Making It In The Music Industry

I’ve only scratched the surface of the many long hours of dedication it takes to become a legend in the music industry.  Throughout the years many artists, musicians and producers have come and gone.   Only a few have been able to sustain a meaningful career.  Speaking directly to urban Hip Hop and R&B genres, you really need to know your roots before embarking on a journey of becoming very successful in your field of choice.  If you’ve read my first blog post, you will see a definition of what I think success is.  This blog post is going to focus on the need to be connected with your passions so much that you want to know everything about its past, present and future.

I create Hip Hop and R&B music and after doing a lot of research, I realized that I’m nowhere near the point where I want to be.  I’ve realized that the knowledge that I currently have is light-years away from the knowledge of some of the leading music makers in the Hip Hop and R&B genre.  Being connected with your passion means constantly looking to learn, constantly planning and wanting to absorb information from people who are smarter than you.  If you are not humble enough to admit the fact that you need help, then it will be very difficult for your journey to truly begin. 

In this industry, if you are not learning, then you are not moving.  And this industry is all about making big moves.  One of the best things that any of us can do is learn something new each day.  Learn something new that interests you each day.  You have to be truly interested in learning.  You have to be willing to spend hours on You Tube discovering new things related to your industry.  You have to be willing to spend hours reading books related to your field or be willing to spend $40 for a 2 day bus ticket to New York for a music conference.  Your passion and drive is one thing that will fuel you in your career. 

From experience, when your passion for learning slows down, your personal “Success” within your industry will follow suit.  There is an interview with some of Hip Hop’s most influential music producers/beat makers hosted by Red Bull’s Music Academy Festival.  Take the time out to watch this interview in full.  Watch it even if you are not interested in becoming a music producer.  This interview says a lot about the passion it takes to truly survive in the music industry.  Thank you for reading.  Be on the lookout for more blogs coming soon in the next months to come.

Native Instruments. (2015, June 10). Hip Hop's big leaguers talk beatmaking and MASCHINE. Retrieved July 12, 2015.