I recently had a conversation
with another buddy of mine who is an industry professional, with a focus in
Artist Management. I took the opportunity to chat with him about what makes and
breaks his ties to an artist he manages. We also talked a bit about the recent
artist conflict between R&B singer Chris Brown and Rapper Drake. For the
sake of keeping his identity private, I will call him Matt.
Matt signed on to be a manager to a rapper a year or so ago. The artist has made a decent buzz in his region and Matt is guiding this artist to worldwide success. Their professional chemistry in and outside of the studio is what made Matt decide to commit to this business partnership. They were both excited to create longevity and do things on the vibe of love. A shared vision is always the beginning to a promising business venture.
Matt also shared with me that from his experiences over the years in the business, he has decided he will not be like everyone else who manages artists. He chooses to conduct business in a way that creates less headaches and requires less Tylenol. The contract will be clear agreeing to a 3-4-album deal with an option to renegotiate upon expiration to renew financial terms. Matt will partner with an artist who has already created a personality that will stand out among the competition, whose focus is on making history and making people smile. Keeping the charitable outlook while managing an artist is an admirable touch to Matt’s style.
I asked Matt what would break his partnership with the artist he manages. I simultaneously brought up the recent fight between two artists that made me wonder what he would do as their manager. I was impressed to learn that Matt would not break his tie with an artist who attracts bad press like the R&B singer Chris Brown or his bar brawl opponent, rapper Drake. Matt thinks things happen in life, even if it is stupid like the bar brawl between Chris Brown and Drake.
Matt would advise his artist to run far away from the bad press by not commenting, in an effort to not feed the conflict. However, Matt approves if the artist write a song about what happened without the mention of names. In this way the artist is still being expressive. Matt’s bottom line is whatever the artist does, he will remain on contract, keeping in mind that everything is negotiable. If a disagreement or neglect of the contract arises, Matt knows that most artists will not want to go to court, so they will negotiate or create something that will work for the artist and the manager.
Matt enlightened me to understand that although negative experiences can happen, I can look forward to a win-win situation with whomever I work with in this business.
Matt signed on to be a manager to a rapper a year or so ago. The artist has made a decent buzz in his region and Matt is guiding this artist to worldwide success. Their professional chemistry in and outside of the studio is what made Matt decide to commit to this business partnership. They were both excited to create longevity and do things on the vibe of love. A shared vision is always the beginning to a promising business venture.
Matt also shared with me that from his experiences over the years in the business, he has decided he will not be like everyone else who manages artists. He chooses to conduct business in a way that creates less headaches and requires less Tylenol. The contract will be clear agreeing to a 3-4-album deal with an option to renegotiate upon expiration to renew financial terms. Matt will partner with an artist who has already created a personality that will stand out among the competition, whose focus is on making history and making people smile. Keeping the charitable outlook while managing an artist is an admirable touch to Matt’s style.
I asked Matt what would break his partnership with the artist he manages. I simultaneously brought up the recent fight between two artists that made me wonder what he would do as their manager. I was impressed to learn that Matt would not break his tie with an artist who attracts bad press like the R&B singer Chris Brown or his bar brawl opponent, rapper Drake. Matt thinks things happen in life, even if it is stupid like the bar brawl between Chris Brown and Drake.
Matt would advise his artist to run far away from the bad press by not commenting, in an effort to not feed the conflict. However, Matt approves if the artist write a song about what happened without the mention of names. In this way the artist is still being expressive. Matt’s bottom line is whatever the artist does, he will remain on contract, keeping in mind that everything is negotiable. If a disagreement or neglect of the contract arises, Matt knows that most artists will not want to go to court, so they will negotiate or create something that will work for the artist and the manager.
Matt enlightened me to understand that although negative experiences can happen, I can look forward to a win-win situation with whomever I work with in this business.
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