Let’s take this story back to September 28th of the insane year that is 2018. As a team, we’re all sitting back looking at “the numbers” (which if you work with us, you know happens all the time). Let’s just say shit got crazy. Yup. Shit. Got. Crazy. Ro Ransom’s remix to his track “See Me Fall” with Y2K had it’s highest streaming day on Spotify and Apple Music in the lifespan of the track. Why is that important? THE SONG IS 3 YEARS OLD! To put that in perspective, my daughter is younger than this song. Ro put out an entire new EP this year, hasn’t discussed this track since 2017, and it’s still moving. See Me Fall has never been playlisted (ever) or supported by the traditional “industry gatekeepers” we talk about in 2018.

So let’s zoom out: why does this matter to anyone outside of Ro and us? Is this just a weird flex? No. It’s proof once again that songs don’t die, they multiply. The idea of a single “not working” is not a time based thing, it’s a market based decision. I watch folks make the decision of giving up on working music based on a bias, built from a business of yesteryear (aka 4 years ago). People look at the lifespan of an album or a song, and base it on how a music purchaser would play it. Not a music streamer. A purchaser would own either the physical or MP3 version of an album, and play it until they were sick of it. At that point, the album would be interchanged with another. And another. Until all but an individual single or two stood out (unless you have the gift of a classic album). That’s completely changed in a streaming world.

Look at Ella Mai’s breakout “Boo’d Up”. The song came out in February of 2017. It started breaking on US radio a year later. The music video was released 14 months after the fact. Look at Sheck Wes’ “Mo Bamba”. The song was released in June of 2017. The video didn’t come out until 6 months later, and the record is just now hitting it’s peaks at radio. You can look the stats up for both of these on Google (if I’m wrong or missing something, please let me know). Imagine what would’ve happened if either of these artists teams lacked the patience to continue to work the song. Imagine having your breakout hit, and giving up on it without really giving it a chance.

I call this the “Day N Nite” theory. Cudi’s single leaked in December of ’07, was officially released in February of ’08, was included as the lead single on A Kid Named Cudi in July of that year, and then was on his major label debut in ’09. The Crookers remix (which many people credit as one of the tracks biggest marketing pieces) was released 6 months after the track officially debuted. The track was RIAA certified platinum a year and a half after the debut.

The internet has also made the idea of #TheDayNNiteTheory (I’m hashtagging it now) easier, because social media has created these psychographic silos for us. We all end up talking with people that like similar things, completely ignoring those that are beyond the fringes of circle. That means there’s less competition to build awareness on something. Moreover, if a small group of people like your song, you don’t get the interference from the other groups of people that don’t. AND those folks that aren’t privy to the track will only be made aware once the movement is strong enough.

The key is, you need to find your stronghold. Who are the types of people that are raising their hands on your particular song or product? Where do they like to go? What do they like to do? How do you organically intersect? That answer is what puts the #TheDayNNNightTheory into motion.

For some, 75 Million streams across the DSPs isn’t something to write a whole Medium article about. I guess we’re just built differently. When I look at an artist like Ro, and I see a record have a peak streaming day 3 years after it’s release (with no support), I’m pretty happy. Happy enough to write a whole damn article. Because I know that there’s a stronghold of folks still actively talking. That’s more than I can say about a lot of the music that gets released these days. Let’s put a pin on this one and come back to it in 2020. I’d love to see where things stand then.

I was having a conversation with the homie Matt Miggz recently about our love of podcasts. It takes me 45 minutes+ to get to work from my house every morning, and I used to only listen to music. I’ve given up on the music side (unless it’s a new release I’m excited about), and swapped in podcasts that I can learn and draw inspiration from. What I realized is most of the shit I really like isn’t a specific podcast about music. It’s more about stuff that ancillary to my life and trade, and useful to give me ideas or gems. Below are links to them w/ a brief description. NOTE: all the underlined titles below are hyperlinked.

The Vergecast

This is my #1 go to podcast, period. I listen to the new episode that drops every Friday, and now the interview episodes that pop up during the week. WARNING: this is a tech podcast, not a music one. The reason why I like it so much is because A) I learn the ins and outs of new tech, B) they talk about things like how platforms and democracy, and C) they’re just funny as fuck. Definitely a go to if you want to keep up with current events + tech news + laugh on your Friday AM train ride into the office.

Tim Ferriss

I don’t listen to this one every day, but I listen more often than not. Tim is the author of a ton of books on hacking yourself to perform better, and that’s a topic I’ve been studying a lot lately. Whether it’s talking with big entertainers, or the 80 something year old Nike execs, or the folks studying the positive effects of psychedelic drugs, it’s always got something I can learn from. The listens can go up to 2 hours+, so I suggest picking and choosing the episodes that are most interesting to you (instead of listening to each episode).

It’s The Real

Yes, I’m biased. These guys are the homies and I’ve actually been a guest on the show. I just don’t think there’s a better biography piece for guests in hip hop right now than their podcast. Because they’re funny and really good people, folks open up in a way you’re not getting anywhere else. If you’re like me and love the insider baseball talk from music biz vets, they’ve got a ton on the show. They just need to bring the food back that they were serving in the early episodes.

Kindredcast

So I don’t know much about the guy the runs this podcast, but he’s clearly a boss. I found this podcast because they interviewed Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino a while back. From there, I’ve heard podcasts with the CEO of Sotheby’s, the CEO of AMC, the guy who created Candy Crush, and most recently the CCO of Spotify. Where It’s The Real’s podcast is insider baseball for hip hop, this is insider baseball for entertainment as a whole. On a macro, you’ll pick up some game. On a micro, you’ll learn these platforms/brands strategies in the upcoming months.

The Digiday Podcast

I truly think the media business is an exact parallel of the music business, and it’s something to study. So I pay close attention to this one, because I want to learn what the heads of these media brands think. I’ve learned a lot about monetization strategy, content strategy, and brand building from this one.

Thanks for continuing to read! Hit me on some social platform and let me know if you want more of these type of “top 5 list” posts. Really interested to see what you think.

I’m sick of VIP shit! I sit back and I watch die hard fans come to events, find out about new releases, wait on new merch drops and get treated like peon’s. It’s honestly disgusting to think about. For too long, the music business has been trying to be the high fashion business. Everything is super exclusive and plays to elite folks that can talk about your product. Then the end consumer foots the whole bill. How fucked up is that?

I used to think that way was the only way to build a brand. The first time I opened my eyes was during SXSW a few years back at the Illmore. At the time I went, it was a party at a private mansion, held after all the festivities of SXSW was supposed to be done. Party on the yard and first floor, and concert on the 2nd. The thing that made that party an eye opener was the vibe. It’s something I’ve wished was recreated for years.

Yes it was semi exclusive to get in, but the space was large enough to fit hundreds. If you weren’t a VIP, you just had to go pick up your band during the day. And VIP really only meant that you had a band held for you. There was a VIP, but the fun was with the people. In reality, EVERYONE in there was a VIP. If you were just a music fan, or if you were Kendrick Lamar. Fucking Waka Flocka decided to bartend one night. THATS and incredible experience. Everyone left feeling great, and no one was wishing they had more access.

And BTW, these VIPs are trash in general. If it’s at a show or club, it’s just a small little area where the drinks may or may not be free. If it’s a whole VIP event, half the time the “experience” is wack as fuck. There’s absolutely no reason for a die hard fan to feel like they’re not included in an elevated experience unless they pay for it. But for some reason, our business puts an emphasis on it. It’s sad.

I get the idea of friends and family needing a place. I get the idea that there are certain events that are targeted to press and partners. I get that an exclusive press look/premiere might help you get bigger look down the road. But that SHOULD NEVER come at the expense of your fans. Don’t sit there and pander to folks that do nothing for you but have an audience that “may help”, and raise the price tag on the people that actually put money in your pocket.

This isn’t just an artist thing, I’m watching brands do this all the time. Everyone is trying to be Supreme, I guess. I love Supreme, but I don’t want to be Supreme. I want to be Disney. Disney treats everyone like a VIP… and that’s how Disney can buy 21st Century Fox. The big money is always in treating your fans right.

The headline comes from a tweet that Gary wrote above, and I really found it interesting. He called it “the take the next step in your life gameplan”. It’s funny, because most of my career was all defense. Albums dropping last minute, and you’re hustling to get drivers out the door in time. A partner backed out of a big thing you wanted to do, and now you need to figure out a new one within a day. A label head hates the MKTG plan that’s been in play for months, so now you gotta switch everything up on the Monday before the album drops. It’s all being reactive (ie defensive).

It’s funny, because in my travels of working with different labels I think it’s clear the old saying of “defense wins championships” holds true… but not all the way. The over bloated pre-release plans where every t is crossed/i is dotted leading to an overspend upfront, and no info about how your artists fans react, is a waste. Don’t get me wrong, you want to have your shit together. But there are so many folks in this game that stick around, worried about not fucking up. Making sure that when something drops, everything goes perfect. They fall into this trap of being defensive all day.

I think people in our line of work are scared to sit and wait in the unknown. Scared of keeping a drumbeat, but holding firm until there’s a real reason to attack. Want to know why Atlantic continues to eat everyone’s lunch? Because that’s how they’re built. You make sure your shit is together as best you can, you get back on offense, and when you see something, you go big. Anywhere I went post Atlantic, people were shocked at how quick BIG activations were turned around. Why are marketers and promotions people so scared of the term “rush” now? And why does “rush” mean “can’t get the job done” any more? I totally understand if you’re someone on the admin front, but that’s a strictly defensive position. If your job is to promote this shit, why are people so scared of the 2 minute warning?

It’s probably a top down thing. People want to keep up the appearance of success to their bosses, so they set expectations accordingly. Fuck that shit. The people who I’ve witnessed really win big in this game understand all three sides of it. It’s the balance of it all that’s always frustrated me. That’s where this tweet really helps. Now that I’m no longer just thinking about “digital marketing”, there are a lot of other things I need to focus on. If I wasn’t deploying some type of strategy like this, I’d probably spend the entire day and night covering my bases (Now I’m making baseball references? What the fuck is wrong with me?). With this new way of thinking, I’m already seeing improvement in my focus, and organization. PLUS it helps me get my shit together.

At the end of the day, half of this is me venting. Half of this, is me explaining where I’m seeing improvements that can be made. I’m just sick of low expectations, and this big fear around getting aggressive in the last minute. I feel like I’ve done some of my best work when my back is against the wall, and some of the worst when I spent all day focusing on minutia. I also don’t have a ton of respect for those that are so worried about how only the defensive side of things plays out, that their offense is lazy. I mean… did you really get in the music business to make sure your email paper trail was strong?

FYI — The next thing I’m going to try throwing into the mix is using my schedule like a to do list. Setting aside time, not just for meetings, but to get shit done. I’m not usually the best at keeping a regiment like this, but I really find it fun testing new stuff out like this. If you want to know how that works out for me, hit me on Twitter and ask. Also, hit me if you’re trying this system out as well. Definitely want to know if you’re getting anything extra out of it.

It’s been a few months since my last check in. How’s life? How’s the significant other and the kids? How’ve I been doing? Oh, great! Well, great isn’t necessarily the word that defines it. I’d moreso say, I’m happy but nervous. Starting something from the ground up gives you this freeing feeling that you can call your shots, and see plans through your way. For me, there’s nothing better. It beats the hell out of playing politics to try and get your ideas across. But with that, comes the anxiety of knowing that I could fuck up my entire life at any moment.

I mean, I’m not scared of failure. I’m not religious or anything, but I’m a believer that everything ends up ok in the end. I also learned that everything except death is reversible. Folks like Chris Sacca are idols to me. He was millions in debt, and finessed his way into being a multi-billionaire venture capital investor. But I’m not there yet, so it’s hard not to look at the word and feel stressed out from time to time.

The base of it for me comes from this weird feeling of FOMO, when it comes to work. The idea that I’m not working 24/7 right now has me feeling like anxious as fuck. Sometimes I feel like I need to be doing stuff, and have no clue what to do. It’s so real, that I’m typing this on Saturday or labor day weekend, after working since 7a EST. Where does this come from? No clue. Probably societies pressure on work, or some deep seeded bullshit. I couldn’t tell you, but it’s there.

It’s actually been there since I was in college. I used to sit at home and comb through the contacts on different blogs, and of promoters attached to records on Digiwaxx. I’d email everyone at random, offering my services as an intern. the entire time, it was suffocating. Years later, I felt that way when working at HotNewHipHop. I wanted to do so much more than I was allowed to, and I spent hours stressing myself out. My friend Benner used to joke that I’d call him once a month with my bullshit. After that, I was nervous about missing out on growing within a large company (see the hate for politics in paragraph one). Now, it’s all about missing out on growing a small company to a large one.

Anxiety has always been a fuel for me. A way to get up and go. Instead of sitting with it, I let it stress me out and drive me to get something done. Having studied anxiety a bit, it’s not actually the healthiest way to deal with it. See, anxiety has both a mental and physical reaction. You start by making some shit up in your head, and then it cycles to real physical symptoms that legitimize your fears, and then it cycles back to your brain, and down the rabbit hole you go. The idea of feeding into my anxiety to motivate me, is me just going down the rabbit hole. BUT it’s worked for me up until this point.

So here I am, on a Saturday, on a holiday weekend, shooting off emails and notes to people that won’t reply to me till Tuesday. The pressure is on to get some real wins on the board. Same Plate needs to break artists, differentiate ourselves amongst the pack, and build a real brand in the same time. I’m focused. I’m determined. I’m motivated and hyped. I’m just anxious as hell along with it. One day, when I’m old and grey, I’ll have hopefully set myself up to feel less “life or death” about things. Until then, I’ll be here getting to work.

(NOTE: With everything said here, if you feel anxious about something and wanna break, I’m here for you. Just hit me on some type of way that you have contact with me.)

Its been a while since I posted, huh? Let me catch you up. 2017 ended in a crazy way. My good friend and former employer Jonathan Master was offered an opportunity to start a new label at Sony Music. In turn, he offered me the opportunity to help launch the thing as the Vice President of Operations. I put my two weeks in at Republic, celebrated the holiday, and then was off to the races in January. Same Plate Entertainment.

It’s funny when you start something new, because everyone comes in with different visions of what they want this non-built thing to become. For Jon, it’s all about family. Removing the bullshit politics and red tape and ego, to focus on working with artists as partners. When he told me about that, I loved the idea. I hate politics. They drive me fucking crazy. People who spend their lives covering their tracks on emails and kissing up to the right folks will never have my respect. I want to work with people that know things go wrong, but quickly own it and focus on getting the job done. That’s how families should operate.

For me personally, this is also a show and prove moment. I’m no longer just the “digital guy”. I can no longer rely on a roster of names that aren’t my own to open doors. I’d be lying if I told you that some people haven’t immediately acted differently to me since we started this up. It’s the name of the game, and I don’t take any offense to it. But that’s what happens when you want to stand out on your own. You have to start from scratch.

Starting from scratch these past few months have been fun as fuck though. We’ve partnered with a bunch of great artists, hired an incredible staff, created all our label brand materials, shot our own original content, built some unique partnerships with companies like Delmondo, and STARTED DROPPING MUSIC. Some folks thought it would take us a year to put out 1 project from 1 artist. We’ve already got 7 artists partnered with us, and 5 projects slated before year’s end.

The best part is that we’re tasked by our partners at Sony with challenging the old way of doing things every day, and we’re actually making progress in the short time we’ve had. We’re cutting through red tape everyday to help artists be able to create and innovate, and receive the right type of support from the label they choose to partner with. The major label minutiae might be annoying to you, so I’ll let our vlog series explain that (everyone please subscribe).

For now, I’m going to use my Medium like a journal of sorts. I’ll update all of you who give a fuck as regularly as possible on both the inner workings (wins and losses) of what’s happening behind the scenes at SPE, my thoughts on business/life, and anything else that comes to mind. To those that care, I really appreciate it. To those clicking on this because they just heard about me, hi (imagine me saying that with a huge fake grin and awkward hand wave like I’m 5). Again, please take a second to follow us on whatever social platform you use most. All of the links can be found at our website link below. I’m really looking forward to continuing on this process of building this brand, hopefully those of you who read this will keep watching with us.

Same Plate Entertainment: https://www.sameplate.co/

This isn’t going to be a long read. I’ve been purposely not posting, gearing up to let you know what this outlet will become. I’ll probably let you know in a month or two. That said, I keep seeing people reading and sharing my old stuff. I just wanted to make a post to thank anyone that’s been finding my stuff and reading through. PLEASE hit me on social or my Superphone if you fuck with anything on here.

Speaking of my Superphone, BIG thank you to every one of you on there hitting me. Please bear (sidebar: is it bear or bare) with me in regards to reply. I’m trying to get to texts as I can. You will be answered for sure. To everyone else that knows me or just fucks with me passively, I appreciate it.

Thanks!

Alex

The start of 2017 for me was a weird one. I just had a kid, I was saving up for a wedding ring, and I was trying to stand out at Atlantic Records to get more money (cause both of those aren’t cheap). The last two projects that really mattered to me over there were PNB Rock and Kodak Black. Both, because they were opportunities for me to step out of the traditional box that “digital marketing” is put in. I was able to take on a bigger role and help the team on a bigger level. It was a taste of something that I knew I wanted more of.

Of course, that lead to other opportunities. I knew that I probably wasn’t the best fit for what Atlantic wanted for my position. They wanted a traditional digital marketer, and I wanted to expand that quickly. After a few weeks of thinking about things, I somehow found myself in the running for this amazing job at Republic Records. Better yet, after a few months of sweating it out, I got the job! Digital Marketing Director! Why was it so different and amazing? Because it was a challenge to come in with fresh ideas, and help make shifts in ways of thinking. Jim Roppo (EVP, GM of Republic Records) told me on my first day to “challenge everything” and not to accept the old ways of thinking as the right ways. Not only did he say that, but he backed it up time and time again with action.

This isn’t an article about what went wrong at Republic, cause nothing did. I loved everyone there. Jim Roppo and Aaron Bogucki (my former boss) are some of the best leaders a person could ask for. They focused on nurturing their employees and making sure the wins were on the board (not complaining about stat lines). Over my time at Republic, I really looked up to Avery Lipman as well. He was the leader that I wanted to be. Someone who didn’t sit in the corner office all day, but instead got in the weeds. He wanted to see the small artists grow, not pander to the big projects in the wings. Up until a few weeks ago, I honestly saw me sticking it out at UMG for the long haul.

This is an article about self awareness. I was given an offer I couldn’t refuse, and I don’t think anyone else would in my position. But it wasn’t an easy choice. I was only at Republic for a total of 5 months, and I had already felt like I could make an impact. Was leaving this soon a good idea for my career? Was leaving the safety net of working with the biggest artists in the world to a start up a good idea? Was I fully ready to bet on myself instead of myself + a large label brand backing me?

Obviously the answer to all of those questions (in my opinion) were a yes. Money is great, but I want to leave a legacy in this business that’s large. I don’t just want to work the cool projects, but I want to make a fundamental difference in the way that our business functions. I remember an interview from years back where Jimmy Iovine said his goal is to “move the needle on the record of life” or some shit like that. That stuck with me. And when I sit back, and realize what really motivates me, I realized that this was the best position for that.

I really wish that people took that long look in the mirror, the way I did. Doing that over and over has been the one thing that’s helped me grow in life. Addressing my own problems, thinking of things from all perspectives, owning up to my faults/fears, and finding what I really want in real time. Doing that has helped me get as far as I’ve gotten, and helped me feel good about everything during the process. I’m not where I want to be yet, but I’m damn sure closer than I’ve ever been before. Hopefully the people around me that may feel left behind or angry by my decision making will read this and understand me a little bit.

As far as my plans, they’ll remain a secret for now. Certain people are being made aware out of necessity, but everyone that fucks with me will know soon enough (yes, if you read this you fuck with me). For now, thank you to everyone at Republic Records. Monte, Avery, Charlie, Roppo, Aaron, Julie, Tim, Kabar, Laura, Marleny, Katina, Donna, Danny, Nigil, and everyone else that worked with me and gave me an opportunity. It feels like I’m leaving with a lot of unfinished business, and I’m sorry for leaving a ton of work on your plate. Just know that I really appreciated everyone on the team. Furthermore, thank you to anyone that has helped me get to whatever point in life you think I’m at. Whether you think I’m doing good, or that I’m trash, I appreciate any help you’ve given me along the way.

(For those that want to hear more about me in any way, I did a great podcast with ItsTheReal. Definitely the realest interview within the few interviews I’ve ever done: https://soundcloud.com/awasteoftime/165-digital-marketing-executive-alex-ciccimarro)

During my time at Atlantic Records, the Gucci Mane projects were always the most intensive. Over the year and change that I had to be assigned to Team Gucci, I (along with the homie Justin Grant) helped release 4 albums (a 5th if you include his last album that came out after I left) and two mixtapes. After we dropped East Atlanta Santa, I remember hopping on a call with Marsha St. Hubert (the best marketer in music) having come to a realization. We can’t keep “gearing up and gearing down” based on album cycle. Little did I know that this one project would shape my entire mentality towards the music biz in today’s day and age.

On that call, I suggested that we meet once a month with the core team to ask ourselves “what can we do with Gucci this month?”. He was going to keep putting music out non-stop, why should we keep gearing down on one album and gear up on the next? Why not just focus on the brand itself and let the music do what it does? Really simple and rough idea at the time, but it stuck with me.

Over the past year, I really sat with this. I understand that album cycles are the current structure of our business deals, but it’s not a realistic way to look at attacking the marketplace. The biggest beast to feed isn’t an album cycle, it’s the news cycle, and that’s on 24/7/365. In order for an artist to compete, they release multiple projects a year, loose singles monthly/weekly, tour non stop, update their socials multiple times a day, etc. If you’re not active, you’ll disappear from the news feed. If you’re not seen on the feed, you’re officially on the back burner of the consumers mind.

BTW this doesn’t mean you need to be the cheesy, cookie cutter artist that’s always out here. I’m all for creating mystery by not diluting your brand and only giving people the A1 shit as an artist. To do that though, you need to create the conversation around you. That’s where media publications, social media, UGC, etc. all come into play. It’s a harder game to play, but as long as you’re in that news cycle, you’re golden.

In 2018, I’m banishing the term “album cycle”. We’re always in cycle, and anyone on my team will be approaching things in the same fashion. I’m challenging anyone in the business to approach things the same way. Stick in with your artists 24/7, and let the music come as it needs to. I’m also challenging the A&Rs and lawyers of the world to come up with a new standard for how our artist partnerships need to be created. We can’t keep telling artists mixtapes and/or singles don’t count against the deal because it’s not an album cycle. I totally understand the thought process of why this happens, but it’s based on an old model of structuring record deals. Please my friends that read this stuff I write, it’s time to change shit up.

Following my timeline on Twitter is usually a pretty good indicator of which artists I’m super excited about in the moment. Most of the time, they are projects that I’m not working. I actually don’t like to listen to music I work on a lot, so I can give an unbiased opinion on shit. But right now one of my projects has consumed my thought process. I am 100% all in on Big Shaq “Mans Not Hot” right now. When I found out I may have the opportunity to help on this project, I was fucking amped. It’s a no pressure thing. The song is based off a sketch, the artist is actually just a comedian, and the goals were up to me to decide.

A lot of people thought I was crazy when I said that we need to move fast. I love the gatekeepers in this business, because they are a sign of checks and balances. It’s their job to fully decipher what’s out here and figure out what deserves to level up. A lot of people in this business only focusing on what will impress them, and that’s where they fuck up. Luckily, the President of our company not only agreed, but pushed to drive this full force.

By the time the project had gotten in our hands, the viral moment was already moving. The first thing I did was compile 2 hours worth of memes that were created using the gunshot sounds along (just to give you an idea of where we were at with the project). My thought process was simple: we can’t chase a record, we have to chase dope content. What I meant by that is going to radio or pitching retail in the moment seemed like a fools game. We needed to create enough awareness that the gatekeepers came to us. One music video and an NY trip worth of great shit and here we are now.

I think a lot of times people lose focus on how valuable good content is. There is definitely a monetary part to it, but a good clip can elevate your entire business to another level. Yes, getting playlists and radio spins and influencer chatter helps. But a truly great piece of content cuts through all of that. If you’re able to layer a few of them together, you can create a real moment for an artist where everything sticks. Even if that artist is just a comedian playing a character, and the song is just a sketch turned into a viral moment.

At the time of writing this, Big Shaq’s “Mans Not Hot” is #85 on Spotify’s Global 200 chart, cracked the iTunes Top 200 chart, has an official video with over 22 Million plays in a weeks time, had an interview with Genius crack the Top 20 Trending videos on YouTube for two days in a row, and he’s currently in a back and forth beef with Shaquille O’Neil. ALL of that stems from Michael Dapaah aka Big Shaq’s ability to create great content.