J57 Featured In "The Produce"

Keep a look out for J57, the kid is super talented producer.  Here's mini feature clip on him from a Cluster magazine and 2dopeboyz.

Excerpt from his full length interview below:

"“I’m lucky to learn from the people I know,” J57 tells me as he cues up a sample and pats his dog, Suri (co-producer). “A true student doesn’t emulate what they hear, they take what they are taught and apply it with their own flair,” J explains as he lists specific tricks he’s learned from masters. He cites Marco Polo as the “illest with bass lines,” an affinity that Marco personally passed down to him. DJ Premier is another mentor. Premier is the king of chopping samples, taking source material and re-deploying it in altered forms to unleash its hidden potential, an expertise J has not taken for granted. But J, too, has a fair share to offer his teachers and peers alike. He recently worked alongside Premier arranging Nas’ new single,“Regeneration,” which he recorded alongside the Berklee Symphony Orchestra. In this network of crews, hip-hop gods, and students, J57 cites the constant exchange between other artists as what keeps him advancing."

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Timbaland "True Hollywood Story"

In 1997, we put out Timbaland's first album, "Welcome To Our World".  This was after he made his mark with Aaliyah on her One In A Million album.

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New Artist: Vita Chambers

I recently ran into Vita during CMJ.  She hails from Barbados and was discovered by the legendary Sturken & Rogers.  These guys own the Bajan pipeline to the music talent on that island.  So far they're responsible for bringing us Rihanna and Shontelle.  Vita and Hal are next on their agenda.

As you can see she's got the look and has an impressive set of pipes.  I had the pleasure of booking her 1st national performance on Centric's reboot of the Soul Train Awards back in 2009.  She was a ball of nerves but NAILED the performance and choreography.  Keep on the look out for her...

Follow her:  @vitachambers

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New Video: Soul Khan "Alec Baldwin"

Second video from the Acknowledgement EP

Little known fact:  The video was shot on the same property where they filmed the last scene from Will Smith's "I Am Legend"

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Down With Webster

My first trip to Toronto was to see them perform.  They were signed to our label at the time and there was a big push to get the rest of Universal and radio programmers behind them.  They put on a great show, the music isn't necessarily for me but I found myself singing some of the songs later that night.  This video gives you a little taste of what I experienced that night...

Another Canadian group that's big in their country but can't get sh*t in the US.

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Kid Rock

I remember when he was assigned to me in the late 90s.  My first thought was "What the hell?"  His first video, "Welcome 2 The Party" didn't make any sense to me and I couldn't for the life of me figure out what to do with this project.  Then a little while later I saw the video for "I Am The Bullgod" and 50,000 light bulbs went off in my head.  I got it, strangely but amazingly I realized that this dude was serious.  We worked his major label debut, Devil Without A Cause for a while until things caught fire with a string of smashes "Bawitdaba", "Only God Knows Why", and "Cowboy."  MTV embraced Rock and the rest was history.

He's one of the sharpest businessmen (and artist) I know.  We worked together a lot for almost nine years.  Bob partied hard and worked even harder, he delivered what was needed of him every time.  That's a lot more than I can say for the majority of artists I've worked with.  The dude deserves all the success he's acheived.  If you ever get a chance to see him live he's worth the price, I promise you won't be disappointed.

Pictured above:  Me, Kid Rock, former manager Steve Hutton after taping Colin's Sleazy Friends show in LA (circa 1998)

R.I.P. Joe C

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New Artist Buzz: Frank Ocean

Every once in a while, I'll post about upcoming artists who I feel will be a success.  There's no formula, just my own opinion.  Frank Ocean is this post's feature.  

His free album, nostalgia, Ultra is good from beginning to end.  Download and check for yourself:

Oh yeah, he's part of the group Odd Future and currently writing with Beyonce.

Check him out on twitter and his website.

 

 

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Moment of Geekiness

Came across these games at Barcade last month. I'd make a trip back to the 'Burg just for the games:

Wu-Tang Clan Art Exhibit

I worked with the legendary group for a brief second when Steve Rifkind signed them to SRC Records around 2008-9.  Below are some cool images from various artists who are part of an ongoing Wu-Tang art exhibit that will be seen throughout NYC this year at different galleries.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Below are some of my favorite joints of theres:

 

 

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Soul Khan "Soul Like Khan" (Video)

The third video from Soul Khan's debut album, Soul Like Khan.  He drops a new EP, Acknowledgement on April 28th.  You can download it from his website.

 

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It's Showtime!

Swizzy's my man, loved working with him but I don't think he should've messed with Dr. Dre's beat on this one.  Here's a new cut that's been burning up NY radio (duh).

<p>MAINO FEAT SWIZZ BEATZ, JIM JONES, JADAKISS & JOELL ORTIZ "WE KEEP IT ROCKIN" from Michael Dispenza on Vimeo.</p>

Loved the songs I worked off his One Man Band album.

Follow Swizz on twitter, he's one of the few hip hop cats stepping up his game outside of the world of typical hip hop buffoonery...

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32 Possible Revenue Streams For Artists To Make Money

Since I've worked in music my entire life I found this of use and thought you would too.  Here are 32 different possible revenue streams for artists, compiled by the Future of Music Coalition (FMC).  The group is currently conducting a survey of musicians to figure out which streams work the best:

A. If you are a composer or songwriter, here are possible revenue streams from your musical compositions...

1. Retail sales: Mechanical royalties from physical sales of recordings of your songs at stores, concerts or via mail order.

 

2. Digital sales: Mechanical royalties from digital sales via online services (CD Baby, iTunes, Amazon, eMusic, Rhapsody, MySpace Music)

 

3. Sheet music sales.

 

4. PRO Royalties: Royalties for the public performance of your work (airplay on radio, TV, movies, jukeboxes, live performance and foreign royalties, and home recording and foreign levy payments) as distributed to you by ASCAP/BMI/SESAC.

 

5. Advances from publishing companies during a publishing deal.

 

6. Payments from publishers for litigation settlements.

 

7. Commissions for works.

 

B. If you are a performer, possible revenue from sound recordings...

8. Digital performance royalties: Royalties for the digital performance of your recordings — airplay on satellite radio, webcast stations, cable TV stations — distributed to you by SoundExchange.

 

9. Advances from record labels that are not just reimbursement of recording or touring expenses.

 

10. Label payments for tour support or recording expenses.

 

11. Payments from labels for litigation settlements.

 

12. AARC royalties: collected for digital recording of your songs, foreign private copying levies, and foreign record rental royalties, distributed to US artists by AARC.

 

13. AFM Payments (TV, Film): Payments from the Film Musicians Secondary Markets Fund to performers on recordings used in TV and other secondary uses.

 

14. AFM Payments (Recordings): Sound Recording Special Payments Fund to performers for the sales of recorded music

 

15. AFM/AFTRA Payments: Payments from the AFM/AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund (distributes recording and performance royalties to the non-featured artists)

 

 

C. Possible revenue from licensing your musical composition or your sound recording...

16. Ringtone Sales: Mechanical revenue from ringtone sales

 

17. Synch Licenses: Synchronization royalties based on master rights licensing your song to TV/movies/video games/commercials

 

18. Sampling Licenses: Licensing fees from other musicians sampling your songs.

 

D. If you're a performer, possible revenue from live performances...

19. Touring and shows: compensation for playing live shows or performances, including busking.

 

 

E. Revenue from a performer's brand...

20. Merchandise sales: t-shirts, posters, etc.

 

21. Sponsorship: of tour or of a band/artist.

 

22. Direct financial support from fans/patrons.

 

23. Ad revenue or other miscellaneous income from your website properties (click-throughs, commissions on Amazon sales, etc.)

 

24. Acting in television, movies, commercials.

 

25. Product endorsements.

 

26. Other licensing of your persona (to video games, comic books, etc.)

 

 

F. Revenue from an artist's knowledge of the craft...

27. Work for hire/hired as a studio or live musician or composer

 

28. Work as a music teacher.

 

29. AFM/AFTRA session payments: Session payments for recording sessions, TV appearances, and performances flowing from synch licenses

 

30. Producer: income from producing or music direction

 

 

G. Other ways a musicians' work can be funded:

31. Government grants.

 

32. Nonprofit/foundation grants.

Thanks to Digital Music News.

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