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MAD MARKETING AND GRAND GIVEAWAYS Contributed by Caroline Fielding
EVERYONE LOVES FREE CRAP. Pens, string backpacks, beer koozies and tumbler cups are very popular to market a product, and make people remember your name or your brand. However, to be unique and really stand out, think of other ideas that do not necessarily make sense on the surface. With a lot of thought and research on promotional products, you can become a marketing genius and invent a culture to keep your fans coming back for more.
+ USE YOUR EQUIPMENT Look around your studio. Make your equipment work for you! Guitar strings make pretty cool earrings, necklaces, bracelets and rings. Have a band member give one piece away to a lucky VIP guest, or hand out 10 per night. This makes a cool conversation piece when someone sees the awesome bracelet on your fan, gives them a compliment and that fan says “yeah this is a guitar string bracelet I won at so-and-so’s gig.” This gets your name out there. Guitar picks look pretty cool hanging from a guitar string necklace. Chop old drum
Put it in plastic, seal it up and give it away! Fans love items from their treasured band members! If the item is coupled with a story behind it, this makes for a golden giveaway.
sticks into pieces, sand and polish them, and mount them on sterling silver ring settings. Get creative and have fun with this. Fans love pieces of items you used in a show.
+ CREATE SOMETHING If you do not really have anything to use, make something. Create your own iPhone and iPad case and give them away. People whip out their phones an average of 13 times per hour. Imagine how many people see their phone case? That will bring awareness to your group’s name. Backpack charms are a hot item lately. Fashion a charm with your logo, or a representation of a song, and have a dozen or so made. Throw them into the crowd, hand them out to the regulars whom you see at your shows, or give them to people on the street with a smile asking them to check out your upcoming gig.
+ USE AN ITEM TO TELL A STORY Something fell off your drum set? The pen that you used when you stayed up all night to write that killer ballad about your ex-girlfriend?
+THINK OF SOMETHING QUIRKY What do people look at every day? Their soap in the shower! What? Yes! Hear me out. You can upload your logo to a website (just Google “logo
“...give one piece away to a lucky VIP guest”
“You will be at the forefront of their mind, and therefore, they will check your website often...” and shower soap” and you will see several companies) and have them produced. Hand them out. Every single day, sometimes twice a day, your fan will look at their soap and see your name while they lather up! How cool is that? You will be at the forefront of their mind, and therefore, they will check your website often to see when your next performance is. + KEEP THE POLE POSITION Keeping the pole position in your fans’ mind is key to building a culture. You may think soap, smart phone cases, backpack charms, random items and jewelry made out of used equipment, have nothing to do with the music industry, or your group’s persona. They may not, per se, but unique ideas definitely stick in people’s minds. Paraphernalia that do not necessarily “match up” are the best. It defies logic and sticks in a person’s memory a lot longer than an ordinary item that simply “makes sense.”
TO BE A SUCCESSFUL MUSIC
ENTREPRENEUR YOU MUST DITCH SOME
RELATIONSHIPS! contributed by Caroline Fielding
THE FAME WHORE WHO WILL RIDE YOUR COATTAILS UNTIL IT SERVES HIM NO MORE!
We all have that friend who name-drops, wants to get VIP tickets to your show for him and a dozen other acquaintances, demands top of the line bottle service, asks to borrow your new shoes…all on your dime. He never offers you anything of his, never does any favors for you, and only wants to be your friend for the perks. If you say no, he drops a guilt trip on you, or worse, hounds you until you do give him what he wants. All in the name of “you’re one of my best friends.” You may have known this person since childhood, which makes it all the more heartbreaking. Yet, if you look close, he really is not your friend at all. See what happens when you don’t give in to his every whim. He will disappear into the night. Yes, some people may use you along the way. But learn to recognize when this happens and ditch those people as soon as you realize this is the way the relationship is going. ALL TALK, NO ACTION!
You are an entrepreneur. That’s pretty cool. Surely, there is a friend of yours that wants to be one too. He has grand ideas, a great strategy and wants to work with you on a project, because you are both business minded. You get together, talk about it, and give each other homework to complete. And then…noth“Do not waste your time or ing. Weeks go by. energy with these friends..” What happened? You email him, wanting to get together to discuss the next step. But he keeps giving excuse after excuse. You are angry because you put in the work, you took it seriously, but he did not. Then he starts up again six months later with his fabulous idea and wants to get started on the project. He promises this time he will be focused and needs your help. Again, you put in the work, create a business plan, do your homework…and he does not. It’s like getting kicked in the.... That’s not a good feeling. Not everyone is wired to be an entrepreneur. Not everyone is focused at bringing an idea from beginning to end. That is what sets true entrepreneurs apart from the “wantrepreneurs.” They are all talk, no action. Do not waste your time or energy with these friends, they will get you nowhere.
IT IS AN UNFORTUNATE FACT OF LIFE THAT SOMETIMES PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN IN EACH OTHER’S LIVES FOR SOME TIME, JUST DON’T FIT ANYMORE. THEY BECOME TOXIC AND UNMANAGEABLE. YOU FEEL DRAINED IN THEIR PRESENCE AND FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE NOTHING TO OFFER EACH OTHER ANYMORE. YOU ARE HANGING ON BY A STRING FOR NO REASON AT ALL. IF YOU ARE FOCUSED AND WANT TO MARCH FORWARD WITH YOUR MUSIC CAREER, THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO MAY BE HOLDING YOU BACK. IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO LET THEM GO; HOWEVER, YOU MUST. HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF RELATIONSHIPS THAT ARE HOLDING YOU BACK.
WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? COME TO THE BAR AND HANG OUT WITH US.
You bang your head against the wall telling your gang your goals, your dreams, your ambitions, and they are on board with it. Or so you thought. They are constantly trying to get you to retreat back into the same old routine, going to Ben’s Wednesday night jam session (which is really eating pizza and bitching about your current significant others), meeting up for “To be successful you must make happy hour, or hitting the sacrifices and get rid of gym at dinnertime. They put the negative noise around you” you down, tell you that you are lame and undermine your goals, thinking you will cave and retreat back into “one of them.” They question everything you do, ask you “why are you doing this” and try to make you feel your objectives are insignificant, or that success only happens to lucky people. Remember, no one has the power over you except for YOU! To be successful you must make sacrifices and get rid of the negative noise around you. It is very difficult giving up a friend, but is hanging around with “Negative Nellie,” “Attention Alan,” or “Inebriated Isaac” going to help you, or hurt you? Ask that question to yourself. You know the answer. You may not completely cut them out of your life, but definitely scale down your interactions with them. Perhaps keeping them at arm’s length is the right course of action. Harsh? Yes! But sometimes sacrifices must be made to become the success that you are meant to be. Let nobody hold you back.
HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START IN MUSIC AND TELL US WHERE YOU’RE FROM? Born and raised in Memphis Tn. Been in music all of his life. I come from a music family background, my grandmother was a piano teacher and my mom was in the opera, and my father was in the first church symphony of the Memphis Tennessee orchestra. Mom played music like Patty LaBelle while he was in the womb. Gets his style from oldies, gospel, and Tennessee based music. Looked up to 8ball and MJG. Memphis just got named number one music city in the world. Three 6 Mafia just brought home a grammy for acting also theyre platinum artists. WHERE DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATIONS FROM? Inspired by Classical arrangers like Bach Beetoven and Mozart. Grew up reading, writing, and playing sheet music. Studied the fundamentals of music for 18 years which is why making beats comes easy to him. Now he’s doing movies and commercials like Shoe Carnival which is huge and made more money with that than 8 or 9 rap albums. WHO ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING WITH AND ANY CURRENT OR FUTURE PROJECTS? urrently working with August Alsina (Testimony album) No Love, Chris Brown, Young Jeezy (seen it all, Me OK), Rick Ross and Meek Mill once he gets out, Nicki Minaj, French Montana, Lil Bankhead, DJ Infamous, Ludacris, 2 Chainz, a lot of female R&B artists, looking to put a female plaque on his wall. YOU AND GUCCI MANE WORKED WELL TOGETHER IN THE PAST DO YOU PLAN ON DOING MORE WORK WITH HIM UPON HIS RELEASE? Definitely looking forward to working with Gucci Mane once he gets out. Gucci reminds him of Tupac as far as work ethic. Always got a beat for him, he’s on Gucci’s Trap God 3. Still waiting for some tracks to release. Records 8 or 9 songs with Gucci at a time. If Gucci were to past he can release, music for another 10 years. WHEN YOU LISTEN TO A DRUMMA BOY BEAT ITS LIKE A MOVIE. HOW DO YOU APPROACH A TRACK WHEN YOUR PRODUCE? Coming from theater and classical helps draw the sound of his beats and music.Emotions as well. Music comes from how he feels. Classical is what’s used to score movies. No Hands was made when he was happy and Put On was made when he was motivated.
WHAT ARE YOUR IMMEDIATE MUSIC AND CAREER GOALS? Looking forward to earning a Grammy it’s time to bring one home, as well as His record label Drum Squad and earning a Platinum plaque. Pushing forward with the Sparkling Wine Moreno and the clothing line Fresh Family. Wants to expand brand. Make his own artists hot. DO YOU HAVE AN ARTIST YOU HAVE NOT WORKED WITH THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO? Jay Z, Beyoncé, Lauryn Hill, Common, Dr Dre. As well as new artists. To get some of his songs hot, he had to leak them like No Hands because the producer might send the beat to other rappers and release the hottest track. Knew Plies a year before they leaked Shawty. Leaked because every artist had the same hook and beat. Same thing with Rocco but leaking isn’t enough Rocco went to 4 clubs every night for a year. DJ wants to see artists putting in the work to get their music heard. BY WHAT TERMS WOULD YOU SAY YOU MEASURE YOUR SUCCESS? Therapeutic process, heavily involved, likes to focus on records. It’s not about him selling a beat but focusses on what you need to get better. Whatever you have, he gives you what you don’t have. Gets you where you need to be. Feels unutilized. DO YOU WRITE ALL YOUR OWN MUSIC AND WHAT IS YOUR RECORDING PROCESS LIKE Yes, writes and produces all of his own material. Collabs with producers who understand music theory/ appreciation and are compatible. At the end of the day he’s still in charge.you need to be. Feels unutilized. WWW.ONEMICMAGAZINE.COM
FOR OUR READERS WHO HAVE NEVER HEARD YOUR PRODUCTION, EXPLAIN YOUR SOUND? Gumbo explains the sound a big pot of something but you want more. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE CURRENT STATE OF HIP HOP? likes the current state of hip hop. It’s creative. Bobby Shmurda, Meek Mill doing their things, Jay Z still doing his thing, if you’re not doing more then you’re going to get lost in the mix. Trying different sounds is good. Time period to have fun. About being consistent and reinventing yourself. Some artists use music to start clothing lines, fragrances, etc. HOW CAN YOUR FANS KEEP IN CONTACT WITH YOU THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA ETC? TWITTER.COM/DRUMMABOY
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“THE PO UP POET”: It’s just something I came up with and then T Farris really gave me the name “Paul Wall the Poet” because a lot of my music would be drug related or syrup related and being in Texas a lot of artist are about that but I just seem to have a knack with it where I put the words together when it comes to the drank. So you know, he gave me the name “Po Up Poet” you know what I’m saying. I just wanted to keep my music I’ve been doing lately it’s been real themed. I got a lot of music ready. I been dropping some of it. “Check Season” was the first project. That project was mostly themed around getting money, you know what I’m saying, all the music on there, that’s what the theme was. “Po Up Poet” the theme is of course leaning, it’s all drank music, bud music. The next one’s called “Slap Bar” it’s all ridin’ music, something you gone put in the car and you gone ride to. So you know, “Po Up Poet” is a name I just really like when he gave me that name, you know, it stuck with me. Call the mixtape that, that’s what we came up with.
ON THE RECESSION: Well you know the recession it gave a lot of people an excuse to beg and uh my grandparents and my parents, or a lot of people in my family that I’ve known throughout the years, struggle was nothing new. It’s something we all had to deal with and experience but surviving and climbing out of that struggle and overcoming that struggle is a part of rewarding, it brings a lot of rewards with it. That success comes a lot of benefits like money or paper or things like fly cars, clothes and jewels, all those type of things. When people see you with that, you know what I’m saying the recession kind of feel like it gave people an excuse to beg, you know what I’m saying. I just wanted to encourage people main, to get out there and get it on their own. Just cause you might experience hard times doesn’t mean you can’t bounce back. We all experience hard times, it’s not about that, you gotta bounce back. Everybody had you know stories, success stories, anybody who made it to the top, any type of billionaire or anybody who made it you know, they all at least had to experience some type of obstacle in the way and overcome it. Not all of them came from struggle. A lot of them did but they all had toexperience some type of struggle and overcome it to get to that. So you know, that’s what my fame is about, just encouraging people to get out there and get that on they own but asking people for handouts man, if you can get it on your own you a capable person. If you got all your legs, and arms and feet man, you know what I’m saying, you got your mind right, so why can’t you go out there and get it?.
PAUL WALL
EXCLUSIVE PAUL WALL PRIVATE LISTENING SESSION FOR
#POUPPOET THE ALBUM BY YOUNG COPPOLA
WHAT’S NEXT? Seems like Houston got something good going on right now where we all supporting each other. I love the dynamic of it right now. It’s a lot of new artists on the scene, a lot of new producers, new managers, new DJ’s, all of that so seeing that, seeing all the movement of a new generation. A lot of artists who have been around for a while, we trying to school the other generation, the next generation on how to support cause that’s how we keep ourselves together. We in a competition but it’s not a competition where want the next person to lose. It’s more like a fun competition, like a game of tag, you know what I’m saying. Yeah, I got a Bentley and I don’t want you to have a Bentley. It’s, I got a Bentley, what you gone come up with? Now you come up with a Bentley. Ok, now what I’m a do now? I’m coming with a Rolls Royce. Well now what you gone come up with? Ok, I’m a come up with slab. Ok then what I’m gone come up with? It’s a game of tag. That’s the type of competition people look at, you know what I’m saying, the rap game sometimes as being a competition where we want the next person to lose. It’s not a win or lose type of thing it’s more like a game of tag. It’s just what we trying to just instill in the next generation of people that we gotta support our own. We do that in Texas in general, we always support our own but it’s just something we just playing our part and just encouraging the next generation to do the same thing.
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KING MONTE CARLO HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START IN MUSIC AND TELL US WHERE YOU’RE FROM? I started our company Slaughterhouse E.N.T. In 2000 after I heard my brother freestyle over a Roots instrumental. I’m from Milwaukee. WHERE DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATIONS FROM? I draw inspiration from the streets. Real life in Milw Co WHO ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING WITH AND ANY CURRENT OR FUTURE PROJECTS? I’m working with the artist from SlaughterhouseENT Spank, Quevo Jonez J Theory aka Jackpot Jonez. I’m also hosting EQ’s mixtape as well as ABM KGutta. WHAT ARE YOUR IMMEDIATE MUSIC AND CAREER GOALS? My immediate goal is to get Milw Co poppin like it should be. Get some money in the process.
$$ . He who has the cash calls the shots. I’m going to call all of the shots! DO YOU WRITE ALL YOUR OWN MUSIC AND WHAT’S THAT PROCESS LIKE? Yes, I write all of my own music. I know a host of writers, but I would never use them. If I can’t pen up a hit by myself, I don’t think I would or should be doing it. My process is record on the spot. I need to vibe off of the energy of the track and artist. It matches up better like that. FOR OUR READERS WHO HAVE NEVER HEARD YOUR MUSIC, EXPLAIN YOUR SOUND IN 5 WORDS: Straight Street Shit From Milwaukee. ARE YOU LOOKING FOR AN INDEPENDENT LABEL DEAL OR A MAJOR LABEL DEAL? AND WHY? either deal would be fine as long as that check is right and I call the shots. No one from a label lg or small could tell me about Milw Co Street Shit. So let me give you my shit my way.
DO YOU HAVE A TARGET MUSIC AUDIENCE? I do music for everybody, but it comes from the Streetz. Everybody can relate to some kind of struggle.
WHERE DO YOU HOPE TO BE 10 YEARS FROM NOW? Alive, healthy and rich as fuck!
BY WHAT TERMS WOULD YOU SAY YOU MEASURE YOUR SUCCESS? To me success is measured by paper!
HOW CAN YOUR FANS KEEP IN CONTACT WITH YOU THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA ETC? Twitter and Instagram @kingmontecarlo
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Jamaica, Queens
NEW YORK
FLEXCOOPER HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START IN MUSIC AND TELL US WHERE YOU’RE FROM? Well, I always write since about elementary school but it was nursery rhyming lol it wasn’t until senior year my boys made up a clothing line called sky dreams and we decided to turn into a rap group . I didn’t wanna sound like them so I made my raps ALIL more complex. I’m from Rochdale southside jamaica queens ny . But I had to move to Cali to FINESS my penmanship and learn to engineer. WHERE DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATIONS FROM? I draw inspriration from the struggle . Being conscious is hard around a bunch of trappers and drug dealers that’s what makes me unique. WHO ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING WITH AND ANY CURRENT OR FUTURE PROJECTS? I’m dropping a second mixtape pretty soon called dream with YA eyes open. I damn there realeased all the songs already on soundcloud i had to delete EM lol . I’m still deciding on artwork and my 1st album name. ultra noltra dot demo. I def would like a feature from my boy. It’s in the works. WHAT ARE YOUR IMMEDIATE MUSIC AND CAREER GOALS? For now I just want to be heard and respected for what I do. I burnt a lot of bridges early and it cause me to SEPERATE myself from my crew Black scholars. I’m pursuing more visuals, a Dj and definetly more shows. I only perform 1 time. A song that was my first. I got so much better since then. DO YOU HAVE A TARGET MUSIC AUDIENCE? My target music audience is the youth . And my peers around 21 and up below as well. I just want people to open there minds and be honest with life. WWW.ONEMICMAGAZINE.COM
BY WHAT TERMS WOULD YOU SAY YOU MEASURE YOUR SUCCESS? I would say I’m successful when all the people that I know dislike me start hitting me up for feature or appearances. When my mom is done with work and she can finally relax. When I start getting better equipment, I don’t have to pay for shit nomore. Fuck being a custodian. DO YOU WRITE ALL YOUR OWN MUSIC AND WHAT’S THAT PROCESS LIKE? Man of course I write all my music, I engineer it as well, produce sometimes but I’m not that good. I have to hear a beat first and I just listen to it. For some reason I can’t write while the beat is playing. I prefer it to be off lol it’s like it speaks to me. FOR OUR READERS WHO HAVE NEVER HEARD YOUR MUSIC, EXPLAIN YOUR SOUND IN 5 WORDS: Honest conscious, GRIMEY, unique, enlightening. ARE YOU LOOKING FOR AN INDEPENDENT LABEL DEAL OR A MAJOR LABEL DEAL? AND WHY? I’m honestly confused with that. Only way I would sign to a major label is if I was able to do me . Work on my circumstances . But then again I wouldn’t want to leave the people I started with. Right now I def would. The struggle is real. WHERE DO YOU HOPE TO BE 10 YEARS FROM NOW? I wanna be freshman XXL within the next 2 years. GQ in 3 and The Source in 4, Madison Square Garden in 5 . The rest is just history. Black$cholars the most paid indie label on the east coast ! HOW CAN YOUR FANS KEEP IN CONTACT WITH YOU THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA ETC? You could find me on Instagram @Flexcoupebs and Twitter @flexcooperbso
JXL NEW YORK IS BACK BETTER THAN EVER AND JXL IS THE NEXT ARTIST TO MAKE HISTORY OUT OF THE BIG APPLE. HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START IN MUSIC AND TELL US WHERE YOU’RE FROM? I got my start just by staying consistent in my craft, and not giving up hope that I’d make it where I want to be. I’m from New York particularly the 9.1.4 area where DMX, Jadakiss & the LOX come from. I’m in every borough though and get much love and respect across NY. WHERE DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATIONS FROM? I draw inspiration from my life experiences, and things I’ve been through. WHO ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING WITH AND ANY CURRENT OR FUTURE PROJECTS? I’m currently working with my squad/fam F.B.E which stands for (Family Before Everything) I came up with this concept when I was young. They are my homies, friends, bros and we keep each other grounded. We’re working on our second group project “Big Business 2” which will drop before or after my solo project “My Life As An MC 2” this summer. WHAT ARE YOUR IMMEDIATE MUSIC AND CAREER GOALS? My immediate music goals is too establish this label brand F.B.E and just push our careers individually and together DO YOU HAVE A TARGET MUSIC AUDIENCE? My target audience is anyone who can relate or understand where I come from.
BY WHAT TERMS WOULD YOU SAY YOU MEASURE YOUR SUCCESS? I measure my success by what I’ve achieved and what’s still out there for me to obtain, and I have a lot more to accomplish. DO YOU WRITE ALL YOUR OWN MUSIC AND WHAT’S THAT PROCESS LIKE? I write all of my own music and it just generally comes to me, I don’t really force it. I’ve been writing music so long it’s a natural process. ARE YOU LOOKING FOR AN INDEPENDENT LABEL DEAL OR A MAJOR LABEL DEAL? AND WHY? As far as deals I’m looking for the great one, I wont just sign my career away for a few dollars. Whether independent or major I need a label that appeals to my creativity and ambition, and fully supports me. HOW CAN YOUR FANS KEEP IN CONTACT WITH YOU THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA ETC? Fans can follow me and hit me up via twitter, Instagram: @TheRealJXL My website is under construction and will be back up soon too THEREALJXL.COM
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SKY HATER & DJ MARKO HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START IN MUSIC AND TELL US WHERE YOU’RE FROM? Sky Hatter: Originally I’m from Olympia, Washington which is right outsideof Seattle. I originally just had a bunch of friends who rapped, and eventually just from hanging around them, I started to rap and having been doing so ever since. My first group was called Breathe Easy and they always pushed me to be better. But I’ve always been making music. When I was a kid i used to sing to my parents like every Wednesday i would sing to them, and my brother was a hip hop head, so it was natural progression to start making the music I do now. DJ Marko: I’m originally from Seattle, Washington. I grew up in the heart of the city, which is where I got my initial exposure to the music industry. I was a percussionist growing up and I think my involvement eventually lead me to pursue music as a career. WHO ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING WITH AND ANY CURRENT OR FUTURE PROJECTS? Sky Hatter: Right I’m working with “DJ Marko”, a production company called “Crown Jewel” and a clothing line called “Dastrap”. I have two future projects and both will be EPs. The first is called #IFLOW (I Forever Love Our World) and the second is called HellaDope. Both are coming soon but no specific date has been decided on yet. DJ Marko: I’m always working whether its producing, directing or creating myself. My production company is consistently dropping visuals for myself and affiliated artists which you can check out on our website themarko.com ; On a personal level I’m about to release my debut recording project called “Ave D”, which is a tribute to my time spent on Avenue D on the lower east side of NYC. DO YOU HAVE A TARGET MUSIC AUDIENCE? Sky Hatter: Not specifically, just people who want to hear great music or looking for inspiration. DJ Marko: People who like electronic based music. Every so often I’ll throw in some live guitar or a recording of some other live instrument, but generally speaking I’m all about the synthesizers. BY WHAT TERMS WOULD YOU SAY YOU MEASURE YOUR SUCCESS? Sky Hatter: When I can headline a world tour. I’ve already toured across the country. DJ Marko: In the context of the industry, my success depends on how many records I sell or how many hits I produce. In life my success depends on my experiences, which has a huge impact on creativity and inspiration.
DO YOU WRITE ALL YOUR OWN MUSIC AND WHAT’S THAT PROCESS LIKE? Sky Hatter: Yes I do. I write all my music. When I hear a beat it has to take my mind to a different place for me to want to rap on it. It’s also always good to work with someone that understands where your coming from and the pictures that your trying to paint. Sometimes the creative process can take a long time, but sometimes it takes a few minutes. It all depends. DJ Marko: Although I have a set routine for going about tracking and mixing, the procedure for creating is never the same with me. Sometimes I’m writing for myself and producing the track. Sometimes I’m producing for someone else, it all depends on the track and the context. FOR OUR READERS WHO HAVE NEVER HEARD YOUR MUSIC, EXPLAIN YOUR SOUND IN 5 WORDS: Sky Hatter: Real, Different, Progressive, Lyrical, HellaDope DJ Marko: Professional, Simple, Consistent, Catchy, Positive ARE YOU LOOKING FOR AN INDEPENDENT LABEL DEAL OR A MAJOR LABEL DEAL? AND WHY? Sky Hatter: Either or, it all depends on what the deal offers. I would love to be independent but at the same time being on a major is definitely on a bigger scale. I definitely think they both have pros and cons, but I think I would lean towards being independent. I like being able to do what I want, without a leash so to speak. DJ Marko: Definitely not looking for a producer or artist deal specifically, but I would like for labels (indie or major) to take notice of what I am doing with my production company. I think an eventual goal would be to run my own label either indie or major. HOW CAN YOUR FANS KEEP IN CONTACT WITH YOU THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA ETC? Skyhatter: soundcloud.com/skyhatter | facebook.com/skyhatter Twitter: @skyhatter | Instagram @skyhatter SnapChat: @snapthesky DJ Marko: themarko.com | soundcloud.com/djmarkoproductions facebook.com/themarko206 | Twitter: @DJMarkoProd WWW.ONEMICMAGAZINE.COM
CITYBAKES HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START IN MUSIC AND TELL US WHERE YOU’RE FROM? I’ve always had a passion for music every since I could remember. My older brother would listen to a lot of Jay-Z, Cash-Money, No-Limit to name a few, so rap music is all I ever known. I was born on the Southside of Chicago, but then moved to the North suburbs by the time I was in grade school which might have been the best thing to ever happen to me.
SUCCESS? I measure my sucess with small victories everyday. I stay motivated by getting better with every project, meeting new people, making more money from my product. I won’t call myself truly successful until I am my own boss with at least 6 figures in my account. Basically once we take that same hustle we have now and put it on a more major scale, and double up again and agin then invest.
WHO ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING WITH AND ANY CURRENT OR FUTURE PROJECTS? My crew and I work alone for the most part. But I have done tracks with Band Kamp, they are well-known Chicago producers, which is probably the most relevant. I’ve gotten beats in my recent past from Vybe, Gmoney, Vic Jones, Twanbeatmaker. But now for my next project, I am a one man band so I am creating everything from scratch myself from beats,to vocals and concepts. So its going to be a completely different sound than before, because I’m tailoring the beats to how I want to vocally perform on them. Everything is in my control. I don’t know the name of this project yet tho, should be done around mid June 2015 though.
DO YOU WRITE ALL YOUR OWN MUSIC AND WHAT’S THAT PROCESS LIKE? Most tracks I do not write any lyrics, but for some other i will write all the lyrics. It really just depends on what I am trying to do with a particular song. But for the most part I can just basically write verses/hooks in my head by rehearsing over and over, and never use a notepad or anything. I like it better than way because when you write your lyrics down, you can confine your self to what you wrote and stick to it, when it reality it might not be hot as you thought it was. When I don’t write, It gives me the clear conscious i need to constanttly change words/melodies all based on natural feel rather than the confines of text, but art is always subject to change.
WHAT ARE YOUR IMMEDIATE MUSIC AND CAREER GOALS? My immediate goal is probably to get on a mult-city tour and travel the country this summer, and make some money doing what I love to do. I’m really looking to make this hobby a full time job, and turning some profit for the product that I offer. I am just building the brand right now. I would also Like to work with other big name Chicago artist like Chance the Rapper, or Kanye West, i feel like my style resembles theirs more so than other Chicago artist.
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR AN INDEPENDENT LABEL DEAL OR A MAJOR LABEL DEAL? AND WHY? Really want to do it with no label but i know how difficult that can be. So if I had to choose, it would be independent mainly because I think i would get more creative freedom with my sound. I know major record labels like to tell you what to make and how to make which works for some people. But for me I’m way to confident in my own musical talent to not have at least some say in how i want to make and market my product.
DO YOU HAVE A TARGET MUSIC AUDIENCE? Everyone has a target audience, but Ithe true question is how diverse can you make it. I think The core group of people that listen to my music are young urban adultts. Mainly because thats what I am, so the topics i reference and speak on is very relevant for them. Hence my name is Young City, I represent young people in the city, so thats the lifestyle I portray in my music. But then I am pretty versatile with my style, so I like to really expand my target audience for each individual project.
WHERE DO YOU HOPE TO BE 10 YEARS FROM NOW? I wanna be freshman XXL within the next 2 years. GQ in 3 and The Source in 4, Madison Square Garden in 5 . The rest is just history. Black$cholars the most paid indie label on the east coast !
BY WHAT TERMS WOULD YOU SAY YOU MEASURE YOUR
HOW CAN YOUR FANS KEEP IN CONTACT WITH YOU THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA ETC? Fans can follow me on Twitter @ CityBakes, Soundcloud.com/citybakes, Instagram @firstnameyoung and snapchat stoopidstyle
JONYQUEST HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START IN MUSIC AND TELL US WHERE YOU’RE FROM? I started when I was 12 years old by memorizing every song off the radio at the time and rapping them to people at school then I would change the words when I didn’t know the lyrics to my own words and that’s when I realized I could freestyle, then started writing weeks later, and by 13 I was able to rap at an efficient high quality level. Im born and rasied in Ft.Lauderdale, Florida. WHERE DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATIONS FROM? I draw inspriration from the struggle . Being conscious is hard around a bunch of trappers and drug dealers that’s what makes me unique. WHO ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING WITH AND ANY CURRENT OR FUTURE PROJECTS? For the moment Im focused on finishing my debut project “RapGeek EP” and have a few artist in my city and different states that I plan on collaborating with from South Florida, Texas, and California. I would love to get a hold of Snow Tha Product and get a feature with her! That would be a complete dream come true. WHAT ARE YOUR IMMEDIATE MUSIC AND CAREER GOALS? To continue staying consistent with my music, dropping videos for my songs “Dream Team” and “Bad White Bitches” which should both drop by the end of the summer if not much sooner, and getting noticed by some labels in order to get on a bigger platform and really share my music with the whole United States and the rest of the world. DO YOU HAVE A TARGET MUSIC AUDIENCE? If I can have almost everyone and their mom like my music like Drake that would be great LOL but for the most part I would say my target audience is anyone from 14 to 35 who appreciates lyrical catchy rap music. I say lyrical because some people just don’t care about lyrical content anymore, all they care for is the beats and if the hook is catchy regardless of the material. To each their own but Im for people who really notice clever punch line use and compound syllable use. BY WHAT TERMS WOULD YOU SAY YOU MEASURE YOUR SUCCESS? To me success will be when I achieve the goal of having that huge fan base that I desire to have that will get me a deal with a good label that will help me get a lot more national and international shows, more sales on iTunes, more plays on spotify, a massive amount of subscribers on yotube, a great amount of plays
on soundcloud, and finally get on hot97 or Power 106 LA so I can freestyle on that massive platform and show the world how long they’ve been missing out on hearing one of the greatest lyrical rap artist of all time in Jony Quest. DO YOU WRITE ALL YOUR OWN MUSIC AND WHAT’S THAT PROCESS LIKE? Of course I do. Its very enjoyable and comes to me very easily. I sit down, hear out the beat, write while Im listening to the beat to make sure the lyrics and the beat fits together, make sure every line I wrote down was a quality punchline that would be better then what most famous rap artist can come up with, practice the song over and over before I hit the studio, go lay down the track and put it online for the world to enjoy. FOR OUR READERS WHO HAVE NEVER HEARD YOUR MUSIC, EXPLAIN YOUR SOUND IN 5 WORDS: Punchlines, Compound Syllables, Relevant, Real. ARE YOU LOOKING FOR AN INDEPENDENT LABEL DEAL OR A MAJOR LABEL DEAL? AND WHY? Either deal would be fine with me as long as my fan base can continue to hear music from me regularly, I go on tour a lot, and I generate at least 50k or more a year to afford the simple things in life. At the end of the day I do this for the love of the music and to be able to be heard and make other people feel better and motive them to be better. WHERE DO YOU HOPE TO BE 10 YEARS FROM NOW? Signed to Interscope records or Young Money records as a relevant artist who has a boatload of views for all his videos, has dropped some dope relevant albums/mixtapes/EPs, an artist who has collabed with iconic artist like Drake, Big Sean, Machine Gun Kelly, Logic, Kendrick Lamar, and hopefully Eminem. Also I hope to of become so successful that I can sign other artist and be responsible for putting some major lyrical talent in the rap industry besides myself. HOW CAN YOUR FANS KEEP IN CONTACT WITH YOU THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA ETC? They can follow me on soundcloud.com/jonyquest , Twitter: @JonyQuestSFL, youtube.com/c/jonyquestsfl for all my videos, Instagram: @jonyquestofficial for photos and videos, hulkshare. com/jonyquest and reverbnation.com/jonyquest for even more music Like: facebook.com/jonyquestdoomsquad and they can even email me at bookingjonyquest@gmail.com just to say hi or ask me any questions!
MIKEGREEN HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START IN MUSIC AND TELL US WHERE YOU’RE FROM? Growing up in Jamaica as a teen I started in the dancehalls performing alongside Beenie Man, Capleton, Michael Buckley & Wayne Smith. Gave it up when I moved to So. Fla but picked it up again once I settled in Brooklyn recording at Don Juan Studio in Flatbush. WHERE DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATIONS FROM? My roots comes from my love of the dancehall culture back when Beenie Man and Bounty Killa was runnin shit and I used to tour the Island doing shows with other upstarts like Michael Buckley who at that time had one of the top songs “Soundboys” wanted to dub. After seeing the kind of $$$$ that was running for doing dubplates and touring, it was then I decided to pursue this career. So I would say it was more the lifestyle more so than any particular artist that got me started in the biz. Once I landed in BK though during Biggie Small’s prime I started to gravitate to Rap n Hip Hop and quickly realized the 2 genres had so much in common, it was a seemless transition fo me. WHO ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING WITH AND ANY CURRENT OR FUTURE PROJECTS? Owner and CEO of Vblock Entertainment (VBE) I also manage and promote some of the rising stars in Hip Hop including Dem Beenoz and Ness and formerly the exclusive mgr for Mizz Ash who I’ve all collabed with. DO YOU WRITE ALL YOUR OWN MUSIC AND WHAT’S THAT PROCESS LIKE? I insist on personal creativity and staying true to you from my artists so it’s only natural I do the same. I enjoy the creative process, taking a concept born from a thought or a revelation through the process of creation and watching it grow into a flourishing entity, much like God does. It’s a little piece of what I like to call “Exercising my Godness” FOR OUR READERS WHO HAVE NEVER HEARD YOUR MUSIC, EXPLAIN YOUR SOUND IN 5 WORDS: Blend Biggie, Pac & Ross HOW CAN YOUR FANS KEEP IN CONTACT WITH YOU THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA ETC? Contact me thru my company on everything @vblockent or directly at everything @mrgreenonit
ADVERTISE HERE CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION EMAIL: INFO@ONEMICMAGAZINE.COM PHONE: +1 (323) 386-2371 EXT 1
LGC HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START IN MUSIC AND TELL US WHERE YOU’RE FROM? LGC is a collective, we’ve all been either writing or recording since we were in junior high school we kind of grew up in a period where hiphop/rap/rnb were a way of life more than they were musical genres. It was really simple either you’re a bookworm, or an athlete you’re either in the streets or into music. That goes for each one of us, as far as LGC goes we came together in Olathe Kansas in 2013 I (AyeJay Freez) founded the group a few years back and went through a couple members before hitting the scene with Savi-kilo and Deechiano the Darkchild. The rest is history in the making. WHERE DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATIONS FROM? Life, there’s no greater inspiration than something that you have dealt with on a first hand basis. Thera nothing more genuine than the truth you know? That’s what LGC brings to the table. WHAT ARE YOUR IMMEDIATE MUSIC AND CAREER GOALS? We each have pretty big plans for our projects but as a whole we’d like to get this whole placement thing taken care of after that the sky’s the limit. Music is a business just as much as it is an outlet we’re looking more into the business side of the industry, to make a long story short we plan on owning our own company’s. Who doesn’t want to be there own boss? BY WHAT TERMS WOULD YOU SAY YOU MEASURE YOUR SUCCESS? Honestly I’ve yet to be satisfied so it’s really hard to gauge that, when we get there we’ll be back to answer that. FOR OUR READERS WHO HAVE NEVER HEARD YOUR MUSIC, EXPLAIN YOUR SOUND IN 5 WORDS:IOk first timers here it is, gritty, powerful, timeless, eclectic, and last but not least, fresh. HOW CAN YOUR FANS KEEP IN CONTACT WITH YOU THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA ETC AyeJay Freez | Twitter: @ayejayfreez | Instagram: @ayejayfreez | Soundcloud: AyeJay Freez Savi-Kilo | Twitter: @therealsavikilo | Instagram: @therealsavikilo | Soundcloud: SAVI-KILO Deechiano The Darkchild | Twitter: @deech336 | Instagram: @richierawks | Soundcloud: Deechiano The Darckchild
PAYTONGLYNN HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START IN MUSIC AND TELL US WHERE YOU’RE FROM? I was born and raised in Louisiana but now am currently living in Murray, KY. I’ve always had a hobby for music whether it was playing the guitar, piano, or free styling over beats. It wasn’t until my sophomore year of high school that I got really serious with the whole rap thing. I had some friends who told me I was really good and that I should do something with it so I started writing and recording songs and it came very naturally to me. My full name is Peyton Glynn and I had to think of a name that would be original but something everyone would know me as and that’s where the PG came from. I haven’t looked back and now I am where I am today. WHERE DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATIONS FROM? My biggest inspiration when I first started off was definitely Wiz Khalifa. His style, flow, and beat choices were just some of the most nostalgic things I had heard and motivated me to try and make people feel the same way with me. Other artists have also influenced me such as Logic, J-Cole, G-Eazy, and Big Sean. WHO ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING WITH AND ANY CURRENT OR FUTURE PROJECTS? I am currently working on a new project for this summer titled “8 Weeks Of Summer”. I know everyone is putting out mix-tapes left and right so I kinda wanted to change it up a little bit from just making the casual track-list. Instead of making a whole copy to put out at once, I will be releasing a new song each week throughout the months of June and July to always try and keep the fans on their toes wanting to hear more each time.
DO YOU HAVE A TARGET MUSIC AUDIENCE? It’s probably more targeted toward the people around my age and college aged, but It’s definitely music that younger or older people could listen to and have a fun time doing so. I try and make music that everyone can relate to. BY WHAT TERMS WOULD YOU SAY YOU MEASURE YOUR SUCCESS? By getting that constant positive feedback, support, views, and attendance anytime I release a new project or perform somewhere. If people like what they’re hearing its no doubt they will spread it around to others and keep that chain reaction going. ARE YOU LOOKING FOR AN INDEPENDENT LABEL DEAL OR A MAJOR LABEL DEAL? AND WHY? At the moment a deal of any sort would be a great thing. Whether it’s a major or Independent label, as long as they can help me progress largely into the Music Industry and help me make a name for myself and spread my material well, I would be very interested. HOW CAN YOUR FANS KEEP IN CONTACT WITH YOU THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA ETC You can stay up to date with my music, social life, etc... by following me on these websites: Twitter: @PG_DSME | Instagram: @PG_DSME | Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/PeytonGlynn
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HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START IN MUSIC AND TELL US WHERE YOU’RE FROM? I’m from Santa Clarita, CA. which is just north of Los Angeles. in the second half of high school, about 5 years ago, my buddies and I would would freestyle a bunch while I was selling weed around town after class. Actually one of my good friends introduced me to the whole freestyle, hip hop scene. He was just starting out recording music and what not at the time. It intrigued me a lot and I started to get kinda good at it. Then my senior year in high school I got arrested and went to juvie for 6 months. It was actually a probation camp, while I was there i actually didn’t do any sort of rapping at all. I guess, I just didn’t feel it, just wanted to do my time and get out and get back to
my life. I got out early because I ended up breaking my neck when I was in there, so for about 4 months after I got out i was in a halo apparatus to support my neck. I was on probation, with pretty much limited me to being stuck at home all damn day every day. i started getting back into freestyling a little bit. One day I heard this old school Chris Webby track, and thought to myself, “damn this is a sick beat, I think Ima write to it.” and it was a complete disaster to tell you the truth... but over the years i had gotten better and found more inspiration within it all to bring me where I am today. WHERE DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATIONS FROM? I get inspired by other artists mainly. i get so hyped when a dope artist drops
something new. I compare it to myself, and try and figure out how I can take the next step to compete with their caliber of music. WHO ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING WITH AND ANY CURRENT OR FUTURE PROJECTS? Well my mixtape “First Period” just came out. It’s the first installment of a trilogy series, but the next project I’m working on is called “G.G.S.B GoodGuy ScumBag” and I’m having some pretty damn dope features on that like Dej Loaf, and Logic, one or two more maybe, but well see when I drop it!
LA
WHAT ARE YOUR IMMEDIATE MUSIC AND CAREER GOALS? My main thing is the music. I want to be known very well so people hear the music. Yeah, of course I want the fame and everything that come with it, but I want the fame, so people are actually hearing my shit. Good hip hop, that’s what I feel I bring to the table. Just damn good hip hop.
Yeah man, for me thats the only way to do it. I’ve tried to have someone write me lyrics and it just didn’t work out. They can’t ever get on the same page as how I like to rap. Well, first I search for beats and I’m ex-
DO YOU HAVE A TARGET MUSIC AUDIENCE? As of right now, yeah like people my age. Young adults, teens and youth and what not. Hopefully in time I’ll have a very wide audience though, thats what I want, but I feel if your a fan of Strange music, Funk Volume, or Visionary, you’ll be a fan of my music. BY WHAT TERMS WOULD YOU SAY YOU MEASURE YOUR SUCCESS? Once I get to the point where my mom, dad, brother, sister, my close friends, and I have no more worries financially. Thats how I will measure my overall success. I want my loved ones to not have a worry in the world and if I am able to do that for them, then I feel successful. DO YOU WRITE ALL YOUR OWN MUSIC AND WHAT’S THAT PROCESS LIKE?
tremely picky when it comes to that. I could listen to about 500 beats and only get maybe 5 out of that that I like and maybe even actually use 2 or 3, which I have actually done numerous amounts of times. That’s how I find the best beats for myself. Once I find a beat that I wanna work on I just loop it and listen to it and study it for hours. Thinking of what route to go with it, how I should sound, al the different tempos and speeds in which I wanna express myself. Then I just sit down, smoke some weed, and
write, once I figure out the topic. It usually just come all out from there. FOR OUR READERS WHO HAVE NEVER HEARD YOUR MUSIC, EXPLAIN YOUR SOUND IN 5 WORDS: I only need 3: FAST, TECHNICAL FLOW. ARE YOU LOOKING FOR AN INDEPENDENT LABEL DEAL OR A MAJOR LABEL DEAL? AND WHY? It just depends honestly. I of course want 100% creative control over my music. I don’t want no people telling me what I can and can’t talk about within my music and who I can and can’t work with, so in that case an independent. But like how Logic got signed to Def Jam. He got full creative control for everything about his music, backed up with a major label, so if that becomes possibility then defiantly a major. WHERE DO YOU HOPE TO BE 10 YEARS FROM NOW? Ima be straight up with this. 10 years from now I hope to be in the same elite caliber as tech n9ne. If not, better. HOW CAN YOUR FANS KEEP IN CONTACT WITH YOU THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA ETC? I stay on Instagram and Twitter all the time. Both my accounts are @Stogannn I’m on Facebook but that’s mainly just for my family and friends.
HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START IN MUSIC AND TELL US WHERE YOU’RE FROM? I can say I got my start in music from my family. My dad was a singer, my mother was in the band and always played classic soul music daily, but it was my aunt who actually saw my gift for music and allowed me to express it through singing and playing the piano initially. I started rapping around 8 when my cousin “Tee” had me under his wing and all he listened too was “Reasonable doubt” Jay-z, “Mr. Smith” LL Cool J, and various others, but that’s where my roots lie. I’m from Goldsboro, NC one of the most violent cities in NC. WHERE DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATIONS FROM? I draw most of my inspiration from my mother. She’s the definition of unconditional love, but she’s also stern enough to place the deepest fear in you lol. My family as a whole inspires me to be who I am and have the confidence to strive for greatness and not settle for mediocrity. WHO ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING WITH AND ANY CURRENT OR FUTURE PROJECTS? Currently, I am working on my first album entitled, “No Lies”. For the production I’m using My brothers(from other mothers) and Myself and we are known as Extraordinary Gentlemen Productions. We produced my whole debut mixtape “Why they call me O.G.” Which is available on Audio Mack WHAT ARE YOUR IMMEDIATE MUSIC AND CAREER GOALS? My immediate music goals include: producing music that can touch people and in turn those people respect my truths and experiences and love me for who I am. I want to change the game and be known amongst the greats of Hip-Hop. Another goal is to provide opportunities for my loved ones and build an empire of my own for my kids. DO YOU HAVE A TARGET MUSIC AUDIENCE? honestly, I can’t say I have a direct target audience. My music is aimed to motivate, and educate people of all ages, creeds, colors, and backgrounds while bringing us all together. I never would want to limit my music for one Particular audience because then I ultimately would be limiting myself. I represent those that struggled but kept fighting to turn my life around and hopefully my message can do the same for millions. BY WHAT TERMS WOULD YOU SAY YOU MEASURE YOUR SUCCESS? I measure my success by which test I pass that God throws my way.
If I fail, I pray for guidance and strength, I get back up, and push again. When I can say? “Thank you Lord, we did it” then I have met success fr the smallest or largest obstacles. DO YOU WRITE ALL YOUR OWN MUSIC AND WHAT’S THAT PROCESS LIKE? I have a Unique way of creating my music. I generally like to ride or vibe Alone without distractions to some new production and piece together each bar by memorizing them. It’s a gift in it’s own that I’ve learned to embrace which helps me capture the real emotion of a song to me. I go over it over and over until it sticks. Some songs take longer than others do to what I have going on but typically I’ll have a track in a few hours if not less. FOR OUR READERS WHO HAVE NEVER HEARD YOUR MUSIC, EXPLAIN YOUR SOUND IN 5 WORDS: Souful, Classic, Personal, Extraordinary, Voiced. ARE YOU LOOKING FOR AN INDEPENDENT LABEL DEAL OR A MAJOR LABEL DEAL? AND WHY? Honestly, I would love to develop a partnership with a major label to have the necessary resources behind me to capitalize to the fullest. However, I’m not into being a slave to anybody but I understand responsibility so as long as terms can be agreed upon to the fitting of my needs and liking then I would definitely welcom a major label deal. I think most artist in my position would say independent without understanding the work it really takes to be successful and maintain longevity in Hip-Hop; then again they may not care about being great and making music with values and substance to last forever. WHERE DO YOU HOPE TO BE 10 YEARS FROM NOW? 10 wars from now, I’ll hope to have already made my path in Hip-Hop and secured my spot with Grammys, dope features from my role models, and others that are usually gifted. I also see me having programs to help troubled youth from single parents home and grant opportunities for them to succeed in life whether by employment, school/trade, and/ or talent. HOW CAN YOUR FANS KEEP IN CONTACT WITH YOU THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA ETC? Instagram: @OGivensMusic | Facebook: /OGivens | Twitter: @OGivensMusic | For bookings, features, or production: Ogivensbooking@gmail.com or Firehousemusic1@gmail.com
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