In the song You Aint Missin’ Nothin’ from the T.I.’s Paper Trail Album, Tip drops this jewel, “Cuz, the game go on. You only do two days in the joint. The day you get locked up and the day you go home.” In two bars the self proclaimed King of the south relays a profound truth so simply that many listeners may have missed it. I’ve watched as over the past year hip hop blogs and fans across the country have buzzed with news about some of their favorite artists dealing with cases, probation violations and impending sentences. Over the past few months we’ve seen the releases of T.I., Gucci Mane and even Mystikal along with the incarcerations of Boosie and Lil Wayne. And while much of the barbershop conversation was about which artists WERE and WERE NOT built for prison, I would have to say the true test of surviving prison for any artist is what is waiting for them when they get out. Of course that’s all relative to what they had going on before they went in.
Take T.I. for example. He comes out of prison and over the course of a few months has multiple records in rotation, a movie soon to hit theatres and an artist (B.O.B.) that has the #1 Song in the country (and several other continents). All of this was no mere coincidence because while T.I. may be the face, Grand Hustle is a machine composed of many parts.
I say this to illustrate a point. Over my years of working with independent artists I have seen many movements come and go, especially dealing with hip hop artists who are so often caught in-between doing music and running the streets. I’ve watched independent labels that seemed to have everything going collapse when a key individual catches a case, gets shot or worse. Unfortunately too many people in the urban entertainment industry subscribe to the tenant of “Faking it till you Make it!” Often artists will spend more money and time on looking successful than actually becoming successful. They will spend thousands of dollars to make a scene in a strip club rather than spending it to make a profit on their CD.
The difference between “Movement” and “A Movement” is direction. Movement is easy to create, all you have to do is spend some money and start doing things. “A Movement” on the other hand involves planning, gathering a team, motivating them toward a singular goal and executing. One of the biggest mistakes independents make is centralizing all of their resources and relying too heavily on one individual. Here are a couple of tips to help you organize your movement.
1) Structure your business. When it comes to paying for things too often I hear artists or managers say that they have to go talk to the “Money Man”. If one individual personally holds all the capital that will be going into the project you have a huge problem. Form an LLC or Corporation and Set up a business account, figure out the budget for the project and place money in that account.
2) Pick a leader and let them lead. A leader is needed to define the goal of the organization and to map a route to it. If everyone is moving toward different goals then there is no direction and if there is no direction, there is no “Movement”. Here’s a simple exercise you can use to gauge your company’s direction. Sit everyone down for a meeting. Ask them to write the goal of the company on a piece of paper. Gather the pieces of paper and read them. If everyone doesn’t come up with the same answer you have an issue.
3) Make sure everyone has a position to play. I often hear independent labels complain about people not playing their position but the biggest mistake I watch them make is not assigning people a position to play. If you bring someone on the team outline their role, what you need them to do and let them do it. Don’t micromanage them. If you feel the need to make them confer or get approval for every decision they make, you need to find someone else that you trust for that job or learn to play YOUR position.
These are just a few tips for establishing the foundation of a solid movement. The future holds many unforeseen circumstances. It is up to you to prepare for them all. Remember true leadership is not gauged by your presence but rather the level of success that can be obtained in your absence. Until next time every stay blessed and continue Makin’ It.
