My favorite movie is The Pursuit of Happyness. I have probably seen it over 1000 times. There were times in my life when I had a little-if I would be more transparent I would elaborate on roach infested floors and no beds. I had a television, a DVD player and 2 children. I stayed awake all night to keep the roaches off of them and this movie was my motivation.
The concept of Will Smith holding on to that one machine throughout the movie and his child resonated with me. There are different levels of success and sometimes you must hit rock bottom to climb to the top.
Now I own my own PR/Media Company and have been blessed to work with many celebrities but mainly Hip-Hop artists. I have been backstage at concerts, facilitated and managed media for events and been privy to many off the record transactions and affairs.
Persuading Hip-Hop artists to invest in their own Publicist is congruent to being a door to door salesman. In a predominantly female field Publicists work tirelessly to create and maintain the reputation of their clients. As the vast majority of artists have overcome their journey from a sorted past the residue and mindset they possess still remains.
Most recently a well know artist that I have assisted in working with has taken to social media to express his feelings and to address public ridicule. The more he posts-the more he speaks-the more he leaves himself open for criticism and media to display, misconstrue and make a mockery of his words..
Artists treat their craft and the music industry like a hustle. They keep money under their mattresses, insist on being paid in cash and solely depend on ‘show money’ for their riches. Endorsements and mainstream opportunities pass them by.
Brand value among rappers is reserved for those that have become successful entrepreneurs and have invested in top PR firms. Social Media campaigns run by artists for the sake of promoting lacks the professional tactics that reach the audiences needed to shift their value.
Yet Jay-Z, Nas, Diddy and others have ‘made it out of the mud’ and the leader joined the Billionaire Boys Club and continues to allow his stellar PR team to create innovative situations that keep adding to his net worth.
Forcing themselves to stay in the ‘Middle Passage’ hundreds of years later by taking the scraps that are left over you can catch your ‘Free me’ rapper at your local concert venue a few times a year booking after parties at strip clubs and posting vulgarities on social media.
While their network does not expand nor does their net worth their contentment is consistent. The future of Hip-Hop lies on the shoulders of those that understand to get a dollar you must invest