Back from my hiatus!!!!

I will be back to writing blogs soon after my time away from the site I just have to motivate myself to stay in the fight because hip hop is taking a beating right now !!!!!

I Am Shock Therapy !

So What is Shock Therapy you ask ?  I am the result of the positive musician who has music to share with the world and never got his chance, I am the result of  the numerous conspiracy theories that are said to be controlling Hip Hop. I am the result of corporate interests that are apparently controlling Hip Hop and profiting while the musician is exploited and discarded like trash. I am the result of the  1st generation “old school”  artist who realized too late what was going on to them, I am the result of those same artists now not having a voice in Hip Hop, that which they created. I am the result of that same old school artist who is now broke and gets no royalties because they had no knowledge of the contracts they were signing, and so now they have nothing. I am the result of the mysterious deaths of those who were going to tell the truth about what really goes on behind the scenes of the music industry but never had their chance. I am the result of  the musician who tried to come to the music industry on their own terms and had every door slammed in their face, because they would not sell out . I am he who has studied and observed and strategized over and over about how to get into the music industry and see no success but I will try until I am there regardless of my age. I am the musician who is told that he is too old to break into the game and we miss out on someone who could of changed the game for a lot of struggling musicians. I am the result of the stereotypes of disrespectful lyrics, exploitation, derogatory comments, harmful words, negative lyrics, sexually explicit music and the coonery in Hip Hop.

Shock Therapy is a change that I feel I was picked to produce and deliver because I have been blessed with a perspective, through many trials and tribulations to deliver a message that I am not afraid to manifest. Will the album stir up controversy ? Yes it will , Is it a needed dialogue ?  yes it is. I see myself as one of the many who was chosen to come in as a musician or a business  mind and help to reestablish our music by us and start the ball to rolling in our favor once again. Hip Hop was and is still ours we just have to retake control of it and not just produce but control our music or we will keep getting the same results. Will the present Record label owners relinquish willingly? NO WAY so in order to win the game you must know the rules or have enough persuasion and influence to bend them, either way change is on the horizon and I am humbled to be a pivotal part in it.

If you do not believe in you then why should others ? Hip Hop chose me and I am grateful. I might come off as arrogant to some but it is confidence and faith that moves me to these words and my belief in my personal GOD or “higher power” that compels me to speak up when I am wronged and in the music industry we are being totally disrespected and severely exploited to such a degree and I just cannot take it anymore!!!

It is Time for some Chak (Shock) Therapy

 I have finally come to terms with releasing my sophomore project even though my first album Moorish Renaissance did not achieve the success that I wanted I still feel that I am going to be a success in the music industry. I learned a lot from Moorish Renaissance and I am applying these principles on my second album and I believe they will pay off in a major way, from a business and moral perspective, I still am here to make a living with my music label. Overall I do not want to be stuck with a bunch of cd’s that will sit in my basement like Moorish Renaissance is doing right now and so I have a plan to get rid of them even if I have to pass them out on the streets. This album is not aimed at just my Moorish family like the first album was I took a more mainstream approach and covered issues that affect us from a societal perspective. I get a little political, I get a little bit social and I get straight to the point with this album. Hip Hop as well as music in general is not doing what it was created to do,  the music is very sexual and glorifies a street lifestyle that we need to eliminate in our neighborhoods as well as society period. I am hoping that anyone who listens to my album can appreciate the intent behind my new approach to the music world as well as what I am trying to do to counter the music on the airwaves. Shock Therapy is medicine for a sick community and a society that needs to be motivated to strive for something better and see positive images of themselves and get us on the path of true ownership as a Nation of people because right now we do not. I hope you my fans appreciate the hard work that I put into this album and as far as success well we shall just see…… Peace The Scientific Moor

Chaka vs. Fear and Disbelief

As I am quickly coming to the end of my second project Chak ( shock) Therapy I find that my two strongest foes have resurfaced to reek havoc on my goals and to alter or totally destroy my vision of becoming a successful record company ,their names are fear and disbelief and they have been around for a very long time and they know me too well. I have made some good as well as bad business decisions in my life and doubt and fear have played a role in a lot of my decisions and the outcome. So now I find myself at this crossroads once again and guess who are the first two at the party?!!!! I exercise 5 days a week and during these times I take workout classes ( don’t laugh they are really good) body combat in particular, in this class you simulate attacks and defensive strategies and how to deal with hostile situations basically lots of punches and kicks etc…Lately in class I have been doing some internal therapy, when we do some of the punch and kick routines, I am imagining that I am punching and kicking my two biggest foes or obstacles doubt and fear. I believe that it will help psychologically in my future decisions because I am mentally removing them from the equation in my decision making process in order to think my moves out much clearer. I know that we were all raised in a particular way to only accept things that fit into our indoctrinated “beliefs” that have been shoved down our throats since birth by our family, friends, schools we’ve attended , religious beliefs , societal influences the government and on and on. We have been conditioned to go a certain way and if we go otherwise our subconscious anxieties and fears almost instantly attack to put us back in our  “place”  yet the most prolific people in our society have been the ones who have gone against the status quo or normal way of thinking and dared themselves to do amazing and wonderful things so why not you and I?!?!?!? I find myself trying to plug back in to the “Matrix” because I am scared ( fear) of what lies ahead simply because I do not know what lies ahead and it can be something wonderful and inspiring but disbelief will not let me envision this. Now in class I am kicking the sh#t out of those two sturdy asses that bind the will of man (mind) and the crazy thing is is that it actually is working for me. We all are going to find ourselves being tested to such a point that we want to quit but you have to dig deep within and find the strength to conquer these foes or you can never show your true potential as a free thinking man or woman. Step out of your comfort zone do something spontaneous stop being ashamed to be different and most importantly be true to yourself and be yourself. That lesson I learned early when I was a skateboarding inner-city child I was called everything under the sun but I loved skateboarding ( still do) and I would not stop doing it. The sky is the limit for my label and it is only limited by what I don’t  do for it , and right now I have no limit on where I want my music to go simply because I believe in myself a whole lot more than I ever have since my birth before anyone told me what I couldn’t do ( age 4 or so) You Gotta believe or you are just wasting your time !! Peace  The Scientific Moor!

Status Update

At the present time I am spending time with the mastering engineer going over the finalization of my present project titled “Shock Therapy” and as I am getting my lessons I find my project taking a lot more time than I want it to take. So during my spare time I find myself questioning whether this is going to ever be a successful and profitable record label? I cannot honestly say that it will and also what is the definition of success to me? So over the last few months I have been at home living off my capital that I earned from the sale of my last business and I am seriously doubting that I am going to make enough for me and my family to survive off the label alone, because when there is time doubt will come in and talk you out of everything if you let it. So I began to do some mental exercises that are training me to deal with doubt and sometimes it works and sometimes it does not, that is why I am steadily practicing to ignore and suppress the doubt. One thing that does add fuel to my fire/ motivation is when I turn on the radio and hear what is on the airwaves I get so motivated to make my music as good as I can at the moment, because there is so much nonsense and etc… that I have to control my emotions. I feel like that I still have a lot of lessons to learn patience being one of them as well as perseverance, commitment    an honest evaluation, Tenacity, you get the message or this project will never get off the ground and show its full potential. #1 This is chess not checkers strategies have to be implemented contacts made and goals accomplished I have enough things to do but for some reason I am not promoting the way I should be so if I fail it is only my fault my first album is a testimony to that.  And so with that I am thankful that you listened to my gripe and lent a useful ear and did not judge me on my flaws because I feel better thank you .

“Perfection” takes time

My album has been at the Mastering engineer studio for about 3 weeks now and before he Masters the cd he always finds something that he wants fixed in the mixdown in order for the cd to have that radio ready sound that I want. So I take it back home do the work and then I give it back to him, but then he finds another problem and so now I am going to have a sit down session and mini mix engineer class because I personally am not a good mixdown engineer at this point in my career . I am however very grateful that my mastering engineer sees my vision and is not taking my money and running with it like so many others have done to up and coming artists who are trying to establish themselves in the music industry. I will admit that he is going above and beyond for me but also let me say this, HE IS NOT CHEAP! But if you want a superior album you must pay a superior price, there are no guarantees that I am going to get my money back and to be honest Scientific Minds Records is actually not a profitable company yet. So with any business you have to be willing to invest and see the long term success and goals in order to keep moving forward, or you will wind up giving up too early on something that could of been a multi-billion dollar empire. Like a man on a mission I move on and humbly enter the music industry as a novice seeking to learn from the experts because I am aware and comfortable knowing that I still have a whole lot to learn in the music industry and I am willing to listen to all who have beneficial information to share with me. I wish I had a team but as I stated in one of my earlier blogs I cannot find a lot of like minded people here and so I am doing everything by myself that I can do and that which I cannot I have to pay someone who is a professional to do. I take these experiences as learning lessons and as strategy for when I start putting my team together and to understand exactly what I need to build a solid foundation with longevity and etc… So to wrap it all up you must have patience on the road to success and when an obstacle appears you have to be ready to conquer them and also you have to always be willing to learn and be open to constructive criticism from all because they are there to help believe it or not. After I get the final master back I am going to write another blog keeping you informed I am sooooo ready for the album to be done but this slow process is going to ensure that I am going to get the album of my “dreams” GOD WILLING !

The Formula for success

The Mastering engineer has my “final mixdown cd” and now I find myself with a little bit more time on my hands now that there is no more recording or mixing etc… to do on the album ( FINALLY!) And yet there is no time to relax because in the formula there is another step that  needs to be enacted and that is finding some outlets and venues for my music. There are internet radio stations that are all over seeking new material, local independent internet magazines and and blog interviewers who are seeking out new talent, as well as the usual corporate media outlets that probably will toss our music in the garbage but you never know until you  submit the “package”. On my journey I have learned some pretty interesting things about the music world and more importantly about myself ! Marketing and promotion an inferior product will kill your aspirations so before you put yourself out there be honest and ask yourself would you as a fan listen to what you are passing out and if the answer is no or a maybe then you need to go back in the studio and make it something that you like as a fan as well as an artist. I had to admit to myself and accept that my first project ( Moorish Renaissance) was not radio worthy and put together hastily, it hurt too have to say this. So I went back into the “lab” with a plan and idea as well as an honest approach to what I wanted to accomplish with my second album ( Shock Therapy) and if my formula was implemented correctly then the results will show in the popularity as well as the financial gains associated with my business investment.  A game plan + A goal = success if you pay attention to details of every move that you make , do not be afraid to question your ideas and actions ignore doubt and disbelief and most importantly DREAM BIG!  I hope that my growing pains will help the millions who are going to eventually find my blog page and read about my humble and stressful beginnings and learn from my mistakes. I am trying to inspire that next dreamer who wants to be their own CEO and not go begging the corporate record companies for a chance to earn some crumbs, Stand on your own two Feet and believe in you no matter what. I am learning to be my biggest cheerleader and personal motivator because if you do not believe in you WHO WILL AND WHY!

 

 

I am the “One Man Band”Literally !!!

On this journey of mine  developing a highly successful conscious music label to this date it has been no easy task (I knew that it would not be) one thing has disappointed me though was lack of positive artists or even people who wanted to know the business side of the music industry. When I first started my label in Milwaukee WI. I would invite people over to hear them rap , produce , and etc.. and would become pretty discouraged at the lack of creativity and ideas within these particular people.  All they did was follow the commercial standard of music on the airwaves at the present. As time went on I decided that for my label to be setup the way I needed, I had to do ALL THE WORK! So I purchased books on this searched the internet for that purchased more books on that other stuff and printed so much info. off the internet that I started buying printing paper in bulk. I am glad that I did this because it was sort of a “preparing rite” of sorts in getting me ready to deal with the big boys of the music industry. I believe that if you are going to be a part of something you should know the business side of it as well so that if any issues arise you can fully understand them and react accordingly. I don’t consider myself an artist in the traditional sense I like to be described as a hybrid of sorts a combination of producer, lyricist, musician, mixer and entrepreneur of my craft etc… I am not spectacular in one particular field but above average in all previously mentioned, I can wear the suit and tie or the jeans and t shirt and fit in just fine in either. I believe that this learning process was essential for me in order to seriously pursue the dream of Scientific Minds Records© Which I am doing now, the next phase is to get my message out to the mainstream media which is where the brains are needed. I also added a page on my site so that all can go and hear samples of my music and if you like you can purchase them through itunes, cdbaby and so on. So my fellow wordpress bloggers what was the epiphany/ breaking point that happened to you that made you decide to not pursue the status quo. 

What exactly am I trying to accomplish?

I find myself asking this question, to me, a lot lately and I really had not put a whole lot of business thought behind this question until last night, and so now I am up before the sun with a clear head and quiet house to see if I can best sum up my intentions. I have been  very successful at being “self-employed” for the last seven years and I have done fairly well at supporting my wife and three children, but as I worked I always felt that I had a void within to be filled and selling junk food to inner-city children was not something that I wanted to retire doing regardless of how much money I made doing it. So over a period of time I began to dream of inspiring my people through music and through other ventures that would come as a result of monies gained through my music business. Yes I have the fullest intention of making Scientific Minds Records LLC a full fledged money making business and not some hobby that I do to pass time, and so far it has not been easy, and on the flip side it has not been as tough either. The biggest hurdle I see from a business point of view is NATIONWIDE EXPOSURE, I feel like a blind three legged rat in a 20 acre maze. With only one goal in mind I have to make sure that my plans and goals are still moving forward as planned ,which they are , but also my plans may have to be revisited sometimes to keep moving forward, and since the end result is still the same then I can keep going forward as planned. It is just disappointing how I cannot drive to the local radio station and give them a cd because they are part of some huge National radio company that only supports other big companies musicians. But that is part of being a business I have to learn how to navigate my business through these obstacles to get to the final goal a successful record company with potential to grow as big as the present big boys and to compete on their level all day everyday!!! I feel that 100% full confidence in your business mind as well as A precise well thought out plan and some money of course could propel me  or you as far as we want to go. Also a SUPERIOR music product in comparison to that music that is being offered on the airwaves now. As you can see by some of my other blog posts that I want truly positive and uplifting Hip Hop to receive  as much airplay as the other forms of Hip Hop being played now, and I want the people such as myself who make this beautiful music to have more of an ownership and business role in their artistic expressions. We as a people rely on others to do what we should be doing for ourselves and then you want to “flip out” when you find yourself broke in 10 years?!?! I intend on being an example to any upcoming artists and businessmen and women that want to start up in the music industry to not always seek some parent label to exploit your talents simply because they can put you out there faster to be a nationwide artist. Learn about the contracts you signing and you can see how they dig in your pockets so deep, in other words learn to stand on your own two feet!!!!
Peace! The Scientific Moor 

Change the message not the production ( beats )

One thing I learned recently while sitting in the scientists’ lab ( my studio) was that I was going about trying to contribute with my music in the wrong way. I figured that it would be smarter to change everything and come at the music industry with not only thought provoking lyrics but also with a new form of production. WHOOPS!!!! ( nuff said ) Yes up to this point I can honestly say that my marketing was a complete disaster and so my album has never reached that plateau of success that I used to dream about in my rest at night, no screaming fans, no positive accolades, no sold out concerts, retail or business opportunities ,and no autograph sessions.(Insert sad face here ). Seriously I was trying to figure out how to get the youth to even listen to my music, then it hit me The beat is what they first hear and so the first 30 or so seconds of mine, or any other artist for that matter , music are the most important. If the beat catches their attention then the message is secondary kind of like hypnosis only from a musical point of view. And so in this musical “trance ” like state, you and I, positive musicians can begin to re-program with conscious thoughts and positive and uplifting and inspiring messages. The beats are from within and they progress naturally it is the message that is in the dark ages now. And so with that piece of secret knowledge you Positive artists can go back to the studios and apply the formula with a100% money back guarantee (fingers crossed). Seriously though you must have all the studio basics down with this formula ex.Studio enthusiasm, Mixing, mastering etc…And so in conclusion I am grateful that the Great GOD of the Universe has blessed me with this knowledge  and so my second project ( shock therapy ) shall tell if I correctly applied the formula, with that marketing magic I am learning plus constant rotation from all independent radio stations, newspapers and the like. So when you see me performing or speaking know that I am practicing what I am “preaching” Peace… The Scientific Moor.