’s Gathering!
Now with that in mind what could possibly have been the huge earth shattering news?
ICP is touring Australia?
AMB and Boondox have resigned with Psychopathic?
Blaze leaving the label?
Are any of those the Biggest news ever? NO. So I take this list of news as just that, news. ICP once again pulled the wool over Juggalos eyes to sell tickets and get people in the door. As I have discussed before ICP is all about the bottom line. They don’t care about the Family any more. They knew the lineup this year, while great underground acts were on the set list, was not enough to sell enough tickets. So J tells us all they are going to drop devastating, huge, Juggalo world changing news. And we get nothing. Then we are told there is a mystery seminar after ICP that I think everyone including me thought would be Twiztid. Nope Twiztid and Blaze bounced and the seminar became AMB and Boondox. Don’t get me wrong Boondox dropping some good news that I am pumped about but really why not give Twiztid a seminar?
How many times are we going to see the fan base abused by this label and do nothing about it. When Twiztid left I didn’t want to “take sides” and I still support the music Psychopathic, Twiztid and Blaze put out there. I think J and Shaggy need to seriously look at what has happened. Alex left and it has been a steady decline into money and ego.
People will read this and some will agree while others disagree. I will take heat for saying these things but I know people out there who view it the same way (testdummy22 and I see eye to eye on a lot) and that is ok. I have opinions and so does everyone else. The one thing about me that never changes (whether it is CD reviews, Event reviews, my blog and opinions, or anything else I do) is that I am honest and will say what I believe to be the truth.
I still rep the hatchet and will always support the underground movement. This years Gathering has shown me that the Mecca for the Family is on life support. Attendance was down, we had a death, and we saw a glimmer of hope that things were ok with the ending of the Lotus set (which quickly went away when J told the family Twiztid left via text. That was a low blow if you ask me), and the police getting a “financial” advance from the “organizers” (Psychopathic) which let them buy new equipment for the force.
I love my Family and hate to feel like this whole movement has been shifted in the wrong direction. I hope things will change and we will see Juggalos return and rebuild what has been lost. I hate to say I feel that movement is now with Twiztid but that is how I see it.
Let’s hear your opinions people, I welcome everyone’s thoughts!
MMFWFL,
Juggalotus
Thursday, August 8, 2013
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
MMFWFL,
Juggalotus
Saturday, July 13, 2013
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
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
Saturday, May 25, 2013
What exactly is Pay to Play?
Promoters are often shady and take advantage of artists. I have pointed this out in several blogs on here. But not all promoters are snakes. Not all promoters want to screw the artists over. The one thing all promoters have in common is they invest their own money into booking shows. They have to pay for artist travel, hotel, riders, venue cost, ticket cost, promotional materials, and much more. This can be a very expensive venture and a promoter wanting to protect themselves so they do not continue to hemorrhage money hosting shows should be acceptable. At the same time not every artist is shady. They all don't want to get on shows for free, be allowed to not sell any tickets or get fans in the door, or have nothing invested in the shows they do. This blog is here to clear up my thoughts on show promotion and how in the end everyone can make money and be happy.
One of the most popular and shady promoter tactics is called Pay to Play. I recently started planning a
show here in Tucson and was accused of this tactic. So this blog is my response to this accusation and hopefully a better understanding of what the term means and why what I do is not pay to play.
The most simple explanation is this, paying to play is where artists pay the promoter a certain amount of money to secure a spot on the show. That money gets the artist nothing in return except a 10-20 min slot on the show. The artist gives the promoter the cash and gets no money in return. Quite simply they "Pay to Play." The biggest problem with this is that most promoter that do this do not care about the show. They only care about the money. They will book 10-15 openers at $150-200 per opener and essentially make their money off of the artist. They don't care about getting fans in the door or "Promoting" the show. To them their money is made off the openers. This leads to minimal crowds for the headliners and really poor performances. By doing this these promoters ruin tours and shows for everyone. All the benefits are on the promoters side.
Another tactic promoters use is having openers sell tickets to secure the spot. They will consign the openers a certain number of tickets (25-50 usually) and have them give them the money from the sales the day of the show. This is a perfect scenario for the artist. They get the tickets and are expected to sell them to secure the spot. There are three major problems with this. First all of the money from those sales is expected to be handed over to the promoter the day of the show. So the artist once again makes no money. It becomes a pay to play scenario which brings in fans by the artists hustling ticket instead of the promoter. These shows have a better turn out because of this but the artist is still without payment. The second problem is in the fact that the artists don't have to sell the tickets, they simply have to give the promoter the cash the day of the show. So this still allows for artists with minimal skills or hustle to get onto shows and not have to bring one person in the door. And finally if the artists do not sell tickets and show up with no money the promoter is really assed out and either has to let them perform or have a huge hole in their lineup. The benefits work more in the artists benefit here but still leave the financial benefit in the promoters hands.
The final way of promoting and booking a show is what I prefer. I ask the artists put a deposit on the tickets I ask them to sell. In this case I am asking the artist "buy" 25 tickets from me for $6 per ticket. This means when they pick up the tickets I receive $150. After they have the tickets they are allowed to sell them for $8 per ticket and keep all of the money from the sales, this is $200. So by selling the 25 tickets required they make $50 in the end. After the 25 tickets I sell them tickets at $4 per ticket and they sell them for $8 per ticket making $4 for every ticket they sell. So lets do some simple math:
Artist buys 25 tickets at $6 per ticket-I (promoter) get $150
They sell them for $8 per ticket- They (Artist) get $200. A $50 profit in their pocket.
Lets say they sell another 25. They purchase them from me for $4/ticket- I get another $100.
They sell those for $8/ticket. They get $200. Another $100 in profit.
So as you can see in this scenario I as the promoter am able to protect my investment in the show, the artists has a chance to make some good money with their hustle in ticket sales, and the fans are brought to the show because of the sales. This is the closest thing to a win-win in the business. The artist does take risk in the ticket deposit but that is mitigated when they sell the tickets. I as the promoter take a risk someone will "pay to play" and not bring anyone in the door but that is mitigated by the fact the artists have an opportunity to make money. I don't know anyone in their right mind knowing they can sell 25 tickets that wouldn't take the risk in the deposit to make $50 or more.
No situation is perfect and all can be abused. But I can promise any artist I work with an honest and fair deal that can be mutually beneficial. I can also promise that any artist on my shows that "pay to play" will never be asked to do any of my shows again. I am willing to give anyone a chance until they burn me. I want artists that are willing to put in as much effort as me in promoting, getting fans in the door, and putting on the best shows in Tucson.
We need to start being fair and helping each other make money. We need to get away from the me first attitude. The what are you going to do for me while I do nothing for you mentality. I would love to get your thoughts and opinions so feel free to let me know!
MMFWFL,
Juggalotus
One of the most popular and shady promoter tactics is called Pay to Play. I recently started planning a
show here in Tucson and was accused of this tactic. So this blog is my response to this accusation and hopefully a better understanding of what the term means and why what I do is not pay to play.
The most simple explanation is this, paying to play is where artists pay the promoter a certain amount of money to secure a spot on the show. That money gets the artist nothing in return except a 10-20 min slot on the show. The artist gives the promoter the cash and gets no money in return. Quite simply they "Pay to Play." The biggest problem with this is that most promoter that do this do not care about the show. They only care about the money. They will book 10-15 openers at $150-200 per opener and essentially make their money off of the artist. They don't care about getting fans in the door or "Promoting" the show. To them their money is made off the openers. This leads to minimal crowds for the headliners and really poor performances. By doing this these promoters ruin tours and shows for everyone. All the benefits are on the promoters side.
Another tactic promoters use is having openers sell tickets to secure the spot. They will consign the openers a certain number of tickets (25-50 usually) and have them give them the money from the sales the day of the show. This is a perfect scenario for the artist. They get the tickets and are expected to sell them to secure the spot. There are three major problems with this. First all of the money from those sales is expected to be handed over to the promoter the day of the show. So the artist once again makes no money. It becomes a pay to play scenario which brings in fans by the artists hustling ticket instead of the promoter. These shows have a better turn out because of this but the artist is still without payment. The second problem is in the fact that the artists don't have to sell the tickets, they simply have to give the promoter the cash the day of the show. So this still allows for artists with minimal skills or hustle to get onto shows and not have to bring one person in the door. And finally if the artists do not sell tickets and show up with no money the promoter is really assed out and either has to let them perform or have a huge hole in their lineup. The benefits work more in the artists benefit here but still leave the financial benefit in the promoters hands.
The final way of promoting and booking a show is what I prefer. I ask the artists put a deposit on the tickets I ask them to sell. In this case I am asking the artist "buy" 25 tickets from me for $6 per ticket. This means when they pick up the tickets I receive $150. After they have the tickets they are allowed to sell them for $8 per ticket and keep all of the money from the sales, this is $200. So by selling the 25 tickets required they make $50 in the end. After the 25 tickets I sell them tickets at $4 per ticket and they sell them for $8 per ticket making $4 for every ticket they sell. So lets do some simple math:
Artist buys 25 tickets at $6 per ticket-I (promoter) get $150
They sell them for $8 per ticket- They (Artist) get $200. A $50 profit in their pocket.
Lets say they sell another 25. They purchase them from me for $4/ticket- I get another $100.
They sell those for $8/ticket. They get $200. Another $100 in profit.
So as you can see in this scenario I as the promoter am able to protect my investment in the show, the artists has a chance to make some good money with their hustle in ticket sales, and the fans are brought to the show because of the sales. This is the closest thing to a win-win in the business. The artist does take risk in the ticket deposit but that is mitigated when they sell the tickets. I as the promoter take a risk someone will "pay to play" and not bring anyone in the door but that is mitigated by the fact the artists have an opportunity to make money. I don't know anyone in their right mind knowing they can sell 25 tickets that wouldn't take the risk in the deposit to make $50 or more.
No situation is perfect and all can be abused. But I can promise any artist I work with an honest and fair deal that can be mutually beneficial. I can also promise that any artist on my shows that "pay to play" will never be asked to do any of my shows again. I am willing to give anyone a chance until they burn me. I want artists that are willing to put in as much effort as me in promoting, getting fans in the door, and putting on the best shows in Tucson.
We need to start being fair and helping each other make money. We need to get away from the me first attitude. The what are you going to do for me while I do nothing for you mentality. I would love to get your thoughts and opinions so feel free to let me know!
MMFWFL,
Juggalotus
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Wicked Butterfly Update!
So the past few months I have posted a lot of things on this blog but today I am here to give a little update on Wicked Butterfly Entertainment and what we have going on, so here we go:
Black Project officially has a demo out in the public space. It contains five tracks from our upcoming album and is pure fire! This demo has two collabs on it that are absolutely the best of the best. The first is "Lay my body to rest" it features both Bukshot (Underground Avengers, Mobstyle Records) and T-Razor (Underground Avengers). This track took us several months to get together but it is one of the best things we have ever done. The second collab is with a guy named Stacc Styles of Cultivate Creative Sound. It is called "Wrote this letter" and shows a softer more deep side of Black Project. The demo is rounded out by "Darkest Place", "Dig ya Grave", and "Never make it out". If you are in Tucson or Amarillo hit up our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Black-Project/479855342036749?fref=ts leave a message and we will hook you up for just $5.
Black Project has two shows coming up on the nationwide "Eerly Birds Tour" with J Hornay & Cultivate Creative Sound. The first is in Albuquerque, NM on June 8 @ Blackwater. The second is in Tucson, AZ on June 12 @ The Rialto. These shows are not to be missed!
Finally Black Project has been steady in the studio finishing off more tracks for the "Highly Classified" Album. We are hoping to have at least 4 more tracks done before the Eerly Bird shows, if so you might just get to see them performed live at the shows.
I have been busy working on a lot of concerts and scheduling with Unstable Promotions. The big news is that July 7, 2013 former Strange Music artist Snug Brim is bringing his Arrogant Tour to Tucson, AZ! You heard that right the show is 8 pm at DV8 on July 7, 2013. It will be headlined by Snug Brim, Mr. Grey and Cultivate Creative Sound. Tickets are just $8 presale and $10 at the door. Cheap price for a great show and one that shouldn't be missed!
At the end of July Unstable artist Jigsaw is going to be in Tucson for a show. Details are still being worked out and I will give you an update as they get finalized.
Wicked Butterfly Entertainment and West Coast Chill are teaming up to bring the new energy drink in a self cooling can into the market here in Tucson! This can is awesome, it cools the drink 30 degrees in just 3 minutes! We are also working on bringing West Coast Chill to the Gathering of the Juggalos so be on the lookout for that. If you don't know about this energy drink hit up www.westcoastchill.com and see what it is all about!
Finally it has been my pleasure to continue to do reviews for www.faygoluvers.net. Scottie D has kept putting his trust in me to give my honest straight forward opinion on the music he sends me and for that I am greatful. I have had the pleasure of hearing a wide variety of good, bad, horrible, and great music and hope to continue into the distant future.
With all that in mind here is my shout outs:
Scottie D- Much Love Homie. Thank you for the trust and confidence in me.
Randy Forester aka 806 Outlaw- Been a year man and I couldn't be happier with what we have accomplished with Black Project.
Cecil Martinez aka Narkotix- The past year you havent made my job to easy but it has been an awesome ride. Keep you feet to the fire homie and lets get this CD out this year!
Stacc Styles- Thank you for the love, support, and trust you have place in me for the past few months. Your new solo album is going to be pure fire. Still wanna work that Heel Stacc "I'll pull your Bitch" album.
Crookyd- Road trips have been interesting to say the least! Been a great time with you and all the guys from CCS. Cant wait to get crackin on that solo project!
Bukshot- As one of the truest and most honest musicians I have ever worked with it is my pleasure to call you my friend. I will get you out here for a show and we will bring that Mobstyle to Tucson!
Mars- People love you and people hate you man. Been that way since day one. I consider you my friend and have truely enjoyed working with you and hope we can do more together in the future.
Kung Fu Vampire- What can I say man you are doing big fangs! No doubt you have earned everything you have gotten and have still managed to stay humble in this business. I proudly say you are my friend and I am always here to help out.
Mr. Grey- Hopefully the beginning of big things man! I have enjoyed your work and the times we have had to meet up or talk have been awesome. I am here if you ever need anything homie.
Steven Natale- As Black Projects Producer and main mixer you have been awesome. One of the best I have ever worked with and I definitely look forward to a long and hopefully prosperous future making hits!
Kristina (My Wife)- I would not be where I am without your support. You have been there since day one in this music business. I have made good decisions and bad decisions and you have always had my back. I have no doubt with you in my corner I can make it in this cut throat business. I love you and thank you for everything.
Thats it for this post. I know a lot of shout outs and love in this one. But I feel truely blessed to be where I am and doing the things I am doing. Keep your eyes peeled on the blog for more info on the album release and upcoming concerts.
MMFWFL,
Juggalotus!
Black Project officially has a demo out in the public space. It contains five tracks from our upcoming album and is pure fire! This demo has two collabs on it that are absolutely the best of the best. The first is "Lay my body to rest" it features both Bukshot (Underground Avengers, Mobstyle Records) and T-Razor (Underground Avengers). This track took us several months to get together but it is one of the best things we have ever done. The second collab is with a guy named Stacc Styles of Cultivate Creative Sound. It is called "Wrote this letter" and shows a softer more deep side of Black Project. The demo is rounded out by "Darkest Place", "Dig ya Grave", and "Never make it out". If you are in Tucson or Amarillo hit up our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Black-Project/479855342036749?fref=ts leave a message and we will hook you up for just $5.
Black Project has two shows coming up on the nationwide "Eerly Birds Tour" with J Hornay & Cultivate Creative Sound. The first is in Albuquerque, NM on June 8 @ Blackwater. The second is in Tucson, AZ on June 12 @ The Rialto. These shows are not to be missed!
Finally Black Project has been steady in the studio finishing off more tracks for the "Highly Classified" Album. We are hoping to have at least 4 more tracks done before the Eerly Bird shows, if so you might just get to see them performed live at the shows.
I have been busy working on a lot of concerts and scheduling with Unstable Promotions. The big news is that July 7, 2013 former Strange Music artist Snug Brim is bringing his Arrogant Tour to Tucson, AZ! You heard that right the show is 8 pm at DV8 on July 7, 2013. It will be headlined by Snug Brim, Mr. Grey and Cultivate Creative Sound. Tickets are just $8 presale and $10 at the door. Cheap price for a great show and one that shouldn't be missed!
At the end of July Unstable artist Jigsaw is going to be in Tucson for a show. Details are still being worked out and I will give you an update as they get finalized.
Wicked Butterfly Entertainment and West Coast Chill are teaming up to bring the new energy drink in a self cooling can into the market here in Tucson! This can is awesome, it cools the drink 30 degrees in just 3 minutes! We are also working on bringing West Coast Chill to the Gathering of the Juggalos so be on the lookout for that. If you don't know about this energy drink hit up www.westcoastchill.com and see what it is all about!
Finally it has been my pleasure to continue to do reviews for www.faygoluvers.net. Scottie D has kept putting his trust in me to give my honest straight forward opinion on the music he sends me and for that I am greatful. I have had the pleasure of hearing a wide variety of good, bad, horrible, and great music and hope to continue into the distant future.
With all that in mind here is my shout outs:
Scottie D- Much Love Homie. Thank you for the trust and confidence in me.
Randy Forester aka 806 Outlaw- Been a year man and I couldn't be happier with what we have accomplished with Black Project.
Cecil Martinez aka Narkotix- The past year you havent made my job to easy but it has been an awesome ride. Keep you feet to the fire homie and lets get this CD out this year!
Stacc Styles- Thank you for the love, support, and trust you have place in me for the past few months. Your new solo album is going to be pure fire. Still wanna work that Heel Stacc "I'll pull your Bitch" album.
Crookyd- Road trips have been interesting to say the least! Been a great time with you and all the guys from CCS. Cant wait to get crackin on that solo project!
Bukshot- As one of the truest and most honest musicians I have ever worked with it is my pleasure to call you my friend. I will get you out here for a show and we will bring that Mobstyle to Tucson!
Mars- People love you and people hate you man. Been that way since day one. I consider you my friend and have truely enjoyed working with you and hope we can do more together in the future.
Kung Fu Vampire- What can I say man you are doing big fangs! No doubt you have earned everything you have gotten and have still managed to stay humble in this business. I proudly say you are my friend and I am always here to help out.
Mr. Grey- Hopefully the beginning of big things man! I have enjoyed your work and the times we have had to meet up or talk have been awesome. I am here if you ever need anything homie.
Steven Natale- As Black Projects Producer and main mixer you have been awesome. One of the best I have ever worked with and I definitely look forward to a long and hopefully prosperous future making hits!
Kristina (My Wife)- I would not be where I am without your support. You have been there since day one in this music business. I have made good decisions and bad decisions and you have always had my back. I have no doubt with you in my corner I can make it in this cut throat business. I love you and thank you for everything.
Thats it for this post. I know a lot of shout outs and love in this one. But I feel truely blessed to be where I am and doing the things I am doing. Keep your eyes peeled on the blog for more info on the album release and upcoming concerts.
MMFWFL,
Juggalotus!
Sunday, April 28, 2013
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
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
Saturday, March 23, 2013
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
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
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Evolution
So it became official today with Violent J's interview that Blaze is no longer with Psychopathic. Honestly it came as no suprise. I said in my blog about Twiztid leaving it was going to happen. So I have spent much of the day today reading forum posts, watching videos, and just feeling out the Family and how things are currently. Now I took a lot of hate and criticism because of my thoughts about Twiztid leaving. So let me say as plain as I can, I am and always will be a Juggalo. I will always support the music ICP makes, like it or not, I have nothing but respect for the Dons of Psychopathic. I will always support Blaze and Twiztid no matter where they go and what they do. Nothing can take any of my memories or feelings away that I have developed over the last 16 years. I will always support music I like and speak out if I don't like something. That is what makes the Family unique, our ability to be individuals while still being a Family.
All that being said I wanted to share my feelings on the state of Twiztid, Blaze and Psychopathic. Psychopathic will be fine and move on without Twiztid and Blaze. As long as ICP is making music the label will continue. My feelings on the current management of the label have been made clear throughout this blog. For two years I have opened myself up and told you all exactly how I felt things were going. I do not think the label will be as successful now that Twiztid is gone. The talent just isnt there. Twiztid will forge their own path and so will Blaze. I see nothing but bright things in their futures. One video I watched was a review of Abominationz. In the video the guy speaks exactly how I have been feeling. He says at one point he can't tell if Twiztid is speaking directly to ICP a majority of the time. He also feels like the album is Twiztid's stance against the current movement of the label, and I agree. It was Twiztid's renewal of their devotion to the Family and movement that ICP built. I feel like they have not agreed with the current shift in policy and product. That is why when I hear lines like:
"Your looking for acceptance in places your never gonna get it accept it
Our painted face is rejected
An abomination infected
With so much hatred collected
How can you say you didn't expected to go this way
Like bad directions
They're looking at me like a weapon
We got the world's attention
Were like this great invention
There all to afraid to mention
Shun me like bad intentions
But we'll see who really had agendas
A misconception I don't wanna be in your fucked up life or interventions"
I can't help but feel like they are speaking directly to ICP. Like I have said I will support the music ICP, Twiztid and Blaze make for life. on the business side of things I think things need to change. I do not agree with business decisions being made. Period.
We have been told recently that the Gathering this year will be a celebration of the Underground. When I heard that my first thought was "Huh?" I like the idea of people like Kung Fu Vampire, Bukshot, Liquid Assassin, Mars, Molly Gruesome, and others getting a chance to hit the mainstage and bring the house down. My biggest fear is this move is being made to save money because of the lost profit with Twiztid leaving. Do I think Twiztid will be at the Gathering?, yes. Do I think in 5 years they will be at the Gathering?, not sure. No one can disagree it is much cheaper for the label to have these underground artists on the main stage for $500-800 per set than to bring guys like Ice Cube, Ice T, and others out for $10,000 or more for a set. I am not sure at this point how I feel about the Gathering this year. I am hoping to get a chance to go out there as press and do an actual honest review of the Gathering. We shall see.
Now back to the point of the post, evolution. As a long time Juggalo I have seen shifts in the movement. I have seen band wagon fans come and go. I have seen the music succeed (Melinko, AJB, Mostasteless, Abominationz) and I have seen it fail (The Calm, Tempest, Mutant) but the one thing that has remained constant is the fans. We support the music more rabidly than any other fanbase out there. We get hated on for it and it makes us ban together and put a middle finger in the air at the mainstream. The video review of Abominationz the guy makes a great point and that is this "BPB and MDP were great albums but they do not deserve to be called Jokers Cards. There is something missing that was in all six of the origional cards." They are well done, great as far as production, and have many tracks I can relate to. But the magic is missing. The story is a faint reminder of what we have been told for decades.
The one thing nobody can avoid is evolution. I will never be 100% behind every project that Psychopathic, Twiztid, or Blaze puts out but I can tell you I will give each and every release it's fair shake. I will listen to what is being put out and support the ones I enjoy while allowing the others to collect dust in my collection. I have nothing but love for each and every Juggalo and Juggalette in the world. The real los and lettes not the band wagoners that we seem to be gathering recently. Being a Juggalo isn't about a set of rules, a pledge, if you do drugs or not, or even the music. Being a Juggalo is a state of being. When you find the Family you know you belong no matter where you come from, how much money you have, or what your recreational activities are. Being a Juggalo is about being an individual. Liking what you like and standing firm on your beliefs. We are a Family. Evolution doesn't change that. J said it best in the interview posted today "But if one day you get to college and start hangin’ with a new group of friends and you start to like other kinds of music, just don’t be one of those bitches that’s like, “Can you believe I used to be a Juggalette? I was so young and stupid, I guess.” Never talk that shit about us. Never sell us out because the you at 14 is just as important to your legacy as the you at 34. Yes, it’s OK to be a 14 year old Juggalette. It’s even OK if you grow out of being a Juggalette one day, but do us a favor. Never sell us out. Always remember the good times you had as a Juggalette and cherish them. Don’t look back on them with regret, look back on these days as great days. Never bad mouth the family. Better yet, stay down with the family forever!" Thats it right there. Evolution is going to happen. People will outgrow the need for the music and the Family and that is ok. And if you leave the music behind for a while and find in the future you need that connection again, we will be here.
MMFWFL,
Juggalotus
All that being said I wanted to share my feelings on the state of Twiztid, Blaze and Psychopathic. Psychopathic will be fine and move on without Twiztid and Blaze. As long as ICP is making music the label will continue. My feelings on the current management of the label have been made clear throughout this blog. For two years I have opened myself up and told you all exactly how I felt things were going. I do not think the label will be as successful now that Twiztid is gone. The talent just isnt there. Twiztid will forge their own path and so will Blaze. I see nothing but bright things in their futures. One video I watched was a review of Abominationz. In the video the guy speaks exactly how I have been feeling. He says at one point he can't tell if Twiztid is speaking directly to ICP a majority of the time. He also feels like the album is Twiztid's stance against the current movement of the label, and I agree. It was Twiztid's renewal of their devotion to the Family and movement that ICP built. I feel like they have not agreed with the current shift in policy and product. That is why when I hear lines like:
"Your looking for acceptance in places your never gonna get it accept it
Our painted face is rejected
An abomination infected
With so much hatred collected
How can you say you didn't expected to go this way
Like bad directions
They're looking at me like a weapon
We got the world's attention
Were like this great invention
There all to afraid to mention
Shun me like bad intentions
But we'll see who really had agendas
A misconception I don't wanna be in your fucked up life or interventions"
I can't help but feel like they are speaking directly to ICP. Like I have said I will support the music ICP, Twiztid and Blaze make for life. on the business side of things I think things need to change. I do not agree with business decisions being made. Period.
We have been told recently that the Gathering this year will be a celebration of the Underground. When I heard that my first thought was "Huh?" I like the idea of people like Kung Fu Vampire, Bukshot, Liquid Assassin, Mars, Molly Gruesome, and others getting a chance to hit the mainstage and bring the house down. My biggest fear is this move is being made to save money because of the lost profit with Twiztid leaving. Do I think Twiztid will be at the Gathering?, yes. Do I think in 5 years they will be at the Gathering?, not sure. No one can disagree it is much cheaper for the label to have these underground artists on the main stage for $500-800 per set than to bring guys like Ice Cube, Ice T, and others out for $10,000 or more for a set. I am not sure at this point how I feel about the Gathering this year. I am hoping to get a chance to go out there as press and do an actual honest review of the Gathering. We shall see.
Now back to the point of the post, evolution. As a long time Juggalo I have seen shifts in the movement. I have seen band wagon fans come and go. I have seen the music succeed (Melinko, AJB, Mostasteless, Abominationz) and I have seen it fail (The Calm, Tempest, Mutant) but the one thing that has remained constant is the fans. We support the music more rabidly than any other fanbase out there. We get hated on for it and it makes us ban together and put a middle finger in the air at the mainstream. The video review of Abominationz the guy makes a great point and that is this "BPB and MDP were great albums but they do not deserve to be called Jokers Cards. There is something missing that was in all six of the origional cards." They are well done, great as far as production, and have many tracks I can relate to. But the magic is missing. The story is a faint reminder of what we have been told for decades.
The one thing nobody can avoid is evolution. I will never be 100% behind every project that Psychopathic, Twiztid, or Blaze puts out but I can tell you I will give each and every release it's fair shake. I will listen to what is being put out and support the ones I enjoy while allowing the others to collect dust in my collection. I have nothing but love for each and every Juggalo and Juggalette in the world. The real los and lettes not the band wagoners that we seem to be gathering recently. Being a Juggalo isn't about a set of rules, a pledge, if you do drugs or not, or even the music. Being a Juggalo is a state of being. When you find the Family you know you belong no matter where you come from, how much money you have, or what your recreational activities are. Being a Juggalo is about being an individual. Liking what you like and standing firm on your beliefs. We are a Family. Evolution doesn't change that. J said it best in the interview posted today "But if one day you get to college and start hangin’ with a new group of friends and you start to like other kinds of music, just don’t be one of those bitches that’s like, “Can you believe I used to be a Juggalette? I was so young and stupid, I guess.” Never talk that shit about us. Never sell us out because the you at 14 is just as important to your legacy as the you at 34. Yes, it’s OK to be a 14 year old Juggalette. It’s even OK if you grow out of being a Juggalette one day, but do us a favor. Never sell us out. Always remember the good times you had as a Juggalette and cherish them. Don’t look back on them with regret, look back on these days as great days. Never bad mouth the family. Better yet, stay down with the family forever!" Thats it right there. Evolution is going to happen. People will outgrow the need for the music and the Family and that is ok. And if you leave the music behind for a while and find in the future you need that connection again, we will be here.
MMFWFL,
Juggalotus
Sunday, March 3, 2013
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
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
Saturday, February 23, 2013
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
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
Thursday, February 21, 2013
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
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)