I want to refer every aspiring and emerging artist back to an important insight the esteemed music journalist, Marcus J Moore, made in his recent 10 Questions 4 interview with OnStage. He said, “I just hope the next rapper does something unique. They can’t always pop bottles and sell drugs. “
When I reflect on that, then listen to most of the new music being released by younger artists, I wonder if they get it. More important, I wonder if they have a goal. Because the goal in this game is epitomized by Jay Z. You can love him or hate him, but you can’t question his relevance. Think of it this way; music is a long continuum and the artists who outsize it do so because they never lose sight of the doors it opens along the way. Nat King Cole leveled the playing field, James Brown could literally stop a riot, Stevie Wonder got a national holiday declared, and Tupac Shakur spoke truth to power. Now you see this guy hosting fundraisers for the president and dropping a video encouraging people to vote. And he’s still selling out arenas, still near the top of the Forbes list. You think he got there because the only advice he took was the advice he gave himself?
It just seems to me that too many young Hip Hop artists are so caught up in projecting a false image of who they are that they never spend time thinking about who they really want to be. Make the music you want to; drug slinging, bottle popping, pussy chasing, whatever. But connect the music you’re making to a solid goal of where you want it to take you. Stay humble, be thankful, reply to tweets, return phone calls, consider every sensible proposal. Keep the same friends, but find a trusted mentor. If you’re just starting to get some traction in this music game, there’s still a huge difference between being Jay Z, and being you. My advice? Act accordingly.