Today on SOB, Hassan Shareef, the Founder, CEO, and producer at Black Magic Studios NYC based in New York City, joins the show. Hassan shares his extensive experience in the music industry, working with Roc-A-Fella Records early on, and expanding into his own recording and producing business. Gain some important advice on what to focus on as a recording artist, and how to thrive in this current market.
Show Notes:
- Hassan Shareef has been the Founder, CEO, and producer at Black Magic Studios NYC since 2000
- Hassan used to be a music A&R at Jay-Z’s previous record label Roc-A-Fella Records
- What early professional experiences benefited Hassan’s growth
- Which resources and mentors assisted Hassan along the way
- How has technology and music equipment changed how he works
- What makes the perfect project for Hassan as a producer
- What are his favorite elements of quality music
- “The Breaks” on VH1 has been Hassan’s favorite project
- You can’t just upload your songs and ignore marketing
- Do you need an entire album as an artist these days
- Most people are buying only the hit songs of their favorite artists
- What major projects is Hassan currently working on
- Keep making new music and present your music as a lifestyle
- What constitutes a hit record
3 Key Points:
- Hassan learned about building studios by helping Jay-Z construct his during the Roc-A-Fella Records days.
- You have to have something that makes you stand out from everyone else.
- The money in the music industry right now is licensing your songs and performing at shows.
Tweetable Quotes:
- “If you’re going to start a business, you don’t have to have a business plan, but at least have an executive plan that can at least spell out what you are trying to do.” – Hassan Shareef
- “The music that is on the radio has been recorded in multi-million dollar state-of-the-art studios with engineers that are getting paid $5,000 a mix.” – Hassan Shareef
- “What gets me excited to work with projects or work with artists is a uniqueless.” – Hassan Shareef
Resources Mentioned:
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/hassanshareef
- Instagram: reefhustlemusic and blackmagicnyc
- Facebook: facebook.com/BlackMagicNYC
- Twitter: @BlackMagicNYC
