The Hip-Hop Professional Talks About Making It In The Record Biz

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TAP:  Without giving away anything major from the book, what would you say is one of the biggest lessons you’ve learned throughout your 20 years?

SD: The biggest lesson I’ve learned is knowing that you are not going to get a lot of help. This business is 100% what you make it. There will be a few that will help you along the way, but for the most part it’s what you put into it. It’s a very selfish and thankless industry.

TAP:  What is your current assessment of the music industry? Considering the internet and the decline of record sales, the fact that giving away free music is almost required before putting out an album now, what do you make of it?

SD: It’s definitely not the industry we used to know it as; there are fewer record companies and fewer job opportunities. The internet has been both a gift and a curse, but it’s really our fault that we didn’t have the foresight to use the technology to our advantage so that we could have been ahead of the curve before the advent of iTunes. Now artists have to create their own buzz in the marketplace before labels are even interested in signing them. It’s all about building your brand. Artists have to think like businesses and not just musicians by finding multiple revenue streams outside of music royalties.

TAP:  Is “the grind” to get into this business, behind the scenes, the same now as it was 20 years ago?

SD: The grind is harder than it was 20 years ago. As I said before, there are fewer record companies and job positions. There aren’t many music conventions that allow you to network with people already in the business and because there isn’t a lot of money being made, there are fewer opportunities overall. So if you really want it, you have to work extra hard to find the opportunities that still exist. Persistence is key.

TAP: I have to ask: how did you get the nickname “shoestring”?

SD: Actually, me and one of my friends were on the phone and said we needed to come up with nicknames. She named me Shoestring because I wore sneakers and didn’t always tie my laces. I used it as my on-air radio name in college and it stuck with me throughout the business.

TAP: What’s next for you?

SD: To continue my philanthropic efforts with my foundation, May WE Rest in Peace; continue my entertainment marketing/life mentoring efforts through PressReset.me and continue promoting my book.

Find out more about Shanti Das’ book, “The Hip-Hop Professional,” here.

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