Real Men DON’T Cry!!! “Hit The Road Jack”

Welcome to Real Men Don’t Cry!!! The informative self-help guide for ALL artists attempting to navigate their way through this roller coaster ride we know to be the Music Industry. Being that I’m currently on the Glow In The Dark USA Tour what better subject to touch on than the touring.

If the world could be paralleled to the anatomy of a musician then touring would have to be the daily exercise needed to keep the blood flowing through the veins of an artist. Touring is so pivotal to the success of an artist that I doubt I will be able to adequately explain it within the confines of this piece. But nonetheless I wanna “Go-In” on what I believe is arguably one of the Top 5 most important things an artist has to partake in if you truly wanna SURVIVE in this game. All the greats in this game tour extensively. It is the one guaranteed way you can find out if your connecting with the fans. You can have that “Summer Banger” but if you can’t fill them seats or them clubs then what good is it. Even if your motive is to “Catch A Lick” you still somewhere deep inside want the people to feel what you’re doing. That’s human nature.

It works the opposite way as well. If you have music that you truly believe in but for some reason hasn’t reached the masses then you’ve gotta “Take It To The Stage”. I recently interviewed R&B sensation Chrisette Michele and she told me point blank,”500,000 copies of her album were sold by touring and going to every radio station she could and singing her heart out!!!” That’s impressive.

Now the question is how do I get on tour??? Well like everything else there’s a process. Once you feel confident in the records you have let people hear them. Do local open mics and clubs. Once you build your buzz and all your mans wanna come to the show then give them something to do. Of course in the hood everybody feels like they’re your security but the job of a Road Manager is of the utmost importance. A Road Manager is the closest person to an artist on the road. They are there to represent you to the fullest capacity. From dealing with the promoters to making sure you have an adequate sound check, he’s your go-to-guy!!! So if you select someone who’s a friend or family member, make sure they’re RESPONSIBLE.

It is vital that an artist have a dope DJ and/or band backing them up. It is important that you have a steady pace throughout your performance so that the crowd stays with you. When you have talented people backing you up on stage it just ADDS entertainment value to what you’re doing. On the same note, in my opinion, you don’t want 100 MFer’s on stage while your performing. It is important people identify you while your performing. If not how can you expect them to embrace your artistry. So if your going to have a Hype Man make sure he’s going to “Hype You Up”.

Another critical component for a touring artist is having relationships with various promoters and booking agents. These guys are the ones who put the parties or events together. If you build a relationship with the promoters in your hometown it’s very likely they will give you the opportunity to perform. OPPORTUNITY is the gatekeeper that permits talented individuals to become STARS. Remember all positions in business are communal. You get them promoters talking and next thing you know folks from out of town start calling for you to perform. Once you build up a base where people wanna see you perform in various cities now comes to need to link up with a good booking agent. Some of the premiere booking agencies for a recording artist are William Morris,CAA and Paridigm. The agent or agency would be the ones who would reach out to the promoters and put together a route that will enable you to tour. They along with your Road Manager then start putting together what is called a Technical Rider. A Rider is basically a laundry list of all things you need once you get to the venue. It ranges the amount of microphones you need to whether the DJ is using CDJ’s or Sorato. You will also find things like the type of food required in the dressing, the lighting need for the stage, the monitors used on stage and even the number of guest passes the artist needs.

In 2007 I went on 3 Tours that I personally financed to promote Don’t Quit Your Day Job. The 1st was in April with Young Buck and his Cashville Records Team. We did a lot markets I had yet to touch like the Ohio Valley region. It was definitely a GRIND. I had to make adjustments to my regular show because of the sound they are accustomed to. I will say after the 1st couple of shows they was with ME. No matter where you are in this world if your doing something that feels good then people will gravitate towards it. The 2nd tour I went on was with Musiq Soulchild & Chrisette Michele. How this opportunity came about was such a SUPER BLESSING. I was in my publicist office at Sony and he showed me the Rolling Stone 5oth Anniversary Edition. Inside was an interview with Musiq (He had just had the #1 Album in the country) and the asked him what were his Top 5 Favorite LP’s and he answered, ”My Favorite Album out right now is Don’t Quit Your Day Job by Consequence”. I saw that and immediately tried to get a contact on him. A couple of days went by and his assistant hit me on MySpace asking for my email to put me in his Top 8. From there we wound getting on the phone and chopping it up. He invited me to a show he was doing in NY and then invited me to open for him when he went on tour for the summer. I jumped right on that opportunity and went out there to kill it every night. We all had a great run. Musiq ,His manager Victor and myself became very good friends as a result of the “LuvNMusiq” Tour. (Thanks guys!!!) The last tour I went on in 07’ was the Glow In The Dark UK Tour in November. This was a bittersweet experience because it was my 1st time doing a bulk of Great Britain but at the same we were all mourning the passing of Ms. West. Nevertheless we all (Ye, Common, Estelle, GLC and myself) went out there and put on a hell of a show. Definitely one of the highlights of this touring experience was me doing a Tour Journal in conjunction with Okayplayer (shout out to Ginny & Dan). The journal showed fans a side of me they may not have necessarily seen through my music. That was the first step I took towards BLOGGING!!!

So whether your flying 1st class, on a tour bus, in a turtle top or have to rent a S.U.V. from Hertz don’t be afraid to pack up your bags and showem’ what you got. This is crucial part of career development. You never know what you can do until you do it!!!

HIT THE ROAD JACK

This weekend look for the Video Installment of Real Men Don’t Cry!!!
“Location, Location, Location” featuring Nelly & Murphy Lee of the St. Lunatics

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