Host: The Brooklyn Urban Sanctuary Date: Thursday, Febuary 12, 2010 Time: 10:00- Until ya'll get the EFFF OUT!! Location: Brooklyn Urban Sanctuary, 778 Bergen at Grand PRIVATE AFFAIR. EMAIL brookyung@gmail.com if you want to be a apart of the craziness!! I'll put you down!!
Come through to this Brooklyn Heads February 5th and watch me spit some shit!!
If everybody is wondering where they can find the Sprite Commercial that I did, being that it is not under my name here it is. If you follow my work, you can obviously tell that the poem wasn't written by me. It was a script, but none the less... shit was fun shooting!!
A couple of months back I recorded a song entitled "Levitate" that was suppose to premiere on my debut LP Eye of the Prince, Set to drop sometime in Feb. But unfortunately someone in the industry had purchased the beat before I can lock it in. Because I have no management nor am I pushed by a label there was nothing I can do. The one's with clout get first dibs. Especially if they are going to boost the career of the producer. So I can't be mad at J-keys management for taking the opportunity. At first I was told that Young Jezzy took the beat. But today I was informed that it was 50 cent. At least I know that I'm closer if I am fighting with artist like 50 cent for beats. LOL, I have come along way. So for all of those who read my blog and all of my close friends that are fans of the song "Levitate" here is the 50 Cent song that used the same beat.
LOL. Yea I know what your thinking. "I LEVITAAAAAATE!!". LOL. Question is now, what do I do. Do I keep the track the way it is and put it on a mixtape?! Or do I get J-Keys to do another beat over it and still put the song on the album? Let me know....
A friend of mine (Milton Mckinney). Has been a approached by a management who has offered a contract for their services. His question was...
"What are the pro and cons of having a manager?"
My response:It depends on who he is and what he can do for you. Who does he work with, how big is his company. It all depends on what you want. Usually, a good manager doesn't even ask for a contract before they show what they can do. It's more of a mutual agreement before the money or something of the sort comes in. A manager is there to take all the weight of the artist so that the artist can be what he is.... an artist. This can be very beneficial twards your stress level and your ability to sustain your art. Like for instance, handling things like how much you get paid for featuring on someones track, shows or appearances. Handling studiotime, meetings, interviews pictures. All the sticky stuff. If you do not have a manager than you are forced to do it on you own. Some people think thats better. Sometimes its a pride thing. "Oh, I aint letting nobody manage me, I do my own thing, make my own money". Which can be stupid or smart depending on how sweet your hustle/connect is. If you need help, get your ass some management. But make sure that they can work for you and they are not taking your soul. Don't just give all that you build to some Joe Shmoe. Donny goines
Now say you have someone like Blue from Family tree entertainment managing you. Blue has managed very major artist. He is the reason Outkast is so big. So when you sign with someone like Blue, you know your in good hands but with a catch. Because your not a major artist, or signed artist you are second in priority. He must work closely with the people who have proved them selves to the world. You are a gamble, depending on how much he likes you. He might dig your shit but have no time and assign you to one of his assisant managers of his company (which can be just as good). You would still be considered managed by the Family Tree Company. Still considered to be in Blue's good hands.
Now just because you have management does not mean that you can not be hands on. I'm sure people like Nipsey Hussle or underground Donnie Goines still handle alot of there business and let the management do the rest. The bigger you get the more you will need help. Whether it be a bookie, tour manager, personal manager, PR, Business manager, label... whatever. My advice to you is go to your nearest book store and pick up Donald S Passman. "All I need to know about the music industry". Read it when I was thirteen. I been boss ever since. What I told you is not in there, he gets into more detail about what a major manager does/is (while covering a slew of many other things). The rest you shall learn with experience. I hope this helps....
This is my boy Akil Dasan. Very talented Rapper, Singer, Musician, Beatboxer dancer, composer, PAINTER?! LOL (pretty much any thing you can name, my boy got it down. After coming off a ill tour with famous singer Kevin Michaels, Akil and I hooked up with Us3 band for the Summer/fall part of the "Stop. Think. Run". On the road, we clicked so much that we decided to put an Ep together when we get back to the states. So... The first song is a remake of his famous song BABY (someday). Hope you enjoy.
P.s Go to Youtube.com/akildasan. He has an amazing channel!! trust me, you'll find yourself going "OH SHIT, THATS HOT!!" a few times (translated in your local slang terms ofcoarse. LOL). GUARANTEE!!!
Enjoy!!
To promote. Here's some footage of Akil Dasan and I in London.
China had to be one of the longest, most nerve wrecking, beautiful trip that I have ever been on. A 12 hour flight aint no walk in the park but me and Akil Dasan got it done. I wound up loosing my voice during a show in Beijeng completely, but when I got to Shanghai (thanks to Nipsey Hussle's Motivational song "I Could Never"
I was able to pull it together and give my all on the stage infront of thousands. I swear thats my anthem!! It really got me through alot. This is some footage of me and Us3 in Shanghai performing "Gotta Get Outta Here".
Shout out to Val the Vandle, Verbs, Lyric Cross, Korim, Alpha MC, D-Skillz and the rest of my fam that came out/performed/supported. We must do this again.
If you haven't heard. It is true. The collaboration video with Us3 and Brook Yung mad Vh1 soul a week ago. You can go on the site, type in B. Yung and watch it. You can also request they play it on VH1 Soul more often as well. Support your brotha. Thank you all fans. I love you guys
So alot of people message me on facebook and ask me how'd I get so successful in my career at such a young age. I wrote one person back and this is what I said.
Well its crazy cause at first I used to tell people that I don't do poetry for money. I'm a rapper. Poetry is just something I do on my free time. But than I notice that people will pay to hear me speak (which was mind blowing at the time cause I aint come into the game knowing I was gonna be this big spoken word poet. I was just spitting from the heart). But my regular personality is to capitalize on every opportunity I can get.
So I guess that's step 1.
Step 1 Capitalize. If a higher up decides he wants to give me three minutes to spit in front of a crowd to open for some show, you best believe I'm gonna make it the best three minutes IN that show.
The next step (as I learned while growing as a struggling professional) is to not be afraid to do the footwork.
Step 2 Footwork. If you have a free weekend, hop yo ass on a bus to the next city and see what's going on out there. You never know who your gonna meet or see or where/when your next opportunity will be. Look for it and be ready when it comes.
The third step. Ties into 2. And it is simple.
Step 3. Show your face. Attend things. Preferably events that you know will benefit your art. Go to open mics, competitions, workshop, book signings. Where ever. This is how you keep your face in the mix. The more people see your face the more curious they become. The more curious they become the more friends you make. The more friends you make... ect. You get the point
Step 4. Stay Humble. Although you are growing there is always someone ahead of you and behind you waiting. Do not try to push the one ahead of you out the way and do not try to shit on the ones coming after. Believe it or not you are all connected. Your elders and prodigies are you. Your elders are you advanced, and the prodigies are striving to become what you are presently. Understand the cycle after knowing it exist. Cause it does matter.
A writer from brooklyn New York. I travel, compose music and tour for a living. Its my life and I love it. I speak what I feel. I'm always in constant battle with myself. I've come to the conclusion that its because both sides of me feels like its better than than the other and haven't quite compromised inside my body yet. But they are working on it. I love to learn shit by seeing it more than reading it. I'm very passionate, and I am living my life.
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