Miami rapper Swazy Styles links up with DJ OooWee, Dej Rosegold, and Qwote for the video premiere of “Twerk 4 Me” produced by Tazz Productionz. Swazy styles has clearly been cooking up some heat in down in South Florida. This record is infectious and sure to make you shake your booty. The “Twerk 4 Me” contest is going strong on TiK ToK and amassing Swazy a ton of new followers. Watch the video and catchy up with Swazy Styles on IG: @swazystyles
Album releases are pouring in lately as we are experiencing the after effects of longterm quarantine. Clearly our favorite rappers have made good use of the time locked in the studio. Here are four picks you should be listening to right now:
Scotty ATL – Trappin Gold
It’s been almost 2 years since the release of Scotty’s $treams album and us die hard fans have been looking forward to the unveiling of Trappin Gold. Featuring massive bangers with Bun B (“Hol It Down” prod. by Cory Mo) and Ace Hood (“Own Lane” ft. Slim Diesel), Trappin Gold is a superb edition to Scotty’s album and mixtape collection. Highlights: “Virgin Oil”, “The Shop” ft. King Shy, “7 Days a Week”, “Fold dat Sack.”
Young Buck – Back on My Buck Shit III (prod. by Drum Squad)
Tennessee titans Young Buck and Drumma Boy dropped a major rap bomb with “Back On My Buck Sh*t III.” The third edition of B.O.M.B.S., which is a follow up to last week’s Vaccine project, features Drumma Boy, Sada Baby, Boosie Badazz, Berner and Tee Grizzley. Highlights: “Come Thru”, “Living”, “2 Aces”, “Check Wit It.”
Duke Deuce – Duke Nukem
Speaking of Tennessee rappers dropping bombs, Memphis heavy hitter Duke Deuce blessed us with Duke Nukem featuring Mulatto, A$AP Ferg, Young Dolph, Offset and more. If he was aiming to set the internet on fire, mission accomplished. Like the intro says, Duke is “Coming Out Hard” on the Quality Control roster. Crunk highlights: “Toot Toot”, “Kirk”, “Gangsta Party”, “Duke Skywalker”, “Fell Up In the Club.”
Sy Ari Da Kid – It’s Not You, It’s Me
Sy Ari Da Kid granted us a deep-diving look into his personal life just in time for Valentine’s Day 2021. The album premiere last month was a follow up to June’s A Toxic Heartbreak. It’s Not You, It’s Me continues the theme of roller coaster relationships and jilted lovers. The witty punchlines and satirical humor Sy is known for are prominent throughout the project as Sy makes light of stalkers and bad karma. Maybe Da Kid is just misunderstood, but his music perfectly communicates what’s it’s like being a man in pursuit of his dream. Highlights: “I Hope You See This From Your Fake Page” ft. Natra Average, “It’s Not You, It’s Me”, “For Sade”, “Before She Kills Us Both”, “Daddy Issues” ft. Trouble.
MsRivercity (@msrivercity) is a media specialist and music journalist who has worked with 2 Chainz, Quality Control, DJ Scream, DJ Drama, Lil Baby, Future, Zaytoven and many more.
MsRivercity here taking you on a walk down memory lane with some of your favorite Atlanta rap celebrities. For those that don’t know, I was an editor at OZONE Magazine and handled viral promotions for DJ Scream’s mixtapes. I got to be a fly on the wall during the making of some pretty epic moments. Praise God for the opportunities. The pandemic has given me time to go through the archives and now I present to you some of my most treasured moments caught on camera:
Playaz Circle and Ludacris (Yes, that’s Tity Boi and Dolla)
Crime Mob circa 2006. “Knuck If You Buck” was still the crunkest song in the club (still is really). Look at young Diamond & Princess!
DJ Scream circa 2006. I met DJ Scream when he was touring with Crime Mob. Scream never left the house without those white sunglasses. Heavy in the Streets!
Rocko, Future, DJ Esco and Friends at Magic City. This was a breakthrough moment for Future. The next day this party was all over the internet. (Check my throwback “Dirty Sprite” interview with Future at the end of this article.)
Hot 107.9 Hoodrich Radio show with guests Rocko, Future, 2 Chainz, DJ Drama. Shouts out to DJ Sense. DJ Scream had let go of the sunglasses by this time.
Zaytoven and Gorilla Zoe at Penthouse Studios ATL. I believe this was a private listening party for “King Kong” circa 2011
Gucci Mane and Zaytoven in the studio circa 2009. Everything Zay and Gucci made together was pure trap perfection. History.
OJ da Juiceman on the Eastside circa 2010. OJ’s first magazine article was with OZONE Magazine and I was blessed to do the cover interview. You can watch a snippet of some old footage from DBS Sounds down below.
Waka Flocka circa 2009. Waka’s “O Let’s Do It” was the hottest song in the open mic clubs on the Northside of Atlanta. We introduced him to DJ Scream and Scream cleaned up the song for the radio. Once it premiered on Hoodrich Radio it became a nationwide hit. Waka was signed to Brick Squad at the time, but he pushed everything himself and made the come up through a true independent grind.
T.I. and Tiny circa 2008. The pink Polo era.
Young Jeezy at “The Recession” album signing in 2008. (Ironically suitable for a re-post at this time.) The line to the record store was out the door and I had to fight my way to the front for this photo. One time, I snuck in the back door at a concert with Jeezy’s crew and pretended to be part of the entourage. I still have no idea how I got away with that one, but a hustling photographer will find a way to be in the right place at the right time.
That about does it for this round of photos. I’ll have more coming soon. Be sure to follow me on Instagram @MsRivercity and enter the contest to win the OJ cd. It’s packaged and ready to go. I’ll announce the winner on Throwback Thursday, March 4th, 2021 at 12pm.
Check the videos below and subscribe on Youtube.
Future – “Dirty Sprite” Interview
OJ da Juiceman Interview. Look at Ms. Deb!
Waka Flocka “Oh Let’s Do It” at Club Crucial. I was terrible with the camera shake back then, but I made it work. Look at Baby Jade cooling in the background!
Oomp Camp premieres the stunning visuals for Shonte Renee starring in “Pretty Girlz.” As the name suggests, Shonte brought out all the beautiful ladies for an old-Atlanta skating rink vibe shot at the world-famous Cascade (check out those glittery skates….LOVE). The performance energy is unmatched in the choreographed dance scenes which feature Dance Gxrl Sadie, Bobbie Myers, Kamondee Gram, Marsinah Stewart. The video was directed by Terrius Mykel.
Watch the pretty girls tear down the dance floor and shake up the skate rink below and be sure to follow the RnB Queen Shonte on IG @iamshonterenee (peep the performance footage from the Coalition DJs Anniversary party on there too — so FIRE — choreographed and styled by Leslie Davis.)
Atlanta rapper Bino Brazy says he’s activated with mojo as his songs continue to build steam in the southeast. The young gun sat down with DGB “Off the Porch” to talk about his recent album Activated and the interesting story that led him to rapping. Activated features Rylo Rodriguez, Pooh Shiesty, Bossman Jap and numerous standout solo tracks including “CPN.”
When it comes to his sound, Bino has the traditional street appeal Atlanta rap is famous for, however, his delivery and content combine for a signature style that transcends regional boundaries.
“I want everybody to feel every lyric, every verse, every hook. I just want them to know, he’s not just rapping. Most of my music is stories; I’m gonna be telling you about myself, you just gotta synch in and listen.”
Watch the full interview here where Bino gives us more insight into the making of his album.
Listen to “Activated” here
Photo by Sosovisions
Public Relations, or P.R. for short, is a complex field of mass communication which can generate millions of fans if precisely executed. The payoff can be hugely lucrative, however, P.R. is often misunderstood. Having a guide with expertise and experience can help save you tons of time, energy, and costly mistakes. Here is some insider information to help you understand the truth about music P.R.
(Be sure to check the links at the end of this article for more information.)
P.R. is a strategic form of organic communication used to share and spread information about an individual or company in order to positively influence public opinion.
It can encompass press releases to the media, scouting for interviews and articles, t.v./radio/playlist spotlights, social media strategy, word-of-mouth networking, event appearances, and image/brand consulting. The end goal is to reach a large audience quickly while increasing likeability.
P.R. is not paying for placements in magazines, posts on music websites, or boosted social followers. This typically falls under “advertising and marketing.” P.R. involves reaching out to influential people to build awareness and authentic support. Both fields are closely related, however, the methods are vastly different.
The saying goes: “Advertising is what you pay for, publicity is what you pray for.”
Paid advertising can increase the effectiveness of a P.R. campaign and it’s highly recommended to have a budget for both.
Be ready for the long haul.
P.R. campaigns are planned well in advance. Some begin up to 6-8 months prior to a release. One of the biggest mistakes artists make is waiting until after an album comes out to alert the media or hire a publicist.
The point of the campaign is to build anticipation and public support before a major release.
Think of running a music campaign like premiering a movie. How many times do we see and hear about a motion picture before it comes out? Many. The goal is to have the public ready and waiting for the big day.
In order for this to happen, the media has to be notified in time for articles and appearances to be scheduled and produced. This is called “lead time.” The lead time before a feature is published is usually much longer than most people realize.
A publicist’s success is largely dependent upon the actions of their clients. This means if the artist and team are not taking the right actions, the publicist cannot do their job. This also means a publicist’s professional reputation is dependent upon their clients’ behavior, public image, and professional growth.
For these reasons, publicists are usually selective. Many only take clients through referrals from trusted sources. It helps to do a bit of foundational networking with other industry leaders so you can get recommendations.
Hiring a publicist means more work for the artist not less. There is a misconception that hiring a publicist means sitting back while the press pours in. That isn’t exactly how it works. It is a lengthy process that requires patience and persistence.
The artist needs to be on point with their social media; an E.P.K. and other documents have to be prepared; events have to be scheduled; and numerous other behind the scenes tasks. During this period and throughout the campaign, the publicist is going to need tasks completely very quickly.
A publicist is not a personal assistant. It is wise to hire a P.A. along with a publicist to assist with the workload.
If you’re hiring an independent publicist, understand he or she is their own boss and can let any client go at any time. Most have a “no refunds” clause in their contract. It’s advised to make sure you are a right fit and can keep up with the requirements before starting any services.
An independent publicist will have other clients and priorities. Expect to have scheduled communication times in order to work efficiently.
Because P.R. isn’t something tangible with instant gratification it’s often difficult to understand what the money is going towards. As mentioned, you are not paying for the publicity itself. You are paying for a publicist’s leadership and expertise, as well as communication and associated business costs. Their skills are both technical and interpersonal, and extremely valuable.
It takes years to learn the P.R. ropes and build relationships. These relationships are unique to the publicist’s past experiences with their connections. These connections have taken lots of trial and error and time to cultivate — they’re priceless. You are not paying for the publicist to turn over their contacts’ information which is proprietary. They are hired to introduce, spread the word, offer advice, solicit support, coordinate meetings, and persuasively communicate on your behalf.
Sometimes being on a publicist’s roster can elevate an artist’s status quickly. However, there are no guarantees the public is going to like the artist’s music, or that the timing is right. Therefore, it is a risky business.
Sometimes results don’t show up until much later, so it’s important to have a clear idea on what you can afford for a long term campaign.
With the right leadership from a publicist that truly believes in you, you can greatly minimize the risk and increase your chances for the big wins.
The bigger the risk the greater the reward. This is a major reason why P.R. is so expensive.
With the right words from the right influencers, an artist can find themselves in higher places they were never able to reach on their own. This level of spotlight is where more press opportunities, higher paying gigs, and even sponsorships/investors come rolling in. It’s like a floodgate.
It doesn’t happen overnight, but when it does, the effects can be massive and extremely lucrative.
Whether you want to make millions and create a lasting legacy, or just generate enough income to keep making music, media and influencers can help you reach your goals.
Building relationships, communicating with the public, and pitching music are things anyone can do with practice. If you’re organized, good at research, genuinely like talking to people, and aren’t afraid of rejection, you can certainly create your own press releases and reach out to the media. Many managers and business-savvy musicians are excellent at securing their own press.
Get to know who’s who by following some of your favorite outlets. Reading and learning is essential if you hope for others to read and learn about your project. It’s all about reciprocation.
Before reaching out to anyone, ask yourself, “What value can I bring this person? How can I help them?”
The most important thing is the passion and energy you put into the project. If you love it, it will show.
E.P.K. stands for Electronic Press Kit. It’s a digital file folder containing all the information about an artist and their music project(s). The folder is uploaded to a hosting service such as Google Drive or Dropbox where it can be shared via a read-only link. There are also sites that specialize in hosting artist E.P.K.s.
The folder contents generally include:
These are the main ingredients a media professional needs to create and promote a story about the artist. It may also be used to shop for show bookings. The contents should be updated often to keep the E.P.K. current.
Many artists try to pass through the gates without an E.P.K. and miss out on really big opportunities. At some point an important person is going to request an E.P.K. and if the artist doesn’t have one ready, they’ll move on to someone who does.
Having an E.P.K. link you can send off quickly to V.I.P.s is the difference between a pro-level artist and an amateur. It’s best to have all your ducks in a row.
I’ll have more tips on how you can earn more press coming up soon.
Jennifer McKinnon, a.k.a. MsRivercity (@msrivercity), is an award-winning journalist, event photographer, and media specialist. She was an editor at OZONE Magazine & Florida Music Blog and has spearheaded breakthrough P.R. campaigns for Lil Baby, Future, 2 Chainz, Migos, and many more.
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