Tech Sessions #16
Making It
The subject of "making it" has become as relevant to producers as it has always been to artists. Now, I am no expert on making it but I can share my experiences because my push has been long and it has been hard.
One thing that I get asked about a lot is how to go about getting track placements. As a producer heading in that direction myself, I can't even begin to sit here and act like authority on this. We're fighting to get on just as hard as the next man.
Yes, we have good management and we are building our brand with a variety of different acts, both signed and unsigned, but all I know is what I know and have experienced.
There is no magic formula to any of this shit. To be honest with you, it is all 100% work and more work and then some more work after that. When that kind of hit me a while back, I had to change my personal viewpoint on things because at that time I was living in Miami Beach and I was partying all of the time.
It hit me very hard one night at this spot called Cro-Bar. The event was huge and there was a lot of VIPs rolling in and out on the spot and you would think my mind would have been like 'yo this is how they live.'
Thankfully it went somewhere else. Thankfully, I ended up saying to myself 'I see a lot of people out but I never the same people out every night, yet I am out every night. That has to be the difference.'
And from that point forward I have made it a mission to outwork the next man on some "I get up before you and I got to bed after you shit." Of course I am still social, let's not get silly or nothing, but I say all of this because everything positive that has happened to the Audio Assassins as producers has happened once we just put our heads down and started grinding.
Grinding became elevating our technical game by reading the manuals that came with all of our hardware and software to see what little tricks we had been missing. I know a lot of ya'll out there just plug and play and we did that too but for real… read that shit.
Grinding became taking the time to learn the names and background of not only the "stars" but the people behind the stars. I can not say how many times it has helped to be able to say 'nice to meet you I respected how you positioned so and so like this.' That's not even on some ass-kissing shit either. It's really about figuring out who you want to work with and why.
Grinding became treating production like an A&R gig and going out in the street and finding cats to work with so we could get these tracks heard in the context of a song. We both gained a real appreciation for what industry cats go through having sifted through hundreds of rappers to find a group as hot as Gaingreen.
Grinding became hooking up with BMI for publishing and joining NARAS to be able to go to local industry events to meet people that we didn't otherwise have access to.
I can list a ton of other examples but hopefully the idea has come across. Yo, none of this is to say that we are some honor student type dudes or anything like that. But for everybody who asked me how can they place tracks, these steps have put us in a position to where we have a legitimate shot.
It took all of that and then some to get just a shot. Now to some it may come easier than others because they know people who know people etc.
But for everybody who is coming in like we did, that doesn't know a mutherfucker, I have one word for you: grind. Everything else will take care of itself.
Glover is one half of the Atlanta, GA based production squad The Audio Assassins which are founding members of The Elements. You can find them both at Audioassassins.com and theelementsinc.com
Message Glover with your tips about making it and placing your track!
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The 2-Way
Replies: 4
posted by: kounslor @ 09/18/04: 03:03 PM EST
Good read Audio. I especially liked the part about being familiar with not only the "stars," but also the people behind the scenes. I think that is soooo important, no matter what area of the industry you're interested in.
It's definitely all about the grind.
posted by: fastlance @ 09/19/04: 03:03 PM EST
If You Don't Grind - You Don't Shine
If You Don't Work - You Don't Eat
-Mike Jones
and that's basicly it
posted by: fastlance @ 09/19/04: 03:03 PM EST
But I forgot this one thing
In my 4 years of making beats, there is one definite thing I have learned. It's all about who you know! It's not even how great your music is or how talented you are. Your talent only adds to the edge of your possible success. Some of the most shittyist people are getting put on, why? Because there right hand man is friends with an Executive who has all the resources that you need to handle your business.
When I first started out I was lucky enough to have a guy who was at a very high position at Sony records to ink me to a 3 year production development deal. I was 14. He had my music heard to all kinds of executives at different labels and all kinds of meetings setup. He died. Disappeared of the face of the earth and I was humbled. I was low to the earth and taught that you should never take relationships you achieve for granted. Now I had to start from scratch but I did have all the things I learned from him that I never listened to.
Make sure when you get that one right connection you keep that relationship alive!
posted by: glover @ 09/20/04: 04:04 PM EST
K,
Thanks... as always... as hard as you work on your stuff u should know...
Lance... you are DEF on the right path. Everytime we get up I expect to hear your news. Keep it sick man you know your time is coming .
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