TJ Chapman

Untitled

2012-02-09T08:58:00.001-08:00

via TweetDeck

B.o.B - Strange Clouds remix feat. T.I. & Young Jeezy [VIDEO]

2012-02-01T08:30:00.001-08:00

I sure wouldn't mind a Hand Grenade right about now #MardiGras

2012-01-25T17:29:00.001-08:00

B.o.B - Play The Guitar ft. André 3000 [AUDIO] - Link & Embed Code

2011-12-27T05:27:00.001-08:00

B.o.B - Play The Guitar ft. André 3000 [AUDIO]
YouTube Link:
Embed Code:
</object>
iTunes Link:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/play-guitar-feat.-andre-3000/id490911966

B.o.B - Strange Clouds ft. Lil Wayne [Official Video]

2011-12-06T08:26:00.001-08:00

U watched this yet?

B.o.B - 5 on The Kush - feat. Big Krit & Bun B

2011-11-15T11:27:00.001-08:00

5 On The Kush Jf 4 Leak Listen on Posterous

See the full gallery on Posterous

You're Invited: B.o.B's Platinum Birthday Party 11/15 in ATL

2011-11-09T07:53:00.001-08:00

BOB'S PLATINUM BIRTHDAY PARTY HOSTED BY SWAY FROM MTV, TUES-NOV 15th AT WILD BILL'S IN ATL

VIDEO LINK:

B.o.B - Fucked Up - Feat. Playboy Tre

2011-10-24T14:32:00.001-07:00

B.o.B - Epic - feat - Playboy Tre & Meek Mill (Official Video)

2011-10-19T08:16:00.001-07:00

Untitled

2011-10-08T21:16:00.001-07:00

via TweetDeck

B.o.B - Strange Clouds ft. Lil Wayne [Trailer]

2011-09-23T11:28:00.001-07:00

B.o.B - Strange Clouds ft. Lil Wayne [Trailer]
URL:
Embed:

B.o.B - EPIC- feat Playboy Tre & Meek Mill

2011-09-16T06:35:00.001-07:00

Epic by Bob, Playboy Trey, Meek Millz Listen on Posterous

>>>

Alcohol vs Marijuana [infographic]

2011-09-09T07:48:00.001-07:00

via holykaw.alltop.com

Interesting facts....

B.O.B. ft. Lil Wayne - Strange Clouds [Exclusive] - YouTube

2011-08-27T20:12:00.001-07:00

How To Throw A Fan Listening Party On Google+

2011-08-24T15:03:00.001-07:00

Listening to music can be an intensely private experience. Nobody else hears a song the same way you do. But on the other hand, when was the last time you went to a party without music?

We’ve seen a slew of new inventions that allow people to listen to the same music at the same time online, chatting about it and deciding what to play next, from Turntable.fm to Wahwah.fm. These apps take the social experience of recommending, discussing, and arguing about music from the offline to the online world, leaving the “party” aspect intact.

Even Google has gotten in on the action. A neat feature in Google+ Hangouts lets anyone set up a listening party and invite friends (or strangers) to join, listen, chat, and pick the next song. The system draws its music from YouTube, which might be considered the world’s biggest legal music sharing service.

If you thought embedding YouTube videos on Facebook was neat, just wait until you see how Google+ lets people throw group listening parties. To give it a try, follow these simple steps:

1. Start a Google+ Hangout. To get the party started, go to click the Start a Hangout button on the right side of the main Google+ page, like so:

2. Think about muting audio and video. Before anyone shows up, we recommend muting your audio and video for a “traditional” group listening experience that’s all about the music, with text chat to accompany it. However, you can leave video enabled if you want everyone to see you, and audio enabled if you want to be able to “push to talk” in order to introduce songs or shout out a request:

3. Invite people. You have a few options for inviting people to your party: individual people, one or more of your Circles, or Public, and we recommend casting the net as wide as you’re comfortable with, because people need to be around now in order to join, and most of your friends probably won’t be around:

4. Play that funky music. To play a new video in your listening party, use the embedded search box. NOTE: You can’t queue songs up, so wait for the previous one to end. You can search by the name of the uploader as well as the title of the video and other metadata. Anyone in the room can search for a YouTube song and play it for the group, and people can cut each others’ songs off by choosing a new one, so this system works better amongst friends.

5. Turn it up. When Google+ Hangouts plays its first YouTube video, the volume starts out very low, probably so that people can talk over it. There’s no talking at a group listening party, so boost up the volume. You’ll only have to do this once, because the volume setting will stay the same for the following videos:

6. Talk amongst yourselves. Click over to the Chat area, and you’ll be able to talk about the music you’re all listening to, trade war stories about seeing the bands live, and so on:

Pro Tip: If this is something you want to do a lot, we recommend setting up a Circle just for your group-listening friends. To help build that Circle, you might send status updates to your contacts periodically asking if they want to join your music Hangouts. Add those people to the Circle, and you’ll be able to summon them to the room in an instant, whenever the mood strikes.

via hypebot.com

The Asian Adventures Of B.o.B (part 4) - Korea

2011-08-21T07:45:00.001-07:00

The Asian Adventures Of B.o.B (part 3) - Singapore

2011-08-21T06:43:00.001-07:00

The Asian Adventures Of B.o.B (part 2) - Hong Kong

2011-08-21T05:43:00.001-07:00

21 Great Ways To Collaborate With Other Artists To Get More Fans

2011-08-21T05:33:00.003-07:00

One of the best ways for emerging bands to gain new fans is to be exposed to another band’s audience. Especially if you have similar target markets, fans are more likely to trust a recommendation coming from a band they already know and like. Some ideas on how you can collaborate with other artists and bands to grow your fan base:

Collaborate On Live Shows
Likely the easiest and most common way to collaborate with other bands is to play gigs together. Here are a few different ways to collaborate on gigs:
1. Gig Swap
This is of course a no-brainer. Find other like-minded bands whose musical style either compliments you, or even better, that would make for an interesting combination, giving fans of both bands a unique experience. You can open for each other at different shows, and this will work especially well if the other band is based in a different (but nearby) city. You can do gig swaps to help each other break into new markets.
2. Festival Gigs
If you’re playing a festival and there is an artist or members of a band that you want to collaborate with, why not create a special environment at your festival gig by collaborating on a song or two? I’ve seen artists collaborate on festival stages big and small, and it usually makes for a buzz-worthy performance that gets people talking.
3. Conference Showcases
Same idea as with festivals, but if you manage to get a showcase at a music conference, why not bring in another artist to collaborate on a song? Just be sure to have rehearsed it live before showcasing.
4. Tours
Take the concept of playing live with another band even further and book a tour together. It could be just a weekend tour of a few cities close to home, or a full-out regional/national tour.
Collaborate on Recordings
Recordings
For your next album, try and think of some like-minded artists that you can collaborate with. Collaborating on recordings can be done in many different ways, here are a few to consider:
5. Guest Performances
The simplest thing you can do is perform on each other’s recordings (sing, play an instrument, DJ, rap, etc.). If you want to get the most bang for your buck, make sure that in the song title it actually lists the other artist “X Song Name (Featuring X Artist)”.
6. Co-write A Song
Next step would be to co-write with another artist. This will not only be great for the sake of collaboration, but might help with each of your songwriting abilities and open up some new ideas, which is never a bad thing.
7. Cover a song
Why not cover a song by a fellow emerging band whose fan base would like your music? It’s a great way to flatter the band and also generate buzz for both of you.
8. Produce each other’s music
An even more involved way to collaborate in the studio is to take turns producing each other’s songs. This can give each of you a new perspective on the songs you choose to produce for each other.
Often emerging artists can’t afford to hire a producer, but having that objective ear can really help improve the songs. So if you have an opportunity to have a peer produce a song, it might be worthwhile to give it a try.
9. Remix songs
Another great way to collaborate is to approach an artist to do a remix of one of your songs. You can even remix each other’s songs, or take it further and do remix albums of each other’s music.

10. Release an exclusive single/EP
If you’ve collaborated with another band through guest appearances, songwriting, production, remixes, etc., why not release an exclusive digital single or EP through your website? Even better, couple that digital release with the release of a limited edition vinyl: Vinyl sales already up 41% on the year

Collaborate Using Video
There are also lots of possibilities to use video for collaborations:
11. Official music videos
If you’ve guested on a song, or co-written a song together, collaborating on an official music video is also a no-brainer.
12. Live videos
If you’ve collaborated with another band live on stage, be sure to get some footage of it for both bands to use to promote to their fans.
13. Cover song videos
Even if you haven’t covered the band’s song on your album, you can still release videos covering songs of fellow emerging bands that you want to collaborate with. Chances are that both of your fan bases will get a kick out of this.
14. Videos from the Studio
If you’re doing any kind of collaboration in the studio, be sure to get some footage of it to release on your website/YouTube, etc. Remember, when you’re in the studio, don’t shut out your fans.
15. Live streaming video
Why not use live streaming video while in studio, at a live gig, or even after a gig to chat with fans of both bands?

Collaborate Using Your Website
Don’t forget to use your website to help in your collaboration with other bands. Here are some of the ways to drive people to your website:
16. On Your Blog
It can be as simple as blogging about the other band. You can:

Talk about why you like their music

Do a review their album

Interview the band

17. Photo Galleries
Use photo galleries to highlight collaborations with other bands, including pictures from studio sessions, pictures from live shows, or just the bands hanging out together.

Note: Live Video & Exclusive Music - If you do decide to use live video streaming in your collaborations, be sure to host the video on your own site and not the streaming service’s site. Most services will let you embed HTML to host the feed directly on your own website.
And as mentioned earlier, if you do collaborate on a recording with another band, why not release the track(s) exclusively through your website? Take advantage of any excuse to drive traffic to your website where people can sign-up to your mailing list, shop at your online store, etc

Collaborate Using Social Media
And last but not least, probably the quickest way to collaborate with other bands and help each other out is to use social media. You can:
18. Exchange Tweets
Tweet praise about each other and encourage your fans to follow each other’s band.
19. Host a Twitter Chat
Why not organize a Twitter chat session for fans of both bands so you can chat with each other’s fans. What’s a Twitter chat? Here’s a great article that explains what it is and how to set one up: http://mashable.com/2009/12/08/twitter-chat/
20. Use Facebook status updates
You can each talk about why you like the other band and be sure to link to each other’s fan page.
21. Post a Facebook Note
Create a Facebook note talking about the other band, just be sure to tag the other band in the note as Madalyn Sklar pointed out in her recent guest blog about Facebook Notes here on Bandzoogle.

Note: And it goes without saying, use social media to drive fans to your website to view your blog posts, video blogs, live video and other exclusive content on your website.

The bottom line is that the more emerging artists can help each other out through collaborations, the more buzz it will generate, which will no doubt result in more fans for each band.
Rappers do it best
The amount of collaborations and guest appearances that happen in hip hop eclipse’s other genres. As discussed in a Digital Music News Article “The Top 8 Reasons Why Rappers Make Better Businessmen…”, guest appearances help amplify your music to new audiences, and rappers use this tactic often and to great effect.
Making the news these days is the high-profile collaboration between Kanye West and Jay-Z called “Watch the Throne”. But I’ll end this post with a more old-school example.
Here’s a video of one of the most famous collaborations that crossed over genres and garnered both groups increased sales, awards, and arguably spawned a new genre of music:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B_UYYPb-Gk

via hypebot.com

21 Great Ways To Collaborate With Other Artists To Get More Fans

2011-08-21T05:33:00.001-07:00

One of the best ways for emerging bands to gain new fans is to be exposed to another band’s audience. Especially if you have similar target markets, fans are more likely to trust a recommendation coming from a band they already know and like. Some ideas on how you can collaborate with other artists and bands to grow your fan base:

Collaborate On Live Shows
Likely the easiest and most common way to collaborate with other bands is to play gigs together. Here are a few different ways to collaborate on gigs:
1. Gig Swap
This is of course a no-brainer. Find other like-minded bands whose musical style either compliments you, or even better, that would make for an interesting combination, giving fans of both bands a unique experience. You can open for each other at different shows, and this will work especially well if the other band is based in a different (but nearby) city. You can do gig swaps to help each other break into new markets.
2. Festival Gigs
If you’re playing a festival and there is an artist or members of a band that you want to collaborate with, why not create a special environment at your festival gig by collaborating on a song or two? I’ve seen artists collaborate on festival stages big and small, and it usually makes for a buzz-worthy performance that gets people talking.
3. Conference Showcases
Same idea as with festivals, but if you manage to get a showcase at a music conference, why not bring in another artist to collaborate on a song? Just be sure to have rehearsed it live before showcasing.
4. Tours
Take the concept of playing live with another band even further and book a tour together. It could be just a weekend tour of a few cities close to home, or a full-out regional/national tour.
Collaborate on Recordings
Recordings
For your next album, try and think of some like-minded artists that you can collaborate with. Collaborating on recordings can be done in many different ways, here are a few to consider:
5. Guest Performances
The simplest thing you can do is perform on each other’s recordings (sing, play an instrument, DJ, rap, etc.). If you want to get the most bang for your buck, make sure that in the song title it actually lists the other artist “X Song Name (Featuring X Artist)”.
6. Co-write A Song
Next step would be to co-write with another artist. This will not only be great for the sake of collaboration, but might help with each of your songwriting abilities and open up some new ideas, which is never a bad thing.
7. Cover a song
Why not cover a song by a fellow emerging band whose fan base would like your music? It’s a great way to flatter the band and also generate buzz for both of you.
8. Produce each other’s music
An even more involved way to collaborate in the studio is to take turns producing each other’s songs. This can give each of you a new perspective on the songs you choose to produce for each other.
Often emerging artists can’t afford to hire a producer, but having that objective ear can really help improve the songs. So if you have an opportunity to have a peer produce a song, it might be worthwhile to give it a try.
9. Remix songs
Another great way to collaborate is to approach an artist to do a remix of one of your songs. You can even remix each other’s songs, or take it further and do remix albums of each other’s music.

10. Release an exclusive single/EP
If you’ve collaborated with another band through guest appearances, songwriting, production, remixes, etc., why not release an exclusive digital single or EP through your website? Even better, couple that digital release with the release of a limited edition vinyl: Vinyl sales already up 41% on the year

Collaborate Using Video
There are also lots of possibilities to use video for collaborations:
11. Official music videos
If you’ve guested on a song, or co-written a song together, collaborating on an official music video is also a no-brainer.
12. Live videos
If you’ve collaborated with another band live on stage, be sure to get some footage of it for both bands to use to promote to their fans.
13. Cover song videos
Even if you haven’t covered the band’s song on your album, you can still release videos covering songs of fellow emerging bands that you want to collaborate with. Chances are that both of your fan bases will get a kick out of this.
14. Videos from the Studio
If you’re doing any kind of collaboration in the studio, be sure to get some footage of it to release on your website/YouTube, etc. Remember, when you’re in the studio, don’t shut out your fans.
15. Live streaming video
Why not use live streaming video while in studio, at a live gig, or even after a gig to chat with fans of both bands?

Collaborate Using Your Website
Don’t forget to use your website to help in your collaboration with other bands. Here are some of the ways to drive people to your website:
16. On Your Blog
It can be as simple as blogging about the other band. You can:

Talk about why you like their music

Do a review their album

Interview the band

17. Photo Galleries
Use photo galleries to highlight collaborations with other bands, including pictures from studio sessions, pictures from live shows, or just the bands hanging out together.

Note: Live Video & Exclusive Music - If you do decide to use live video streaming in your collaborations, be sure to host the video on your own site and not the streaming service’s site. Most services will let you embed HTML to host the feed directly on your own website.
And as mentioned earlier, if you do collaborate on a recording with another band, why not release the track(s) exclusively through your website? Take advantage of any excuse to drive traffic to your website where people can sign-up to your mailing list, shop at your online store, etc

Collaborate Using Social Media
And last but not least, probably the quickest way to collaborate with other bands and help each other out is to use social media. You can:
18. Exchange Tweets
Tweet praise about each other and encourage your fans to follow each other’s band.
19. Host a Twitter Chat
Why not organize a Twitter chat session for fans of both bands so you can chat with each other’s fans. What’s a Twitter chat? Here’s a great article that explains what it is and how to set one up: http://mashable.com/2009/12/08/twitter-chat/
20. Use Facebook status updates
You can each talk about why you like the other band and be sure to link to each other’s fan page.
21. Post a Facebook Note
Create a Facebook note talking about the other band, just be sure to tag the other band in the note as Madalyn Sklar pointed out in her recent guest blog about Facebook Notes here on Bandzoogle.

Note: And it goes without saying, use social media to drive fans to your website to view your blog posts, video blogs, live video and other exclusive content on your website.

The bottom line is that the more emerging artists can help each other out through collaborations, the more buzz it will generate, which will no doubt result in more fans for each band.
Rappers do it best
The amount of collaborations and guest appearances that happen in hip hop eclipse’s other genres. As discussed in a Digital Music News Article “The Top 8 Reasons Why Rappers Make Better Businessmen…”, guest appearances help amplify your music to new audiences, and rappers use this tactic often and to great effect.
Making the news these days is the high-profile collaboration between Kanye West and Jay-Z called “Watch the Throne”. But I’ll end this post with a more old-school example.
Here’s a video of one of the most famous collaborations that crossed over genres and garnered both groups increased sales, awards, and arguably spawned a new genre of music:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B_UYYPb-Gk

via hypebot.com

Google+ for Music Marketing

2011-08-18T10:47:00.001-07:00

Google+ for Music Marketing

Tech geeks the world over have been drooling the past few weeks over Google's new social platform called Google+ (which is simply pronounced "Google Plus").
You may already be using it. But if you're not, don't feel bad. Google+ is so new, it's still officially in "beta" mode and by invitation only. Word has it that it will go fully public within a couple of weeks.
If you're just now learning about it, take a quick look at this page for Google's overview.
Reportedly, 18 million people have signed up in its first few weeks, and it has a lot of prominent bloggers and social media experts buzzing.
Opinions on Google+ range widely, from calling it a "Facebook killer" to asking "Why in the hell do we need another social networking site to manage?"
I'm still getting acquainted with the features myself. And I've seen lots of buzz sites come and go nowhere, like Quora.com. And let's not forget Google Wave, a project that was closed within a year of its launch.
So I'm very cautious about predicting that any new thing will become the next Big Thing. But since it is getting a lot of attention, and since it is powered by the Google machine, I think it is worth starting a Google+ account and at least exploring what all the hoopla is about.
By the way, you can find my Google+ profile here.
Running Around in Circles
One of the first features you'll notice that sets apart G+ (as all the hipsters refer to it :-) is something called Circles. In essence it's a way to divide the people you keep tabs on into separate groups.
This function is actually nothing new. On Facebook you can create friend list subgroups, but few people use it or even know about it. Twitter also gives you the ability to create lists that display the feeds of people you select.
The difference I see with Google+ is that it places a big emphasis on Circles. And it gives you a more visually appealing, drag-and-drop way to categorize the people you want to follow and interact with.
Here's a Google video that explains it:

Some obvious Circle categories for artists might be Fans, Media People, Music Biz Tips, Other Musicians, etc.
As the video above explains, when you post updates, you can choose which of your Circles will see them. That way, you can post specific messages just for fans or only for other artists, etc. That is something that sets Google+ apart from Facebook, Twitter, and others.

via music-promotion-blog.blogspot.com

Set up your Google+ account today. Make sure u add me TJ Chapman...

Check out this pic I took in Hong Kong...the view is amazing!

2011-08-09T11:15:00.001-07:00

via TweetDeck

B.o.B - Beast Mode (Live In Hong Kong)

2011-08-05T16:02:00.001-07:00

B.o.B Asian Tour!! (part 1)

2011-08-02T09:41:00.001-07:00

TJ's DJ's May 2011 (Vol 2) Clean & Dirty DJ Downloads

2011-05-24T07:04:00.001-07:00

Hey! Check out the TJ's DJ's May 2011 (Vol 2) Clean & Dirty MP3 Downloads for DJs...

Please let us know which songs are your favorites.

Thanks!

The TJs DJs Fam

** If you don't see your music on here...did you send it to us???? Send to TJsDJs@Gmail.com ** *** Send us your email address if you want to be added to this email list ***  --------------------------------------------------------

TJ's Dj's May 2011 Vol.2 Dirty (Zip File) http://www.sendspace.com/folder/xajq3z TJ’s DJ’s May Vol.2 Dirty 1. *Lil Breezy*- *Ain't live Like Me*(remix)- *White Label* 2. *B.O.B* - *Beast Mode* - *Atlantic* 3. *Dj Khaled ft. Drake* - *I'm On One* - *Cash Money* 4. *Deuce Poppi*- *Git Paid* - *Slip N Slide* 5. *E40 ft Bun B. & Slim Thug* - *Candy Paint* - *White Label* 6. *Plies* - *Whole Thang* - *Atlantic* 7. *Tinie Tempah ft. Wiz Khalifa* - *Til I'm Gone* - *White Label * 8. *Dj Webstar ft. Nicki Minaj* - *Bought The Bar* - *White Label* 9. *Youngest 1's*- *She Knows* - *White Label* 10. *Kelly Rowland ft. Lil Wayne & Da Brat* - *Motivation(remix)* - *Columbia* 11. *Young Hustlin Click* - *The Way She Do It* - *White Label* 12. *Doughboi* - *Go Time* - *White Label* 13*. Brisky ft. Yung Trap* - *Fuck Wit Me* *white label* 14.*Plies*- *Let's Get It* - *Atlantic* 15. *Lil Wayne ft. Mack Maine* - *She Bad*- *Cash Money* 16. *Rick Ross ft. Wale & Meek Mill* - *Self Made* - *MMG* 17. *Tyga ft Chris Brown* - *Hell Yeah* - *Cash Money* 18. *Young Breed ft. Bigga Rankin* - *My Dog Gone Slide(remix)* - *MMG* 19. *Baby Cham* - *Take It Outside* - *Bad People* 20. *Two Live Crew* - *C'mon Babe* - Luke Records

-------------------------------------------------------

TJ's Dj's May 2011 Vol.2 Clean (Zip File) http://www.sendspace.com/folder/m796qi TJ’s DJ’s May Vol.2 Clean 1. *Lil Breezy*- *Ain't live Like Me*(remix)- *White Label* 2. *B.O.B* - *Beast Mode* - *Atlantic* 3. *Dj Khaled ft. Drake* - *I'm On One* - *Cash Money* 4. *Deuce Poppi*- *Git Paid* - *Slip N Slide* 5. *E40 ft Bun B. & Slim Thug* - *Candy Paint* - *White Label* 6. *Plies* - *Whole Thang* - *Atlantic* 7. *Tinie Tempah ft. Wiz Khalifa* - *Til I'm Gone* - *White Label * 8. *Dj Webstar ft. Nicki Minaj* - *Bought The Bar* - *White Label* 9. *Youngest 1's*- *She Knows* - *White Label* 10. *Kelly Rowland ft. Lil Wayne & Da Brat* - *Motivation(remix)* - *Columbia* 11. *Young Hustlin Click* - *The Way She Do It* - *White Label* 12. *Doughboi* - *Go Time* - *White Label* 13*. Kesha* - *Blow* *white label* 14.*Plies*- *Let's Get It* - *Atlantic* 15. *Keri Hilson ft Chris Brown* - *One Night Stand*- *Interscope* 16. *Cece Penniston* - *Stoopid* - *White Label* 17. *Bobby Valentino* - *If I Can't Have You* - *DTP* 18. *Mindless Behavior ft Ciara* - *My Girl(remix)* - *white label* 19. *mr. vegas* - *zion* - *vp* 20. *Tarrus Riley* - *Human Nature* - Vp Records

TJ Chapman | TJ's DJ's

www.TJChapman.com

www.TJsDJs.com

B.o.B aka Bobby Ray

www.BoBATL.com

B.o.B & Yellow Wolf - Its A Party (prod. by Jim Jonsin)

2011-05-10T07:43:00.001-07:00

It's A Party by Yellow Wolf Feat B. O. B Listen on Posterous

Download: K.Camp "Become a Fan" MIXTAPE

2011-05-04T06:07:00.001-07:00

Livemixtapes: http://livemixtap.es/alt
Alternate Link: http://www.sendspace.com/file/5rphvo
Front Cover:

Make That Money Ft. Stuey Rock (Video):
http://youtu.be/5gxYowzo6dE

Playlist:
01. Intro
02. Become A Fan
03. Going Hard
04. Make That Money Feat. Stuey Rock
05. Mykko Montana Ft K.Camp – Do It
06. I’m Good
07. Kill Da Beat
08. You Know Feat. Gee
09. Go Girl Feat. Ashlee Chanel
10. Don’t Wanna
11. How We Do
12. Sumo Money Feat. Ricky J & KJ Hines
13. Late Night Freak
14. Lay Up
15. She Like Feat. L’z
16. Check - Feat. Rich Kid Shawty
17. No Problems
18. K.Camp & Young Lyxx – Toot My Own Horn
19. That Pape Feat. Big Sean

Business Inquiries:
2ysentertainment@gmail.com / 770-912-7274

Twitter: @TheRealKCamp @IamtheGenius @LilBankheadV103

C:305-741-6526
E:TamarClark@gmail.com

ALYRIC "Bounce Dhatt A**" (MP3 + Video)

2011-04-23T09:23:00.001-07:00

Introducing ALYRIC, a new artist from Miami. His new single "Bounce Dhatt Ass" is on FIRE in the South Florida (MIami) clubs. ALYRIC is open for drops, mixtape hosting, shows & interviews NOW.

Check it out & let me know your thoughts.

Watch the "Bounce Dhatt Ass" Video.

If u need drops, cds, shows or anything else contact:

T-Da-Tastmeker

Bounce Dhatt Ass (Dirty) by Alyric Listen on Posterous

How to use social media to break into the music industry

2011-04-04T09:05:00.001-07:00

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Breaking into the music industry has changed, with artists no longer relying on old-school tactics to try and land a record deal. Technology has disrupted the music biz like bands creating location aware based albums. Here’s how social media can be used to try and make that break into the music industry:

Consider which social networking sites to use

MySpace used to be the social networking site of choice for aspiring artists. The once popular site has been attributed to launching the careers of Lily Allen and Soulja Boy, as well as boosting sales of already established artists. But, MySpace dropped 10 million unique visitors at the start of 2011, bringing users down to 63 million compared to Facebook’s 500 million users.

Lady Gaga has over 31 million likes on Facebook, yet only 1.5 million “friends” on her MySpace profile. MySpace is clearly no longer the most appropriate tool for aspiring artists trying to break into the music industry though it won’t necessarily hurt you if you do create a profile. Lady Gaga does cross over content on the various social networking sites she uses, but it’s clear that nowadays Facebook is the music platform of choice for artists.

“We encourage every artist to have accounts on the likes of Facebook and Twitter,” says Naoise Ryan of Universal Music Group. “It’s really important that they are accessible, plus it allows them to be closer to their fans and interact in ways that can benefit both parties. Nothing positive can come from ignoring fans in today’s music scene.”

Depending on your genre of music, you might find that using specialist sites like ReverbNation or Bandcamp that fit the image of your band more than a mainstream Facebook or Twitter approach. But, considering it’s a numbers game and the more track listens or video views you land equates to a perceived popularity, you’d be silly to ignore Facebook.

Create your online presence

BandPage, from RootMusic, is definitely the must-have Facebook app to use if you want to be taken seriously in the music industry. BandPage is being used by big names in the industry such as Snoop Dogg, Rihanna and Band of Horses, and they offer BandPage Basic is free, so you don’t have to worry about escalating costs, though BandPage Plus is a reasonable $1.99 a month.

BandPage creates a Facebook Page where artists can upload not only information, but also add tracks (with the option for fans to listen, download and buy) and add gig listings; furthermore tickets can be bought through Facebook. The app lets you pull in your Twitter feed, as well as YouTube videos, making it the easiest way for your fans to get what they need in one place. Using Facebook means that your fans can also share your content with friends, spreading word of mouth about you, and helping to increase your chance of breaking into the music industry.

Share and engage

Uploading tracks for your fans to listen to not only helps you gain exposure but it means that fans are more willing to take a chance on an unknown’s music because they can effectively “try before they buy”. It also makes the fans’ experience seem more personal as it feels through messages and videos posted up that you are talking directly to the fan. You may feel that you are losing out by letting your fans listen to your music for free, but you have to think of the long-term plan over short-term gain. Not everyone will luck out and be the next YouTube discovered Justin Bieber or, indeed, Rebecca Black.

Get competitive

Keep an eye out for competitions that will bring about exposure for your band. There are brands out there that recognise that there’s a lot of emerging talent in the social media sphere and encourage it to be shared. Lyle & Scott, for example, launched “Curated by Lyle & Scott” to showcase new talent, giving up and coming bands the chance to win a slot to play at gigs via a fan-influenced competition run on Facebook. Ice Black Birds, one of the bands to win a slot through Facebook, has been thrilled with their success and believe it was social media that also helped them to land a gig at this year’s SXSW conference.

“Social networks are a huge platform for artists nowadays, especially if you are unsigned and doing everything yourself. As a band we rely heavily on our Facebook page and Twitter to alert people of our goings on, releases, gigs etc. It also allows people from all over the globe to connect with us and listen to our music.”

Ask for crowdfunding

Kickstarter is the largest funded platform for creative projects in the world, and this can include artists trying to snag money to try and make it big. Kickstarter is an all-or-nothing venture, so if people don’t pledge what you’ve asked for, you get nothing. But, come up with a convincing enough argument like Bess Rodgers did and you could walk away with enough money to mix, master, press and promote your new record without spending a dime of your own money. RocketHub is another crowdfunding site that supports creative projects. If you can’t afford to go it alone, there are people out there will donate you money if your talent is convincing enough!

Keep an eye out on the scene

Social media rapidly changes and your tactics one month may be completely wrong three months down the line. You may just want to make music, but there’s more than just talent required to be successful in the music industry. Whereas you’re not expected to be the next Richard Branson, having some business sense and keeping an eye on both the music scene and the social media scene means you’ll be well placed to succeed.

Here are ten top tips on how to break into the music industry using social media:

Research what sites you want to use based on your music style, fan base and goals. See a solid run down of available sites here.

Create your Facebook page, Twitter account, YouTube channel and, if you see fit, a MySpace page – whatever sites you think will be most engaging with your fans.

Devise a strategy for your social media presence and stick to it. You may be on tour playing gigs, but with smartphones there’s no excuse for not interacting with your fans.

Write blog posts, upload videos and share exclusive content with those fans who like your page. These are great ways to keep fans engaged and interested in your music.

Keep an eye out for competitions that will gain you exposure and therefore more fans.

Fans also like competitions – run competitions of your own offering out signed photos or CDs.

Don’t become too big for your boots – so you’ve got some fans and things are going well, but that doesn’t mean you can stop posting and engaging. Content is key. Sure, you’re not expected to release a new song every day, but sharing an anecdote or link you like will stop your fans from unfollowing you.

It’s not just sharing, you also need to interact. It may not be possible to reply to every fan, but replying to some is better than none, as is posting out general shout-outs to all of your fans.

Build up ties with other emerging artists. Recommending someone else’s music won’t lose your fans – it can only gain you both fans if other bands recommend you. Make the most of networking!

When you do make it, it doesn’t mean you can stop using social media. Remember, nothing positive will come out of ignoring your fans, whether you have ten fans or ten million.

via thenextweb.com

http://www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/17iyzf

Total Kaos feat Kadillac - Play My Sh*t

2011-03-31T06:20:00.001-07:00

New HEAT from Total Kaos called "Play My Shit"

If you like the song, hit Kaos up on Twitter & let him know. Also, here's the contact info for djs in need of drops, shows or cds.

http://twitter.com/TotalKaos

http://youtube.com/TotalKaosTV

*For Drops: Send Script To Keyfiguremusic@ymail.com

Key Figure Music Group

305.762.2277

Total Kaos Ft Kaddilack - Play My Shit Listen on Posterous

Nappy Headz feat T-Pain "Better Than Mine"

2011-03-28T08:07:00.001-07:00

Better Than Mine!!! Dirty Final by Nappy!!! Listen on Posterous

New Nappy Headz feat T-Pain "Better Than Mine"

B.o.B - No Future (produced by B.o.B)

2011-03-26T10:35:00.001-07:00

No Future by B. O. B Listen on Posterous

Playboy Tre- Look @ This S#%T ( And they said black people love fried chicken)

2011-03-24T07:35:00.001-07:00

This is too funny..lmao!

B.o.B - Dr. Aden - VIDEO

2011-03-15T12:49:00.001-07:00

B.o.B - Dr. Aden - VIDEO

2011-03-14T08:23:00.001-07:00

B.o.B Live from Madison Square Garden

2011-03-09T07:41:00.001-08:00

Food Spots: Bankhead Seafood..the $5 fish plate

2011-03-07T06:04:00.001-08:00

Bankhead Seafood is a restaurant in Atlanta that sells nothing but this $5 fish plate. They're only open thurs to sat 11 to 4. Be prepared to wait when u go there. I was #47 in line & it took me nearly an hour to place my order. After all that the fish better be good. It really was delicious. I couldn't believe I got 10 pieces for only $5. I couldnt eat it all I'm definitely going back. I gotta admit this isn't a spot to go if you're scared of the hood...lol. Shouts to my cousin Dana for telling me about it!

http://www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/m28kh6

Eminem & B.o.B - Things Get Worse

2011-02-23T17:38:00.001-08:00

Check this out...

Check out B.o.B's Cover Story in the New Issue of Vibe Magazine

2011-02-17T05:44:00.001-08:00

CHECK OUT B.o.B’S COVER STORY IN THE MARCH 2011 ISSUE OF VIBE

Travis Porter feat B.o.B - Make it Rain

2011-02-17T01:29:00.001-08:00

Travis Porter Feat. B. O. B. - Make It Rain (Produced By Fki)
Download now or listen on posterous

Travis Porter feat. B.O.B. - Make It Rain (Produced By FKi).mp3 (5295 KB)

10 Things Every Musician Should Do Online Every Day

2011-02-09T08:44:00.001-08:00

Do you or your band have a daily online routine? You better. At the speed this world moves you can’t afford to miss even one day of what is happening. Your competition is not sitting still, so you better be out there. But as a band you have to find a balance that is not going to hinder your ability to be a band. You need to write, rehearse, record, perform… if you don’t do any of those things, being online won’t mean much.

So I thought I would take a look at my daily online routine and maybe you can apply to it your routine.

10 Things Every Musician Should Do Online Every Day

1. Quick Email Scan. – When you wakeup, you’re a band, so whatever time of the day this might be is fine. Grab your iPhone or smartphone and do a quick scan of your email for anything important or urgent. Respond to those very urgent emails right away. You will know what they are when you see them.

2. Clean out garbage email. – Get out of bed, get yourself some coffee, breakfast, whatever you need to get going. Sit down and open your laptop, clean out all the garbage email you received overnight. Even with spam control all our inboxes get filled with crap. Get rid of it now so you only have real messages to deal with.

3. Review all new Twitter followers. – Twitter will send you a email for every new follower you receive. Do a five second scan of those new followers. No profile picture, no website link, no profile description, nobody follows them; delete the email and go on to the next one. If they have these items go check their profile in Twitter. Do a quick three second scan of their tweets, if it interests you follow them back. If they are clearly a music fan, a fan of your band, a fan of your style of music, a fan of similar bands… follow them back and send them a quick Direct Message thanking them for following you. Do this for everyone who is following you.

4. Do a Twitter brand review. – While in Twitter check for new Mentions of your Twitter ID. Check for any of your tweets that have been retweeted. Review your saved searches. Basically you are doing a review on who is talking about you on Twitter. Personally reply to everyone who mentions or retweets you. The searches could be for your real name, maybe your site URL, album title, anything. The key here is to get involved in the conversation!

5. Facebook initial review. – Review any friend requests. Check Notifications. Check Facebook Messages. See what is happening in your Facebook world. Just as you reviewed Twitter followers, do the same for Friend Requests. Do you have any friends in common? Are they clearly a music fan, a fan of your band or a similar band? If you accept their request, send them a quick message, or leave a wall post thanking them for the request. Check all your notifications. Who Likes your posts, left you comments, etc. Respond to comments that have been left. Check your Facebook messages. Same sort of review you give to your email can be applied to Facebook. Delete the garbage and respond to those that are important.

6. Facebook News Feed Review. – Do a quick review of your News Feed’s Top News. This will let you see what stories have the most activity. Leave comments and Likes on anything you like or anything that could help promote your band. Then switch over to your News Feed’s Recent News. This is a full list of everything all your friends have posted. Again, leave comments and Likes as you see best. Review everything since you last logged in. The key here is to get involved in the conversation!

7. Facebook Page Review. – Same drill, review all posts by fans. Review all comments. Respond to EVERYONE who left you a post or a comment. The key here is to get involved in the conversation! See a trend here? You have to talk with your fans on Twitter and Facebook.

8. Back to email. – Respond to any important emails. If using Gmail which I highly recommend… Star important emails you need to follow up on later.

9. Review your RSS feeds. – Switchover to Google Reader or your RSS reader and do a initial review of important feeds. Look for new, interesting and important stories. You can Star them in Google Reader to come back later for a full read. RSS feeds are the fastest way to keep up with new content added to your favorite websites, without having to visit every single one of them. You only visit the site when you find a new story that interests you. Be sure to review RSS feeds from other bands, see what they are doing.

10. Check your web or blog stats. – I bet most people never do this. This is so important, do not ignore it! Stats will tell you what your fans like and don’t like. Where they are coming from and where they are going. Be sure to look at these few numbers daily: Total traffic, Top stories, Referring sites, Top searches inside your site and searches that delivered you traffic and top exiting links (what links to external sites are being clicked). Google Analytics is a great free web stats tool to use on your website. WordPress.com Stats is a great plugin for a WordPress site that delivers great stats. Numbers don’t lie, so pay attention to them.

Now go write a song!

At some point during the day as the saying goes… rinse and repeat this entire process.

Do you have anything else that you feel needs to be done every day?

via musicthinktank.com

B.o.B performs "Airplanes" on Delta Airlines Flight!!!

2011-02-06T20:21:00.001-08:00

Jessie J - Price Tag feat B.o.B [Official Video]

2011-01-31T09:21:00.001-08:00

Playboy Tre "Earline's Son" Official Video feat Asia Bryant

2011-01-25T09:27:00.001-08:00

B.o.B's Best of 2010

2011-01-14T16:12:00.001-08:00

B.o.B - PACKERS vs FALCONS

2011-01-14T09:05:00.001-08:00

Musician Strategies – 10 Keys to Success

2011-01-13T10:02:00.001-08:00

Here are 10 recommendations for strategies that can lead to success in music, and in life. Take them with a grain of salt. With this new year comes the promise of digital music, the power of the entrepreneur and the tools to connect with an audience and deliver the goods.

1. Living a life in music is a privilege. Earn it.

There is very little more satisfying then spending time making music. If you make this your life’s work, then you can be truly joyful. However, the chances of being successful are extremely low and the only people who are going to get there are going to have to work hard and earn the right to be a musician. Respect the privilege of being free enough to have this choice (if you do) and honor the opportunity.

2. No one is in charge of your muse but you. Be happy and positive.

People can be their own worst enemy. Countless times I have heard artists tell me the reasons why their career is not working out. Most of the time they are putting blocks in their way and pointing fingers at people and things that are holding them back. Stop whining and blaming other people and make the conscious decision that you are going to be successful and that things are going to work out in your favor. You are creating your own reality every day, so make it a good one and excel.

3. Practice, practice, practice – then go for it. Over prepare.

You can never be ready enough for opportunity. Your live shows can always be better, your songs can be more amazing, and your playing can only improve. As the CEO of your own musician business, you can learn how to run the company more effectively, reach out to more fans and be an more effective social media marketer. Don’t hold yourself back by not being ready. Be a professional.

4. If you suck, you will never make it. Find a way to be great.

Lets face it, it is really hard to be amazing. Some people have the natural talent and you can see it in the first 5 seconds of meeting them. They are truly blessed. The rest of us have to find our niche, our passion, our calling and then reach for it. Ask people around you for feedback. Find what you are good at and focus on that. Get other people to help you. If you don’t stand out and rise above the pack, you will struggle forever. Be amazing.

5. Learn how to breathe and keep your focus. Stay calm.

There is nothing more pleasant than working with someone who knows who they are and what their goal is. Remember the old adages of thinking before you speak, and taking a deep breath before you lay into someone. Most of us have a lot going on in our lives and we can all benefit from staying focused on our goals and remaining calm in most situations. Learn yoga, exercise, run, meditate, sit still, breathe, learn who you are.

6. Don’t take yourself too seriously, no one else does. Have fun.

I am amazed at how many people spend so much time looking backwards and trying to understand what people think of them. This is worrying about the past and not embracing the future. Reviews are important, but don’t run to them or let them ruin your day. Not everyone is going to like you, but more people will if you are having a good time.

7. No matter how difficult things get, move forward. Don’t give up.

The only thing that will help your career take off is forward momentum. That is how you are going to reach your goals. A lot of people are stuck in their own mud. Take action, make a move and then see what happens. Don’t spend time procrastinating or worrying about how hard it is, just do something positive to advance your cause. You will feel much better by acting instead of waiting or worrying.

8. Find a way to make money. Start small and grow. Avoid being in debt.

This is probably the most important strategy of them all and why so many artists have gotten into trouble in the past by taking label advances. All that is, is a big loan. Get some kind of cash flow happening right away, no matter how small. Sell merch, play for the door, license your songs, play sessions, teach, write, start your musician business. The biggest mistake you can make is to borrow a lot of money and then spend it on things that don’t matter.

9. Be unique and true to your vision. Say something.

The people that we remember are the ones that are unique, exciting, special, provocative, fascinating, original, inventive, interesting. Music is a basic form of communication. The really successful artists have something to say and work on delivering their message. Your chances of success go up exponentially if you have a unique position and message and create a following of fans who really listen to you because you have something important to say.

10. Work and play with people you like every day. Collaborate Often.

Music is a tribal experience. You cannot make great music alone. Surround yourself with talented people, write together, play together, try new things. Bounce inspiration off of each other and learn. Listen to each other and let the music weave it’s way around you. Find a producer, songwriting partner, other musicians and dive in together. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Wonderful things are waiting to happen to you.

via futureofmusicbook.com

Luck Means Nothing in the Music Business

2011-01-11T08:38:00.001-08:00

I meet too many aspiring musicians who tell me they’re just waiting for that lucky break for the world to discover their talent. In the meantime, they’re usually the same folks watching every episode of American Idol instead of booking gigs and selling tickets.

To me, luck means ordering a drink at Starbucks at the moment the register fails, so they give it to you for free.

Your music business success has very little to do with luck. In fact, what looks like luck to most people is really just the execution of a steady plan to grow an audience through fun and authenticity.

I’ve got four ways that you can create your own luck as an emerging musician:

1. Stop waiting to “hit the lottery.”

Things will be just great, once you win that battle of the bands. Or when you find the perfect manager. Or when you get signed. Actually, no. Each one of those milestones just leads to bigger challenges. For you to get “lucky” enough to hit any of those goals, you first have to get stronger at achieving what you need to work on today.

You won’t win that contest if you don’t practice your craft. You may not attract that industry bigwig to your success team, but you could help develop a committed street team member into a very strong manager. And you’ll recognize that working an audience growth strategy leads to more money in your pocket over the long run than settling for a record company advance followed by a payout period that never ends.

2. Stop worrying about what other people are doing.

So you lost that battle of the bands to that other group that’s kinda like yours, but not as good. And now their manager’s popping a bottle of Cristal at the afterparty to celebrate their new record deal.

It’s so easy for creative professionals to beat themselves up over comparisons that mean absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things. Even though pop culture lore is full of “battles,” the most powerful music has always come from artists capable of rising above comparisons and building on what’s come before. It’s not a zero sum game. Someone else’s success doesn’t exclude you from being successful.

3. Start tracking your success.

How will you know you’ve “made it?” If you define success as riding to your next gig in a limo, you’ve got it rough. Not only is it tough enough to get to that level, most of the folks I know who routinely ride in limos often complain that their limo’s too small. They can’t wait to get into the next biggest limo. (I once had a client who reacted to a stretch Hummer at their house with a groan.)

Break down your success into achievable chunks. If your “perfect gig” is a 600-seat venue, you can track your progression over the course of a year. You’ll know you’re close to 600 when you can book 400. 400 becomes your stretch goal when you’ve booked 250. 250′s gonna seem tough when you get to 150. 150 feels great when you’re booking 100. And so on. Start from nothing today, and celebrate when you get your first thirty audience members to a small gig. Then focus on the next rung of the ladder.

4. Align your worlds.

It’s okay to work a “day job” and to celebrate your music career at the same time. In fact, if you have any kind of decent relationship with your co-workers, you should be leveraging them into helping you build your initial gigs so you can pursue your perfect gigs. If being a musician doesn’t fit in the culture of your day job, get a different one.

Give yourself permission to unify everything that you are and everything that you do. John Legend gave himself permission to be a really good investment banker and an outstanding musician. Kele Okereke from Bloc Party worked at a movie theatre while getting rave reviews in the press. Let your day job incubate your music, so you can be authentic to yourself and to your audience. (David J. Hahn makes the practical argument that you should avoid a day job that could put your hands or your voice at risk.)

Related posts:
Believing Your Own Story

A Ninety Day Dash

UK: Where Music is a National Religion

Understanding “Local Max”

Big bang for promo bucks

via spinme.com

I really hope YOU'RE not waiting to get LUCKY!!

13 Reasons Why Artists Fail

2011-01-11T07:37:00.001-08:00

13 Reasons Why Artists Fail
January 3rd, 2011 by Lior Shamir

My work with BandCentral has taught me that most artists fail…

…because their day jobs take over

…because personal differences get in the way

…because they’re broke

…because of fear of, or fatigue from, rejection

…because of poor communication and management skills

…because of irresponsible, unprofessional and irrational behavior

…because of a poor understanding of the music business

…because of a weak desire to understand the music business

…because of lack of leadership

…because of bad financial decisions

…because of over-inflated egos

…because of no career planning

…because of no marketing planning

And more…

The good news is that, if you’re not ‘making it’, it’s probably not due to the quality of your music. And all of the reasons above can easily be addressed.

In 2011, what

via wearelistening.org

Playboy Tre Official "Ready Go" Video feat Lil Jon

2011-01-05T08:59:00.001-08:00

TJ Chapman | TJ's DJ's

TJChapman.com
TJsDJs.com
Twitter.com/TJsDJs
Facebook.com/TJ.Chapman
Myspace.com/TJsDJs

Check out my artists:

B.o.B (Bobby Ray) | BoBATLcom
Double D | IamDoubleD.com

Untitled

2010-12-27T15:45:00.001-08:00

via TweetDeck

Untitled

2010-12-14T08:08:00.001-08:00

via TweetDeck

http://www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/fa2dbc

B.o.B - No Genre - Mixtape

2010-12-07T04:55:00.001-08:00

1.) Beast Mode - (Prod. by Infinity)
2.) So So - (Prod. by Jim Jonsin)
3.) How u do that - (Prod. by Kutta)
4.) Feet Don't Fail Me Now - T.I. & Spodee - (Prod. by Kutta)
5.) Higher - feat. Playboy Tre - Prince Cy Hi & Bun B - (Prod. by Polow da Don)
6.) Shoot up the Station - (Prod. by Kutta)
7.) Not Lost - feat. T.I. - (Prod. by JR Rotem)
8.) Cold As Ice - (Prod. by Mike Caren & B.o.B)
9.) The Watchers - (Prod. by B.o.B)
10.) Batman Flow - feat. Donnis - (Prod. by Dr. Luke)
11.) American Dreamin - (Prod. by Mike Caren & B.o.B)
12.) Grand Hustle Kings - feat. Young Dro & T.I. - (Prod. by Quincy Jones)
13.) Dr. Aden - (Prod. by Jack Splash)
14.) Attraction - (Prod. by B.o.B)
15.) Game Time - (Prod by J. Lack)
16.) I'm Beaming - Remix (All City Chess Club)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

B.o.B - Watchers - Video

2010-12-07T02:35:00.003-08:00

B.o.B - No Genre- Track listing

2010-12-07T02:35:00.001-08:00

1.) Beast Mode - (Prod. by Infinity)
2.) So So - (Prod. by Jim Jonsin)
3.) How u do that - (Prod. by Kutta)
4.) Feet Don't Fail Me Now - T.I. & Spodee - (Prod. by Kutta)
5.) Higher - feat. Playboy Tre - Prince Cy Hi & Bun B - (Prod. by Polow da Don)
6.) Shoot up the Station - (Prod. by Kutta)
7.) Not Lost - feat. T.I. - (Prod. by JR Rotem)
8.) Cold As Ice - (Prod. by Mike Caren & B.o.B)
9.) The Watchers - (Prod. by B.o.B)
10.) Batman Flow - feat. Donnis - (Prod. by Dr. Luke)
11.) American Dreamin - (Prod. by Mike Caren & B.o.B)
12.) Grand Hustle Kings - feat. Young Dro & T.I. - (Prod. by Quincy Jones)
13.) Dr. Aden - (Prod. by Jack Splash)
14.) Attraction - (Prod. by B.o.B)
15.) Game Time - (Prod by J. Lack)
16.) I'm Beaming - Remix (All City Chess Club)

B.o.B (@BOBATL) On His 5 Grammy Nominations (Video)

2010-12-03T16:02:00.001-08:00

News Alert! B.o.B (@bobatl) got 5 nominations for the Grammys! Its been a phenomenal year! #Grammys

2010-12-01T20:12:00.001-08:00

VIDEO: Why Urban Music is Dead!

2010-11-24T18:57:00.001-08:00

via musicindustryreport.org

Shouts to Ike Dirty w/ the great perspective on Urban Music. Preach bro!!!

Why sign a record contract?

2010-11-24T18:01:00.001-08:00

by IndRossi

I remember with little affection the years pre-Napster et al, growing up in a naïve age of music superstars, inspirational icons made for kids to imitate and wannabe musicians to emulate. Such face-value celebrity has arguably ended, and will never return. To many, this was a golden age, late 80’s onwards- where Michael Jackson could hawk Pepsi Cola and have his integrity undiminished, a formative time between industries that would see the record industry, advertisers, filmmakers and musicians collaborating or syndicating their content out on cross-platform endeavours. From this, the celebrity endorsement reached an apex, and the Hollywood blockbuster emerged- star names, released to hype every Summer to get bums on seats, with a sure-to-be-Number-One soundtrack launched simultaneously. To those who worked in the recording industry, you’d never had it so good.

In the business of marketing super-stardom, record labels enjoyed a near-monopoly. I remember the fervent clamour with which young bands chased recording contracts, and the romanticised retellings of this narrative through such Generation X films as Wayne’s World or Bill & Ted. If the process was hard, it was also inevitably rewarding- this was the message the industry gave off- that really, it was a case of filtration, and once you’d signed your first contract- the number one’s, obliging lady friends, suitcases full of cash- would come rolling in.

This, of course, is a bygone era- and you would perhaps forgive those more closely involved with record production and promotion if they regarded it with rose-tinted spectacles, staying awake late at night wistfully remembering how it used to be. As compared, of course, to how it is. For whilst they attempt to claw back some of their relevance, to re-establish themselves as crucial, essential players in the process dividing band and audience- it’s becoming increasingly difficult to articulate how ‘what they do’ could possibly be in anyone’s interest, besides their own.

In 2000, the highest selling album shifted 9.9 million units (N’Sync) and in 2006, a mere 3.9 million (High School Musical). With these statistics indicating a continuing trend, the likelihood that a band will get burdened with a major label’s expenses is more realistic than ever. Why? A record label's main concern is the monetary return on their initial investment (or ‘advance’), but an artist's main passion throughout any negotiations is the quality of the music being produced, and their ability to keep making it- regardless of financial minutae. That is, of course, if you even get signed- with such low returns on investments, record labels are much less inclined to take risks on emerging talent, instead pumping their funds into either established artists (with a proven track record of selling records, playing theatres) or more malleable artists, whom they can fast-track to the spotlight through a process of characterisation and branding.

In this environment, competition for places is paramount; a sense of limited resources being fought over by bands desperate for what spotlight is available. Artists are already forced to compete for the interest of fans; they shouldn't have to compete for that attention within their own record label. As such, unprofitable artists may get dropped at a whim after failing to live up to the record label’s short-term expectations, or have their releases pushed back to accommodate marketing a label’s other, more prioritised releases. How is the record industry responding to these trends, their diminishing necessity? By changing the way they write record contracts.
A 2010 survey found that those who download music illegally spend an average of £77/year on music (including concerts and merchandise) - £33/year more than those who claim they never download music dishonestly. This indicates quite clearly that the emotional value of music remains there for listeners, even if the economic value of the recorded product (album, singles etc) has diminished- and arguably remains a good model for bands to operate under. If you can generate a strong fan base through the quality of your music, then there’s every likelihood that by playing out and connecting with your audience directly, a band can see generate a decent amount of income. On the basis that you can print a t-shirt for less than £2, if you sell 500 of them over the course of a tour at £10 each, that’s a return of £4000 on your outlay.

In traditional agreements- labels recouped their investment through record sales, leaving band’s earnings to be made from touring, merchandise and sponsorship. Now, 360-degree deals are the norm. Warner won’t sign anyone now unless it’s a 360 deal- a package which is more akin to a management deal, whereby the label will take a cut from any future sponsorship, seeding, use of material, touring and merchandise. And while this may remove the need for an ‘immediate hit’, in real terms it means that bands will earn even less, and have less control over their image, presentation and rights. Labels traditionally made money from the process in which they were involved – ie/ recording and distributing records. Is it coincidence that now that recorded music sales are significantly declining, they change their business model? What gives them the right to impede on touring, merchandise, sponsorship or the use of music in films or adverts? How does this benefit either the artist or the audience?

This isn’t the 1980s anymore though, and record labels shouldn’t presume they can operate with such impunity. Similarly, it is the responsibility of artists to challenge this, and exist on a self-sustainable model that is more edifying to both audience and their own career. The benefits of doing so speak for themselves.

1. Maintaining ownership of rights over any/all your produced material and image- In an age of 360 licensing deals, you may have little control over how your material is used, and see little return on that use. Maintaining ownership here can be both artistically intelligent (as you define your public identity) and prudent (as you will own all funds generated by use).

2. Control of cash flow- Rather than being the last to be imbursed (after retailers, distributors, promoters and rights-owners), the band can enjoy a direct relationship with their paying audience and cut out all these middlemen.

3. Success or failure on your own terms - There are lots of ways you can clash creatively with a label, and depending on what kind of deal you have, sometimes the label will win. When you're the one putting out the music, you release the music you want, and only the music you want, when you want to release it. The marketing, the touring - all of the decision will be made by you, so there will be none of the typical conflicts.

These things in mind- we must turn our attention to the third and perhaps most vital part of media reception process, that is to say audience. What motivates an audience to part with their hard-earned cash in respect of recorded music? What generates the notion of fandom, or devotion to a particular cause/band/independent label?
In many respects, the record industry today is like the bottled water industry. You have a product that is widely available for free, and yet remains a market for people who want to pay for it. The question is: what motivates them to pay for something they can easily get for free?

1. Quality- Just as bottled water may come from volcanic riverbeds, or mountain glaciers- so too does a successful album release come at a higher quality that a peer-to-peer downloaded MP3 can allow (ie/ vinyl or a digital download in a lossless format, like FLAC) or it comes in a beautifully crafted box with stunning artwork, as opposed to the overtly mass produced plastic jewel cases. Vinyl sales have reliably shot up nearly 20% year on year for the past 5 years- and this trend shows no signs of abating. Special, limited editions are becoming an increasing norm as well- packaged with exclusive art, remix CDs, full size posters or other exclusive content- engaging the audience with a feeling of privilege, and removing the ‘album’ from this notion of being a mass-produced, faceless product- reeled off with the sole purpose of being sold.

2. Convenience- 2010 is the year that digital record sales equalled with physical formats, after years of increase and decline in either sector. Of these digital sales, over 70% of that will come from iTunes. The iTunes model has proved a success, unlike p2p networks, or the failed digital models set up by labels directly, because it is convenient- providing liner notes, digital artwork, website information, links to tour info and the digital file is trustworthy and easy to transfer between media devices.

3. Ethics- Using conventional, historically prevalent music publishing models- one could argue that there is little in the way of a moral obligation involved in the purchase of music. Labels, having bought up the artists, promoted and distributed the records- were then rewarded for having brought the artist to your attention, rather than for the content of the record. In fact, it’s something of a backhand step: That most people presume a record purchase will further the career of the artist, whereas in truth this is something of a convoluted argument. Whilst notes will be made in that artists’ sales, therefore will encouraging the label to invest further resources in them- the artist receives little or nothing directly as a result of this. As mentioned previously, old arrangements (pre-360) afforded musicians their bread and butter through touring and merchandise. Now, it’s even worse- artists enrolling in what nearly amounts to slavery in exchange for little more than the privilege to record and publish. In this model- can there be any ethical obligation to buying the recordings?

And yet, our notion of moral responsibility prevails. If we are to ascribe emotional value to recordings, do we not also feel obliged to offer financial reward in exchange? The imperative is direction: that the correct source finds themselves rewarded, in this case the artist(s). When musicians can demonstrate a direct causality between this artist creativity and audience response, audiences are much more inclined to part with their cash, and feel justified in doing so.

Production, publication and distribution are no longer elitist industries that record companies have monopolies on. Simply put, they need the bands more than the bands need them: the rise and democratisation of home recording suites, use of communications and social-media technologies allowing for bands to operate on an entirely self-sustainable promotions model, without need for the recording industry conglomerate’s “expertise” or input.

via indrossi.blogspot.com

B.o.B - Beastmode - Video

2010-11-18T17:35:00.001-08:00

TJ Chapman | TJ's DJ's

TJChapman.com
TJsDJs.com
Twitter.com/TJsDJs
Facebook.com/TJ.Chapman
Myspace.com/TJsDJs

Check out my artists:

B.o.B (Bobby Ray) | BoBATLcom
Double D | IamDoubleD.com

Paramore Brings B.o.B out in London to perform "Misery Business" at the O2 Arena @BoBATL

2010-11-18T06:05:00.001-08:00

B.o.B - Don't Let Me Fall - Official Video

2010-11-17T05:09:00.001-08:00

TJ Chapman | TJ's DJ's

TJChapman.com
TJsDJs.com
Twitter.com/TJsDJs
Facebook.com/TJ.Chapman
Myspace.com/TJsDJs

Check out my artists:

B.o.B (Bobby Ray) | BoBATLcom
Double D | IamDoubleD.com

www.TJChapman.com
www.TJsDJs.com

Pics: B.o.B Celebrates his Bday on Stage w/ Paramore & Ends up w/ CAKE all over his face!

2010-11-16T05:37:00.001-08:00

TJ Chapman | TJ's DJ's

B.o.B aka Bobby Ray
www.BoBATL.com

Untitled

2010-11-15T05:33:00.001-08:00

via TweetDeck

Justin Bieber, B.o.B, Bruno Mars & Katy Perry to Perform at Grammy Nominations Concert

2010-11-11T15:42:00.001-08:00

Hold on to your hats folks, heavy hitters Justin Bieber, B.o.B, Bruno Mars and Katy Perry are among the first confirmed performers set to knock your socks off at this year’s GRAMMYs Nominations Concert Live!
And just to add a little more excitement, the annual countdown to the biggest night in music will once again be hosted by LL Cool J.
This is the third time the nominees for the annual GRAMMY Awards will be announced live on primetime television. The event will be broadcast from Club NOKIA in Los Angeles on Wednesday, December 1st on CBS from 10 to 11PM Eastern.
Additional performers and presenters will be announced soon!
Hit Up GRAMMYs.com for More Info >
The 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards will be broadcast live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 13th, 2011 on CBS at 8PM Eastern.

via 923now.radio.com

Untitled

2010-11-11T14:05:00.001-08:00

via TweetDeck

http://www.peopleschoice.com/pca/

Congrats to B.o.B (@BOBATL) on his 2 People's Choice Awards Nominations...Favorite Breakout Artist & Favorite Song!

2010-11-11T08:00:00.001-08:00

CONGRATS TO B.o.B

People's Choice Awards - January 5, 2011

Nokia Theater L.A. Live

Hosted by Queen Latifah

Favorite BREAKOUT ARTIST

· B.o.B

· Bruno Mars

· Justin Bieber

· Ke$ha

· Selena Gomez & the Scene

Favorite SONG

· Airplanes
by B.O.B featuring Hayley Williams of Paramore

· California Gurls
by Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg

· Love The Way You Lie
by Eminem featuring Rihanna

· OMG
by Usher featuring Will.I.Am

· Telephone
by Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé

B.o.B - UK Tour (video)

2010-11-09T21:47:00.001-08:00

MTV EMA 2010 Performance; B.o.B & Hayley Williams Airplanes"

2010-11-07T19:10:00.001-08:00

Live from Madrid, Spain!

B.o.B in Madrid Spain - Fans lined up outside his hotel!!

2010-11-05T14:58:00.001-07:00

Wow!!!

Cory Mo - Album & Mixtape Listening Party in Atlanta 11/5

2010-11-03T11:28:00.001-07:00

Artist: Cory Mo
Event: Album / Mixtape listening party "Its Been About Time"
Date: Friday Nov. 5th
Time: 7pm to 9pm
Location: MAD Studioz / 2922 Edna Ln. / Decatur, GA. 30032

(( There will also be free food & drinks the entire night ))

With live ustream pool table tournament !!!

Invited Guest will include: Media, Blogs, Artist, Produces, etc....

The mixtape is hosted by Bun and the Album Features guest appearances By:
Bun B, Talib Kweli, BoB, Slim Thug, Devin The Dude, Big Krit, GLC,
Mistah Fab, 4-Ize & many more...

Please confirm attendance!

Edit What's Needed View History

How To Make T-Shirts For $0

2010-11-02T11:23:00.001-07:00

T-shirts your fans can purchase that won't cost anything to make.

Estimated Cost: FREE

Estimated Time: Immediate preparation with immediate results.

Indie Guide Categories: Other Merchandise, T-Shirts

What Do You Need to Do This

Your Brand toolbox, especially Your Logo and Color palette
Ideas for shirt designs

Directions

1. Create logos and find art and graphics for your T-shirts.

You should make your own logos and graphics. It's best if it also has your website link on it. You can also click here to learn how to find free clip art and photos. We also have an Art & Graphics category that has resources that can help you.

2. Double check that the art is cleared for commercial use to avoid legal troubles.

Make sure that all payments and royalties are handled for the artwork, if necessary. Double check that royalty-free images are cleared for your use. Do not use any art that has not been formally cleared. If you use an artist, it's best to get the result as a work for hire, so that you can own it.

3. Pick a store that offers on demand printing services.

Sites like Cafepress and Spreadshirt allow for on demand T-shirts, meaning you pay nothing up-front, and make money on every single sale. Check out our T-Shirts category for more T-shirt manufacturers with on demand options.

4. Find the preferred formats and templates for the art and text on your T-shirts.

You need to use their specific template to make sure the shirts will come out looking just right. Use the highest quality and largest sized images you have. Remember that you will not be able to see the shirts in person before they are sent to customers, so everything has to look perfect. If the site has a size limit for images, you should submit the largest image possible.

5. Promote your on demand T-shirts with links and banners on your site.

Add banners and links to your website and social networking pages in order to promote everything you have for fans.

6. Make the best selling shirts available at your merch table.

Periodically check out your online sales; see which shirt designs are doing the best. If you are going on tour or playing live a lot, you should consider offering these shirts in person at your merch table.

via indieguide.com

What Is A Brand?

2010-11-02T08:02:00.001-07:00

by Bobby Owsinski

One of the things that an artist or band hears a lot these days is the need to promote “your brand” in order to get ahead in the Music 3.0 era that we all now live in. That’s all well and good, but it’s hard to promote your brand unless you’re 100% sure of what a brand is. So what exactly is a brand? Here’s a quote from the Music 3.0 Internet music guidebook that describes it perfectly:

A brand is a promise of quality and consistency. No matter where in the world you go for a McDonald’s hamburger, you know what to expect. No matter what product you purchase from Apple, you can expect sleek high-tech design and an easy to understand user interface. Brand management is protecting the image of the brand and carefully selecting how to best exploit it.

For an artist, that means a consistency of persona, and usually a consistency of sound. Regardless of what genre of music the artist delves into, the feel is the same and you can tell it’s the artist at first listen. Madonna has changed directions many times during her career but her brand has been consistent. Her persona remained the same even as she changed to and from the “Material Girl.” The Beatles tried a wide variety of directions but you never once questioned who you were listening to. It was always fresh and exciting, but distinctly them.
On the other hand, Neil Young almost killed his career with an electronic album called “Trans” that alienated all but his hardiest fans, and the well-respected Chris Cornell may have done irreparable harm to his long-term career with his recent album with Timbaland (“Scream”) even though it was the highest charting of his career. Why did this happen? For both artists, the album in question no longer “felt” like them. Both Young and Cornell built their careers on organic music played with a band, and as soon as their music became regimented and mechanical, they lost their brands. After Trans, Young returned to his roots and slowly built his brand back to superstar level, but it’s too soon to know what will happen with Cornell.

How do you determine what your brand is? It’s easier said than done.
In order for an artist to recognize and successfully promote their brand, they must have a great sense of self-knowing. You must know who you are, where you came from, and where you’re going. You must know what you like and don’t like, and what you stand for and why. And you must have an inherent feel for your sound and what works for you.

Your brand may be as much about your image as your music, although this sometimes happens by accident rather than design. Slash always wears a top hat, a jean vest, leather pants and plays a Les Paul, grunge musicians of the 90’s like Soundgarden and Alice In Chains wore jeans and flannel shirts, and the White Stripes always dress in red and white. That’s not all there is to their brands, but it’s a big part.

And that differentiates a superstar from a star, and a star from some who wants it really badly but never seems to get that big break. Recognizing your brand is an elementary but vital step to a successful career.

via musicthinktank.com

The Reality of Artist Development Deals at Major Labels

2010-11-02T07:29:00.001-07:00

Ballin on the private Jet w/ @PlayboyTre

2010-10-28T08:03:00.001-07:00

Check out B.o.B Fill in the Blanks in the November Issue of XXL

2010-10-28T07:53:00.001-07:00

CHECK OUT B.o.B FILL IN THE BLANKS IN THE NOVEMBER 2010 ISSUE OF XXL

Keith @ TJsDJs.com
www.twitter.com/keithk926

TJ's DJ's Tastemakers Conference Cancelled??? Nah...Networking Happy Hour & DJ Appreciation 10/28

2010-10-26T06:34:00.001-07:00

Fellow Tastemakers,

As you may have been aware, the TJ's DJ's Tastemakers Only DJ/Music Conference was set to be scheduled for October 30, 2010. You may or may not have noticed how after a solid decade of unleashing the brightest stars upon the world including B.o.B, David Banner, T-Pain, T.I., Rick Ross, and countless others, the Tastemakers name and conference blueprint seemed to pop-up everywhere, but that was cool. As T.I. would say, some "where so inspired by our style they decided to try it themselves." We took it as a complement. After all, we knew that no matter how one tries to copy, they could never top the TJ's DJ's attention to quality that helped solidify the event as something consistently looked forward to upon by you.

To the point, it is this attention to quality that forces us to unfortunately announce that the Tastemakers Only DJ/Music Conference has been cancelled due to circumstances beyond our control presented by the venue, The Moon. Ultimately, they forced us to make a choice between the quality that you have come to respect us for or to have a half-assed function.

We chose quality and decided to cancel rather than have a sub-standard event.

But, as they say everything happens for a reason and it made us realize we should get back to basics. In effect, the DJ's.

So, instead of the Tastemakers Conference, we will have a DJ Appreciation Celebration during FAMU's Homecoming on Thurs, October 28 that we welcome you to attend:

Thurs Oct 28 - TJ's DJ's Networking Happy Hour
@ Pockets (2810 Sharer Rd)
4-8pm
Music by DJ Ghost

Come enjoy:

- 1st 50 DJs' food & drinks are on us
- Free mini-bowling
- Free pool tables
- EA Sports gaming area
- And much more!

Courtesy of: StarQuality.tv, Crunk Magazine, Fireboy Records,
Mealticket Records, Raw & Uncut Entertainment, and...

TJ’s DJs Just Wanna Have Fun
@ Fun Station (2821 Sharer Rd)
8-12am
Music by DJ Ghost

$10/per person
FREE for DJs (admit 1) & Media (max 2) - (must be verified at door via mixtape cover, business card, proof of media outlet, etc)

Pass Includes: unlimited video games, go-karts, miniature golf, batting cages, bumper boats, & laser tag

DJs & Tastemakers come have fun for once by racing like Ricky Bobby, putting like Tiger, or murking your rivals like Jason Bourne in laser tag among other fiya activities. Thanks to Skullcandy headphones, you could win their high quality products just for getting high scores! Plus, as an added bonus we will allow for the 1st time ever, FREE access to the TJs DJs vault of past DJ CDs to help accentuate your music collection.

Special shouts to:

For those of you who have already registered for the Tastemakers Conference or Talent Show and paid a fee, we will contact u shortly to make arrangements.

If you are interested in sponsoring, donating, or partnering in any of the DJ Appreciation events, please contact:

Keith Kennedy
850.583.1813

Please stay tuned for future updates and thank you for your continued support,

The TJ's DJs Fam
850.583.1813
www.twitter.com/tjsdjs
www.TJsDJs.com

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In your real email campaign, customized footer links will appear here that let contacts unsubscribe, update their info, forward your email to a friend, and view our privacy policy.

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PLAYBOY TRE "I DON'T CARE" - Official Music Video

2010-10-26T06:16:00.001-07:00

B.o.B, TI & Playboy Tre Perform "Bet I Bust" at Emory University Homecoming in Atlanta

2010-10-24T08:29:00.001-07:00

www.TJChapman.com
www.TJsDJs.com

B.o.B & Hayley Williams "Airplanes" 1st Real Performance together in Nashville

2010-10-22T20:51:00.001-07:00

TJ Chapman | TJ's DJ's

B.o.B aka Bobby Ray
www.BoBATL.com

My Pics with the President of the United States...Barack Obama!

2010-10-22T16:58:00.001-07:00

It's not often you get to meet the President! I'll remember this day for the rest of my life! We got to visit the White House & see the Oval Office! Thanks to Danielle Smith! PS. Obama is cool as hell!!!

New Video: Slim Thug feat B.o.B "So High" (Produced by Nard & B)

2010-10-22T07:32:00.001-07:00

B.o.B feat Bun B "I Am the Man" LIVE in Houston (Video)

2010-10-20T09:29:00.001-07:00

Shouts to Bun B for coming out & blessing the stage wit B.o.B last night! Follow him on Twitter http://Twitter.com/bunbtrillog or http://twitter.com/bobatl

Slim Thug & B.o.B "So High" LIVE in Houston (Video)

2010-10-20T07:53:00.001-07:00

B.o.B brought out Slim Thug at his show in Houston to perform their new song "So High"!

B.o.B (@bobatl) Makes His MTV's Hottest MCs In The Game Debut At #9!

2010-10-19T08:37:00.001-07:00

Though B.o.B had been signed to Atlantic Records since the mid-aughts, 2010 was actually the first year people outside underground hip-hop got to experience what he was all about. A year ago, despite being a fixture on MTV's Mixtape Daily, Bobby Ray was stuck in major-label limbo and contemplating giving it all up.
Now, taking into account his buzz, commercial success and impact, the MTV News Hip-Hop Brain Trust has selected B.o.B as the #9 Hottest MC in the Game, his first appearance on the list.

B.o.B had a handful of minor looks over the years, yet never one that catapulted him to stardom. There was his 2007 trance-rap single "Haterz Everywhere" and, a year later, the song "I'll Be in the Sky." There were countless mixtapes and a co-sign from T.I., who signed B.o.B to his label, Grand Hustle, in 2008. The next year, he was selected as one of XXL's Freshmen 10, alongside fellow up-and-comers Kid Cudi and Wale. These small victories earned him a small-but-loyal fanbase.
But it wasn't until this past February, when he dropped the LRG-sponsored mixtape May 25th, that things started to really take off. The tape featured the Bruno Mars-assisted single "Nothin' on You," which was instantly embraced by radio. The song hit #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 and sold more than 2 million copies.
He duplicated that success with "Airplanes," featuring Paramore's Hayley Williams, which spent a staggering 26 weeks on the Hot 100, peaking at #2. It even spawned a remix with a reinvigorated Eminem, which helped launch Marshall Mathers back into the public eye.
"For Mixtape Daily, he was one of the main featured guys, more than anyone else," MTV News senior writer Jayson Rodriguez said during the Hottest MCs roundtable. "To sort of solidify it with these records ... I just think he did a good job of what every underground MC wants to do: sort of take that and cross over and do it in a way where it's credible. Where he can make these pop records, but the hip-hop community is still like, 'He came from here. We know what he did. He's solid.' "
B.o.B's two hit singles actually made Grand Hustle (along with Atlantic Records and Rebel Rock Records) release the Atlanta MC's debut LP, B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray, an entire month before it was set to hit stores. It sold 84,000 copies its first week and debuted at #1 on the Billboard albums chart, selling more than 400,000 units since.
He also released the T.I. and Playboy Tre-assisted single "Bet I," which let fans know he wasn't all pop looks. B.o.B stole the show on Slim Thug's "So High" and guested on the remix of Cali Swag District's dance hit "Teach Me How to Dougie." Additionally, one of the songs from May 25th, "F--- the Money" with Asher Roth, became something of an underground hit, even while B.o.B was crossing over into the top 40.
"He's looking to get back into more of a lyrical direction," MTV News supervising producer Sean Lee said. "And so that lyrical hip-hop pedigree is there, and it's going to be part of the equation for a while."
B.o.B rounded out his year by winning a Teen Choice Award for "Airplanes," performing at the VMAs and BET Hip-Hop Awards and scoring an "MTV Unplugged" special. He headlined his own Shootin for Stars Tour over the summer, appeared at Lollapalooza, opened for Jay-Z and Eminem's Home and Home concert series, and is set to tour the U.K. with Paramore in November. And, finally, he's a spokesperson for Adidas.
Maybe that decision to not retire was a wise one after all ...
The 2010 Hottest MCs in the Game rollout is now under way! As in 2008 and 2009, the criteria is based on a combination of rhyme skill, flow, buzz, commercial success, business ventures, Web presence and cultural influence. Upload your comments, reactions, arguments and/or your own list to Your.MTV.com or send tweets with the hashtag #hottestmcs — the best responses could be on TV or our hip-hop blog, RapFix!
Stay locked in each day as we count down #10 to #6 on our MCs list. Then tune in to MTV2 for the entire one-hour "Hottest MCs in the Game" special on Sunday, October 24, at 1:30 p.m. ET, where we'll reveal who will be crowned 2010's Hottest MC.

via mtv.com

Congrats to TEAM B.o.B on the phenomenal year!!!

B.o.B "Don't Let Me Fall" LIVE From BET Hip Hop Awards!

2010-10-16T15:43:00.001-07:00

via bobatl.com

Just in case u missed it! This is the new single...

B.o.B & J Cole at the BET Hip Hop Awards '10 Rehearsals (Video)

2010-10-12T11:56:00.001-07:00

via bet.com

Make sure u watch B.o.B's performance TONIGHT on the BET Hip Hop Awards.

America Music Awards: Congrats to B.o.B on his 3 nominations!

2010-10-12T11:17:00.003-07:00

CONGRATULATIONS TO B.o.B!!!

2010 AMERICA MUSIC AWARDS NOMINATIONS

RAP/HIP-HOP – FAVORITE MALE ARTIST:

B.o.B

Drake

Eminem

RAP/HIP-HOP – FAVORITE ALBUM:

B.o.B – B.o.B Presents the Adventures of Bobby Ray

Drake – Thank Me Later

Eminem – Recovery

T-MOBILE BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST:

B.o.B

Justin Bieber

Taio Cruz

Jason Derulo

Ke$ha

Lady Antebellum

Travie McCoy

Mike Posner

The live broadcast will take place at the NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE on SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 21st (8:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT) on ABC.

America Music Awards: Congrats to B.o.B on his 3 nominations!

2010-10-12T11:17:00.001-07:00

CONGRATULATIONS TO B.o.B!!!

2010 AMERICA MUSIC AWARDS NOMINATIONS

RAP/HIP-HOP – FAVORITE MALE ARTIST:

B.o.B

Drake

Eminem

RAP/HIP-HOP – FAVORITE ALBUM:

B.o.B – B.o.B Presents the Adventures of Bobby Ray

Drake – Thank Me Later

Eminem – Recovery

T-MOBILE BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST:

B.o.B

Justin Bieber

Taio Cruz

Jason Derulo

Ke$ha

Lady Antebellum

Travie McCoy

Mike Posner

The live broadcast will take place at the NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE on SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 21st (8:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT) on ABC.

See the full gallery on posterous

Photos: B.o.B's "Don't Let Me Fall" Video Shoot in Denver, CO

2010-10-10T09:10:00.001-07:00

We went to Denver to shoot B.o.B's latest video "Don't Let Me Fall" directed by Ethan Lader, same guy that directed "Nothin On You". I think this video is gonna be the best one we've shot so far. The scenery in Denver made for a beautiful video. The first day was shot in downtown denver & the 2nd day was shoot at Red Rocks Park & Ampitheater. This has got to be the most beaufiful & unique venue anywhere. Check out the pics and see for yourself!

Marijuana is big business in Denver! Just got a nice tour....

2010-10-08T14:23:00.001-07:00

Shouts to University of Kansas for the Sold-Out B.o.B show tonight! (Pics)

2010-10-07T20:39:00.001-07:00

I visited Lawrence, Kansas for the first time today. B.o.B had a show at the University of Kansas....great crowd!

Next BIG Thing: How to Create an Indie Artist Profile on Apple's Ping Network

2010-10-07T13:33:00.001-07:00

How to Create an Indie Artist Profile on Apple's Ping Network

When Apple launched it's new Ping network with the new version of iTunes, a lot of independent musicians were frustrated that they couldn't immediately set up an artist profile page on the network.

So most of them just grumbled and sat back to wait for Tunecore or CD Baby to work out the details for them.

But not Frank Colin of Gulture Enterprises.

"I assist the legendary independent blues and rock musician Jimmy Z with his website and social media," Frank writes on his blog. "As soon as I upgraded iTunes ... it became my mission to get his profile on Ping ..."

That's an understatement. Through persistence and some creative communications, Frank was able to set up a Ping profile by working directly with Apple. But it wasn't easy.

Frank chronicles how he did it, in great detail, in a great series of blog posts:

First read "How an Independent Musician Might Get a Profile on Ping."

Then read "How to Create an Independent Musician Profile on iTunes Ping" for even more of the nitty gritty."

Congrats to Frank for finding a way to get inside the machine and work the system!

-Bob

P.S. Have you had any luck setting up a Ping artist profile? Let me know in the Comments section below ...

via music-promotion-blog.blogspot.com

This is the new thing for all you artists out there. Don't be late...setup your Ping profile TODAY!

B.O.B GOLD & PLATINUM CERTIFICATIONS…YES HE HAS THEM!

2010-10-07T10:33:00.001-07:00

Artist
B.O.B. (FEAT BRUNO MARS) Title
NOTHIN’ ON YOU Certification Date
04/16/2010 Label
ATLANTIC

Award Description
GOLD Format
SINGLE Category
SOLO Type
DI

Artist
B.O.B. (FEAT BRUNO MARS) Title
NOTHIN’ ON YOU Certification Date
04/16/2010 Label
ATLANTIC

Award Description
PLATINUM Format
SINGLE Category
SOLO Type
DI

Artist
B.O.B. (FEAT BRUNO MARS) Title
NOTHIN’ ON YOU Certification Date
06/28/2010 Label
ATLANTIC

Award Description
2.00x MULTI PLATINUM Format
SINGLE Category
SOLO Type
DI

Artist
B.O.B. (FEAT. HAYLEY WILLIAMS) Title
AIRPLANES Certification Date
06/28/2010 Label
ATLANTIC

Award Description
GOLD Format
SINGLE Category
DUO Type
DI

Artist
B.O.B. (FEAT. HAYLEY WILLIAMS) Title
AIRPLANES Certification Date
06/28/2010 Label
ATLANTIC

Award Description
PLATINUM Format
SINGLE Category
DUO Type
DI

Artist
B.O.B. (FEAT. HAYLEY WILLIAMS) Title
AIRPLANES Certification Date
08/11/2010 Label
ATLANTIC

Award Description
2.00x MULTI PLATINUM Format
SINGLE Category
DUO Type
DI

Artist
B.O.B. (FEAT. HAYLEY WILLIAMS) Title
AIRPLANES Certification Date
08/11/2010 Label
ATLANTIC

Award Description
3.00x MULTI PLATINUM Format
SINGLE Category
DUO Type
DI

Artist
B.O.B. (FEAT. RIVERS CUOMO) Title
MAGIC Certification Date
09/30/2010 Label
ATLANTIC

Award Description
GOLD Format
SINGLE Category
SOLO Type
DI

Artist
B.O.B. (FEAT. RIVERS CUOMO) Title
MAGIC Certification Date
09/30/2010 Label
ATLANTIC

Award Description
PLATINUM Format
SINGLE Category
SOLO Type
DI

via thatretailchick.me

These are only the US certifications...we got international certifications too! 10 Million SOLD this year WORLDWIDE!!!

Shouts to That Retail Chick for the post!

Playboy Tre x Sean Falyon Red Cup Party TODAY in ATL!! @PlayboyTre

2010-10-07T09:10:00.001-07:00

All I can tell you is that its about to go down.

Flud Watch giveaway x Free PBR x Red Cup Party x Good Music

Live Performances from Playboy Tre, Sean Falyon, Grip Plyaz, Attitude, Tom P, El Prez, Vandalyzm, Stanza, Moss B… Plus the homie Willie Joe. If you're in ATL don't MISS OUT!!!

Slim Thug & B.o.B at the "So High" video shoot

2010-10-06T23:37:00.001-07:00

Pics from Bangor, Maine...Amazing LOBSTER!!!

2010-10-06T14:04:00.001-07:00

10 Reasons Why Most Indie Recording Artists Fail

2010-10-06T07:18:00.001-07:00

ShareThis
Jolin Gomez

It starts with a dream. You listen to your favorite songs and artist, then you try to play guitar and write songs. Form a band, then you attempt local gigs. You try to cover as many songs as possible. You then try to go to studios, do some rough recording. and while the band is on the way home, you then talk to each other thinking that someday, the band will be famous. You then begin planning to give demos to every key person in the music industry. The band then dreams of having a million dollar beach house, filled with parties and chicks and finally dream of having an enormous bank account consisting of band royalties and you begin to think you will most likely succeed.

The truth is, no you are not. Frankly speaking, the music business is so “HARD”. The reason why it is hard because in the first place:

1. You do not study about music business: This means you do not know the protocol in the industry. No matter how good you are, you end up being nothing. A great general will never win a battle without knowing carefully the battle territory.

2. You do not write songs seriously: Hit song statistics in a song catalog consist only of a small percentage. Let’s say realistically 20% are hits (following the famous 80-20 rule, 20% of your songs will give 80% of the songwriter income). So, this means the band needs to write at least 10 songs SERIOUSLY to have 2 hit songs. Do not fall into disillusions of writing 100% hit songs, it is simply impossible.

3. No originality or creativity: If I were an A&R, I would try to sign an artist that sounds original. This means all songs, lyrics and image should be unique and at the same time can be classified into a genre. The problem with indie artists is that they know cover songs more than their original songs. It is a sign of weakness. It is because, original songs are the bread and butter for every recording artists and it should be mastered with heart.

4. Do not have enough live experience: Frankly speaking, do not fall into thinking that you will land a deal without doing live concerts; do some, but do not overdo it. Remember you are a recording artist. Artists that are marketed through the recording process, means you will to spend time working in a recording studio, but without doing live concerts in your career, is again a sign of failure.

5. Too many live concerts and no studio work: Let the music industry know you are serious in your recording by spending some time to record songs with a producer or yourself. Spending too much time focusing on live concerts will not make the music industry very interested. After all when you get famous, they will not earn so much from your live concerts.However, if you spend some time doing recordings, they will be interested as long the quality is good and marketable. You are a recording artist.

6. No business sense: This is worse, because if everything you do, doesn’t have a
target plan (consumers that will buy your CD for example, or a specific marketable genre of high demand like pop, rock and country) you are just wasting your time and this is a big sign of future artist failure. Make sure every song you make has an impact and has targeted consumers. Make sure the image is marketable. Remember: make it consistent with the trend.

7. Lack of extraordinary musical talent: I believe the music industry needs extraordinary talent, not so much on skills. Those signed artists that are considered legendary singers,songwriters, entertainers and instrumentalists, were discovered doing very well at a young age. So make sure your talent is extra ordinary. If talent is not enough, it is highly suggested to select another career in which you are good. Otherwise, you will end with disappointments later.

8. Lack of professionalism: Music industry is a business of professionals. Do not get mislead into thinking that your meaning of professionalism are people well dressed and socialites. No, it is not. Professionalism means great attitude towards work. A professional is not only a person that is well dressed, well connected and yet has a poor attitude. Also, the way you market yourself reflects professionalism. Overall, the way you treat the music business as a serious business, or how you approach and deal with relationships makes you a professional.

9. Lack of marketing strategies: Music business like any other business needs a solid marketing strategy. Most indie recording artists fail because they think it is someone else job. No, it is not. You have to start marketing yourself. Build some presence, connections and showing of talents. This is the time when you get noticed and music marketing professionals will want to join your team . Thus, making you even more popular.

10. Failed to treat music as a career: Deciding to become an indie recording artist is a career choice. Yes it is. Sadly, I think 99% of the artists think of it as a hobby or just fun. This results to less commitment, professionalism and time devoted to master the art of singing, songwriting and stage performance. The very few who sacrifice other lucrative career opportunities for the sake of music are signs of success. It is because they are determined enough to take all odds to make their music business career a challenging and a very satisfying career. Based on actual experiences, a fear of rejection or failure as an indie artist is already a sign of failure. The root cause is to fail to treat music as a career, again by failing to plan.

via musicindustryreport.org

10 Ways to Show Fan Appreciation

2010-10-05T19:56:00.001-07:00

They come to your shows, they buy your albums, and they wear your t-shirts. They are your fans, and you love them as much as you need them. Show how can you show them that you appreciate their support and dedication? Here are ten ways!

1. Give Out Free Music

Everybody loves free music, and your fans would love a free MP3 or two that they can download from your website. You may even make brand new singles available before your CD release to your dedicated fans who register on your site. This is a great way to show appreciation and find out what the interest is in your upcoming album. If you don’t have a website yet, consider handing out CD’s or even mini-CD’s with a couple songs on them at your shows or other venues. Music is what it’s all about, after all.

2. Make a Badass Website

Give your fans a home on the internet to come and find out everything they need to know about you and your music. Your website can be interactive, informative, and fun. Include links to your blog, music and video from your shows, a place to buy your CD’s and merchandise, a press kit, band member profiles, and pictures. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune—there are lots of ways to get a website going up and running even if you’re not a web developer—but the more you are able to put in to your site, the more benefit you (and your fans) will see from it.

3. Online Forums for Interaction

There are message boards for every possible subject you can think of—from dirt bike racing to religion to Chinese cooking. These forums allow people with a common interest to meet up online and “hang out” together online to discuss their favorite subject as well as other topics of interest. These forums take on a real community feeling and can be a great asset, keeping your fans entertained. You’ll also be able to read conversations between fans and find out what they like—or don’t like—about your music. Most people feel much more confident posting their opinions anonymously on a message board and you’ll have a chance to read some really honest feedback.

4. Respond to Fans Who Write and Email

Unless you’re a platinum selling artist, you probably don’t have millions of fans. This gives you the opportunity to really connect with the fans you do have, especially the ones who take the time to send you an email or post on your MySpace page or blog. Set aside an hour or two each week to respond to your people who contact you online. They will be thrilled to have a personal response from you—even if it is just a quick one line message like “Thanks for your support!”

5. Free T-shirts

The power of a free t-shirt is the stuff of legends. It is incredible what people will do for a free shirt, and giving them out to your fans is a great way to show them how much you appreciate their loyalty. Not only will they enjoy having a new addition to their wardrobe, but if it looks great they will wear it everywhere and advertise your band for you. It’s really a win/win situation. Put as much effort as you can in to making it cool—something people will want to put on and wear around in public.

6. Offer to Play an Event for Free

Consider having a contest and offering to play a party for free for the winners. Who wouldn’t love to have a live band at their next block party or birthday? A contest is a great way to generate interest in both your band and your website—and playing a personal show for a loyal fan is just about the ultimate prize for someone who loves your music. You can also play a local charity event or fundraiser as a way to contribute toward the success of an organization you care about. You’ll have a place on all their marketing and advertising which is a great way to get your name out in public eye, too.

7. Give Out Free Passes to the Show

For every show you play, keep a pocket full of free passes and make sure you hand them out liberally. Give some to DJs to give out to their listeners, and offer some in a random drawing on your website. Free passes give your fans extra incentive to show up at your performances, and you may even gain a few new fans, too. If you don’t have a cover at your show, offer a special table that is reserved for your guests or consider planning a ‘dinner with the band’ promotion.

8. Do Interviews

Taking an hour out of your week to sit down with a loyal blogger or reporter can show your appreciation for the people who promote you for free. Giving a blogger the ‘inside scoop’ on your next CD or show is a great way to help them help you—they will be able to offer information that no one else has, and you will get plenty of publicity.

9. Hang Out After the Show

Spend time after the show meeting the people who have come to watch you. There’s no need to make it a formal event; just grab your beer and walk around. A simple, “Thanks for coming to see the show” will suffice and you never know who you will meet. This is a wonderful opportunity to build relationships with your fans and make your show memorable—something they will go to work and tell all their friends about the next day.

10. Say Thank You

It’s simple, but effective. Say “Thank You”. When you are finished playing, when someone emails you, when someone writes a blog post about you, and when someone volunteers to hand out flyers. Having the attitude that you are grateful at all times is the key to showing genuine appreciation to your fans.

via musicmarketing.com