NO ONE DOES IT ALONE: BUILDING A TEAM

Trust me when I tell you, I’ve fucked up more time and money than I can put into words by trying to be “self-sufficient”. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve learned every single facet of the game, which is a plus. But the thing is, I could have learned it twice as fast working side by side with someone that had perfected that piece of the game already. KNOWING YOUR STRENGTH IS KNOWING YOUR WEAKNESSES!!! Whether you’re an artist, producer, etc., there is no way you’re functioning at your highest potential playing every other role as well!!! You know the first thing you’d do if you had bread or the opportunity, would be to hand that work off to someone else.

It may not be possible to fill all of these roles right now and a lot of you may not even NEED some of the roles until you’re functioning at a higher level, but in the meantime, try to fill as many of these gaps as you can and I promise you will become much more clear-headed and productive!!!

Engineer

As an artist, an in-house engineer or at bare minimum a go-to engineer IS A MUST!!! Engineers are one of the most underrated players on the team but by far one of the most important roles. You will not be a PROFESSIONAL ARTIST until you have a PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER! Obviously if you’re just starting out, finding an engineer to grow with is ideal but if you’re a semi-established artist and your sound seems to be lacking… putting the bread up to get a quality engineer will almost always be worth it!

Videographer/Photographer

As I said last week, “IF I DON'T SEE YOU, I DON'T KNOW YOU!” Visuals are so important in the world we live in! Having someone close to you that understands the image that you are trying to portray and can help you curate that image is key!!! Also, as I’m sure you’ve heard a million times, DOCUMENTATION IS EVERYTHING!!! If you are blessed enough to have a camera around on the regular, you better figure out how to utilize it to the fullest! NEVER UNDER-APPRECIATE THIS ROLE!!! They make everything real and tangible to the outside world. IF WE DIDN’T SEE IT, IT DIDN’T HAPPEN!!!

Producer

Having an in-house producer is a major game changer as an up and coming artist. For the obvious reasons of simply having beats, having someone to build your sound with, etc. — its also incredibly helpful to have someone that can be reaching out and growing with other producers the same way you are with artists to encourage more growth and progress both of your sounds in an even bigger way.

Manager

THE GLUE THAT HOLDS EVERYTHING TOGETHER!!! This is a role you DO NOT NEED until you are more established. I’ve seen so many people get completely fucked over or completely thrown off their path by “managers”. A true manager should ONLY BE ADDING TO YOU!!! They should be your right-hand in EVERY move you make. Most importantly, they should be CREATING OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU!!! Whether it be establishing business structure, building and controlling the rest of the team, creating outlets to grow your brand, finding shows, etc., they should be fully invested in YOU AND YOUR GOALS AS AN ARTIST!!!

YOUR TEAM SHOULD BE A FAMILY!!! Select these roles extremely wisely because you are only as strong as your weakest link. It's much better to have a role empty than filled with the wrong person. The universe will put the right people on your path at the right times, be open and ready for when they show up. (P.S. Once you find these people GUARD THEM WITH YOUR LIFE, SHOW THEM THE LOVE THEY DESERVE... YOU ARE NOTHING WITHOUT THEM)