Billboard Conference: Declaring Independence

Report on the Declaring Independence panel from the Billboard R&B Hip-Hop Conference by Brooke A. Fleming.

Wednesday, August 3rd
1:30pm - 2:45pm

DECLARING INDEPENDENCE: In the wake of major label consolidation, the Internet and other factors, a growing number of artists are taking the independent route. And in many cases, they're opting to stay on that course. Indie artists and label executives outline their roadmaps to creative and financial success.

Moderator:
Ivory Jones, Editor, Billboard/Airplay Monitor
Panelists:
Buckshot, Artist, Duck Down Records
TJ Chapman, CEO, TJ's DJ's Record & CD Pool
Anthony David, Artist, Brash Music
Richard Dunn, Artist Development/A&R, Brash Music
Dru Ha, Manager & CEO, Duck Down Records
Rob Jackson, Artist, Blackout Music
Danny "Blaq" Tran, COO, Baylo Entertainment

Regarding the current wave of Southern hip hop artists, David Chapman declared that when you turn on your radio or turn on your television set the sounds and faces that grace your screen and speakers don't belong to those of major recording labels but mostly of independent artists and independent labels. Let's face it, major labels aren't into artist development any more and it's for this very reason that many artists are going the independent route.

The panel was compiled of seven indie executives who had more than enough to say about the industry's "machine" and why there's a breakdown in the major record labels' system of doing business. The panel members agreed that being independent was not always their goal.  Major labels turned them away but instead of quitting the only other choice was to create a machine of their own.

Major labels are afraid to take chances on new artists, so what's beginning to happen is what TJ Chapman describes as the "cookie cutter effect", everyone is sounding the same and have basically the same image. Many major label artists don't even know their release dates, because they seem to be so displaced from the business part of their music. One of the perks to building your own machine or way of doing things is that you are attached to everything that happens to your music.

There were a few tips shared by Buckshot that will ensure the success of your machine and of your career as an independent artist:
1. Don't look at your music as a hustle, look at it as a craft. Hustlers will sell you anything to make money.  If it's your craft, you value the work and won't release garbage.
2. Being independent requires work, you're not dependent on major labels to mass market your work, you have to do it yourself.
3. Break out of your region. Go to other places, talk to Dj's and build alliances so you can branch out. You MUST travel.
4. Remain professional at all times, i.e. press kits, promo packs and having a website.
5. Have a good time doing what you do!!

Well, that's the breakdown of being independent. The executives wanted to relay that it's their opinion that being indie is not the only choice you have as an artist but it is a choice and whichever route you choose, major or independent, put your all into it and keep "your machine" up and running.

Check for more conference reports in our Conferences category.

Comments

[dex digital]

real talk...too many times I get some major violations of rule #4: - terrible cover art that looks like somebody baby cousin did it in MS paint, no proper press kit, and a confusing/terrible website. People need to get this down...