3 EXAMPLES FROM AROUND THE US

By, Wendy Day (2/02) Every now and again, I have the opportunity to meet some amazing people whove done some incredible things. I know I could preach to you for years about how to put out a record and never make as much impact as I can by giving you some solid examples of those who are running their own shit properly. So what Im going to do now is introduce you, via this page, to three different labels in different regions, and at different stages in their pro ects, that are successful at what they do. I-Funk Records !www.ifunkrecords.com" #$ake your funk the I%&unk, I want to get funked up...' the (eorge )linton%es*ue white label from I%&unk croons. I%&unk is the dream turned reality of a +,%something entrepreneur from the streets of Inglewood, )-. In an era where )ali rap isnt getting the love it deserves at radio, the street savvy businessman, .erome #$ugs' /aylor, understands the streets and is working them with his team, blitzing them with posters and flats, and handing out enhanced )0s that showcase the new single and the video on one )0. $aybe Im drawn to him because we think so much alike, or maybe Im ust impressed by his incredible business mind and by the fact that he studied this industry for years before umping in with both feet !which is rare but necessary". #/o make it happen, ya gotta love doing it all day everyday,' he explains when I ask about his apparent commitment and dedication. I%&unk began in 1223, but really came to life as a tangible asset 4 years ago. /he foundation was laid with hella studying, making connections, and more studying. -fter putting together incredible music with his artists5 6eservoir 0ogs !rap trio", 0ice /he 7impstruss !female $)", and 0rea !689 songstress", he pressed up 6eservoir 0ogs album, #:ncivilized,' which hit the streets on &ebruary 3, 4,,4. /o set up the album, I%&unk used some traditional ideas as well as some incredibly creative approaches. &ocusing mostly on the South ;est and South East regions of the :S, I%&unk released a video of the first single #/his <ife ;e <ead,' targeted radio play, and unleashed street teams in =), &<, and )ali. /he video ran > weeks before the album dropped, and radio and the street teams kicked in with phases throughout &lorida, /exas, =orth )arolina, South )arolina, $ississippi, <ouisiana, (eorgia, and Southern )alifornia. /he video features )rooked I !Suge ?nights next artist to blow up at /he 6ow", and $iss /oi to lend some local association and support to the pro ect. -nd if that doesnt do it, old friend $ack 1, appears on the next singles remix, and in the next video. I%&unk has a blueprint and is sticking to it. /heyve promoted by giving away turkeys for /hanksgiving to radio stations@ t%shirt giveaways with radio stations, where they printed the station logo on the front of the shirt and the I%&unk logo on the sleeve@ offered breakfast at /he 9ox in Aouston@ and all the while employing street teams to give away posters and /%shirts at high schools, colleges, and the streets. ;hat motivates .eromeB #;atching guys on the street blow millions, and I am proving to the guys in my Aood that you dont need millions to do this. Cnce its spent, its gone. /here is no second chance because youre not Sony or /ime ;arner,' says .erome who is proud that he doesnt have a lot of money. ;hen I ask him what *ualities he has that make him different, he tells me about his strong business ethics, the fact that he #needs to take care of the people around him,' that hes #fair,' and #that he never forgets.' Ae knows this is a business and that #you have to make sure everybody makes money, so they dont forget you eitherD' .erome did some research and hired $arvin 6obinson to consult for radio, and is getting love in .ackson, =), S), etc, but not on #home turf.' -irplay is hard to get in <- for the smaller labels, but this doesnt slow the roll at I%&unk one bit. /hey chose to do a promotion with the EI7 6ecords chain focusing on ;atts and )ompton supported with local cable advertising on 9E/ for + months@ they blanketed the ;atts store with posters in the windows, on the door, and are on the impact rack as you walk in the store. .erome humbly points out to me that Sony ran a similar program for 4 weeks, but hes showing his love for the community for three monthsD ;ith a street team in <- that ust kicked in on the release date5 hanging posters, passing out flyers, hitting up the clubs, and doing retail displays%%they are basically bringing what theyve done in other areas, home.

/hey announced their arrival in <- rather flamboyantly. <ast month, at $ack 1,s album release party at Aouse Cf 9lues in <os -ngeles, which was also the same night as the -merican $usic -wards, I%&unk decided to show support for their homie. .erome dressed F, street soldiers in long sleeve red /%shirts with the I%&unk logo and rented two limo buses to bring them to the party. /his turn%out not only showed support for $ack 1, but promoted I%&unk so strongly that folks were talking about it on Aot 2G in =ew Hork a couple of days later. /he other uni*ue effort I%&unk has made that stands out is the Enhanced single )0. It contains the single /his <ife ;e <ead by 6eservoir 0ogs, and also has the video so anyone can play the video on their computer. /he next single, which is called #Soo ;oo,' is the strongest song !.erome believes in never releasing your -ce first". It, too, will have an enhanced single with the original version, the remix with $ack 1, and 0ice, and the video, which shoots mid%$arch. I%&unk believes in doing things big, but not in spending a lot of money. #I have a strong plan, and dont need to spend big money, ust money in the right places,' .erome teaches. Hou could do what hes done for around IF, to I1,, thousand. #9ut even if I gave my plan to 1,, people, no one could recreate what Ive done,' .erome sadly states. #9ecause most people dont want to put in the hard work,' I chime in. #Exactly,' says .erome. -nother empire on its way to being hugely successfulD Power Houze Records !www.powerhouze.com" /he perfect mixture of great artists, proper financing, and a team of people running the label who understand the business and can sell units, is very rare and beautiful to find. 7ower Aouze is owned by a humble, artist%friendly guy with incredible vision and run by a hyper white dude who has no room for failure on his program. I first met )orey !the hyper one" through a series of phone calls placed to me after he finished his federally mandated vacation. ;hile he was locked down, he made great use of his time studying the industry and learning all he could so he could come out and take over 0allas. :pon his release he met up with an old ac*uaintance, 9, and oined 9s efforts to take new label 7ower Aouze to the top. ;ith 9s leadership and foresight, and )oreys knowledge and people skills, they combined efforts to take over the world. -s a radio 7rogram 0irector said to me a few months ago, #they sure got some heat for a label that came outta nowhere in 0allas. /hey put everything else here to shameD' 0ont be fooled, 7ower Aouze is a well thought out and planned empire that has been years in the making. ;hen 7ower Aouze was in the conception stage, there were no local artists with a ma or buzz or a big following, and the ma or labels were busy courting artists from + hours south5 Aouston. In reaction, three years ago, 9 built a studio and got carried away. ;hat started as plan to create a local well%e*uipped pre%production studio to offer opportunities to artists, turned into a state of the art recording facility with two incredible engineers, one of which has Aanson on his resume. /op =otch Studio was started as a way to finance the record label and boasted a five year plan, but two short years into the plan, the skill and professionalism of the studio became common knowledge and clients poured in, in droves. 7ower Aouze 6ecords was on its way. -t the same time that the money got right, )ory was sprung with his enthusiasm and stockpiled knowledge, and the rest is history. 7ower Aouze 6ecords has hand%picked some of the best and most talented artists in 0allas, and put the 3 separate acts in the studio to develop and vibe with each other. /ogether, they have become a force that cant be stopped, held together by sharing a dedication to success, a love of music, and the professionally composed 7ower Aouze engineering and production. #;hat makes 7ower Aouze special as a whole, is knowing what makes them uni*ue as individual acts,' explains )orey. 7ower Aouze is not ust a label, it is also a group of artists who have come together to move forward as one5 solo rapper 6um from 9aton 6ouge by way of /exas@ lyrical challenger Sir )harles, a native of 0allas@ rap group /ha Houng Austlaz@ rap duo /he -ffiliates@ and 689 sensation 9%&lat, half of the former :niversal 6ecording group, &a Sho. ;hen I asked )orey what made him choose 9, instead of starting his own label, he cites a long list of attributes that impressed him. /he ones that stood out in my mind are 9s #lack of power issues and ego. Aes really all about business, not hanging out and flossing. Aes a hard worker, hard to please, and keeps me grounded.' ;hen I posed a similar *uestion to 9 about )orey, he also had a long list, including )oreys #incredible people skills and networking abilities, not to mention his commitment and drive to hard work and fulfilling a common vision and goal.' -side from the ability to attract my attention !which is =C/ easy", 7ower Aouze has created the first record label built on fair contracts for their artists, creative input from the artists, and open books and

shared information. /he artists all have retained 1,,J of their publishing, a fair split of income, shorter than usual contract terms, and are encouraged to start their own companies with the help of the label and staff. 7ower Aouze began by releasing a song to local rap radio station /he 9eat in -ugust, where the song became the local champion in 9attle Cf /he 9eats for F weeks straight, giving it instant access to rotation at the station. -s established recording artists came through 0allas !like ?illah 7riest, &iend, )rooked <ettaz, 0avid 9anner, <il .on, 0evin, 9eats 9y /he 7ound, 9izzy 9one, etc", they would stop through 7ower Aouzes well respected studio, and a couple of the songs even made it to the album. -fter /hree /he Aard ;ay did its thing at /he 9eat, 7ower Aouze followed it up with 9lack <ips featuring 0evin /ha 0ude, as they prepared their album, &amily 9usiness for release in late $arch. ;hen they released .ump, the single featuring <il .on, in early &ebruary, it was backed up with street teams, 9E/ cable ads, billboards, and a promo tour through the south and mid%west in three phases. /hey have also created the hottest club night in 0allas to give back to the local fans who support them. $y last trip to 0allas saw streets lined with posters@ retail stores lined with flats, posters and autographed photos of the artists@ crowds rocking 7ower Aouze /%shirts, 9aby /s and halter tops@ and even a homeless guy sporting a 7ower Aouze bandanna on his head. 7ower Aouze set up their )0 by focusing on independent and chain retail stores. &or example, many stores received clean, full%length albums for in%store play two weeks before the album dropped. /hey also focused on the streets and club play to build the necessary credibility for the release. #;ith a <il .on produced single, its not hard to figure out that the song is an ass shaker getting crazy love in the clubs and strip clubs,' says )orey. #Selling records is more than wrapping a van and shooting a mediocre video with your whole budget. Ha gotta look at the costs involved in everything and ask yourself, how many records is this going to sell if I do thisKor thatKand then does it make sense,' adds 9. ;anting to offer fans snippets of their songs, it wasnt a hard sell to get 7ower Aouze to make a mix tape. /hey had local 0.s create a snippet )0 to showcase the music that they pass out free at shows and on the streets. /here is a screwed version of /hree /ha Aard ;ay that 0. $arco 7olo in Aouston chopped and screwed that is off the hook !even though I miss 0. Screw terribly, $arco 7olo represented" and has created huge demand even for the snippet )0. 7ower Aouze is getting hella calls from ma or labels to send a copy of the album because of its incredible buzz, asking them to also include #that fire mix tape.' 7ower Aouze hired an experienced radio promoter with a real track record !not based on hype the way many are", a publicist with verifiable connections and experience, a retail sales person from a ma or label, a street team coordinator used by ma or labels, and an established power attorney from =ew Hork. -fter meeting with a host of labels and distributors, 7ower Aouze turned down deals to stay independent and collect IF a )0 instead of giving up a portion to someone who doesnt necessarily understand their plans, dreams, and goals. /he artists stayed in the studio until they had an album full of incredible songsLsongs that make you say #oh ShitD' -s the artists have practiced their show and performance skills daily, the label has added a skilled soundman, fog machines, banners, their own microphones, and their own in%house lighting system. /hey take their shows very seriously as they know they are building a fan base while building artists careers, not ust selling records. 7ower Aouze is incorporating what they have learned, the incredible response they are getting, and a truly professional team to build /AE next rap empire. ;hen asked what 9 wants to do differently than those who have come before him, he states, #pay my artists. I realize that without them none of this would be possible. Im not stupid enough to burn a bridge with the muthaphukka who got me here. Its not ust money and time on those )0s, its also heart, experience, and passion. Aow could anyone EEE6 shit on thatB' -nd )orey chimes in, #its not hard to do it right. ;ere ust proving how easy it really isK' -nd the proof is in the example. Fif ! An"e# Recordin"s !www.remedyross.com" $y introduction to &ifth -ngel was a famous story Steve 6ifkind !)EC of <oud 6ecords" loves to tell. In 1223, he invited some white kid who was down with ;u%/ang )lan to his house for 7assover dinner !a religious celebration in the .ewish faith". -pparently the local 6abbi was invited to dinner as well, because the white kid, who happened to be a rapper, performed a song he had written about the Aolocost, reducing the 6abbi to tears. Its a story that has made its rounds in the music industry for years.

=ow, fast%forward seven years to last night, when I had dinner with 6ich Isaacson, the 7resident of <oud. Ae asked me what was hot out on the streets right now and I mentioned to him an artist I was impressed with5 6emedy, a =H rapper who sold 2,,,,,M units in > or G months. -s amazing as it is for someone to sell that many records that fast, independently, 6ichs first thought was, #6emedy, that white kid who made the 6abbi cryB' Some stories live forever. 6emedy has been around for awhile. Ais foray into the music business was his original deal years ago with Erick Sermon. Ae then went on to work with many of the ;hos ;ho in the rap world%% most recently, 6N-. -fter years of being reminded that he was white, 6emedy decided to prove to the world hes a viable commodity, and not an Eminem%alike, since many publications like to mention them in the same breath due to the lack of melanin that they have in common. -s one of the only unsigned rappers to get coverage in 6olling Stone magazine, it is opposite a picture of Eminem, the most famous white rapper. )an the man get some love on his own, pleaseBD 6emedy turned to his family to finance his record release when shopping a deal came up empty. Ae chose Southwest ;holesale in Aouston !for the record, he alleges he was never paid properly and my calls to Southwest went unreturned" because they appeared to be working with most of the independent rappers. 6emedy heard the rumors of Southwest not paying properly and shipping before release dates, but decided to give them a chance based on the perceived kindness of the owner. Ae got burned. -ccording to an inside source at Select%C%Aits, a distributor that sells much of Southwests product, 6emedys pro ect was a huge success. /hey say they moved over F,J of the 6emedy units for Southwest ;holesale. I asked them if this was one of the reasons 6emedy may not have been paid what was due him !2,,,,, units times IF a )0 is a lot of money", and bluntly asked them if they had paid Southwest. I was told Southwest is paid for sales every +, days due to their pipeline !continuous product". 6emedy says hes received about half of whats owed to him to date. Ais record, (enuine -rticle, came out in $ay of 4,,1. !$ost distributors keep one third of payments in reserve and then li*uidate reserves in 2 months". ;hen I asked 6emedy what he spent, he immediately said he #wasted a lot of money.' 6emedy spent over I>,,,,,, marketing and promoting the album, which included everything from print ads in /he Source, Aigh /imes, and a skateboard magazine to billboards on the highway between 9rooklyn and Staten Island !his home", and Aerald S*uare in =H. 6emedy wrapped his van and hit the road on two promo tours reaching the entire east coast first, and then the west coast from the 9ay -rea to <os -ngeles. Ae shot 4 videos and hired a video promoter but got very little video play. Ae bought $%/E and 9E/ cable ads in all ten of his key markets. Ae tried to buy radio where he could, but didnt have a real radio song. Ae feels he wasted a lot of money working his record like a ma or would since he couldnt get any love at radio or video as an independent. Ae targeted college radio and then attempted urban radio, but was closed out. Ae blitzed ten markets where he felt his pro ect would sell the most5 =ew Hork, <os -ngeles, )hicago, 9oston, )onnecticut, Eirginia, =orth )arolina, 7hiladelphia, 9altimore, and ;ashington, 0). Ae hired street teams in all of his key markets and supplied them with the necessary tools5 posters, flats, stickers, /% shirts, post cards, etc. Ae hired a publicist who got him into mainstream publications like =ew Hork $agazine, onto the local news in =H on )hannel 2, and even onto the .enny .ones Show. Ae regrets allowing the publicist to push him so mainstream as he feels he missed his market and reached people who wouldnt buy his record regardless. If he had it to do over hed save a ton of money on stuff like a video since independents are not going to get much video play anyway. Aed forego many of the retail coop ads he spent a bunch of money on. Aed skip the publicist with the mainstream press and focus back on his market%%the people who will buy his record. Aed control the pressing of his pro ect so he could account for the units shipped !he is stumped by the fact that his distributor said they only pressed and shipped O,,,, cassettes, but his SoundScan shows over >,,,, cassettes sold" and so he could have switched distributors when he first wasnt paid properly. 6emedy impressed me immediately because hes a man who has no fear and is willing to go for what he wants. Ae is analytical, open, and intelligent. Ae learned so much from this experience. Since it all comes down to the music, hes back in the studio making more radio friendly songs, and still an independent record label owner feeling the trials and tribulations, wondering if and when the ma ors will come. ;hether they do or not, 6emedy is a ma or artist with big plans and pure 1,,J heartD