What Most Entrepreneurs Miss…

…is the ability to create CONTROL within and for their company.  After being absent for a year from this blog, I’ve been gone doing just that.

Random Star Music is no different than any other company out there.  You have your highs, and you have your lows; there’s ups and downs; there are the “when will this happen” moments and there are the “OMGoodness, can I keep up with this” thoughts; and every once and awhile, if you are persistent in being productive, you’ll have a situation where someone will offer a helping hand.  In the case if the “helping hand”, be cautious if you’re accepting the assistance for the NOW or for the LATER.  Here’s why…

The Stars…Not As Far as They Used To Be

The weirdest feeling in the world is being in one place pending the advancement to another new frontier.  “Frontier” could mean another city, state, country, job position, status change, etc.  Whatever “frontier” means to you, the common association of the word for this post is “unfamiliar territory.”

It strikes the average individual as exciting and surreal.  Anxiety (the good kind), anticipation, and joy mixed with the latter and rush over the body as a wave created from a whale dropped from a helicopter…sometimes at different moments, sometimes all at once.

If PATIENCE is a Virtue…

…then I’m still “Virtue-less”!  Now I’m not ONLY speaking on the BETA situation (previous post), I’m talking about me and EVERYTHING!

I’m not speaking on any particular occasion, just different experiences since the birth of Random Star Music (RandomStarMusic.com).  If you’d allow me a little rant, yes?  Thanks.  ”Why are people lazy?  If you’re going to do a job, or say you’re going to do one..then DO IT!  Why are we having a discussion about extending a deadline, when a progress report of some kind hasn’t even been submitted?  What do you mean that’s nothing to be concerned about?  FIRED! Next.

Someone has to say it…

This post is a little off our regular subjects, but hope it hits just as close as any other post I’ve written (also a little shorter than usual).

In preparation of the RandomStarMusic.com BETA release, I’ve come across numerous ”individuals” who have chosen to pursue music as their profession.  Whether they are any good or not to make it a reality is entirely another matter.

But unlike most of these “hopefuls”, I believe that their “dream” will stay a “hope” or an overly time-consumptive “hobby” at best.

I’ve come across phrases like, “‘Get Money!’, ‘Do you and I’ll do me’, F*ck all you hatas’, ‘I’m the greatest’, ‘Find somebody that can touch my skills’, ‘I got the city on lock’, ‘C.R.E.A.M (Cash Rules Everything Around Me, for those that don’t know)’, ‘I’m on my HUSTLE’, ‘Don’t bother keeping up, you can’t'” etc so many times that I question/wonder if they tell themselves this as motivation to actually “hustle” their craft into a business, or are they stuck on their favorite part of a chorus of their favorite song??  I’m dumbfounded even.

What the HELL?! pt. 2

What the HELL is going on in the world of Hip-Hop music?

How many times has this question been asked over the years?  How long will people ask it?  Who knows…but until an answer is given that will satisfy the desire/want to ask it again, it will continue to re-surface.

My view on this however switches back and forward…depending on who I’m speaking with, at what time, whether it’s a sunny or cloudy day, and depending on which day of the week all this is going on. 

Here’s why:  Hip Hop to me as listener, annoys me most of the time.  The same beat, format, producer, structure, song topics (clubbin, what they’re “going” to have and it’s their first single, bottle poppin’, giving women oral pleasure, a new dance), clothes, chains (everybody has a cross), is used by every new rapper/HipHop singer out there it seems…like people are afraid to be “creative” creating a creation.  I used to say, “If somebody makes another song about some stupid dance, or says they’re the best rapper…I’m puttin’ a hit out on ‘em.”  The list got too long…got tired of updating it.

What the HELL?! pt. 1

I’ve been asked a few times about my view of the music industry, as well as the originality issues in Hip Hop music.  I’ve been wanting to address these topics anyway for quite some time so the requests came at the perfect time.

I’ll address them in seperate posts:

MUSIC INDUSTRY

Declining, decreasing, hurting, wounded beast….but as a whole (you decide on what you want to consider as ”the whole”. i.e. Major labels only, Majors and independents together, companies involved with music such as Wal-Mart, Live Nation, Amazon.com, etc.  There are exceptions to the rule, as always).

I believe major labels have been so accustomed to the “fame/in power” ways of things for so long that they forgot one major rule of life and evolution:  The only thing that’s consistent is CHANGE.  Nothing stays exactly the same forever.  You have to change with it or die (figuratively more than literally) and they are certainly dying a SLOW death…at least 8 years thus far.

Cutting and Pruning Forward…

Things change:  people, places, things, situations, personal and professional relationships, etc.

That’s a feature of life that won’t ever be different from what it is currently.  Once one understands this notion…the question becomes:  How do you change with it to maximize the benefits that are/will be presented to you?  If a plant’s roots outgrow a pot, unless your a botany enthusist, how do you know to change it out?  To maximize the plant’s growth potential, the change has to take place…

Does this apply to other aspects of life as well?  To business? Personal life? Professional ambitions?  To some YES, and to some NO.  But to those who agree, how do you detach from a habit that you may have been accustomed too for months, years, decades, without falling victim to the “depression” hole called a VOID?

Through the years of developing the notion, the “feel”, and direction of Random Star Music, these questions played through my head as I evaluated the “expiration date” to individuals that I was in constant contact with.  Some were around for years, others for days but in all the same respect, a duty had to done.  I believe it’s easier for overly ambitious individuals to cut off a relationship (significant others, friends, co-workers, professional, personal…you fill in the blank for which relationship fits your situation) and not to think twice about it versus “satisfied” individuals enjoying the stroll of life. 

Over 50 Life Lessons learned…so far.

1. Tithe your time:  Give the first minutes of your day to God for giving you another 24 hours. 
2. Do your business:  (for aspiring entrepreneurs) make something happen!  Going to find a job is too easy.  No greatness can occur when you’re making someone else rich.  Have faith in your own success(es).
3. Always work, regardless! :  Don’t trust solely on the words of other people.  Even when the going seems good, don’t rest, add to it.  Success is guaranteed from the sweat of your brow, not promises.
4. Faith only works with ACTION:  Praying for help and assistance are a cluster of empty words unless you’re still pressing forward despite the situation.
5. Do ALL you can do, then have FAITH:  go until you can’t do anymore, then rely on Faith, but while you’re waiting…find another means to obtain your goal.  Add to it, always work.
6. Set goals, and don’t stop working till you achieve them:  Any and everybody can start then stop something, so start and finish your tasks.  Hell, over-achieve if you can!
7. There’s a lesson to learn in every hard time:  So the faster you learn it, the sooner you’ll recover and/or advance.
8. Work for everything you have:  therefore no one can take it away or claim that you wouldn’t be where you are without them.
9. No Porn:  the Silent Killer.  Temptation and pleasure decrease productivity…sometimes for minutes, sometimes for hours.  (It’s ok to LOVE sex!  Who doesn’t?  But draw the line…as fine as the line is, know the limit.)
10. Do NOT consider, think about, or even joke about anything that could jeopardise your company, goals, and/or position now or in the future:  This process is too powerful to overlook…thoughts become words, words become actions and every action has a consequence.  (Becomes more powerful over time.)
11. Don’t tell every plan or move you make to people:  Keep some things to yourself and let the results tell themselves:  Remember, not everyone is for your success.  Good AND evil survive in this world, and there are as many successful “bad guys” as there are “good guys”.  This includes your closest friend(s) or kin.  The easiest way for a wolf to be welcomed by sheep is when they look and seem like a sheep themselves.
12. If it doesn’t make money, it doesn’t make sense:  Why go to a club and spend $200 when you can use that time productively and make $200?  You’re tired of the same scene, same music, same people anyway…
13. Pursue your goals and dreams despite entering a new or breaking off an existing relationship:  Should it end, now or later, what do you have to show for it?  If you spent that much time or energy towards your goal, where would you be/have been?
14. Don’t be with someone who doesn’t SEEM or ACT supportive despite what they say:  People can SAY anything, their ACTIONS show everything.
15. Hence, trust ACTIONS, not WORDS:  When people SHOW you who they are, believe them, and decide.  They may catch it and not show you “the truth” again until it’s too late.
16. “If you LIE to me, you’ll STEAL from me, and if you’ll STEAL from me, you have the capability to KILL me, providing the proper situation.”   – Just old Grandmother wisdom.
17. Research it for yourself:  How many times has someone said something couldn’t be done then it was?  “There’s no way to get that phone for $100!”  Then after speaking to another rep, you get it for $75.  Research it yourself.
18. Don’t blame it on race:  The only color that truly matters is GREEN or GOLD!  Yes, race can make a situation easy or difficult, but come up with the right price or deal, and business will get done (it just might be under the table or a back room).
19. Life happens:  And it will continue whether you can deal with it or not.  This may seem grim, but bear with me…Life is depressing, hard, and difficult, that’s why nothing comes easy.  Life is like this so you apprecieate Joy and Happiness or the pursuit of both.  You wouldn’t know Joy if there were no Pain.  If Life was never hard, you wouldn’t work as hard to make it easy (retirement, vacations, etc).  This Life is making you, or has made you strong.
20. Love hurts:  And like everything else, takes work…sometimes more work than anything else.
21. Don’t be depressed too long over a break-up:  You’ll find someone more atttreactive and sexier right down the street.
22. If you talk to God, talk to Him like the closest friend you have the upmost respect for:  Not every conversation or statement you have with Him requires you to be in a tuxedo and speaking in tongues.  But on the same note when addressing Him…He is God!
23. Your past is your past:  It happened, you did it, for whatever reason…nothing is going to change that.  If you’re not happy about your past, thank goodness it’s over and move on.  Other people only stay stuck on what happened in your past as long as you keep mixing it with the present (verbally, mentally, doing similar things, or things that make you and others remember it).  If you’re fine with your past, or get over it, go make more happy memeories, life’s too short.
24. Insanity = doing the same thing but expecting different results.
25. Don’t get wrapped up if people are bad-mouthing you about things that aren’t true:  if it’s not affecting your money, family, or the payment of your bills, who cares?  People are going to talk…can’t help it.  Once you show its not affecting you, they’ll move on to someone else.
26. Don’t let someone pressure you into something that bothers your soul:  Being nervous about something new is one thing.  Doing something that goes against your beliefs is something different.
27. Stand for something or you’ll fall for anything:  Don’t be afraid…not everyone will agree with you.  You won’t ever have 100% support from the world.  So now that you know this, stand for something that you agree with.
28. People will disappoint you:  They’re human.  It happens (loved ones and friends alike).  However, you determine how deep, how many times, and for how long.