November 26, 2024 • 60 mins
In this episode of the I Hate This Industry podcast, hosts Steven Almeida and Darryl Reese Jr. discuss their journey in independent music production, the challenges they face, and the innovative PEX Method they developed to empower artists. They explore the importance of building a brand around music, the impact of social media on music distribution, and the significance of community support. The conversation also touches on the political landscape, the role of the Black Dollar in community building, and the evolution of artist branding in today's industry. Throughout the episode, they emphasize the need for persistence, creativity, and strategic planning in navigating the ever-changing music landscape.
- Independent artists must adapt to the changing landscape of music production.
- The PEX Method empowers artists by giving them control over their work.
- Building a brand around music is essential for success.
- Social media plays a crucial role in music distribution and promotion.
- Crowdfunding can be challenging but is necessary for independent projects.
- Creating unique experiences for fans enhances engagement and loyalty.
- Pre-production is vital for successful filmmaking and music projects.
- The Black Gold EP embodies the themes of triumph and community.
- Persistence is key in the face of industry challenges.
- Artists must be multifaceted and proactive in their careers.
Follow the pod: https://www.goldprintent.com/ihtipodcast Tune into the “I Hate This Industry Podcast” with hosts Darrell Reese JR. & Steven Almeida for game-changing insights! #IHateThisIndustryPodcast
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Are we good?
(00:26):
Oh yeah.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another episode of your favorite and my favorite too, the
I Hate This Industry podcast.
I am your handsome and humble host, Stephen Almeida, and this is my brother, the architect
of the gold print, Darryl Rees-Jones.
Yes indeed, yes indeed.
(00:47):
What's good?
What you man?
How you feeling?
How you feeling?
Man, I'm good.
I'm tired.
I feel like that's what the weekend has become, this tiredness from the week.
But I feel good.
I'm tired in a good way.
I'm tired from accomplishments, man.
Okay, okay.
Yeah, I feel that.
How you feeling?
I feel that, man.
I can say the same, man.
It's been a, this fourth quarter has not only been an interesting fourth quarter, but like
(01:12):
physically I'm tired, but it's productive.
It's productive.
Like I'm getting a lot of work done and man, it's, we ain't good.
We ain't in a different mood right now, man.
It's go time.
The foundation process is like officially in full effect.
It's like we no longer talking about it.
Oh yeah, man.
We deep in pre-production.
We are fully deep.
(01:33):
We are deep in pre-production for the short film and man, this has been a beautiful process.
This process, the film process alone has been about four years, about four complete years
and there's been plenty of times where, okay, I may have thought I was ready to film.
There's been plenty of times where I was just like, okay, I'm ready, I'm ready on this date
(01:54):
and I'm glad I didn't go through with it.
But now I feel like, okay, not only am I nervous, but it's a different feeling.
So now I know like, okay, I'm ready.
Like I'm ready and we start filming soon and man, it's a, like I said, it's a beautiful
process.
Like we are knee deep.
We are deep in pre-production from location, from wardrobe, from certain items in the film,
(02:17):
from timing to getting the last table readings done, like from items and things like that,
making sure things sound good, making sure things look good.
Like our shot list is looking beautiful.
Our script is looking beautiful and this is, it's been a beautiful moment, man.
It's been a beautiful moment.
Yeah.
And so I think, you see, that's one of the most important parts people forget is having
(02:40):
all of that together beforehand is like, stay ready so you ain't got to get ready.
And if you take pre-production serious, then you know, if you're working with people who
take that pre-production process serious, then that production process, you know, they're
going to, they're going to take serious.
And I feel like that when it comes to executing on ideas, especially productions, man, you
(03:02):
want everybody on the same page.
You want everybody excited.
You want everybody fully invested and believing in what's happening.
So it's like, man, that's good.
I'm excited.
Oh yeah.
I wish I was out there.
Oh yeah, man.
Yeah.
We got plenty of more to do.
So definitely there.
And like, like right now I'm doing on shoot notes.
(03:23):
Yeah.
That's basically to make, like you said, that's to make everybody jobs easy.
Like those are going to get sent out to everybody tomorrow, top of the week.
And so for me to make my job easy, I have to have this shot list.
I have to have this detailed on shoot notes to make sure I cross all my T's and that,
I have to make sure everything, everything, everything, and it's very detailed from, okay,
(03:47):
we have this one scene.
Let's make sure everything is in this shot.
Let's make sure we shoot it multiple times.
And then after we shoot it, let's go listen to it.
Let's go hear it.
So we won't like, I want to minimize as much like just chaos backing in as far as reshooting
and things like that as possible.
I don't want to look at the film a week from now or a week after the film be like, dang,
(04:09):
I got to reshoot it.
But I know that happens in filmmaking, so I wouldn't be upset.
Like I invited, but our job is to minimize it.
And right now we're putting the team together, man.
Like team is about complete and we ready to get the ball rolling, man.
We ready.
Hell yeah, man.
I love it.
I love it.
Especially since we in this new phase of Trumpito as president, man.
(04:32):
We here now.
Election time is over.
America has spoken.
It's mega country.
All I can say is, man, like I know we ain't really too, too political, but at the same
time it's just what I have to say about it is I'm not a hundred percent surprised.
I'm not surprised.
(04:52):
And the way I look at the Kamala campaign, the way I look at her campaign, it was so
divided.
Like so many people spoke about this.
So many people raised question marks.
So many people was wondering about this.
So many people were wondering about that.
On one side you can look at like, okay, maybe they're concerned because they care.
And the other side is they just want to ask this black woman.
(05:13):
Yeah.
And so I was just looking at things on Facebook.
I was looking at things on Twitter and things like that.
I was just like, yeah, it's going to be a long, she got a long road ahead of her.
Like she got a tough road because it ain't even about the issues that people are talking
about.
So being divided amongst who she is, a black woman, a mixed woman, a woman in politics,
(05:37):
like things like that.
And from a black perspective or maybe even a democratic perspective, like that alone
would divide a party.
That alone would divide individuals.
And I was hurt by seeing certain things with it.
And at the same time, I was just like, is this country even ready for a black woman
to be president?
Because the way things go and the way society runs itself, the way people move and things
(06:00):
like that, again, man, I'm not surprised.
Like the only thing we can hope is that Trump does the right thing.
One thing that he lacks and the one thing that people talk about all the time is the
integrity part of it, how he talks to people, how he moves and things like that.
So the only thing that we got to hope is that he moves with integrity, that he moves doing
(06:21):
the right thing and things like that.
By law, we're here for another four years.
If they change anything, it's just a wait and see situation.
I've heard a lot that this election, there was a lot of identity politics.
That was something I kept hearing a lot.
I spoke to a lot of people who, I feel like a lot of people didn't really know the issues
(06:44):
and what was at stake.
A lot of people didn't really know the policies or I think it was a lot of people voting by
their feelings and people just wanting like a group thing.
Then you had a lot of people who were just anti one person because they were one side
because they were anti that candidate and they didn't really know the race.
(07:08):
It was kind of like, oh, I don't like Trump, so I'm going to vote for Kamala.
I don't like Kamala, so I'm going to vote for Trump.
And I feel like we lose a lot of the reason why we even vote and when we do that.
And then the bashing thing is rough.
I saw a lot of Democrats bashing Trump supporters and Republicans and now I've seen a lot of
the Kamala hate and the Kamala bash.
(07:29):
But I know man, I think a lot of people voted from their pockets as well.
I think they hurting, so they see Trump as a dollar sign and the potential of what he
can do for them financially.
We're reminiscing on that COVID era, that COVID America not realizing we're not in
(07:51):
a pandemic anymore.
Oh, I don't know man, I don't think it really mattered.
That's the conversation I've been having too.
It didn't matter who ended it up.
I mean, it does matter for me per se is whoever ended up in office.
That didn't change what my plans were for the next five years.
You know what I mean?
Absolutely.
So you kind of just have to learn how to navigate the landscape and be grateful
(08:16):
that you in a country where you can vote and debate and have conversations about
who you like and don't like, you know, where in some places you get told who's
in power, you don't get a real option.
So that American privilege is a beautiful thing.
A lot of people feelings are hurt, but gotta be grateful that you can even vote.
Yeah.
And we in America, God damn it, man.
(08:37):
Like, fuck it.
Trump flashy.
It's a circus and we need a ringleader, man.
Come on.
It's going to be real.
We already live in interesting times.
It's just going to get real interesting.
Yeah, but all right.
And I just saw so many, it's sad.
I saw so many people walk Kamala in office and then the show out, the
(08:57):
turnout didn't reflect that.
At all.
So it was, just made me feel like it was a reminder of this instant gratification
generation of like, oh, I'm going to post about it, but I'm not going to do
something about it.
And I think a lot of that shit happened and it was kind of sad watching it.
Whereas like, man, the people ain't show out for Kamala.
They were talking.
(09:18):
That boy Trump won by landslide.
Man, it wasn't even close, man.
That shit felt like winning.
That's a blowout.
It was like, damn, man, I knew it was over before it was over.
I was like, yeah, that's it.
We ain't coming back, man.
But let's just hope that everything, not hope, I mean, work towards it.
You know, like people got to learn how to actually make the thing they want
(09:41):
happening and not put all the power, all the power just in the government.
Realize that America is the people, the people put Trump into presidency, but
Trump at the end of the day still works for you, the people, society, I hope
really understands that when they trying to tear down the president or the
(10:04):
government, whoever's in that position, remember they work for you.
So you still have that right and that power and vote locally and push people
into the positions that you want them into actually affect change within
communities and societies.
Trump is just one piece of the puzzle.
It takes so much else to make this thing run.
So people don't be mad because the person you didn't want is not in position
(10:28):
because you can still affect things locally in your communities and
neighborhoods and have a better America that you built from the ground up.
Get involved.
Y'all ain't show up, man, this election, man.
That was obvious.
So get involved.
You want to see change.
Stop posting about it.
Absolutely, man.
Trump 2025, God damn it.
I'm joking.
Absolutely, man.
(10:48):
Be the change that you want to see.
And like that sentiment alone of what you just uttered is very important.
Like we have to, and like even me have to do a better job at it.
Like we have to be more involved in the things that are around us and engage in
certain nonprofits that you believe in.
And if you want to start your own, start your own, donate to these nonprofits and
(11:10):
join the front lines or some type of team involved with these people that's
affecting real change in your community.
Because that's what you're around the most.
That's what you go see the most.
Like, of course you will go visit these states and other cities and things like
that, but majority of your time is spent in your low-dimmunity.
So again, be the change that you want to see and truly invest in those that you
(11:34):
truly believe are doing the right thing.
So yeah.
Agreed, man.
I agree.
Living interesting times, man.
Damn.
It's crazy out there, my brother.
It is crazy, man.
But in a horde of chaos, maybe we get rich out this motherfucker.
That's true.
Right, man, when there's chaos, there's opportunity.
There's opportunities.
(11:56):
Yo, go get it.
I don't give a fuck who in that seat.
I'll be honest.
I don't give a fuck who there.
I still got to go get it one way or another.
I still got to figure it out.
I still got to make this film this weekend.
That's right, man.
The foundation.
Yo, how did the funding process go?
It went all right.
It went all right.
I think I set the bar too high.
It's not bad.
Where I am in life and for where I am, for what I am and what I'm trying to do.
(12:19):
But I will say I did make enough to where I can get what I need to get this week.
As far as the final pieces of the film.
And that's all that matters.
That's all that matters.
So like that situation was just, I'm going to say I learned a lot in it.
It was just, okay, let's see if I can get enough to where I can get this.
(12:40):
I can get that.
I can get that.
And we did it.
So by all means, like, okay, I did what I had to do with it.
So yeah.
That's good, man.
That's good.
That's the thing with crowdfunding.
Problem is that, and this is always the, this is my thing with social media is that
followers don't equal funding.
You know, like it don't, followers don't equal fans.
(13:02):
It don't equal.
And that's, that's the struggle sometimes.
That's the same thing you're saying about the presidential election is like people,
people show out online or raise their hand online or want to be part of a conversation
online, but when it's time to physically go support, physically go and make something
happen, it's a low turnout sometimes.
(13:22):
And I see that all the time with social media and different projects, different artists,
different companies, man.
And I think that's just part of the game.
So it's like, what are you going to do?
It shouldn't stop nothing.
I think what was dope is that you were bold enough to do the crowdfunding and you did
raise enough money to use that to execute for the project.
(13:43):
So it's still a win. Maybe it's not the turnout you would have liked, but you shot
your shot and you got something in return.
And that's important.
That's really all that matters.
I mean, when I did it, I already knew the, like I don't say I knew the outcome, but I
already knew with certain reach and certain demographic that I, that I had already, like
(14:04):
I already knew how that was going to turn out.
It was just, okay, let's see if I can get this.
Let's see if I can get that.
Let's see if I can get this and things like that.
So like, as far as the people that shared and things like that, like, of course I thank
them, like I thank them for sharing and things like that.
But at the same time, I'm just like, I'm going to keep it at that.
I'm going to keep it at that.
I thank you.
(14:25):
I'm going to keep it like that.
I'm going to say I thank you.
So like with things like that, like I said, I ain't going to say I knew the outcome of
that situation, but I'm not surprised on certain fronts, because it's like similar to
the promotion of music or promotion of certain things and things like that.
And like certain people only gravitate towards certain subjects and things like that.
(14:50):
So like you will see like certain things get more views, more likes than something else.
Yeah.
Like you give them things.
So like we already knew the outcome on certain situations and this film was going to get
made regardless if I've got a dollar, two dollars or nothing.
So it was going to get made regardless with the items that we need and we got the items
(15:11):
that we need.
So that's the main focus.
Yeah, but it can't take like that.
That's it's a hard process, man.
Funding shit is so hard.
Oh yeah.
Asking people is so hard or asking for donations or asking people to become a part of something.
I don't know.
I don't know if it's a thing of it's so consistent in the way that we're doing it.
(15:36):
It's not only in the media industry, but it's such a consistent factor in dream chasing.
It's like you owe that this the infamous stories of nobody believes in you till you make it
or nobody, you know, people don't support till you get there.
And maybe I don't think people even do it on purpose.
(15:57):
I just think it's just people got a lot of shit going.
Yeah, I mean, yeah, that's what it is.
It'd be so small, it'd be like, damn, you just be a blip on the radar, really.
Right.
I mean, yeah, because like this whole situation was very uncomfortable for me
because it was like my first time doing it.
And like even the recording process, just me sweating, just me making this video.
Like I don't do stuff like this.
(16:18):
So like that was already just uncomfortable for me.
And just for me to step out of my comfort zone and do that, like I'm proud of myself
in that aspect.
And so, so yeah, I mean.
You're doing what you got.
That's it right there.
You're laying out the, that's why I say you're the architect, man.
You're laying out the blueprint right there, the goal for you, laying out the steps.
(16:40):
This is what you got to do.
You know why?
Because you might've been nervous that that's all.
And it might've been tough to do and you had to step out your comfort zone.
But when you're going now, when you're in a position to pitch for a bigger bag
or a bigger opportunity, like you're going through every phase of it, you know?
Or is it like that Nipsey quote where he goes,
I've been through every phase of this shit.
(17:01):
Like, and I think that's important.
Every time I've ever been uncomfortable, like the, in hindsight, it's like, man,
if I hadn't gone through that first uncomfortable moment
when the other situation came up, maybe I would've handled it different.
Or I handled it better because of those first situations.
It's like, you know, like that was your first, that's what,
(17:22):
one of your first on-camera pitches, right?
Kind of.
Yeah.
Yeah, so it's like, man, the next pitch going to be for something bigger, you know?
Shit, the next pitch is going to be for the pilot.
That's it.
So there won't be no time for them.
But yo, you got your feet wet.
And you're showing people how to do it, man.
You the example for this independent entrepreneurship thing.
(17:45):
Something, you got to go through it.
I respect it, man.
Oh yeah, man.
I appreciate you.
You was the first person to donate.
So yeah, you always going to have my respect for that, man.
Like, I'm always on that.
I'm always trying to support.
Yo, even when I don't got it, man, if I got it in my account,
there's some times where I can't do it.
You know what I mean?
But I support in the things and the people I believe in.
(18:07):
I do my best to, whether it's a dollar or a hundred, you know what I mean?
It's like, I think with whatever you can.
That's how I never understand.
That's how I never understand.
I get it.
But it's like, yo, anything, people don't realize that anything helps.
Because even if it doesn't impact financially, the motivation,
(18:30):
you know, that somebody that you get from somebody even pledging
or donating a dollar, two dollars, five dollars,
it goes a long way further than like, not doing it.
What?
But then it's also people don't know till they're in it.
I mean, yeah, that's what it is.
And like what we're creating and with this being the first one,
(18:51):
this is like literally the foundation of this universe that we're building.
Yeah.
Like I was thinking about this earlier today.
I was just like, man, like as much as I want to pour into this film,
it's also a short film.
And we also have more stories to tell in this universe.
So I can't tell, I can't create, well, I can create like a 30 minute short film,
(19:14):
but I'm not like, I'm not going to pour so much empty space into this film.
I need to craft it a certain way and to tell like, OK, John's story
as well as introduce to people to Malachi, his best friend and the wise man, his mentor.
Like I have to tell this story in this certain amount of time.
So I'm just like, OK, I don't want this to feel like a feature film.
(19:37):
I don't want this to feel like a long, like a movie or things like that.
Like I want this to feel like a short film,
but also have certain elements of other things.
So being how long this film process and how long I've been crafting this for so many years,
like the script changed over time, the script changed so many times.
And like the original story was not how it was now, like it evolved over time.
(20:01):
But again, I had to center myself to come back to reality,
to say like you're building a universe, a universe building.
So you have to tell John's story in a way that's going to proceed to the audience
and those that are listening and investing in things like that.
So, yeah, man, it's been like a talk.
I know we're going to dive more soon, more of this process,
(20:22):
because it's a lot to indulge in.
And with us being at the finish line, like it's so many things to talk about.
And there's going to be so many things to talk about once the film is done.
So, yeah, man, this process is not just turning on the camera.
Like this is years of making, this is years of like getting certain items,
getting a camera just for this moment and things like this.
(20:45):
So, yeah, it's a beautiful process.
It's turning an idea into a living, breathing thing.
Yeah, that's a big part of it.
I think about that.
That's why, like I was telling you, as I wrote the rewriting the vending machine script,
I was like, man, I kept just diving into the story more,
because I'm like this story expands beyond just this short film.
(21:09):
You know what I mean?
Like this process, because initially what we're creating is the introduction to this world
and this character.
And it's meant to be a pitch.
It's meant to be something to show you a glimpse of what comes later, what could be.
Yeah, it's like you want to tell so much and do so much.
(21:30):
And it's easy to get lost in that.
But I think that's really the discipline of executing on ideas for purposes
is what you got to have that discipline for that.
And that's what I was experiencing writing this new revision of the script.
But I'm excited, man, because it's true.
This is world building, you know?
And it's like, we can do so much and so many stories to tell
(21:53):
beyond even the characters that we have now.
So I'm excited, man.
I'm excited because we're right there.
And even with that, that's a process.
But the other part of the process has been the Black Gold EP.
Absolutely.
Man, I listen to that project.
That first week it came out, man, I was blasting that so much.
(22:13):
Yeah, I was listening to it this morning.
Yeah, it's such feel good music.
It get me in a space.
It get me in this hustle of mentality.
I don't go get it.
And it get me energized, man.
So that was a process.
Oh, yeah.
That was actually that was the initial reason why I created the concept so long ago.
(22:34):
As far as the album, what I want the album to sound like,
I want it to sound like the grit and grimey.
I'm going to get it.
I'm coming out the mud.
And then when the album is complete, I succeeded.
I've overcame obstacles like the story of triumph and redemption.
The film and the album coexist in the same space
(22:55):
because it's a story about faith.
It's a story about triumph.
It's a story about redemption.
It's a story about one person finding themselves
through certain avenues and things happen within that.
And they had to overcome it.
So, yeah, man, the Black Gold, it's crazy because the records,
I had the concept for the records, but Black Gold,
(23:17):
that name in general came to me a few months ago.
Why a few months ago?
Last year, last year, it came to me last year.
But it was supposed to be something different.
It was supposed to be more so centered around an R&B type of vibe,
even though it's an R&B hip hop record with R&B artists on it, ex.
But it was, I don't think it had any rapping on it.
(23:41):
But then I started diving more into the film aspect
and these characters building a new Black Wall Street
and things like that.
So I was just like, OK, there's not going to be two records anymore.
I'm going to make Black Gold one record.
And then I sent Zevon the beat.
And then he came to me.
He sent the record.
He sent the record back.
He was just like, the Black Dollar controls, the culture,
(24:04):
yeah, we hold, a grip on us, take a toll.
They don't know the system.
They just don't want us to know about it and things like this.
So he talked about the Black Dollar in his record.
So something clicked right there.
Something clicked right there.
I was just like, let's build this whole EP about the Black Dollar.
Let's get someone on the intro of this record.
Let's get someone on the outro of this record talking about the Black Dollar.
(24:27):
Talking about Black Wall Street.
Let's talk about how the Black Dollar controls the Black community
and things like that and how it runs through certain systems.
Let's keep it more so talking about the older Black Wall Street
while also talking about and building a new Black Wall Street
and how we talked about earlier, how be the change that you want to see.
(24:49):
And no matter who's the president, you still have to try to affect change
in your community in a positive way.
So controlling the dollar and how it flows through the community
and where it goes and things like that digitally and physically.
Like let's bring that idea into this world.
Let's bring that idea into this film, into this album and things like that.
(25:09):
So I got my grandfather on the intro to Black Gold.
And then I got him on the outro.
Oh yeah, I got him on the outro record, the Black Dollar, the Epilogue.
So like, let's tell this story and then let's have these records in between
with Graces and the Gospel.
Like these two records about redemption, these two records about faith,
these two records about triumph.
(25:31):
And let's all have it coexist in this one EP.
And let's package it as that and let's promote it as that.
And if you listen to the beginning and end,
you will see the story of the Black Dollar.
You will see the story of the building of modern day Black Wall Street,
as well as talking about the older model of Black Wall Street.
And that coexists with the film.
(25:52):
Like the album is a soundtrack to the film.
And with the album coming out sometime next year,
like we want to give you this EP because like again,
it's all in the same space.
And with the foundation being the literally the foundation of what we're building,
it all makes sense as far as like, okay,
(26:12):
let's dictate these records and how it sounds and let's make it sound like the film.
Let's have these instruments.
Let's have these elements in the film as well.
And like the way Zevin was rapping,
like I thought it was some of the most beautiful piece of art that I've ever heard.
And having this play to the world was everything, like everything to us.
(26:33):
And however the people perceive it, that's how they perceive it.
But I want you to understand this, like it was also like just to the people,
like it was so much thought process.
It was so much going back and forth as far as ideas and the process of this project.
And again, to finally see it out, to finally see it release,
I told you about this a few weeks ago on our record, on our EP Drop.
(26:56):
Like man, it was like a weight lifted off my shoulder
because I've been listening to these records for maybe three years.
Like Gracious was the oldest record that we recorded.
And that was like three years ago, like three, four years ago.
And to finally see it have a home and people gravitate to it, man,
it means everything to us.
And this is just the beginning.
(27:17):
Like this is just the third installment, like all these, the first two,
the first three installments all coexist in this Black Gold EP.
And man, like we still got more work to do as far as records wise for next year.
Like we got this film that we're putting out next year
and that we finishing up this year.
(27:37):
And like I said, it all coexists in the same space
and it's truly a beautiful thing to see, man.
Yeah, man, I want everybody out there to understand what comes with putting out a project.
This is years in the making.
Literally, I think there was back and forth about like almost every idea.
(28:00):
So much that damn near to the last week or two,
we were having issues with the sound and the mix and all of that
where you had to bring in where also, you know what this process showed me
coming from business situations where I thought communication was good,
but when it came down to communication was not good
(28:21):
in those previous business situations I was involved in.
Where I saw how we dealt with problems and conflicts and issues that came up in this process.
I think everything got handled so maturely,
much in favor of what was best for the project, for the business.
Everybody ended up happy in the end and everybody had a voice
(28:43):
and was able to communicate their concerns, their dislikes, their likes.
And we were able to bring everybody together to find a solution
and execute on an idea where everybody felt fulfilled.
And that shit was, that was a blessing coming from my previous situations.
So it was great to see that.
And another reason how you know this project is ordained, man.
(29:08):
It's when everything aligns right and you can see everybody working to it.
Like I'm saying, everybody working towards the same goal is so important.
And to see it happen was dope.
Absolutely, man.
I mean, yeah, from like just you helping create a director project
and you help A&R in it for, and Beko helped mixing it,
from X helped mixing it and Zevin Land lyrics.
(29:30):
And like you helping with the cover art and me working with that with you.
Like, man, this moment is, like I said, it's a beautiful moment.
And since I've been doing this for five years, five, six years,
just working with musicians, like this was the most beautiful moment,
like for me, just crafting a project and crafting the EP
(29:51):
and things like that, crafting these records.
Like I felt joy in doing it and just working with good people of integrity and respect.
And things like that, like I can say it was all handled accordingly.
And like, again, this is just the beginning of what we're doing.
Like we still have more installments that we're doing.
Like even us releasing the EP on EVE and releasing it on the website
(30:15):
for those to dictate their own prices and things like that.
And one thing, and like I said, I've been doing this for a couple of years now.
And so me personally, when I don't, how I deal with lack of support
and lack of this and that, I don't go to social media and cry about it.
I don't go on a podcast.
I don't go in my bubble and curl up like a roly poly or something.
(30:39):
Like a snail, I don't do that.
Like I take it on the chin and I keep going.
Like I take it on the chin and be like, okay, like there's a line in the film
where my character says, like, you know I don't stop.
You know I don't stop until I've created something
that's so lacking and something they can't ignore, even if they try.
(31:01):
So that resemblance, like that's why I created my character to symbolize
the life, not only life that I don't want to live,
but things that I've been through myself.
And so when my character says that, like, you know me,
you know I'm going to create something that's long lasting.
They cannot ignore it, even if they try.
(31:22):
So I kind of embody that sentiment alone with what I'm doing
with certain support and things like that.
I just keep going.
I keep promoting.
I keep posting.
No matter how many likes it get, no matter how many shares it get,
that's just the bottom line of how I look at it.
I mean, that's the footwork.
That's the footwork.
You got to be willing to do the footwork.
Yo, we in the time of this new media that we in,
(31:44):
this new media era that we in, this new media dynasty that's happening.
Even when it comes, just media in general, and I mean that for music.
I mean that for TV, for visual content, for anything.
Like when it comes to media, and I'm sure for other industries,
but I can only speak for this.
It used to be where they would develop talent.
You could just have the basic skill or just be fairly exceptional at the craft.
(32:09):
And you could get backing and maybe a company that will take you into their foundation
and develop you to become great.
We're in an era, the good and bad thing of where we're at today is that
there is a lot more freedom and a lot more leverage for the independent talent,
for the independent creator.
(32:31):
But you have to be like exceptionally great at what you do because no company is going to,
well not no company, but you have less opportunity and less chance of working,
collaborating with giants in the industry if you are not seizing
whether you've been under somebody's wing or the independent rep.
(32:53):
Like now you have to be.
Musicians tend to have to have a fan base already, do numbers already,
have interests already, have buzz and all that before they can even get on some platforms,
which it's the reason for getting on the platforms to generate these things.
But you tend to already have to be there to get meanings to get for people to have that interest.
(33:14):
That sucks because it makes you work harder.
It doesn't suck, but it's harder.
But the return is better.
In my opinion, I feel like the return is better because you get more of it and you have more
leverage if you're exceptionally great at what you're doing or if you're working really hard,
because I guess you don't have to be exceptionally talented to be successful.
(33:34):
The same thing where I feel like that with films or TV for all of that,
you have to generate interest.
You have to do all of that.
And this is just part of the process.
It's just part of it.
And being one person to do all of that is a lot.
So you got to be a multifaceted, creative and business person
to even become successful in this industry.
And I think we're in that space and things that we don't know we learn on the field
(33:58):
and the things that we're trying to achieve is not easy, especially without financial backing
and the perfect team that we do what we can.
That we put together the people we believe to help us get there.
But when you put that out into the world, into the public, everybody don't support that shit.
And it is what it is.
But the independent route, like apps like Even and all that, what was the,
(34:21):
do you remember, do you know what the actual statistics of those things were?
Oh, no, I'm talking about here.
I got to give you the login when we get off the car.
Yeah.
I can't remember what I'm talking about here.
Because being all of those things, being an independent creative today,
do you think that's how most artists should operate now?
See, we had the album on the website and we had it on Even, right?
(34:43):
Those are the only two apps or the two platforms besides the DSLs.
Yeah.
And I mean, that's the route for the independent artists today, right?
I mean, yeah, like if you want to, as far as just build some type of fan base
and things like that, because again, like your followers do not equalize sales.
(35:03):
Your followers do not equalize streams.
So because you have 5,000 followers, like you're not going to have 5,000 streams,
5,000 supporters.
$5,000.
Right.
Right.
So you're going to get like, realistically going to get like 5 to 10% of the followers list.
And that's where promotion comes in.
That's where marketing comes in.
That's where trying to get people's face.
(35:25):
So the beautiful part about creating your own website and Even, you have these tools
that you can integrate certain things within the music to where you can give an experience
to the people.
Like I can make my album, I can make this record, this EP, a pay what you want method.
And I know Wix has that option.
Even has that option to where you can go in and pay a dollar for this project.
(35:47):
And you can be invited to a exclusive group chat.
You can be get a percentage off and things like that.
Like I know we always encourage artists to build experience around your music and create
your own website and your landing page, have them a newsletter and things like that is
vital for independent artists to not only just say to have all these different avenues
(36:09):
that I can express and experience with the arm, but it also has a direct line of connectivity
to the arm supporters and things like that.
Like people invest more and show more engagement to the artists or just a person in general
when they feel like they're invited into their life.
Like there's a reason why Casanet like having all these, having this success, like he's
(36:33):
currently streaming right now doing the subathon because people feel connected to him.
People see his arm, what he does throughout a day basis.
Like he does streams where he's sleeping and things like that.
Like people, thousands of people are watching this man sleep.
So like what he has done and created experience around the streaming and things like that
is something innovative in this new generation and just platforms like even creating a platform
(36:59):
on creating a website on SquareSplice or Wix.
Like there are innovative approaches that you can take within that, within your music,
but you also have to create the content around it.
You have to be consistent in it.
You have to know that, okay, if I don't get a sale this week or a sale next month,
it doesn't dictate failure or success.
You just got to keep going.
Like you can't, this shit not built overnight.
(37:20):
It's not built overnight.
It's a traditional artist debt.
Like if you're trying to break into the game today, whatever genre of music you're in,
you have to do all these, like you have to be more than just talent.
You have to have connectivity.
You have to be personable.
People have to like you or people have to hate you.
I don't think the gray area exists anymore for artists just because the business
(37:45):
and the interest relies on so much more than just the music being good.
And I don't think we have superstars anymore.
What's the meaning?
What's that?
Like because superstardom, I feel like needs mystery.
And I don't think there's any artists moving forward with like mystery, with mystique.
(38:05):
I feel like that's an important element to superstardom.
I feel like we have stars, but we don't have superstars
like from these new generations moving forward.
I can definitely see that from like just the new generation going forward and things like that
because they are born and by the time they get to a certain age and things like that,
they already engulfed in the internet.
(38:26):
So they're already indulging in these platforms and things like that
and posting all their business, posting the pictures, videos and things like that.
I don't think you could achieve celebrity of fame without that.
I mean, yeah, that's true.
That's true.
So it's like I don't think I think it's very hard to generate interest without being personable.
That's true.
I mean, it's kind of similar to how we were talking about with AI.
(38:48):
Like start thinking you just got to adapt and just integrate and what you're doing.
Like you have to do it.
Yeah, and that's why the business model changes.
But you see, generating more interest, if you play that game,
when you set up on apps like Even, when you set up on like having your own website ran
and doing the pay what you want and having that bridge for fans and people to cross over
(39:12):
to come to your site, to come to a site like Even, you have to have interest for that.
After show is like the typical artist has to adjust.
You got to go outside.
You got to be a little more like you got to be a little more flamboyant in the sense of
being seen, whether that's from promotion or ads or whatever it is, you know, skits,
(39:37):
live streams, you have to do these things to make I feel like to make everything successful.
I mean, yeah, that's the generation that we live in as far as that aspect of it.
And social media has changed everything.
But social media.
Yeah, I just want to I just want to kind of highlight the because we're coming from a
space of where we are coming from the independent route, whether it's as creatives, artists or
(40:02):
business, and we know the challenges and the difficulties that come with that.
So running the Black Gold EP has come out through this from that perspective from that
and where we have to go to for where we were at as a brand or as a brand, as a company,
as the creatives.
(40:22):
The Even app was something that offered opportunity for what we were doing.
Go print entertainment dot com or go print media dot com.
We ran the same kind of method and process for how we were going to release the music
before ever hit streaming platforms, which I think is what most artists have to do these
days anyway, and that's going to lead into a different part of this conversation.
(40:46):
We came up with this method of, I guess, brand promoting and brand.
Yeah, I guess brand promoting that and advertising called the PECS method, which is the product,
the product change method, something that's inspired by Nipsey's Proud to Pay and
Little Russell's pay.
I think his is called pay what you want.
And we have the product change method.
(41:07):
And you saw it in full effect with the GoPro EP.
Now only what happened?
I said it's still in motion now.
Yeah, it's still motion now.
And it's more than just having the freedom to choose what you want to pay or exchange
for the music or the goods of the experience.
It's a way of how we structure the type of promoting and highlighting of fans and our
(41:33):
fan bases or the artist's fan base or the brand's fan base.
I just want to talk a little more on it.
Oh, yeah, man.
I mean, yeah, me and you, we are both heavily influenced by not only the music of Nipsey
Hussle, but the entrepreneurial spirit and the entrepreneurial efforts of Nipsey and
how he integrated certain things within his music and just his relationship with Idris,
(41:57):
the guy that owns Spatial Labs, like the way that they was able to integrate certain QR
codes and you tap the merch in the screen or you take a picture of it and it goes straight
to the website and things like that shows you the details of the merch.
Like that's just a brick and mortar aspect of it.
But we want to create the digital aspect of it and us being inspired by the proud to pay
(42:20):
method.
I was like, OK, I always want to do something like this.
And then when you put two great minds like me and you together, like you get this, you
get the PICS method, the proud exchange method.
And that's basically us working with artists and brands and things like that.
And with Zevin being the first person we work with with this experience with the Black Gold
(42:43):
EP and things like that, it is basically just trying to integrate experience around the
brand, experience around the music.
Because we always talked about artists should be a brand around the music.
They should be a brand in themselves and they should move like that to be able to capture
certain deals and certain audiences and things like that.
(43:03):
With platforms like even with platforms like Wix, we have developed a model to not only
the streaming service is easy, putting it on streaming services, things like that.
But where we come in, it's building an experience around that from merch to digital downloads
to pay what you want method from certain innovative experiences around the music that
(43:25):
people can indulge in and things like that and be able to utilize all these platforms
from TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and all things like that to where
we can share the music.
We also should experience from behind the scenes from music video tips, from podcasts
and things like that.
And this is just phase one and phase two of this method.
(43:48):
So we have so much more to give you and so much more to experience because and what we
believe in, like we, I can tell you what we don't believe in.
We don't believe in just putting your music out and promoting it for a week.
We don't want to promote it for a month.
No, this is a Chinese method.
I can say as far as brand building and empire building and things like that, they don't
(44:11):
plan two, three years ahead.
They plan 50 years ahead, 100 years ahead and things like that.
These countries like China and things like that and even the way Elon Musk is integrating
certain technological advances with Twitter and the Tesla, the robot, things like that.
We want to bring that innovative approach with the PEGS method to where, okay, invest
(44:35):
in what we have and we will pump all the knowledge and resources and experience and things like
that we have into your project.
Whether there's a single EP or album or just a brand in general to where you need marketing
and you need some type of method or you need some type of system to connect with the people.
So what we're doing, we're building a system.
(44:56):
This is system building and it's fine.
It's a system building and what we're trying to create and what we're trying to do.
And the Black Gold EP is the embodiment of that.
It's the first thing of that.
And this is our official announcement of this PEGS method and next year is just we're going
to go full throttle with it as far as tackling this album process and things like that.
(45:17):
And the Black Gold EP is just a foundation of what we're creating.
So yeah, we'll leave more details in the description of this podcast.
For sure, for sure.
The PEGS method is putting the power, putting the control back into the artist's hands,
into the creator's hands, into the brand's hands.
It's putting that power and control back into the hands that people were creating these
(45:42):
things.
These unique experiences and unique tactics that are designed for what your specific goals
are.
That's what the PEGS method is.
The unique ability, the unique communication.
What?
The communication.
The communication between art, the artist, to the fans, to the people.
(46:04):
I say unique because the PEGS method is about designing things that are specific to the
idea.
So it's never going to be a plug and play thing, you know, or a one size fits all approach.
It's building these structures around ideas and concepts that are specific to the idea
and concept to get the best result possible.
(46:28):
And it's for us, by us, you know what I mean?
Well, yeah, we're excited to keep introducing the world to the PEGS method.
Oh yeah, we'll roll out just more details about it throughout the week, throughout the
months and things like that.
But for now, everything you see promotion wise and things like that from this Black
Gold EP, from Zevin and Goldprint, that is under the PEGS method.
(46:52):
Yes, sir. Is Instagram the new platform to drop music off?
We see DK Dot, Jermaine and Aubrey Graham's dropping on Instagram.
And Instagram just, they cut a deal with Universal, right?
Is that what happened?
I have to look more into that.
I think I did see some word, something about it, maybe.
(47:13):
They got a deal, but it's like, man, what are we doing?
Yeah, I think metal.
I think it's metal, which is Instagram.
So yeah, I think metal is in bad with Universal.
Let me see.
Announce expanded global agreement.
New agreement advances social music opportunities for UMG artists and UMPG
(47:35):
songwriters across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Horizon, Threads and WhatsApp.
What that means is the value of music has gone to shit.
That's what it is.
Music is not worth a damn.
That's a horrible take after telling you guys about our PEX method,
which you should use.
But the PEX method is not just for music, but the music industry is going to shit.
(47:57):
That's why you need the PEX method.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
Because these labels are, are they like, okay, let's integrate and let's partner with
these social media platforms because we know that the distribution cycle only lets you put
music on these streaming platforms.
So if you want to release on your website or even have to do it yourself.
(48:17):
And if you release it only on those two platforms, then you have to promote it a
different way.
You can't promote it.
You can't use certain tools on Instagram and Facebook.
You can still do it, but things like that.
But these social media platforms, if you want to promote music, they encourage you
and they damn near going to make you do it to where you put the music on like a real
or something like, or a TikTok or things like that.
(48:39):
Because if you go to Facebook, this happened to me multiple times.
Like when I just uploaded a video that wasn't a real, it'll say something about partially
muted audio or something like that.
Yeah.
So they are trying to make it to where you're only, if you're going to release, if you're
going to put music on these streams, on these social media platforms, it's going to be
through a real.
Yeah.
Yeah.
(48:59):
I mean, from a business perspective, I respect it is integrating vertically like a
motherfucker.
It's capitalism, they own in all the blocks on the monopoly board.
It's genius in the business aspect.
I think it does devalue music 100%.
(49:20):
Guys, I think the last frontier of this industry, of this business is going to be live
performances.
I think artists who want to come into the game now, artists who want to win in this
industry should focus heavy on their live performances and the shows that they can
(49:40):
produce.
Because I think that's the last frontier for this business because streaming and selling
music is a dying art, is a dying concept.
I mean, vinyls, I think are still dope.
And I think collectibles and things like that still a thing, will always be a thing.
But even then, I feel like physical products lose value and interest.
(50:06):
Though when the access to the content of those things is becoming easier and easier to have
and it's just less valuable.
Yeah.
So you already getting pennies on the dollar for streams.
I can't imagine what artists are going to get for releasing an IG.
I would imagine it's pennies on pennies of a dollar.
(50:26):
You know, like I can't see it being much.
I don't know.
It's weird.
I mean, it was a very interesting thing how the big three did do it from Kendrick,
J. Cole and Drake and things like that.
Me personally, as far as them releasing it, it's like only on Instagram and things like that.
Like they could have easily did it on YouTube.
(50:47):
Like even though I think some of them may have did that, I think Kendrick did that.
They could have done it on their own sites, man.
I mean, that too.
But at the same time, these guys are tied to Universal.
J. Cole is tied to Warner, I think.
So like, even when Drake released the 100 gig situation, Universal was like,
nah, bro, you gotta release these three new songs on your website.
(51:10):
Like they are going on streaming service.
So a week later, a few days later, it went on streaming service.
Yeah.
I mean, when you got that much money invested into a client, into a product,
it's nothing you can't move anything without me getting a piece of the pie.
Especially after you just took this...
Oh, when them investors make that call, you don't answer.
Especially after you just took this public ass whooping,
(51:32):
nah, you gonna pay up.
You gonna pay up.
You having a bad year.
I see that and we...
I mean, it's the business.
Like I said, that's the industry.
I see it as a power play.
I respect it.
The value of music just isn't what it is anymore.
That's just me, how I look at it.
And I love music.
I love the music industry despite all the bullshit that comes with it.
(51:54):
I like any business where the creative gets paid
and the creative finds a way to get his stuff out and get paid from it.
But...
Oh yeah.
I mean, yeah.
This is definitely...
No, I'm just saying this is definitely devaluing music.
I don't see how the end result isn't bad.
Yeah.
It's definitely just a wait and see situation because I know...
(52:15):
I got this topic written down as far as...
This is just me personally, because I know if you're a regular artist,
you're gonna want to release your music on Spotify,
entire album music, even SoundCloud or YouTube.
But this is just me personally.
If I was an independent artist with no music out,
(52:36):
not even no music out,
if I had like a single or EP or something like that or older album and things like that,
I would for my next releases and the way I will move my career,
if I'm not just like a big artist or something,
things like that and I'm moving up,
for people who don't know me,
I'm gonna release my music on my website.
(52:57):
I'm gonna release my music on my website.
I'm gonna create a Wix account and they have certain integrated tools
and statistics and things like that.
And I'm gonna do it through that.
And I'm gonna release, I'm gonna have a pay what you want method.
Like if you want to pay a dollar,
if you want to pay $2, $5 for this,
it's gonna be way more than I'm gonna make on streaming anyway,
(53:17):
because I'm an up and coming artist.
So I don't have these thousands of strings,
hundreds of thousands of strings just to make $10 or $20
every quarter or something like that.
So I'm gonna release merch.
I'm gonna release exclusive behind the scenes.
I'm gonna release videos and things like that.
I'm gonna give you sneak peeks on social media
because I have to utilize the TikTok to YouTube,
(53:38):
to Instagram and Twitter and things like that.
So I'm gonna give you sneak peeks and give you certain things
on social media to bring you in to my audience
and to bring you to my website.
I'm gonna collect your email.
As soon as you click the link, it's gonna pop up.
It's gonna happen to where, hey, get this off,
get this and get this percentage off my merch.
Get this type of ordeal if you give me your website.
(54:00):
I mean, if you give me your own email
or it may not even be that.
It's just me simply sign up for this email
to receive my newsletter.
I'm gonna send out a newsletter like every Monday
or every Friday or every Monday and Thursday
and things like that.
Just keep supporters engaged
and to give them updates and things like that.
And those that are subscribed to my website,
I'm gonna give you a detailed experience
(54:22):
from behind the scenes, the making of this album,
a lyric breakdown, what's to come, exclusive merch.
And I'm gonna engulf my audience into what I'm doing.
Like, okay, hey guys, I'm creating a t-shirt.
I'm creating an album.
Help me name this album.
Help me name EP.
Help me name this record.
I'm gonna start by tackling those three main components
(54:43):
right there as far as, hey guys, I'm working on a single.
A couple months later, I'm working on an EP.
Like a year later, a couple months later,
I'm working on an album.
I'm not gonna give you,
I'm not gonna be in a hurry to give you music, music, music,
music all the time,
but I'm also gonna give you some type of thing
that's gonna keep your attention.
Because if you're independent anything,
keeping those, keeping the attention of your supporters
(55:05):
is vital.
And then getting supporters to come to your website is vital.
So that's what I would do personally.
I would create my Wix account.
I would like some type of, build some type of team,
people that I know, that I can trust.
Like, okay, are you skilled in this?
Do you wanna come in and help me with this?
Let's do that.
And if we need to build some type of funding
(55:26):
to where we can partner with an agency,
we have to let them know firsthand, like,
hey, my music is not going on streaming service.
So how can you help me build my career based off that?
I have this music video, things like that,
it's not going on YouTube.
Wix has a video channel to where you can upload videos
exclusively on Wix in your website,
(55:47):
to where the video will be only on there.
You can sell it for a fixed rate.
You can sell it as far as like, hey,
sign up into your email to get this video
or things like that.
Wix has the platform,
and this is not sponsored by Wix at all.
I'm just, Wix, Wix, Wix, Wix, Wix.
But this is the platform that I use.
So yeah, like they have these tools
and they have these resources that you can do
(56:08):
to build a career in music and streaming
and filmmaking and things like that,
that you just gotta utilize.
If I was an artist that didn't have a lot of music out,
I was independent, steady climbing, steady climbing,
things like that.
Not only would I do that method,
I would do these live shows.
I would get somebody recorded.
I'd drop a sneak peek on social media and be like,
(56:29):
hey, the full version of this is on this.
Hey, I'm doing a podcast centered around my music.
I'm doing a podcast centered around this and that.
And I'm gonna release this exclusively on my website.
And so that way you dictate all statistics.
You know exactly who's listening to your music.
You know exactly where they're listening from.
Like you know exactly who downloaded.
You know exactly like purchased it and things like that.
(56:51):
You have the analytics to help you move
in certain demographics.
So that's just me personally,
if I was an independent artist on a come up,
I would tackle that method.
Yep, yeah.
I think that's where the future is heading
just because at some point,
you should probably start like not cutting out those giants,
(57:15):
but learning how it best suits you to collaborate
and work with them.
You know, just releasing your music only on Instagram
benefits you, benefit your brand or hurt your brand.
You know what I mean?
Like you're gonna get to those points.
And again, I think with the control and the power
is in the artist's hands,
you just have a better leverage if you can do,
(57:38):
if you can build a foundation for your career
before you even go to any of these Goliath companies.
And then you figure it out from there.
And then you decide what that next step is.
But you gotta build that foundation for sure.
Tyler's album?
Oh yeah, man. Oh yeah.
I got a chance to listen to it when it dropped that Monday,
which was beautiful.
(57:59):
Like I love when it dropped on a Monday.
Yeah, that was dope.
Oh yeah, like I love that.
Like I don't think, who knows,
the industry might start adopting it
because I know in the past,
I think it was starting to release on Tuesdays.
Tuesdays, yeah.
Yeah, back in the day.
Yep.
So yeah, his album was a beautiful, beautiful man.
It was a beautiful piece of work.
(58:19):
It was a beautiful piece of art.
And like just looking at the rollout,
I had questions about it.
When it dropped, like the one he was doing the rollout,
and I was just like, oh, it ain't nothing special about this.
But then I kept seeing it unfold.
I kept seeing it unfold and things like that.
And shame on me on that aspect of that.
So yeah, the album was beautiful, man.
Like from beginning to the end, the features,
(58:39):
from School of RQ, Dolce, Glorilla, and people like that, man.
It's, all I can say is, man, it was just a beautiful piece of work.
Man, beautiful piece of art.
And it's just something I continue to listen to, man.
Like I listen to it in the gym.
I listen to it when I wake up.
I wake up, things like that.
So besides Black Gold, this has been in my rotation.
Yeah, I listened to it the first week or that weekend.
(59:02):
It came out that Monday.
I didn't get to it till the weekend.
And I believe, yeah, it was the weekend.
I ran through it once.
I liked it.
I told myself I'm going to go back and listen to that second.
So I don't want to give any takes on it.
But what I heard on that first run through was really dope.
And I mean, I'm just a fan of Tyler and the artistry
that he does with every album.
He has a mist in a while.
(59:23):
So shout out to Tyler.
I have been listening to that Freddie Gibbs album,
that new Freddie Gibbs album.
Oh, yeah, I got to dive into that.
That's been fire.
I've been gone.
I've been gone hard with that.
So yeah, shout out to Freddie Gibbs, man.
That new album is amazing.
And Black Gold EP, of course.
That's been in rotation.
(59:44):
For people that got this far in the podcast,
I know we've been away for a minute.
And we are fully back.
Got to get them jitters out.
Got to knock the dust off a little bit.
So yeah, just trying to get back in podcast mode, man.
Yo, Black Gold EP is out now everywhere.
It's on every DSP.
It's on goprintent.com.
(01:00:06):
Buy the album direct from us.
I promise you, it's a more personal experience.
Or even go on Even and pay what you want.
But you could go on goprintent.com
and pay what you want there.
See all the things that are available
through that process for you guys.
Stream it, support Zevin, support GoPrint,
support Autumn House.
Yo, we out here creating, man.
(01:00:28):
The foundation.
A lot of beautiful things coming.
Oh yeah, man.
This has been another episode of the
I Hate This Industry podcast.
I am your uncle and handsome host.
That is my good brother, my partner,
Darrell Reese, Darrell Reese Jr.
And yo, we'll catch you next time.
Yes, indeed.
Are we good?
(00:26):
Oh yeah.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another episode of your favorite and my favorite too, the
I Hate This Industry podcast.
I am your handsome and humble host, Stephen Almeida, and this is my brother, the architect
of the gold print, Darryl Rees-Jones.
Yes indeed, yes indeed.
(00:47):
What's good?
What you man?
How you feeling?
How you feeling?
Man, I'm good.
I'm tired.
I feel like that's what the weekend has become, this tiredness from the week.
But I feel good.
I'm tired in a good way.
I'm tired from accomplishments, man.
Okay, okay.
Yeah, I feel that.
How you feeling?
I feel that, man.
I can say the same, man.
It's been a, this fourth quarter has not only been an interesting fourth quarter, but like
(01:12):
physically I'm tired, but it's productive.
It's productive.
Like I'm getting a lot of work done and man, it's, we ain't good.
We ain't in a different mood right now, man.
It's go time.
The foundation process is like officially in full effect.
It's like we no longer talking about it.
Oh yeah, man.
We deep in pre-production.
We are fully deep.
(01:33):
We are deep in pre-production for the short film and man, this has been a beautiful process.
This process, the film process alone has been about four years, about four complete years
and there's been plenty of times where, okay, I may have thought I was ready to film.
There's been plenty of times where I was just like, okay, I'm ready, I'm ready on this date
(01:54):
and I'm glad I didn't go through with it.
But now I feel like, okay, not only am I nervous, but it's a different feeling.
So now I know like, okay, I'm ready.
Like I'm ready and we start filming soon and man, it's a, like I said, it's a beautiful
process.
Like we are knee deep.
We are deep in pre-production from location, from wardrobe, from certain items in the film,
(02:17):
from timing to getting the last table readings done, like from items and things like that,
making sure things sound good, making sure things look good.
Like our shot list is looking beautiful.
Our script is looking beautiful and this is, it's been a beautiful moment, man.
It's been a beautiful moment.
Yeah.
And so I think, you see, that's one of the most important parts people forget is having
(02:40):
all of that together beforehand is like, stay ready so you ain't got to get ready.
And if you take pre-production serious, then you know, if you're working with people who
take that pre-production process serious, then that production process, you know, they're
going to, they're going to take serious.
And I feel like that when it comes to executing on ideas, especially productions, man, you
(03:02):
want everybody on the same page.
You want everybody excited.
You want everybody fully invested and believing in what's happening.
So it's like, man, that's good.
I'm excited.
Oh yeah.
I wish I was out there.
Oh yeah, man.
Yeah.
We got plenty of more to do.
So definitely there.
And like, like right now I'm doing on shoot notes.
(03:23):
Yeah.
That's basically to make, like you said, that's to make everybody jobs easy.
Like those are going to get sent out to everybody tomorrow, top of the week.
And so for me to make my job easy, I have to have this shot list.
I have to have this detailed on shoot notes to make sure I cross all my T's and that,
I have to make sure everything, everything, everything, and it's very detailed from, okay,
(03:47):
we have this one scene.
Let's make sure everything is in this shot.
Let's make sure we shoot it multiple times.
And then after we shoot it, let's go listen to it.
Let's go hear it.
So we won't like, I want to minimize as much like just chaos backing in as far as reshooting
and things like that as possible.
I don't want to look at the film a week from now or a week after the film be like, dang,
(04:09):
I got to reshoot it.
But I know that happens in filmmaking, so I wouldn't be upset.
Like I invited, but our job is to minimize it.
And right now we're putting the team together, man.
Like team is about complete and we ready to get the ball rolling, man.
We ready.
Hell yeah, man.
I love it.
I love it.
Especially since we in this new phase of Trumpito as president, man.
(04:32):
We here now.
Election time is over.
America has spoken.
It's mega country.
All I can say is, man, like I know we ain't really too, too political, but at the same
time it's just what I have to say about it is I'm not a hundred percent surprised.
I'm not surprised.
(04:52):
And the way I look at the Kamala campaign, the way I look at her campaign, it was so
divided.
Like so many people spoke about this.
So many people raised question marks.
So many people was wondering about this.
So many people were wondering about that.
On one side you can look at like, okay, maybe they're concerned because they care.
And the other side is they just want to ask this black woman.
(05:13):
Yeah.
And so I was just looking at things on Facebook.
I was looking at things on Twitter and things like that.
I was just like, yeah, it's going to be a long, she got a long road ahead of her.
Like she got a tough road because it ain't even about the issues that people are talking
about.
So being divided amongst who she is, a black woman, a mixed woman, a woman in politics,
(05:37):
like things like that.
And from a black perspective or maybe even a democratic perspective, like that alone
would divide a party.
That alone would divide individuals.
And I was hurt by seeing certain things with it.
And at the same time, I was just like, is this country even ready for a black woman
to be president?
Because the way things go and the way society runs itself, the way people move and things
(06:00):
like that, again, man, I'm not surprised.
Like the only thing we can hope is that Trump does the right thing.
One thing that he lacks and the one thing that people talk about all the time is the
integrity part of it, how he talks to people, how he moves and things like that.
So the only thing that we got to hope is that he moves with integrity, that he moves doing
(06:21):
the right thing and things like that.
By law, we're here for another four years.
If they change anything, it's just a wait and see situation.
I've heard a lot that this election, there was a lot of identity politics.
That was something I kept hearing a lot.
I spoke to a lot of people who, I feel like a lot of people didn't really know the issues
(06:44):
and what was at stake.
A lot of people didn't really know the policies or I think it was a lot of people voting by
their feelings and people just wanting like a group thing.
Then you had a lot of people who were just anti one person because they were one side
because they were anti that candidate and they didn't really know the race.
(07:08):
It was kind of like, oh, I don't like Trump, so I'm going to vote for Kamala.
I don't like Kamala, so I'm going to vote for Trump.
And I feel like we lose a lot of the reason why we even vote and when we do that.
And then the bashing thing is rough.
I saw a lot of Democrats bashing Trump supporters and Republicans and now I've seen a lot of
the Kamala hate and the Kamala bash.
(07:29):
But I know man, I think a lot of people voted from their pockets as well.
I think they hurting, so they see Trump as a dollar sign and the potential of what he
can do for them financially.
We're reminiscing on that COVID era, that COVID America not realizing we're not in
(07:51):
a pandemic anymore.
Oh, I don't know man, I don't think it really mattered.
That's the conversation I've been having too.
It didn't matter who ended it up.
I mean, it does matter for me per se is whoever ended up in office.
That didn't change what my plans were for the next five years.
You know what I mean?
Absolutely.
So you kind of just have to learn how to navigate the landscape and be grateful
(08:16):
that you in a country where you can vote and debate and have conversations about
who you like and don't like, you know, where in some places you get told who's
in power, you don't get a real option.
So that American privilege is a beautiful thing.
A lot of people feelings are hurt, but gotta be grateful that you can even vote.
Yeah.
And we in America, God damn it, man.
(08:37):
Like, fuck it.
Trump flashy.
It's a circus and we need a ringleader, man.
Come on.
It's going to be real.
We already live in interesting times.
It's just going to get real interesting.
Yeah, but all right.
And I just saw so many, it's sad.
I saw so many people walk Kamala in office and then the show out, the
(08:57):
turnout didn't reflect that.
At all.
So it was, just made me feel like it was a reminder of this instant gratification
generation of like, oh, I'm going to post about it, but I'm not going to do
something about it.
And I think a lot of that shit happened and it was kind of sad watching it.
Whereas like, man, the people ain't show out for Kamala.
They were talking.
(09:18):
That boy Trump won by landslide.
Man, it wasn't even close, man.
That shit felt like winning.
That's a blowout.
It was like, damn, man, I knew it was over before it was over.
I was like, yeah, that's it.
We ain't coming back, man.
But let's just hope that everything, not hope, I mean, work towards it.
You know, like people got to learn how to actually make the thing they want
(09:41):
happening and not put all the power, all the power just in the government.
Realize that America is the people, the people put Trump into presidency, but
Trump at the end of the day still works for you, the people, society, I hope
really understands that when they trying to tear down the president or the
(10:04):
government, whoever's in that position, remember they work for you.
So you still have that right and that power and vote locally and push people
into the positions that you want them into actually affect change within
communities and societies.
Trump is just one piece of the puzzle.
It takes so much else to make this thing run.
So people don't be mad because the person you didn't want is not in position
(10:28):
because you can still affect things locally in your communities and
neighborhoods and have a better America that you built from the ground up.
Get involved.
Y'all ain't show up, man, this election, man.
That was obvious.
So get involved.
You want to see change.
Stop posting about it.
Absolutely, man.
Trump 2025, God damn it.
I'm joking.
Absolutely, man.
(10:48):
Be the change that you want to see.
And like that sentiment alone of what you just uttered is very important.
Like we have to, and like even me have to do a better job at it.
Like we have to be more involved in the things that are around us and engage in
certain nonprofits that you believe in.
And if you want to start your own, start your own, donate to these nonprofits and
(11:10):
join the front lines or some type of team involved with these people that's
affecting real change in your community.
Because that's what you're around the most.
That's what you go see the most.
Like, of course you will go visit these states and other cities and things like
that, but majority of your time is spent in your low-dimmunity.
So again, be the change that you want to see and truly invest in those that you
(11:34):
truly believe are doing the right thing.
So yeah.
Agreed, man.
I agree.
Living interesting times, man.
Damn.
It's crazy out there, my brother.
It is crazy, man.
But in a horde of chaos, maybe we get rich out this motherfucker.
That's true.
Right, man, when there's chaos, there's opportunity.
There's opportunities.
(11:56):
Yo, go get it.
I don't give a fuck who in that seat.
I'll be honest.
I don't give a fuck who there.
I still got to go get it one way or another.
I still got to figure it out.
I still got to make this film this weekend.
That's right, man.
The foundation.
Yo, how did the funding process go?
It went all right.
It went all right.
I think I set the bar too high.
It's not bad.
Where I am in life and for where I am, for what I am and what I'm trying to do.
(12:19):
But I will say I did make enough to where I can get what I need to get this week.
As far as the final pieces of the film.
And that's all that matters.
That's all that matters.
So like that situation was just, I'm going to say I learned a lot in it.
It was just, okay, let's see if I can get enough to where I can get this.
(12:40):
I can get that.
I can get that.
And we did it.
So by all means, like, okay, I did what I had to do with it.
So yeah.
That's good, man.
That's good.
That's the thing with crowdfunding.
Problem is that, and this is always the, this is my thing with social media is that
followers don't equal funding.
You know, like it don't, followers don't equal fans.
(13:02):
It don't equal.
And that's, that's the struggle sometimes.
That's the same thing you're saying about the presidential election is like people,
people show out online or raise their hand online or want to be part of a conversation
online, but when it's time to physically go support, physically go and make something
happen, it's a low turnout sometimes.
(13:22):
And I see that all the time with social media and different projects, different artists,
different companies, man.
And I think that's just part of the game.
So it's like, what are you going to do?
It shouldn't stop nothing.
I think what was dope is that you were bold enough to do the crowdfunding and you did
raise enough money to use that to execute for the project.
(13:43):
So it's still a win. Maybe it's not the turnout you would have liked, but you shot
your shot and you got something in return.
And that's important.
That's really all that matters.
I mean, when I did it, I already knew the, like I don't say I knew the outcome, but I
already knew with certain reach and certain demographic that I, that I had already, like
(14:04):
I already knew how that was going to turn out.
It was just, okay, let's see if I can get this.
Let's see if I can get that.
Let's see if I can get this and things like that.
So like, as far as the people that shared and things like that, like, of course I thank
them, like I thank them for sharing and things like that.
But at the same time, I'm just like, I'm going to keep it at that.
I'm going to keep it at that.
I thank you.
(14:25):
I'm going to keep it like that.
I'm going to say I thank you.
So like with things like that, like I said, I ain't going to say I knew the outcome of
that situation, but I'm not surprised on certain fronts, because it's like similar to
the promotion of music or promotion of certain things and things like that.
And like certain people only gravitate towards certain subjects and things like that.
(14:50):
So like you will see like certain things get more views, more likes than something else.
Yeah.
Like you give them things.
So like we already knew the outcome on certain situations and this film was going to get
made regardless if I've got a dollar, two dollars or nothing.
So it was going to get made regardless with the items that we need and we got the items
(15:11):
that we need.
So that's the main focus.
Yeah, but it can't take like that.
That's it's a hard process, man.
Funding shit is so hard.
Oh yeah.
Asking people is so hard or asking for donations or asking people to become a part of something.
I don't know.
I don't know if it's a thing of it's so consistent in the way that we're doing it.
(15:36):
It's not only in the media industry, but it's such a consistent factor in dream chasing.
It's like you owe that this the infamous stories of nobody believes in you till you make it
or nobody, you know, people don't support till you get there.
And maybe I don't think people even do it on purpose.
(15:57):
I just think it's just people got a lot of shit going.
Yeah, I mean, yeah, that's what it is.
It'd be so small, it'd be like, damn, you just be a blip on the radar, really.
Right.
I mean, yeah, because like this whole situation was very uncomfortable for me
because it was like my first time doing it.
And like even the recording process, just me sweating, just me making this video.
Like I don't do stuff like this.
(16:18):
So like that was already just uncomfortable for me.
And just for me to step out of my comfort zone and do that, like I'm proud of myself
in that aspect.
And so, so yeah, I mean.
You're doing what you got.
That's it right there.
You're laying out the, that's why I say you're the architect, man.
You're laying out the blueprint right there, the goal for you, laying out the steps.
(16:40):
This is what you got to do.
You know why?
Because you might've been nervous that that's all.
And it might've been tough to do and you had to step out your comfort zone.
But when you're going now, when you're in a position to pitch for a bigger bag
or a bigger opportunity, like you're going through every phase of it, you know?
Or is it like that Nipsey quote where he goes,
I've been through every phase of this shit.
(17:01):
Like, and I think that's important.
Every time I've ever been uncomfortable, like the, in hindsight, it's like, man,
if I hadn't gone through that first uncomfortable moment
when the other situation came up, maybe I would've handled it different.
Or I handled it better because of those first situations.
It's like, you know, like that was your first, that's what,
(17:22):
one of your first on-camera pitches, right?
Kind of.
Yeah.
Yeah, so it's like, man, the next pitch going to be for something bigger, you know?
Shit, the next pitch is going to be for the pilot.
That's it.
So there won't be no time for them.
But yo, you got your feet wet.
And you're showing people how to do it, man.
You the example for this independent entrepreneurship thing.
(17:45):
Something, you got to go through it.
I respect it, man.
Oh yeah, man.
I appreciate you.
You was the first person to donate.
So yeah, you always going to have my respect for that, man.
Like, I'm always on that.
I'm always trying to support.
Yo, even when I don't got it, man, if I got it in my account,
there's some times where I can't do it.
You know what I mean?
But I support in the things and the people I believe in.
(18:07):
I do my best to, whether it's a dollar or a hundred, you know what I mean?
It's like, I think with whatever you can.
That's how I never understand.
That's how I never understand.
I get it.
But it's like, yo, anything, people don't realize that anything helps.
Because even if it doesn't impact financially, the motivation,
(18:30):
you know, that somebody that you get from somebody even pledging
or donating a dollar, two dollars, five dollars,
it goes a long way further than like, not doing it.
What?
But then it's also people don't know till they're in it.
I mean, yeah, that's what it is.
And like what we're creating and with this being the first one,
(18:51):
this is like literally the foundation of this universe that we're building.
Yeah.
Like I was thinking about this earlier today.
I was just like, man, like as much as I want to pour into this film,
it's also a short film.
And we also have more stories to tell in this universe.
So I can't tell, I can't create, well, I can create like a 30 minute short film,
(19:14):
but I'm not like, I'm not going to pour so much empty space into this film.
I need to craft it a certain way and to tell like, OK, John's story
as well as introduce to people to Malachi, his best friend and the wise man, his mentor.
Like I have to tell this story in this certain amount of time.
So I'm just like, OK, I don't want this to feel like a feature film.
(19:37):
I don't want this to feel like a long, like a movie or things like that.
Like I want this to feel like a short film,
but also have certain elements of other things.
So being how long this film process and how long I've been crafting this for so many years,
like the script changed over time, the script changed so many times.
And like the original story was not how it was now, like it evolved over time.
(20:01):
But again, I had to center myself to come back to reality,
to say like you're building a universe, a universe building.
So you have to tell John's story in a way that's going to proceed to the audience
and those that are listening and investing in things like that.
So, yeah, man, it's been like a talk.
I know we're going to dive more soon, more of this process,
(20:22):
because it's a lot to indulge in.
And with us being at the finish line, like it's so many things to talk about.
And there's going to be so many things to talk about once the film is done.
So, yeah, man, this process is not just turning on the camera.
Like this is years of making, this is years of like getting certain items,
getting a camera just for this moment and things like this.
(20:45):
So, yeah, it's a beautiful process.
It's turning an idea into a living, breathing thing.
Yeah, that's a big part of it.
I think about that.
That's why, like I was telling you, as I wrote the rewriting the vending machine script,
I was like, man, I kept just diving into the story more,
because I'm like this story expands beyond just this short film.
(21:09):
You know what I mean?
Like this process, because initially what we're creating is the introduction to this world
and this character.
And it's meant to be a pitch.
It's meant to be something to show you a glimpse of what comes later, what could be.
Yeah, it's like you want to tell so much and do so much.
(21:30):
And it's easy to get lost in that.
But I think that's really the discipline of executing on ideas for purposes
is what you got to have that discipline for that.
And that's what I was experiencing writing this new revision of the script.
But I'm excited, man, because it's true.
This is world building, you know?
And it's like, we can do so much and so many stories to tell
(21:53):
beyond even the characters that we have now.
So I'm excited, man.
I'm excited because we're right there.
And even with that, that's a process.
But the other part of the process has been the Black Gold EP.
Absolutely.
Man, I listen to that project.
That first week it came out, man, I was blasting that so much.
(22:13):
Yeah, I was listening to it this morning.
Yeah, it's such feel good music.
It get me in a space.
It get me in this hustle of mentality.
I don't go get it.
And it get me energized, man.
So that was a process.
Oh, yeah.
That was actually that was the initial reason why I created the concept so long ago.
(22:34):
As far as the album, what I want the album to sound like,
I want it to sound like the grit and grimey.
I'm going to get it.
I'm coming out the mud.
And then when the album is complete, I succeeded.
I've overcame obstacles like the story of triumph and redemption.
The film and the album coexist in the same space
(22:55):
because it's a story about faith.
It's a story about triumph.
It's a story about redemption.
It's a story about one person finding themselves
through certain avenues and things happen within that.
And they had to overcome it.
So, yeah, man, the Black Gold, it's crazy because the records,
I had the concept for the records, but Black Gold,
(23:17):
that name in general came to me a few months ago.
Why a few months ago?
Last year, last year, it came to me last year.
But it was supposed to be something different.
It was supposed to be more so centered around an R&B type of vibe,
even though it's an R&B hip hop record with R&B artists on it, ex.
But it was, I don't think it had any rapping on it.
(23:41):
But then I started diving more into the film aspect
and these characters building a new Black Wall Street
and things like that.
So I was just like, OK, there's not going to be two records anymore.
I'm going to make Black Gold one record.
And then I sent Zevon the beat.
And then he came to me.
He sent the record.
He sent the record back.
He was just like, the Black Dollar controls, the culture,
(24:04):
yeah, we hold, a grip on us, take a toll.
They don't know the system.
They just don't want us to know about it and things like this.
So he talked about the Black Dollar in his record.
So something clicked right there.
Something clicked right there.
I was just like, let's build this whole EP about the Black Dollar.
Let's get someone on the intro of this record.
Let's get someone on the outro of this record talking about the Black Dollar.
(24:27):
Talking about Black Wall Street.
Let's talk about how the Black Dollar controls the Black community
and things like that and how it runs through certain systems.
Let's keep it more so talking about the older Black Wall Street
while also talking about and building a new Black Wall Street
and how we talked about earlier, how be the change that you want to see.
(24:49):
And no matter who's the president, you still have to try to affect change
in your community in a positive way.
So controlling the dollar and how it flows through the community
and where it goes and things like that digitally and physically.
Like let's bring that idea into this world.
Let's bring that idea into this film, into this album and things like that.
(25:09):
So I got my grandfather on the intro to Black Gold.
And then I got him on the outro.
Oh yeah, I got him on the outro record, the Black Dollar, the Epilogue.
So like, let's tell this story and then let's have these records in between
with Graces and the Gospel.
Like these two records about redemption, these two records about faith,
these two records about triumph.
(25:31):
And let's all have it coexist in this one EP.
And let's package it as that and let's promote it as that.
And if you listen to the beginning and end,
you will see the story of the Black Dollar.
You will see the story of the building of modern day Black Wall Street,
as well as talking about the older model of Black Wall Street.
And that coexists with the film.
(25:52):
Like the album is a soundtrack to the film.
And with the album coming out sometime next year,
like we want to give you this EP because like again,
it's all in the same space.
And with the foundation being the literally the foundation of what we're building,
it all makes sense as far as like, okay,
(26:12):
let's dictate these records and how it sounds and let's make it sound like the film.
Let's have these instruments.
Let's have these elements in the film as well.
And like the way Zevin was rapping,
like I thought it was some of the most beautiful piece of art that I've ever heard.
And having this play to the world was everything, like everything to us.
(26:33):
And however the people perceive it, that's how they perceive it.
But I want you to understand this, like it was also like just to the people,
like it was so much thought process.
It was so much going back and forth as far as ideas and the process of this project.
And again, to finally see it out, to finally see it release,
I told you about this a few weeks ago on our record, on our EP Drop.
(26:56):
Like man, it was like a weight lifted off my shoulder
because I've been listening to these records for maybe three years.
Like Gracious was the oldest record that we recorded.
And that was like three years ago, like three, four years ago.
And to finally see it have a home and people gravitate to it, man,
it means everything to us.
And this is just the beginning.
(27:17):
Like this is just the third installment, like all these, the first two,
the first three installments all coexist in this Black Gold EP.
And man, like we still got more work to do as far as records wise for next year.
Like we got this film that we're putting out next year
and that we finishing up this year.
(27:37):
And like I said, it all coexists in the same space
and it's truly a beautiful thing to see, man.
Yeah, man, I want everybody out there to understand what comes with putting out a project.
This is years in the making.
Literally, I think there was back and forth about like almost every idea.
(28:00):
So much that damn near to the last week or two,
we were having issues with the sound and the mix and all of that
where you had to bring in where also, you know what this process showed me
coming from business situations where I thought communication was good,
but when it came down to communication was not good
(28:21):
in those previous business situations I was involved in.
Where I saw how we dealt with problems and conflicts and issues that came up in this process.
I think everything got handled so maturely,
much in favor of what was best for the project, for the business.
Everybody ended up happy in the end and everybody had a voice
(28:43):
and was able to communicate their concerns, their dislikes, their likes.
And we were able to bring everybody together to find a solution
and execute on an idea where everybody felt fulfilled.
And that shit was, that was a blessing coming from my previous situations.
So it was great to see that.
And another reason how you know this project is ordained, man.
(29:08):
It's when everything aligns right and you can see everybody working to it.
Like I'm saying, everybody working towards the same goal is so important.
And to see it happen was dope.
Absolutely, man.
I mean, yeah, from like just you helping create a director project
and you help A&R in it for, and Beko helped mixing it,
from X helped mixing it and Zevin Land lyrics.
(29:30):
And like you helping with the cover art and me working with that with you.
Like, man, this moment is, like I said, it's a beautiful moment.
And since I've been doing this for five years, five, six years,
just working with musicians, like this was the most beautiful moment,
like for me, just crafting a project and crafting the EP
(29:51):
and things like that, crafting these records.
Like I felt joy in doing it and just working with good people of integrity and respect.
And things like that, like I can say it was all handled accordingly.
And like, again, this is just the beginning of what we're doing.
Like we still have more installments that we're doing.
Like even us releasing the EP on EVE and releasing it on the website
(30:15):
for those to dictate their own prices and things like that.
And one thing, and like I said, I've been doing this for a couple of years now.
And so me personally, when I don't, how I deal with lack of support
and lack of this and that, I don't go to social media and cry about it.
I don't go on a podcast.
I don't go in my bubble and curl up like a roly poly or something.
(30:39):
Like a snail, I don't do that.
Like I take it on the chin and I keep going.
Like I take it on the chin and be like, okay, like there's a line in the film
where my character says, like, you know I don't stop.
You know I don't stop until I've created something
that's so lacking and something they can't ignore, even if they try.
(31:01):
So that resemblance, like that's why I created my character to symbolize
the life, not only life that I don't want to live,
but things that I've been through myself.
And so when my character says that, like, you know me,
you know I'm going to create something that's long lasting.
They cannot ignore it, even if they try.
(31:22):
So I kind of embody that sentiment alone with what I'm doing
with certain support and things like that.
I just keep going.
I keep promoting.
I keep posting.
No matter how many likes it get, no matter how many shares it get,
that's just the bottom line of how I look at it.
I mean, that's the footwork.
That's the footwork.
You got to be willing to do the footwork.
Yo, we in the time of this new media that we in,
(31:44):
this new media era that we in, this new media dynasty that's happening.
Even when it comes, just media in general, and I mean that for music.
I mean that for TV, for visual content, for anything.
Like when it comes to media, and I'm sure for other industries,
but I can only speak for this.
It used to be where they would develop talent.
You could just have the basic skill or just be fairly exceptional at the craft.
(32:09):
And you could get backing and maybe a company that will take you into their foundation
and develop you to become great.
We're in an era, the good and bad thing of where we're at today is that
there is a lot more freedom and a lot more leverage for the independent talent,
for the independent creator.
(32:31):
But you have to be like exceptionally great at what you do because no company is going to,
well not no company, but you have less opportunity and less chance of working,
collaborating with giants in the industry if you are not seizing
whether you've been under somebody's wing or the independent rep.
(32:53):
Like now you have to be.
Musicians tend to have to have a fan base already, do numbers already,
have interests already, have buzz and all that before they can even get on some platforms,
which it's the reason for getting on the platforms to generate these things.
But you tend to already have to be there to get meanings to get for people to have that interest.
(33:14):
That sucks because it makes you work harder.
It doesn't suck, but it's harder.
But the return is better.
In my opinion, I feel like the return is better because you get more of it and you have more
leverage if you're exceptionally great at what you're doing or if you're working really hard,
because I guess you don't have to be exceptionally talented to be successful.
(33:34):
The same thing where I feel like that with films or TV for all of that,
you have to generate interest.
You have to do all of that.
And this is just part of the process.
It's just part of it.
And being one person to do all of that is a lot.
So you got to be a multifaceted, creative and business person
to even become successful in this industry.
And I think we're in that space and things that we don't know we learn on the field
(33:58):
and the things that we're trying to achieve is not easy, especially without financial backing
and the perfect team that we do what we can.
That we put together the people we believe to help us get there.
But when you put that out into the world, into the public, everybody don't support that shit.
And it is what it is.
But the independent route, like apps like Even and all that, what was the,
(34:21):
do you remember, do you know what the actual statistics of those things were?
Oh, no, I'm talking about here.
I got to give you the login when we get off the car.
Yeah.
I can't remember what I'm talking about here.
Because being all of those things, being an independent creative today,
do you think that's how most artists should operate now?
See, we had the album on the website and we had it on Even, right?
(34:43):
Those are the only two apps or the two platforms besides the DSLs.
Yeah.
And I mean, that's the route for the independent artists today, right?
I mean, yeah, like if you want to, as far as just build some type of fan base
and things like that, because again, like your followers do not equalize sales.
(35:03):
Your followers do not equalize streams.
So because you have 5,000 followers, like you're not going to have 5,000 streams,
5,000 supporters.
$5,000.
Right.
Right.
So you're going to get like, realistically going to get like 5 to 10% of the followers list.
And that's where promotion comes in.
That's where marketing comes in.
That's where trying to get people's face.
(35:25):
So the beautiful part about creating your own website and Even, you have these tools
that you can integrate certain things within the music to where you can give an experience
to the people.
Like I can make my album, I can make this record, this EP, a pay what you want method.
And I know Wix has that option.
Even has that option to where you can go in and pay a dollar for this project.
(35:47):
And you can be invited to a exclusive group chat.
You can be get a percentage off and things like that.
Like I know we always encourage artists to build experience around your music and create
your own website and your landing page, have them a newsletter and things like that is
vital for independent artists to not only just say to have all these different avenues
(36:09):
that I can express and experience with the arm, but it also has a direct line of connectivity
to the arm supporters and things like that.
Like people invest more and show more engagement to the artists or just a person in general
when they feel like they're invited into their life.
Like there's a reason why Casanet like having all these, having this success, like he's
(36:33):
currently streaming right now doing the subathon because people feel connected to him.
People see his arm, what he does throughout a day basis.
Like he does streams where he's sleeping and things like that.
Like people, thousands of people are watching this man sleep.
So like what he has done and created experience around the streaming and things like that
is something innovative in this new generation and just platforms like even creating a platform
(36:59):
on creating a website on SquareSplice or Wix.
Like there are innovative approaches that you can take within that, within your music,
but you also have to create the content around it.
You have to be consistent in it.
You have to know that, okay, if I don't get a sale this week or a sale next month,
it doesn't dictate failure or success.
You just got to keep going.
Like you can't, this shit not built overnight.
(37:20):
It's not built overnight.
It's a traditional artist debt.
Like if you're trying to break into the game today, whatever genre of music you're in,
you have to do all these, like you have to be more than just talent.
You have to have connectivity.
You have to be personable.
People have to like you or people have to hate you.
I don't think the gray area exists anymore for artists just because the business
(37:45):
and the interest relies on so much more than just the music being good.
And I don't think we have superstars anymore.
What's the meaning?
What's that?
Like because superstardom, I feel like needs mystery.
And I don't think there's any artists moving forward with like mystery, with mystique.
(38:05):
I feel like that's an important element to superstardom.
I feel like we have stars, but we don't have superstars
like from these new generations moving forward.
I can definitely see that from like just the new generation going forward and things like that
because they are born and by the time they get to a certain age and things like that,
they already engulfed in the internet.
(38:26):
So they're already indulging in these platforms and things like that
and posting all their business, posting the pictures, videos and things like that.
I don't think you could achieve celebrity of fame without that.
I mean, yeah, that's true.
That's true.
So it's like I don't think I think it's very hard to generate interest without being personable.
That's true.
I mean, it's kind of similar to how we were talking about with AI.
(38:48):
Like start thinking you just got to adapt and just integrate and what you're doing.
Like you have to do it.
Yeah, and that's why the business model changes.
But you see, generating more interest, if you play that game,
when you set up on apps like Even, when you set up on like having your own website ran
and doing the pay what you want and having that bridge for fans and people to cross over
(39:12):
to come to your site, to come to a site like Even, you have to have interest for that.
After show is like the typical artist has to adjust.
You got to go outside.
You got to be a little more like you got to be a little more flamboyant in the sense of
being seen, whether that's from promotion or ads or whatever it is, you know, skits,
(39:37):
live streams, you have to do these things to make I feel like to make everything successful.
I mean, yeah, that's the generation that we live in as far as that aspect of it.
And social media has changed everything.
But social media.
Yeah, I just want to I just want to kind of highlight the because we're coming from a
space of where we are coming from the independent route, whether it's as creatives, artists or
(40:02):
business, and we know the challenges and the difficulties that come with that.
So running the Black Gold EP has come out through this from that perspective from that
and where we have to go to for where we were at as a brand or as a brand, as a company,
as the creatives.
(40:22):
The Even app was something that offered opportunity for what we were doing.
Go print entertainment dot com or go print media dot com.
We ran the same kind of method and process for how we were going to release the music
before ever hit streaming platforms, which I think is what most artists have to do these
days anyway, and that's going to lead into a different part of this conversation.
(40:46):
We came up with this method of, I guess, brand promoting and brand.
Yeah, I guess brand promoting that and advertising called the PECS method, which is the product,
the product change method, something that's inspired by Nipsey's Proud to Pay and
Little Russell's pay.
I think his is called pay what you want.
And we have the product change method.
(41:07):
And you saw it in full effect with the GoPro EP.
Now only what happened?
I said it's still in motion now.
Yeah, it's still motion now.
And it's more than just having the freedom to choose what you want to pay or exchange
for the music or the goods of the experience.
It's a way of how we structure the type of promoting and highlighting of fans and our
(41:33):
fan bases or the artist's fan base or the brand's fan base.
I just want to talk a little more on it.
Oh, yeah, man.
I mean, yeah, me and you, we are both heavily influenced by not only the music of Nipsey
Hussle, but the entrepreneurial spirit and the entrepreneurial efforts of Nipsey and
how he integrated certain things within his music and just his relationship with Idris,
(41:57):
the guy that owns Spatial Labs, like the way that they was able to integrate certain QR
codes and you tap the merch in the screen or you take a picture of it and it goes straight
to the website and things like that shows you the details of the merch.
Like that's just a brick and mortar aspect of it.
But we want to create the digital aspect of it and us being inspired by the proud to pay
(42:20):
method.
I was like, OK, I always want to do something like this.
And then when you put two great minds like me and you together, like you get this, you
get the PICS method, the proud exchange method.
And that's basically us working with artists and brands and things like that.
And with Zevin being the first person we work with with this experience with the Black Gold
(42:43):
EP and things like that, it is basically just trying to integrate experience around the
brand, experience around the music.
Because we always talked about artists should be a brand around the music.
They should be a brand in themselves and they should move like that to be able to capture
certain deals and certain audiences and things like that.
(43:03):
With platforms like even with platforms like Wix, we have developed a model to not only
the streaming service is easy, putting it on streaming services, things like that.
But where we come in, it's building an experience around that from merch to digital downloads
to pay what you want method from certain innovative experiences around the music that
(43:25):
people can indulge in and things like that and be able to utilize all these platforms
from TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and all things like that to where
we can share the music.
We also should experience from behind the scenes from music video tips, from podcasts
and things like that.
And this is just phase one and phase two of this method.
(43:48):
So we have so much more to give you and so much more to experience because and what we
believe in, like we, I can tell you what we don't believe in.
We don't believe in just putting your music out and promoting it for a week.
We don't want to promote it for a month.
No, this is a Chinese method.
I can say as far as brand building and empire building and things like that, they don't
(44:11):
plan two, three years ahead.
They plan 50 years ahead, 100 years ahead and things like that.
These countries like China and things like that and even the way Elon Musk is integrating
certain technological advances with Twitter and the Tesla, the robot, things like that.
We want to bring that innovative approach with the PEGS method to where, okay, invest
(44:35):
in what we have and we will pump all the knowledge and resources and experience and things like
that we have into your project.
Whether there's a single EP or album or just a brand in general to where you need marketing
and you need some type of method or you need some type of system to connect with the people.
So what we're doing, we're building a system.
(44:56):
This is system building and it's fine.
It's a system building and what we're trying to create and what we're trying to do.
And the Black Gold EP is the embodiment of that.
It's the first thing of that.
And this is our official announcement of this PEGS method and next year is just we're going
to go full throttle with it as far as tackling this album process and things like that.
(45:17):
And the Black Gold EP is just a foundation of what we're creating.
So yeah, we'll leave more details in the description of this podcast.
For sure, for sure.
The PEGS method is putting the power, putting the control back into the artist's hands,
into the creator's hands, into the brand's hands.
It's putting that power and control back into the hands that people were creating these
(45:42):
things.
These unique experiences and unique tactics that are designed for what your specific goals
are.
That's what the PEGS method is.
The unique ability, the unique communication.
What?
The communication.
The communication between art, the artist, to the fans, to the people.
(46:04):
I say unique because the PEGS method is about designing things that are specific to the
idea.
So it's never going to be a plug and play thing, you know, or a one size fits all approach.
It's building these structures around ideas and concepts that are specific to the idea
and concept to get the best result possible.
(46:28):
And it's for us, by us, you know what I mean?
Well, yeah, we're excited to keep introducing the world to the PEGS method.
Oh yeah, we'll roll out just more details about it throughout the week, throughout the
months and things like that.
But for now, everything you see promotion wise and things like that from this Black
Gold EP, from Zevin and Goldprint, that is under the PEGS method.
(46:52):
Yes, sir. Is Instagram the new platform to drop music off?
We see DK Dot, Jermaine and Aubrey Graham's dropping on Instagram.
And Instagram just, they cut a deal with Universal, right?
Is that what happened?
I have to look more into that.
I think I did see some word, something about it, maybe.
(47:13):
They got a deal, but it's like, man, what are we doing?
Yeah, I think metal.
I think it's metal, which is Instagram.
So yeah, I think metal is in bad with Universal.
Let me see.
Announce expanded global agreement.
New agreement advances social music opportunities for UMG artists and UMPG
(47:35):
songwriters across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Horizon, Threads and WhatsApp.
What that means is the value of music has gone to shit.
That's what it is.
Music is not worth a damn.
That's a horrible take after telling you guys about our PEX method,
which you should use.
But the PEX method is not just for music, but the music industry is going to shit.
(47:57):
That's why you need the PEX method.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
Because these labels are, are they like, okay, let's integrate and let's partner with
these social media platforms because we know that the distribution cycle only lets you put
music on these streaming platforms.
So if you want to release on your website or even have to do it yourself.
(48:17):
And if you release it only on those two platforms, then you have to promote it a
different way.
You can't promote it.
You can't use certain tools on Instagram and Facebook.
You can still do it, but things like that.
But these social media platforms, if you want to promote music, they encourage you
and they damn near going to make you do it to where you put the music on like a real
or something like, or a TikTok or things like that.
(48:39):
Because if you go to Facebook, this happened to me multiple times.
Like when I just uploaded a video that wasn't a real, it'll say something about partially
muted audio or something like that.
Yeah.
So they are trying to make it to where you're only, if you're going to release, if you're
going to put music on these streams, on these social media platforms, it's going to be
through a real.
Yeah.
Yeah.
(48:59):
I mean, from a business perspective, I respect it is integrating vertically like a
motherfucker.
It's capitalism, they own in all the blocks on the monopoly board.
It's genius in the business aspect.
I think it does devalue music 100%.
(49:20):
Guys, I think the last frontier of this industry, of this business is going to be live
performances.
I think artists who want to come into the game now, artists who want to win in this
industry should focus heavy on their live performances and the shows that they can
(49:40):
produce.
Because I think that's the last frontier for this business because streaming and selling
music is a dying art, is a dying concept.
I mean, vinyls, I think are still dope.
And I think collectibles and things like that still a thing, will always be a thing.
But even then, I feel like physical products lose value and interest.
(50:06):
Though when the access to the content of those things is becoming easier and easier to have
and it's just less valuable.
Yeah.
So you already getting pennies on the dollar for streams.
I can't imagine what artists are going to get for releasing an IG.
I would imagine it's pennies on pennies of a dollar.
(50:26):
You know, like I can't see it being much.
I don't know.
It's weird.
I mean, it was a very interesting thing how the big three did do it from Kendrick,
J. Cole and Drake and things like that.
Me personally, as far as them releasing it, it's like only on Instagram and things like that.
Like they could have easily did it on YouTube.
(50:47):
Like even though I think some of them may have did that, I think Kendrick did that.
They could have done it on their own sites, man.
I mean, that too.
But at the same time, these guys are tied to Universal.
J. Cole is tied to Warner, I think.
So like, even when Drake released the 100 gig situation, Universal was like,
nah, bro, you gotta release these three new songs on your website.
(51:10):
Like they are going on streaming service.
So a week later, a few days later, it went on streaming service.
Yeah.
I mean, when you got that much money invested into a client, into a product,
it's nothing you can't move anything without me getting a piece of the pie.
Especially after you just took this...
Oh, when them investors make that call, you don't answer.
Especially after you just took this public ass whooping,
(51:32):
nah, you gonna pay up.
You gonna pay up.
You having a bad year.
I see that and we...
I mean, it's the business.
Like I said, that's the industry.
I see it as a power play.
I respect it.
The value of music just isn't what it is anymore.
That's just me, how I look at it.
And I love music.
I love the music industry despite all the bullshit that comes with it.
(51:54):
I like any business where the creative gets paid
and the creative finds a way to get his stuff out and get paid from it.
But...
Oh yeah.
I mean, yeah.
This is definitely...
No, I'm just saying this is definitely devaluing music.
I don't see how the end result isn't bad.
Yeah.
It's definitely just a wait and see situation because I know...
(52:15):
I got this topic written down as far as...
This is just me personally, because I know if you're a regular artist,
you're gonna want to release your music on Spotify,
entire album music, even SoundCloud or YouTube.
But this is just me personally.
If I was an independent artist with no music out,
(52:36):
not even no music out,
if I had like a single or EP or something like that or older album and things like that,
I would for my next releases and the way I will move my career,
if I'm not just like a big artist or something,
things like that and I'm moving up,
for people who don't know me,
I'm gonna release my music on my website.
(52:57):
I'm gonna release my music on my website.
I'm gonna create a Wix account and they have certain integrated tools
and statistics and things like that.
And I'm gonna do it through that.
And I'm gonna release, I'm gonna have a pay what you want method.
Like if you want to pay a dollar,
if you want to pay $2, $5 for this,
it's gonna be way more than I'm gonna make on streaming anyway,
(53:17):
because I'm an up and coming artist.
So I don't have these thousands of strings,
hundreds of thousands of strings just to make $10 or $20
every quarter or something like that.
So I'm gonna release merch.
I'm gonna release exclusive behind the scenes.
I'm gonna release videos and things like that.
I'm gonna give you sneak peeks on social media
because I have to utilize the TikTok to YouTube,
(53:38):
to Instagram and Twitter and things like that.
So I'm gonna give you sneak peeks and give you certain things
on social media to bring you in to my audience
and to bring you to my website.
I'm gonna collect your email.
As soon as you click the link, it's gonna pop up.
It's gonna happen to where, hey, get this off,
get this and get this percentage off my merch.
Get this type of ordeal if you give me your website.
(54:00):
I mean, if you give me your own email
or it may not even be that.
It's just me simply sign up for this email
to receive my newsletter.
I'm gonna send out a newsletter like every Monday
or every Friday or every Monday and Thursday
and things like that.
Just keep supporters engaged
and to give them updates and things like that.
And those that are subscribed to my website,
I'm gonna give you a detailed experience
(54:22):
from behind the scenes, the making of this album,
a lyric breakdown, what's to come, exclusive merch.
And I'm gonna engulf my audience into what I'm doing.
Like, okay, hey guys, I'm creating a t-shirt.
I'm creating an album.
Help me name this album.
Help me name EP.
Help me name this record.
I'm gonna start by tackling those three main components
(54:43):
right there as far as, hey guys, I'm working on a single.
A couple months later, I'm working on an EP.
Like a year later, a couple months later,
I'm working on an album.
I'm not gonna give you,
I'm not gonna be in a hurry to give you music, music, music,
music all the time,
but I'm also gonna give you some type of thing
that's gonna keep your attention.
Because if you're independent anything,
keeping those, keeping the attention of your supporters
(55:05):
is vital.
And then getting supporters to come to your website is vital.
So that's what I would do personally.
I would create my Wix account.
I would like some type of, build some type of team,
people that I know, that I can trust.
Like, okay, are you skilled in this?
Do you wanna come in and help me with this?
Let's do that.
And if we need to build some type of funding
(55:26):
to where we can partner with an agency,
we have to let them know firsthand, like,
hey, my music is not going on streaming service.
So how can you help me build my career based off that?
I have this music video, things like that,
it's not going on YouTube.
Wix has a video channel to where you can upload videos
exclusively on Wix in your website,
(55:47):
to where the video will be only on there.
You can sell it for a fixed rate.
You can sell it as far as like, hey,
sign up into your email to get this video
or things like that.
Wix has the platform,
and this is not sponsored by Wix at all.
I'm just, Wix, Wix, Wix, Wix, Wix.
But this is the platform that I use.
So yeah, like they have these tools
and they have these resources that you can do
(56:08):
to build a career in music and streaming
and filmmaking and things like that,
that you just gotta utilize.
If I was an artist that didn't have a lot of music out,
I was independent, steady climbing, steady climbing,
things like that.
Not only would I do that method,
I would do these live shows.
I would get somebody recorded.
I'd drop a sneak peek on social media and be like,
(56:29):
hey, the full version of this is on this.
Hey, I'm doing a podcast centered around my music.
I'm doing a podcast centered around this and that.
And I'm gonna release this exclusively on my website.
And so that way you dictate all statistics.
You know exactly who's listening to your music.
You know exactly where they're listening from.
Like you know exactly who downloaded.
You know exactly like purchased it and things like that.
(56:51):
You have the analytics to help you move
in certain demographics.
So that's just me personally,
if I was an independent artist on a come up,
I would tackle that method.
Yep, yeah.
I think that's where the future is heading
just because at some point,
you should probably start like not cutting out those giants,
(57:15):
but learning how it best suits you to collaborate
and work with them.
You know, just releasing your music only on Instagram
benefits you, benefit your brand or hurt your brand.
You know what I mean?
Like you're gonna get to those points.
And again, I think with the control and the power
is in the artist's hands,
you just have a better leverage if you can do,
(57:38):
if you can build a foundation for your career
before you even go to any of these Goliath companies.
And then you figure it out from there.
And then you decide what that next step is.
But you gotta build that foundation for sure.
Tyler's album?
Oh yeah, man. Oh yeah.
I got a chance to listen to it when it dropped that Monday,
which was beautiful.
(57:59):
Like I love when it dropped on a Monday.
Yeah, that was dope.
Oh yeah, like I love that.
Like I don't think, who knows,
the industry might start adopting it
because I know in the past,
I think it was starting to release on Tuesdays.
Tuesdays, yeah.
Yeah, back in the day.
Yep.
So yeah, his album was a beautiful, beautiful man.
It was a beautiful piece of work.
(58:19):
It was a beautiful piece of art.
And like just looking at the rollout,
I had questions about it.
When it dropped, like the one he was doing the rollout,
and I was just like, oh, it ain't nothing special about this.
But then I kept seeing it unfold.
I kept seeing it unfold and things like that.
And shame on me on that aspect of that.
So yeah, the album was beautiful, man.
Like from beginning to the end, the features,
(58:39):
from School of RQ, Dolce, Glorilla, and people like that, man.
It's, all I can say is, man, it was just a beautiful piece of work.
Man, beautiful piece of art.
And it's just something I continue to listen to, man.
Like I listen to it in the gym.
I listen to it when I wake up.
I wake up, things like that.
So besides Black Gold, this has been in my rotation.
Yeah, I listened to it the first week or that weekend.
(59:02):
It came out that Monday.
I didn't get to it till the weekend.
And I believe, yeah, it was the weekend.
I ran through it once.
I liked it.
I told myself I'm going to go back and listen to that second.
So I don't want to give any takes on it.
But what I heard on that first run through was really dope.
And I mean, I'm just a fan of Tyler and the artistry
that he does with every album.
He has a mist in a while.
(59:23):
So shout out to Tyler.
I have been listening to that Freddie Gibbs album,
that new Freddie Gibbs album.
Oh, yeah, I got to dive into that.
That's been fire.
I've been gone.
I've been gone hard with that.
So yeah, shout out to Freddie Gibbs, man.
That new album is amazing.
And Black Gold EP, of course.
That's been in rotation.
(59:44):
For people that got this far in the podcast,
I know we've been away for a minute.
And we are fully back.
Got to get them jitters out.
Got to knock the dust off a little bit.
So yeah, just trying to get back in podcast mode, man.
Yo, Black Gold EP is out now everywhere.
It's on every DSP.
It's on goprintent.com.
(01:00:06):
Buy the album direct from us.
I promise you, it's a more personal experience.
Or even go on Even and pay what you want.
But you could go on goprintent.com
and pay what you want there.
See all the things that are available
through that process for you guys.
Stream it, support Zevin, support GoPrint,
support Autumn House.
Yo, we out here creating, man.
(01:00:28):
The foundation.
A lot of beautiful things coming.
Oh yeah, man.
This has been another episode of the
I Hate This Industry podcast.
I am your uncle and handsome host.
That is my good brother, my partner,
Darrell Reese, Darrell Reese Jr.
And yo, we'll catch you next time.
Yes, indeed.
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