Music, Money & Media
Although I had a Facebook account before my music dropped, I was really a voyeur; watching but not participating. Since releasing my “Smile” musical project last year, I have had the privilege of meeting & communicating with thousands of fans and musical artists on social media.
Twitter and Facebook are buzzing about “a unique family drama set in the world of a hip-hop empire” premiering tonight on Fox Network. Terrence Howard plays Lucious Lyon, the wealthy former drug dealer and rap artist owner of his record company. Lyon’s doctors tell him he is terminally ill, so he has to pick one of his 3 sons to take over the business. Fabulously talented Taraji B. Henson plays his ex-wife, Cookie, just released from prison after taking the fall for Lyon in a drug bust. Cookie wants her share of the money. With music by “songwriter of the decade” Timbaland, exciting stories and talented people in front of and behind the cameras, “Empire” will probably hit.
In real life, many of the major record labels’ money originated in the Prohibition Al Capone style business model, so even though the lead characters in “Empire” are black, you could insert any color and it’s still spot on depiction of the music business. The fascinating part is how luck plays in the game, like being born to a parent in the entertainment business (Miley Cyrus, Ziggy Marley, Stefan Kendal Gordy aka Redfoo, etc) The rest of us have to make our luck. If we define luck as when opportunity meets preparation, then you are ready when that phone call that you’ve been waiting on all your life happens. Even if your phone never rings, creating music and releasing it into the universe has meaning, because you never know who your music will touch and uplift just when they needed it most. I follow the Scout’s motto: “Be prepared!” Thankful for all the lucky breaks I have gotten throughout my life.
One Love…
Aria