-Saturday: Attended the A&R Power Summit and worked to help coordinate the event. It was definitely a cool experience. I met a couple of important A&Rs and got a chance to network with some producers. That summit made me respect how hard artists wanna work to get what they want. Especially, in NYC, everyone's a rapper so the summit helps by letting artists get their work judged by REAL A&Rs (no name dropping here, but cats from Bad Boy, Warner Music Group, Sony, Jive, G-Unit and Shady were there.). Shoutouts to the big homie Miss Parker for getting me up in there.
-Monday: Jitters galore. It's the day before the M.E.A.M. Summit @ Baruch. I'm @ Def Jam packing 200 pouches for the Chrisette Michelle Release Party with makeup cases. DOLO. Before that, I was stuck cutting string for w/e it was. I'm like "WTF am I doing this shit for?". I'm a team player so I just do it till I had to stuff the pouches. I was glad to be out that muthafucka....
We had our first BLCK Discussion Panel. It went well and that was sort of the event that set the tone for the week. I felt happy to be part of an event that spotlights black men doing their thing. It was small and intimate and the networking was great.
-Tuesday: Nervous as fuck. I wanted the M.E.A.M. event to run smooth. It goes good and Chris comes through with Tim from College Mkting and talks to students one on one. Group M, Universal, Zee TV and some other companies come through. The event is a success and we get a couple of resumes of ppl who wanna be part of our company. I do some Cornerstone work and just pass the fuck out when I get home. Everyone sorta knew I was tense and edgy so that was cool for it to go well.
-Wednesday: Cornerstone day. Regular shit. Had a meeting with my ppls @ Wealthy Ho$tage Clothing on Church Avenue in Brooklyn. We'll be working with them on some stuff. :-X.
I can say that we'll be holding a Method Man/Redman Listening session there. Here's the flyer!
-Thursday: This was a BIG day. First there's a Wale concert @ Baruch for Spring Fling. It rains but son still puts on a good show. I do some Cornerstone work then go home. I head back to the city for a Digital Media/Music panel @ Le Poisson Rouge, but I'm EXTRA late. After some cockblocking @ the door, I get in. The panel was extremely informative. I forget off top who was there but the CEO of Fool's Golds Records (Kid Cudi, Kid Sister) as well as some ppl from Zune and some other respectable establishments. There's an open bar after so i have two drinks. (Ever since Stasia's party, I dont really drink too much when I go out.LOL). I aint get a stamp so I go back upstairs and sneak into the club (The bar area was separate from the stage area which has its own bar). I see MAD Cornerstone heads and the homie Yannique, Steph and Gabriel as well as Eb and my son Gerard who I havent seen since we were done @ Sony BMG. I forget the order but the performers were J.Cole (more later), Young Chris (another cool dude), Colin Monroe, Tanya Morgan (enhhhh), Kid Cudi (who performs his only song "Day-N-Nite") and Wale who tears it down.
I'm not gonna sit up here and front like I'm a huge Wale fan but he knows how to perform and has good mastery over the crowd. Roc Nation was in the building....That show sorta brought me back to life, with all the shit that's gone down. I was DUMB tired cuz I was on my feet all day but it was worth it.
On some real shit....I like watching a new talent just come through and do his thing. There's somethin' about this kid and with Jay-z/Jay Brown/Ty-Ty's mentorship and him being the first artist on Roc Nation, he can be special. I got word of J.Cole first from my dude Vic @ Mercury Records. I DLed "The Come Up" mixtape and was impressed from jump. The second track "Simba" was straight WOW status. I just spoke to him briefly and told him to keep working on his craft. I was trying to get some tracks from "The Warmup" (next mixtape) from someone but ya'll know how it goes. J said it's coming in three weeks.
-Friday: Cornerstone work in LES and Dumbo....Met with Ca$tro, an artist on Pittsburgh. I posted his vid for "Skinny Nigga Toothpick" on my blog a while back. Son has talent but as I tell all artists who come to NYC...they just gotta keep working @ it and just learn how to get the fuck out the crib and see what the ppl respond to up here. Go to some open mics. Attend shows. Build and cultivate relationships. Son is humble and doesnt talk too much; I REALLY respect that, because in NYC, everyone's an artist and just is in your face all the time promoting their work...and when you get it, it's some trash. He has a spark but it's about finding a sound. I can see some degree of marketability. Ya'll know I dont give a fuck, so I had son bust a freestyle while some lil tourist kid and old lady who looks like she cheats on her Madison Avenue workaholic husband are just looking @ us.
We then met with Brooklyn Bodega and will be working with them for the Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival. I missed it last year, but I heard Blu (who I'm a big fan of) and a lotta other dope acts performed. They got DJ Premier on board this year (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), and I can't really talk on it, but let's just say this idea for an event WILL be a dream come true if it goes down. Primo's a LEGEND and can't no one fuck with him.
Went to the Baruch Fashion Show. It was better when certain other ppl handled it but kudos to them for getting Beenie Man to perform. I was almost caught up but I'm too cool to sweat.
-Saturday: Just chillin...about to hit up Cornerstone and handle some stuff. Party Time later....
It's been a GREAT week for me. With all the bullshit I been going through, it's about time some sunlight came my way.
Pics of Wale @ Baruch.
