Is playing the game worth it?

A question many artists ask themselves is if they should stay independent or play the music industry game.

This topic came up in a couple interviews WordPlay T. Jay listened to lately, and they gave him a clear answer to the question — no!

The first interview was with Russ, who just put out the new album CHOMP 2. Russ said he felt pitted against the industry as an independent artist who was with Warner.

he recognized the connections and ability the label had to make things happen, and he hoped to replicate those results on his own.

Russ said after investing his own money in himself, he broke through the window of the business, which has allowed him to be himself more and not be surrounded by vultures.

While the music industry is not set up for independent artists to thrive, if you are putting the same amount of work into a label as if you were independent, there’s no reason to let the label have any piece of the pie. You can do that same work and own the masters and all the rights.

Russ considered it taking out a loan on himself, which is cheaper than a loan from a label. This was his overall message — invest in yourself to succeed.

The second interview was with Reggie Gooden, who owns a management company. He said Billboard is a game, as well, and click farms can fake numbers.

To avoid all of this, he suggested to not fake it. Build a fanbase one person at a time. Connect with fans in a real way and avoid the downsides.

Through the interviews, T. Jay came up with three tips to avoid playing the music industry game.

1. Be you

Be organic and authentic and connect with your fans in a sincere way.

2. Be professional

Have your stuff together, like your image, sound and punctuality. Don’t drop the ball on anything.

3. Be patient

Success takes a long time. Labels tend to throw gas on a fire for a big, quick flame, but your goal is fan your fire and grow it into something sustainable over a longer period of time. It’s harder, but it gives more longevity.

For more on the game, check out the video below!