What To Expect in the Future

As I finish my Master’s degree in Entertainment Business, I can’t help but think about the future of the industry, and what lies ahead. Apple is perfecting this cloud music system, which is a new attempt to end digital piracy. This is the music industry’s answer to the massacre of peer-to-peer sites, having people pay a monthly fee for all the music fans can get their hands on. While it is quite revolutionary for Apple and consumers to have access to the Big Four’s music catalogs, one can’t help but wonder what is the catch? What are the limits? Do we really have access to any song we could so desire?

While Apple works on the kinks and bugs of acquiring the Big Four’s and the smaller independent publishers’ catalogs, some say the music publishing industry itself is next to break apart. A system that has been working since its creation is now said to be falling to pieces. We have arguments that music performers should receive royalties like songwriters and producers (see "Should Performers Have Rights?"). We have companies that are about to go belly-up, making the competition want to buy them out. We even have record labels saying that they will cut out ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and SOCAN, and collect their on performance royalties. All in all, the music industry is a mess.

Who knows where things could be in a few years? In the next few years, the Big Four could be the Big Three if EMI does fold in. But EMI is also the company looking to collect their own performance royalties from radio and other venues. The future of the industry could be on its way to a crashing point. Or, it could be on a blindside upturn. The real point of this post is that no one knows the future, but we can all do our part to change it. The real question is this, you see the problem, how will you and your music company be the solution? What do you have to offer a music industry that may be on its last leg? And more importantly, how drastically will your business plan change if the music industry does get the major over haul it needs?

These are questions only you can answer. The only advice I can give you is to keep your eyes open at all times…

...and Stay Tuned…

Using Other People's Money

The Stay Tuned blog would like to continue to focus on the overall business aspects of starting your music business. Today, we would like to focus on the most important part: getting money. We talked previously about what to include in your business plan to get money. Now we will tell you how to use the internet to help you obtain finances to start you music company. There are websites out there that offer tools and services to help entrepreneurs get their business ventures off the ground. Let's have a look at some of these sites and opportunities.

One website, the CDVCA, offer funds and investments to "businesses in economically distressed areas" within the United States and also internationally. The Community Development Venture Capital Alliance (CDVCA) look for mission-driven business opportunities that will be beneficial to people of low-wealth homes and communities, while working to earn solid financial returns.

According to their website, "CDVC funds are looking to invest in companies with strong management, good ideas, impressive growth potential, and the promise of high financial returns. They also focus on the number and quality of jobs that will be created and the impact their investments will have on low-income communities." They are looking to see how your music company will help create jobs and benefit the families in your community. The website also offers more information on obtaining venture capital and what it is. They have links to articles and commentaries posted in the New York Times.

Another good site is the Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) website. The AEO represents and serves the small, typically underserved, entrepreneurs in the United States. According to their website, the AEO's mission is to support the development of strong and effective U.S. microenterprise initiatives to assist underserved entrepreneurs in starting, stabilizing, and expanding businesses.

AEO itself does not handle the financing, but has several funding companies and "microenterprise development organizations" that it has partnered with. The website has a search feature for entrepreneurs to find the nearest funding specialist to help them get their business venture off of the ground.

In partnering with the AEO, they can offer:

• Platform to showcase your organization's impact and innovation through our new website, revitalized working groups and other exciting opportunities
• Access to valuable services and products from a growing national network of partners
• Networking with peers, potential partners and funders
• Collaboration on tailored marketing and business development initiatives for our members
• Effective voice in Washington on critical policy matters
• Support in identifying and filling critical training needs for your organization
• Opportunity to shape and participate in AEO agenda and initiatives

And these are not the only sites out there to help you. There are many sites that offer help, tools, and services to meet your needs of getting your label or music business from idea to reality. Continue on your research path and find the resources best for you and your vision, and what you hope to accomplish with your venture.

Until the next blog, Stay Tuned.

Putting the Business in Music Business Part II

This week, the Stay Tuned blog is still focusing on overall business, and how to get that business on the right track. Most entrepreneurs know this starts with a business plan. A company without a plan, has no direction. The business plan is your vision in the form of words. This is how you get your vision and dream to other people.

In the first "Putting the Business in Music Business" post, we talked about Growthink and its founders Jay Turo and Dave Lavinsky. Turo and Lavinsky have mentioned important things that investors are looking for in business plans. The most important aspect of any business plan is research. While investors want to know how they will make back their money, and what makes you stand out from everyone else. But your overall plan should show that you have done the necessary research. This research includes research of your industry, your audience/target market, and your competition.

Lavinsky and Turo additionally mention investing in yourself and taking risks. We believe these go hand-in-hand. If you can prove that you have a service or product that is different, you should believe in yourself enough to invest in it. You should always be willing to better yourself and your craft. In music, that means singing lessons, even if you think you are great at singing; or piano lessons, even if you can figure out any tune playing on the radio.

Research and investing in yourself are the key aspects prospective investors want to see in your business plan. If that's want they want, why aren't you giving it to them?

Besides these things, the most important section of your business plan includes the Industry Analysis, the Marketing Plan, and also the Competition section. These sections show the most in terms of your research and what sets your business apart in the industry. If you come off as if you don't know much about the industry or the companies already in it, you may already lose the investor.

Take time to get to know the industry you want to break into and where you fit in. Research prevents you from trying an approach another company has tried and failed; or shows you how to capitalize on your competitions mistakes. Also, find yourself so caught up in your work and planning that you forget to show exactly who you are and express yourself.

Until next time, Stay Tuned.

Putting the Business in Music Business

CqE and the Stay Tuned blog is venturing outside just the realm of music to talk about business itself. I am sure most readers want to end the constant working for someone else and would rather work for themselves. Who wouldn’t want to make their own rules?

Well in even in the path of working for yourself, there are some rules you have to follow to get there and to be considered successful. This path may start with your dream and idea. The navigation is your business plan. Having a tangible idea on paper helps other people see where you are going, and in turn provides you with the best chance of getting funding. In the world of entrepreneurs, everyone knows it is good to work with OPM – “other people’s money”.

There are many wonderful resources that can help you start and finish your business plan. One such resource is that of Growthink, a company that helps entrepreneurs get their ideas on paper in order to get help with startup costs. Dave Lavinsky and Jay Turo are the founders of Growthink, and have helped Growthink emerge as a premier strategic advisory and investment banking firms focused on entrepreneurship.

Lavinsky has helped many entrepreneurs and companies prepare for grow and success in the business market. He has an MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia. He himself has started many successful ventures and contributes to Growthink’s informational blog, seen here.

Turo has helped to advise many growing, middle marker, and corporate clients in his time at Growthink. These include Infospace, Samsung, Porsche, and also Paramount Pictures. Turo is currently active in angel investing, and also contributes to Growthink’s blog. He holds an MBA from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA as well, and a Bachelor’s degree from Stanford University.

According to the blog, there are several lessons one can learn from Lavinsky and Turo and what investors want to see in the entrepreneur as well as in the business plan.

® DO YOUR RESEARCH – Information is everywhere. That means investors want you to collect some to tell why your venture is better than any other venture in your market.

® INVEST IN YOURSELF – How do you expect anyone else to support or believe in what you are doing, if you can’t prove you are doing so? Investors don’t mind helping or supporting a business if they see proof that the entrepreneur has tried to make it work other ways.

® TAKE RISKS – Exactly what is it that makes you stand out? If you are doing something that is commonplace, or has already been done, what are you bringing that’s new? According to Lavinsky, “every great person in history was an entrepreneur. They tried something new. They took a risk. They overcame odds. They persevered. And, at the end of the day, they made it happen.” This includes people like Milton Hershey (Hershey Chocolate Company), Clara Barton (the American Red Cross), Jim Henson (founder of the Muppets), and Walt Disney.

While there are more points to take away from the Growthink blog, I think the biggest point is, take it from someone who has done it before. We can dream all day, but our business plan should take form from an established formula. This is why people write autobiographies. Whether it is Dave Lavinsky, Jay Turo, Barack Obama, Quincy Jones, Russell Simmons, or Rick Pitino, there is something that they did that worked.

Will you be the next breakout story?

Stay Tuned.

You can check out Jay Turo, Dave Lavinsky, and Growthink at their website or @Growthink

_____________________

-Bios found on the Growthink website

-Additional information on Growthink blog posts

A Walk on the Digital Wildside

There are so many avenues you can go to promote and market yourself. This is especially true in the digital realm. In another post, we talked about Product and Artist Management. The key is developing your identity and getting that across to your fans/consumers.

There is a band that takes digital marketing to the next level, and it makes for an interesting result. The England native alternative band Gorillaz has almost eliminated the physical presence of humans by itself being a virtual band. Gorillaz has made itself known to the world with its four band members, Stu “2D” Pot, Murdoc Niccals, Russel Hobbs, and Japanese guitarist, Noodle.

The band, which was created by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, is tangibly made up of the music and various contributions from different musicians over the years. The main contributor has been Albarn, the voice of 2D in the band, and Hewlett, who is the illustrator. The outlandish cartoon band members have been perfect for digital marketing as it is easy to feature them almost anywhere in visual media, and the music speaks for itself.

In promoting their 3^rd album, Plastic Beach, Gorillaz released several cartoon shorts as well as playing out the story in their music videos about Murdoc kidnapping 2D and taking him to this island called Plastic Beach, to record for this new album. The story continues to play out piquing fans’ interest in what is going on with the band members. The way Gorillaz tells their story has led to them gain fans and album sales.

Gorillaz has since put out iTunes exclusive music, iPad apps, had their songs featured in commercials (Icebreakers) and video games (Guitar Hero 5, Rock Band). The Gorillaz website features a game based around the Plastic Beach album called “Escape to Plastic Beach”, which was also the name of their first world tour. Gorillaz is also working with a new technology for their tour using holograms, giving them a realistic and life-like appearance while on stage. This technology was used at the 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards and also at the 2006 Grammy Awards, featuring Madonna.

Gorillaz has used digital marketing to their advantage by making themselves a virtual band. This is digital marketing at its finest. What will you use to brand yourself and put yourself out to the masses? In marketing there are four people: Creators, Innovators, Imitators, and Spectators. Creators use their own ideas to their advantage. Innovators take someone else's idea and build on it, or make it special in their own way. Imitators obviously take a proven formula someone else created and stick to it. Spectators take it all in, yet put nothing out.

Which “-ator” are you? Stay Tuned.

For more on Gorillaz, check out their Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Wiki, or their own website.

the Digital Divide

With so many innovations like iPads and eReaders, it is obvious we are embracing a digital format. The best way for entertainers like musicians to succeed in this new technological atmosphere, they have to adapt their marketing efforts to include digital media. This is the major record labels are having troubles with P2P sites and other forms of digital media.

The advancement of technology and the internet have giving record label another problem: independent musicians don’t need them. There are now sites and software that give the power to the artist and cut out the “middle-man” of the label. An artist can easily promote their product(s) through social media like Twitter, Facebook, or MySpace and sell it through sites like iTunes, Amazon, or CDBaby. Therefore keeping them in touch with the most important people of all: consumers.

For those that are still vying for that coveted recording contract, there are plenty of stories where someone has gotten signed from current social media. Hip Hop artist Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em gained his fame and contract from exposing people to his music through P2P sites. Current Bad Boy Entertainment artist Cassie found herself a contract by being discovered by writer/producer Ryan Leslie from MySpace. And let’s not forget pop star Justin Bieber, whose YouTube videos were viewed by the right people and provided him with a contract.

Digital marketing has changed the landscape of the music industry. Besides taking the D-I-Y approach, or attempting to get heard/seen by the right key people, there are many major signed recording artists who are taking it upon themselves to still use social media and other sites to promote and keep in touch with fans. In older days, the best way for fan interaction was at official autograph sessions or backstage after a concert. Now artists can interact from their cell phones with a tweet or status post.

An artist or record label would be silly not to take advantage of popular trends. If it is popular, this is where most of your fans and consumers will come from. Right now, things like Twitter, YouTube, UStream, Facebook, and Skype are popular among the people. In order to put yourself at the best advantage, you have to put yourself on the same level as the audience you want. Sales 101 has always been “the customer is always right.”

As you think about marketing your music and media, remember to take advantage of trends and fads as much as you can. The internet is an unlimited resource for digital marketing and getting the exposure you desire. Also consider internet radio sites like Jango who put your music out alongside the major artist. This is much easier than getting your music on a terrestrial radio station. Learn to use your resources to get you where you need.

Stay Tuned.

Where is Your Music Going?

I meet a lot of starving artists and aspiring musicians who seem to have a one track mind about the music business. Many people want to spend their time in the studio recording music so that they can perform to either release a cd or get found/signed by a major label. While this is a very realistic dream in today’s world of instant signees, this won’t make you much money, or even give you that much longevity. There are plenty of artists who get signed by record labels whose projects never see the light of day. The reality is getting a contract is not all that difficult now and days. What is hard is getting the label behind your project enough to promote and release it to the nation and the world.

Even if you do get released, what is your focus? An album on a major label? Placement on a Billboard chart? A Grammy nomination/award? A grand international artist? A lifetime achievement award in your genre? The question you really must ask yourself, is what makes you different or better the top artists in other genres as well as your own?

Is your music worthy to top the charts with Katy Perry, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, B.O.B., or even Jay-Z?

The focus of this post is not to criticize you or your music, but to strengthen your focus on your music and where it is going. It is good to have aspirations to sell out shows and perform worldwide. But how does your music do when you are not in the room?

One of the biggest apps in the Android and iPhone App Store is Shazam, which tells the user what song is playing when they can’t identify the song or artist. The key to this app and this situation is song placement. Your music should go further than just sitting on a cd or digital MP3. It should be broadcast all over.

Think about your favorite tv show. Who sings the song for the intro? Why isn’t your song on the intro of a show? When Remy Zero decided to record “Save Me”, did they know that CW show “Smallville” would allow it to be broadcast into viewers’ homes for over 9 years straight?

Speaking of hip hop artist B.O.B., he has had numerous Grammy nominations from his Atlantic Record debut “B.o.B Presents: the Adventures of Bobby Ray”, and has recently added a song placement credit to the new game "Crysis 2". He has had numerous placements in commercials and tv shows for his singles “Magic”, “Airplanes”, and “Nothing on You”.

When you think about where to go with your music, go beyond getting your music on radio. Your music should be in video games (think about the Madden franchise), tv shows, live shows (like the music pro wrestlers come out to), film, commercials, and other places. One of your singles can be the theme for a PPV, movie, tv show, product, or a big event. Who knows? It may be another avenue to you getting your contract and international exposure…only now you have leverage.

Stay Tuned.

Research Discernment

As technology evolves and expands so do the many ways we have to research and find information on the internet. There are so many resources for people to find information on anything they need, that there is almost no excuse to not to succeed if one really wanted to. With that said, we also need to have discernment over what is credible and what is valuable to us.

There are many people toting advice and giving expertise on how to make it in the music business. But who are they? What is their credibility? Who co-signs for them?

These are things to think about when looking for research. Two people that have been tearing up the internet with advice are Ty Cohen and David Hooper. This is no slight to either fellow or their prospective businesses, but more of a glance at how to find research discernment.

Ty Cohen and his Platinum Millennium Publishing provides various advice on how to start your own record label, using entertainment contracts, and other “courses” he is selling on “making it” in the music industry. I have personally been on the buying end of a few of his products, and in my own review, while relevant, most of the information offered is information you can get for free. When you search for “Ty Cohen” at a search engine, the first few pages of results are his own websites or sites he has input on. This can be a red flag in determining research validity. There are no valuable resources that vouch for him. When you search deeper you find reports and forums that elude to Cohen being a scam artist with his products. This is not exactly what you what in dealing with research.

There are tons of resources and pages of advice that don’t require a PayPal account. And while David Hooper does have products he is selling, if you follow his blog or his Twitter page, there is plenty of advice he is giving out for FREE. Hooper and his Kathode Ray Music is all about promoting your band/brand and advertising in the music business. In comparison to Cohen, Hooper has little to no scam reports. While free advice isn’t always the best advice, it is something to consider when looking for information on the internet.

You can check out Ty Cohen at http://www.tycohen.com/ or @MusicBizCenter; and David Hooper at http://www.musicmarketing.com/ or @davidhooper to make your own judgments. Be mindful of who you take advice from, and what you believe in research. Take everything you read with a grain of salt.

Until next time, Stay Tuned.

Music & the Law Pt. 2

I have been taking an Entertainment Law class at Full Sail University. It has been interesting to learn about trademarks, copyrights, and the protection of intellectual property. The blog entry will stand to share what has been observed and learned throughout this course. This article is written in hopes that it is of assistance to any reader who is searching for understanding in the entrepreneur and entertainment worlds.

In a recent podcast from Entertainment Law Update, they talk about Subway’s use of the word “footlong”, and how the submarine sandwich company has attempted to gain a legal trademark of the word. Subway is not the first to sell or distribute submarine sandwiches that are approximately twelve inches in length. In a recent court case, an independent Iowa restaurant has filed suit against Subway for sending them a “cease and desist” order for using the word “footlong” to pertain to their sandwiches. The courts have decided that “footlong” is a general term and in fact cannot be trademarked. The podcast agrees that Subway could have a valid claim in registering the trademark “Five Dollar Footlong” (or “$5 Footlong”), but not in the regular word, “footlong”. The podcast also makes a valid point in explaining that when you hear the word “footlong”, you may think of a hot dog instead of a sub sandwich. It is interesting to note that the US Patent and Trademark Office has denied Subway’s application to file the word as a legal trademark against other restaurants.

In the entertainment industry, there will always be someone ready to make “bogus” claims in the fight against copyrights. Subway is not alone n this issue. Suffolk University’s “Intellectual Property Law Podcast Series” brought to my attention a case of the US v. the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP). It talks about ASCAP considering downloading a song as “public performance” and how the United States disagrees. The US District court has decided that by definition of the Copyright Act, “perform” means “to recite, render, play, dance, or act it either directly or though a device or process”. Downloading is merely a means of delivering the song(s), and is in no way a “performance”. So while sites like Yahoo! are not entitled to paying copyright owners or ASCAP a performance fee, the podcast does mention a reproduction fee that is required through the Harry Fox Agency. In a sense, the copyright owner does not have to worry about how they will get paid, but rather who will pay them.

The same podcast from Suffolk University introduced me to a new case taking its place in court soon. The case of Axl Rose v. Activision, and breach of contract is being discussed as will be sent to trial in January 2012. According to Rose, he only agreed to license Guns N’ Roses music (specifically “Welcome to the Jungle”) for Activision’s Guitar Hero III on the basis that the game would not feature the likeness of ex-band member Slash (born Saul Hudson). Anyone who has played the game, seen the cover of the game, or wants to do a general Google search of “Guitar Hero III” will see Slash front and center on the game’s cover image. According to Rose, he was told the image and likeness of Slash is only for promotional use and would not be used in the final game. The podcast goes on to say that Rose is suing Activision for deception and deceiving him. It is interesting to note that according to Hollywood Reporter, Gwen Stefani and her band No Doubt are also filing suit against the video game publisher for misusing licensed rights.

In conclusion, I would have to say that you should know your limits when it comes to trademarks, copyrights, and licensing agreements. As you dive into the world of business and entertainment, make sure you know what you can and/or can’t do when it comes to protecting yourself and your company. If you don’t need to go to court, stay away from it. But should you find yourself in a situation like Axl Rose, get EVERYTHING agreed upon in writing. Cover all you bases to make sure the next court case we review isn’t you. Until next time, Stay Tuned.

Music & the Law

Today, the Stay Tuned blog will focus on some pivotal and recent court cases that have impacted the recording industry. The use of intellectual property in music will always be a sensitive subject with some folks. For how can you really put a copyright on a thought or idea, and say no one else can stumble upon the same idea? The music industry is pregnant with various claims of copyright infringement and people who mistake inspiration for duplication.

The first case to discuss is Fantasy Records, Inc vs John Fogerty. For those don't know John Fogerty was the lead singer and songwriter of Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) who was signed to Fantasy. In a nutshell, CCR broke up and the only way for John Fogerty to get out of his contract was for him to turn over all his rights to all the songs he wrote for CCR. Later, in Fogerty's solo career, he released "the Old Man Down the Road", which Fantasy decided sounded exactly like the CCR recording "Run Through the Jungle" but with new words. Of course, Fogerty wrote the song, but Fantasy owned the copyright. This cases teaches a few different things besides its outcome that elaborated the standards that factor into district court's decision to award attorney's fees in copyright litigation.

1. Pay attention to your initial contract and fulfill your obligations
2. Don't put yourself in a position to sell your "soul" (or rights to your music)
3. If you have to give up your rights, keep a percentage. Never give all of your intellectual property away.

The next case is more recent and deals with the music industry trying to deal with illegal downloading. Capitol vs Thomas is said to be the first file-sharing lawsuit that went to be tried before a jury. The case shows that Jammie Thomas-Rasset was found liable for infringing songs by downloading from P2P site Kazaa. The RIAA sent a cease-and-desist letter to Thomas-Rasset and a settlement, but she refused to settle. This led to the court case we have before us. Thomas-Rasset was ordered to pay Capitol and the RIAA $222,000. In a retrial by her request, a jury still found her liable and order her to pay $1,920,000, which was later reduced to $54,000. the RIAA would not except the reduced amount and was granted a third trial. The jury awarded the RIAA $1.5 million against Thomas-Rasset.

From this trial we learn, if you are offered a settlement, take it. But seriously, the RIAA and the music industry attacking consumers isn't exactly the correct way to handle piracy and illegal downloading. While trials such as this one may scare a lot of the downloading industry, where there is entertainment you have to pay for, there will always be a way to get it for free. The entertainment industry as a whole combats this by offering interactive content with DVDs and bonus tracks on music albums. I think as technology evolves there will always be a way to cheat the system. Attacking all people who download is like starting a war on all of terrorism...

The next case is the RIAA vs LimeWire, which seems to mean changes to file sharing within the United States. This seems to be the RIAA's backup plan to attacking the illegal downloading. Why attack the user, when you can attack the user's tools? The RIAA in the past attacked P2P site and softwares like Napster, Morpheus, Grokster, Kazaa, eDonkey, iMesh, WinMX, I2Hub, BearShare, Shareaza, and now LimeWire. The other P2P sites could not stand up to the RIAA, and it seems LimeWire may fall to the same fate.

The P2P industry can argue several different points against the music industry. P2P is not all negative. For many students who want to put music to a powerpoint, home video, or other project, isn't it easier to boot up LimeWire and download that one song you need instead of having to search through multiple paid libraries just to find that the song you need is not licensed by that library; or you have to buy a whole album for one song? yes, there are negative uses for the P2P industry, but there are also beneficial uses, especially for the little person who just needs one song from time to time.

In conclusion, the music industry will always have those looking for a cheap way out or who "infringe". While the Fogerty issue is hard to combat unless you have a good lawyer and some sense of reality at your contract signing, there is a way for RIAA to take care of file-sharing. If you know there is a need or desire for something, create it. If the RIAA created its own file-sharing site/software for a reasonable one-time fee, would you participate in it?

Stay tuned...

Product and Artist Management

I am currently taking a class in Product and Artist Management, I am learning so much. It is helping to open my mind to new possibilities in the world of artist management, and how to properly market your product or artist. The key to being an effective manager is learning how be open-minded and how to explore every possibility in getting your product or artist exposure. You are to always be thinking of what is best for them in the way of gaining interest and later sales. Here are some tips to help you market your artist or product in the entertainment industry.

KNOW YOUR MARKET

Who are you selling to? What is the age range? Demographics? Your thinking should be "who is this product or service best suited for?" With this comes a lot of market research. You should not only know what market you want to sale to, but also pay attention to the trends of the market and to what your competition is doing. This will help ground you and conduct the best strategy on how to get people to buy your brand of product or service.

Paying attention to the competition also gives you the added benefit of seeing their strengths and what is working for them, and also their weakness and where they are lacking. This become the perfect opportunity for you to capitalize on some system they have in place or do it better than them; or also you can find yourself catering to the people or an opportunity that is being overlooked. You see this alot with larger companies. The larger companies have lost their way in the form of looking out for the little man. As a new product or service, this is where you come in to make the little man feel special. But all-in-all, you must know your market.

STRATEGIC VISION AND PLANNING

Being a manager for a product or person is not about having a one track mind. Two key words when marketing your product are: possibility and potential. In the world of management, there is no "can't do it", only "how can we make it happen". At least this should be your focus. An old proverb (Prov 29:18) says without a vision, the people perish. It is imperative in this position that you have an idea of where you are going and how to get there. Hoping for anomalies like being found by a talent scout from live shows, or off Twitter or YouTube are nice dreams. But your vision must be grounded in reality.

Strategic visioning is having a plan; knowing where you want to go and mapping it out. This is very key when you are placing the career lifespan of something or someone else in your hands. How do you expect someone to hop in the car with you if you don't know where you are going? If you are going to control a destiny besides your own, you should learn to do the research you need to effective guide your subject to where it needs to be.

KNOW YOURSELF, THEN KNOW YOUR PRODUCT

Product and Artist Managers have an entrepreneurial aspect to them. They are willing to jump in the fire and fail, and hopefully with research have an even more effective back-up plan. But before you can work and market any object or person, you MUST know yourself. Know your strengths and your weaknesses and use them to your advantage. This can help you leaps and bounds in the long run, and will save you time in how much you fail before you get some success.

After you have done the soul searching and know who you are and what you can handle as a manager, get to know your product or artist. You should should know what/who you are selling more than anyone else, because it is your vision that is essentially being sold. This is where "potential" and "possibility" come in, and knowing the potential of possibility with your product or artist. If you are managing a music artist, you should have a 3-5 year plan mapped out. What will they do to expand their brand? Will they branch of into acting? Will they start a product line (clothes, shoes, perfume/cologne, etc)? You should always be thinking, "what is next"?


Open your mind, and let the research shape your vision. You have a chance with research to do what's never been done before, improve what's already been done, or offer what's being done at a better price or opportunity for the consumer. This is what management is all about: how to sell better. What makes your product(s) or artist(s) better than those already out?

For more information on product and artist management, you can pick up Xavier M. Frascogna, Jr's This Business of Artist Management or Linda Gorchels' The Product Manager's Field Guide

Interview with Carlis P

The CqE "Stay Tuned" blog recently had the pleasure of interviewing Louisville, Ky artist/producer/manager, Carlis Phillis, also known as Carlis P (or CP). CP is one of the brains behind the Soul LinQ imprint that promotes itself as an independent label and a production company. Let's listen in...

CqE: WHAT MAKES YOU STAND OUT? WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT FROM THE REST OF THE INDUSTRY?

Carlis Phillips: Well, as a manager, I like to say that, I’m an artist manager. I’m for the artist. And it’s not like I have this big roster of artists that I’ve managed. Of course, I've managed the Klientel movement; Adrianne Archie, I'm responsible for getting her moving; you know, pretty much anything under Soul LinQ, I've pretty much had my hands on. I take the approach…. I became a manager, not really wanting to. I just had to assume the position, because we didn’t have the finances, didn’t have the budget to seek outside of our resources. And I ended up doing everything just by default. But I've always tried to instill anything I've learned into the artist. So I've never really considered myself a “manager”, maybe more like a consultant, or a big brother figure, to anybody that was working under me. So everything I’ve learned, I've tried to instill inside my artists, and almost make it a co-management situation. Like with Adrianne, it’s definitely a type of co-management arrangement. I've always made sure that everything I did, everything I was responsible for, and she had the knowledge also. Which helped me in a lot of ways, because she acted as a buffer to some of the things I didn’t have time to do, being that we all still had jobs, a 9 to 5, and things of that sort [outside of Soul LinQ]. And then, just for her to be able to control her own destiny. She got a kick out of being in control, one of those who people who got kick out of seeing people advance and be successful. So I stand out in the manager’s lane as an artist manager, I’m for the artist. Anybody I work with, I’m there to help, not there to control. There are some managers that really get a kick out of that control aspect. But that’s how I think I stand out as far as being a manager or an executive.

From the artist standpoint, everything that Soul LinQ has done has been pretty much from the heart. We've always had a soul-spirited type of movement. We've never really been interested in following a particular type pattern in the industry. We never really tried to deviate, but it just so happened to end up that way, because we never wanted to become the “industry standard”. And that kind of makes us stick out a little bit. And we really just take pride in doing us. We take pride in never really being caught up with the aspect of making money. I understand that the moneymaking people in the industry are making hit records.

CqE: RIGHT

CP: There’s really no way around it. If you're not making a hit record, then you may make some money here and there, but it’s not enough to really be a rockstar.

CqE: SPEAKING OF Soul LinQ, WHERE DID THE CONCEPT OF Soul LinQ COME FROM? LIKE, WHAT’S THE HISTORY OF Soul LinQ?

CP: Well…pre-Soul LinQ…I went to Western Kentucky University. I was in a group called Klientel, who was already a group when I came in about 1998. And from there it went from 3 guys to just 2 of us, myself and William Beason. And we were under Deep Rooted Productions, which was a Nappy Roots movement. So our first album was produced by [Grammy nominated rap group] Nappy Roots, and that whole camp. So we spent working with them, and that’s really how Klientel got started. Along with D. Mawl and Gibraltar and all them. We found ourselves writing, and once I graduated from WKU, I moved to Louisville [Kentucky], and every one in Nappy Roots was still in Bowling Green. So I found myself traveling back and forth, just to go down there and record, or go down there and write. And after a while, it became a little much. It started becoming expensive, it started becoming very difficult to do, because we all had jobs. And I always thought that I was a pretty talented guy that could pick up on anything, so my girlfriend at the time helped me buy a workstation, a Yamaha Motif. And that’s where Soul LinQ started, when I bought that first workstation, when we started making our own tracks. Myself, my brother, and D. Mawl, we all started writing from the Motif, and that was back in 2001, I believe. Back then, Klientel has just gone to the Apollo and performed there with the Doug Banks Morning Show. And that was a monumental moment for us to be able to do that. And that jump started us doing our own thing, and once we had that Motif, Soul LinQ was born.

CqE: NICE.

CP: Yeah, and Soul LinQ…the “Q” is for the bruhz [Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc]. A lot of people don’t know that. I’m a Que, my brother Cortico is a Que, and D. Mawl is also a Que. And that’s how Soul LinQ started, so we had to throw that subliminal Q in there. [laughs] And the “linq” is us being linked by soul music. “Musically linked through the soul”, that’s our motto. And then, about a year later, we met Joel Goodwin and Adrianne Archie. And we started performing at the Java House [in West End, Louisville], and we used to rock out there…. Klientel, Soul LinQ, Adrianne, D. Mawl…we used to have little sessions and just invited everyone out to watch us do our thing. And that’s where we really kicked off the Soul LinQ movement. And from there we started gigging around the community, and really sharpening our blades, so to speak, and gaining knowledge about music. We had quite a few musicians that supported us, and claimed Soul LinQ too. So our camp was about 8 or 9 people strong, back about 2002, 2003. And 2003, is when Klientel did our second album, which was the first album to be released under the Soul LinQ label. That was “Daily Trade”, and we had a lot of underground success with that. We also won a couple of awards off that one, and it was featured on a couple of international compilations. And that was cool to be able to reach people in Japan…that was our first taste of our music being sold on the retail level, and also being heard outside the country. So it was cool to experience that. And to know that we created that from top to bottom was a huge accomplishment for us.

And Adrianne, her first album, “He That Hath An Ear…” (“HTHAELHH”) was released at the end of 2003, and released in 2004. So that was the second Soul LinQ release. And then from there, D. Mawl got moving, and started his movement. And once that took off, he reached some heights. And he had the opportunity to do some great things, not only in the community, but throughout the country. He did BET’s RapCity and the theme for KFC Pride 360°, and had a chance to participate in the Grammys. He also had some of his songs licensed on a few sitcoms, I think “Son of Tucson” was one of them. So, yeah, Soul LinQ is definitely a grassroots movement, that started from nothing…. well not nothing, we always had something…started from low resources. We had a little knowledge and had a little drive, and created resources. And we put it together, and that was the inception. And ten years later, we’re sill doing it. And in that time you learn, and you meet people in the industry, and you hear the stories. And sometimes, you start to appreciate not being in the industry…not being in the belly of the industry.

CqE: WITH SO MANY THINGS AND AVENUES THAT YOU CAN GO IN THE INDUSTRY, WHAT MADE YOU SETTLE ON BEING A PRODUCER, OR BEING AN ARTIST, OR EVEN A MANAGER?

CP: Well, the artist part was easy. I came from a musical background, a musical family. My mother’s a jazz singer, and she’s been singing since I can remember, and she still sings. She’s on the scene in my hometown, South Bend, Indiana, and regionally Chicago and Michigan. Than I have other family, uncles and aunts that sing. And they had some success, so the artist part, that was easy. I like to perform and create songs, and Nappy Roots gave us the platform to do it at the time and I just took advantage of it and became an artist.

But everything else, like a producer, executive, manager, all those other aspects came because I didn’t have the resources. I couldn’t get beats when I wanted to at that time. I look back on how hard it was to get a good track back in 2002, 2003, and today although I still produce, I don’t have to. After a while you meet so many people in the industry, people are willing to give you stuff. So I could just write if I want to.

CqE: SO BASICALLY, BEING MORE THAN AN ARTIST CAME OUT OF NECESSITY?

CP: Most definitely. Everything else came through trial and error and just having to do it. Having to manage ourselves, having to learn the industry ourselves. After a while, you read and learn so much, and gain knowledge, you end up becoming your own manager. So why pay someone for something you have the knowledge and understanding to do? The producing…the managing…and what a lot of people don’t know, any Soul LinQ project or album, I did the graphic art for as well. Any website made for a Soul LinQ artist, I did created it. So you now, those things…I have an IT degree, so I had to use my resources.

CqE: I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT. MUSICALLY, WHO ARE YOUR INFLUENCES?

CP: Man, so many!! It’s so many, but I’ll go ahead and say, uh, the Staples, Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, uh…I heard a lot of Luther [Vandross] growing up. I heard a lot of Anita Baker growing up. I heard a lot of funk music, a lot of Earth, Wind and Fire, all of that whole funk era, that’s in me. Ohio Players, Zapp and Roger, just that whole funk era. And then of course, Hip Hop. So I was like a mesh of funk, R&B, jazz from my mother, and then Hip Hop.

I had an older sister, and an older cousin, and they would have house parties. And I would sneak down, and I’d be like, “What are they playing??” And I was turned out when I first heard Eric B and Rakim’s “Check Out my Melody”, I can remember hearing that and sneaking down when I in the fourth grade and hearing that. And I was sold on Hip Hop from there. I was able to create concepts from a hip hop, funk, jazz state of mind as a youngster. But I never really had a way to bring it to life until I was in college.

CqE: NICE. EARLIER, YOU MENTIONED THE INDUSTRY. WHAT ARE SOME THINGS YOU LOVE ABOUT THE INDUSTRY OR THE MUSIC BUSINESS?

CP: I like making money off of doing something I love. My first experience in the industry was probably 1999, with Nappy Roots. And I don’t think I received my first piece of cash, that I didn’t have to pay to get, until maybe 2005 or 2006. I meant we would get paid here and there for gigs early on, but the work and the resources that we had to put in it before we got paid, it never evened out, it never worked out in our favor. It was almost like, you paying to play when you make maybe $100 off of a gig and then you have to pay like 6 people and the pay for the equipment, and time for rehearsal, and buy clothes to look decent on stage, and burning through gas money…so you’re paying to play, even if you get paid. You still haven’t come out on top. So our first piece of monetary success came with Adrianne Archie. And it took her 2 or 3 years to hit that hard and really start reaping monetary benefits off of that. And that’s why her brand is created, she’s known pretty much around the world. She has a fan base, and has what many artists spend a lifetime trying to do.

CqE: DIDN’T SHE SET A RECORD AT CDBaby.com?

CP: She did. For a while, she had the #1 selling neo-soul album sold on CDBaby. She sold the most units in that particular genre on CDBaby.

CqE: THAT’S NOT A BAD FEAT AT ALL!

CP: Yeah! And that was all us, man. A huge accomplishment, looking back. And we all are humble, so we never really got caught up in all those titles and accomplishments. But now that I look back at it, that was such a huge breakthrough, man, based on our resources. And we never ever expected, or wanted a handout from anybody, even with Nappy Roots. We still have a good relationship with those guys. But that’s one thing I made sure I never did. I never gave them the impression that they owe me anything. I mean they’re Grammy nominated, they went platinum with their first album [“Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz”, Atlantic Records]. I never expected anything from them, but support.

CqE: SPEAKING OF CDBaby, HOW DO YOU PROMOTE YOURSELF OR A D. MAWL OR ADRIANNE ARCHIE?

CP: It comes from experience, man. The only true way to promote and really sell your product is, you have to hit the road. You have to get in front if people. You have to do shows. Early on, as a web designer and having some marketing savvy, I would try to do the numbers in my head. I was thinking like, “well I have an email list of about 10,000 people. So if we send out 10,000 emails to these people, I know that at least 500 to 1000 have to buy the cd, just off hearing the snippets.”

So you try to play the numbers game. And, uh, that is not true. [laughs] And, I learned the hard way with that one. Anything you do on the web, or anything you do with print and graphic, that’s just basically to reinforce or solidify what you've already established. But no is going to buy your product, just because you sent them an email. Even if you have snippets, and your music sounds great, that’s just the way the human mind works. They're not just going to buy the cd. They’ve either have to have heard about you by word of mouth…and it’s really like the 3^rd time and 3^rd impression. Once people have heard about you three times, then that kind of solidifies in their mind…it’s jus something psychological that triggers them to be like “ok, maybe I should pay attention, or go check this person out”.

Adrianne being such a phenomenal live performer, anytime she’s in front of people and people get the chance to hear her live, it pretty much sells them. And most of our cd sales have been through live shows with her. But the CDBaby sales, that’s nice. But most of our CDBaby sales have come from doing shows in a new market that really didn’t know about her. And we may sell 40 to 50 cds at the show, and then those people are the people that go out and play her music in the car with their friends and family. Or let their friends and family borrow the cd. And then that’s how it markets itself. That’s how it starts. That’s how you sell music. Don’t believe the hype [laughs]. It’s nothing else. You can’t sell music without doing shows.

CqE: [laughs] SO WITH THE SOCIAL NETWORKS, AND THE BIG BOOM OF FACEBOOK AND TWITTER, YOU STILL THINK THE BEST WAY IS LIVE SHOWS?

CP: Oh most definitely. Twitter and Facebook are just reinforcements. They are vehicles to spread the word of mouth. That’s not the artist’s vehicle. That’s the people’s vehicle. I mean you have to find a way to capture the people. But the best way is a live show. Or, you have to have a huge budget and pay millions to be on MTV or BET. Or you have to be on the radio, getting spins. Like 2, 3, 4 spins an hour. But outside of that, If you're not getting that, you have to get out. And with the social network aspect, your fans will touch the people for you. They're going to send an email, or a tweet, or post your stuff. The social networks are more for your fans. Like if Adrianne were to post a message or a tweet, how would people even know to go look at her, if they don’t know about her? And even some of your friends and family who have never really heard what you do, they don’t support. They don’t know.

CqE: I CAN DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND THAT. SO WHAT PROJECTS ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON? YOU YOURSELF, OR ADRIANNE, OR D. MAWL…. WHAT’S NEW FOR Soul LinQ?

CP: D is working on some material. He has some aspirations of releasing something here soon. So we’re just waiting to see what type of direction he wants to take with it. And then see what the resources are, and creating a budget. Me, myself, I’ve taken a hiatus. I’m rally just trying to reevaluate my entrepreneurship and my movement outside of music. So I’m taking some time to get a hold on that. But here in the last month or so, I’ve really been getting my studio back in order. You know, technology moves so fast that if you stay out of the studio for six months, you're already outdated. [laughs] So I’ve been spending time upgrading. I just bought [Apple] Logic Pro last year, so that’s a new change, being able to step outside of Pro Tools. So I’m taking time to get to know that whole engine of creating. It’s taking a little time. It’s a new experience since I’ve been in a Pro Tools mindset for like 10 years. And then getting together with Joel, just getting back into the routine of creating again, spending time with each other. Resurfacing that creativity and that drive.

So Joel is creating, and he’s working with JD Blair, world class drummer. He drummed for just about everybody. His big movement was Shania Twain. But he’s not only a pop drummer, but he’s also a big funk drummer. So we’re working on some stuff with him. So look out for that. Look out for my name or Joel’s name, but definitely Joel’s name. We’re also working with B. Scott from Nappy Roots. We've got a couple of tracks with him. He’s working on a new project. So you may see some CP on that.

But I am writing, not necessarily to release as an artist, but I have a nice little following. So I try to give my followers a little something. So whether it’s in the form of a mixtape or a few singles, then that’s what I’ll do. That was the whole reason why I released the mixtape a couple of years ago. The “Mixed Emotions” mixtape. Not because I anticipated making a lot of money off of it. And it wasn’t because I was trying to create a buzz for an album. I just needed to get something off my chest. I had a bunch of old music that had been sitting, and I don’t want to die with a bunch of music on my heart that’s never been heard. So I really just did that for the people. But for right now, features. I’ll definitely jump on some features right now.

CqE: AND THAT ACTUALLY SEEMS LIKE THE THING NOW. LIKE LIL’ WAYNE BEFORE HE RELEASED “Tha Carter III”, HE DID LIKE A WHOLE YEAR OR SO OF FEATURES.

CP: Yeah, features are a great way to promote. Like if you get the opportunity to smash someone else’s track and let them promote it, that’s free. Free promotion. Even if you do the track for free, even if you don’t get paid. Your name is on a hit record that someone else is pushing. And if you do several of those throughout the year…like, remember when [hip hop artist] Ludacris was on everybody’s track. It almost seemed like he was better on features than on his own music. That was good promotion for him. Drake, Nikki [Minaj], the-Dream, and Lil’ Wayne all did it.

And even locally. I’m not against being featured on somebody’s track that I don’t know, or they don’t really have a big movement but they have potential…if they have a positive movement, then no matter what genre I would be open to working with them.

CqE: WHATS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT KEEPS Soul LinQ INDEPENDENT? LIKE WHY IS IT NOT Soul LinQ/Bad Boy Records OR Soul LinQ/Def Jam Records? WHY HAVEN’T YOU ALL GONE “MAJOR”?

CP: We've always taken pride in having control over our own destiny. And even though we've had opportunities to shop our records and shop projects, we've always had someone in our ear. Like Nappy Roots, and talking to people like [neo-soul artist] Bilal or [R&B artist] Jaheim, different industry cats…they would always say, “keep doing what yall are doing.” So that would always stay in the back of our minds, “Keep doing what yall are doing”. And they would always tell us, “if I can go back, I would do it just like yall doing it. Just stay patient, and don’t feel like yall have to give it up just to be there”. If you really look at the pattern, most artists that’s gotten beat down from the industry, they're coming back and doing it themselves. And there’s really no way to avoid the “beat down” in the industry. You either get beat to a pulp by the majors and sent to the indies with your tail between your legs, or you get beat up just being independent. And when I say “beat up”, it’s the hard work that it takes as an independent, because you don’t have resources. Sleepless nights, spending all your hard earned money, doing stuff for free, going unappreciated…it takes a toll on you. So there’s really no way around that in the music industry, if you want to be successful monetarily. So we appreciate being just Soul LinQ, we were never looking for a major to help us. But that in itself made us more attractive to the big labels in the long run. Because we always had that mindset of doing it ourselves, and really now-and-days, that’s what the majors want to see. They want to be able to see an artist and a label that’s self sufficient. Because when they get behind you, they just want to be able to make money, they don’t want to have to develop you or teach you. They want you to have all that together, and they just put a little marketing money behind you. And you make them money, that’s it.

CqE: AND I’M NOTICING THAT MORE NOW. THE BIG LABELS THEY DON’T DO THE ARTIST DEVELOPMENT NOW.

CP: No. That’s like almost non-existent. You have to already be developed.

CqE: DO YOU THINK THAT CONTRIBUTES TO A LOT OF ARTISTS NOT HAVING LONGEVITY NOW?

CP: I really think the longevity aspect has to do with the music is not longevity music. It’s nothing that sticks. Now as far as longevity goes in the industry, somebody that makes good music, they don’t make a lot of money, they're not like a millionaire, but their probably always going to be in the industry…like [hip hop artist] Common. He was never really a household name in the beginning, he was never really a platinum selling artist, but he has longevity, because of the kind of music he’s always promoted and made. He been in the industry almost 20 years, and he’s still relevant to a certain point. And then there's someone like Wiz Khalifa. I don’t really see him being a stable artist for the next 20 years. He doesn’t make longevity type music. He makes big hit music, which is more trend music. Which you can make a lot of music off of if you get in, get out in like 3 or 4 years. To be able to live off music for 20 years is a very difficult strategy in hip hop.

CqE: RIGHT. AND I GUESS WHEN I SAY LONGEVITY I LOOK AT ACTS LIKE D4L OR Dem Franchise Boyz OR EVEN SouljaBoy.

CP: Soulja Boy was kind of like the first of his kind. Soulja Boy is still doing it, I don’t know how much longer he’s got [laughs]…I think he’s not the most talented. But Soulja Boy has charisma, he’s confident, and that’s kind of where he’s found his stardom and his niche. I don’t know what to call it, but he’s the first to do it. And I actually heard Soulja Boy was a ghostwriter for [Willow Smith’s] “Whip My Hair”.

CqE: REALLY? WOW.

CP: Yeah. But if he’s a hard worker, kudos to him. I can’t say anything to him.

CqE: SO SPEAKING OF WILLOW OR EVEN JUSTIN BIERBER, WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE WITH DEVELOPING THEM, BESIDES THEIR AGE, AND NOT SOME OF THE OTHER ARTISTS LIKE A SOULJA BOY OR A WIZ KHALIFA?

CP: Well because, Bieber’s talented. He can sing, he can play [piano], I mean…you better develop him. You better put some resources into someone like him. But how many resources can you put into a Soulja Boy. He’s already pretty much maxed out. What more can he really do musically? Now he could maybe get into acting. But as far as his music potential, I think he’s maximized that. And that’s just my opinion. But Justin Bieber, he has raw talent, he’s an artist AND a musician. I would develop him until I couldn’t develop him anymore.

And the same with someone like Willow Smith. I mean with her parents [Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith], she’s…I wouldn’t say a prodigy. But she’s definitely a product of both of her parents. So I would take a chance on her too. She’s versatile, so she could do a lot of different things. You know, rapping to singing to dancing to commercials to acting…so it’s really no limits to someone like that. She’s cute…so yeah…develop them. And Willow, I think she kind of already developed. Her parents have probably been developing her out of the womb. So all the label really does is keep her blade sharpened, and keep introducing her to new things and new concepts. She has it naturally, and she grew up in the right environment.

CqE: AND WHEN YOU HAVE RESOURCES LIKE THAT, YOU’D KIND OF BE CRAZY NOT TO TAP INTO THEM.

CP: Exactly.

CqE: BUT SPEAKING OF BIEBER AND WILLOW, WHERE DO YOU SEE THE FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY GOING, AS FAR AS PROMOTING ARTISTS AND ARTIST DEVELOPMENT IN PARTICULAR?

CP: Um…I think we still have some years left in the pop era. The overly-pop era, so to speak. We still have some years of that. But what goes up, must come down. So there’s going to be…the industry is definitely going to crash one day. In order for it to start up again, it has to reach a point in rock bottom. I just don’t know when. It’s the same aspect with the government, stock market, all that.

But where do I see it going? I don’t know, man. Its fun to think about it. Just the aspects of technology. I think the industry will go wherever technology takes us. How can we continue to press the envelope, and entertain people, and for them to really get that “wow” factor at a concert or wherever? Concerts are always going to be the best way for the artists to express themselves and reach and get that full experience. Of course you have the revolution of digital music, iTunes, and all that. CDs will become obsolete in about 3 years, I think. You just have to push those cd people over the edge, and they are slowly getting with the whole digital mindset. So the industry is definitely going virtual. The entertainment is moving with technology. Just like with the 3D movement. I’m looking forward to seeing how the music industry will take advantage of the 3D deal.

CqE: THAT WILL BE INTERESTING. WELL, THAT’S ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE MAN. WHERE CAN THE READERS CHECK OUT YOU AND Soul LinQ?

CP: CarlisP.com…uh…DMawl.com…and AdrianneArchie.com. Those are the three Soul LinQ artists that are active and still doing it. And then from there, you can find our Twitter pages and Facebook pages, and we just folk, man. We just people. We just like everyone else, man. Can’t forget about Joel, our producer Joel Goodwin. I have yet to develop a website for him, but that’s in the works. That’s coming soon. And then my brother, Cortico. He doesn’t have a website either, but that’s another one of our producers. He’s responsible for a few tracks on Klientel’s projects, and D. Mawl’s too.

For the latest on Soul Linq & CP, follow them on Twitter @SoulLinQmusic & @SincereCreative