Classic,
I'm glad to hear that your going to be making moves. You are a talented kat for real.
I really think its just a matter of time before you hit it big.
If you grow with upcoming emcee's, remember their budgets will grow.
I'm starting up my own label with zero dollars invested. Whatever money i have left from my paycheck (I am also blessed with a day job, one where I can spend all day posting on IllMuzik!
Whatever is left over after the bills and meals goes to my label, which ain't much.
Currently were looking at dropping a 10 song E.P., I started going back to school during all of this, so to take some of the production load off of me I've looked elswhere for a couple tracks.
Too many people ask for to much money. If one kat reached out to me, and sold his ish for something reasonable. They'd make a couple hundred bucks. And bam with modest goals of selling just 2,000 joints my label would net $9,000 bucks, and that's if I sell the joints for only five bucks apiece.
On my second release I went from having no budget for beats to $9,000 for the second release (I plan to hold a dayjob down until my fourth release). I can break off more bread for the beats on the second release, and sell more off of the word of mouth from my first release and have money to promote the second one. Let's say I crank out 5,000 units this time. For my third release I got a budget of $20,000 and so on.
Not only is your production catalog packed with ish. Your loyalty is rewarded with more $ and don't think as long as you stay on your game, I'm not going to be filling my album and all my artists albums with your ish. Alongside the usual Alchemist, Just Blaze, Timbaland, Havoc joint.
If you selling beats to lables 90% of the time they'll only offer a contract where you forfeit all royalty rights. Are you going to be in a posistion where you could afford to turn that down and try to negotiate terms? The label with move on to the next "Beatmaker" out to make some quick cash.
And fuck the labels anyways. Build your own shit.
Producers drive this music I think it is our responsibilty to reach out to talented heads.
My label is myself and two other heads right now. I'm a sole proprietor, I've provided all the money.
I've interacted with too many kats that are on some "if i don't get a g for a beat I'm not fucking with you" type shit.
It's just frustrating cause unless your single without any kids working full-time or doing something illegal you don't have the money for that as an emcee. So your stuck handing out CDR's of you rocking over instrumentals. Which gets you some attention but brings in no money. Your hoping a producer will take you under their wing and work with you but they all be on that 1,000 a track stuff.
Or you work with them kats who's shit SHOULD be sold for 10 dollars a pop. Once again, people will say your dope but heads ain't fitting to buy some shit with decent beats, they need the heat.
So all these emcee's end up saving little by little for their own gear then learn the trade. And you got one less customer.
There isn't one person that's starting up in the game that doesn't immediately check out what's poppin' in their local scene first. if you work with somebody that has a smaller budget and your ish is one the streets the next Nas, Tupac, Biggie might hear your shit and come to you. Otherwise he doesn't know you exist and he hooks up with another kat, one willing to work with him, and maybe that dude is only i-ight. So once he gets bigger, builds a fan base and gets money in his pocket you figure he'll come looking for you. When 99% of the time he's going to go with an established head, one that has product on the streets, somebody that is known within the scene, somebody that looks like their grindin themselves, somebody that can say, you know that record by well known local act, I produced 5 tracks on it... they aren't going to fuck around with somebody that's on some...I've sold a couple tracks here and there to a bunch of nobodies on these albums that I'm not even really sure if they exist type noise.
Money comes in stages. If a kats talk bills, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands and millions.
If I got 1,000 bucks to drop on a beat. It's safe to say I got 5,000 to drop on a beat. So I'm going to be bypassing you and working with that kat charging that much putting out underground releases, with name recognition.
I don't know of any rapper that makes their career by dropping singles. Heads are trying to make albums.
Y'all are being to one sided when analyzing your business approach. You can't just look at it from your perspective: How much do I think my beats are worth?
You also have to incorporate the market: How much is the market willing to buy your beats for?
Pete Rock works with new acts. Krumb Snatcha gets Primo beats on a discount. Even Dre has his "your whole budget" and "discounted half-your budget" beats.
Y'all gotta be privy to the market. If your in an area were its popping and you can consistently get a g for your beats. By all means go ahead.
But the case in my city at least is that producers wanna charge a g when your average rapper starts out only able to afford $500 for his entire album. The result, nobodys making money.
No matter how much you charge for beats, your not making anything unless kats are buying them.
To me it seems a lot of "producers" ain't about the music, they're just looking for a payday.
If you got a plan I ain't going to knock your hustle. Most of the kats don't though.
A lot of these kats on here are dope and 1,000-2,000 a beat actually is discount.
My rants are more aimed to my own local scene.
Dudes charge ridiculous amounts when they make them:
This is my Just Blaze beat
Lil' John Beat
My slowed soul sample Kanye Beat
My timbaland beat
My Dre Beat etc, etc.
Getting your name out is huge Big D. When kats know your name they come to you, period.
It sounds like your already doing what I'm saying. Your establishing yourselves and working with kats. That's fine, props to you.
I'm addressing the heads that haven't grinded at all and with no credentials start asking for 1,000 a beat.
I'd bet my equpment kats on here didn't start selling beats at 1,000 a pop. Y'all started off small until you hit that level.
Too many heads don't think they have to put in the work before they can start charging niggaz.
I'm sorry for ranting but it's a hugh problem that's preventing my city from blowing up. We have dope producers who just sit on their beats.
