What’s good Sixshot.com readers? This is your boy Jon Michael, a.k.a. the dude who brings you the constant heat you’ve become so accustomed to reading. Hip-hop being the force that it is today, I know that about 50% of you are not only fans but are also trying to break into this business in some way, shape, or form.
Whether you’re on the come up as a rapper, DJ, executive, or radio personality, your boy’ Jonny Five Angels’ has you covered. I brought you a man who really needs no introduction, Chicago’s Finest, the king of Midwest DJ’s, and ‘Tha Bull Of The Industry’, the one and only DJ Fokis.
Besides being a beast on the 1’s and 2’s, DJ Fokis is an expert in marketing and promotion and in his journal he will be sharing what he’s learned in his many years in the music business. Read his entries as they come in to get that extra knowledge you need to make it. Work hard; stay on the grind, and most of all get Fokised.
DJ Fokis Entry #1:
Welcome to the first entry of my blog here on sixshot.com. I want to thank Jon and the rest of the Sixshot.com staff for extending the opportunity. It’s hard to find outlets to express yourself on a global scale and I think sixshot.com is on top of the hill when it comes to getting my points and views across in this manner.
For those who don’t know me , I’m from a place that has many different faces, and many different cases. That place is Chicago. Let’s get one thing clear, this ain’t home to the gangsters no more, you can throw that ancient history shit out the window. It’s been turned over to the people with million dollar dreams and 2-dollar pockets. To the companies who approach me with ideas. They are not aware that a $5,000 investment to press up 10,000 CDs with no marketing and no buzz surrounding your artist will barely warrant you a $500-$800 return on your investment (that’s if you have vendors willing to do you a favor).When I put it in that perspective the checkbook disappears. I have seen storerooms filled up with product no one wants.
Being dealt many blows in this business, friends and business partners have come and gone, some sold off my partnership on shitty deals not knowing when they’re in over their head with debt and promises they can’t keep. If you are an “up and coming” artist reading this understand this, loyalty is golden and money motivates. Does anyone think Microsoft would be the world largest software company if Bill Gates, Paul Allen, and Steve Ballmer each had different views on what software would do?
They ALL set a common goal and achieved it, but let’s forget they also had the tenacity and ever so popular startup capital. The average “up and coming” musician has one goal in mind, become rich and famous. They rarely think about “how can this become a business” or “how will I survive?” What happens if I get sick, how am I going to buy recording equipment? They then look to the record labels to save them not knowing what tangled web of confusion they have weaved by signing their life away.
I look back on discussions with label advisors and see that they where saving me rather than restricting me from signing or wanting to sign on the dotted line with a label. The 21st century the music industry in terms of sales are hurting big time. Remember the advertisements in The Source Magazine and XXL from labels such as No-Limit Records where they featured the artist and in large print it stated “Master P’salbum “Ships Gold” or “Ships Platinum”? That was powerful spin on words in those days, meaning vendors and stores across the country and globally put in orders totaling 1,000,000 copies or more. So what the label just sold to the vendors was anticipation [buzz] aka “money in-hand” whether the stores sold out the product or not. Most of the time they did. It was that anticipation and buzz for artist such as a Master Por a Death Row Records enjoyed cause it expanded their bottom-line.
Nowadays we look at Nielsen numbers and the record labels don’t even comment. A worldwide artist such as a Mariah Carey #1 selling 300,000 copies is sad and weak. I have always had in the back of head there would be a musical revolution and how myself as an artist will be able to capitalize and survive. For starters, if you are the only one (most cases you are) you don’t have the staff or manager; there is business first, music second. That formula can be risky, you will find yourself being more business than creative, your product can suffer due to neglect and stress can prohibit creativity.
Secondly, finding your niche aka your uniqueness. The downfall of many artist nowadays is that you can’t one million rich gangsters with tattoos trying to sell you music that’s called over saturation and it hurts not only you but every quality artist market share. Create a catchy name or moniker that only describes you. If it’s good enough people will associate your music whenever they hear those words or in combination with dialect they are reminded of you, which is a great form of free promotion.
I mentioned earlier about capital. It is every businesses vital lifeline and without it, you don’t count. Remember one thing when borrowing against yourself or banks. Think long term and have a sure fire plan that can carry your business to the next level and create the cash flow to pay yourself or the loans you have borrowed.
These are the jewels for this week. Tune in soon for entry number two for more lessons from DJ Fokis.
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