Archive for Music – Page 3

Chris Bridges- AKA Ludacris

American Rapper Chris Bridges, rapper name Ludiacris, although most know for his music, is also an entrepreneur involved in many different businesses. Over ten years ago he started his first restaurant business in Atlanta. To further his business ventures, he also started buying real estate in Atlanta. Many people who only know Ludicrous as a rapper were shocked when they found out that he was going into real estate and the restaurant business. But Ludacris in fact does have a college degree from Georgia state university, which has significantly helped him in his entrepreneurial endeavors.

He is now going back to Georgia state to mentor students and work with professors in the Creative Media Industries Institute. His focus will be teaching students about the entrepreneurial business regarding music and film industries. The program is intended to prepare students for careers that go beyond what normal college degrees prepare someone for.  Atlanta is a perfect place for this because of its large music, film and video game industries located there. Ludacris has always been an inspiring artist to me and it is awesome to know that he has an entrepreneurial side and that he he wants to help future entrepreneurs be successful like he is.

Adam Kluger

In 2008 Adam Kluger looked at the lack of profitability in music in a different light. He wanted to be able to make music more about a brand and less about how many people listened to music.  The music industry was between mediums.  Streaming was not yet popular and the CD was being phased out by digital downloads. Kluger created the “Brand Drop” to increase profitability.

A “Brand Drop” is product placement in musical verses or videos. While artists have always mentioned products or brands in music, Kluger was the first to monetize these promotions in music.

At the beginning of his innovation, Kluger faced some backlash from the industry for his practices possibly violating artistic integrity.  Kluger used the guise of furthering an artists vision as an excuse for his questionable practices.  Kluger provided his services as a middle man to Lady Gaga in her first music video.

While Kluger’s ethics are questionable when it comes to the products and artists he works with we cannot deny his prowess as an entrepreneur. Kluger has hired skit artists involved in videos for musical artists such as Eminem.

Kluger’s innovation makes him a middleman meaning artists have tried to go around Kluger and cut him out of his cut of the transactions.  Kluger was almost cut out of $320,000 during his deal with Britney Spears.

As Kluger’s deal with Spears fell apart, Dannielle Bregoli’s fame began.  Kluger decided to prove his worth through his ability to popularize products or people through the internet.  As soon as Bregolli’s fame had peaked and it seemed that she would fade back into irrelevance Kluger called her and offered to be her manager.  After that Bregolli has exploded as a rapper and personality all incubated by Kluger’s entrepreneurship.

 

Jake Luhrs – Using His Position to Help Others

Jake Luhrs, most commonly known for being a vocalist for the metal band August Burns Red, has expanded beyond the realms of the music industry and has created a company and written a book that both deal with overcoming peoples personal struggles, whether it’s about their faith or mental health.

Firstly, his band, August Burns Red, is one of the more well-known bands in the metal genre, with their music videos garnering millions of views with every release. Currently, their band is embarking on a World Tour to commemorate the 10th Year Anniversary of their album, Constellations, which really helped them get their foot in the door of metal. In the metal scene, that’s a pretty difficult thing to achieve, since the genre of music they are playing is not radio-friendly nor enjoyed by most people. Given his position, many people after shows would come up to him and tell him about what they were currently struggling with, and, sometimes, how much he and his band helped them through those moments. He, and with some others, started Heartsupport, an online resource dedicated to those dealing with whatever problems they may have. With Heartsupport, they give these people resources to reach out to other people for advice and help via a forum page. There are also resources for counseling, daily livestreams on Twitch, and a book, titled Mountains, which was written by Jake Luhrs. All in all, Jake Luhrs has a successful band, who discovered a problem through the opportunities he had, went on to create a website dedicated to solve those problems.

 

Daniel Ek- The Man Behind The Music

 

Most millennial’s probably can not remember a time without a music app. Starting with Pandora then transitioning to other apps such as Spotify and Apple music, these apps have changed the way we view and enjoy music. Daniel Ek, a Swedish entrepreneur is the man behind the popularly used app Spotify. This entrepreneurs story is different than most. His creative thinking process began when he was 14 but did not begin to take off until he was 24. In an interview with CNBC he said “I had always wanted to belong and I had been thinking that this was going to get solved when I had money, and instead I had no idea how I wanted to live my life”. Rather than living a life full of partying and useless activities, he decided to move away from that scene and focus what is important and meaningful to him. His separation from what he thought he wanted in life is where his idea for Spotify first started. The creation of the app began in 2006 in Sweden and was launched two years later in 2008.It was not until 2012 that Spotify was first introduced to the United States. Spotify started out with a fairly simple model with the option to listen for free or purchase a subscription, but has developed significantly over the years by expanding the music selection, adding podcasts and allowing users to put together and “download” playlists. Founder Daniel Ek lives a very orderly and strict lifestyle.

Ek says that “the most creative people in the world schedule their creativity”, which is contradictory to what most people would think. Spotify is always changing and that is largely do to the dedication and commitment that Ek has for thinking about new ways to improve the app and get ahead of his competitors. Daniel is currently worth upwards of 2 billion dollars, and currently owns 9% of the companies shares. At 36 years old, Daniel Ek is making drastic changes to the music industry, especially for the listener. He found a way to make music more accessible and made his platform useful for all ages and all music interests. The technological aspect of his invention has brought back songs from decades ago and placed them right at our finger tips to enjoy. He has connected people through a mutual interest, music, and created a community of creative thinking and music enjoyment.

John Cooper

Many people know John Cooper as the lead singer and bassist for the hard rock/metal band Skillet, but many do not realize that John Cooper holds many other roles as well.  As the only founding member still a part of Skillet, Cooper has released ten albums since 1996.  Cooper’s wife Kory is also a member of Skillet, and their relationship is strengthened by touring and performing together while spreading God’s love to others in often godless environments.  Part of John and Kory Coopers’ mission, along with the rest of the members of Skillet, is to openly be Christians, but to perform music that appeals to people who are not often reached by Christianity.  Skillet’s songs all have Christian themes and messages, though some are more subtle than others, and John Cooper discusses his faith at every concert.

As if performing, recording, and traveling with Skillet was not enough, Cooper started a side project in 2018 called Fight the Fury.  Along with the guitarist from Skillet, Seth Morrison, Cooper co-wrote and released a five song EP and toured with both Skillet and Fight the Fury throughout the spring and early summer of 2019.  Though some might say Fight the Fury is similar to Skillet in terms of their music, Fight the Fury is much darker and heavier music and deals with many dark and tough subjects that are not as well suited to Skillet.  Cooper has made it clear that while Skillet is a Christian band that plays hard rock and metal, Fight the Fury is definitely a metal band first, whose members happen to be Christians.

In addition to Skillet and Fight the Fury, John Cooper also released his own line of beard care products in the late fall of 2018.  Through a partnership with Hawk+Hatchet, these products are now being sold through major distributors such as Macy’s and Amazon, as well as through Hawk+Hatchet’s own website.

Throughout these many projects, John Cooper has remained a faithful Christian, husband, and father.  He has enjoyed great success being able to tour with many mainstream rock and metal bands such as Korn, Breaking Benjamin, Slayer, Five Finger Death Punch, Nickelback, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and numerous others, as well as performed on Fox & Friends several times.  John Cooper takes every opportunity to share his faith with the world and uses the platform he has worked to create to help spread God’s word.  John Cooper is an inspiring entrepreneur, as he has successfully managed to create and be successful in two different bands, launched a beard care line, and been a loving husband and father.

J. Cole and the Rise of Dreamville

Image result for j coleJermaine Cole, known in the music world as J. Cole, came from humble beginnings and worked his way to a $30M net worth in 2019. Born in 1985, he was raised poor originally on a military base in Germany and later in Fayeteville, North Carolina. Cole got into music at an early age starting by playing the violin for a local orchestra and then beginning rapping at the age of twelve. He joined the local group Bomm Sheltuh, rapping and producing as a member of the group. He used music as a way to deal with the pains of his family life. His father abandoned him and his family when they were young and his mother married an abusive step father. His hard upbringings caused Cole to want to get far away, so he decided to attend St. John’s University in New York. While at St. John’s, he continued pursuing music and fell in love with rapping and producing. After graduating, Cole dropped his first mixtape, The Come Up. He recorded and produced the mixtape entirely by himself. Wanting to get his big break, he sat outside of Jay-Z’s studio for 3 hours waiting to show him a track from The Come Up only to be turned away. However, one of the executives at Roc Nation, Jay-Z’s label, heard the exact same song and showed Jay-Z. This led to him signing Cole and helping him on his second mixtape, The Warm Up. After Cole signed with Jay-Z, he really came into the public view and started building his following. He collaborated with big name artists such as Rihanna, Drake, and Jay-Z himself. After releasing two albums under Roc Nation and experiencing much success, including reaching number one on the charts, Cole decided he wanted to try his luck with his own label. Alongside his friend from college, Ibrahim Hamad, he launched the label Dreamville Records under Interscope in 2014. That same year, Cole released his album 2014 Forest Hills Drive which reached number one on the Billboard charts and was the first hip-hop album ever to have earned platinum status without any features. Most people agree that this solidified him as one of the greatest of all time. As he grew his legacy and his brand, he began looking for ways to help others. His Dreamville Foundation charity raises money for things like feeding the homeless, hurricane relief, and scholarships for needy students. His label has also signed artists Cozz, Omen, Bas, Ari Lennox, JID, and EARTHGANG and helped them advance their music careers. In 2019, J. Cole and Dreamville invited many up and coming artists to record an album with them. The album, entitled Revenge of the Dreamers III, was responsible for 46 artists receiving their first platinum certification. Cole never forgot his tough upbringings and the work he put in to get where he is now. The way he never gave up on his dream is an inspiration to many. Cole was never content with where he was, even when he was signed to Jay-Z. He sustained his work ethic that he had when he was just a poor kid in Fayetville and used that to become a rap mogul, philanthropist, and role model to many.

Billie Eilish

 

Billie Eilish was born December 18, 2001 in Los Angeles California, was homeschooled, and started singing and writing at a young age. “Ocean Eyes” was the first song Billie recorded and posted on SoundCloud written by her brother. It was originally posted for Billie’s dance instructor to choreograph for her. This song started Billie’s carrier as a singer-songwriter. Now she is a pop artist at the young age of 17 with multiple hits.

Unlike many pop artists Billie Eilish likes to go against the grain, I believe that is one of the things that makes her so appealing to the culture right now. She is very honest with things she deals with, for example depression, and implements that into her music which adds a layer of genuineness. Her style of singing is very unusual, sometimes almost a whisper and other times a very strong voice. She likes to mix a lot of genres into one in her songs which is unique for a pop artist.

Billie Eilish demonstrates entrepreneurship in her thinking outside of the box in her music which has given her a name in the music world. She was the first artist born in the 2000’s to have a number one hit on the Billboard top Hot 100, making history. She is being innovative with her music by combining genres and inspiring others to reach for their dreams and think differently. Billie Eilish is starting the beginning of a change in the music industry today.

Daniel Ek: Spotify

 

Daniel Ek is the founder of Spotify, the music streaming service that revolutionized the music industry and how we listen to music. Ek was born in Stockholm, Sweden in 1983. When he was just 13 years old, he began his own business where he created websites for businesses in his school computer lab. He recruited fellow students to help him. By the time he was eighteen years old, he was making $50,000 per month and managing a team of 25 people. Ever since Ek has continued to be innovative in creating content. After he sold his online advertising company, he partnered with Martin Lorentzon to create Spotify.

Ek wanted to make a music listening service that allowed users to listen to music for free, without having to pay for downloads. At the time, the biggest contenders in the music industry were downloadable music platforms like iTunes. However, behind the scenes, the problem of piracy in the music was a big one, and it was one Ek believed that his platform could tackle. Since most options for downloading music were expensive, users had to pay per-song or album to download, so, people flocked to illegal music downloading sites so they could own songs for free. Rather than regarding this as a problem for the law to deal with, Ek realized the problem was because of a larger problem in the music industry. If he could create a music listening service that was better than pirated music, people wouldn’t want to download music illegally.

With Spotify, listeners could stream music for free, with occasional advertisements. If listeners preferred to listen to music without ads, they could pay for the premium service, which ranges from $5 to $15 dollars a month depending on the plan.

Investors, however, did not see it as likely that Spotify could succeed in the music industry. Some thought a streaming service wouldn’t generate as much revenue as downloadable music platforms, such as iTunes, where users have to pay per download. Ek launched Spotify in 2008, and the program now has more than 70 million premium subscribers worldwide and has a market value of $26.5 billion. Spotify has had so much of an impact, that it pushed Apple to branch off of iTunes and launch their own streaming service, Apple Music. Spotify has changed the way people listen to music and Ek’s company is proof that entrepreneurs really can change the way people see an industry.

Josh Ramsay: Marianas Trench & Much More

Josh Ramsay is a well-known artist and entrepreneur from Vancouver, British Columbia. He is a singer, songwriter, producer, recording engineer, actor and lead vocalist in Marianas Trench. Josh started Marianas trench in 2001 at the age of 20. Josh asked his high school friend Matt Webb, who is now the guitarist, to start a band with him. The two of them responded to a newspaper ad put out by Ian Casselman, lead drummer, looking to play in a band. Ian then introduced the duo to his roommate, Mike Ayley, who is the band’s bass guitarist. The four members are still the four members of the band today, who is currently on their Suspending Gravity Tour. The band has produced 5 full-length studio albums, been nominated for 65 music awards, and won 17 of them. While you might not recognize Josh for his own band, you might know him through some of his songs he has written. He has written 16 well known songs, including 5 Seconds of Summer’s “Story of Another Us”, Nickelback’s “Satellite” and “She keeps me up”, and the most well-known, Carly Ray Jepson’s “Call me Maybe” as well as “Guitar Strings/ Wedding Rings”.  Josh Ramsay is an incredible entrepreneur who took his love of music to start an amazing career as a musician, songwriter, and producer.

Dr. Dre

The music industry is a great place for young entrepreneurs to start. Andre Romelle Young, professionally known as Dr. Dre, has set a precedent for becoming successful in this competitive industry. Dr. Dre is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur who grew up in Compton, California. Dr. Dre started out as a rapper and quickly grew to fame. His music was unique, flavorful, and creative. Some time passed, and he had taken a few artists under his wing, including superstar and rap/hip-hop legend Eminem. The duo of Dr. Dre and Eminem were able to shake up the whole music industry and draw fans in like never seen before. Eminem was essentially an asset to Dre, and he helped him gain even more fame and profit. Over the years, Dr. Dre has really shown his entrepreneurial skills as well. His most popular product is the Beats by Dre headphones. When these headphones were first released, people went crazy over them. What they did not know was that they were basically getting ripped off. Dr. Dre charged over $100 for the cheapest pair of headphones, but they only costed around $14 to make. Dre continued to promote the headphones to be high-quality, bass-oriented, and overall a great investment. The Beats Pro headphone model sells for around $400, which is absolutely insane. You could buy a set of professional, studio-grade mixing and mastering headphones for around $180. However, Dr. Dre has continued to sell himself through his record label, Aftermath Entertainment, where he is the founder and CEO. Through that label, he has collaborated with and helped artists become stars. Some of those artists are Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, The Game, and 50 Cent. They have helped contribute to Dre’s wealth and continue to expand throughout the industry. Dr. Dre is a creative individual, and he will continue to sell, innovate, and transform many things to come in this inspiring industry.