Little over a year after I wrote Chapter Two, I find myself at the end of another story about to embark on a new journey.

This time it’s quite a big transition I am facing and I will be heading on a whole new adventure.

A Dream

Remind yourself. Nobody built like you, you design yourself.

Not so long ago I was an enthusiastic musician with aspirations of dominating the music industry as a world renowned DJ/Producer. My DJ career however took a nose dive when I attended Music Academy and I couldn’t afford to buy a home computer, so I sold my DJ setup to fund my first mac. What I would soon realise, is that I made the wrong decision, as I was a damn good UK Garage DJ (If you remember Upfront 99.3FM you’ll smile at the good old days).

At University, I understood quickly the importance for networks. Universities are made up of hundreds of small groups of networks and generally the people who can operate in and out of multiple networks are considered the most powerful students; as they can influence the most people.

Ignorant Shit

Having opened my eyes to the possibilities in student business and then setting up my own ventures at University, I quickly changed my direction from being a creative musician to acting in the business side of the entertainment scene. It wasn’t long after finishing my higher education I realised that being just another enterprising student with ambition wasn’t gonna cut it.

I graduated from University with a 2:2 in July 2009. My tutors were proud that I had even achieved that, albeit suprised, because honestly, I never showed signs of passing the course.

Real As It Gets

I’m not afraid of dying. I’m afraid of not trying.

I don’t come from money, I live with my mum who raised three kids on benefits, two of which have their own families now and are successful in their own right. My vision is and has always been to become successful so that my mum doesn’t have to worry any more. However, money has NEVER been my motivation.

After speaking with an array of extremely successful individuals over the years, I found that they all sing from the same hymn sheet in terms of seeking fulfilment. Everyone wants to change the world in their own way, and no matter how much money they make, they generally always crave for more, because finding self fulfilment in money is not possible.

Legacy is what it’s all really about. Making an impact that you leave a positive dent that lives on long after you have vacated the scene. This is what entrepreneurs really crave. It’s the feeling that you have built something unique and there is an underlying need for it, a desire from a mass market for what you offer that gives their lives added value. That’s the art of fulfilment.

Can’t Knock The Hustle

I’m a hustler homey, you a customer crony. Got some dirt on my shoulder, could you brush it off for me?

I’ve never had to prove anything to anyone, but always felt like I had to. When the closest people in your life think you’re gonna be a fuck up like the rest of the council estate you live on, it doesn’t do much for the inner self esteem.

I have always tried to help those around me and even with the Industry Spotlight series I did. I documented the stories of 14 great individuals with an attempt to find out more about my network, my audience and myself. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be but I enjoyed seeing the engagement between those I had interviewed and others find inspiration from someone else’s journey.

I taught myself the skills that make me who I am and I am proud that I have ability in a variety of areas.

I learned my craft by staying on the edge of the latest news, researching the key influencers in the industry and surrounding myself with multiple networks of successful people.

I have excelled in what is considered to be a short period of time. I’m not one to frequently shout about achievements in the the social space, but when I do, I make sure it’s loud and clear, so everyone knows.

Onto The Next One…

Baby i’m a boss, i dunno what they do,
I don’t get dropped, I dropped the label,
World can’t hold me, too much ambition,
Always knew it’d be like this when I was in the kitchen

So here I am; climbing the layer cake of shit on my path to fulfilment and where last time I was announcing the start of a new opportunity with a global brand, this time I’m crossing paths to the other side of the fence.

I Made It

He who does not feel me is not real to me. Therefore he doesn’t exist. So poof… vamoose son of a bitch.

I leave this global Football Club to become Chief Digital Officer at a Central London marketing agency (sure you’ll all find out which soon enough). A board level position with all the trimmings and I’m sticking my middle finger up at anyone that ever doubted.

It’s a chance for me to really see what I am capable of, because honestly, I have no idea. I have developed products, hit targets and built winning strategies for the companies I have worked with and it now looks like my time has come to step up to the challenge.

If I flop, then fuck it. It’s all part of the adventure anyway but I go into each venture prepared for anything that gets thrown at me and what I don’t know, I quickly learn.

Outro

And I cant help the poor if I’m one of them
so I got rich and gave back to me thats the win/win..

No, this isn’t where I build my legacy, but I believe I am growing. I have my long term vision and I know I can’t contribute to society in the volume I would like to, but with every step up the ladder I take, I know I am that little bit closer to making a significant impact.

The world that I am changing, is my world. Once I’ve conquered that, I’ll get to the rest of you.

Damn it’s good to finally have my server sorted and the site running smooth again. Felt paralysed lately, not being able to post at all. But fingers crossed; it’s all working now.

Anyway, enough jibba jabba, cut the waffle and it’s time for another inspirational spotlight interview.

If you are into your Urban music whether it be Hip Hop, R&B or Grime, then I expect you will spend a lot of time on music blogs getting your fix for the latest news and free downloads. In late 2008 when I first started my quest for internet domination, I created an Urban Music blog. (Yep it’s still alive, but very much dormant; like a volcano I guess, who knows if it will erupt again).

Urban Music bloggers; like other journalists, compete for exclusives, rush to post headlines and love a free pair of VIP concert tickets. There are plenty of music bloggers; yet few are able to capture the essence of blogging and create a reputation that spans worldwide. Enter www.teamsuprememusic.com, in my opinion the most authentic and dedicated of the independent UK Urban blogs.

Founded by Lee Partridge, a young lad from just outside London; Lee says:

Team Supreme is all about the music; sharing the latest news, reviews and downloads and nurturing the local talent to give them a platform to grow.

On that note, I’ll let Lee fill you in on how he got into blogging and where he hopes it will take him.

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Lee, 20 years old, and I co-own and run the UK urban blog music site www.teamsuprememusic.com alongside 3 other like-minded people.

How did you get into this industry?

Music has always been a big love of mine, but I never had any musical talent at all. With my friends from school, we always listened to indie music (which I still love to this day), but I always had that love for the more urban side. By starting the site along with Louis Gibzen, it was just a place for me to write about hip-hop, something I couldn’t do before. In all honestly the website started out as a hobby for me, and still is, but in the not too distant future I plan to expand and capitilize in it, bringing me more into the industry.

Was this how you had planned things to go or are you capitalising on opportunities and simply rolling with it?

A mixture really. Don’t be fooled into thinking blogging is easy, it takes a lot of time and hard work. With the way the internet moves these days, it’s like a 24 hour, 7 days a week job. So with that in mind, I’m impressed on how quickly we rised into being a pretty successful and well known blog. Things are at a bit of a standstill at the moment however due to many reasons. We have lots of plans to expand on our site, but lack the money/ability to do so right now.

Aside from that, we need to expand more into the actual music industry. The labels are slowly starting to recognize us. A lot of things are kept in a tight circle with industry the folks/DJ’s/journalists. Even many of the UK bloggers (with no disrespect to them) started either in the industry or as a journalist, whereas someone like me started out with blogging. I’m not prepared for the UK industry to remain in this state of mind; simply rolling with it is not an option for me.

We’re in a new era where anyone can create opportunities for themselves. Do you agree?

Yes, all you have to do is look at the internet and us guys at TS for an example. One day we decided to start a blog, went on wordpress and the rest is history. I’d definitely say it’s created many opportunites for me, chances to meet people I wouldn’t of otherwise, see artists perform etc. It opened my eyes to a different world really. However, sometimes it doesn’t matter what you do, others need to help create these opporunities if you’ve put the ground work in.

Go to America and their panel would be nothing but bloggers. Although I agree that you should never give up, keep working hard constantly, make your own luck and all of that, sometimes you need that extra push from someone else. Another great example is Lil’ B. As an artist he is awful, but he utilizes the internet so well, he’s quickly becoming a huge artist, and the opportunities he creates for himself are incredible.

Would you rather have 100,000 twitter followers to market to or an extra £10,000?

I’d normally answer twitter followers, however at this current time I’d take the £10,000 so that I can bring all my plans for TeamSupreme to life. Part of the money would also be used to market, bringing the extra twitter followers anyway.

What one thing can you not live without?

West Ham United. I’ll say no more and await an editor’s note for this bit!

Author’s note: Slightly regretting doing this spotlight on Lee after that comment.

If you wasn’t in this field, what would you be doing?

Probably something to do with sports science and exercise, as that’s what I studied at college. Got bored of it though.

With so many talkers and gamers out there claiming to be experts and influencers. Do you consider yourself a smooth talker, a real talker or a don’t talk to me i’m not a talker?

I like to think I talk a lot of sense. Although I won’t randomly start critising someone or something for no reason, if something needs to be said, you damn right I’ll say it. I don’t expect to be at the top of the music game, but I won’t let anyone stand in my way of me or our site progressing. The answers above might show this a bit!

Name three people who have inspired you in your life.

Special mention: Luca! And not just because I’ve read the previous installements of this series lol. He’s always been very helpful since I first started talking to him whether it be plans for TS, plans for me personally or whatever.

If you were a superhero, who would you be?

Hancock? Is there anything he can’t do? To be honest I just wanted to say something other people are unlikely to, ha.

Author’s note: Good answer son!

What does the future have in store for you?

Hopefully a lot of success, and eventually a job more within the music industry rather than just blogging.

And finally, if you could give one piece of advice to young creative minds, what would it be?

Just be yourself, remain humble and don’t let anyone tell you what to do. And the most important thing; music is meant to be fun… SO HAVE SOME DAMN FUN!

Team Supreme are also on Twitter where you can get instant updates on the latest Urban Music and of course that link again to the Team Supreme blog.

Get to know Lee further by following him on Twitter (expect mood swings dependent on West Ham’s latest result) and you can check out his personal blog entitled ’9am in London’ also.

The topic of relying on people is a general discussion and it amazes me how the consensus is that you have to rely on people in life. But do you really?

To be perfectly honest, i find Bruce Wayne/Batman to be much more of a role model when it comes to proving that with determination, self belief and being proactive, you can achieve without having to rely on anyone else.

It was a quote within ‘Batman Begins’ that really made me think that dismiss the obvious fictional creation; Batman and Bruce Wayne stand for a whole lot more.

“It’s not who i am underneath, but what i do that defines me.”

With this in mind, i wrote a post about relying on people, and whether it is within yourself or others that defines what you stand for. Cos Who Can We ‘Rely On’ Really?

The Government? Please…

At the time of writing this, the General Election is the main topic taking over the minds of the general public, and while i did not vote, i won’t comment on the current situation.

But why i chose not to vote points back to the title of this post and it is simple.
I do not rely on the Government, i do not believe their sales pitches and to be honest my mum talks about it more than enough for me to spend my time watching the news or reading about it.

Should i pay more attention to the Government and their policies? Maybe. But give them one chance to let you down and you’ll be forever cursing them so i’ll leave you to decide if politics has much of a point and whether your vote/voice/opinion actually makes a difference.

Don’t Sell Yourself For Cheap

It’s the same with everything in life. Leave your fate in someone else’s hands and its like being put on eBay at a starting price of 99p. The risk is always there and you could get sold short.

Take control of your decisions and have 100% belief in yourself over anything else and you will find that you are less likely to face a problem. Simple outlook right? Kinda…

But at some point you will reach a stage where you may need to rely on someone to get you to the next step. Whether it may be a contact to introduce you to someone, looking for work and relying on either the recruiter or the employer to believe in you or even maybe just waiting for someone to arrive before you can crack on.

Bruce Wayne Gets It!

Relying on people is just a part of life and where you will always face rejection in one way or another, you overcome it by knowing where you are heading and having enough belief in yourself to just brush aside any doubts.

The message i portray on this site has always been and will continue to be that to succeed, you must rely on yourself.
You must rely on your own knowledge, power, experience and resources.

You must be self-determining like Bruce Wayne! No, I’m not saying to hibernate into a cave but i suppose if you had Bruce Wayne money things would be different. I’m saying be resourceful, be appreciative of life and be proactive.

Know that there is no absolute security in anything, and push the boundaries without relying on anyone!

That being the case, get in the thick of it and fight! Create the life you would choose to have, and whether you achieve it exactly or not, just an effort is noble. Failure is not an option!

I Am Batman

What is so significant about a comic book film that simplifies determination and discipline, is that regardless of who you are, you will be judged. It is your actions; it is my actions that will tell the final story.

With this in mind, i have put myself in the position i am in and my future relies 100% on the decisions i make and the opportunities i present myself.

For example, while i created this blog to assist and help people with easy-read articles about development, it is also my personal platform to leverage me to the next step. I rely on my determination to stay active, current and informative with articles and entertaining pieces.

Bare in mind, i am no journalist and it is not in my general skill set to write articles or stories; so ask yourself why you think that i do this and maybe you can figure out what it is that you really want to achieve and also how you will go about reaching that goal.

I am Batman and Bruce Wayne together, minus the bad ass suit and the millions, i have the discipline and the determination to overcome any hurdle that may stand in my way.

Final Thought

Rely on yourself, be proactive and don’t leave your career, your future, your life in anyone’s hands but your own!

Music Makes the Blogs Go Round

“My life is deep, everyday’s like constant grief, And all I wanna do is breathe, so I choose to rely on me, I’ll never let me down.” @TinchyStryder

Tinchy Stryder – Rely On Me
Tinchy Stryder – Rely On Me (Prod. By Dirty Danger)

But why is Twitter so important to the marketing campaign of an artist?

Are the artists that are not utilising Twitter to it’s full capacity missing out?

Are they jeopardizing their career also?

I read a blog post recently written by DJ Semtex. He touched on some key points that Musicians and Artists should follow if they are serious about a career in this industry and the post picked up some interesting comments from both sides of the spectrum.

I then decided to investigate into 10 Reasons Why Musicians and Artists Must use Twitter.

We have all heard cliche terms like “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” right?
Well i say “it’s not what you know and who you know, it’s what you do with what you know and who you know.”

With Twitter you actually have the opportunity to understand how a person’s mind thinks, by the way they construct their short messages. You can witness their daily activities and you have the ability to network with them if you can work out what makes them tick. It’s all about knowing how to Influence the Influencer…

As Andrew Davis of The Worst Kept Secret states, “They say a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Well, the way to a DJ’s turntable is through his ego.”

What’s the point of being in this industry if you’re not going to interact with your fan base?

Your fans are your market and will make or break your career. So many artists make basic fundamental errors by failing to engage with their market and thus are disconnected. If you make the effort to be at one with your fans, they will embrace you like you are the most popular person at school.

Since the rise of Social Media over the last few years, the platform for you to go from zero to hero with the expense of minimal finances has been getting bigger and bigger. But it appears, the more resources available, the more complicated people make life for themselves.

Twitter keeps it simple; hashtag # your regular tweets to associate trends and focus on utilising your core followers to retweet for you. Heard about the 80/20 rule?
No. Click here.

140 Characters to write isn’t a lot of effort and with modern technology, we have Twitter and every other networking capability in the palm of our hands.
So use it your advantage. Once you have your target market on your side, the rest is history.

The days of watching the news, listening to radio and reading newspapers for daily updates are long behind us. Twitter is now the forefront of daily gossip and headlines; by following the people who are always up to date on their gossip and by paying attention to the trending topics you will always be on top of your game.

Yes it’s no hidden mystery that Google records all of your tweets. Scary? Slightly.

We know the Internet is one huge archive of your life that will NEVER get deleted. Anything you say on Twitter can be found in Google so be careful if you don’t want your life story brought to you in ten years.

Unfortunately when you use sites like Bit.Ly or Tiny URL for your links; Google can’t find them.

Yeah Twitter is a Social Networking site mainly used for networking and communication; but as a traffic source it can supply a large proportion of the links to any website.

By using tracking sites like Google Analytics linked directly to your home page or self-hosted blog, you can clearly monitor where your traffic is coming from and what keywords work and don’t. Use this to your advantage and tweet hot content, blog posts, videos, links and your homepage regularly.

The Internet is the gateway to personal branding, giving you the ability to qualify yourself to your market as whatever you want them to view you as. Check out this post i wrote with tips on ‘building a personal brand using social media.’

Start by capturing your perfect Twitter Handle (name). If you can’t find your perfect name try this site Tweexchange where you can buy names that are currently taken.

Then work out how to brand your Twitter Page for your followers. Both Twitpaper and Twitterimage can help with that.

Make your bio clear, precise and link to your BEST website, NOT your Facebook page. (Rookie error!)

How can you expect a Record Label or Company to take you and your music seriously, if you don’t?

Check out a post Mashable wrote on Twitter branding for further reference.

Both fundamentals 8 and 9 are about using the very strong Twitter Search Engine http://search.twitter.com. If you don’t use this, get using it. The advanced search options allow you to search for keywords and phrases, all in real time!

Meaning when you post a link, question or topic, you can monitor exactly who is responding and what they are saying. Try it out and type a few words that you want to search for. It is a VERY POWERFUL TOOL!

Remember those days when you would wish you could know what everyone thinks about you?

Well the Twitter Search Engine option gives you that sixth sense. Take the time to search for keywords about you, your brand and your market. Knowledge is power!

Like Google, where asking the right question will give you the right answer, Twitter works very similar, but you have to ask the questions your fan-base want to hear. Give them the option to have the engagement for further conversation and play to their mindset.

You want to get them talking so use your head. If you ask the right questions and give comprehensive answers you will very quickly become a popular trend for interaction.

Also catch me on Twitter.com/iAmLuca and if you like the content you read on my site, you can subscribe via RSS Feed or via Email.

As always this is my personal blog and is meant for light entertainment reading and not be quoted or used in professional practice. See my disclaimer if you have any issues.

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