” I know artists that made records without record labels. I don’t know too many record labels that made records without artists.”  Well said, Jeff.

Prodigy and Havoc briefly address their feelings about the relevance of labels in this clip.

More testimonials fromm independent hip hop artists who are actually making it happen.

spotted at: hypebot

This is real talk from producer Mannie Fresh. I agree with him wholeheartedly except for that fact that I think it will happen sooner. This is nothing new to hip hop though. Heads were selling their shit out of the car trunk for years because labels thought that hip hop was a fad. Now with the help of the internet you don’t need a label unless they’re giving you some kind of tour support. And even that can’t guarantee you a fanbase. Artists are finding out that you only need to win over a few hundred loyal fans to build some momentum. No one truly knows what the future will hold, but everything is here for you to blaze a new path to success in a way that has never been done before.

The two Techs talk about being hip hop and independent. Check it out. What do you think about being independent? Would you rather have a record deal? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think.

Some hip hop artists are enjoying the luxury of using free beats in their recordings. Trinidad James said that his hit song was made by using a free beat. But, this can cause you a heap of trouble in the future if you haven’t taken proper precautions. I touched on a similar topic in an earlier article. Here are 3 things you want to put on your checklist

1. Don’t make assumptions

If you didn’t get the beat directly from the producer’s website or from the producer himself, that beat is not free for you to use.

2. Free doesn’t always mean free

If the beat comes from a website, read the policy or terms of agreement. The creator of the beat is always the default copyright owner of that beat. Just because you didn’t have to pay an Read the rest of this entry »

Some time ago I did a post on 3 tips that would improve your stage performance. This can be considered a follow up of that post.

Now more than ever, an artists’ live performance is becoming the most important part of sustaining a career in music. Touring and performing are becoming the most largest sources of income for artists. But too many artists neglect this part of the game. No time is spent planning the flow of the show.

This is the time for artists to make believers out of the non-believers. Some rappers act like their just performing for themselves; no interaction with the audience, bad delivery, and no eye contact.

Rehearsal and practice is a must. Record video of yourself and be critical about how your come off. Get your endurance up. You’re Read the rest of this entry »

Sure, the majors have the funding to promote certain artists on a huge scale, but this only benefits the 0.1 % of musicians who they decide to invest in. The media uses Nicki Minaj, Wiz Khalifa, 2 Chainz, and Drake to reinforce the illusion of music superstardom (i.e. Drake’s “Started from the Bottom”), but the reality is much more harsh for the other 99.9 % of music makers. Being talented and dedicated to your craft simply isn’t enough to guarantee a million dollar contract nowadays. There’s just so much music being made and so many platforms to Read the rest of this entry »

Duck Down’s Buckshot has paid his dues in the hip hop game and continues to be a trailblazer as an independent hip hop artists. In this video, he drops some serious knowledge for those getting into the hip hop game.

“You must learn” – KRS ONE Read the rest of this entry »

Wendy Day is an advocate for indie hip hop artists and has prevented a large number of artists from getting screwed by negotiating their deals. Google her. I had the pleasure of interviewing her a short time ago when she first released her current book.

In this short video clip, Wendy explains that not all deals are bad when you’re educated about music business. But more importantly, she goes on the explain why hip hop artist these days are better off staying independent.

Do yourself a solid and follow her on Twitter @RapCoalition. Wendy is also on our “must follow” list in our Indie Hip Hop Directory, which should already be one of the tools in your grind right now . Read the rest of this entry »

1. Cancelling sessions on the day you’re due to record:

This really pisses studios off because your cancelation prevented them from booking a paying customer. Be considerate. Call the studio at least a day before if something comes up, and you know you won’t be able to make the session. Some studios make artists pay an non-refundable down payment to book a time slot because of this, but it still doesn’t equal up to the cost of a full session. Don’t get a reputation for being a flake. They might flag you as a customer that’s not dependable.

2. Treating the studio session like a house party:

When you’re in a studio session, you should be getting down to business. Time is money. The only people that should be there, are people that are contributing to the recording. Too many artists bring a large, annoying entourage to the studio, partying and Read the rest of this entry »

File this 8 part video series under “inspirational”. If you don’t know who Derek Sivers is, he is the founder and former president of CD Baby. A highly successful service that revolutionized the way we buy music on the internet. Derek was and still is a musician and he has a lot of jewels to share about staying focused, knowing when something isn’t working, and living out your independent, entrepreneurial dreams. Collectively this series is about 50 minutes but it’s a great motivator. Check it out. Read the rest of this entry »

This is my super duper dope list of 15 Twitter grinders that always stay on top of the latest music business info. Follow this 15 and you’ll be way ahead of the game and educated on some of the most important aspects of this ever evolving music industry. But in order to get this list, I ask that you do something for me first.  Tweet this out to your followers on Twitter with the button below, and you’ll get a free download of this list.

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In this video Cappriccieo M Scates of SESAC talks about the 7 forms of income streams in the music business.

Miles Copeland managed, The Police, one of the biggest rock bands in the 80′s. Bit of trivia…The Police had a huge hit called “Every Breath You Take”. P. Diddy, then Puff Daddy, repackaged the song and made it a big hit again with the title “I’ll Be Missing You’. Here, Miles passionately shares his thoughts about the importance of management and it’s value to artists.