Read the Rotey Interview below and share it on social media.
Please tell our readers who you are and what you do?
First of all thank you so much for having me, I’m super pumped to be a part in what you’re out here building. I’m an artist producer and entrepreneur by the name of Rotey. I was born in Waterloo Iowa, currently living in Atlanta Georgia. Most people would categorize me as a rapper but I’m all for expanding boundaries so I don’t like to put myself in a box like that. I’ve been an artist for about 7-8 years now and have been producing for 5. The Entrepreneur part comes into play when it’s time to put on my business hat- as of today I do all my own booking, run my own marketing campaigns, merchandise, all of it. Thankfully, I’ve started building an incredible team around me, but I’ll always have a hand in all the business aspects that go into a successful career in music.
How would you describe your influences and how have they changed over the years?
Absolutely. Growing up I actually wasn’t allowed to listen to rap, ironically enough. Naturally, that would only attract me to it even more as I grew into my more rebellious stages of childhood, but I mostly grew up listening to bands like Slipknot, Disturbed, Evanescence, Linkin Park, and Breaking Benjamin. I think a lot of those early roots are still remnant in a lot of the music I make today. A little later on in life, a guy named Eminem popped up on my radar, and once I heard him and D12 on “My Band” I was instantly hooked. I remember running downstairs in the early hours of the day to sneak in some MTV before my parents woke up, hoping to catch a glimpse of some Slim Shady or if I was really lucky, that new song “Yeah” by Usher. Anyway, as time went on, the hip hop bug slowly took over my life as I got turned on to classic artists like Biggie, Pac, Big L, Jay Z and many others. Today you can catch me listening to just about anything from Pink Floyd to Otis Redding- I try to have a broad taste in music so that I can soak up knowledge and techniques anywhere I find inspiring.
What´s new right now?
Right now it’s time to build. I’ve been playing a bunch of shows around Atlanta and they’ve been going super well- so now it’s time to expand over state and international lines. I’m set to graduate college in a few months, so once I do it’s time to hit the road gaining exposure anywhere there’s a microphone. Im also sitting on a ton of new music that I’m super pumped to start releasing. Beyond that, I’m really looking to build my team up more- hiring more and more hands to help turn this passion into an unstoppable machine. If you want to watch the come up – follow me on any and all social platforms, just search for Rotey.
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”No” condition=”is” value=”Sure”]
Are you a superfan of anyone? How did you become a superfan? Do you remember how you become a fan and what turned you into super fan? Have you ever thought about why you´re such a fan?
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”Yes” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
What was the biggest mistake you made when you started making music and what would be the number one tip you could give to a newcomer musician?
My biggest mistake was getting a little too fancy. It’s so dope to get into a big studio and cut some amazing records- but I think it’s so important to play where you’re at. If your budget doesn’t allow you to pump loads of money into a record- DONT DO IT. It’s 2018, and people can make platinum records in a hotel room- and we all need to remember that. At the end of the day, as independent artists, were running a business. If your expenses are bigger than your revenue, that’s a problem to be addressed sooner than later. Bottom line: play where you’re at. If you’re an independent artist in the building stages, don’t be too proud to record in your closet.
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”Yes” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
How do you get gigs? Can you share any tips?
You have to build. If you’ve never played a real show in your city, don’t expect to play the venue with 4000 capacity right off the bat. Start off opening up for people, and early on start to build relationships with the talent buyers at the venue. Make sure the staff knows who you are (for good reasons). Be professional. Aside from that, how do you get booked? You ask to get booked. Email the talent buyer- most times their contact and booking procedures are on the venues website. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t hear back either. You have to remember these people are receiving hundreds of emails a day from people trying to get booked, some of which are mainstream artists with big budgets who just come first priority, so if you don’t hear back- try again. Be persistent, but don’t be annoying.
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”Yes” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
Do you have good promotion tips for other musicians?
Talking to everyone. Don’t be the shy musician. Make sure people know who you are and what you came for. Also, leverage whatever position you’re in. When I started university, during the little class introductions I would ALWAYS mention I’m a rapper. Lastly- don’t ever be too proud or shy to perform on the spot. I can’t even begin to explain how many opportunities have come from people asking me to freestyle for them. Teachers, random people I meet on the street, tables I’m serving, if they want to hear you, let them hear you and make sure they never forget you.
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”No” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
Do you have insights on how to grow your audience on soundcloud that you want to share with our audience?
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”Yes” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
What has been your biggest challenge right now? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?
My biggest challenge is building a team around me. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got some incredible people surrounding me, but my goal right now is to build a machine and for whatever reason it can be tough to get over the issue of fragmentation. Lots of artists are super into the independent mindset which is cool, but I’m a firm believer that when brilliant people come together who are solid in their own, that’s when the magic really happens. As far as overcoming this, I think it’s really important to be radically candid with people in order to make sure they’re still on board with the vision, and building a culture of openness and honesty. I think it’s incredibly important to make sure everyone is getting what they need- not just the guys at the “top” of the company.
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”No” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
How do you personally discover new music?
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”No” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
Once you discovered new music, do you tell others about the new music/artist you discovered? If yes, how exactly?
”
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
What is your number one tip to improve your music production or songwriting skills?
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
What is your best tip for those who struggle with finishing their tracks?
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”No” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
We meet again in one year. What has changed?
[/gravityforms]
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”Yes” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
[/gravityforms]
http://www.soundcloud.com/Rotey
http://www.facebook.com/rotey42
http://www.twitter.com/_rotey?lang=en
[gravityforms action=”conditional” merge_tag=”NO” condition=”is” value=”Yes”]
Enter your questions to the artist in the facebook comment section below.
[/gravityforms]