Save a Dollar a Day

If you saved one of these a day you would have enough money to get ASCAPed, get your own website, and start a company within a year. Not bad at all, especially once you realize that 80% of being independent is having a handle on your financial situation. If you put away a dollar a day, you'll be up and running with the big boys in no time. For most people, its hard to do so because you want to have the latest gear and splurge once in awhile. But let me ask you this, who's having more fun in the club. The duke outside with the 40 inch rims and the candy paint that can't get in the club, or the guy in a polo and some nice jeans that just has enough money to buy two drinks and some food for later on? You decided!

Freestyling Tips

Cause I figured everyone needs some pointers from time to time. He has a whole series on youtube.com and I think everyone needs to check it out.

Enjoy!

Who You Wit?

So, last year when me and my boy B.$imm$ were on our promo run for the Ha-Style VS B.$imm$ mixtape, we ran into a group of guys that stated they would help us. Not going to say their names because it wouldn't make a difference now, plus, I'm not helping to plug them anyway. Last year we did right around 30 shows and collabed on a lot of events. It all came to an end when the promoter of this group cheated me and like 20 other artists out of some money and stage time. Later on, the promoter was thrown in jail for drug possession and was losing friends crazy quick because he was shady. Now a year has passed and he's out now and decides to hit me up asking if I could collab with his artist. Nothing against the artist, I think he's great and very intelligent, but ol boy. Nah, not so much. Now he's hittin me up telling me he's mad cause I won't respond to his comments after his whole escapade. (there's a Kanye line that I'm thinking of that rhymes with loser) The point that I'm trying to make here, is watch the company you keep. If I kept running with this duke then I would probably be in jail because HE got caught up in some mess with the cops because of drug possession. Or better yet, have like 100 enemies cause he's been cheating people out of their stage time lying to people. But watch the company that you keep, because who you hang around with also represents you.

Is It Worth It?

LOL! I decided to have a little humor today because its needed. Can't be too serious all the time. But what I'm trying to show here is that anything that's easy, isn't really worth it. I put on twitter one time "How successful will you be? How much did you struggle today?" I know it would be fun to have everything easy and to show everybody that its a piece of cake, however, it really wouldn't be. If rap came easy, then everybody would be great at it. If grinding was for the faint of heart, then everyone would be millionaires. I've already stated before that it takes time and patience to make it. But to ease your mind and not to burn out, you have to remember that anything worth having is not going to be easy to obtain. I think a lot of us forget that and want an easy way out at times. Its normal to feel like that, but the best medicine to laziness is a goal. But we'll leave that one for another time...

Its Never That Bad

Remember those times when you would sit in your room and just dwell on past mistakes and the things that are going on in your life. Sometimes you felt so bad you just didn't want to do anything else but mope around and not talk to anyone. Its called depression and there's nothing wrong with feeling that way, especially if you feel that no one really appreciates your art. But I'm here to tell you that no matter how bad things get, its never that bad. Think about it, yeah things may be down financially, but at least you're able to pay rent and put food on the table. Yeah that last gig may have ended bad, but at least you're able to perform. Some people are too scared to get up on a stage, or just can't. So whenever you feel as though things are bad. Just remember that it could be worst, just imagine being in someone else's shoes. I don't think you want someone else's problems because you may not be able to handle them. Things may be bad for a day, hell, they may be bad for a week!! But at least you're still breathing, and at least the music will never stop. And you shouldn't either.

Your Demo

Why are you wasting your time trying to make 100 Cds with the word DEMO written on it? You should know by now, if you haven't already, that no labels right now are trying to hire anymore one-hit wonders, guys that can't pub, know nothing about the business (unless you're trying to get raped), or anyone that is trying to make it after being in the game for only a month. Stop the b.s. and start working. Even at the level that I'm at, I ACTUALLY get demos handed to me. Flattering at first, and yes I do listen to each and every last one of them, but to be honest 2nd City doesn't want anyone that doesn't want to put in the work for themselves. We got enough things we have to get done first anyway. So to all my up and coming, get off that couch, log off defsounds.com, put away Acid Pro, and instead of handing those demos to record execs who work 12 hour days and have a family to take care of. Why don't you hand them to your friends, associates, and the people in your hood and start making a name for yourself. As Luda once put it

"Get it mixed and mastered pressed up and plastered/Sell it to your whole hood out the trunk you bastered/Show all the non belivers what your destined to be/And in just a couple years you could be rich like me"