Today's Music Biz

Although I’ve never been a real fan of Rihanna's, the uniqueness of her voice makes her superbly recognizable. I can’t help but be impressed by her level of success in the music biz. I love her life motto: “Never a Failure, Always a Lesson” So what Music Biz lessons can an upcoming artist learn from of the multi-platinum International musician, Rihanna? 1. Determination. Rihanna started a musical trio at the age of 15. She left school and moved to the US when she was 16. It took a year to record a 4-song demo to be pushed to recording companies. Jay-Z, the President of Def-Jam listened to her demo. Although hesitant at first, he had her come in and audition in front of himself and L.A. Reid. They signed her to the label the same day. 2. Be your own person; a unique influence. Rihanna has never pulled punches on being who she is, (or how she dresses) even if it causes controversy. Rihanna’s voice and music have unique influences. Her mother is Guyanese, and her Father is Barbadian and Irish. Her music has a Reggae Caribbean feel with hip hop influence, all of which is definitely part of her appeal. 3. Diversify: Set yourself up for the long haul. I’ve heard this many times in my life in regards to business. As a business person, Rihanna has used her brand to get into many markets with endorsements from Secret, J.C. Penny, Cover Girl, and Nivea. She’s also started Vita Cocoa water with Madonna. She’s founded The Believe Foundation to help kids and has performed countless benefit concerts for different causes. 4. Not everyone you involve yourself with, will be a good influence for your music business. This includes people that involve themselves with you, claiming to be there for you. The people around you can make or break you. We’ve heard a number of very successful musicians say they want to get out of the music biz. Why? It’s not because they don’t like making

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