Consequence & OnSmash.com Present…
Real Men Don’t Cry!!!
“Before You Can Date Pleasure, You Must Meet Pain”
Welcome BACK to the informative self-help guide “Real Men DON’T Cry!!!” This column is for ALL artists, signed & unsigned, who are trying to navigate their way through the Music Industry. It is my hope that anyone who reads these entries attains some sort of insight on how to move forward with promoting their TALENT.
Our entry this week is titled “Before You Can Date Pleasure, You Must Meet Pain”. This of course has both metaphorical & literal meaning. In this day & age where everything in your life is essentially “Microwavable” when things aren’t immediately in your grasp it seems as if all hope is LOST. Basically, if you don’t get a Deal right way or you don’t have a BIG 1st week then you’re NOT a STAR. There’s a developmental process with anything that is worth having, buying or observing. One reason why Hip Hop is in its current state is due to the fact that Artist Development is a lost department within the infrastructure of labels AND production deals for that matter. When you get signed it is expected of you to DELIVER viable product, which is fair, because when you get a deal that’s a bank giving you a loan based on what they think you are capable of earning. But remember they’re a LABEL and NOT a BANK or MORTGAGE COMPANY!!! They have departments & employees who are suppose to help NEW artists & mainstays hone their skills to make the kind of MUSIC that will have an IMPACT on the market place. This is NOT happening at the MAJORS anymore.
Now what’s happening because of outlets like Mix CD’s & the Internet we have an ongoing popularity contest based on the stats. I’m NOT mad at that but I compare it to wanting be the Best Player in the NBA. You can be a star at the “The Rucker” but that won’t necessarily prepare you for the rigors of being a Top Player in the League. The same can be said for this industry. You could have thousands of freestyles (Which as a new artist you should have) but there’s more to going Pro than that. You need the skill set that makes you NOT just a great rapper but a great recording artist as well. Equally important are imaging, vision, a signature sound, HUNGER and a BACK STORY.
Every artist who has catapulted to STARDOM has some sort of BACK STORY. Unfortunately many of our STARS have experienced TRAGEDY in order to take that journey to the town of TRIUMPH. 50 Cent is arguably the best example of this synopsis. The shooting incident of course was something you wish on NO man but this extreme measure was an inadvertent blessing. He took this misfortune and made it work to his advantage. I think this made him open his eyes to the fact that he had to make some adjustments and worked himself into a space where he was able to cocoon himself into a STAR. In addition, him going through the period when he was being “Blackballed” drove him to essentially create his own society with the inception of “G-Unit”. When you develop your own society you control the imaging, branding and accessibility of yourself and anything associated with your society. Smart man!!!
Another individual who was subjected to this process was Kanye. I remember when I got the call from Gee asking did I have his mom’s number (Rest In Peace Ms. West) because he had gotten into a car accident. The crazy thing was I had just pressed up my 1st Mix CD The Cons Vol.1 “All Sales Are Final” the very same day. To his credit, Kanye knew that still being alive was a blessing that he had to take full advantage of. While he was recuperating it gave an opportunity to also take the time to polish every aspect of the “College Dropout”. Nobody at Roc-A-Fella could hound him for beats since he was out of action and it paid off. By the time he fully healed he had his game plan ready and set himself up for stardom.
The “Pain” doesn’t always have to be of a physical nature. Jay-Z is a prime example. There were obstacles for him that served as “forks in the road”. When Big died the East Coast was left with a void that needed to be filled. Jay knew that he could do it but I believe there was a chain of events that lead to him being positioned to take the reigns. I remember when Puff was headlining the “No Way Out” Tour during the “Shiny Suit Era”. That shit had Mase, The Lox, Kim, Busta ,Usher and Jay-Z all on one bill. I don’t remember where his place was in the line up but I what I do remember is that half way through the tour he said,” Fuck this shit!!!” and QUIT!!! That was the BEST move he ever made. In life there are times when you have to separate yourself from the pack in order for people to see who YOU REALLY ARE.
I personally can expound on this as well. With the “DayJob” LP I endured a level of pain unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Imagine waiting 10 years for anything??? When I was attempting to get a release date I knew I was in for an uphill battle. But as crazy as it sounds I’m glad I went through it. It made me raise my game in ways I couldn’t have imagined!!! Of course every artist wants to sell millions of records but don’t you wanna know what it takes to do it. From this year forward I will be able to service my own videos, do my own publicity and create a buzz for any artist or project I believe in. That is defined as EMPOWERMENT!!!
One thing Allah has blessed me with is PATIENCE. There are predestined trials in life that are assigned to every individual. Depending on our preparation & intention that will determine our level of performance during these said trials. So don’t be afraid of “PAIN” because it may be the piece of coal you need to become a DIAMOND.
Speaking of “Diamonds”
Isn’t that the birthstone for April?
Yup
…and today is my Birthday!
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Don’t Quit Your Day Job
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The Cons Vol.6 “King Of Queens”
Coming SOON!!!
The Natives Are RESTLESS Mix CD
June 2008
Job Training DVD “The Making of Don’t Quit Your DayJob”
Summer 2008
Patrick, Paula, Rik & Raymond Are Band Camp
Fall 2008
Consequence NEW LP
“You Win Some, You Lose Some”
September 2008
It’s The Cons Fool
WORD!!!