ALMOST FAMOUS artist development & consultation

All of the fans of the Chris Foxx hosted mix tape series remembers back in Fall 2005 when I hosted a mix tape titled "Almost Famous". That title had a double meaning to it. At the time I was still coming into my own as a celebrated figure and taste maker in the music industry and I was also putting out critically acclaimed mix tapes which were heavily populated by artist who I felt were "almost famous". These artist I felt were and some still are right on the edge of achieving notoriety and some even achieving GREATNESS. It's no secret that the artist development that nurtured most of the great artist of yesteryear are gone. Labels have pretty much abandoned the idea totally. Today label's want to sign artist who are proven. Long gone are the days when your favorite A&R comes across the demo of the "next big thing" and signs and develops him for two years then to go on and bless us with a 5 mic debut album. Because of the lack of artist development a lot of artist are lacking the professional guidance that they need to achieve and maintain greatness in this industry. More and more artist are shooting stars in our eyes. Can you remember how many artist who dropped debut albums between 2001 and 2006 and are still viable, respected, working artist today? My money is on the fact you probably couldn't name more than a handful. On the other hand if you go back the era's of 94-95 or 97-98 my bet is that you could actually name more artist who came out during those times who are still recognizable names today. Sad but true. You see more groups, families or movements receiving distribution deals than you see solo artist get recording contracts. You definitely see a lot more Dip Set, G-Units, and DTP's than you see Joe Budden's or Lupe Fiasco's. Joe and Lupe are the rare cases where they were signed to their respective labels as solo artist and not necessarily as part of crews. While Atlantic Records A&R Sickamore has partially filled the void left by labels with his "I CAN MAKE YOU FAMOUS" consulting firm, the truth is Sick is not enough. Plus what kind of person would I be to just let Sick corner the market. With that being said I present to you "ALMOST FAMOUS" artist development and consulting. I've been consulting as part of Best Out Media for some time but I figured it was time to give this hustle it's own lane to ride on. I got a couple of artist who've approached me and I have a couple of other's I've had my eye on (*pause*) as being almost "there". So in the next couple of weeks, the office will be furnished, the staff will be filled and the mission will begin. I told ya'll I'm young, black and dangerous; The Street Dream. Get your tapes ready!!!

"Important men don't ask they order"

"Important men don't ask they order" is a quote by old "Blue eyes" himself: Frank Sinatra. Who would've thought at the time he said this, that this legendary entertainer of Sicilian descent would provide a quote much more suitable for today's urban leader. Today's urban executive's and taste maker's are built much differently than the one's who came before us. Though cut from the same cloth we are much more about ourselves and answering only to ourselves. We are not inept to the importance of investing in self and ownership. To narrow it down to an even smaller demographic is to zoom in on the uber popular group of the 80's babies! I believe that my generation has learned that having that great job or that great career at company fill in the blank______ cannot hold a torch to the piece of mine of one answering to himself and only himself. Here in the music industry being your own boss has never been so important as now. To achieve success and to do it your way like the original "Chairman of the Board" Mr. Sinatra did is an incomparable experience. The other night on Funk Flex's radio show, Jim Jones took time from his interview to give shouts to Rocafella co-founders Dame and Biggs. He followed the shouts by proclaiming that they were the epitome of the "young, black and powerful because they were guys without bosses because they themselves are bosses. Now this sentiment can be challenged by people who say that all black executives have some sort of upper management signing off on their deals somewhere down the road. While this statement may be true, regarding to the guys Mos Def prefers to call the T.I.'s (tall Israeli's) of the world. It is to be said that while such deals are often facilitated by the "real" bosses that the majority of the time it's the urban executive's who are fielding the calls from these so called bosses and not vice versa. Though as much as these corporations try to rape and pillage our kingdom's and dynasty's we've built they still need us! Example: black people will swear on their life that Shawn Carter aka Jay-Z aka Hova, Jigga and so on and on "runs" Def Jam. Well while it may be true that Jay-Z is the "president " of Def Jam recordings, his boss is L.A. Reid who is the Chairman. So you're thinking it stops there with L.A. being Jay's "boss" nope, it gets even larger. Def Jam is part of the Island Def Jam Music Group headed by Steve Bartels who answer's to HIS "boss" Mr. Doug Morris CEO of the Universal Music Group which owns the entire "shebang". Now Doug Morris ladies and gentlemen is who we refer to as the "boss of the bosses". I say this to say that while I applaud those who have infiltrated the corporate structure, where's the Independence? Even though little kids in Brooklyn figure our good buddy Hova is the "boss" because he has President in front of his name, his decisions are signed off AFTER they pass the desk of Mr. Reid, Mr. Bartels, and Mr. Morris to name a few. The old Rocafella team that OWNED their company and were their own bosses were much more enviable.