Is Hip-Hop Growing Up?

Is Hip-Hop Growing Up?

Justin McWilson

Feb. 18, 2012

Recently we as fans of this ever-evolving culture were exposed to yet another beef. This time from seasoned Hip Hop veteran Common and pop sensation Drake. While conflicts over vernacular and verbal dexterity are nothing new, method by which these disputes are being handle has begun to grow in maturity with each new case. Naturally in any male driven field testosterone is bound to run ramped. However, we have finally taken a page from the high power boardroom executives and found more civilized ways to handle our complications.

While the turmoil between Tupac and Biggie Smalls (along with their perspective crews) may have been an extreme case, the sentiments from that situation remained consistent throughout the years “when at war nothing is off limits”. This was never more evident, than in the case of “Gucci Mane vs. Young Jeezy”. Both emerging talents at time (2005) allowed something as petty as royalties and song credits divert their focus from the “Industry” to handling their conflict “In-The-Street”.

While serving a six-month jail term for assault in late 2005, Davis (Gucci Mane) was charged with murder, though the charges were later dropped due to a lack of evidence. In 2009, he served a year-long county jail sentence for violating probation for his 2005 aggravated assault conviction (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gucci_Mane).

Referring back to the case of Common vs. Drake, to serve as an example as to how much the philosophy has changed in just a short period time. In late January 2012 after nearly two months of speculation Aubrey Graham (Drake) finally responded to a dis record aimed at him by Hip-Hopper Lonnie “Common Sense” Rashid. However, rather than taking the skirmish to an unnecessary level involving violence, both emcees elected to keep it on wax. None-the-less emotions took center stage as the two finally came face to face (at the Grammy Awards) for the first time since their quarrel had begun. Read more about the incident here… http://www.sohh.com/2012/02/drake_common_squashed_beef_not_each_othe.html.

While this situation does nothing to stimulate the economy, mend gender relations or create world peace. It does represent a more neutral zone for looking to invest in the culture. As well as those that make a living within it…

Unifying The Unions

Recently, we received an email from AFTRA National President Roberta Reardon and SAG National President Ken Howard. Detailed within the message, was information regarding a possible merger. However, members where told to visit each entities website to get truly informed; as the final vote lies in the hands of the members.

In acknowledgement of this momentous event we here at Music Castings sat down with a number of individuals to get their perspective on the potential merger. While the response was clearly mixed there were three areas that were consistently addressed. Below we have highlighted two of the most talked about sections within the Merger Agreement.

XI. Membership

A. Status and Conversion of Existing Members

1. On the Effective Date, by virtue of this Agreement and without further payment or action, all AFTRA and SAG members not under expulsion or suspension by either SAG or AFTRA shall become members of SAG-AFTRA in their appropriate membership classification (e.g. active, inactive, etc.) provided, however, that any person may elect to become a non-member by written notice to SAG-AFTRA (Merger Agreement).

Many of the current SAG members expressed a great deal of angst regarding this specific area. For years individuals have had to meet rigorous requirements before being given the opportunity to join this union. Members of SAG have also had to pay nearly double the initial fee of those that joined AFTRA. However, AFTRA on the other hand has for years been the alternative to waiting out the initiation process of SAG. Its requirements to join up, until recently have only been financially based. In light of these differences many SAG members are hesitant.

XIV. Collective Bargaining Agreements

C. Contributions to Benefit Funds

During the period after the Effective Date but before any merger or other combination of the Unions’ Taft Hartley benefit plans or cooperative funds, SAG-AFTRA shall use its best efforts to ensure that (1) the members of SAG- AFTRA enjoy the best available terms and conditions for their work; and (2) the amount of contributions to each of the union’s Taft Hartley benefit plans and cooperative funds remains as close as possible to the levels received during the 12-month period prior to the Effective Date (Merger Agreement).

Amongst many of the well-seasoned SAG members this was another hot button issue. However there were a number of positive points as well. To review the document in its entirety refer to

http://aftra.org/documents/Merger_Agreement_Final_Approved_120131a.pdf

A one on one with a Realtor

A One On One With A Realtor

Interviewee: Lisa Scoggins

Interviewer: Justin McWilson

This week we here at The Music Casting Network decided to sit down and discuss the topic of negotiating and closing deals. We were luckily enough to find an individual that works in the field of real estate. As part of the interview we wanted to see how she would respond to some question that we ourselves being asked... (Lisa Scoggins is a realtor based out of Nothern California, she is currently studying at the North-Central University and preparing for the broker exam).

What are some of your strengths and weaknesses?

Strengths: Working in the field of real estate has been a success for me professionally. Some of my strengths are my education background in psychology. Having this training has proven to be very helpful in working with my clients, and the community. It is important in this field to be able to understand and analyze people to the extent of being able to meet your clients needs when it comes to buying or selling a home. Another strength is the eye for details. When it comes to contracts and negotiations, it is very important to be meticulous and on your toes regarding details of a contract. Making the mistake on a contract or negotiation can break a deal. This can be very bad for the client.

Weaknesses: One thing that stands out is that organization is something I have to constantly work on. I have to go to great extents to make sure I have things organized. It does not come naturally for me. I have taken steps to remedy this problem, such as taking extra time in preparing, and have hired on an assistant to help with each step of the way.

How do you think others see you?

I do believe that others see me as a professional, who takes her career serious. Also, I am a helpful person, which is probably the reason I have chosen this career path and my education in psychology. I do enjoy helping people. There is a gratification in seeing the joy in people when I help them with their dream homes. Therefore, I would say that people see me as a helpful, considerate, and caring person.

How do you think self-confidence plays a role in effective negotiation?

I think that self confidence is important in negotiation. It is hard to take someone serious, if they seem unsure, or stumble on their words. A confident person portrays someone who has a plan, is well organized, and can lead. It would be more difficult to be persuaded by someone who is themselves unsure. If you cant be sure of yourself, how can you expect others to be sure of you.

Do you think that any of your fears keep you from being an effective negotiator? If so, how might you overcome this?

Yes, there are times when I do have doubts. This does not happen very often, but when it does I do need to reevaluate my options, and really consider that the best choice is being made. One way that I would be able to overcome this, is to do my research, be well prepared before the negotiation, and to rely on my assistant when needed.

How do you think knowing yourself will help you in your career?

Knowing myself is very important in this career. A person that is confident is a person that is secure, and has learned about themself. To know your strengths and weaknesses allows for perfecting skills such as communication, organization and negotiation. Also, knowing my weaknesses will allow me to be able to hire on assistant in the weak areas, to better meet my clients needs.

How do you think the following terms relate to you and your business...

Affiliation: An example of how affiliation has impacted me in my career, is a client who at the time, I was fully representing. I did my best to have my clients best interest in mind. However the client had been fed misleading information about realtors, and generalized these views upon me. There was no convincing the client that I was on her side and working for her, not against her. It made it difficult in making the deal go through in a timely manner, and the process got dragged out. In the end negotiations were weak, because of the continuous opposition of my client.

Autonomy: A time when my autonomy was challenged, was a friend who became a client. She came to me to assist her in the sale of her home. This was at a time when the market was declining. After going over the comps with her to set a price to sell her house, she was very dissatisfied, because in her mind, she thought her house could sell for more, based on sells in the past 6 months. However in explaining to my client that prices were declining, and her not agreeing, this caused a situation in which I was limited on my ability to do my job. It now became the decision of my client regarding the details of the sale of the home. This ended up causing a dissolution of the friendship, and it was an unfortunate outcome.

Status: Another situation in working for a friend on the sale of her home, turned out to be quite the opposite of the previous example. An old friend had information that I was working as a realtor, and contacted me to help sell her home. It was very refreshing that in this instance the outcome was quite the opposite, I was praised and there was gratitude in the information given to my client. The homes were selling for 3 times the amount she purchased her home for, just 4 years prior. This became a situation in which my clients were very pleased, and there was positive recognition on my job well done.

Role: A situation that was fulfilling in my role as a realtor, was in the helping of a widow, who had previously had lost everything due to finances, and the death of her husband. This woman had suffered years of struggle, and suffering. Due to the unfortunate accident of her husband, and the settlement she accrued, her situation took a turn. Being able to provide the service to her in helping her find security in the purchase of a home, for her and her child was rewarding that I was able to help this women in the process of easing a burden of finances at a time when she needed security the most. There was no way that I could do anything to ease the pain of her losing her husband. I was able to however assist in helping this women ease the new burden of providing for her son.

Please Listen To My Demo

www.PleaseListenToMyDemo.com

Recently I was browsing the Internet, in an attempt to discover what type of tools there were out there for artists looking to get their music heard. Then on a fluke I came across the web site www.PleaseListenToMyDemo.com. Here on the site they promise individuals that they will rate songs and give feedback from industry insiders. This was extremely similar to promises offered by the Akon endorsed Digital Hit System or DHS. Considering the fact that we here at the Music Casting Network are aiming to also fulfill a similar void in the market. We felt that it was only right to fairly assess other tools of the same nature.

After taking the bait I reviewed the information on the sites ‘about’ section. It turns out this company also took the route of acquiring a marquee name to help solidify their movement. However, rather than using an artist (which may have resulted in mixed reviews) they chose one of the most notorious urban music executives, Chris Lighty. According to the site Lighty has been an instrumental factor in the careers of many of hip hops elite.

“In an era when label CEO's drop albums, romance pop-stars and parlay their mogul-dom into multiple endorsement deals, Chris Lighty, CEO of Violator Management, is a bit of an anomaly. Since 1989, his company has been stealthily creating strategic multi-million dollar opportunities for its artists' – among them 50 Cent, Mariah Carey, LL Cool J, Diddy, and Soulja Boy – in the areas of film, television, advertising, sports and finance” (www.pleaselistentomydemo.com).

You can read more about Lighty at http://www.pleaselistentomydemo.com/about/

While the site offered a very influential name drop with Chris Lighty, the set backs were evident as well. They were not able to point out any known success stories attributed to the network. Aside from, that the $10 per song submission fee served as the sites own deterrent.

Hit Lab Competition

Recently world-renowned recording artist Akon took part in administering a competition. With the use of various social media networks, he was able to spread the word of this event extremely fast. His promo for this activity began with a simple video uploaded to the popular media based site YouTube. Then linked was linked to his various other social pages to create a platform.

Watch the video here:

In his video he briefly explains the motivation behind the competition. However what isn’t highlighted on the surface is the utter amount of self-interest being also at play. By masquerading his motivation as an “opportunity for emerging talent” he also finds an added outlet to continue his brand.

The contest allows artist of all genres to submit songs into a database coined as the DHS (Digital Hit System). Then, the machine (which is said to be incredibly accurate) calculates the hit potential of the entree. Ultimately, the winners of the competition are flown out to the Grammy’s to walk the red carpet and perform their music on national television.

For complete rules: http://www.facebook.com/hitlab?sk=app_271786972853587

While reading the guidelines and (possible) rewards even the most skeptical of individuals would be enticed. How ever from a marketing perspective one must display complete amazement. In one deadly swoop this company has established a market, locate a fan base and ultimately secured a brand.

An avid reader of “The 48 Laws Of Power” by Robert Greene, I feel these guys have (and continue to) exemplify a number of crucial laws in their attempt to solidify themselves as a reputable company. The fact that they were able to down play the notion of brand promotion (of DHS) and focus on the opportunity being was pure genius.

Law 3

~Conceal Your Intentions~

Keep people off-balance and in the dark by never revealing the purpose behind you actions (Green 2000).

Reference:

Greene, O., & Elffers, J. (2000). The 48 laws of power. Penguin Putnam.Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books/feeds/volumes?q=0-14-028019-7

Why to Believe In Others

My Experience @

www.TED.com

Site Overview

Today I was rather inspired by a new site I had the pleasure of experiencing for the first time. Upon my initial visit this page struck as just another video sharing site extremely similar to the other dozen or so popularized video sharing sites (and or dot com’s). However, after further review this would not at all be the case. It turns out the sites administrators examined the advice given by the Ries’ in their book The 22 Immutable Laws Branding. “…when you narrow the focus to such a degree that there is no longer any market for the brand? …This is potentially the best situation of all. What you have created is the opportunity to introduce a brand-new category” (Ries & Ries, 2002). As a result, of narrowing their database to solely motivational material (or in other words Ideas Worth Spreading), they were able to help themselves create brand distinction.

Best of The Web

One of the more unique features of the site is the organization of themes. Within these subsections they provide a category entitled “Best of The Web”. From lectures at little-known forums to famous speeches that made history, our "Best of the Web" collection features talks that come from all over the Web -- not just TED or TED's partner conferences -- so long as the video is available for free, and so long as the talk meets our most important benchmark: that it's an Idea Worth Spreading ("Best of the," 2011). It was here that I found a number of the sites most moving inspirational speeches. Including one from Holocaust-survivor Viktor E Frankl.

Why to Believe In Others

In this excerpt from a lecture in 1972, Viktor E Frankl (Neurologist and psychiatrist) illuminates the importance of investing in people. With the use of well-timed humor and minimalistic visual aids he displayed an array of information. Frankls’ approach to the speech was simply ingenious. Although he clearly knew information well, he allowed the audience to assist at points (clearly a technique heavily employed by instructors). I have personally have always agreed with notion of over expectation for myself, however I now see the benefit in doing the same for others as well.

Reference:

Best of the web. (2011, November 08). Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/themes/best_of_the_web.html

Ries, A., & Ries, L. (2002). The 22 immutable laws of branding. New York, NY: HarperCollinsPublishers.

Frankl, V. (Performer). (1972). Viktor frankl: Why to believe in others. [Web Video]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/viktor_frankl_youth_in_search_of_meaning.html

Industry Association

Welcome back,

In this segment we will briefly discuss a variety of a Industry associations. Highlighting their purpose and motivation as it pertains to elements of the music business. However, one should keep in mind "...there are over 86,000 registered trade and professional associations whose primary purpose is to work together on a common interest" (DeGilio, 2011). So it highly unlikely that we can cover each and every pertinent one. Non-the-less, we have listed (and outlined) four key organizations imperative to those looking to succeed in this field.

Recording Industry Association of America: http://www.riaa.com/

Is a trade organization that promotes the creative and financial livelihood of the major music companies. "RIAA® members create, manufacture and/or distribute approximately 85% of all legitimate recorded music produced and sold in the United States" (www.RIAA.com).

American Advertising Federation: http://www.aaf.org/

This federation ulitmately protects and promotes the well-being of advertising. Some of their key attributes (as detailed on their website) include...

* Bringing members together to yield creative business solutions.
* Educating members on the latest trends in technology, creativity and marketing.
* Promotes diversity in advertising by encouraging the recruitment of people of
diverse cultures.

For further insight into the companies benifits refer to their web page. (www.aaf.org)

Motion Picture of Association of America: http://www.mpaa.org/

According to its website it is at the forefront of assisting the film industry through one of its most
turbulant periods to date. "While the advent of the digital era created extraordinary new opportunities for delivering movies to consumers, it also give rise to the most serious threat to the industry's continued health - online copyright theft"(www.mpaa.org).

Public Relations Society of America: http://www.prsa.org/

"...is a community of more than 21,000 public relations and communications professionals across the United States, from recent college graduates to the leaders of the world’s largest multinational firms. Our members represent nearly every practice area and professional and academic setting within the public relations field" (www.prsa.org).

Inevitably each of these organizations will have an affect on the way www.MusicCasting.com operates, from handling promotions to aiding talent. The association that may be dealt with the most is the RIAA. With the core focus of the company being ~music~ it will be imparative that the site work closely with the RIAA for the benefit of those employing the service.

Unfortunately, membership is only "open to legitimate record companies with main offices in the United States that are engaged in the production and sale, under their own brand label, of recordings of performances for home use" (www.riaa.com). However, many of our promotions are geared toward music and the distribution of it.

Many of the initiatives the company champions also align with the ideology of www.MusicCasting.com. Their attempts to combat piracy continue to allow legal online services to profit. They are also huge advocates of taking legal action against rogue companies. A more recent tool employed the company with the use of the FBI seal... This was intially brought to our attention via the "JMiller Entertainment Blog" (available here...http://jasminedmiller.blogspot.com/2011/11/recording-industry-association-of.html) However, for more information on this and other music related legal issues visit (www.riaa.com)