The Man Behind the Man

This past Friday, June 27, 2008, P.Brown of Streettalk Newspaper held her first ever ATL Record Pool 3-Day Conference. Several hundred aspiring rappers and producers, from all over the U.S., were in attendance at Club Crucial for the “Man Behind The Man” panel discussion which featured some of the top artist managers in the business. The panel discussion was very informative and colorful to say the least. The advice given were based upon questions from the audience. Here are a few brief Q & A’s from the discussion that STACKS Magazine feel are important for you to know.

1. What do managers or labels look for in an artist (before signing them)? Managers and labels look for artist who are ORIGINAL. Since there is already one T.I, one Kanye, one Lil Wayne, the last thing they need is someone that is imulating someone else. The artist has to be unique. The artist must have swagger (everyone that can rap does not necessarily have style or swagger). If possible, the artist must possess several talents that can span over several areas of entertainment. The more multi-talented you are, the more the label feels they can market you. Lastly, most labels look for artist who are young. The younger you are, the longer you could work and withstand the business. But if you are very talented, the label may look past your age.

2. For managers who have several clients, how do you pay equal attention to all of your artists? For most artists, you have to wait your turn to shine. If a manager has an artist that is currently booking shows, tv, putting out albums, etc., more than likely that manager will focus more attention on that person. Not to say that they are not trying to build careers for the others, managers are. But artists need to understand that it may not be their time to be on the forefront just yet. That type of artist may not be in demand. So if you have a “good” manager, just be patient. I’m sure that manager will not let a talented artist go to waste.

3. From a managers standpoint, what is the most important advice you can give to an artist? The most important thing is to hire an attorney. A lot of artists believe it is necessary to hire a manager first. But in actuality, it is better to hire a “good” lawyer. Attorneys can help you understand the legal side of the business, secure better record deals, and sometime get you in contact with major labels. Remember, attorneys are not cheap. Most attorneys charge $200 or more a hour. So if you want to take the cheaper route, hire a manager. Managers can do the same to a certain extent. But a managers responsibility is to help you book shows, get placements, handle your finances, and connect your music with labels.

As you can see, there was a lot of good information floating around the room. Even Grand Hustle’s own, DJ Drama, was in the building to lend a few inspiring words regarding DJ responsibilities to artists.

DJ Drama
(Photo courtesy of STACKS Magazine)

So if you are truly about your grind, take heed to some of this information and make sure you attend other music conferences. You never know what you might take from it. Get Seen. Get Connected. Get Educated!