Transcendent Music Movement Presents: Ryan Leslie

Photo from http://grandgroovedjs.wordpress.com/2010/05/03/ryan-leslie-youre-not-my-girl-big-jacks-call-me-mix/

Ryan Leslie

A few years ago I was perusing through a magazine whose name I do not recall.  I began reading an article about this up in coming singer, rapper, producer, songwriter, musician and pretty much everything else you can think of in music.  The description of this guy made had me thinking I was reading an article about the Ben Franklin of music.  He does everything, literally.  I became increasingly curious about who this guy was; but more importantly to me, how his music sounded.  At the time I had never heard of this artists.  As it turns out, I had unknowingly heard music produced by him.  In that article, there was something else that stood out and made him more of a wonder.  This respectfully shocking truth was that he is a graduate of Harvard University.  What, really?  This was my reaction after thinking to myself; this guy graduated from Harvard and is a rapper?  If you have heard any of the rap music that has come out in the last five years, you would agree that a degree of any kind is hardly a prerequisite for a successful career as rapper.  This superman of music is Ryan Leslie or R-Les as he is sometimes called.

Early Life

That article, that I have been unable to reproduce or locate, introduced me to who is now one of my favorite musical artist and most admired entrepreneurs.  Ryan Leslie was born in Washington D.C. in 1978.  Leslie moved around lot as a child because of his parents’ employment with the Salvation Army.  After his sophomore year in high school he basically got tired of moving and began to set his sights on college, more specifically Ivy league institutions.  This 14-year-old kid first, scored a 1600, a perfect score on his SATs.  Then, he wrote letters to the like of schools such as Harvard, Yale, Stanford and others; soliciting entry in to their institutions.  At the age of 15, Ryan Leslie is a freshman at Harvard University.  How many fourteen year old kids do you know who would effectively just be quite simply tired of changing high schools so they decide to just go to Harvard instead?  … My point exactly!  Ryan Leslie, even at an early age was that type of visionary.

Early Career

So, if his background is not amazing enough, his path to musical notoriety is even more spectacular.  In short, as a musician and producer he launched the career of unknown artist Cassie.  It is reported that Leslie, in the living room of his apartment in Harlem, recorded and produced Cassie’s first album.  Single “Me & You” reached as high as No. 3 on Billboard’s singles chart.  The success of that song was virtually unprecedented and certainly unexpected.  The success shocked the music industry and Ryan Leslie began to catch the eye of big names in the industry.  His ability to do it all with little to no corporate backing; with the exception of a distribution deal that came later, is incredible.  This type of self-production and promotion is what in my opinion truly makes Ryan Leslie unique and a TRANSCENDENT artist.

Self-Promotion

Immediately after I read that article about Ryan Leslie, I went to the Internet and discovered a plethora of YouTube videos of Mr. Leslie.  There was something different about these videos though.  They were not just audio recording of his music or highly produced music videos.  These videos were what looked like home produced visual depictions of Ryan Leslie composing, writing, and recording his music.  These videos feature him playing the piano, synthesizers, drums, singing and doing other things to contribute to the production his music.  Earlier I talked about how Ryan Leslie did it all.  After watching a few of those videos, that belief was solidified.  Ryan Leslie has mastered self-promotion by using platforms such as MySpace, Twitter, and my personal favorite his YouTube Channel.  There are countless videos of Ryan Leslie exercising his creative process in creating songs.  Anyone who watches these videos will feel compelled to respect the genus, that is Ryan Leslie. 

Image from http://www.ryanleslie.com/

Discography

After entering the music industry as a producer and songwriter, in 2003 he recorded his first solo album, Just Right.  That album was not released because of issues with him and his record label.  Despite that setback in 2009 he recorded Ryan Leslie, his self titled debut nationally distributed album.  Then, about two years or so ago, he released his second album, Transition.  This fall Leslie plans to roll out with his third album, Les is More.  The YouTube videos promoting singles for this album have been generating a lot of views for a while now. 

One-Man Band

It is so amazing for any fan or lover of musicianship to have the access that Ryan Leslie provides to his fans.  The way that he creates and produces his music is unlike anyone else, to my knowledge at least. Leslie’s rare ability to be the one-man band behind virtually all of his music is his niche.  The way that he exploits and promotes those skills is what is so fascinating to me.  This is what makes it so exciting to watch his YouTube videos.  You can see him playing the keyboards, you can watch him pick up a horn and record it, you can see him recording the vocals and making other contributions to the productions.   

Next Selection

In addition to being an incredible singer, songwriter, rapper, producer, musician etc., he is also an entrepreneur.  Ryan Leslie is the founder and CEO of a company called Next Selection.  “We envision, develop & execute the experiences, products, platforms, and content that help brands build engaged conversations with consumers.”  That quote is what they have posted on their website to describe what they do.  Even though they have clients that expand across all industries, Ryan Leslie’s self-promoting ways on YouTube and other mediums is the best example of the type of marketing that Next Selection provides.  Next Selection Music Group is also Ryan Leslie’s recording label.

Photo from http://mproco.com/blog/2009/08/youre-not-my-girl-ryan-leslie/

Unfortunately, I did not speak too much of the exceptional music that Ryan Leslie creates.  My reasoning is that I really wanted to highlight his background and approach to personal branding.  Take a few minutes to view a few of his videos on his YouTube channel called RyanLeslieTV.  You’ll be amazed at what see and realize why the Transcendent Music Movement acknowledges Ryan Leslie as a Transcendent artist whose creations epitomize TRANSCENDENT MUSIC.

Transcendent Music Movement Presents: The Motet

Here lies the commencement of our Transcendent Artists series.  This and the blogs to follow will highlight independent artists who are making significant contributions in producing TRANSCENDENT MUSIC.  We begin our series with a Jazz, Afro-beat, and Electronica fusion band from Boulder, Colorado, The Motet.

The Motet, in my opinion, is resurrecting Jazz and FUNK music in popular culture.  The urban community of the Colorado area really stands behind this band.  In recent history it seems as if popular music has shifted away from live instrumentation and has transitioned to predominantly computerized music.  Artists rely on voice enhancements, catchy choruses, and clever lyrics to move their audiences.  The Motet is one of the few bands that I have seen in a while who could rock a teenage and young adult crowd without a single lyric.  These master musicians perform soulful FUNK rhythms fused with intricate jazz melodies virtually forcing crowds to groove to their hypnotizing sound.  Their unique sound embodies complex Jazz and funky grooves reminiscent of artists such as Herbie Hancock, James Brown and The Meters. 

I discovered this band at a Herbie Hancock Tribute show in which a few of their members participated along with saxophonist, Dominic Lali of Big Gigantic.  This show was the best concert I had ever been to and I only paid $5 to see it.  I left that concert feeling inspired as a musician and optimistic for the future of live music performance.  Obviously music performance is still prominent but music rooted in FUNK, jazz, and soul are often lost or averted in popular music.  The author of their biography on Facebook writes the following:

The Motet is a world-class ensemble that whips audiences into a whirlwind using sheer impromptu force. The rhythms are spontaneous and textured and the beats are hard driving. The band uses this energy to create a rapport between the audience and themselves that is rarely seen in today's world of manufactured rock. The Motet consecrates the ground on which dance music meets free-form improvisation.

Lead drummer, Dave Watts, founded the Motet 10 years ago.  Watts is also responsible for composing much of the intricate music played by this incredible band.  The members include drummer and producer, Dave Watts; keyboardist, Joey Porter; Garrett Sayers, bassist; Ryan Jalbert, guitarist; Gabe Mervine, trumpet; Matt Pitts, tenor saxophone; Scott Messersmith, percussion; Pete Wall, baritone saxophone; Dan Schwindt, guitar; Jans Ingber, vocals; and Paul McDaniel, bass and others for special projects.  Though I have attempted to characterize this band they pride themselves in not conforming to a defined genre.  The biography on The Motet’s Facebook page says, “With roots in Jazz, Afrobeat, funk, Salsa and Samba, The Motet keeps their audiences in a dancing frenzy by layering House and Techno rhythms into a style that is uniquely their own.”

The Motet has released several albums, their sixth album being Dig Deep.  This album can be downloaded for free on their website.  The Motet can be found performing at music festivals and venues all over Colorado and the surrounding area.   Their next show is tonight September 3, 2011 at Agave in Avon, CO.  This phenomenal group of musicians has a bright future.  They are definitely putting in the groundwork, by growing a strong base of supporters.  This band is worth listening to but even more so, worth listening to live.  Their live performance is one that will captivate anyone under the sound of their instruments.  The Motet is certainly a band that produces TRANSCENDENT MUSIC and has the support of the Transcendent Music Movement. 

Jay-Z and Kanye West’s, Watch the Throne Album

Watch the Throne

Transcendent Music is not going to focus on pop music and on artists who already receive an abundance of recognition; however, we would be remiss not to pay our respect and acknowledge that which is great.  This week one of Hip-Hop’s most anticipated collaborative albums was released.  The figurative big brother; Jay-Z and baby brother; Kanye West, released their duo album, Watch the Throne. Both Jay-Z and Kanye West are iconic figures in popular music and have made countless contributions to Hip-Hop music. 

Leak Free Release

On August 08 the album was released exclusively on iTunes.  From Aug 12-22 the hardcopy of the album will exclusively be sold in Best Buy stores.  It is also noteworthy that according to Rolling Stone, the album avoided being leaked.  Rolling Stone credits the album not being leaked to the exclusive contracts with Best Buy and iTunes.  These exclusive contracts allowed Def Jam to keep a closer eye on the distribution chains.  Matthew Perpetua of Rolling Stone says, “Many leaks happen because CDs are lifted from the manufacturing plant, or during shipping.”  The album’s avoidance of being leaked was a rare occurrence considering the recent trends for such high-profile albums.   

Jay-Z and Kanye West perform at Yankee Stadium in New York City.

Kevin Mazur / Wireimage / Getty Images

Watch the Throne Tour 

            On August 8^th, the same date that the record was released on iTunes; Jay-Z and Kanye West announced their North American Watch the Throne Tour.  The tour will celebrate and promote their album’s release.  LiveNation.com published 25 tour dates with stops in the United States and in Canada.   To date, the tour appears to be kicking off on October 29 at Phillips arena in Atlanta, GA and closing in Vancouver, on the 18^th of December.  Concert dates and locations have already changed from what was originally scheduled so it is hard to be sure if all the scheduled dates will remain.  This concert is certain to be an epic performance and one of historical significance.  Demand for tickets, despite the upwards of $100 price, are destined to be high.  Seeing Jay-Z and Kanye West together on tour is probably comparable to seeing The Beetles perform live.  All due respect to The Beetles but for Pop Culture, Hip-Hop, and music in general, these two artists are two of this generations greats. 

Album Reviews

First, let’s talk numbers.  A day after Watch the Throne’s release it was projected to sell between 400,000 and 500,000 copies in its first week of sales.  Keith Caulfield from billboard.biz reported that, “The album is on track to become the second-largest sales week of the year, behind Lady Gaga’s 1.1 million opener for Born This Way”.  Jay-Z and Kanye West’s duo album is on track to earn the number one spot on the Billboard 200 chart which will be released on August 17.  Enough about what the media has been saying, what do consumers think? 

Virtually immediately after the albums release, trending topic #WatchTheThrone exploded all over twitter.  Fans were expressing their excitement about the albums release.  Later, they began to tweet their reviews.  There seemed to be resounding approval.  Fans were raving about the album.  @BenjiSchwimmer tweeted, “I'm gagging at how amazing #watchthethrone is.”  Of course there were few who expressed their disapproval, such as @LuxuriousPink who tweeted, “I'm Sorry But I'm Just Not Feelin' #WatchTheThrone As Much As Everyone Else Is. =/” @RIDDIMONYACASE tweeted that, “Genius is never understood right away, it takes TIME. #watchthethrone.”  There is something to be said about his tweet because as imagined, the album is rather unconventional.  What else would be expected though, from two creative artists who have perpetually brought original ideas and produced groundbreaking music their entire careers?  Their proclaimed genius album may in fact be that.  Despite the lack of humility and overwhelming display of materialism, as is prevalent in Hip-Hop music, there are also some interesting nuances to the album.  There is an abundance of religious references and a seemingly black empowerment overtone that is frequent throughout the album as well.  The album is largely greater than merely music for the sake of entertainment. It seems to be making a statement in an almost genius approach. 

The two artists compliment each other, lending thought provoking verses and hooks to contribute to each and every song.  Kanye West produced most of the album by himself.  West continued his practice of sampling soulful vintage medleys and enhancing them with various instruments, electronic sounds, 808 bass sounds etc. to producing clever musical productions like only he can.  Jay-Z and Kanye West also reached out to producer legends, Q-Tip and RZA to make contributions to the album.  Erika Ramirez in her article, Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Watch the Throne: Track-by-Track Review on Billboard.com provided a few details about each and every track on the album.  Her review highlighted contributors to each track along with other comments.  It’s worth taking a look at.  This album is to be heard so, enough of reading about it.  Listen to it and formulate an opinion.  After all, this is Jay-Z and Kanye West, Hip-Hop greats!  Expect nothing less than TRANSCENDENT MUSIC.

           

The Future of the Music Industry: How Technology Affected Consumer Trends

How Technology Affected Consumer Trends

There has been no doubt that the functionality of the music industry over the past 10-20 years has transformed and has transitioned. Changes in the way artists record, produce, market and distribute recorded music has transpired, due to advances in technology. These technological advances affected functions of major recording companies to include recording, marketing, the availability of recorded music and other functions. The resources that major recording labels and other traditionally necessary entities exclusively provided to recording artists, has become less than necessary and hardly exclusive. Artists are purchasing computer software like ProTools, home recording equipment and producing their own quality sounding musical productions.  With the help of tools such as CD Baby, iTunes, Myspace, Youtube, TuneCore and others, they were able to distribute their work to a mass audience as well (McCready, 2009).  The power to record, produce, market and distribute has transitioned increasingly in to the hands of artists, independent recording labels and undoubtedly fans.  The monopoly that record labels had in the process of discovering, developing, recording and promoting artists has been disrupted.

A&R Executives

Artist-and repertoire executives (A&R), during the 1980s and 1990s, had the most powerful and necessary job in the music industry.  They were responsible for discovering the most talented artist, worthy of a recording deal.  They were also responsible for developing those artists’ careers.  These were the people who went in to venues all across the country, tasked with discovering music’s next big thing.  They, along with their respective record companies, dictated to the market, which artists were going to be heard.  Something drastically changed in recent history. “127 A&R executives were let go or chose to leave their jobs during 2007 alone, according to business-contract source The A&R Registry.” The catalyst for such a dynamic change in this career was the drastic drop in CD sales, due to digital downloads and file sharing. Digital downloads, file sharing and the many online sources that provided streaming music gave consumers access to more music than ever before. With this newfound access consumers were empowered to vet what music they deemed worthy of their attention as opposed to A&R executives making that decision for them (Rogers, 2010).

Today’s Talent Scouts

A&R executives and the major record labels prior to these advances in technology were completely responsible for discovering artists.  Now, an executive can go on YouTube or MySpace and recognize that an artists captured the attention and is being viewed by millions of people, essentially from the comfort of their home.  This and other online means is how musical artists are being discovered and stratified in this digital era (Rogers, 2010). Due to the surge in consumers’ access to recorded music, consumers are now able to dictate to the industry which artists deserve corporate backing. There has been a change of the guard.  The fans of artists and the consumers of recorded music have effectively replaced A&R executives.  Thanks to the limitless, cheap and often free access to music, made possible by the Internet, the customer is in control (McCready, 2009).  

Access vs. Ownership

Consumers have more access to music than ever before.  Websites like Imeem and Pandora provide a streaming option for listening to music. This incorporation of the Internet to access and listen to music initially was thought to be a viable and profitable option for the music industry. The record companies bet on these Internet sources, hoping that by exposing consumers to new music it would subsequently result in them purchasing more music. The music industry’s plan to license music out to websites that stream music backfired. Consumers were satisfied with just access and cared less about ownership. Access was made so available through the Internet that consumers felt no need to buy music. This contributed to total industry sales dropping from $14 billion in 2000 to $10 billion in 2008, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. These numbers are projected to continue to drop by 4% as reported by Forrester Research (MacMillan, 2009). In addition to the online streaming option, file sharing and digital downloads affected the way consumers acquired music as well.

Single Songs vs. Full-Albums

The peak of the music industry was when CD sales were at an all time high.  Since that peak, revenues have been down 64%.  According to DeGusta, “10 years ago the average American spent almost 3 times as much on recorded music products as they do today.”  Digital sales of music to include downloads, mobile sales and online subscriptions have increased.  These increases have not; however, been nearly significant enough to make up for loses from decreased CD sales.  One would think that digital consumption of music would merely replace CD sales as CDs did for cassettes and cassettes did for vinyl records.  Unfortunately for the music industry, this has not been the case.  This increase in digital sales allowed for sales of individual songs to spike and for full album sales to plummet.  Per person, consumers purchased just over one physical album a year and only a quarter of a digital album per year.  The music industry missed the opportunity to capitalize after the advent of the Internet.  With the Internet and the increasing prevalence of digital downloads etc., no one buys whole albums anymore and as it turns out, “the recording industry makes almost all their money from full-length albums” (DeGusta, 2011).  The record companies have to find other ways of generating revenues with regards to the recorded music they produce.

Revenue opportunities

The music industry is still one of the most profitable industries in the world.  Despite an 11% decrease in shipments of recorded music, the 2010 Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) Shipment Data reports that $6.9 billion was generated overall from recorded music (Friedlander, 2010).  Money is not being generated from album sales, which record companies, had become so dependent on.  Money will be made in merchandising and live performances as opposed to recorded music sales, as bizarre as that sounds. Now that recorded music sales have dropped; artists, managers, and record labels are figuring out new ways to generate revenue.  The future looks like this; recorded music is going to be the attention grabber not the revenue generator.  It is what is going to lead to other revenue opportunities.  Artists are not necessarily working to sell their music directly, after all consumers are not buying it as they once did.  As stated previously, consumers are satisfied with access to the superfluous amounts of music, made available to them by online sources.  Labels and artists are realizing the greater value in earning the attention of their fans, rather than the money of their fans for their recorded music respectively.  McCready said, “Most agree that the currency of exchange for recorded music will be the attention of the fans instead of their money.”  Once artists get the attention of their fans they, in turn, will be able to sell tickets to their shows, sell merchandise, sign advertisement and movie deals, and generate revenue from other unorthodox means (McCready 2009).  Fans and music consumers should continue to enjoy the unprecedented access and availability of recorded music.  Record companies and other industry professionals better start getting creative if they intend to survive because recorded music is out of the box.

References

DeGusta, M. (2011). The real death of the music industry. Retrieved July 30, 2011, from

http://www.businessinsider.com/these-charts-explain-the-real-death-of-the-music-industry-2011-2

Friedlander, J. (2010). 2010 year-end shipment statistics. Retrieved July 31, 2011, from http://www.riaa.com/keystatistics.php?content_selector=2008-2009-U.S-Shipment-Numbers

MacMillan, D. (2009). The music industry’s new internet problem. July 30, 2011, from

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2009/tc2009035_000194.htm

McCready, M. March 11,2009. The future of the music industry. July 30, 2011, from

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-mccready/the-future-of-the-music-i_b_173481.html

Rogers, P. Feb 11,2010. A&R star makers: the vanishing gatekeepers. July 29, 2011, from http://www.laweekly.com/2010-02-11/music/a-r-star-makers-the-vanishing-gatekeepers/1/