My Experience at the Core DJ Retreat 14 in Miami, Florida May 2011

[Martha M @M3PAServices]

 

Since I am always looking and researching for new trends in marketing, I decided to volunteer at the 14th Core DJs Retreat being held in Miami, Florida from May 6-9, 2011. I was hoping to learn new information and pick up a few techniques I could use to help my clients. It was my first time at a Core DJs Retreat, having heard about the successful careers that have been launched there, I wasn't sure what to expect but I knew it would be pretty special. This is just what I observed, please tell me below what you experienced at the Core DJ's Retreat 14 or if reading this would make you want to attend one in the future. In the past, I attended urban music conferences and they were they place to be to see the most innovative upcoming trends in music promotion by the street teams and new artists. I was hoping to be one of the first to see more of the same trendsetting marketing in urban music. Having no exposure to music and TV for a few years due to my spiritual studies, I was curious to see what has changed and what has stayed the same. Growing up around the early days of hip hop and then seeing how it became so commercialized changed its meaning in my life and left me a little disenchanted with the culture. Back in my day, maintaining the purity of hip hop culture was a very important part of urban life that you honored, respected and appreciated while being a fan of artists who stay true to the roots of hip hop. Now I wanted to see how urban music influences today’s youth and what inspires the lyrics of todays young artists.

 

Day 1:  Friday

My first impression of the marketing trends I saw was very positive. Tony Neal and his staff presented everything in a professional manner, certain to please the sponsors and attendees. All the details were perfect and product placement was in the right place at the right time. Glancing at a few of the sponsors, I was very impressed to see BMajor Music as the main sponsor. To see Mr. McKinnie as a main sponsor showed how serious he is about the success of his label and artists.  Sometimes athletes create record labels and treat it like a side hobby, not taking it seriously and never taking a moment to learn the industry and hire the right team. That is not the case with Bryant McKinnie; he genuinely cares about his artists and is personally involved in their careers. In the past I have met many wealthy people who buy their way into the music industry, bypass building relationships, and aren’t respectful to the people in music business. Of course their money is accepted by everyone, but without the relationship and respect to build on, the music and artists have no longevity, no group of people who passionately believe in their music. All they will get out of them is a minimal effort while having paid top dollar. So whenever I see someone who can afford the luxury of having a record label and take the time to run it properly, I have to respect it and wish them nothing but success. It’s always nice to see people do the right thing and help others achieve their dreams. I hope other athletes observe Mr. McKinnie and learn that they too can have a  successful record label if they take it seriously.

 

As a volunteer my first assignment was to assist in the preparation of the gift bags to be given to the DJ’s. I went straight to work with a group of women who make the Core DJ’s engine run behind the scenes. It was my first time working with a group of women during this type of event, I must say it was empowering and everyone shared the same hard work ethic. I appreciated being accepted with kindness and was happy to be with people who were just as serious about their work as I am. The interns were a wonderful group of girls as well, marketing students who did a great job keeping order throughout the event. This team ensured the success of the retreat with their hard work and dedication. I can definitely say the Core DJ’s staff had everything in place to make sure the DJ’s and artists had all their needs met during the event. The schedule was nearly 24 hours long every day, jam packed with events to network at and be heard. Each sponsors products were displayed in an interactive and fun way with plenty of photo ops and hands on experience for the DJ’s. There were even barbers on hand to keep everyone looking sharp. There was also plenty of media and radio stations broadcasting live from the event.

 

 

The Hotel Lobby:

Since this was the 14th Core DJ's Retreat and the Core DJ’s staff did such a great job at putting it together, I expected to see the artists put forth their best effort in marketing themselves to the DJ’s. I was a bit surprised, I didn’t really see the usual trendsetters of marketing like the street teams did it back in the day, with the exception of 1 or 2 artists. The tone was more subdued and on a much smaller scale. I was also surprised to see so many CDs, I was under the impression there would be a big show of digital music via thumb drives and scan codes. I only received 1 flash drive and 1 scan code; I heard there were about 3 more going around. For the most part people were giving the usual CDs, flyers, and t-shirts. This method made it nearly impossible to listen to the music as soon as it was handed to me. I was a bit disappointed that there wasn’t more music being given digitally but everyone had a different approach on packaging and presentation, some more polished than others. I showed everyone my own scan code that I use to present myself digitally, most people seemed genuinely surprised it could be used so many ways. It was clear to me that some of the new urban music artists aren’t maximizing their use of the technology available to them now. Living in Miami I see techno and pop using some of the most innovative techniques to get their music out to the world quickly, urban music seems to be lagging behind a little bit. I can only assume it was a matter of the budget available for promotional materials. I hope everyone was able to pick up some tips on how to better present their products and brand by attending this event. My assignment for the rest of the event was to take photos. This had me everywhere covering every event on the schedule. As the attendees started filtering in, they flooded the hallways to promote their music. This being a networking event, I had to remind a few people to not stand there in silence handing out product in bulk, but to say hello, exchange info and find out what people do and where they’re from. Not sure if they realized that attending this event is a huge shortcut to success in getting their music to reach further across the global market, if they did a good job networking. Greeting everyone was the only way to make yourself memorable from the stacks of CDs being handed out. For those that say they didn’t get anything out of the event, they couldn’t have done a good job networking. There were DJ’s everywhere so the artists’ job could not have been any easier than to walk up to each one and start networking.

 

 I saw so many artists standing around quietly not speaking to anyone, and there were a few too distracted by the fact that they were in Miami. They definitely didn’t maximize their networking efforts, a crazy thing to do, considering what the whole trip cost them. DJ events as large as the Core DJ's Retreat are no longer being held nowadays, so people may only get one chance to make a lasting impression. Some people came to work and some didn’t, simple as that. No matter what business you are in, there were plenty of new contacts to be made. You never know what each person has to offer that can make a real difference in your career. Music is an intimate business so relationships must be formed and cultivated to get ahead. Those relationships will take your music career much farther than your money ever will. Marketing music takes so many different types of support businesses and people to make it work, that everyone has something to offer to help further your career. I can only hope that towards the end of the retreat artists were able to get more comfortable speaking to start networking. I found myself telling artists to make sure they meet this and that person so they could make a good contact. I shouldn’t have had to do that but some people were being hesitant and missing out on opportunities.  In the past when I’ve been to events like this there were tons of major music artists networking with DJ’s, I saw very little this time. Other than that, the people who made the biggest impact and had the most presence were those visiting from the Midwest music scene. They were organized in groups with matching shirts, brought a team with them, they had a plan and came to the retreat ready to work and promote their brand and music. It was so impressive. Most importantly, instead of competing against each other, they supported every artist from their hometown who performed. Most people did a great job making an impact and networking. The overall mood and energy was very positive and cordial, no fighting or anything, everyone treated each other very well and with respect.

 

Miami was MIA:

 I also made an interesting observation while at the event that I need to point out. I was shocked at how many artists and record label owners live in Miami, who constantly cry and complain about DJ’s not supporting their music, did not even bother to show up and do a walk thru to show respect, support, or speak to the DJs in person. At the very least they could have sent a street team in their place. The Miami music scene is important because it’s not local; it’s global due to the amount of visitors that enjoy the music played in the nightclubs. Even though most of the DJ’s at the retreat were visiting, just seeing an artist from Miami come thru may have made the difference in DJ’s from across the country and in Miami supporting their records. Living and working in Miami I’ve met dozens of artists and label owners who live in Miami complain about DJ’s not braking their records but they make no efforts to do the networking needed to get the DJ’s to support them. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked over the years what it would cost or what it takes to get Tony Neal to support a record, my answer is always the same, purchase his premium services, support his website, him and his DJ’s. I guess that answer is too simple to comprehend. That being said, it was nice to see a few Miami artists, indie and major, who took the time to come to the event, perform and acknowledge the impact the DJ’s have had on their career.

 

 

 

The Power Panel:

The next event on the schedule was the "Power Panel: What Next?” This panel was filled with veterans of the industry sharing their knowledge with the artists in attendance. Initially, I was wondering how everyone would fit in these events since the retreat had record breaking attendance. I walked into the room expecting it to be standing room only since this was the most important and informative part of the retreat. The room was full but no where near capacity; there was still plenty of room and seats available. There were many people just hanging out all over the hotel and elsewhere instead of attending the panel. Since I was wearing a staff badge, the same people who didn’t attend the panel, later asked me many questions that could’ve been answered by attending. The information given was priceless and would’ve taken years to learn, I’m certain those who attended gained much insight into the music business. The DJ's were introduced to a new counting system for them to use called DJanr.com, an awesome tool that will level the playing field for nightclub DJ's if they utilize it correctly.  The one thing I noticed after every event was, before the event would start the attendees were quiet and didn’t speak to the industry professionals. As soon as the event ended there was a mad dash to speak to the same people that were around the hotel the whole weekend walking around willing to answer questions. Personally, I think greeting them before hand with respect would have been more meaningful than speaking to them after finding out who they are. The artists learned fast who the important industry people were and still managed to make the most of it.

 

Interscope Records presents The Game Listening Suite:

For Friday’s late afternoon schedule, there was a listening party by Interscope for their artist, The Game, at Club Nocturnal in Downtown Miami. The wonderful thing about these events located outside the hotel was the charter bus transportation that was available. There was really no excuse to miss any event since all the details were looked after by the Core DJ's staff. The club was nice and the music being played was nearly all from Interscope Records. The Interscope representative was there asking the DJ's how they felt about each song. You could really tell how regional music is just by looking into the crowd. Some people knew the songs and some never heard them before. Cheeseburger Baby sponsored the food and everyone seemed to really like it. They arranged a nice buffet for the DJ's. From what I could hear, the music was really exclusive and everyone had a positive response to it. Those are the perks of being a DJ; you get to be the first hear some of the biggest albums coming out for the year. Even though it’s not my industry I could tell there were some really big songs being played that will be hits in future. I think I heard a few tracks from the upcoming Dr.Dre album as well. Billy Blue of Poe Boy Entertainment performed while I was there. He made a great effort to attend many of the events and perform. He was the one artist from Miami who was at the retreat nearly the whole time. The Poe Boy Street team also did a good job promoting at the different events.

 

 

 

 

 

The Core DJ's Ladies Mixer:

The Friday evening event was for the ladies of the Core DJ's. This event was held at the Love/Hate Lounge on South Beach.  I was looking forward to seeing the old school artists, since they’re from my generation of hip hop. It occurred to me I’m finally old enough to see them in person so that was exciting. It was a nice and nostalgic feeling.  When I was little every kid wanted turntables so they could grow up and be a DJ. Now as an adult, being able to see DJ Dimepiece as a female DJ spinning the classics was really cool. Monie Love was the host; she did a great job, in such a tiny club she was able to keep the energy going and was very entertaining to listen to. It was a nice event for those who enjoy old school hip hop. I wasn’t able to stay long but I’m sure it was even more fun as the night went on. I had so much work to do afterwards, I didn’t want to leave anything unfinished and still had clients work to maintain. I was pretty worn out by the time the late night events started so I didn’t attend those, but I heard they were pretty incredible. I guess you will have to wait for the DVD or photos to be released.

 

Day 2 Saturday:

I was back at it again early Saturday morning. The lobby was full again with many people just arriving to registration. Saturday was a big day for many artists because they had to perform in the new artist showcase. Dirty South Radio kept the lobby entertained they did a great job as well and even let a few artists rock the mic for a little while. I decided to test the waters again and force everyone trying to hand me something to tell me what they’re about and what their music was like. As a new artist you can’t get annoyed when you have to constantly explain who you are. Some of the artists had strange names or regional label names so I had to ask many times for further detail.  Some were really good at pitching their music and some didn’t practice their elevator speech before hand. By me annoying them with kindness they got the hang of it quickly because I would ask them again until it made sense. What if I was a potential sponsor or investor? What if I knew the right people to connect you with? Those few minutes of networking talk make all the difference in showing artist potential and if they can handle being in different situations. There were also a few teens working the lobby trying to get their music heard, that was nice to see. Even though they were too young to attend some of the events they really worked hard in each lobby area hoping to get the attention of the DJ's. I saw that photographer Stan Perry came in to save the day and take pictures but I still didn’t take it easy, there were many photo ops not to be missed.

 

The Midwest Movement Listening Suite:

The first event of the day included a light breakfast and music and performances from a variety of new artists from the Midwest. Now this event was a packed house since the Midwest was very supportive of everyone in attendance from their region. Since this was the first event with new artists performing, I was expecting to see a really entertaining show. I grew up watching artists who were called entertainers, who were put through artist development school or taught themselves how to put on a great show. I know the labels don’t really do development anymore but I assume todays artists would hire a private teacher to help them with development. So with that being said, as the performances began I kept waiting for the best part. Some artists were alone just walking back and forth and rapping, but some brought a whole team in matching shirts and put on quite a show. I didn’t really see anyone bring a DJ; it would have made a huge difference in the energy of their performance. Some performances were good enough to make you want to hear the song again, and some didn’t have enough energy to hold the attention of the crowd the entire time. Some were pretty memorable just because they were entertaining. Either way, I'm sure it was a learning experience for everyone. The Midwest artists as a whole put on some of the best performances. There was one solo performance that stood out to me during the retreat, a solo artist performed a song and then performed it again with Tony Neal DJing. It made a huge difference and somehow made the song better; the lyrics were great to begin with. Adding the DJ really changed the whole song. I hope the solo artists noticed that detail, because it was the only thing to make it more entertaining when they’re just walking back and forth. Considering the amount of money people paid to perform I was a bit surprised they didn’t take more time to develop some sort of stage show. An okay song can be made into a great song with the right stage show, and putting on a good show can lead to more show bookings and record sales. I hope everyone noticed that and took the advice Tony was giving in between each performance.

 

The Core Models Pool Party:

This afternoon event was held at the beautiful Finnegan’s River. It was a very spacious bar with a full stage and pool area overlooking the river. Of course the weather was the typically perfect Miami weather we have come to expect. There were models everywhere so this event had a good balance of male and female in attendance. The performances started quickly and there were many. There was live streaming of the show and lots of media and celebrities around. Having to move quickly between each event I didn’t see each one from beginning to end, but I was still able to see some great shows. Ace Hood, a Miami artist, came through and performed. Several new artists performed as well. Torch performed a song from Tony Neal upcoming album, an amazing track that really brought out the best in him as an artist. I’m sure if the “Yasimi” song is such a banger, I can only imagine what the rest of the album will be like. Hopefully it changes the music industry to bring back full length albums by DJ's. The stand out at this event was Sean Garrett. I was impressed, didn’t expect to see him, he was working just as hard as a new artist and he’s had a very solid career in the music business. It was good to see that, I hope the new artists noticed that just because he’s been in the music game for a while he still goes and does what he needs to do when he has a new record. He made sure everyone knew who he was, his history, and gave some good advice to the crowd. His new song, “In the box”, is certain to be a hit with plenty of Miami references in it. The attendees seem to enjoy this event more than any other; it definitely had a Miami vibe since it was outdoors.

 

 

 

 

The New Artist Showcase:

The entertainment continued immediately with the second new artist showcase of the day. Again there were solo and group performances; some had better stage presence than others. The stand out at this showcase were the teens especially Teekaboo, who was in attendance with her uncle Jazzy Pha. Then there was Fonzworth Bentley who put on a pretty incredible show as well. To be fair, I know these artists have more resources than most but you put them on an empty stage with a microphone and they still know how to put on a great show. It was as simple as that. They both brought dancers and had a very polished performance because they prepared well for it. Everyone had the same opportunity available to them once they were on stage; it was a matter of maximizing your efforts and putting on a memorable performance. You would think that with all the models walking around an artist could ask for their help in putting together a nice stage show, but there didn’t seem to be much planning for the most part. Tony Neal presented every artist, I thought he would be more like the guest of honor at his own retreat but he worked every single event on the schedule with no breaks in between. He gave them each a bit of advice, not sure if they liked it but hey he’s a very honest guy and you’ve got to respect that. Next was Tony Neal spinning at the local Miami urban music station, 99 Jamz, so those who were on the charter buses on the way to the late night events got to hear him spin during the radio feed on the bus. He was doing his job breaking records and he had Twitter in a frenzy during the time he was spinning. After the showcase there were more late night events with Sean Garrett performing again and performances by the BMajor Music Group. I guess most of us did not eat or sleep most of the time during the retreat, I know I didn’t. Every night I had to take care of my own company business and make sure I was prepared for the next day.

 

 

             

 

Sunday, The Hip Hop Exhibition:

On the last day of the retreat the schedule wasn’t as jam packed but it was still a full day. There was an early breakfast for the DJ's during the DJ Room event, they received their Core DJ's shirts, kept networking and listening to music. It was also press and media day so there were lots of photos and interviews going on with the Core DJ's banners everywhere as a backdrop. A few legendary DJ's showed off their skills, it was amazing to witness it in person. The whole day was dedicated to the DJ culture of hip hop so the classic nostalgic sounds and songs from our childhood had the attention of everyone in the room. I will try to describe it but it was one of those “you had to be there” moments. There was a wood floor in the middle of the room, which meant there was going to be some break dancing going on by Hip Hop Elements and some legendary break dancers. There were beautiful custom made for the Core DJ's graffiti pieces on display at each end of the stage. There were many contests, giveaways and prizes available for the DJ's. To start the Legends showcase part of the event was DJ Kool Herc. He gave an amazing speech to everyone in the room to not lose sight of what is important in the culture of hip hop and to learn its history. Not too many dry eyes in the room if you were listening with your heart. It was pretty moving to see him and others legendary artists in the room, it made me realize that we survived some very dangerous times in New York history and the culture of hip hop was what comforted us when things got real bad. A lot of people in hip hop lost their lives early and didn’t get to see it evolve the way we have. I saw a few of the younger artists not very interested in this part of the event but I don’t see how anyone can call themselves a rap artist and not know the foundation and history hip hop was built upon. If there was no rap, no DJ what would all these people at the retreat be doing without the creative outlet started by their own people. I wonder if these artists would still want to be artists if they knew there was no money to be made in hip hop. Back in the day they did it because they loved it, they made very little money. Many artists lived right beside us in the ghetto while the labels were making fortunes, artists had no rights yet they were just happy to be able to make music. I don’t know about you guys, but I find it very uncomfortable to watch the old black and white musical shows where black artists had to conform to what a white audience wanted and were the only blacks allowed in the room to perform. I'm thankful for all the changes that occurred in the history of urban and latin music that eventually brought us to the age of hip hop. After DJ Kool Herc was done with his speech, he worked the turntables, with vinyl records, no computers. No one was allowed to move on the stage or peek at the label on his records. He was spinning the break beats for the break dancers to perform. It was pretty unbelievable to have all the essential elements of hip hop in a room in 2011, alive and well, putting on a great show. There was a new Core DJ's member introduced to everyone, which was the legendary YZ, and he also performed. There were many performances by some legendary artists, who put in enough work to be called legendary, such as K-Solo, Craig G, Special Ed, Heltah Skeltah, and so many more. I'm not sure if the word legendary will have a place in the future of the music business. There will never be another artist that will have to go through what these legendary artists had to go through to get their music heard, recorded and sold.

 

 

Next up was the last the new artists showcase, I couldn’t imagine how hard it would be to perform after the Legends show. There were the usual performances in the same style, some were better than others. Some were so good I wanted to hear the song again afterwards. The awkward part about the showcases was that people kept leaving and going in and out of the room, yet when it was their turn to perform they didn’t want anyone to move. I figured that the really good DJ's were the ones watching every performance looking for new music to take home. Since it was the last day, the room cleared out fast from people trying to catch their flight. Many came right back anyway after missing their flight. Missing flights tends to be normal when you spend some time in Miami and are having too much fun. The last event of the retreat was the BMajor Music Group show at Mansion. I actually attended this one; it was nice to see the BMajor artists perform. They’re a talented group and I'm sure Mr. Mckinnie will see to it that they achieve their music career goals. He was in attendance to support them as usual.  

 

 

In summary, the Core DJ's Retreat 14 was a wonderful event to attend and definitely did its part in providing new artists with every resource needed to help further their career. I'm glad I was able to be a part of it and see first hand what it takes to put on event of that magnitude. I learned a few things that could benefit my business and I'm sure the attendees learned some things as well. Throughout the whole retreat I kept getting asked the same basic questions. First one was how to get the music to the DJ's, I told people to do their homework and join the Core DJ's website and Twitter. A few people said they don’t like Twitter and all I could say was; you must be where your peers are if you’re serious about your career. You wouldn’t have these questions and you would’ve been better prepared to attend this retreat. There were some important lessons learned for some of the artists. The people already in the music industry are not going to conform to your way of doing business, you have to adapt to their way, take the time to learn, and build relationships. Artists were looking for shortcuts and discounts but that way of doing business can only slow their music career down even more. If you show that you value what people bring to the table by paying their asking price, they will most likely give you a discount in the future. If a discount is not offered don’t ask, it’s just offensive to the person who is willing to do a good job and help you.  Some artists needed to be humble and listen to the feedback they were getting. There is room for everyone in the music business and an audience for everyone. If your talents aren’t strong enough in every area needed to be a complete package as a great artist, then there are other positions in the music business you can do that will bring you just as much success with some hard work and dedication. It’s really a matter of adjusting to the music business and getting in where you fit in at the current time. Another question I heard often was how to become part of the Core DJ's. I didn’t have all the answers on that one, but I know to be part of something important, you have to make the effort. Of course there are other DJ units out there but comparing them all, the Core DJ's is most likely the largest with the furthest reach. I know Tony Neal requires references, but I believe if you want to be part of the Core DJ's you should act like it. Get your branding and image in order, establish your name in your city and build an incredible resume. Most importantly, build relationships with other Core DJ's and take the time to set aside an hour or more a day on the Core DJ's website giving people feedback on their music and networking on all the sites the Core DJ's use. Having good follow up etiquette is essential, don't just call people when you need something. If you set aside time every day  dedicated to furthering your music career, I'm certain your efforts won’t go unnoticed. That’s pretty much the information I got out of the whole Core DJ's Retreat 14. I know I left out a few things and names, please feel free to add your experience and comments below. For more photos check out the photo album I made of the pictures I took at the retreat. Stay tuned in with me for updates, my next posts will be focused on how to maximize your use of the Core DJ's website; I hope that will help everyone get better at using it daily. I know this was really long, I hope you gained some insight, and I thank you for taking the time to read my post!

 

Martha M

M3PAServices.com

@M3PAServices

 

 

 

Special Ed and I having

a photo moment.

                                        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some more photos of the Core DJ's Retreat, courtesy of Stan Perry


Find more photos like this on CoreDJRadio

[Rv Dr Black]

Thanks for sharing such a detailed report of the retreat. I felt like I was right in the mix of it all. It sounds like the event was a major success and provides sufficient information ... both pro and con ... to model similar future events.