AARON FREDRICK HUSTON

RECORD LABEL DEVELOPMENT

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT 2: RECORD LABEL ANALYSIS PART I

Release Date: July 30, 2013!!Label: Strange Music & RBC Records!

Artist Bio:

Niche Sound:

KANSAS CITY NATIVE AARON “TECH N9NE” YATES IS THE CO-FOUNDER OF STRANGE MUSIC AND IS CHARACTERIZED BY A SPEED STYLED COINED AS THE “CHOPPER” STYLE POPULARIZED IN THE MIDWEST BY ACTS SUCH AS BONE THUGS-N-HARMONY AND TWISTA. BUILDING UPON HIS THIRTEENTH STUDIO ALBUM “SOMETHING ELSE” TECH N9NE HAS RELEASED SUBSEQUENT EPS AND COLLABORATIVE ALBUMS WITH LABEL MATES OVER THE SPAN OF 14 YEARS AND CONTINUES TO BUILD MOMENTUM TOWARDS A MAINSTREAM CROSSOVER, OR AS TECH N9NE WOULD HAVE IT “MAKING THE MAINSTREAM GO ME”.

TECH N9NE’S SELF PROCLAIMED LOVE OF BEAUTIFUL MUSIC HAS AFFORDED HIM THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING HIS UNIQUE PROPRIETARY CREATIVITY TOWARDS PROJECTS INCORPORATING OPERA, ROCK, REGGAE, THRASH, RNB, AND HORROR CORE. TECH N9NE REAFFIRMS HIS INTENTIONS TO EVOLVE AS AN ARTIST AND POSITIVELY ADDRESSES THIS ISSUE IN REGARDS TO REMAINING CONSISTENT IN AN EVER CHANGING ENTERTAINMENT ECOSYSTEM.

Album Description:

Target Demographic:

“SOMETHING ELSE” WAS MET WITH CRITICAL ACCLAIM AND ALTHOUGH FALLING SHORT OF A MAINSTREAM CROSSOVER WAS ALMOST UNANIMOUSLY CHAMPIONED AS HIS MOST SERIOUS ATTEMPT AT FORGOING SHOCK VALUE FOR SOLID STORYTELLING AND CULTURAL BREVITY. TOPICS SUCH AS MOLESTATION ARE ADDRESSED, AS WELL AS APOLOGIES FOR PAST GRIEVANCES, AND SONGS SUCH AS “B.I.T.C.H. (BREAKING IN TO COLORED HOUSES)”, “SO DOPE (THEY WANNA)” AND “FRAGILE” HAVE HELPED PROPEL THIS ALBUM INTO A LARGER AUDIENCE.

THIS ALBUM IS PERCEIVED AS A CONTINUING TREND INTO A MORE POP ORIENTED SOUNDSCAPE, MUCH IN CONTRAST TO THE ORIGINALLY DONNED APOCALYPTIC ATMOSPHERE OF “ANGHELLIC” RELEASED IN 2001.

A&R

Producers on this record include Travis O’Guin, Ben Cybulski, Drumma Boy, Fredwreck, Jon Pakfar, ¡Mayday!, Scoop DeVille, Shane Eli, Seven, Young Fyre, Daniel "Keys" Perez, Ralfy "FAFA" Valencia and would all have been hand selected to work on this project specifically through the A&R Department.!

A&R 2.0

THIS ALBUM FEATURES A WIDE VARIETY OF ACTS FROM WIZ KHALIFA, THE GAME, SNOW THA PRODUCT, CEE LO GREEN, AND THE DOORS. ALL OF THESE ARTISTS WOULD HAVE BEEN USED THE A&R DEPARTMENT TO FACILITATE COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN ENTITIES.

For this release I would have made sure that A-list artist communications between Jay Z,

Nas, and Eminem were all properly handled. If these collaborations had been executed, this “Something Else” would have garnered

greater mainstream attention.

BUSINESS AFFAIRS

BUSINESS AFFAIRS 2.0

THIS DEPARTMENT, AFTER COMMUNICATING WITH A&R, WAS IN CHARGE OF SECURING WORK WITH THE DOORS FOR THE SONG “STRANGE DAYS” WHICH WAS FATEFULLY RECORDED BEFORE RAY MANZAREK PASSED AWAY. THEY WOULD ALSO BE IN CHARGE OF LICENSING TECH N9NE’S MUSIC IN ANY FUTURE ENDEAVORS.

I WOULD HAVE UTILIZED THIS DEPARTMENT TO ENSURE THAT THERE WAS A SUFFICIENT ROYALTY RATE FOR ANY THIRD PARTY COLLABORATIVE ENTITIES TO GET INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT. HOPEFULLY THIS WOULD HAVE ENTICED A QUICKER RESPONSE FOR THE PROSPECTIVE RELEASE DATE.

PUBLICITY

PUBLICITY 2.0

MULTIPLE MARKETING ACTIVITIES WERE ACTIVELY ENGAGED DURING THE RELEASE OF THIS ALBUM TO SPUR AFFECTIVE PUBLICITY. THESE INCLUDED A TWO PART ULTIMATE FAN CHALLENGE DO-BRANDED WITH MONSTER ENERGY, AND MULTIPLE EXLUSIVE RELEASES WITHIN DIFFERENT CARRIERS SUCH AS PREORDER, ITUNES, AMAZON, AND BESTBUY EACH CONTAINING DIFFERENT BONUS CONTENT TO ENTICE MULTIPLE PURCHASES.

IN ORDER TO PROPERLY PUBLICIZE THESE EVENTS, I WOULD HAVE ENCOURAGED CONSISTENT VLOGGING FROM FANS, SPUR CO-CREATION OF CONTENT AMONG FANS, AND ULTIMATELY RESONATE A HIGHER LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT WITHIN THE UNDERGROUND COMMUNITY.

PROMOTIONS

PROMOTIONS 2.0

PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS WERE CREATED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR INCLUDING THE STRANG SAMPLER, WHICH WAS GIVEN AWAY BY TRAVIS O’GUIN, AND EVERY PROMOTIONAL ITEM IS STOCKED AND READY TO BE DISCOUNTED AT ANY GIVEN TIME DUE TO LARGE STOCK IN THE STRANGE MUSIC WAREHOUSE.

I WOULD HAVE TARGETED MY LOSS LEADER ARTISTS FOR THE YEAR AND USED THEIR MUSIC AS EXCLUSIVE PROMOTIONAL GIVEAWAY MATERIALS IN ORDER TO BOOST THOSE ARTISTS FAN BASE DURING THE ANNUAL LULL.

REFERENCES• http://www.strangemusicinc.net/product_info.php?products_id=10763

• http://www.strangemusicinc.net/p11014/Tech-N9ne-When-Demons-Come-Poster-by-Rob-Prior/product_info.html

• http://www.strangemusicinc.net/p10962/Tech-N9ne's-Independent-Grind-Tour-2014/product_info.html

• http://www.strangemusicinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Tech-N9ne-Something-Else1.jpg

• http://www.strangemusicinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Strange-Music-Sampler.jpg

• http://www.strangemusicinc.com/2013/04/tech-n9ne/monster-energy-something-else-fan-contest/

• http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.23360/title.tech-n9ne-something-else-release-date-tracklist-both-cover-art-versions