ThatRetailChick

I have been in music retail for 14 years now and I can say with much certainty that the “artist turned label owner” trend is not working very well when it comes to sales.  You want reasons…Oh Boy Do I Have Reasons…

My Boy is My A&R…

Really???  So just because he liked some classic rap tunes, they have the ear to find talent?  WOW, if that’s all it takes where do I apply.  I would have thought that after the first couple of artists your boy signed did not do well, a bell would have went off in the “artist turned record label owners” head.  “DING – Maybe I should hire someone a little more qualified to find new artist for my label.” 

  Is there a “No one can be better than me on my own label” thing going on that we shouldn’t talk about?

That’s the way things are looking so far.  When LA Reid signed Usher to La Face, Babyface wasn’t thinking “Damn…he better not be bigger than me!”  La Face was an investment that was meant to turn a profit!  A record label is a business and businesses are supposed to make money.  So quit trippin’ and help your artist sell records like you do!  But don’t send them out and say…”you gotta grind” with no help from your label.  You might just have too many artists and not enough employees to run the label.

Let’s Hire Interns!!!  We can use them for FREE!!!

 Well, unfortunately free help is not always the best help.  Interns with no one to train them have no experience in promotions & no business savvy.  Plus, the next time I see an “intern” come in the store with a couple of posters, flyers, and some free cd’s, then slap them down on the counter and say “dis from “_______” label…it’s dey new artist.”  I might have to call your label out!  Please start hiring companies that are trained to do street promotions.  I’m tired of giving lessons on how to put up a display!

I got an EMPIRE…and my artists…well…they cool.

I also do not understand why artist turned record label owners are great at building their own personal empires and the record label only turns a profit when their album comes out.  I mean dang!  I see clothing lines, TV shows, BIG WHIPS, new jewelry, nice houses on MTV cribs.  I really want to know, are there any marketing plans?  Is there a budget (no matter how big or small)?  Does your new artist get anything more than some mixtapes, a video, and the chance to book some shows?   

Speaking of booking shows…when did record labels become booking agencies???

I know that show money is good money (unless you signed the artist to a 360 label & management deal). One hit song can take an artist around the world and that’s dope.  But if all you have is one hit record on your roster, and that record has ran its course, what’s next?  Where is your brilliant team of Record Label Executives to keep the momentum going? Where is the marketing plan that outlines your artists’ road map to possible success?  It probably doesn’t exist because all your execs and employees are sitting around trying to book shows to make their next dollar.

This is a P.S.A. from your music retail fairy godmother…That Retail Chick