A Deep Dive into the Psyche of a Struggling Producer
After taking a handful of Motrin and sitting in my living room with the lights off I begin to think that maybe the best way to get rid of this cold is to get some sleep. I’m tired but I have a laundry list of things to get done and if I don’t get to them today I’ll have to work on them tomorrow along with the other tasks for that day. I decide to put YouTube on the TV and find something I can watch that’ll bore me enough to fall asleep. As I’m scrolling through the recommended section I find a video of Robert F. Smith speaking at Columbia University. I put it on and look at the date only to realize that it’s the same event I had intended to attend a few years ago when I was contemplating going to school there. I turn the volume down and try to close my eyes but Mr. Smith was dropping a lot of gems. Finally right before I could feel myself drifting away I hear him speak on how he’s always looked at making an impact in the African American community. My eyes open as it dawned on me that maybe the reason getting this production company off the ground has been so difficult is because I’ve been thinking too small.
Making records with artists has always been a passion of mine even when I was an artist. I would get more excited about the collaborations than making solo records. However, the business model of just making another record for an artist to distribute, promote, and get placed on a playlist seems a bit basic to me now. I’m in no way saying that if that’s your goal as an artist that there’s something wrong with that but my eye has always looked to do something bigger. It’s never been management, though I has toyed with the idea, but I wonder what else can I contribute that’ll really affect the industry.
With this in mind, I challenge you to start thinking the same way. You may think that you can only make a hit record and live happily ever after. However, what if you could make a record that could be used to bring awareness to a social issue, use the royalties from the record to fund an organization, and create solutions to solve that problem? This is the type of thinking I’ve always had and now I want you to try. Stop putting yourself in a box. You’re more than capable of writing a dope line, making a hard beat, or creating the most beautiful melody. What if the pain from your story could be shared for the sole purpose of creating a solution? You think kids in your community should get free computers? What if your catalog could be used for that exact purpose? Imagine partnering with a publishing company that could sell your catalog to raise funds to bring that into fruition.
It’s a new way of thinking and I don’t expect everyone to start applying this new school of thought. However, the doors are open…
