Famous: The Building of A Brand - Part IV

January 2010

Presented in footnotes* by Chris Shaban

Yes Yes Y’all… and we most definitely don’t stop… BUT, we do delay. You actually got 2 weeks and 3 days of the Spring Cleaning article because, well, I just didn’t know how this Famous piece was supposed to end. I’ve had this written for so long, but once it’s out Ever try putting the whipped cream back inside the spray can? Exactly. in public, my friends, it’s out. So the motto around FarBeyond, as always, is ‘proceed with caution’. Well, all I can promise is that this one is going to be truthful and hopefully worth the wait. So, let me put the light on in here and walk you directly into the fourth and final segment of Famous – The Building of a Brand Just a quick FYI – if this had been a year later and all of the outlined goals had been achieved the name of this article would have been, ‘From Champs to the Champ’… Resume update, Famous used to work at Champs Sports… You’d be hard pressed to find many dudes in the GTA that didn’t get linked while he worked there. .

Where did I leave off again? Oh ya…

Over the first couple of months in 2009, the momentum had really begun to increase. First we got word from the Juno committee that ‘I Rap Now’, a 5 song EP, was nominated for Rap Album of the Year. After that, ‘Ain’t No Use’, the strongest radio record on the EP, was nominated for a MuchMusic Video Award. Finally, a few shows with the Clipse, a quiet sponsorship deal with Ecko Watches and a ‘Best New Artist’ award from Buffalo NY’s, WBLK and the snow hadn’t even melted yet. The whole team was feeling great… We were all riding high. What could stop us from going straight to the top RIGHT NOW This quote was taken from the end of Part III ?

What are the regular answers to that? Schedules, relationships, egos, money, time – the usual reasons why the emergency brake is pulled too early on so many promising careers. But that’s the generic response to the question, the answer that applies to regular folk. But this isn’t no ordinary dude…I mean, this is The Kid, this is Famous You try waking up with a name like that. .

Now, before I go any further, please don’t let me fool you into thinking I had anything to do with the accolades that are mentioned above in italics. I really came in when the water was already boiling Which, if you were buying a stock is a bad time to come in. BUT, on the other hand, if you’re looking to work with a music artist, the timing couldn’t be better. . I’m saying, Rez and Famous had done more in a year than almost every single rapper in this country has done in their entire careers I don’t think everyone really knows how much work Rez does for the branding of Famous. The trademark you see truly is a partnership of two dudes that know a lot about the game and treat hustling like brushing their teeth… it’s an everyday thang. . So, I obviously felt like I had arrived at the perfect time. Well, let me drill down PS – I’m fully corporate now, so ‘drill down’ and ‘moving forward’ may start showing up. Throw money at me… I’m soft for real. …

In the Winter of 2008, two beatsmiths working under the name ‘Burd N Keyz’ linked up with Digi and Fame and supplied them with a catalog of joints that would make any emcee’s mouth water. So excited by this newfound treasure, Famous decided that it was time to do something different. Using Ryan Leslie’s ‘Diamond Girl’ video as the prototype, he began to embark on a brand new project… ‘Goddess Girl’. The idea was simple. Take 8 fire instrumentals from Burd N Keyz, lace the vocals, and make an 8-part mini-movie as visuals to support the music. Dope I don’t need to tell anyone this stuff, but viral is not the way of the future, it’s the way of RIGHT NOW. You gotta make sure that your visual game is up to par with your music game. Don’t get me wrong, music is and will forever be, the most important part of your career, but you gots to bring the heat from all angles… at all times. . I’m thinking to myself, who better than The Kid Famous to bring some ill, out of the box concept like this to life?

Over the course of the next 2 months, all of the verses were recorded and it was the first time that I was actually a part of the process with Ashton FYI - Government’s are allowed when he’s got his own bedroom in your house. . I write these articles cause I can’t rap, so I appreciated any little shine that my non-rapping ass can get. For Example:

Ring, Ring…

Famous: “Yo Shablender, what are you saying?”

Shabby: “I’m at Jack Astors with Pete just planning FUSION, what are you saying?”

Famous: “Just chilling man… hey, what’s the Bible verse where Jesus is on the cross and He’s is talking to God and asks Him to forgive the people because they don’t know what they’re doing?

Shabby: “That’s in Luke 23, why?”

Famous: “Just wondering brudda… I’m going to link you later and reach up there still”

Shabby: “Zeen”

And thus, ‘Hater’s Eulogy’ received its spoken word intros. Simple right? In no way, shape or form did I ever write one lyric for the Kid, but I always found out after the song was recorded why he would ask these rando questions I’m in the process of trying to sue him right now for some publishing, but it seems that I can’t take credit for something that Dr. Luke wrote about 2000 years ago. Even more reason to call it the Good Book. . Obviously, they were all Famous’ idea, but it was ill to just watch from the inside with such a talented guy. Anyway, needless to say, I was ultra jacked to hear this project when it was completed.

But then February turned to March turned to April turned to May… The project had taken a little longer to put together than I think was initially anticipated I know right, a release date delay in the music business… I was as shocked as anyone. Please refer up to the first line of the article. . But to everyone’s credit, it had nothing to do with slacking and everything to do with making sure that the best possible outcome would be achieved. I mean, the visuals were shot and everything was in the can, it’s just, like I said before, once it’s out Remember that whipped cream analogy from a little earlier? in the public, it’s out. Well, you know what, the guys were just like; let’s do this no matter what. The goal is to utilize all avenues of the game to attain that Maven status so that others begin to emulate your work and the rep grows bigger from there For example, in the Spring of 2001 I was part of an education conference in the UAE. While I was there, I learned about a singer named Craig David from England. Yes, the same Craig David you’d remember, but months before he reached our shores. You see, the Arab dudes knew all the words to his songs and sang right along with him while others would dance. How did that happen in an area of the world where more often than not, pop culture isn’t ‘top of mind’ (I see you Corporate Chris)? Because on MTV Europe, they had seen David’s videos and so that had them moving like him and talking like him (they obviously, for the most part, couldn’t dress like him, but those that were more liberal did in bits and pieces.) The point is, that’s the power of music, and that’s the scope you should be trying to reach with every single release. . Alas, the rest of the summer was spent putting the final touches on the project.

Goddess Girl was released on October 6th 2009. Weekly, for the next two months, a new video would debut accompanied by the song being released on iTunes The actual launch on iTunes came one week after the first single, ‘I Wanna Know Your Name’ was released. For those living in Toronto, you’ll recognize that song from the love it gets on Flow. . At press time the total views for all videos in the whole project was just over 100,000.

Just being honest and using hindsight as 20/20, I didn’t love everything about the project, and that’s speaking from the perspective of a fan I say that because I had the inside view, but I wasn’t part of decisions and stuff like that obviously… I’m mainly inserted in “Talking” situations in most business dealings. Blah, Blah, Blah… Shouts to Payroll on that serious verbage game. Ice-T, booooooooy, you don’t want you no Payroll. . I did want to do more though. But, on the real, the only two things that I ever suggested that I could help with were booking shows and acquiring sponsorships My friend Alana at Pizza Pizza is the coolest corporate connect you’re going to have. She’s hip and has a nose for good branding opportunities for the company. Amber does the same at Pizza 73 and Tina keeps the ship moving. They are excellent partners and an incredible brand. PS – They also dominated the food at the Auto Show, and I was there this past Saturday and passed by a young kid and his dad sitting at the table eating. The little dude looks up at his dad and say, “You just don’t get a bad piece of Pizza Pizza.” Only I would have heard that… My word that happened… Thanks little dude! . One quick look at FarBeyond.ca and you’ll see that we have had some okay success in those areas for almost every single artist on the roster, but sometimes, things don’t go as planned. God’s will can be a unique and wondrous understanding that only makes itself clear when the time is right Or as we say at my church, ‘In God’s Time’ . And don’t think that doesn’t happen in business dealings – God’s everywhere, remember?

But this article isn’t about me, it’s about Famous, so let me wrap this up properly. I have no greater faith in any artist I’ve ever worked with, regardless of the genre, than I have for Ashton Bishop. He just can’t lose… It’s not in his DNA Speaking of DNA, wasn’t the world a better place before the OJ Simpson trial? And not just cause I’m a fan of the Buffalo Bills (insert every single joke imaginable here). I think I lost my innocence the day the verdict was read. He is as guilty as Swizz Beatz and Bounty Killa (potentially the worst song I’ve ever heard in my entire life bar none), but he got off. Or he bought off, however you want to look at it. Really though, that’s the way the world works… I remember, jumping up and down in the caf at Unionville High School as hundreds of us watched the jury come to it’s decision, too naïve to really know what had happened. I was 16, but that day, I was 75. (cue the violins please…) . So far, I feel, I haven’t done anything major for his career, but I got to watch with a bird’s-eye view. And while I don’t agree with everything that has gone on, I can’t argue with where he and Rez have positioned themselves. But I think The Kid has one other goal he really wants to reach, and Sean Combs is the prototype. Let me explain…

See to me, Famous is the Puff Daddy of Canada I mean, am I wrong on that? Like this dude really is the Diddy of this country. You just wait till he gets on and you see how quickly he reaches back for everyone and puts them in front of himself. I have a sneaking suspicion that Ashton’s executive producing career will last longer than his rap career, and that will be by HIS choice. . There isn’t one other artist anywhere in the Great White North that is better received for the right reasons than The Kid. He’s everything to everyone. If you went to high school in the burbs, he’s ‘THAT black guy’. If you’re at the barbershop, he’s the guy that everyone is listening too. If you’re at a club, he’s the reason you got in. And when you’re backstage at the NRJ Awards in France, he’s the dude that has Michael Buble going, “I know why you were at the Juno’s, but what are you doing here?” What’s he doing there? He’s Famous man, didn’t anyone tell you?

Oh ya, and when it comes to continuing to build on his ultra impressive brand… He won’t stop, cause he can’t stop…

On some fresh off the press vibe, I just got to see the video for the ‘I Wanna Know Your Name’ the House Remix. I have never seen so many cameos in a Canadian video in my life… After watching this, I’d like someone to argue the point in the last paragraph above… Really well done… This one’s a keeper.

To read part 1 click here.
To read part 2 click here.
To read part 3 click here.