Laugh At Yourself

I couldn’t believe my eyes.

Ja Rule was doing a commercial for a Greek restaurant?

Was it a parody? Was his money low? I didn’t know what to think. Just a few days before, he had posted about doing private parties. His arch-nemesis 50 Cent called him out on social media poking fun at him. The thought being that he had to perform at parties sounded like his career was at a low point. The same Ja Rule that was embarrassed from the Fyre Festival debacle. The same one that hadn’t had a hit in years.

Then it was revealed that Ja Rule was doing the commercial to help out a small business owner. The Greek restaurant was a mom-and-pop store that was being heavily affected by Covid19. It was a staple in the community. Ja knew that if he lent his fame, his “notoriety” he called it – that it would gain attention. And it did. He was self-aware enough to know that it would be seen as a joke. But he knew there was a greater goal – to help this small business. He sacrificed his ego. People were forced to bite their tongues realizing that it was a mistake to make fun of Ja.

The result? It made Ja more likable. He was willing to laugh at himself.

Rappers love to take themselves seriously. We often have hardened looks on our album covers and press photos. I made that mistake early in my career. In my first album, I look serious. At my first photoshoot, I didn’t smile in any of the pictures. It wasn’t a conscious decision, I was just doing what I had thought rappers did. But that wasn’t me. I smile. I smile a lot. So having these serious photos didn’t match who I was. On future photoshoots, I lightened up. I smiled. I laughed. Those pictures turned out much better.

“Never on stage did KRS get booed.”

– KRS-ONE, “Return of the Boom Bap”

I remember hearing the line as a kid and thinking – I will never be booed. Because to me – that would mean that I wasn’t a good artist. But then, like most nearly every artist, I was booed.

I was performing at the legendary Guvernment nightclub in Toronto. I was booked for a freestyle set. I was to come out and rap about women on stage. The host encouraged me to rap about how beautiful they looked. So that’s what I did. But there wasn’t much more to it. Also, it just wasn’t my style and I wasn’t able to carry it for more than a minute.

That’s when I heard the boos. At first, they started slow, but then they picked up.

They wrapped up the segment. No one likes to get booed. But now when I think of that time, I laugh. I don’t block it out. The experience taught me that not every opportunity is good for your career. If they had me freestyle about random topics or people for the audience, I would have done great, but it wasn’t my style to drop pick-up lines as part of freestyles. I had to go through that moment to teach me.

Recently Drake was booed at a performance. He was the surprise guest at a concert. The crowd wasn’t happy. The festival was catered to a different type of music fan. He took it in stride. He laughed at it. He made jokes on stage while being booed. He didn’t take it personally.

Sometimes we need to let time pass to gain perspective and laugh at ourselves, but when we do, it is nearly always a positive sign of growth. It can mean letting go of feelings of embarrassment or even shame. It results in moving on. I’ve seen artists not be able to move on in their career because of what could be thought of as relatively minor setbacks.

Laughing at ourselves helps us see the big picture.

Just like Ja Rule showed, it could be good for your career as well.

Mind On My Money, Money On My Mind

When he dropped his classic debut album Doggystyle Snoop Dogg became the biggest star in Hip-Hop. 25 years later and he not only is still making music, but he has also become a pop culture icon.

Snoop has quietly become one of music’s top businessmen. It all goes back to that first album…where he raps:

“I got my mind on my money and my money on my mind.”

– Snoop Dogg, “Gin and Juice”

It’s become an iconic lyric in Hip-Hop history, but it also holds a deeper business meaning – especially for artists.

Being a professional artist means being a business person. It means being an entrepreneur. It means making decisions for your career based on what can make financial sense.

But this often contrasts with the nature of an artist; we tend to make decisions with our hearts, we are more likely to go with our gut feeling than what a business analysis would tell us to do.

There was a time when people became musicians because they thought it would make them rich, but the majority of artists – especially in today’s music climate – do music largely for the love, for the art, and the craft. But of course, the hope that it translates into dollars never hurts either…

When you become a professional artist you need to continuously ask yourself if you are choosing to further your career, if you are doing it because it would be fun, or if you are doing it to recoup and turn a profit.

In the rap industry, this happens each time a rapper makes a song.

First is the process of securing the beat. Unless a rapper doubles as a producer they will buy beats to make songs. Beats can be anywhere from $50 to $5000

– or even more. In most cases, beats will range from $100-$500. But there is also sometimes when a producer will barter and finally, the times when the producer will do the beat for free (I love when that happens).

As a rapper, few things are better than the feeling of hearing a beat and thinking:

I need that, it will be perfect for my album.

As a veteran, I’ve learned from trial and error that is where the crucial decision is made:

The beat is just the start of the financial commitment to the song. The artist needs to pay to have the song mixed and then mastered. There is the artwork and maybe a video or a lyric video. There are online ads and a publicist or social media promoter to invest in.

The $200 investment on the beat can quickly become a $1000 investment into the song that could easily go to five and budget-willing six figures.

For a song to make money and recoup these costs you need hundreds of thousands of streams.

The cold reality is that it is rare that an independent artist racks up more than one thousand plays for their latest song.

And then there is an album. Instead of one beat, an artist is buying 10 to 15 beats. Sometimes more. Some songs may not even make it on the album.

The sunken costs add up quickly.

Again, all of this can be fine – if the artist follows Snoop’s saying. If they are aware of both the costs and the risk.

Even if the song, or the album, isn’t a financial success it doesn’t mean it’s a failure or a bad business move. Maybe the song spurs getting booked for a paid tour. Maybe it’s a stepping stone that helps build buzz for future releases. And maybe it resulted in some new life long fans.

I’ve seen rappers max out credit cards and lines of credit. I’ve seen relationships with parents, friends, partners, turn bad because they were unable to pay back the investment.

In many of these cases, the artist thought that business success would be due to artistic merit. That their music would be popular because of how good it was and how dope they were.

It doesn’t matter if talking soul music from the ‘60s, rap in the ‘90s, or the genre-bending mashups that come out today – there has never been a point in music history where being a good artist had a direct correlation to business success.

Even when the song and the artist become successful and artist needs to keep their “Mind on their money and money on their mind” more than ever. Just ask TLC, they sold tens of millions of copies of their album but still declared bankruptcy. When they reached success, they realized how they had to watch their accountants, lawyers, and managers because of how easy it can be mismanaged.

One of the hardest parts of being a professional artist is dealing with the business side. It can bring anxiety, it can be painful, it can be boring.

But what I also love about “Gin and Juice” is what Snoop says before the memorable line. He casually raps “laid back.” He cool and calmly stretches the word to emphasize how he is relaxed and at peace of mind because of how he has dealt with his business.

Because when we are aware and on top of our money – and our business – we seize control. We operate from strength, not from panic.

Of course, Snoop Dogg is relaxed for more reasons than just having his mind on his money and his money on his mind and sipping on his favorite mixed drink, but that’s also part of how he became an icon.

Made A Couple Ms With My Best Friends

One of the things I look forward to every Spring is discovering a song that will become my song for the summer.

I’m not looking for the popular song that will play non-stop on the radio, I’m looking for the undiscovered gem that I will play when I’m with my friends, having a BBQ, or travelling around the world

In the summer of 2018, that song was “Best Life” by Cardi B featuring Chance the Rapper.

As soon as I heard Chance’s infectious chorus come on, I was hooked. I knew instantly that this was going to be my song for the summer.

“I’m living my Best Life… Made a couple M’s with my best friends… turned all my L’s into lessons.”

One of my favourite things about being in the music business is being able to work with my friends.

Hip-Hop and friendship have always gone together. Groups are formed due to friendships. Artists rely on their friends as their first manager or stage as their hype man/woman.

A few years ago, I remember someone promoting a t-shirt that read:

“I make money, not friends.”

I thought it was the worst shirt ever.

Why would anyone want to send that message out into the world?

When I see someone wear a shirt like that I think that the person is only interested in themselves and what someone can do for them. Sometimes business is a transaction, just like when you purchase at the grocery store. You don’t negotiate, you simply pay the sticker price.

But the business world is different. If you go to a car dealership to buy a car and have a relationship with the salesperson, they are likely to cut you a better deal than someone that doesn’t. Could be that you went to school together, could be that your kids play together, could be that you did them a favour – but because you are friends you are likely to get a better deal.

Why not make money with your friends?

Of course, there is the age-old saying “Never mix friendship with business.” I’ve seen many friendships go awry due to business fallouts. Friendships can be manipulated. It can cause partners to have blind spots. Small problems can fester and extend beyond business, forever staining a friendship. It can be bad.

I’ve learned that the key to having a successful business relationship with friends is communication. It is crucial to be direct, straightforward, and honest. It is critical to talk about the intricate business details before and not after when things could potentially go awry.

In music, it means discussing the songwriting split while in the studio and before the song comes out and potentially becomes a hit. When travelling for business, it means discussing expenses for a trip before the trip so that there are no surprises afterwards.

Because when you handle your business first, and things go well, there is nothing like celebrating with your friends.

Dead and Gone

“They say they never really miss you til you dead or you gone…

So on that note, I’m leaving after this song”

– Jay-Z, “December 4th”

Jay rapped that line in 2003. Fortunately, he’s neither dead nor gone and still appreciated as one of the best to ever do it.

The chances of having Jay-Z level success are astronomically small. Most artists, even successful ones, rarely ride off into the sunset on a positive note.

You don’t have to be an artist to feel a lack of appreciation. As an entrepreneur you may run a business for years, serving customers that have become consistent clients, but they may not show an outward appreciation for you or your business.

As a society, we often wait until it’s too late. Go to a funeral and you will find family members and friends praising the deceased.

Why do we wait until it’s too late?

There is perhaps no better example of this than in music. From Kurt Cobain to Amy Winehouse to Jimi Hendrix, music has lost many greats when they were only scratching the surface.

Tragically, no genre knows this better than Hip-Hop. Biggie and Pac passed before the age of 25. Mac Miller died before he reached the age of 30.

Music, mental health, and substance abuse too often collide.

But what is also troubling is what happens after an artist passes away. Their music will often shoot to number one on the charts.

Jadakiss famously rapped that “dead rappers get better promotion.”

The acclaim, that was once elusive, now becomes overwhelming.

Nipsey Hussle was always well regarded and respected in the Hip-Hop community, but when he passed he became a bigger superstar than he was when he was alive.

XXXTentacion has become the 2pac for a young generation. His music spoke of depression and struggles with mental health. His music rocketed up the charts upon his passing.

But it’s not just human life that dies. Careers die. Businesses die. Oftentimes it comes as a surprise.

I’ve seen local restaurants close their doors and read social media posts lamenting their loss. That was my favourite place! But if you ask them the last time they ordered from there they can’t remember.

For the artist that chooses to give up their craft professionally, friends and fans may write “Hang in there! Keep it up! You are my favourite!” Except they haven’t purchased music, paid to attend a concert, or even shared their latest music release digitally.

It’s okay to be critical. It’s okay to be disappointed by our favourite artists when their latest release doesn’t match their last one, or to be discouraged when the local restaurant isn’t quite the same since the founding cook passed away. But we need to temper our criticism with support.

It’s easy to be unaware or not realize how tough it is to be an artist or run a business.

It’s a lesson that can only be understood through first-hand experience.

We don’t see the brave face that many entrepreneurs and artists wear when times are tough and the money, or the acclaim, isn’t coming in as consistently as it was in the past.

Showing frustration isn’t good for business.

Money is a key way to support but not the only way.

Sharing music, writing a review, spreading the word are great ways to support. Celebrate while here and Alive.

Paid In Full

We’d just wrapped up the last show of the tour and we were sitting in a hotel room. You would think the mood would be celebratory, but it was anything but. The band was upset that they weren’t getting paid. Correction – they weren’t getting paid that night.

Each band member took a turn expressing their feelings. One member said how he needed the money for groceries, another shook his head while repeating “it just ain’t right, it just ain’t right.” The organizer of the tour sat patiently and listened. He empathized before finally responding and said he had no other option. But it didn’t change how they felt.

That all changed when the elder statesman spoke up.

Kurtis Blow had been on the tour with us. Regarded as one of the original rappers, Kurtis was the headliner of this tour that saw us perform at churches, schools, and even a prison.

“What you got to realize is,” he began. “When you perform at organizations you aren’t going to get paid in cash right after the show. It can take weeks; it might even take months. But you will get paid in full.”

It’s a lesson I know well.

One of the reasons why I enjoy performing at schools is because I know that when they say the cheque is in the mail – it really is. Oftentimes after a show, an apologetic principal will tell me, “I’m so sorry, I thought it was processed. Is it okay if we send it?”

I don’t worry. I actually prefer it. Usually, I have my hands full with equipment, and random things in my pocket, that I don’t want to misplace the cheque.

If you are an artist chances are you can relate to performing and not getting paid at the end of the night.

Shady promoters and Hip-Hop seem to be intertwined, but it happens in every genre. Maybe the ticket sales weren’t as expected. Maybe they don’t have the cash on them. You roll your eyes like a teacher does when a student fails to do their homework.

One lesson I’ve learned is that it pays to do business with organizations – pun intended.

Organizations tend to be more dependable and reputable. They have a structure in place. It’s why working with signed artists can always benefit a producer or a featured artist. A record label is dependable to send a cheque (well, most of the time).

The same goes for grants. I always encourage producers to look at grant recipients. If an artist received a grant for their album they will have a budget and will be able to pay for the producer’s services. The downside is they may need to wait. Similar to my situation with the band, grants often can take months to process. But the cheque will come.

Deal with people you can trust. The music industry is one of the shadiest industries. So, take Rakim’s advice – always try to get paid in full.

Meeting With A Young Artist

There is something about meeting a new artist.

It’s the spark in their eye. The passion in their voice. They know the odds are stacked against them, but they are so self-assured that they will make it. It’s part irrational confidence that you hope doesn’t stray too far into delusion.

Every time I walk away from those meetings I’m left with one thought – will they have the patience. I don’t wonder if they are simply “good enough” – though some artists will ask me if I think they are. I know that skill is part of the equation, but I’ve seen more than a fair share of artists that have limited skills but yet go on to have solid careers. Likewise, I’ve seen more than my fair share of artists with incredible skills that go on to fizzle, failing to establish a catalogue of music or noteworthy career accolades.

Patience is the difference.

I can’t help but see myself when I talk to a young artist. I was once bright-eyed, idealistic, and passionate (guess nothing much has changed except the age). Like most young artists, I thought I was better than I really was. I hadn’t been tested yet. I hadn’t endured setbacks. I hadn’t failed.

Many artists will tell me that in the next year they want to win a Juno or a Grammy. They want to have hundreds of thousands of streams. They want to tour across the country and do shows around the World. All of this in one year. It sounds great.

I can’t doubt them or make light of their dreams – I had them too!

If I was to go back and look at the younger artist version of myself to remember three things when it comes to patience:

First, I never thought it would take this long.

I thought I was going to release an album, achieve critical acclaim, tour Canada and then break into the States. It sounded good – on paper. Then I realized that there was much more to it. I started to see that my one-year goals were more accurately five-year goals. I learned to have the patience to realize the journey would take time.

Second, I’d never thought I’d have to do so much business.

I wanted to be a rapper! On my first song “Say Now” I rapped: “Didn’t you start out as an MC?” I was referring to artists that get into music to make great music but then lose their vision. I wanted to get a manager to take care of the business. I wanted an agent to book shows. I saw many artists wait for team members to help them only to see them continue waiting. I discovered that learning and doing the business would help me reach my goals faster. But it also tested my patience. I wanted to pick up the mic, not tinker with a business plan.

Finally, I never thought I’d wear so many hats. I just wanted to rap! But now I wasn’t only doing the manager role, I was the booking agent, I was the publicist, I was the street team, I was the web designer, I was the social media expert. Each of these jobs tested my patience but taking them on also helped me reach my goals faster. They taught me how these jobs are done so that when I hired people I would be able to assess their performance more accurately.

These three lessons showed me the power behind the statement:

“Most people overestimate what they can achieve in a year, but underestimate what they can achieve in ten years.”

– Bill Gates (apologies to all those that think he is setting us up for doom with a potential COVID19 vaccine!)

As artists, and entrepreneurs, we are ambitious. We set demanding goals. We scoff at those that say that our dreams, plans, and goals are not realistic. But sometimes we don’t realize that they aren’t critiquing our vision, but our timeline. They may know from experience that we are looking at doing things too quickly.

When we give ourselves more time to achieve our goals it doesn’t mean that we aren’t demanding, it means that we are being patient. Patience prevents burnout.

This past week I went for two jogs. The first one I charged out the gate on fire only to be exhausted within fifteen minutes. I dragged my feet at the end. On the second jog, I went purposefully slower at the beginning. Instead of being tired, I kept going further than the first run because I hadn’t pushed myself too hard. I didn’t burn myself out.

Stephen Covey calls it “begin with the end in mind.” Gary Vee talks about “reverse engineering.” Either way, when we look at the end goal it provides us with clarity. It gives us motivation because we know that when we achieve that big hairy audacious goal that we will feel enormous amounts of pride.

But sometimes our goals can be so big that we get discouraged when we don’t see the progress.

In my experience, the reason why most artists fail isn’t because of the big goals, it’s because of the small ones. It’s because they aren’t willing to do the small tasks. The smaller daily goals are essential to achieving the bigger ones. The problem comes when we fail to see the connection.

Set big goals, set deadlines, but then adjust those deadlines. Sometimes I will double the length of the deadline. At first, I think that I am making it too easy on myself, but then I quickly realize that other things get in the way and I end up finishing on the revised timeline.

Bill Gates’ theory doesn’t only apply to decades of work. We often overestimate what we can achieve in a quarter, or a month, or even a week. But if we reverse engineer, if we plan our goals meticulously, then we are rewarded by underestimating how much work we were able to accomplish.

The young artist wants everything now. The experienced artist recognizes that the journey – the process – is essential because it leads to a career instead of being a one-hit-wonder.

The Last To Get Paid

It was going to be my breakthrough show, my coming out party, the beginning of my Toronto takeover. As a young rapper, these were my thoughts. I was excited. I was also idealistic.

The rap game was my Field of Dreams. If I built it, they would come.

Promoters weren’t booking me? No problem. I was going to put on my own show.

I was going to show them.

It started promising. My friend K Rizzy found a venue that we could have for free.

How could it go wrong with a free venue?

I didn’t want to do a regular performance. I’d been performing at open mics with a live band and those were great times on stage. I wanted a live band for my show. So I paid them. Their fee was 500 bucks. It was a deal. They usually would charge at least $750.

I couldn’t just have a band though, I needed music while the event was going on. So I booked a DJ crew. That was a couple hundred bucks. A deal because my manager had booked them at several events in the past.

Now that the music was taken care of it was time for promotion. This was back in the days when flyers were key. I paid for the design and printing of around a thousand. They were impressive flyers too. $350 for flyers and design. Another deal.

I’d invested over $1000 into the event. But no problem, I thought. I’ll make it back. And then some…

Leading up to the event I hit the streets. I went to all the top clubs when they were winding down so that I could pass out my flyers. I put them on the windshields of cars.

I was excited. I knew that it was going to be a great show. And it was. People came. My friends were there. Some rappers that I knew from the scene and their music videos. Even an A&R from Universal Music. I rocked the mic. It was fun.

But… I was also extremely frustrated. Downright angry.

We barely made any money at the door. The people that came were my friends and many (most) didn’t pay. I lost at least $800 bucks. And back then, $800 bucks felt like $8000.

But that day I learned a valuable lesson that made up for that cost.

The artist is the last one to get paid.

If you read business investment books they will often say “pay yourself first.” It sounds great, but that rule doesn’t apply to an artist putting on their own show. I had to pay everyone before I had a chance to make money.

As a newcomer I was naive. But it was understandable. My education in the music business came from rap magazines, TV interviews, and rap lyrics themselves.

Believe in yourself. Invest in yourself. If you are good you will make it.

If you were raised on rap videos of the late ‘90s and early 2000’s you’d think that rappers had it easy. These videos perpetuated the image of the successful, money-making artist. The life of a rapper looks glamorous, but it’s also extremely difficult to maintain the facade of success.

I often hear producers and publicists complain that rappers are quick to spend money poppin’ bottles or buy new shoes, but won’t pay for their services. And they are right. Every rapper needs dope beats and needs their music to be heard. I can see their perspective. But I also know that image is an essential part of being a rapper – we want to look fly!

When I realized I wasn’t just an artist but an artist-entrepreneur, I quickly familiarized myself with the term “recoup.” Recouping is generally thought of when it comes to a record deal. Artists are given an advance to pay for producers, studio time, and marketing amongst other expenses. They don’t make money until this money is reimbursed.

The reality is that for most artists – we are the label.

We are the ones spending money on studio time or recording equipment. We spend money on mixing and mastering. We buy beats. We pay for artwork. We pay for videos. We pay for publicists, radio trackers, online ads.

We do this in the hopes of making money off our investment. Sometimes we do. But then there is always more spending. Some artists pay to play. Instead of being compensated for their performance, they spend money to one day create the demand that a promoter will pay them.

It used to be that artists would recoup with CD sales and merch in the form of t-shirts and hoodies. But nowadays consumers don’t buy CDs. T-shirts are viable, but they are costly.

In the pay-to-play era, you will often see ten different artists trying to sell merch and yet the merch booth will often look sparse with few consumers.

Streaming is great, but it takes hundreds of thousands of spins to generate revenue which means that most times the expenses put into the song – let alone an album – will never be fully recouped.

But it’s Hip-Hop. We don’t talk about our failures. We project success. Of course, it can pay off. And there is no greater feeling when it does.

When we have paid everyone and have enough left over to enjoy the fruits of our labour.

It makes us crazy enough to think we can do it again.

For Your Consideration

People love to complain. Especially in the music industry. Especially when it comes to awards and nominations.

This person doesn’t deserve it.

I should have been nominated!

The whole system is corrupt. They just pick their friends.

I’ve heard it all.

What I’ve also learned is that most artists don’t take the time to learn about the selection process.

They don’t realize that to be nominated you have to submit. Even then, learning about the process can be frustrating.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard artists angrily say “I have to pay

to submit?”

I get it. As an artist myself, I wish that awards were handed out purely on merit.

I wish that critics would seek out the most deserving music.

But that is the difference between music as a hobby and the music business.

It’s just not how it’s done. From the Juno’s to the Grammy’s, artists or their team have to submit to have a chance at scoring a nomination. It’s the same process in the film world from the Oscars to Sundance.

It’s idealistic to think that the best music will rightly be crowned with an award. But how do you determine the best? Music is a matter of taste rather than an outright competition like sport. You can be frustrated with the jury or you can learn how the jury was composed.

It may sound counter-intuitive but one of the key reasons to submit for an award isn’t to get nominated.

Submitting for an award is a great way to be heard.

Feel like your music isn’t connecting with the gatekeepers? Maybe they haven’t been exposed to it. Maybe they missed your latest release. Maybe they are unaware of the touring you’ve been doing.

When you submit your music for an award your music becomes exposed and listened to by key insiders, the “experts” in the genre. It could lead to management, shows, an agent, more spins.

And it’s not just for awards. Submit to play at the music conference. If you earn a spot you will be in front of people that can change your life. And here’s the secret about many conferences, if you don’t get selected you still win. Oftentimes, conferences will provide you with free registration if you don’t get selected. This can save you hundreds of dollars! And that’s if you don’t get selected.

If you are an entrepreneur, this can apply to your business too. There are often local or national awards that you can apply for and winning can be a big boost for your company.

Besides, if you don’t apply how are you going to know that you may have won?

Same Category As Bob Marley

You don’t have to play reggae music to be in the same category as Bob Marley.

As a musician, winning an award such as a Grammy or a Juno can be a game-changer. It can be the highlight of one’s career. When an artist is introduced, they often mention the award before the artist’s name… “Welcome to the stage, two-time Grammy-winning artist…”

But awards are also controversial. The Grammy’s came under fire recently because of their lack of gender inclusiveness. Regardless of the award, nominations always come under scrutiny. Social media goes into a fury noting the artists that have been snubbed. And of course, artists themselves often feel disappointed when they don’t receive a nomination.

I’ve seen artists post about their frustration of not being nominated. They will blame the politics. They will say that the juries are out of touch.

But while important to submit for awards, and it is great to receive a nomination or an award, it is also important to realize that they rarely are the game changer that one hopes they will be.

I’ve seen many of my peers receive nominations for Junos, some have even won, but their excitement was short-lived when they realized it didn’t translate to the success that they thought it would. The award didn’t lead to more shows, it didn’t lead to a record deal, it didn’t even lead to more press.

In contrast, I know many artists that tour relentlessly, sell tonnes of merch, and make a living off music but fail to be recognized by critics and receive that elusive award nomination.

At my school performances, I’m often asked interesting questions at the end of each show. These questions can range from “Have you ever won a Grammy?” to “How many Grammys” have you ever won. The truth is I’ve never won an award, well aside from the one I received at a piano recital, but that was back when I was in grade four. And I’ve never been nominated for a Grammy or a Juno.

I can’t lie, earlier in my career it was extremely disappointing. I thought I deserved it. And despite some of my peer’s lack of results afterward, I thought I would be able to use it as a stepping stone in my career. And a part of me still thinks that way. That’s why every year for the last thirteen years I apply for a Juno award.

The only difference is that now my expectations have changed. Now I look at it like the office worker views contributing to the weekly lotto pool. If my number comes up that will be amazing. But chances are I will have to wait till the next one. In both cases – you can’t expect to win if you don’t get in the game. So my advice for artists is always to make that submission. If you are a business owner, submit for local business awards. You never know.

But the biggest thing that changed my expectations is when I read a list of which artists hadn’t won a Grammy… Queen, Jimi Hendrix, Guns and Roses. I was stunned. Even the list of rappers was surprising… Run DMC, Nas, Snoop!

But the most surprising was when I read that Bob Marley never won a Grammy.

Bob Marley? Nah, that had to be wrong. While he did receive a lifetime achievement award, it was long after he passed away.

I can’t think of an artist as universally loved as Bob Marley. Who doesn’t like Bob Marley? Kids, teenagers, adults, grandparents. People all around the World play Bob Marley to this day regardless of race, creed, colour, or background.

The man sold over 75 million… 75 million! copies of his music.

So it made me realize – how could I, and in turn – how can you ever let an award define your career if Bob Marley never won a Grammy.

https://bestlifeonline.com/artists-who-havent-won-grammys/