Terrell Owens: Villain Or Victim? His Tumultuous Fall From Grace

Look! I’m a get right to it! Terrell Owens is not the most like-able guy in the world! In some circles, people just outright hate his guts! They hate everything he stands for. They think he’s arrogant, standoffish, rude and think he’s above everybody else. They can’t stand him! After all the negative stuff he did in San Fransisco, Dallas, and the Eagles, people don’t want to touch him with a ten foot pole. Sometimes when you are making millions of dollars, you forget who your real friends are and forget to remain humble. So now that he’s broke and has no money, people wouldn’t spit on him to put a fire out. And quite honestly, its sad to see Terrell Owens, a Hall Of Fame caliber wide receiver, in this position. Over 40 news outlets went to see Tim Tebow, a backup quarterback, speak at a news conference. Here it is, Terrell Owens couldn’t get ONE team to come out and watch him practice, and only one major news outlet covered it. This is a man who is second to Jerry Rice in several major statistical categories, and this is how they treat him now. Its like he’s being blackballed by the NFL. And it’s sad to see. But alot of this he bought on himself. But what I’m really writing about today is Terrell Owen’s appearance yesterday on the Dr. Phil show with three of the mothers of his children. I really didn’t understand why he chose, or why his advisors chose for him to go on Dr. Phil’s show, and be scrutinized and be placed under a microscope by millions of people regarding his personal life. I didn’t think it was a good move personally from a PR perspective, because how do you really tell your side of the story in 44 minutes where the viewers can objectively see your side of this situation? And Dr. Phil’s show is predominantly female oriented, and has a strong female base. Remember Dr. Phil comes from the Oprah Winfrey cloth, so did you think Terrell Owens was going to get any sympathy from the women on this show? After the show, the feedback was even more people now felt like Terrell Owens was a deadbeat dad. So this media situation didn’t work out for the best for him. But what I would say is, it did give you a glimpse into the life of these superstar athletes and what they go through with the mothers of their children and vice-versa. So from the start I have to say both sides were wrong in this situation in varying degrees. Terrell obviously for not being there for his kids, and the mothers of these children using child support payments as a basis of their relationships with Terrell. And I’m a start first with how I feel about the mothers.
This is what bothers me about women who have children with superstar athletes and try to use the children as “pawns” or as a glorified meal ticket. The reason I say that is because, if this was a regular, average guy they had met on the street and fell in love with and had a baby by him, would they still need 20,000 dollars a month to raise that child? I don’t think so. It’s ONLY because they know these guys are millionaires that now they are demanding 20,000 or 30,000 dollars a month in child support. It’s absurd. Ladies lets be very honest here. These women that were linked to Terrell Owens don’t need 20,000 dollars a month to adequately raise their child. There are average, everyday women out there that are doing just fine with going to school, having a job, and also having the father of that child working and earning a living too in order to help support that child, and their child is JUST FINE. Bills are being paid for, food is put on the table, they are involved in after school activities, doctor bills are paid for, and they as a family have NOWHERE near 20,000 dollars a month just set aside for one child. The problem is, out of that 20,000, yes they are taking care of the child, but these women are also using some of that money for their own financial gain as well. And it’s not suppose to be about that. The money is for the child. Not the woman going to get a new car, or getting her hair done every week, or a brand new purse. The money is not about keeping up YOUR lifestyle. You guys were never married. These women are no longer in a relationship with these star athletes. So they need to stop trying to live the life like those athletes. Remember ladies, you still have your own life to live. You should still get your own job and provide for yourself and not just be waiting around for this millionaire guy to send you a check every month. And watching Terrell Owens baby mother’s go at his neck yesterday on Dr. Phil about missing a 20,000 dollar a month payment really bothered me. NOT ONCE, did I hear any of these young ladies say, “okay, Terrell’s financial situation has changed, let me not take him to court, but try and work with him so he can still be in this child’s life and help provide”. These women were so angry because he stopped paying 20,000 dollars a month. They trying to count how many millions he making. Ladies, he’s NOT obligated to take care of YOU! His obligation is taking care of that child! Now I want to make sure I clarify and say that Terrell Owens was WRONG too! And I’m sorry, but I can’t feel sorry for a man that blew 80 million dollars and is broke now! And I’ll be the first to say it too, that YES, he is a deadbeat dad! It DISGUSTED me when he said “well I pay child support, why do I need to buy my kids gifts for Christmas?” That pissed me off. That showed me how malicious, callous and cold Terrell Owens was. I don’t care how much money he sent his kids. He’s a millionaire. The money was gonna be there. Its not about that. Its about being in his children’s lives more than anything. And what he did bothered me EVEN MORE than what the women did. Because I’m a man. A man who grew up without a father or having that father figure in my life. I know how profound that is as a young boy growing up not knowing his daddy. Or not having a father that wanted to be a part of his son’s life. And in my heart that’s unforgivable because these children didn’t ask to be born and come into this world because YOU made a mistake and didn’t use protection. No matter what Terrell’s financial situation was, he should have always been in these children’s lives from day one. Just seeing your child once a year is UNACCEPTABLE! I don’t care how busy you are! You only play football six months out of the year! What about the other six months?? You could still pay for your kids to fly in and out of different cities to come see you more than once a year. On off days, you can surprise your kids and fly in to pick them up after school and spend the day with them. Then fly right back out. You can’t say this doesn’t or can’t work, because I see superstar athletes do it all the time if they have to fly in and out on an off day to do a TV show, or do a paid appearance somewhere. Why can’t you do the same for your kids? So there’s no excuse. None. It really hurt my heart as a black man to see these black sisters tearing this man down on national TV like that. I really hope that Terrell and all of the mothers of his children utilize the services of Dr. Phil “AFTER THE SHOW”, AFTER there are no more cameras, or TV ratings to get, hopefully they receive the help they need to restore the foundation and bring their families closer together and not tear them apart. Don’t use Dr. Phil or his TV show as a “symbolic” gesture. Really get to the root of these problems with Dr. Phil, as a doctor, and clinical psychologist, to really help you with the healing process. Hope you make a true comeback T.O. -J.B.

George Zimmerman: The 200,000 Dollar Man?

George Zimmerman is a liar! There is no other way to sugarcoat it! He is a boldface liar and everything that comes out his mouth in my opinion can’t be trusted. He said he was indigent and had NO MONEY, and begged the court to have compassion and be lenient and understanding to his “financial plight”, but now they find out he had over 200,000 in an account somewhere! And Zimmerman expects us to believe that he didn’t know about it, or nobody from his family, or better yet the people RUNNING his website knew nothing about this money either??? Come on! How stupid do you think we are?? The judge should re-evaluate his bail status since it was established under blatant lies being told in the court and set the bail higher! If it was me, I would revoke his bail outright. In light of this news, that Zimmerman conveniently forgot to provide this crucial information to the judge, the court, and even his own lawyer, it begs the question of what else Zimmerman is not telling us? Is there other crucial information about the night he shot and killed Trayvon Martin that he’s not telling us as well? Maybe its this information that he’s conveniently forgetting that special prosecutor, Angela Corey, found in her investigation that compelled her to charge Zimmerman with murder in the second degree. And this shows you how feeble minded people think in this country. There are people that gave George Zimmerman 200,000 dollars??!! Gave Zimmerman 200,000 dollars even though they know he shot and killed an unarmed, young teenage boy. What would compel people to give the shooter, the man that killed a young boy who was carrying a bag of Skittles, 200,000 dollars? Now if you said we want to donate money to the family of Trayvon Martin for their loss, or to help pay for funeral services, then I can understand that. But to support the killer with that type of money just doesn’t add up to me. It defies all logic. Rational people DO NOT donate 200,000 dollars or more to someone that kills a young kid! And you can’t use the excuse of you’re helping his “defense fund” or helping with “legal fees” because his lawyers are working pro bono! His lawyers since day one have always been working pro bono! Even when O’Mara took over the case he was working pro bono! Because everybody is under the assumption that Zimmerman had no money. Plus any prominent defense lawyer in the country would have taken this case pro bono just because of the level of publicity involving the case, constantly being on TV and in the headlines, plus how much business his law firm stands to make if he wins, he will be the most talked about lawyer in America. So its much more than just money for these defense attorneys representing George Zimmerman. Trust me, these lawyers are not taking this case cause its cool. These lawyers know they stand to make far more money than what Zimmerman can EVER pay them. And lets not talk about how much money George Zimmerman can ultimately make. There are estimates out there that are saying he can easily raise 2 to 2.5 million in donations for “lawyer fees” and “court costs”. That means Zimmerman at the end of the day can walk away with about 500,000 to a mil in his pocket to SPEND and KEEP. Because his lawyer fees if he’s charged after the case should be around a million or maybe 2 at the highest because of the 400 an hour O’Mara charges. A high profile case of this magnitude would cost about a million or 1.5 with someone that has significant money to pay lawyers. So what happens to the rest of that money left over?? Zimmerman keeps it! Damn right he will! And if he beats the case out right and is found not guilty guess what? He writes a book about it, someone buys the movie rights for cable TV and he becomes a multi-millionaire after killing this kid. He can easily make 10 million dollars after selling the rights to his story for books and TV movies and doing paid interviews with Barbra Walters, Dateline or 20/20. This is the sad reality that we live in. Because if you have people paying him 200,000 dollars under the “guise” of helping pay his lawyer fees, then you’re going to have pariahs out there that will pay millions to sensationalize this story. Its pathetic! But its the country we live in! Its the same situation that happened to Whitney Houston in regards to someone buying the pictures of Whitney laying dead in her coffin. There was NO RESPECT for her dying or losing her life. All people cared about was sensationalizing her death. And its going to be the same way regarding Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman being his killer. So even if you think Zimmerman is innocent, or you think that there’s evidence that supports his “self-defense” claim, then let it play out in the courts. Because at the end of the day, if it’s indeed found to be that Zimmerman killed this kid in cold blood, that means everybody that sent this 200,000 dollars to him was supporting a killer. That means Trayvon Martin’s BLOOD is on your hands too! Don’t forget that Trayvon Martin is dead. He was a victim. He loss his life. Trayvon was followed that night. Not Zimmerman. That means Zimmerman looked to instigate this situation. Remember the police had to tell him to STOP chasing and following Trayvon. That means there is discrepancies in Zimmerman’s story. Things just don’t add up with his side of the story here. And the last thing is this, it’s about the hoodie that Trayvon was wearing and supposedly looked suspicious to George Zimmerman that night. How does a “hoodie” look “suspicious” to Zimmerman and it was raining on and off that night? When it rains, don’t we ALL wear a hoodie or a jacket to not get wet? Why does a black kid look suspicious that night wearing a hoodie and not a white kid when its been raining? Thats the 200,000 dollar question. - J.B.

Salute To Hip-Hop: The Legends Edition-

Two of the Four Elements that make up the culture of Hip-Hop (M.C.ing and DJing) was on full display at The Best Buy Theater in the center of Times Square New York.
Backpackers and B-Boys from across the city came together to pay homage to one of the golden eras of Hip-Hop.
With live performances by some of Hip-Hop’s legends, which would include, Main Source, Black Rob, Brand Nubian, Nice-N-Smooth, Black Sheep, Rahzel, M.O.P., D-Block, EPMD and Talib Kweli, Hip-Hop fans was in for a night to remember.
Kicking off the show was DJ Kid Capri keeping the crowd in a frenzy by playing hits that spanned both the 80s and 90s. But a highlight was when Kid Capri introduced legendary EPMD DJ and producer, DJ Scratch, who wowed the crowd by using his sneaker as a prop to cut on the turntables.
Main Source was the first Hip-Hop act to hit the stage. Large Professor (also affectionately known as Extra P), ran off classics such as “Friendly Game Of Baseball” and “Looking At The Front Door.”
Next up was Black Sheep and then Rahzel, who used his mouth to create incredible sound effects (transformer robots, lasers, beat making sounds) which showed that Hip-Hop is more than just M.C.ing.
But it wasn’t until M.O.P. and The Lox, also known as D-Block, took the stage that the whole energy in the building changed dramatically. When M.O.P. performed “How About Some Hardcore” and “Ante-Up”, I really thought somebody was gonna get hurt. LOL! Cause the crowd went bonkers! And when The Lox performed hit after hit from “Money, Power, Respect”, “Mighty-Mighty D-Block”, “All About The Benjamins”, “We Gonna Make It”, “Locked Up”, “BMF” and more, you were witnessing why The Lox is one of the best Hip-Hop groups of alltime.
There were special guest appearances sprinkled throughout the show from Freddy Foxx, Fred The Godson, D-Nice, Lil Cease, Keith Murray and DJ Premeir (a legend in his own right) who rapped Guru’s verse to “Dwyck” with Nice-N-Smooth to honor the great Gangstarr M.C. who passed away last year.
Despite a few technical difficulties here and there throughout the show (what live show you know doesn’t have minor glitches), the performances went off without a hitch. All in all it was a great night to re-live and reminisce why we all love Hip-Hop so much. We want to thank and salute the forefathers that helped pave the way for a new generation of M.C.s.

REVEREND JESSE JACKSON: 40th Anniversary Rainbow/Push Coalition Conference-

The Chicago Hilton and Towers in Chicago, Illinois, served as the host hotel for the 40th anniversary of Reverend Jesse Jackson’s annual Rainbow/Push Coalition Conference. With nearly a week long procession of seminars, panel discussions, health fairs, galas and luncheons, Reverend Jesse Jackson’s vision culminated in one overall theme, which was to educate our young children. Some of the highlights of the conference included: NFL superstar wide receiver Braylon Edwards receiving an award for his outstanding efforts in philanthropy when he donated 1 million dollars to 100 students for them to have scholarships to attend college, Judge Greg Mathis being recognized for his community service and helping to turn the lives around for many of our at-risk youth, the women’s luncheon that celebrated the achievements of women that pioneered in medicine, journalism, education and sports, and Hall Of Fame defensive lineman Richard Dent for his legendary accolades on the football field. Reverend Jesse Jackson would shake every hand and attend every panel and seminar discussion adding his words of wisdom and advice. Two panel discussions in particular were the most memorable of the weekend was the NBC/Comcast acquisition seminar and the Hip-Hop Summit organized by Jineea Butler of the Hip-Hop Union. At times heated and with much debate, but at the same time very valuable and filled with informative tidbits on how to succeed. Companies and corporate sponsors donated hundreds of thousands of dollars, gift certificates from Apple, scholarships and more to the deserving students from dozens of schools from across the country. With supporters from the Governor of Chicago, Pat Quinn, Comcast Executive VP, David Cohen, Supreme Court Justice, Ann Burke, Hall Of Fame Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin, NBA legend, Norm Nixon, Chicago legend George Daniels of George’s Music Room, industry experts, Janie Jennings and Mary Datcher, Hip-Hop artist RhymeFest and many more, the 40th anniversary of the Rainbow/Push Coalition Conference was one of the most memorable to date.

I’M ON ONE- AN EXCLUSIVE BEHIND THE SCENES LOOK WITH DJ KHALED, LIL WAYNE, DRAKE AND RICK ROSS

I’m On One is the hottest record on the streets and in the clubs nationwide. DJ Khaled has done it again, assembling an All-Star line-up of Lil Wayne, Drake and Rick Ross to lyrically compliment the stellar production on this track.
Director Gil Green chose Miami as the beautiful backdrop for the visuals that was also co-directed by Hip-Hop superstar Drake himself.
I got the call to come to the video set and when I got there it was nothing but love. Seeing Khaled move throughout the video set talking to Gil Green, describing what he wanted the director to capture on camera proved to me that Khaled is more than just a DJ. He also showed me that he was a visionary, way ahead of his time.
I sat down with Drake during the breaks in shooting and we just chopped it up. Drake is like my little brother. Even at this level of success that he has obtained, Drake is the most humble down to Earth brother. I respect him so much, not just as an artist, but as a young man that is evolving and taking it to the next level. Both Drake and Rick Ross are like second family to me. So we always laugh and joke around when we get together.
And what can I say about Lil Wayne? This nigga swag is on a hundred, million, trillion. Lil Wayne, Mack Maine and Baby was killing it during their scenes. Enjoy a few of the never before seen photos of the video and look for more in my new article in Rolling Out coming soon.
What a way to start my Memorial Day Weekend off with a BANG! #ImOnOne

SESAC Awards 2011

The 2011 SESAC Awards took place in New York at the prestigious IAC building. This invitation only event is to honor some of the most accomplished songwriters and publishers of the year for their achievements in music.
The red carpet affair featured music industry royalty from Sylvia Rhone (President Of Universal Motown), Swizz Beatz (winner for his work on Jay-Z’s “On To The Next One”), Angela Hunte (who wrote “Empire State Of Mind” by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys) Chrisette Michele (co-writer of “Aston Martin Music” featuring Rick Ross and Drake) Hilary Scott of Lady Antebellum, Bryan-Michael Cox (writer of Monica’s “Love All Over Me”), R&B artist Jaheim, Traci Hale (who co-wrote Rhianna’s “What’s My Name” and Sean Kingston’s “Letting Go (Dutty Love)” and the evening’s biggest winner Rico Love (who wrote and produced Sean “Diddy” Combs “Hello Good Morning”, Beyonce’s “Sweet Dreams”, Kelly Rowland’s “Motivation” and Usher’s “There Goes My Baby” and many more). Rico Love also walked away with the top prize for “Songwriter Of The Year” that was presented to him by Sylvia Rhone and a surprise congratulations via satellite by Usher himself. But for me, this night was pretty special because Chrisette Michele received an award for “Aston Martin Music”, a song that I personally helped to bring Rick Ross, Drake and Chrisette together to make music magic and history on. I felt like a proud big brother seeing Chrisette walk up on that stage. I’ve watched Chrisette evolve into an incredible artist as well as an incredible woman. I was just blessed to be a part of it. It was a wonderful evening of elegance, entertainment and camaraderie from some of the music industry’s best.   

Hey promoters! Please stop lying so fucking much telling people that pay their hard earned money you have certain artists at your club when you know damn well you DON’T! That shit is NOT cool! You know Kanye West ain’t hosting your party! Kanye is SIX FIGURES to just walk in the building! You know you ain’t got that type of money! You know you ain’t got Nicki Minaj either! She’s 60,000 just to walk in that bitch! Don’t make me call my man James Cruz and find out you lying! I’m a blow your spot up! LOL! So JANKY PROMOTERS please stop with the bullshit! Not only do you fuck up your name, reputation and credibility as reputable businessmen within the entertainment industry, but you also jeopardize some of these artist’s livelihood as a “brand” that can solely make a living long after their musical or film careers are over just hosting parties and events. I’m gonna put EVERYBODY up on game on how this promoting shit really goes and the DO’S and DON’T’S of this business. I need regular consumers and fans of these artists to know there is a system on how artists and celebrities are paid for their services to either perform, host, judge an event or a combination of all of the above on a local and nationwide level. The first step before you do anything is securing the artist by having a legit contract issued from the artist management or talent agency. Once the contract is issued, you have 48 hours to sign the contract and then make a deposit to the artist management. Any good promoter, or even an upcoming promoter should know to RESEARCH the company that is issuing you the contract. That way you know if this company is legit and has done business like this in the past. Look at their track record. Good or bad. See what other artists they have worked with before. THAT’S WHY YOU HAVE 48 HOURS TO SIGN THE CONTRACT! Do your homework!
The second thing, is a promoter ready to pay for the services of an artist. After the contract is signed, the artist requires a 50% deposit of whatever the artist fee may be. So if they are 15,000 to host, 7,500 dollars is sent upfront as a wire to the artist’s bank account. The deposit is not only a down payment on the event. The deposit is also protection for the promoter because the artist has now taken that particular date the promoter wants off of their calendar. So now they are no longer available to do anything anywhere else. The deposit also protects the artist, because if the promoter for whatever reason cancels the date, the artist can keep the initial deposit as a default. Remember when artists take a date off their calendar and a promoter then cancels, that was a potential date on the calendar that they could have made money elsewhere. So a deposit insures people from wasting your time. After contracts are signed and deposits are made, promoters are now allowed to advertise the event. That can be flyers, radio commercials or TV spots. It all depends on what type of event it is. There’s also something called a “rider” that all artists have. Whether it’s a “technical rider” or “hospitality rider”, these riders let promoters know what each artist may need while doing their event to be comfortable and to do the show as professionally as possible. “Technical Riders” let you know all the equipment needed to perform at a show (drums, keyboards, microphones, etc.). The “Hospitality Rider” lets them know what type of food, drink, dressing rooms, ground transportation, security, etc. has to be as well to insure a safe and comfortable show. The next step is now when an artist arrives in your city to actually do the show and receive the remaining 50% of their money. PAY ATTENTION KIDDIES! Cause this is what REALLY separates the good promoters from the JANKY PROMOTERS. The day the artists arrive to do shows, we like to pick up our second half of the 50% deposit during soundcheck for that performance. That way the promoter gets to meet the artist in person, they see the artist is really there and there’s no funny business. So when we don’t receive the rest of the money at soundcheck, already in our mind is WE AIN’T SHOWING UP FOR THIS SHOW TONIGHT! The same thing goes for a club date we are hosting. Which is a little bit different. Most promoters are suppose to pay the remaining 50% of the money when artists arrive at the club. When I get out the truck and go to look at the setup for the club (VIP Area, bottles taken care of, security in place, etc.) the promoter is suppose to hand me the remaining 50% of the deposit. If I don’t get that envelope and count that money, the artist WILL NOT STEP OUT THAT TRUCK, AND AGAIN WE WILL NOT SHOW UP TO THAT CLUB OR EVENT! What fans and club-goers have to understand is, THIS IS A BUSINESS! Promoters lie all the fucking time. They tell you the fans alot of bullshit just for you to pay your money, but on the backend their money ain’t right to pay the artists. Their MONEY IS FUNNY! So you can’t expect artists to just sit there and not get paid. So alot of times when the artists turn around and leave without showing up, I see fans on Twitter, on Facebook, complaining that the artist was a “NO-SHOW” as if the artists stiffed the fans or tried to get over on them. When that is the furthest thing from the truth. As fans, that have paid your hard earned money, you need to go in that club and demand EVERY DOLLAR of yours BACK or tear that motherfucker down! And this goes for ALL ARTISTS ON ALL LEVELS! JANKY PROMOTERS have done this shit to everybody from Kanye West to R. Kelly. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Promoters know Diddy is 100,000 to host your party. And that’s just to WALK IN YOUR PARTY! Promoters! If you ain’t got that type of money, DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME CALLING! You fucking up the game for real promoters! I’m seeing fake Keri Hilson flyers, fake Drake flyers, fake Lil Wayne and Rick Ross flyers! Get that shit out of here! Here’s another jewel why these promoters false promote! PAY ATTENTION!!! Some of these promoters look at doing this one particular party as a MAJOR COME-UP. So alot of times their intentions are good. But the circumstances get way out of control because they start losing money. They start panicking. You looking for them at the club and all of a sudden you can’t find their bitch ass anywhere. They ain’t answering their phones or nothing. THEY ARE EMBARRASSED! They didn’t properly prepare to really do an event of this magnitude. They are paying thousands of dollars on radio ads, renting the club, street teams, flyers, etc., and then the night of the party NOBODY is at their club. NOBODY SHOWS UP. So now they have already loss thousands of dollars invested in this event and then here comes the artist trying to collect his second half of his money. What you think is gonna happen? Of course the promoter is NOT gonna want to pay the second half of the deposit. He already took a huge loss. And that’s how everything goes downhill from there. If you ain’t built for this promoting shit, LEAVE IT ALONE! If your money ain’t up, LEAVE IT ALONE! Stick to promoting local parties at your neighborhood park. LOL. What a good promoter would have done was still pay the artist his money despite how many people came to the club. Because at the end of the day, YOUR NAME IS EVERYTHING. And once you lose your credibility in the industry, YOU’RE DONE! YOU’RE FINISHED! And I don’t want to just shit on JANKY PROMOTERS. Cause sometimes good promoters get taken advantage of too. So good promoters pay attention to these simple tips and you’ll be just fine: The first step is to let promoters know- DON’T TRY TO DO A PARTY OR AN EVENT IF YOUR MONEY AIN’T UP! That’s the first rule of the game. Try NEVER to pay for a party or an event out of pocket. Try to secure a sponsor. Whether it’s a liquor company, clothing company, watch company trying to have artists associated with their jewelry, a local mom and pop business or something, try to get investors to put up THEIR money, NOT YOURS. Second, STOP TRYING TO COMPETE with other niggas doing parties! Stay in your own lane. Create your own niche. There’s a million parties going on in the city, try to distinguish yours from the rest. Not compete. Because if your money ain’t long, you’ll NEVER win. But if your money is long, then there’s really NO COMPETITION. Because you can always afford to go after the biggest artists in the industry and people will come to your party ANYWAY! Sometimes promoters get jerked too! So rule number three, when you are at that point where you have a contract and are ready to pay your money to secure an artists services, ASK TO SPEAK WITH THE MANAGEMENT of that artist. ITS YOUR RIGHT! YOU THE ONE PAYING THE MONEY! And if a talent agent or middle man that is doing the deal is acting funny about allowing you to discuss terms of the contract with management, usually that’s NEVER a good sign. Yes, we understand that an independent talent agency or a middleman’s advantage on how they conduct business is their direct link between the artist and the promoter and they stress the importance of getting paid and securing the deal. And sometimes they don’t want to divulge their contacts in fear of losing the deal and not get paid. And that’s understandable. But really good talent agents or middlemen in these deals usually have promoters send them what is called a “binder.” It’s usually 10% of what the total deal would be. That way no matter what happens, as an agent or middleman they still get paid. So when a “binder” is paid everyone is now covered and there’s better dialogue between promoters and management. Number four, promoters, always get an audio drop from the artist that you have booked. Having an audio drop from the artist directly validates the authenticity of your party or event. An audio drop from the artist telling their fans where they will be on a certain date helps separate good promoters from “Janky Promoters.” Alot of these “Janky Promoters” will wait til another promoter pays an artist to come to town and then put out their own flyers with that same artist’s image on it to imply they’re doing a party with them in order to try and confuse people into coming to their events. NOT COOL! Also promoters, your weight has to be up to do this, but try and negotiate a small percentage of the bar. Most club owners will laugh in your face, but its always worth a try especially if you bring significant business to their establishment. So that’s the lesson of the day! Beware of JANKY PROMOTERS! Until next time….

If I could ask Hip-Hop pioneer and co-founder of Def Jam records Russell Simmons one question, it would be how does he feel in this day and time to see the label he and Rick Rubin founded some 25 years ago is being ran into the ground and is on the brink of collapsing? I would ask Russell how does it feel to know that a concept to start a record label conceived in a dorm room and eventually blossomed into a multi-million dollar conglomerate was now considered a music industry failure and is ran by buffoons? Def Jam was at one time one of the most respected of all the major record labels. Before there was a Bad Boy records, Death Row records, Roc-A-Fella records, Cash Money, G-Unit or No Limit, there was a Def Jam records that pioneered the entire music industry and opened the doors for the Jay-Zs, Master P.s, 50 Cent’s and your P. Diddys. Throughout the decades and different Hip-Hop eras that have come and gone, through all the fads and one hit wonders, Def Jam had continued to stand the test of time. But that doesn’t seem like the case anymore. Def Jam has become old and obsolete. Their success is far and between and their methods are outdated. What used to work as the blueprint for record labels years ago doesn’t work in this day and age. You have to be able to adapt with the times. And it seems like Def Jam has been left light years behind. Damn Russell. If only you and Rick Rubin can conjure up some of that ol’ Def Jam magic again. Cause that label could really use it right about now. Def Jam Records is in total shambles and disarray. Once the most powerful record label in the world with some of the most talented recording artists on their roster, is now an empty shell of its once powerful self. The CEOs and VPs at the label are modern day figureheads that are simply put on the payroll so they can earn a check and be a tax write off at the end of the year cause God knows they don’t do any work. A&Rs can’t help make a “hit” record to save their life. And the marketing departments at the labels are a joke nowadays. There are no successful marketing plans or marketing dollars to support the artists anymore. Budgets are being cut left and right. And if you ain’t Rihanna, Kanye West or Justin Bieber, you are lucky if you can put out more than two music videos to help promote your latest album. Whole departments at the label are being dissolved. And nowadays it’s like a revolving door of the good ol’ boy system of who you know that gets you a position as an executive at Def Jam but they really have no clue of what the hell they are doing. The A&Rs are not even in the streets no more finding that next big superstar. Today’s A&Rs are sitting behind a comfortable desk in their corner offices searching the Internet. Yeah, there’s alot of talent on the Internet and some are bonafied Internet sensations. But you still gotta go out and touch the people. Cause all Internet sensations doesn’t always translate into actual superstars. Sometimes they are only flash in the pans. They still have to be developed and nurtured as artists. Def Jam just like several other major record labels are losing touch with today’s artists. They really aren’t in tune with the artist’s true fanbase and don’t know how to build off of that fanbase. That’s why you have artists like Nas or Redman that are frustrated and rightfully upset on how they are being promoted by the major labels. Let me give you a perfect example. Jadakiss last album The Last Kiss debuted and sold over 130,000 copies the first week of release. But Def Jam totally dropped the ball and didn’t even have a marketing plan in place to follow up on Jada’s successful debut because they didn’t anticipate Jada’s album selling so many records. No follow-up video was shot and already in place, no second single being impacted at radio or NOTHING. What kind of bullshit is that? We’re talking about a veteran artist that has over 10 years in the music industry and Def Jam is STILL trying to figure it out?! Are you serious?! What Def Jam failed to realize or didn’t anticipate was Jada’s impact and influence on the streets. Def Jam forgot about Jada’s core audience. That’s why alot of these artists are now going the independent route and are finding other means to cross-promote their new projects and earn money.
But the crazy thing is, the first opportunity they get Def Jam wants artists to sign these ridiculous 360 all around deals in their contracts today. The damn label can’t sell a record to save their life but they have the nerve to want a piece of your tour revenue and ringtone money. Fuck outta here! Smarten up artists. Every major label deal isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. I personally sat in on these “marketing meetings.” I was hired and brought in with a friend of mine Tenisha Percell of School Boye not only to help break artists in the college market, but to also do all their album releases and music showcases nationwide. So I saw all this stuff first hand. And it’s unfortunate how much these artists are suffering because there is an incredible amount of talent out there that is waiting to be brought to the forefront. Let me give you a second example. Chrisette Michele is another Def Jam artist who has released two back to back albums and both of those albums were certified gold. She even won a Grammy her first time out. What’s significant in this case is, Chrisette Michele went gold with next to no major radio or video support. That means NO Hot 97, NO Power 105.1, NO major video in rotation on MTV or 106 Park or nothing. But what did happen was Chrisette hit the road and built a fanbase one fan at a time and blew people away with her live performances. You would think Def Jam at this point would realize, “Hey, we really got something with Chrisette that equates to more than just record sales. She actually has a loyal fanbase that will find her music no matter when it comes out.” But instead they throw millions of dollars out the window on cookie-cutter artists with not even a fraction of the talent she has. Maybe if they spent half the money they spend on Rihanna on Chrisette they would realize they have another bonafied star sitting right under their nose. But hey, who am I to judge? What do I know right? LOL!
Remember when LL Cool J was unhappy with Def Jam? Or what about the infamous Nas email that he sent to the Def Jam executives putting them on blast? LOL! Now that was funny! And lets not forget about NeYo. How does NeYo, one of the greatest songwriters and R&B hitmakers of our time release a new album that only sells 20,000 records his first week out?! Shit! Even 50 Tyson and Antoine Dobson can sell more than 20,000 units! LOL! And now the word is LA Reid is leaving Def Jam and is being replaced by a new regime of young talented executives. But my question is, are these new executives really the answer to Def Jam’s problems? Or are they just a quick fix? I know alot of people were unhappy with LA Reid’s performance as the chairman of Island/Def Jam, but are these new guys rumored to be coming in going to do much better? I know LA Reid isn’t what he used to be when he found Pink, Toni Braxton and Outcast and made them into superstars, but he still has some pretty big shoes to fill for whoever Def Jam has coming in to replace him. I’m a Hip-Hop baby. I grew up on Def Jam. Some of my early introductions to Hip-Hop was LL Cool J, Public Enemy, 3rd Bass, The Beastie Boys, Nikki D and many more. So Def Jam meant something to me. Def Jam is revered and still a respected conglomerate worth millions of dollars worldwide. I hope as time goes on Def Jam, the house that Russell and Rick Rubin built, can find the right leadership that can finally help the struggling label return to it’s proper place in history as the greatest record label ever.

Don’t be fooled and don’t even think for one second because you’re a Black man and have money that White people in America look at you any different. To them you still a nigga. No matter how many times you think you may have taken one step forward, White people in America are quick to remind you that you have actually taken two steps back. How could I be so stupid and really believe racism doesn’t exist in today’s society? How could I possibly think that White people feel that I’m anywhere near their level economically and on par, as far as their “status?” Why do little White kids look at Black folks sometimes in amazement as if you one of the pet animals at a zoo? And why when a Black man happens to look at a White woman and find her attractive, the same White woman looks back at you like you’re gonna rape them? Are you serious? And do I really have to remind you how taxis will straight up drive right pass you to pick up a White person cause they don’t want a “Nigga” to get in their cab. Guess what? In 2010, they STILL follow me around department stores and in grocery stores because they feel I’m gonna steal something. In 2010, White women STILL clutch their purses extra tight everytime they walk by me on the street as if I’m gonna snatch their purse from them. Why in 2010, I STILL fit the description of any Black man that is accused of committing a crime? The police get a call of a Black man with a black hat, black jacket and Timberland boots committing a burglary, I’m wearing a blue sweater, blue Yankee fitted and blue jeans with white tennis shoes and I still get pulled over and questioned? Coincidence? I think not. The funny thing about the White woman clutching her purse is, I probably make more money in three months than she does in a year. I probably have a better dental plan and 401k than she does in my mid-thirties than she does and she’s in her sixties. But hey, I’ve come to realize it is what it is. No matter how much money you have, to them you’re just looked at as being a “Nigga with money.” That’s it. That White person can be poor and broke as shit. They can be straight “trailer park trash” and society at large would still view them in a better light than a Black man that has two jobs, going to school and is busting his ass to take care of his family. Crazy right? Try and figure that shit out. LOL! And this goes across the board on all levels for my Black folks. Black models you will never be viewed as equal to White models in the entertainment business. You will NEVER make the kind of money they make. Shit, even Black rappers tend to go get White girls, or high yellow Black girls because they look White to be in their videos. All my incredibly talented Black actors and actresses in Hollywood, you will never make the kind of money your counterparts make. And I’m not talking about Will Smith or Denzel Washington. They are super rare examples of Black actors making 20 million a film. I’m talking about people like Halle Berry, who after winning an Oscar and being a major character in the movie X-Men years ago was only making 2 million dollars a film, when White actresses like Reese Witherspoon was making 15 million dollars a film at that time and she wasn’t even nominated for an Oscar yet, let alone win it. And there’s a reason why there’s a lack of quality roles for Black women in Hollywood. NEWS BULLETIN! They don’t think you can really act! Or you have the acting chops of your White counterparts! Even in pornography films and strippers in the club, they get nowhere near the type of money that White girls do and they provide the same service. But Blacks get paid at the bottom of the barrel. So it goes all the way across the board. White collar, blue collar, music and film industry and in everyday life, once you think you’ve risen to a certain level or status, White society will happily remind you that you are viewed for the most part as still being a “Nigga.” And for you to stay in your place.