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A LETTER TO UPCOMING ARTISTES

It might seem all frustrating and depressing that you’re not reaping from your hustle for success in the music industry, but I tell you it’s all because you’re not doing it the right way or probably following the right procedures.  Am also an upcoming artiste, but as a result of me still in school, I might not have the avenue to practice what am about to preach to you. But I can beat my chest to this idea that it really works only if you follow up with it.

            I see no reason why a rich individual will still be struggling to hammer in this industry, because I feel the number one key to success here is financial strength. That is why I will be looking at this from the perspective of a “Starving Artiste”. We all know who a starving artiste is, (someone who doesn’t have the financial support for his music). Although financial stability is a major factor holding back upcoming artistes today in Nigeria, here are many other problems involved.

·        Parental consent

·        Interactive skills (aka “Connections”)

·        Greed& Pride

·        Professionalism

·        Quality

·        Concept

·        Studio Recording/Method of Promotion etc.

Now let’s get started with this. 

STUDIO RECORDING/METHOD OF PROMOTION:  Like I said we’ll be looking at things from the perspective of a starving artiste. Now you need to keep releasing tracks or mix tapes at regular intervals e.g. monthly, weekly etc. and after painfully piling up money to record a song! There is now no money to promote it, now you’re stranded. Nowadays songs are recorded and hyped on twitter and Facebook. And released for people to download on maybe hulk share, box.com or 4shared and then that’s all, please this is the trend but it is WRONG!!! No copyright, nothing-nothing please it is absolutely wrong. After recording a “QUALITY SONG” the next step to take is promoting the song on platforms like this:

·        Social Media (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube etc.)

·        Well known websites and blog spots.

·        Radio Stations.

·        Clubs/Churches (Depending on your genre)

·        Disc Jockeys (DJs)

All these platforms have a serious role to play in terms of exposing to you the media, although money is obviously involved for you to get them to help you, but then it is needed. It’s more like a culture solution, without one of them, you’ll lack somewhere. Please let us follow up these steps carefully and genuinely. All these our#SALEWA BY BIGGESTBOY Drops on the 22^nd of November… anticipate good music. does not help you at all. Fine! You might get feedbacks from your downloaders that your song is a JAM, and all that, but trust me! After like 2 to 3 days, platforms like twitter will forget and then your song is dead and gone in less than a week. Remember how you got the money to record, so therefore your track must not go to waste.

QUALITY: Quality is another wide major factor why most our songs don’t go far! We shouldn’t just be enticed by a soundcard and a microphone with loudspeakers for a studio.  Although it’s not a bad idea, but I think that is why P-square is p-square today. Always aim for the best quality ever when it comes to selecting your personal studio. You must also make sure your voice is the same on all your tracks and featured tracks so as to keep that “audio identity”. If you hear burna boy, wizkid, wande coal, M.I or any popular artiste on radio todayit’s going to be very obvious and you can tell who is on the microphone, the same should apply to you. If you record in different studios without sticking to one, vocal identification is going to be your problem, because no one will be able to identify you the 2^nd time on a different track!

Another problem is the overall sound quality of your song. The mixing and mastering quality of your song should be perfect. Fine! You can record in different studios, but please let the same person mix and master your tracks, for the sake of your vocal identity. E.g (maleek berry ftwizkid LOVE YOU &maleek berry ft. wizkid THE MATTER) Listen to those two songs and see how similar wizkid’s voice is technically! Also make sure you’re audible enough.

The consequence for not obeying this “QUALITY” aspect of this article is that NO RADIO STATION, NO BLOGGER, NO PROMOTER, NO OAP!!! Will want to promote your song as a result of deficiency in quality, even if there is a rapport between you and your helper, no firm will want to tarnish their image with a song that is not quality enough for media promotion.

CONCEPT: In the new era, we now record songs based on a lady’s hips or buttocks or boobs. Come on! We understand the fact that you’re trying to make your listeners dance because it is your listeners that will pay you at the end of the day, either from your stage performances or your music albums. But I believe we can be more matured to do something new. 90% of songs recorded today is based on “the way she whine, the way she roll”even from the way we name our songs now is a complete turn off. If the crowd is doing that! Please be different and have something “UNIQUE” to offer. If you’re going to Pen-Cinema and everybody seems to be going through OGBA, why don’t you save time and go through AGEGE, you’ll get there faster and without stress.  Please let us be unique, it aids your recognition and speeds it up. From the picture illustrated below, someone is outstanding, Let it be you!

GREED: Greed is just an individual problem most upcoming artistes have, both starving and non-starving artistes. A blogger offers you a promo package and tells you to pay 10k or more for your song to be promoted on several media platforms, and then you start famzing or whining him or her, expecting free service. Please that doesn’t happen. Life is 100% business. Nothing is free of charge anymore, if you want free promotional services, when you blow, please will you also do stage performances for free? Come on! Think about that. Be ready to spend money because nothing good comes easy. As for a starving artiste, manual process of promoting yourself might help as well but you’ll only look more starving than normal, if not then patience is key, because you’ll need to take your time and hustle out that cash once more. Hustle is a starving artiste’s only option because we are now in an economy where nothing is free. Please open your hands to give, so you can receive, that should be your motto.

PARENTAL CONSENT: This is another factor that deals with another two categories of upcoming artistes, this time not fully involving starving artistes. Some parents are not supportive of music at all, they believe you’re going on national TV to misbehave with girls, which is not true sometimes. Until you bring the money home before they support you, which is not meant to be so. If you’re doing your music on a lowkey, trying as much as possible to keep it away from your parents, sometimes this will slow you down especially as a starving artiste. because it will affect the time you’re supposed to spend in the studio working out something perfect, or the night stage performances you will get paid for, or hinder you from shooting a video. Not you rushing to complete your song all in the name of my parents must not know I am in the studio. If this is your problem please, calling your parents to the living room can solve the case, and making them understand. If they are the unapproachable type, please don’t! It will make things tighter for you. Just be ready to row your boat patiently all by yourself and one day you’ll get there. And if you succeed in getting them to support you please do not waste their money, appreciate it, and let them see how far you’re going! Let them be proud of you.

INTERACTIVE SKILLS: this is also one vital aspect of music industry success. Your interactive skills with friends, OAPs, Bloggers etc. will also determine how youfar you can go with the type of people you meet every day. Here we just need you to be Humble, polite and most importantly, assertive. Because the way you approach certain people will determine how you will be considered. 60% of your friends or followers on social media should be music related, e.g. DJs, Top music artistes, OAPs, Managers, Event planners etc. if your music can get across to these category of people regularly, you are on the way already!

PROFESSIONALISM: We’ve talked about being professional from the quality and concept of your tracks, we can also apply this sense of professionalism to many other aspects, like our music cover arts, the graphics has to professional at all times, because this will create the 1^st impression about your song to your listeners, and also bloggers. Most bloggers use this as criteria in the selection of songs to be posted too, that’s why it must be considered. Also, the kind of people we work with in the studio’s both producers & artistes. If you keep on featuring artistes that are not popular, your tendency of being popular quickly too is also reduced; you need to tap into the fame of the already made ones. Let’s take for instance JAY-RU, who featured wizkid on “FAMILIARITY” sometimes back, no one ever knew him but his collaboration with an icon like wizkid brought him out, although he hasn’t  done more hits, not to now talk of if his next song was with BANKY W, then WAJE, then DAVIDO. Let’s reduce the rate at which we feature our classmates, colleagues at work, family friends, or even the so called twitter artistes you think are doing well, some of them will even tell you to pay 10 to 15k to feature them, please push them aside only if you feel it will be worth it to make your song more of a jam, then you’re free to do so. remember you have a destination, so work with people that are there already!

SPIRITUALITY FACTOR: I believe you in your right senses will know that nothing is within your power, always stay in connection with the almighty God that giveth and taketh! That is what will distinguish you from the rest, and also appreciation of those who helped you, and those you are also going to help when your time comes.Its why P-square always remain blessed!

            Please, if you or let me say “WE” all upcoming artistes can key to this piece of advice. I can beat my chest that it will pay off. My name is AdeseIfeoluwa David (@Official_Ife), y’all will still be getting more of this advice from me from time to time, because it will be my great pleasure to see you guys there. Thank you for taking your time to read through this article. May God crown your efforts……………  Safe!