Hi Scott it is a pleasure to do this interview with you, Can you please give the DH readers some back ground on yourself:
Sure. I come from an entertainment marketing background which started in college working in artist development where I set the West Coast college marketing tactics for groups like NERD and Chemical Brothers. This led into concert production where I booked shows for everyone from Snoop Dogg to 50 Cent on the West Coast as well. Eventually I made my way into film marketing where I ran urban marketing for movies from Soul Plane (yea I know) to Barbershop. I currently work for a marketing consulting company where we specialize in positioning and branding businesses, movies, music, etc. properly into popular culture giving it that cool “hip” edge.
(Q): What do you think is the future of Hip Hop Artist using the web to promote their businesses?
It’s pretty clear that the future of music in general has gone the way of the web. I think hip hop is even more dominant on the web vs. other forms of music due to the nature of it. Back in the days before the web it was all about the mix tape and getting the newest music. Artists would make new tracks every day and distribute it out of their cars. Now…they click a button on their computer and the latest mix tape is distributed to millions. Artists get what they want…fans get what they want.
The danger though is there is no quality control filter. Before, record labels did the job of developing artists. Now…anyone can pick up a studio mic, plug into their computer and spit out a record. The key is differentiating yourself from the thousands of other artists out there just like you trying to only do it online. Online promotion is just a small part of the hustle necessary to really break through. It’s like job searching. You can’t just stick to online job searching b/c there are millions just like you sitting on their computer looking for a job online. You got to get off your ass and hustle.
(Q): What are some tips that you can recommend HipHop artist in branding themselves not only online but also making stratigic alliances in spreading their personal brand, especially through corporate sponsorships?
When I’m consulting for a movie or a product or an artist, whatever I always ask the client the same thing first. What separates YOU from the competition and how are you communicating that to the consumer? Every artist is a brand. Your name is a brand, your style supports your brand. Your music communicates your brand. Your website is the online version of your brand. The key is to have a cohesive HOOK for your brand (you) that separates you from others. Who and what do you stand for and is that cohesive?
Corporate sponsors look for artists who instantly represent something. They have a hook that will resonate with their target consumer Many don’t even want multi-million album selling artists. These days artists who are hardly known are landing some nice deals because they stand for something. From Mickey Factz landing a national deal with Toyota to The Cool Kids and Mountain Dew. There are plenty others..the one thing they all have in common is a clear and concise branding image behind them. Find yours..stay consistent…find your angle, your passion for the music and you are one step closer.
(Q): It is interesting with HipHop right now because it has become in some sense more than about the music you have artist now that are taste masters and can drive sales for themselves and fortune 500 companies…My question is will we will see a Hip Hop blogger reaching that type of influence like a Jay Z or Diddy? Because to me the Brand HipHop itself is very strong and I think you don’t necessarily have to spit rhymes anymore to make a great living in HipHop.
I think you already see that happening. The hip hop blogosphere is a tight family. When I started blogging I learned right away you must earn the respect of the “Forefathers” of hip hop blogs to get real credibility. Now, blogs like Nah Right, OnSmash, RapRadar…they have so much clout within the industry that artists want to partner with them. You see blogger branded mix tapes, concerts, events, etc b/c these blogs have such recognition and their name carries a stamp of legitimacy with them.
I don’t think bloggers will ever be the level of Jay-Z or Diddy on a mainstream popular culture level but the level of influence a blogger can have within the hip hop industry is growing faster and faster.
(Q): Since you have worked in the record industry do you think they will adapt to the digital age of music or just die the way of the dinosaur?
The record industry has been improving leaps and bounds in regards to embracing the digital age. Instead of fighting it they are finally embracing it. Yea it’s a little late but at least the perceptions and decision making is focused on digital instead of trying to save physical CD sales.
There will always be a major record label industry though because you still need marketing support and money to properly push an album not just in stores but even digitally as well. Having your album available on iTunes is one thing, getting the consumer to NOTICE your album on iTunes is another. For that you need money. There are just too many artists out there competing against each other. You need label support and financial backing to get noticed.
You might see the industry become more fragmented with more artists having their own label deals but in the end they are still tied to a major label.
(Q): Just overall Scott what are your some of your suggestions for getting starting in the HipHop industry especially those that would like to work behind the scenes?
I think the internet gives a false sense of hope that being a hip-hop blogger is your ticket to getting into the industry. If your blog becomes big enough and gets noticed and maintains the traffic and heat, yea you can make a dent but it’s still a small group that really have the industry influence that I mentioned. That influence I’m sure has led to many job opportunities for those bloggers.
But for the rest of us, it’s about the hustle. First off it takes hard work and strategy to get into the game, be successful and actually make a decent living off of it. First thing is to find what your strength is for the industry. What can you bring to the hip hop industry that others can’t? Basically, identify your strengths and brand yourself accordingly. After that, figure out what industry jobs would fit your strengths or where you can enhance that job field.
If you look at all the successful businessmen and women in hip hop they have a strong sense of who they are and what they stand for. That comes from branding themselves in a certain way and making sure others know. The other side of success in music is establishing the connections but everyone should know that’s a given in this game.
(Q): Hey Scott people are always talking about the death of HipHop, I don’t see it ever dying I have many reasons why it won’t but the main reason is HipHop is a powerful tool in selling stuff to people…Do have any insight in the the next 5 years where Hiphop is going to be Business wise and its influence on pop culture?
There will always be doubters of hip hop and its lasting power in pop culture. People thought it would fade, just a fad. Instead it’s the opposite. The number of hip hop artists with corporate partnerships continues to grow. Heck, Forbes has an annual special hip-hop report about all the money artists are making outside of the music.
These days with profits from album sales getting smaller and smaller, more artists are using music just as a launch pad to support their other business ventures. We are going to see this continue to happen and artists will become multi-platform business people and not just artists the way we saw back in the days. Hip hop will continue to thrive and survive because of the pop culture influence of “cool” that it stands for.
You can also find Scott @
http://www.facebook.com/WoooHa
