Scheduled up a meeting at Warner Bros Records out in LA yesterday, met with one of the execs of the outfit (not just some A&R guy) which was cool. Hung out in the lobby for a good while before the meeting, watched Wacka Flocka and Gucci Mane videos in succession the entire time lol.
I'm not gonna type up some pipedream bs and tell you that the meeting was wonderful and we're off to the races. I have no reason to lie... it was a bad meeting. We played all of my videos, checked out the new album, etc., and then he passed on me.
The main issue is that my songs aren't "hits", so there's no way he or anyone else at the label would walk my music up to the Chairman to check out. By "hits" he mentioned Lady Gaga, Justin Beiber, Katy Perry and other such similar joke artists (in my opinion).
And so the line was drawn. This is the difference between the old generation and the new. Why do you think the Best New Artist at the Grammy's this year was the jazz cellist chick (Esperanza Spalding)? Not Drake?! Not Beiber?! omgomgomg.... this cellist woman won #1 because she's an actual musician and that's what the Grammys are supposed to be celebrating and #2 because a statement needed to be made. Everyone is sick of the bs we're being fed. I'm sorry but the majority of Young Money songs on the radio are NOT GOOD lol but after hearing them 100 times/day we naturally assume other people must like it, and that it MUST be good bc it's being played so many damn times, and so we go ahead and start bobbing our heads to the beat.
I dunno, I'm not going to just rant about how the industry sucks and my music is the greatest and no one understands great music like I do haha bc that's not at all my mentality. Obviously I think my music is pretty good or I wouldn't be here. What I can't stand is the labels and how risk-averse they are.
If you read between the lines, the guy at Warner basically said he and the label won't be interested in me until I have a #1 hit on the radio and 100k fans already in the bag. Sure, then they'll come a-knocking and want me to sign away my masters and publishing and give up everything I've worked for!! That's like me saying hey, go out and start up a small bookstore. Once you get to the point where you are looking to franchise and have as much profit as Borders does... come to me, and sign over the company into my name :)
I just don't get it. But it's cool with me because I'm just more motivated than before. My team is going to takeover and become the next record label. I've never been one to depend on others... Just wait til a year from now. 6 months from now. Yall will see!!!!! haha I'm feelin extremely tough and empowered right now
Warner Bros Records Building, LA
looks like a shag carpet from the 70s
Posted by: Joe Blow | February 20, 2011 at 06:47 PM
good article, although Borders just declared Bankruptcy last week! Probably need another example ha ha
Posted by: Dave Clark | February 19, 2011 at 12:23 PM
Man that's some BS bro. Sounds like dude from Warner couldn't know great music if it slapped him in the face. Keep making HITS and we will continue to support you!!! You have are orginal and that usually scares people. Abe Linclon had about countless failures in his pursue to be president and people finally realized he was s great leader. Do you bro! The rest will fall into place~Mario Morquecho-Morquecho Enterprises
Posted by: Mario Morquecho | February 19, 2011 at 12:11 PM