Negotiations and music

This month I decided to dive in head first into the world of negotiations. I had always heard horror stories of how artist had gotten the raw end of the deal by not being able to negotiate a better deal for themselves or by not being represented by someone who could actually navigate the shark infested waters of the industry and swim to the other side with a deal in their teeth. It is for this reason that many artists are never heard of or their music never breaks to the levels that it could have. Honestly we must take a look at not the talent, but actually the business acumen that accompanies the talent. In these days and times we must face the facts. Talent is really only half of the battle. The other half of the battle is having the knowledge to make informed decisions. This either means educating yourself, or hiring someone else that is well versed in the field you are breaking into. Many are not aware of the power that resides in the art of negotiations. Often it is one of the most underutilized tools for any artist. Many people that work on the business side of the entertainment industry already know that negotiating is a powerful tool and use their knowledge of it to maneuver themselves or the entities that they represent to a more favorable contract. Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with Fat Rat Da Czar, The Kingpin, and DJ turned Manger Shakeese Da Beast. We spoke on some of the core aspects of negotiations such as Leverage, Power, Appreciation, and the use of dirty tricks in the industry. It was an honor and a privilege to sit down with veterans of the music industry, capturing their opinions and outlook of negotiating.