By Nick “Furious” Meyers
Greetings and welcome in again to the warped and twisted mind of Nick FuriouStylz. This is the holiday edition of BlogBomb and I wish to express deep gratitude and appreciation to all friends, followers and fans. keep sharing the blog. Thanks and happy season’s tidings to you all.
Ok you know what really chaps my hide, grinds my gears and or ruffles my feathers? EMCEE Etiquette. Now don’t take my advice if you choose to but after nearly 2 decades involved in music I caution all emcees to be mindful of their presence and to excercise etiquette when displaying your public persona. I hold the rhyme and my abilities as an emcee and lyricist very highly in my lief. seriously, many of my personal relationships have suffered. I have been accused of putting my passion before family, relationships money and fame but those sacrifices and understandings are the building blocks of what makes me a passionate and dedicated person. I say all we have as artists is our legacy. Its what we leave behind for future generations to learn from like we did from our ancestors, big brothers, fathers and innovators.
1. First Impressions Count
Be a professional. my experience tells me that truthfully less is more when performing. I literally had to learn this lesson hard way as I have always been predisposed to running my mouth before my brain could dissect the consequences. Generally the audience is oblivious but they can quickly begin to form ill judgments of you if you are monopolizing the mic, being insensitive to all groups of people. Remember that an audience is usually a wide spectrum of people and includes many backgrounds and life choices. Don’t alienate a possible fan by not being aware. You never know whom might dig your vibe. It’s 2014 and hurtful slang like Fa#%&t and H@$o don’t show strength or class it shows ignorance and you are better than that. Be a leader and set an example to use creativity and skill, not insecurities and hate to convey your message.
2. Dress to Impress
Now I was raised in a bygone era before the internet and smart phones so I fell extremely fortunate to have experienced some real things in life. One impotant thing I learned along the way is that if you wish to make an impression then simply dress to impress. Take a little time to stand out. and being on time is another pet peeve of mine. No matter what your craft always remember that you represent yourself and should ALWAYS be on time to an event. Don’t dilly dally, always touch base with the contact person 2 to 3 days before the show and find out the scoop: what time is load in, what will they have for sound and what should you bring. find out the logistics and then honor them. Just like a job, you must groom yourself for success by taking time to dress yourself appropriately. A suit and tie are not always the way to go as you might alienate your crowd so know the set ahead of time. And rappers please stop thinking that sloppy is acceptable. Pull your pants up, straighten your dome piece up just rap yo. Let your content speak for itself.
3. R E S P E C T
Hip hop can sometimes falsely exude a machismo attitude which at times can be very overwhelming to people. Most people who venture out to a show are willing to give you a fair chance and so if you display a modicum of respect to your audience then it will transpire to better horizons. Hip hop at it’s truest is a very advanced art form but it takes a village to perpetuate the correct It is ok to stop being so consumed with an image or saving face and it really is fine to be empathetic and true. I have had homeless street kids and schizophrenic vets feel a connection to my music and THAT is the ultimate rush. You need not force success as it is something that will find you when you are ready for that step of your progression. Only believe that you are truly worthy of your successes and failures and own them all. Life can be the best teacher of lessons hat there is. R-E-S-P-E-C-T it!
4. Quality Content
Understandably one should take creative license when creating art but try to focus on producing quality music for your soul and others’. If you need a few overdubs and some added hook to your performance set that is acceptable but an emcee should be fine with rocking a set without anything but the beat and the words. Take yourself seriously and always give the audience a true glipse of yourself. That is what they are looking for ultimately. I respect the origins of hip hop so much and was raised to always acknowledge those that blazed the trail we walk upon. It is also crucial to study and appreciate ALL forms of art and music, raps and beats that came before and inspired what we do. Even the most typical hip hop emerged from a fore-bearer. How many styles of music exist out there? Sure I desire to make KRS One proud but I also wish to make proud Mozart, Bad Company, The Meters, Aretha Franklin, Manu Chao, Gil Scott Heron etc. Our quality extends from our content.
5. Come Correct
When you agree to perform at an event you must adequately prepare for your set. Find out the set up ahead of time. Nothing bugs a promoter more than a Sally come lately with the gear. If you consider yourself a professional emcee then plan for all contingencies. Purchase YOUR OWN MICROPHONE that is your baby. Nobody else has their germs or paws on your mic. For an incredible starter mic I recommend. This is an incredible purchase and will pay off I swear.
If you are a stickler and wish to sound a step above the rest in the mic department then go with the mic I use:
Bottom line, GET A MIC. If you consider yourself a lyricist then invest in a performance mic and a mic chord. This insures you know you have a dope mic and will sound proper, not to mention the lack of germs you are gonna transfer. Have a mic and always bring it because you never know.
Lastly, we are days away from 2015 and options are numerous for how you bring your set to a show. DO NOT assume the promoter or venue has a cd player or blah blah, always put your set on your smart phone or iPod and bring an eight inch cable with a converter plug.
Check this:
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Always be prepared. Many clubs are not prepared to handle you, believe it or not. Thank you for indulging me in another BlogBomb, I do hope this lesson was beneficial for all you current and wannabe excess.
Nick “Furious” Meyers
Nick “Furious” Meyers is a longtime veteran of the New Mexico Music scene. Nick has worked with Community Publishing in the past, having served as the Audio Engineer on the multimedia children’s book, Fiona the Funkadelic Freckile Fairy. Nick is currently working working as the Audio Engineer on the Animated multimedia book, Bella the Caterpillar (written by 7yr old Marisol Paramo) to be published in the late Fall by Community Publishing: From the Community For the Community!
Community Publishing brings local artists of all mediums together in creative collaborations for distribution as multimedia eBooks while promoting literacy in our communities.
We are proud to be a community partner and digital marketer at the Rail Yards Market.
#JoinOurCommunity at http://communitypublishing.org
