PLAN ALL THE WAY TO THE END
They say you’re only as good as the decisions you make… I couldn’t have said it better myself!
Or maybe i could haha…
Every decision you make in your lifetime has a consequence, from the second you’re old enough to talk and think for yourself, to the day when you become just a beloved memory to those who held you dearly. I mean, This isn’t a principle i’ve always exercised, but it became my life’s motto the minute i understood the value of it.
During my life before music, i engaged in activities that could’ve been detrimental had they gone wrong, which made me appreciate my liberty that little bit more, and also to treasure the proceeds of my activities. It became somewhat routine to save money for the previous reasons, even though i couldn’t of told you at the time what i was saving for… “a rainy day” probably would’ve been my likely answer.
When the time came around for me to begin making the necessary transitions, from what i was doing to making music not only a lucrative hobby but a career… i wasn’t in the worst position.
i’ve had some what i like to call ‘powerball’ moment’s in musical career so far… thing’s like my debut street track ‘neighbourhood’ (see link)
I had no choice but to make sure that it represented Smiler fully, lyricism, fashion (“phil mitchell style leather” haha), the streets, and everything that i stood for… being my introduction to the game.
My debut mixtape ‘Da Musical Omnibus’, again straight lyricism, something for listeners to latch on to and identify me by. You can download that for free on my ‘Audio’ page.
There have been a number of things… more recently, while getting warmed up to release a more commercially viable body of work (my ‘Clarity’ mixtape), i dropped a statement track called ‘Destroy & Rebuild’ which really stirred the waters of the existing uk hip hop scene, and ruffled the feathers of those mentioned in the song and some of their loyal supporters… a pretty risky move right? Well considering i had no concrete affiliations with the old-school hip hop game over here… well you know what they say, fortune favors the brave!
The main objective of this song was to get a pretty evident message across, but primarily to create an awareness for what was coming next… mission accomplished.
Check it out……
My next move was pretty much to hit radio, the clubs and the scene as a whole with a bang. So the image was strong, sharp dressing, expensive brands, shiny jewellery and most importantly undeniable music!
There will always be times when you just cannot forsee the future but as long as you have a general direction, the rest is pretty much down to your skill of adaptation.
I sometimes find myself in what feels like a compromising situation when i’m out on the road and someone is simply staring at me… because of the environment i grew up in, my initial reaction is to stare back hahaha then i slap myself and say “joseph what are you doing?? they could be a supporter” smh.
Relationships in the industry are pretty much everything, i dare say equally as important as the music. With that being said, always remember that first impressions are a serious thing because you will never get a second chance at one. Treat as you would like to be treated, do as you would like to be done to and by all means start as you mean to go on.
