My Experience Breaking Into the Music Industry
Over the past couple of months, I’ve had the privilege to work in one of the most prevalent and active record labels in the hip-hop community. Working on Dying Is a Philadelphia based record label who signed some of the most prevalent producers in the recent hip-hop scene, producing songs for artists, such as Drake, Lil Yachty, yeat, Lil Uzi Vert, and more. After being in the industry for a duration of time, I have not only learned but experienced a lot. I have witnessed how the industry works how communication proceeds, and how overall workflow gets done.
Being an intern for such a well-regarded company was a great privilege that I had. Some of my experiences included flying to Los Angeles for Grammy weekend to attend networking and business-related events, and being backstage and in the green room for shows in Philadelphia. Also, as you can see above, I was responsible for the completion and delivery of a number one billboard worldwide plaque. And the most important experience is being able to witness how the creative and professional process of a record gets completed.
Since being in the industry, I have developed very passionate feelings for all aspects of the work. You get to meet everyone and anyone you can think of: one day you’re with a lawyer and the next day you’re sitting next to a platinum rapper in a studio. This is something I loved about the experience – it was incredibly volatile and spontaneous, which made for an extremely exciting and refreshing job experience every day. Of course, with this, there are negatives. The music industry does not work like any other professional industry. It is 24/7 with pieces constantly moving and deals trying to be done at all times. The process of how a record gets cut, produced finished and released was one of the most organized yet chaotic events I’ve ever witnessed. Recently our label did the record “Rescue Me” by Drake, which went number one on the Billboard chart. Being part of such a prestigious experience was a blessing and an extremely exciting opportunity.
Overall I think working in the music industry is my dream. In terms of advice, I have a couple of things. One of the hardest parts about working in the music industry is just getting your foot in the door. Do anything you can, work for free, go to every event, talk to anyone you can because entering into the industry is extremely limited and finding a position worthwhile is even harder. Once you’re in the industry, don’t stop – keep your foot on the gas, continue to grow and prosper as an individual, and help build the brand or company that you are working for as well.
