Major or Indie?

November 2010

I haven’t written a word since the middle of August… It’s halfway through November and I just can’t get motivatedChristmas always helps with that though… Do you think Boom 97.3 is going to play Christmas songs the same way EZ Rock did?. I guess that’s what giving up chronic will do to your creative sideSorry parents, I wish it wasn’t true. I’m still not smoking though, so that’s a positive.. Thing is, I’ve been bored the last few months. Not like bored with writing, like bored in general. I feel like I’m in the training stage before a big fight, but I’m not sure who I’m fighting just yet or why. On top of that, the good Lord knows I don’t like training, so…………. Plus, I’ve been sitting on this second part to the Drake article for that whole time and just can’t find the proper way to write itThe last thing I want to do is be the same old hater like everyone else is… That’s so boring and played out. Plus, um, I’m not even hating, so that means I really have to use my brain to be creative and witty. There’s got to be a box of Century’s around here somewhere.. Well, there is some potential that I have made headway on the Drizzy thing, so to get my chops back on the scribing tip I thought I’d bring another old article to life.

This bad boy here I wrote for HipHopCanada.com in March 2003. About two months later Mastermind, while he was still out in Calgary at Vibe, hit me up and asked for permission to reprint it on the stations site. For him, not a problem.

It was originally written in two parts, but I only put one of them up here. Both parts are just as relevant today as they were seven years ago, but who wants to read that much nostalgia? Here is the original piece exactly has it was displayed on Vibe985.com in the late Spring of 2003. As always, footnotes are new.

Hope you enjoy…

Major or Indie: What’s the Best Way to Sell you Product Part I - By Chris Shaban (June 2003)

“Just cause you pour syrup on sh*t don’t make it pancakesStill BY FAR the best G Unit song of all time. ‘Follow-Me Gangsta’. Wow, I just wheeled it back seven times in a row right now. Reading the line in this article got me that hyped. Please note the H2 line you’ll see at the end of the article as well.” – Lloyd Banks

That analogy conjures up images in my head, and of course being totally honest, of trash artists that got themselves that record deal. Until recently it was the Stanley Cup (Go Canucks!They, along with the Ottawa Senators, were the only 2 Canadian teams left in the playoffs at the time I wrote the article. I’m from Toronto and I’m a Habs fan, so you can imagine how I feel about the Sens. Anyway, the Canucks got knocked out 3 days later.) of the rap game. It became the main focus of most artists; a Seven Nation ArmyClearly I had a thing for the song back then.. It’s still on the iPod now…. couldn’t hold them back. Then, if you got the deal, whether for $25,000 or $1 million, you completed the game. Did you ever wonder why so many ill artists that got the deal suddenly floppedI didn’t transition the sentences that nicely back then… It hurts to read a little, but I gotta keep it real.? Change the focus, the deal is securing the investment and acquiring a new (and sometimes pushy) partner, the Cup comes when you sell dem records. But it’s 2003 and there is a new game in town. With independents making mad money, even bringing labels to their knees with huge distribution deals, are we even playing in the same sport anymore? Can you still sell big units; ultimately win the game, without being signed to a major? This is too much to digest in one sitting so I’ve broken it into two parts, aptly named ‘Major or Indie: What’s the Best Way to Sell you Product’ - Parts I and III know, I know – creative genius. Not the first time I’ve heard it.. For the first roundtable we have enlisted music industry experts representing both sides of the fence and all over the field. On board with us is David ‘Click’ Cox, A&R @ Universal Music Canada, Frank Willison Owner/President ‘nuff EntertainmentRemember that label that every single Hip-Hop artist used to get Factor and Videofact grants? I do… I A&R’d there… and still the best thing we ever did was distribute the Greensleeves riddims…. I miss Diwali and Shay BoogsShay was already a vet by the time I did this interview. He hustled through the industry at a few spots and landed at Landspeed before Traffic, which I believe is an advertising company now, but don’t quote me. of Traffic Records bringing some south of the border flavour.

All right, before we jump in the pool with our clothes on, lets outline some key steps that need to be taken before you even find yourself faced with this decision. What can you do to help yourself? “Self promotion is the most important thing in Canada”, says Frank, “If you don’t have a buzz, it doesn’t matter if you’re on a major or indie, it’ll take longer for your record to sellCHURCH!. You’ll have to create one anyway, start now.” Click echoes those sentiments, “You gotta know how to promote, know your audienceAnd perhaps you can do that by hitting up onBLAST Digital. www.onblastdigitaldelivery.com. Get outta the studio and get in the mix.” He also cautions some good advice that can even be applied to cats daily lives, “Deal with respect and you get it back. Support each other.” Visions of a Utopian record industry come to mind! Shay? “Self-promotion is huge. Most artists think that it’s a distributor’s job to market and promote the artist. This is hardly true. The artist should work in conjunction with the label (indie or major) and be willing to do any and all interviews, call-ins, shows etc.” Can I get an Amen?!, He continues, “Right now we’re working on a new album with PMDThat would have been ‘The Awakening’… they partnered with an outfit called Solid Records for the push. and he is doing anything that our partners ask of him. He understands how the game works and knows what he must do to make sure his new album is successful.” Real work eh? Just cuz you see a dude pouring champagne on girls in videos doesn’t mean homeboy’s too big to holler J-Wyze during the Trauma Unit or Slim over in Van City. Lastly, “Present a good package, I see it like a bank”, notes Click like it’s his first time saying it, but it’s probably his 1000th, “you don’t go to the bank and ask for $100G’s based on an idea, why would you do that with a label? Come with a plan.” Aiight class, get on your job.

So now your sitting in the big chair in the big office, someone just brought you a bottle of water you didn’t have to pay for and some dude who majored in Economics at Western University is telling you how you’re the hottest sh*t on the streets right now If you’re new to the music business or just interested in it, you have no idea how many times that’s happened. Pretty major huh? The good news is if you’re sitting there, you did your jobUnless you’re on Twitter, exclamation marks are so played out and a sign that you couldn’t get your point across with words, so you had to use punctuation steroids! Good thing I have lots in my old articles! I’m so happy every time I see one!! You feel things went well and now you’re off to your next meeting and it feels a little more impromptu and lasts about 10 minutes. The dude you’re talking to is leafing through papers on his desk to find out who you are, and you just don’t feel the same kinship that comes with a free bottle of waterIt’s 2010, so you may get a bottle of water now from the Indies too… . This leaves you feeling almost independent. At the end of the day, they both agree to work out an album ‘deal’ with you, so now, finances aside, the question you gotta ask yourself is, did the big chair sell you?

“Both could be good, it depends on the deal”, notes FrankWho cut his teeth working with his close friend Eddy Grant. Their original office was on Electric Avenue… they used to rock down to it., “a major will spend the money and provide support, but Canadian indie labels have a better chance than ever before; the new generation has arrived!” It may seem like times are rosy for Indies because of the outside factors that are involved with Major dealings. “People assume once you like their music, you get paid big. In this day and age, that doesn’t happen” points out Click via phone from Universal HQ in T.O., “It’s more that you fit into the mix, marketing etcThe more thangs change, the more thangs stay the same mang..” With advances, or the fronted cheese given to the artist by the major to do an album, being recouped right away, it is always best, no matter what type of advance you get, to take full advantage of the loot and be cost effective. “The cheaper the record is to make, the quicker you make your money. Quicker, but still be the best possible” ends Click. Again laying all the cards on the table, Shay seems to sum the whole thing up pretty nicely, “It depends on many things, but it’s much easier going the independent routeEasier, like you don’t have so many people to report to, but harder like people may not hear your music as much. than the major label route. If you decide to go for a major deal, you might be sitting around for years waiting for something that’s never going to happen. Independently, it’s much easier to release your own material plus you have more control over practically every aspect of your music.” Everything sounds so nice, but where is the money coming from? Shay makes a good point, but not all artists wait around, do you feel it’s worth the risk? All right, that’s it’s ‘I’m going with a major’ you say. But wait, as in all good business (yes, it is the music BIZness) ventures, research is needed. Check the history of major labels, and urban artists in this country. Frank brings up one last point. “Look at past urban artists and what they’ve sold as examples of past deals.” If you’re up on your recent history that may scare you a bit It still should… , but it should also help in finding the best answer.

Okay, so now you’re in the driver seat and it’s decision time. You probably have more questions then when you started, but see that’s why you’ll be back for Part II. It will be filled with helpful tips and witty quotes to take on your journey into the recording industry. They will no doubt take your H2 to a full-out Level 4 in not time if you play your cards right…Southside tatted on my back, my last gun shipment got the whole hood straps. It’s amazing how quick $200 - $300 million can change you… ;-). Eyes peeled for Part II coming in early-May with our same insightful panel, and maybe some additions, we’ll check the budget.

So there you have it, more then seven years strong and this article is eerily just as relevant. I guess the industry does move like a rolling stone… the one they put in front of Jesus tomb, and gathering it’s share of moss. This is the deal, I’m going to re-do Part II for the first half of 2011. Something old, something new – some ideas borrowed to keep your indoor pool water blue. Maybe with some help, again, I’ll check the budget.