Not too long ago, we spoke to Bama Hip Hop's owner, Ali Shabazz. Read on to find out how he feels and what he had to say about the state of hip-hop in Alabama.
What do you think about Alabama's hip-hop industry?
WE GOT ISSUES
So, what problems does Ali have with Alabama's hip-hop artists?
Read on to find out...
KNOW NOTHING
Probably Ali's biggest issue with Alabama's hip-hop artists is their lack of business knowledge.
Yes. Our artists are very talented when it comes to making music, but unfortunately that's not enough.
"Artists have to learn not just how to make the song or how to package the cd - how to put it on a cd and stand on the corner and sell it - but there's all kinds of legal issues," he says.
Artists need to know how to handle these issues, but unfortunately, the vast majority of them aren't educated enough about the business to do so.
This lack of education is evidenced, Ali says, in the number of new and experienced artists who come to the music industry conferences and workshops seeking information.
Whether they want to learn about publishing or booking, royalties or advertising, or promotions or distribution, artists are always looking for more information, and they can usually find it at such events.
But while conferences are great tools, and you'll come away from most of them with loads of great and invaluable information, you can't stop there, says Ali because conferences are not designed to be comprehensive.
"You can't get it all at one time at a conference," he says, "you get pieces of it."
Ali suggests getting the rest of "it" from books, and in an effort to get Alabama's artists reading more, Bama Hip Hop has implemented its own Music Biz Store.
This online book shop has over 60 titles that make worthwhile reading for entertainers who really want to up their business game.
"[We're] really trying to make our audience of young men and women - and I mean young by virtue of experience, not necessarily by age - really pay attention to reading about music business and learning from education and not from imitation," says Ali.
And while many artists do actively try to learn about the business, Bama Hip Hop still has their work cut out for them.
So, for now at least, one of Ali's biggest frustrations in his job will remain "the lack of knowledge and the reluctance for folks to go to places where they can get that knowledge, like music conferences and workshops and my Music Biz Bookstore."
And it doesn't matter where you get the information, just as long as you actively seek it out learn it and use it.
"It won't take the fun out of it. That's for sure... It'll actually make you have more fun because you have a proper foundation for what you do."
NO HALF-STEPPERS
Lack of music business education isn't the only thing that bothers Ali about Alabama's music industry. He also can't stand half-steppers.
"I do get frustrated with the shortcuts that people wanna take to do this," he says. It bothers him that so many artists think that they can just blow up overnight, when that rarely happens.
He cites the entertainment industry's habit of hyping new artists and making it seem that they came out of nowhere (can you say Drake?) when in reality, they worked long and hard to get to where they are.
Also, in the hip-hop industry in particular, many of the artists look like ol' boy from around the corner (can you say Soulja Boy?).
In both cases, these images - the overnight success and the around the way boy - make artists say, "He did it - just like that. So why can't I?"
Well, you can do it, but you have to realize that the guy that you're looking at didn't do it "just like that" and neither will you.
He had to work his ass off to get to where he is...and so will you.
NO THANKS
Another pet peeve of Ali's is people who want everything handed to them - for free ("This is business. You got investments, you got expenses.")- and then don't even say thank you.
"When they get to where they're supposedly gonna be, they don't look back," says Ali. "That's just a human nature thing," he acknowledges, but please, can a brother get just a little appreciation? Sometimes?
He's not asking for the world. "I don't necessarily want your money off your advance - [although] I'd like that too," he cracks.
He just wants to see some gratitude. That's all.
"Give me tickets for a show... Give me a discount on a booking fee. You know. Something like that."
"We're not seeking any credit for [our work]," says Ali. "That's just something we do..." But still, a little thanks would be nice.
NO FEEDBACK
Ali also doesn't always get a lot of feedback from the people he's worked with.
"Some people gon' tell you that you did a good job. Some people won't tell you anything. Good job or not. They just won't say anything," says Ali.
Occasionally, he'll hear through the grapevine that somebody wasn't happy with his work. Unfortunately, though, people don't always tell him that to his face.
Why does he care? Feedback lets you know how well you've done. When you haven't met a client's expectations, you need to know, says Ali, "...so you can make an adjustment or correction or explain the situation or resolve the difference."
That way, when an unhappy customer says, "Bama Hip Hop didn't meet my expectations," the next thing out of his mouth can be, "but they were good enough to fix the problem by doing 'X', 'Y' or 'Z', so that made it better."
Basically, being given the ability to rectify a problem allows a company to save face and to restore and maintain the trust of the public. And in the music business, trust is essential for success.
The industry may be large, says Ali, but the music community is small. Everybody knows somebody who knows somebody, so word can get around fast.
"You can be only seven people away from knowing me and you. It can be just that close, and somebody you're talking to today, you can mention my name to 'em and they might know me from something previous."
One chance meeting, "and I got a reference and recommendation or I've got a critique and criticism right there in that conversation..."
JUST KNOW THIS
Alabama's artists have a long way to go, but Ali just wants them to remember a few things.
"It takes a lotta work. It doesn't happen overnight, and there are a lotta people involved to help you get to where you wanna go.
"You didn't do it by yourself," he continues. "And you're not gon' do it quick, fast and in a hurry."
So be about your business. Take your time and work hard to perfect your craft. Stay driven, motivated and focused.
Let those who've helped you out along the way know how good (or bad) a job they're doing.
And last but not least, don't forget to say thanks.
"Well, Alabama's hip-hop industry is real positive right now," says Ali. "A good example is the Southern Entertainment Awards."
This year, there were close to 30 nominees from Alabama, the most we've had in years, who were recognized in numerous categories: radio, models, DJ's, recording artists, promotions companies, mixtapes, strip clubs, etc.
"So there's a lot going on in Alabama that is being recognized."
And we have plenty of artists who are or have been signed to major labels.
For instance, there's an artist from Montgomery who's currently working out a deal with Jive records. "I won't call his name out. I don't wanna jinx it."
There are also artists like Huntsville's, Jackie Chain, who is currently with Universal Records; the Montgomery group, 334 Mobb, signed to So So Def Records; and Dirty, also from Montgomery, who has at different times been signed with both Universal and Rap-A-Lot Records.
Not only do we have artists sitting on major label rosters, but "we're in all aspects of the music industry," says Ali.
We have artists who've made it on the performance tour circuit like Mobile's Last Mr. Bigg.
Then we have a few artists like Rich Boy, who've made it on the national level.
And right smack dab in the middle are folks like Attitude, M-16 and Khao, who are recording artists, but are probably best known as producers and writers.
Why isn't this success more noticeable? That's partially because Alabamians are a little more low-key than people from elsewhere.
"Alabama folks don't like to bling the way other folks do, so you really never know who you're talking to cause [he] looks like the guy next door [or] the guy on the corner. So Alabama is not flashy."
"Sometimes, you don't know what we have, what we've accomplished."
In a way, this is a good thing, but there is a negative side to not being noticed. "The frustration is that we're 90 miles or 90 minutes from Atlanta and the industry at large is just jumping over us," says Ali.
"They're jumping and running to the Carolina's. They're jumping and running to Texas. They're jumping and running to Nashville, and we're right next door."
"Then you have the frustration from the artists who feel like they're not getting support from the media, particularly commercial folks at the radio that choose to play Atlanta artists pretty regularly and [have] problems working with Alabama-based artists."
The few exceptions are the local, "home-grown" radio shows and competitions. Stations will put local artists onto these shows, but will rarely put them into regular rotation, says Ali.
Many in radio will tell you that one of the biggest reasons for not regularly playing local artist's music is that it just doesn't sound that good.
In many cases, that is true. But not always. "I know Alabama artists [that] have the means to have...high quality production made."
"Like I said, you take a guy like Khao Cates ...and the major work that he's been doing. You certainly can't say that we don't have people in Alabama who know how to mix music. ... We most certainly do."
Ali hopes that artists aren't too focused on the few major labels out there because "there are a lot of independent labels that are doing major things."
Labels like Grand Hustle, Rap-A-Lot and Slip & Slide, are or were at some point, small, independent labels, says Ali. "Now, they might have some kind of deal or something for distribution, but they're...basically, an in the house deal."
"And they grew from that," he continues. "They got the marketing and the business contracts and their music right, and they grew from that." And if they could do it, "we can do the same thing."
To sum it all up, Alabama is coming up, but slowly. "Alabama is in that phase of getting recognition," says Ali. "Artists are getting paid. Some artists are getting paid for the shows [and for] their talent … but not enough. It's not enough yet."
Do you think artists here in Alabama are supportive enough of each other?
"That comes and it goes. That has a yes in it," says Ali. "You do have geographic separation."
He's talking about the fact that all of our major centers of hip-hop are in different parts of the state.
Huntsville's all the way at the top. Mobile is all the way at the bottom. Birmingham is in the north central part. Montgomery is in the south central part.
"It's difficult to get together. From where I live (Anniston), it's a 5 hour drive to Mobile. For some folks it's a 6 or 7 hour drive."
"So there's maybe a tendency for people not to go back and forth up and down the highway to be supportive of each other's programs or collaborate and be on each other's shows."
In certain areas, the number of artists, potential fans, venues, etc, are so large, that the artists don't really need to go outside of their areas to make an impact.
Montgomery is one of those places. "You can do a lot in the Montgomery/Selma area,...but you don't really have to do too much in terms of maybe going to another city."
"And the artists there, a lot of them will get together, put shows on together, throw parties together. Or throw a picnic or a festival in the woods [or on a farm] or something like that."
Geographic separation or not, "it's still an independent business. It's still a competition business," says Ali, likening the music business to two hustlers at a pool table.
"Now, I'm gon' try to knock you off. I want that money on the table. But if you got game, you gon' get respect." After the game, those two players can sit down and kick it all night. "But tomorrow, when the tournament [resumes], I'm trying to knock you out."
"Alabama artists are very much like that," On the one hand, "folks are very, very down-home and willing to help if you ask for it," and have no problem sharing advice and information.
"People are doing promotions and people are doing workshops and conferences, and posting stuff up on their blogs on the internet for folks to see."
But on the other hand, says Ali, "at the end of the day, you got to look out for number one."
But of course, competition is to be expected in the music business. Our biggest problem remains our segregation.
"North part stays up in the north. Central Alabama stays in the middle. And the southern part of Alabama just kind of goes towards the Gulf Coast area."
"And that's something that people are trying to overcome," says Ali. "We're closing the gaps. We just gotta close the gaps a lot."
Once that's done, it'll be much easier for artists to show their love, respect and support for each other.
What is the future of Alabama's hip-hop industry?
“Well, it’s like any other business,” says Ali. “You’re gonna have people who are gonna lead and be great success stories… And you’ll have people who’ll just [be good] and be able to sustain themselves in that regard. So we have a future.”
He continues: “Technology today allows us the ability to define our future more on a personal basis than in the past where everything was decided for them from the top down by a big corporation or business."
"And then it was down to them picking who was gonna succeed. Who is gonna be the next big thing to blow up who’s gonna be the next one they let in the gate."
"But the world is flat now and decisions aren’t being made top-down. They’re being made horizontal side to side it’s more and more about the personal about the individual.”
Artists have much more control over decisions that the labels used to make. They have the ability to do things that they previously needed a label and a good bit of money to do.
Artists can now decide for themselves when and how to interact with their fans. They can decide how best to make their music available to those fans.
They get to determine which songs make the album and which one’s don’t. And they can decide who they’ll collaborate with.
And if that person happens to live on the other side of the state, country or world, then so be it.
“The ability to collaborate with a guy from a different coast and record songs without ever being in the studio with each other is one element of that,” Ali says, referring to the new hierarchy in the music industry.
“You can be in touch with an artist on the other side of the world and put something together,” he says. “[ A ] DJ puts you on his mixtape or he’s spinning your music in his club in Germany or in India, in England, in Jamaica, in Panama or what have you."
"That’s changed the whole characteristic of how people have a future in this business.”
Now, every artist’s future is in his own hands. “It’s all on how you work it,” says Ali. "It’s all on how you follow up.” And be sure to maintain good quality control, he advises.
But most importantly, “It’s all how you maintain your relationships.”
This last bit of advice is especially true when it comes to the fans because giving good customer service is a must.
“That is to say interacting and relating to your fans in a positive way,” says Ali, “so that they stay connected to you emotionally, and they wanna stay connected to you by helping you out by purchasing your products and coming to your shows.”
So what about the future of Alabama hip-hop? “The future is pretty bright. The future is pretty bright,” says Ali. “Unless you run out of electricity,” he says, laughing. “The future’s pretty good.”
