Gone are the days where companies have one-sided conversations with their audience.

Gone are the days of “You like hip hop, buy this CD” and “If you have a family you need this van”.

Now it’s “What’s your favorite song on the album?” and  “Tell us your favorite feature in our new car on facebook”.

Well…it should be. I see too many people tweeting things like this “Yo, @Essince, check my new video! RT PLS! www.youtube.com/WhoCaresIDont”

If I click on your profile and see you sent that to 95 other people why would I want to watch? You don’t care about my opinion only a retweet not a comment or like or view.

If you did you would follow up to see if I saw it and you also wouldn’t ask everyone else who has a twitter page.

Also, why would I want to follow you?? Do I really need that filling up my timeline?

Would you walk up to me and throw your business card in my face and run away doing it to everyone on the sidewalk? No? Then why do it online?

Social media marketing is a whole new ballgame. Because it is still new and constantly changing be wary of people claiming to be experts at it but keep these simple tips in mind:

#1) Social Media Marketing is a CONVERSATION. Promote yourself but also engage in a conversation. Ask your fans/followers what they like? They’ll talk about it anyway, why not start the conversation?

#2) Do NOT SPAM!

#3) Tell us a little about YOU but don’t be boring or too personal. No one wants to see “I’m hungry” or “I’ve been throwing up all day”

#4) If you speak on behalf of a company don’t post as an individual. “We” not “I”.

#5) People don’t want to be talked to, then want to be spoken with.

#6) Just because you can delete a tweet or facebook post doesn’t erase it from having happened. Just because it’s a private message doesn’t mean it can’t be brought up in court.

#7) Be Professional! Just because I work in the urban music business and I speak in slang with my friends doesn’t mean you should talk to me in slang. This is a business.

I hope these help give you a little more direction/guidance.

ABOUT ESSINCE

I  am an MC/blogger and founder of Royal Heir Entertainment which specializes in online marketing and music consulting.

I’ve been an artist for 14 years and have performed all over the US and have toured in Asia (Japan, Thailand, the Philippines).

I’ve worked as an event promoter & helped promote music conferences and contribute to various blogs throughout the world. I also have transcription credit on the DJ Vlad documentary, “Ghostride the Whip“.

For more information on visit my blog (Essince.com) and the Royal Heir Ent website. I’m on twitter and facebook and Google+

Image via Wikipedia

By Khosi Biyela

When it comes to hip hop the rationale seems to be that if your rhyming abilities aren’t good enough then insulting punchlines might do the trick.

At least that’s how people used to describe hip hop music outside the general commercial canon – termed “underground” hip hop.

People generally associated it with criminal acts, a mucky appearance and disrespectful behaviour. It was even easy to spot a “stereotype” hip hop cat – opting to wear baggy jeans, an over-sized T-shirt and sneakers with a matching cap.

But that’s about to change or should I say it has changed already with vernacular hip hop invading the industry. African rap doesn’t need a wardrobe change or one to abandon the underground feel of one’s tunes.

Many have tried this with the likes of Pro Kid dabbling in Kasi flava with his punchlines. But for Durbanites, it was Zulu Boy who paved the way. For that same reason, Zakwe is now banging on the door of the local music scene with his dope hits, Bathi Ngiyachoma and Ishove.

His punchlines are not commercial but underground in every sense. That’s why other hip hop heads have turned down record deals, mainly because they don’t want to be stripped of their freedom of expression.

Phumuza Zindela, better known as Moja Pooh, is one of the hip hop underground heads in Durban who prefers to stay underground.

Moja Pooh has been in the industry for more than a decade, working together with well known cats like Zulu Boy and Shon-G.

Having released more than 10 mix tapes, Moja Pooh feels that underground rap allows him to let rip with whatever he has on his mind, without anyone interfering with his work.

“Most people think we are sick, but we are free to express ourselves without any interference.

“Commercial rappers are guided on what to say because they have to worry about airplay and things like that,” said Moja Pooh.

He uses the vernacular language to voice his thoughts while rebuking claims of vulgar usage in the vernacular hip hop.

Underground rap may be disparaged by many but it’s where most hardcore big wig rap stars are tested before going commercial.

“We can compose a mix today and release it the next day. It is not about money but to spread African rap to society,” he says.

The good thing about back- yard rappers is that they are hard workers and always eager to be the best in the hood, he shares.

“We even sell our own mix tapes on the streets. Under- ground is like a training centre for rappers. We are not spoon-fed here,” he said.

Moja Pooh’s sentiments were echoed by Mhlonishwa Dlamini who joined the world of hip hop in 2004. Dlamini says African rap allows him to touch base with his values while keeping it original.

“We have freedom to touch on relevant issues like drugs, poverty and other things affecting our own nation. We don’t have to change our identity to fit in,” he says. Asked if he uses vulgarity when rhyming, he says: “We diss our enemies fair and square. We tell them how lame they are but we are proscribed from using vulgarity.”

During our conversation, it is clear these hip hop stars feel represented by the likes of Zakwe, Zulu Boy and Shon-G also operating on a commercial level.

“Some of the commercial rappers have a blend of underground in their tracks but it is not about fame, money and booze,” he says. Another underground artist, Ma-ice also praises African rhymes as the next best thing to hit the industry hard.

This shy rapper says he drew inspiration from the hip hop group H2O, only because they stayed true to themselves.

“Personally, I think they were dope, and I also liked the fact that they weren’t imitating US rappers.”

Ma-ice believes that before going commercial, rap acts should go the underground route to survive the fame.

“You need to strategise first, know your strongest points and you must be versatile too,” Ma-ice explains.

These hip hop cats still believe that every hip hop muso should undergo the hustle life of underground rap “Umrapper” before going commercial.

“It is hard to survive the commercial industry if you didn’t spend much time as an underground rapper. You can release the first hit album but that will be the end of your career. No one will ever hear from you.

“These people (big labels), if they see you’re talented and desperately need a record deal, they take advantage of you,” he says.

Retrieved from:

http://www.iol.co.za/tonight/music/underground-hip-hop-gaining-ground-1.1239958?ot=inmsa.ArticlePrintPageLayout.ot (22 February 2012)

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Jeffrey Weber is the author of the recently-released You’ve Got A Deal: The Biggest Lies Of The Music Business.

Based in Beverly Hills, Weber is a longtime industry producer known for his work with Luther Vandross and Ronnie James Dio, and two of his projects won Grammys.

But after 30 years he’s left the corporate rat race to work directly with artists. With his new freedom Weber has decided to expose the more dubious aspects of the business. Here are his top ten record industry lies, pulled from his book. We talked to him about what exactly these lies mean.

10. “We love your stuff.”According to Weber, when producers say this, what they really mean is either: “I don’t know who you are,” “I listened to it and it’s not very good,” “I never got it” or “I didn’t listen to it.” It’s a white lie to spare artists’ feelings. Weber adds that a producer who has actually listened to your stuff will have a complex understanding of what works and what doesn’t. Those who haven’t listened tend toward vague praise.

9. “We’ll fix it in the mix.”

This really means “We’ll do our best to make you sound like an artist,” Weber says, which sounds to us something like “It’ll grow out” after a bad trip to the barber. The final product might be all right, but the recording is sub par.

8. “The booking is definite.”

What this really means, according to Weber, is that the booking agent doesn’t know who you are, is waiting for someone who’s going to be a better draw or — preferably — an audience that’s going to spend more on booze than yours. Remember that the clubs are in business to turn a profit, not to give your band exposure.

7. “It’s hot in the clubs.”

Rather than answering your question, a record company exec will supply you with a silver lining in the form of a non-sequitur. “It means you’re getting a lot of attention and buzz in clubs,” he says, but also that “no one has a clue about your record and no one’s buying it.”

6. “My last band had a record deal, but we broke up before recording an album.”

There are deals and there are deals. “When someone says you have a deal,” he says, “it means you have a deal until the next guy up the chain says ‘are you crazy?’” He’s also clear about the realities of the recording industry. “If marketing and promotions don’t believe in the record, there is no deal, regardless of what A&R says.” This pressure often causes bands to break up before a real deal gets signed.

Read the complete article on LAWEEKLY blogs: http://blogs.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/2012/02/record_industry_lies_jeffrey_weber.php

Post retrieved from LA Weekly Blogs (21 February 2012)

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Perhaps the saying ‘made it’ should be redefined; because Black Cobain may not be extremely well known just yet, but through his lyrical skills and his connection with Wale, he came up from a struggling member of a rap group to the first rapper to be signed to Wale’s independent label ‘The Board of Administration’. Repping the DMV with his controversial name, Black Cobain’s story of come up possibly begins when he decided to quit his job at The Boys and Girls Club and pursue rapping full time. But it wasn’t until his manager, and marketing executive Le’Greg O Harrison, who happened to be Wale’s road manager, unintentionally got Wale’s attention by listening to his music around Wale. Conceivably, the wisdom here could be that Black Cobain beginnings stresses the importance of making strong connections in this industry, even if you don’t realize where that connection might lead you. (read more…)

Retrieved from http://indiehiphop.net (20 February 2012) and used with permission of creator.

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Rap Ratz Created by Funkworm of IndieHipHop.net

Rap Ratz is Hip Hop’s version of Doonesbury and used here by permission of the creator.

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Dolo The Bandit

New York, NY (February 2012) – Fresh out of an extremely successful year with featured placements in a new Spike Lee Joint “You’re Nobody Til Somebody Kills you” and an international brand campaign for Surf world powerhouse Quicksilver, New York artist Dolo The Bandit announces solo release “Project Monarch” on Canadian label UIYB (Up In Your Basement), with lead single “Roach Clips”.

Dolo’s advance through the ranks of began in 2011 when his self-produced cut “Get Down” was selected as only one of three featured cuts in the Spike Lee Film alongside Hip Hop legend Ice-T and then having the song licensed for the Quicksilver Pro New York and France surf competition tours, launching Dolo onto the global stage.

Project Monarch showcases Dolo’s aggressive lyrical attack and massive production style.  Lead single “Roach Clips” exhibits Dolo’s understanding of how real music is made and brings back the core of Hip Hop with strong lyrics, clever story telling and break-ya-neck style production.

2010 tested the mettle of Dolo as he survived a home invasion attempt resulting in him suffering a shotgun blast, injuring his face and hands.  Despite this type of trial in his personal life, Dolo has remained a true Soldier of the Hip Hop community, giving back by performing for children at the NYC Library in Highbridge. (read more… Mi2n.com)

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Reblogged from PLUGININ.ORG:

Biography Slum lords of the Dance Floor is the new House/Dubstep project from Coalition Fight Music. After years of heartbreak chasing potential record deals, the two acts/lifelong friends “The Relles” (Dolla Bill & Unlabeld) and producer “Statecyde” (Tony Savo) decided to partner together and “sign” themselves. Dubbed by many in the fight media as “The Kings of Fight Music” the group formally established the genre of “Fight Music” (made specifically for Action/Combat Sports) and …

Slum Lords of The Dance Floor are fast becoming one of my playlist groups. Great music and fan engagement will take them far!

Cendrine Marrouat, Author, Journalist, Blogger

This is a guest post by Cendrine Marrouat, her bio is at the end of this article.

In this day and age, independent artists rely almost exclusively on Facebook and Twitter to reach global audiences. However, in so doing, they overlook other major platforms. One of them is blogging.

A blog is a great tool that, when used well, will increase public awareness of your work and help you build a loyal group of supporters. Here are five tips to get you started.

Tip #1: Know Your Niche

Let me start by asking you a few questions. Do you know who visits your blog? How old are they? Where do they live? How did they find your blog?

Answering these questions will help you determine who your audience is, and how interested it may be in the genre of music you make or the kind of books you write. This is what we call a “niche.”

To help you with that, use Google Analytics and / or Facebook Insights (for Facebook Fan Page owners). These free services will give you access to important metrics, such as the gender, age, locations, and languages spoken by your visitors.

Tip #2: Make Your Blog Interactive

Interactivity is a prerequisite to attract a loyal audience. An important rule is to allow visitors to access your content and connect with you where it is the most comfortable for them.

Here are three things that you should include on your blog:

• Social Networking – If you have a Facebook Fan Page, Twitter handle, LinkedIn profile and/or a Google+ profile / Page, install widgets and buttons on your blog.

• Calls to Action – A call to action is a short sentence that tells visitors what they should do. For example: “Subscribe to our newsletter to get a free eBook“; “Check us out on Facebook”; “Click ‘like’ to access the page”; “Suggest to friends.” Your blog should display at least one call to action on each page / post.

• Blog Subscription – People do not always have time to check blogs for new content. So, make things easier for them. Embed a subscribe form on your blog. Feedburner, for example, is a great service.

A Special Note about Auto Players…

A while ago, I visited the blog of an artist that someone had recommended me to check out. Upon landing on the home page, the loud music made me jump in my chair. As I could not find the player to stop the music, I left and never came back.

Visitors should not have to mute their speakers when landing on your blog. Disable the auto play function of your player to let them decide if they want to listen to your music and watch your videos, or not.

Tip #3: Do Not Overdo Self-Promotion

If you have a blog, you obviously should promote it. Share your articles (and news) on social networks (Facebook, Twitter and Google+), in relevant LinkedIn Groups, and on Scoop.it or Paper.li. You can also join Bloggers, one of the biggest and best communities and directories for bloggers in the world. And why not harness the power of a platform like Pinterest?

With that being said, avoid overdoing self-promotion. Keep it 80 / 20. This rule, also known as the Pareto Principle, states that 80 percent of your outcomes come from 20 percent of your inputs.

What does it mean for you?

• 80 percent of your social media time should be about sharing compelling content from others and engaging followers.
• 20 percent (or less) of the remaining time should be about promoting yourself.

Tip #4: Interact with Your Visitors

Visitors to your blog want to find content that speaks to them. They want to feel that you are paying attention to them.

Ask them questions in your articles. Encourage them to share their thoughts in the comment section.

And do not forget to mention the names of specific supporters and your favorite influencers once in a while.

Tip #5: Remember: It’s about Your Fans, Not You

After releasing six books and a CD, I can tell you one thing: Audiences do not care about artists. The only thing they really care about is if your music or book is entertaining enough. They want art that takes them away from their problems.

People will only buy your products if they can relate to your artistic story (a.k.a. your brand) and take part in it. A blog is the perfect platform for that. Use it to show your expertise, and make your unique voice and helpful side shine.

To build a loyal audience, you must make yourself indispensable, first. The rest will come in due time.

The tips in this article are adapted from Cendrine Marrouat’s The Little Big eBook on Blogging: 40 Traffic Generation Tips. This eBook will be available for purchase on March 6, 2012. For more information, click here.

 About Cendrine Marrouat

Cendrine Marrouat is a journalist, reviewer, blogger and author with nine years of experience in the freelance industry. Her articles have appeared in a number of websites and blogs, including Examiner.com and Digital Journal. She is also the founder of Creative Ramblings, a social media blog with a specific focus on entrepreneurs and independent artists.

For more information on Cendrine, visit www.cendrinemarrouat.com. You can also follow her on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.

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Reblogged from Eastern Shore's Very Own: Hype Talent:

Do you have what it takes to make your dreams come true? “Get What You Love,” Produced by Rafpak, will be featured on Wordsmith’s upcoming Mixtape “Prelude to the King” sponsored by 2 Dope Boyz in April. The release of his next LP, “King Noah”, will follow in June, stay tuned!

Wordsmith is one of the most genuine Hip Hop Artists out today. With his music being featured on ESPN “College Football Plays of the Week”, winning the 2011-2012 ASCAPLUS award and having multiple features on the Converse Open Gym Mixtape vol 2…this guy has what it takes!!!

Reblogged from Wendy Day:

“According to Bluefin Labs, the Grammys earned 13 million social comments. That breaks the record from last week’s Super Bowl and absolutely dwarfs every other entertainment event from the last year.” http://mashable.com/2012/02/13/grammys-social-tv-stats/ THAT’S the power of music! Enough with the hogwash about how the Internet killed the music business. People care more about music than even sports, which are supposedly all about participation. Read this article, look at the graphics, it’s brief and …

It stands to reason that music in it’s ever spreading hold on our daily lives would be more important to the super bowl…twitter was a-buzz with people who said they couldn’t care less about the game or they only watched it because of the commercials.