Please tell us a
little bit your career in the music business?
The long and dusty career started at the age of 5. Professionally I was not in the entertainment
industry until the year 2000. I actually
got a call from a group that was signed to a record label called Nebula records. I had been chasing this record label around
for about 4 years. They like what they
saw and they flew me out and gave me an opportunity to be on one of their
projects. Based off my performance of
that project it lead me on to dealing with them and get signed with and go on
the road with them. And this actually
led me to get signed with another record label called North River Records.
Which led to the blow out of my career, I was a well know artist in my local
hometown for many years and with the major exposure with dealing with those
guys who are based out of Atlanta, GA.
Who is your manager
now?
Right now I am working without a manager. But I did have a manager for many years
called Dale Myers. He is one of the best
that I’ve seen in the music industry.
And I have seen quite a few managers in my career. He is a real
exceptional guy and I consider him as a friend as well as a business associate.
Since you do not have
a manager currently when you are doing any type of negotiation do you deal
currently with the company now?
I deal straight with the company now but if things get a
little to deep for my understanding than I can reach back out to Dale Myers or
Wanda Carter who has dealt with many well know artist like TLC and work with LaFace Records. I also have established a lot of mutual
friends in the business and if I feel I still needed guidance I could still
reach back to them. They would be able
to offer me guidance as a friend.
What is your stage
name that you go by?
My stage name is Iron Mike 316 and an alias called the
artist formerly known as Michael Two Chicks.
The stage name Iron Mike came from when I won a freestyle battle back in
the day and everyone since then has called me Iron Mike.
If you enter into a
negotiating with your manager would you use BATNA (Best Alternative to a
Negotiated Agreement)? If so how did the negotiations turn out?
Lucky for me I have been blessed. If we were at a business meeting and a record
label offered us something I would trust his judgment because I trusted him as
a manager and a friend. I respected his
business and knew he had my best interest at heart. I looked at the other artist he had and seen
that they were not doing bad so I knew he would help me. I did not have to attend the meeting but he
would suggest I attend the meeting just in case I didn’t want to be an artist
anymore I would still have the opportunity to work in the entertainment
industry as a manager or owning a record label one day.
Creative artist are
known as being somewhat emotional about their art. How do you deal with not
having negative emotions during a negotiation deal?
I listen to what they had to say plain and simple. You listen to what they say and they listen
to what they say, but the bottom line you will come to an agreement and
hopefully it will work out for the artist.
I would be able explain why I had to have a particular word in the
song. I would have a lot of passion when
explaining myself. I have the ultimate
passion for my music. The words coming
out of my mouth and the thoughts coming from my brain are very passionate. I truly believe I have a gift. I didn’t just wake up one morning and say I
could put two words together and rhyme.
I am still very passionate about my music. I wouldn’t understand at first but after 6
month in the industry I understand that this is there business and they had to
protect their business. I felt like it
was obligation to put out something that they would want to sell.
Explain how an
unsigned artist will go to the negotiating table with more power or leverage
when negotiating terms of a contract with a new manager, record label or
distributors?
It’s plain and simple, if you want to be the biggest artist
out there. You have to create that
foundation yourself and use your tools they give you to build it. I would have to create an image of myself
that you would be able to sell. This
would have to benefit your business.
Like I said your business will benefit me and I will in turn be
successful. You have to build a strong foundation.
The beauty of music is the creation of where it comes from, so be unique and different!
Sing, write, compose and produce from your heart!
