Been a couple days since this dropped, I produced this joint with my boy yeti as his first solo tape. Proud of the different sounds and type of songs achieved while still being able to take a dive into his state of mind. Take a listen on all platforms now! 🙏
There’s no single formula, but these are my best practices for 5-year artist growth:
1. Get better at your craft
2. Build a catalog (release songs!)
3. Develop your sound, brand, & overall aesthetic
4. Find your audience
5. Own that audience (first party data)
You don't have funds to push music.
You lack network or connection.
You're not signed to a label.
And you don't want to be active online, putting yourself out there to attract what you don't have.
Any Artist who desires to be seen and attract opportunities, but choose not to create and post content consistently is not serious.
MUSIC INDUSTRY PRO TIP - be nice to everyone!
You'll encounter a lot of different kind of people at different levels in your career.
Some will be junior.
Some will be more senior.
Some in the middle.
Don't just be nice to those in positions of power...
Be nice to the interns, entry level team members, etc.
Don't just be nice to the director...
Be nice to the PA, sound person, lighting person, etc.
Being a genuinely nice and good person is underrated and can take you far.
Don’t know what rapper needs to hear this, but, Unless you super famous or lit or sumn, when yall do that lil mysterious, unfollow everybody except one person thing, it really hurts your brand and connections. Don’t shoot the messenger.
It’s always gonna be a learning curve no matter what daw or hardware you create with .
Besides it’s an abundance of quote on quote masterclasses on everything nowadays.
If you can’t get a few 100 ppl to purchase your album off Bandcamp.
What makes you think you ready to press up that same album on vinyl ?
At some point you gotta be honest with yourself.
It’s really levels to this
It’s gotta be some kind of demand
MUSIC INDUSTRY PRO TIP – having the RIGHT team is more important than having a big team.
A big team with no clear direction can slow you down.
Too many cooks in the kitchen, things get lost in translation, etc.
A small, focused team that believes in the vision can change everything.
Look for people who move with urgency, communicate clearly, and genuinely care about the outcome — not just happy to be around.
“Stay independent as long as you can.”
MUST-WATCH interview with veteran manager Chris Anokute, who explains what you want in a record deal when you have leverage:
• Master ownership
• 10-year licensing reversion
• 70/30 profit split (artist’s favor)
• No “distribution fee”
Music is art, but if you expect to live off said art, there must be marketing behind it. Just releasing music to streaming—indie or signed, doesn’t matter—without a plan to create greater awareness is a recipe for grand disappointment.
The mysterious artist thing doesn’t work anymore. I know The Weeknd did this masterfully 15 years ago, but times changed. Being a mystery makes connection IMPOSSIBLE. Be authentic, share your story with the world.
Artists, if you want to build a strong community online, start by truly being a part of it. Think of yourself as the founding member—someone who sets the tone and energy. Even the briefest positive interactions can turn a casual listener into a lifelong fan.
Dropping a song or a project and only pushing it for a month is crazy.
You need to believe in yourself for music to work out! Viral is rare.
You invested the time and money making it. Why not invest the time and money to promote and push it?
FUNCTION THIS SATURDAY AT OPB! We Are Sacramento is releasing a new label for their Amber Pilsner & I’ll be DJ’n this party.
It’s a FREE event from 4-10. Make sure you pull up!
GO TO WAR FOR YOU, YOU GO TO WAR FOR ME 🖤💕🖤
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Song: DESERVE IT(frfr)
Prod: @CheatCodeBeats
Project: MOOD SWINGS EP OUT NOW ON ALL PLATFORMS:
https://t.co/LoTdfKiRFy
Conversations with Cheat Code…
Song: MADE FOR THIS (outro)
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Prod. @CheatCodeBeats#EvetteWav
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Shot by @joshjorin1
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Project: Mood Swings EP
https://t.co/LoTdfKijQ0