Somebody please explain this to me….
A year ago, I started getting calls from a guy who has been unsuccessfully putting out records, and losing a grip of money every time he does so. Since I have helped some of the best indie labels in urban music put out CDs, he called me for help. Free help. He told me he couldn’t afford to hire me (which is fine--most folks can’t afford to hire me; I work with real labels, to build real businesses, not some guy who decides he wants to be a record label on Monday and by Friday has 7 artists under him looking to do a deal with Universal next week).
I have spent a lot of time on the phone trying to help this guy, but he doesn’t listen. His goal is to get a deal. I explained that the only way I see folks getting good deals is by selling CDs regionally, in excess of 30,000, verifiable by SoundScan. I set up a free website that reiterates everything I explain verbally, just in case I speak to quickly or unclearly (rapcointelpro.com). Many labels have followed that advice and succeeded. It’s no secret that I have helped to create many millionaires in this business through my consulting.
But this guy keeps calling me with questions. I’ve introduced him to attorneys when he has needed one. I’ve introduced him to an indie distributor when he asked for that introduction. I’ve even told him some of the folks I have utilized at radio and on the streets to work projects (a consultant’s team is a guarded secret that most never share—I shared with him). But he rarely follows up. He has an idea, talks about it, and then by the next time we speak he has a new idea that he’s trying to chase.
I have to admit that in the past 4 months, I have only returned about every 4th call he has made to me. After a year, it’s plain to see that he’s not listening and I’m wasting my time. I get hundreds of calls everyday, so I have to be selective about my time or I’d never get MY work done. I’m very busy. Meanwhile, dude keeps calling for free advice. He keeps asking me to shop him a deal, even though he has none of the ammo I need to be effective in place. I wonder if he thinks he’ll call me and one day I’ll just change my mind and shop him a deal. I’ve explained many times how the industry works, but he doesn’t want to hear me.
In the past year, I have heard his sob stories of money he has squandered. He’s complained about all the fake radio promoters who promise to get him 2500 BDS spins for $5,000 or some other such nonsense. Then he gets angry when he loses the $5,000. Bear in mind, I’ve told him whom I hire to do radio and how it works. When I asked why he didn’t hire that dude, he mentions some other guy in the same town who does it cheaper. Yeah, a guy who is well known for taking people’s money and disappearing. How did this guy not know? I thought everybody knew.
Tonight he called to complain about losing $3,000 on t-shirts (he’s been calling everyday for a week and tonight I had some spare time). What a surprise, the same guy who ripped him off for radio, ripped him off for t-shirts too. He then complained that it’s impossible to sell 30,000 CDs regionally these days because of all of the rip offs out here (funny, I’ve been doing it successfully since 1996 and never been ripped off and never ripped anyone off). As I added up all of the money I knew he has lost since he’s been talking to me this past year, I realized dude could have hired me a year ago and had 50,000+ CD sold by now. Back when he told me he couldn’t afford me…
What is it that makes people think this industry is easy? With all the available knowledge about how to do it right and how to check references of folks who say they can do something, how are people STILL getting ripped off? With all the legitimate people I know in this business who do more than they promise for a fair price, how are folks still losing $50,000 or $100,000 putting out a CD? If somebody jerks you out of $5,000 and it happens ten times, that’s $50,000. Who has $50,000 to lose?
If one does the same thing over and over and the results don’t change, what makes someone keep doing it? More importantly, why do I keep taking their calls?!
A year ago, I started getting calls from a guy who has been unsuccessfully putting out records, and losing a grip of money every time he does so. Since I have helped some of the best indie labels in urban music put out CDs, he called me for help. Free help. He told me he couldn’t afford to hire me (which is fine--most folks can’t afford to hire me; I work with real labels, to build real businesses, not some guy who decides he wants to be a record label on Monday and by Friday has 7 artists under him looking to do a deal with Universal next week).
I have spent a lot of time on the phone trying to help this guy, but he doesn’t listen. His goal is to get a deal. I explained that the only way I see folks getting good deals is by selling CDs regionally, in excess of 30,000, verifiable by SoundScan. I set up a free website that reiterates everything I explain verbally, just in case I speak to quickly or unclearly (rapcointelpro.com). Many labels have followed that advice and succeeded. It’s no secret that I have helped to create many millionaires in this business through my consulting.
But this guy keeps calling me with questions. I’ve introduced him to attorneys when he has needed one. I’ve introduced him to an indie distributor when he asked for that introduction. I’ve even told him some of the folks I have utilized at radio and on the streets to work projects (a consultant’s team is a guarded secret that most never share—I shared with him). But he rarely follows up. He has an idea, talks about it, and then by the next time we speak he has a new idea that he’s trying to chase.
I have to admit that in the past 4 months, I have only returned about every 4th call he has made to me. After a year, it’s plain to see that he’s not listening and I’m wasting my time. I get hundreds of calls everyday, so I have to be selective about my time or I’d never get MY work done. I’m very busy. Meanwhile, dude keeps calling for free advice. He keeps asking me to shop him a deal, even though he has none of the ammo I need to be effective in place. I wonder if he thinks he’ll call me and one day I’ll just change my mind and shop him a deal. I’ve explained many times how the industry works, but he doesn’t want to hear me.
In the past year, I have heard his sob stories of money he has squandered. He’s complained about all the fake radio promoters who promise to get him 2500 BDS spins for $5,000 or some other such nonsense. Then he gets angry when he loses the $5,000. Bear in mind, I’ve told him whom I hire to do radio and how it works. When I asked why he didn’t hire that dude, he mentions some other guy in the same town who does it cheaper. Yeah, a guy who is well known for taking people’s money and disappearing. How did this guy not know? I thought everybody knew.
Tonight he called to complain about losing $3,000 on t-shirts (he’s been calling everyday for a week and tonight I had some spare time). What a surprise, the same guy who ripped him off for radio, ripped him off for t-shirts too. He then complained that it’s impossible to sell 30,000 CDs regionally these days because of all of the rip offs out here (funny, I’ve been doing it successfully since 1996 and never been ripped off and never ripped anyone off). As I added up all of the money I knew he has lost since he’s been talking to me this past year, I realized dude could have hired me a year ago and had 50,000+ CD sold by now. Back when he told me he couldn’t afford me…
What is it that makes people think this industry is easy? With all the available knowledge about how to do it right and how to check references of folks who say they can do something, how are people STILL getting ripped off? With all the legitimate people I know in this business who do more than they promise for a fair price, how are folks still losing $50,000 or $100,000 putting out a CD? If somebody jerks you out of $5,000 and it happens ten times, that’s $50,000. Who has $50,000 to lose?
If one does the same thing over and over and the results don’t change, what makes someone keep doing it? More importantly, why do I keep taking their calls?!
posted by Ricky Ross at 9:35 PM
2 Comments:
heck even i could have done something with $5,000... lol
you know how folks are though, they think they can get signed overnight and be millionaires...
Everbody wants to diddy but not put in the work
Hip Hop
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