Achickwitbeatz presents ⁠the Instrumental Intel podcast⁠, bringing you information instrumental to your artistic career including music industry news & tips, insights & interviews, and beats for your inspiration. Listen on Saturdays at 7 pm EST on ⁠⁠⁠Grander Radio⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Achickwitbeatz.com⁠⁠⁠.
Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube Audiomack & SoundCloud, and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform. Download the Grander Media app to listen to Grander Radio on the go.

Instrumental Intel Podcast

Achickwitbeatz brings you information instrumental to your artistic career including music industry news, insights, interviews, and beats for your inspiration. Listen on Saturdays at 7 pm ET on ⁠⁠⁠Grander Radio,⁠⁠⁠ Achickwitbeatz.com⁠⁠⁠, and your favorite podcast platform.

Transcript Generated by Riverside

00:00
Hey, thank you for tuning in to instrumental Intel. I am your host, music producer, Achickwitbeatz, and I'm thrilled that you've joined me today. I got another episode that's got tons of music industry news. I'm gonna try to keep it brief as usual, but it's been a lot going on. And of course, there will be beats produced by me for your inspiration. And later, Nubi the Ear Hustler will be joining me. We're gonna talk about chronicling music history, past and present, and so it's going to be a great time. I'm really excited to be bringing this episode to you.

00:29
But as usual, before I go ahead and drop that first beat, I gotta give a shout out to my home station, Grand Radio, out of Grand Rapids, Michigan. And with that, let's go.

08:25
Hey, this is music producer Achickwitbeatz and you're listening to my podcast, Instrumental Intel.

11:02
Alright, I'm back with the music biz brief. First up, TikTok is testing a new pre-save feature for albums, allowing users to pre-save albums they discover on the app directly to Spotify and Apple Music. This feature, now in beta, enables artists to promote upcoming releases by letting fans automatically add these albums to their libraries upon release.

11:22
It expands TikTok's add-to-music app strategy, which helps users add songs to playlists on other platforms. This move aligns with TikTok's efforts to drive music engagement beyond its app, even as it ends its own TikTok music streaming service.

11:36
and shifts towards promoting external streaming while navigating new deals with independent labels. And speaking of new deals with independent labels, TikTok has signed a new direct licensing deal with Ditto Music, a major indie distribution platform that also offers services and represents over a million artists. This agreement follows TikTok's recent direct deal with UnitedMasters, bypassing previous partnerships managed through Merlin. Ditto CEO stated that the deal includes access to TikTok,

12:04
CapCut and the commercial music library, offering expanded opportunities for Ditto's artists. And as you probably know by now, TikTok's agreement with Merlin expired October 31st, so other indie distributors must now pursue direct deals with TikTok in order to continue monetizing on the platform. All right, next up, TikTok's got some more competition. A new Fediverse-based short form video app called Loops is in the works offering an alternative to TikTok.

12:31
Created by the developer of Instagram alternative PixelFied, Loops lets users post 60 second videos with features like sound usage, video remixing, and curated comment sections coming soon. Currently in beta, Loops requires email confirmation to join and will be available on iOS via test flight with a side loadable version for Android. The app uses human moderators and a user trust score system for content review.

12:57
Presently, Loops doesn't sell user data or provide videos for AI training, instead relying on grants and donations for funding. In other news, SESAC Music Group has acquired HAAWK, a copyright management company known for managing YouTube's content ID, and Facebook's rights manager for independent music and media catalogs. HAAWK,

13:16
which also runs distribution service Diistro with two i's, and micro-sync platform Keyframe Audio will operate under SESAC's Music Services Division alongside AudioSalad. The acquisition aligns with SESAC's focus on providing robust royalty collection and asset management services for independent labels and publishers. This move is a part of SESAC's growth strategy following recent acquisitions of companies like AudioSalad, Audiam, and the Harry Fox Agency.

13:45
Alright, in Qobuz, the high-res music streaming and downloads platform has officially launched in Japan, marking its 26th market. Known for catering to high-quality audio enthusiasts, Qobuz enters Japan at a time when paid streaming is growing rapidly despite making up less than 30% of the market. The company's Japanese service will include local music like J-Pop and follows its 2021 acquisition of Japanese high-res download platform, E-Onkyo Music.

14:12
With Japan's strong demand for premium sound quality, the platform sees a promising future for its offerings in this market. Next up, Duetti, a music investment company focused on indie rights, has raised $114 million to expand its catalog acquisition. This funding includes $34 million in new equity led by Flexpoint4 and $80 million through its first asset-backed securitization deal, marking a milestone as the first independent music rights securitization on Wall Street.

14:41
Founders say Duetti aims to provide diverse funding for independent artists, helping them scale globally and access immediate funding. Since launching in 2023, Duetti has supported 500 artists with deals from $10,000 to $3 million, helping boost streams and visibility. Alright, unfortunately, Tidal is facing another round of layoffs as Jack Dorsey, the CEO of the parent company Block, announced a shift to operate quote-unquote like a startup with a smaller team.

15:09
In a message to staff, he explained plans to cut roles in product management, marketing, and design, with engineering likely next in line. The restructuring could impact up to 100 employees, which is about a quarter of TIDAL's workforce, and it would be the second layoff since December. BLOCK, which acquired TIDAL in 2021, aims to streamline operations to focus on artist support amid tough competition from larger streaming platforms.

15:35
Alright, the global music merch market is projected to hit $16.3 billion annually by 2030, but media research warns that growth is actually slowing, with yearly gains predicted to be just 1.6% by the end of the decade. Now that's not all bad, growth is still growth, but those gains are expected to lessen a little bit. Media's report includes sales of both physical and digital merchandise, as well as vinyl, CDs, and cassettes.

16:03
An analyst highlights challenges noting that fan-made and secondhand merch make up about a quarter of sales cutting into official revenues. She also suggests that artists might benefit by collaborating with these unlicensed sellers, and she cautions labels against over-harvesting fandom which could risk future growth. And she's definitely got a point. I mean, how many news stories have we seen and have I shared?

16:28
where everybody's talking about trying to capitalize on super fans. So yeah, you definitely don't want to exhaust the people who are willing to support the artist. So yeah, she's got a point there, but just something to be aware of. It doesn't mean that you need to stop producing merch. Of course, it's not going anywhere. So yeah, it's still something useful to have, but yeah, those growth margins are narrowing.

16:51
Alright, next up, Global Royalty Collections hit a record $14.2 billion in 2023, largely driven by a recovery in live music and public performances, according to CISAC's latest report. So music royalties accounted for $12.72 billion, up 7.6% year over year, though growth is slowing. Live performance royalties rose 22%, while digital collections increased by 9.6%, though most creators find streaming revenue insufficient.

17:20
An analyst noted that the digital market is nearing saturation, with many users canceling subscriptions due to rising costs. CISAC also highlighted AI as a potential threat to creator income, urging protective policies for artists' rights. As we know, there are people in Congress all over, and various governments across the world that have been kind of fighting for that, even here in the US. So you know.

17:44
There's an election coming up. That's all I'm going to say about that for now. Maybe a little bit more later, but yeah, just something to be aware of going into 2025. It'll be interesting to see what the stats for 2024 are once that kind of rolls around again. But yeah, we've been hearing a lot about how the sector is kind of drying up a little bit. But I mean, honestly, with the way things have been going, there are very many sectors that have been struggling right now, but keep your head up.

18:11
Music distribution platform UnitedMasters has extended its partnership with the NFL through the 2027 season, enhancing access to its sync library of indie artists for NFL content. This agreement follows music integration across NFL programming and provides additional licensing packages for NFL member clubs. The partnership aims to showcase independent artists to millions of fans and reflects a growing trend in sports entertainment, where music licensing plays a crucial role.

18:38
And as we know, I've shared some stories about how the NFL has gotten in trouble for using music on their social media channels without the proper licensing. So hey, maybe they'll be looking to do some more deals within that regard so that way, you know, hopefully independent artists can benefit from that. All right, and finally, Snapchat's latest update shows growth that could benefit indie artists looking to reach new audiences. With daily active users rising to 443 million,

19:06
The app saw a 25% increase in content watch time, reflecting higher engagement potential. Notably, global user growth outside North America and Europe surged by 15.6% with Snapchat Plus subscriptions doubling to 12 million. This expansion highlights new opportunities for artists to share content, connect with fans, and potentially gain exposure through the platform's expanding public sharing feature where over 1 billion snaps are now shared monthly. For artists...

19:35
Snapchat's reach could provide a powerful tool for audience growth. So yeah, I bet some of the people in the US might be scratching their heads right now because growth has been kind of flat in the US over the year, but hey, it's blowing up everywhere else. And so especially to the people listening in the US, remember that the world is much larger than where we are. And so yeah, you definitely got to capitalize on that. All right. And one more tidbit before I take a...

20:01
quick pause for the cause. Apple Music has released their delivery deadline so if you're dropping music this holiday season somewhere between November 29th and January 3rd there are specific dates that you need to make sure that you have your music submitted by. So make sure that you check that out. If you want to take a quick peek at my Instagram there's a photo there that's got those specific dates listed. Alright now I'm gonna take a quick pause for the cause and then I'll be back with my special guest.

20:30
Nubi the Ear Hustler. Keep it locked.

30:29
Hey, I'm Achickwitbeatz, multi-genre music producer and strategist to indie artists and labels. Visit achickwitbeatz.com for resources for artists and instrumentals in various genres available for songs, blogs, blogs, podcasts, themes, TV, film, commercials, and more. Once again, that's achickwitbeatz.com. That's A-C-H-I-C-K-W-I-T-B-E-A-T-Z.com Let's make something happen.

30:59
All right, thank you so much for tuning in to instrumental Intel. I'm your host, music producer, Achickwitbeatz. And I'm very, very excited to say that I have Nubi the Ear Hustler in the virtual building with me today. And you know, you've been doing so many things just for the culture. I'd like for you to be able to take a moment and, you know, just kind of share with the listeners who you are and how you got into doing what you do.

31:24
Thank you so much. I appreciate you. I was excited when I heard that Achickwitbeatz was reaching out to me. I was like, what? Take this interview. Shout out to UltraMag7 for putting me in touch with you. So, um, yeah. So again, I am Nubi the Ear Hustler. I have a show called We Ear Hustling Baby and I started out about three years ago, actually, in the middle of the pandemic.

31:52
and maybe it's three and a half years ago now. What I did was I started out doing my own show and then I also reached out to another platform called Weekly Rap Gods. Okay. I had been watching them and I noticed that there was a gentleman, his name is Twan Mack, who was hosting these interviews alongside another young lady and I don't know her name. And I just felt like, you know what, I could do this. And

32:20
I think this would be the perfect platform because I do have some background in Hip Hop. And so I reached out to the owner of Weekly Rap Gods. His name is Frankie Salvation. Shout out to Frankie Salvation. And I said, hey, I'd like to audition to become a co-host. And he was like, oh, okay, you know, you know, who would you audition with? And I said, I'll get Chip-Fu.

32:50
And so he's like, okay. And so I did the interview chip was gracious enough to, so let me, let, let me use him as my first experiment if you will. And it took off from there. I started doing Hip Hop interviews. There's a cohost with Twan Mack. And then on my page, it was mainly geared towards R&B actually when I first started it, because R&B is my first love. And I said, you know what?

33:20
I want to do both. And so I did. And for almost two and a half years, we did weekly interviews on Weekly Rap Gods and then I alternated and did the interviews on my show. That's a lot. Yes. You know, I think what happened was, you know, again, it's, it's the middle of the pandemic, it's surreal. Yeah. Oh, you're not even like, I'm like, like, is this happening?

33:48
I just lost my father at the top of the pandemic. He actually saw a bit of what was unraveling and then he passed away. And I was just like, and my mom had passed away in 2018. And while I was sad that they were gone, I was glad they weren't there for that. And so just trying to find my footing. I have a nine-to-five job. I love music, always loved it. And I just jumped.

34:18
Yeah, well, first of all, it's already a lot to put together a weekly show. We've been to be doing it, you know, twice a week with, you know, other stuff you already dealing with, you know, your home situation, family, and then working on top of that. That's a lot. So I think that automatically kind of speaks to your love for the culture and pushing it forward. So I guess, let me ask this in a way where I won't

34:46
make you have to choose, but have you had any, I guess, interviews that kind of stuck with you a little bit longer than others? Um, yeah, I mean, I think, and it's not about choosing more than I think, you know, you just have these memories that come as soon as somebody asks you that type of question, what comes to mind. I'm going to say on the weekly rap, weekly rap gods, there are two. One was really, really funny with Bizarre from D12.

35:16
First of all, he's a sweetheart, but he's so funny. And he was engaging. He was in a car. You know, he was out the car. He stopped at the chicken wing spot all during the interview. Okay? And he did some other things that we were shocked by, but it was just a funny and surprising interview. And so, you know, that was amazing.

35:45
and then Speech from Arrested Development. I've never seen him perform live, so that's on my bucket list, but we know the history of Arrested Development and they're a powerful group, collected. It was just amazing. And he was also just really down to earth. His wife was amazing. She jumped in real quick on the interview.

36:13
And we I felt like I was talking to somebody that I had known forever And so that was pretty pretty dope on the R&B side man, so what I'm gonna say my Best interviews were actually my probably my first two My first two they were very early on the first one was with Eric Roberson

36:37
who I absolutely adore, had been listening to his music for years. My sister put me on to him when he first came out. And another just, you know, gracious man, easy to talk to. I felt like, again, I knew him forever. And then there's an artist by the name of Elmiene, who is just now turning, I think, 22 or 23, who came on the scene. Questlove found him first.

37:06
I saw him on Questlove's page and I immediately reposted the music and he was singing D'Angelo's How Does It Feel and I actually got an interview with him and I got his first ever interview. Oh, that's what's up. Yes, and he is a personality. He's got to be, I'm five foot two, I swear he got to be about six foot six, six foot seven. I'm five foot two too.

37:32
Yeah, all right. That's what I'm talking about. I love joking through enough to you. Right, absolutely. So, he was funny, engaging, he sang, you know, it was just really a dope moment. And then I saw him live in Brooklyn, maybe a year or so ago, and he was on stage and he spotted me. He was like, Nubi, I see you. You the OG, Nubi. You know, and I didn't even get a chance to really give him a hug or anything, but...

38:01
It was just a matter of him understanding, I think, where I was in his life and maybe hopefully see importance that that interview, you know, had. Yeah. But he's still he's Sudanese out of the UK. Um, just so dope. So yeah, so there are quite a few, I mean, and there are others, you know, um, the psycho les one eldest sense, they like, I've had so many interviews, the legendary black ice I've done him.

38:31
Incredible, incredible. The first one, we were both in tears. I have that on my YouTube page. Like, man, there's too many to say favorites, but I'm gonna say there's some ones that jumped me off in terms of doing We Ear Hustling on the paper. Okay, that's what's up. So, you know, for you to be able to kind of document what's happening and some of the things that have happened, it's so important to preserve in the culture. I don't think enough people actually understand, you know.

38:58
Like the task that you have and you're doing it so well. Thank you. When you reflect back to like when you first fell in love with music, R&B, and Hip Hop, who are some of those legends that automatically come to your mind? R&B, man, Luther, Miki Howard, her and I have connected and she's so dope. Melba Moore, who I've also connected with.

39:23
Obviously Stevie Wonder, Phyllis Hyman, I mean so many greats on the R&B side. And then in terms of like, you know, the 90s, you know, we had, we had Mary, you know, man, I would sing my head off listening to Mary. There are so many, I mean that, that, and I just put this in a post today about Clark Kent, you know, a lot of this music is a soundtrack to our lives, right?

39:53
And so I think about where I was when I heard certain things like SWV and, you know, all these, these amazing faith, that means like all these amazing artists. There's just so many names, but those are some of the favorites in terms of R and B in terms of Hip Hop, man. Whew. I'm going to start, I'm going to start out with like DMX, you know, who.

40:18
Man, he was special. You know what I mean? He was just really, really special. He's one of my faves. I know most people say Tupac. Yeah, I mean, Tupac, baby, yeah, of course they're dope. There was just the poetic sadness about DMX that resonated with me. If we go further back, I'm gonna say artifacts, Bush babies, which are probably a little more underground.

40:47
Bush Babies had a little more commercial success. Um, man, I'm old. So, I mean, I can go all the way back to the Sugar Hill Gang and, you know, say, man, I brought them to class for show and tell. So, you know, it's, it's KRS-One. It's just, uh, Big Daddy Kane. There's just so many. Yeah. It's like, the one thing I would say about my age group is that.

41:17
we have lived through the best years of music, right? I mean, the best years, because we got to see all the changes we got to listen to and enjoy our parents' music, come forward. And I would tell people, we not your grandma's grandma. You know what I mean? We're different, you know what I mean? So we've experienced so much change and so much cyclical

41:45
music and that, you know, everything comes back around. I mean, we talk about Hip Hop artists, the Golden Era Hip Hop artists, even boom bap Hip Hop artists that are now re-releasing, coming back out saying, yo, we still here. I love it. MC Lyte, Rakim, like, LL, like, this is what is needed in Hip Hop to kind of mix the pot up a little bit. And then we have this change and shift happening where we have a lot of

42:13
Hip Hop artists talking about God and talking about spirituality. I actually worked with an artist by the name of J Swiss, um, who is just incredible. Like he's greatness to me. He's like LaRussell, um, you know, in that he comes out and he speaks to shoot and LaRussell a little more cursing and carrying on, but you know, there's this, this faith-based, not overly.

42:42
faith-based in that is being slammed in your face, but affirmation. And then great lyrics to go with it. And with Jay, he knows how to work with an orchestra. Like that's not normal. That's not the average person. So there's so much, so much amazing Hip Hop out here. I have a hard time getting off of Instagram and ear-hustling. Okay. Well, with you saying that.

43:09
perfect segue into the next thing I wanted to ask, with you having this connection to this rich history of good classic music, and still being able to pick out real talent today. So a lot of times, especially online, you see a lot of complaints about today's music, but really they're just talking about the mainstream stuff. How, if you have, I guess maybe advice for anybody listening that kind of has a hard time knowing that there's still dope stuff out there.

43:39
You just got to go find it. You got to work a little bit harder than maybe we had to in the 90s or whatever. Yeah. I mean, I think, and you kind of just said it, you got to work a little harder, but it's out there. So, you know, once you, let's say for you, let's say you like J. Swiss and you start listening to his music, your algorithm is going to change. You're going to be getting fed a different type of music. That's the first thing.

44:08
The second thing is there's so many platforms like SoundCloud, Bandcamp, that, and even the other ones, Spotify, that you can discover music that is your taste. So, you know, it's out there. You just got to want to see it. And by the way, on Instagram, you can say, I'm not interested in seeing that. And it'll take it out. So I think people just, there has come with this social media stuff.

44:36
First of all, instant gratification is number one. Mm-hmm. People want it and they want it now. And as soon as it's here, it's gone. And that's what a lot of music, almost all of it. I don't care how good it is. You're moving on to the next thing after you've had it. But the longest-running song in the last two years is probably 24 hours by Money Long. Mm-hmm. I mean, if you think about it,

45:03
I mean, obviously there's the Taylor Swift's and there's the Beyonce's and then, but I'm talking about, you know, those are exceptions to the rule. Right. Right? But when you start looking at those that are not at that level yet.

45:19
If the consumer doesn't demand it and demand that it stay, then there's a problem. If the artist doesn't understand how to corral their tribe, the artist.

45:38
Wow. So it's out there. They don't understand how to corral their tribe. That's, that's a bar right there. First of all, true. I mean, you put out something, some people like it. Some people won't. Right. You focus on the people that like it. Why? Cause those people are going to be your mouthpiece. Those people are going to be the people that spread the word. Those are the people you treat well.

46:06
Those are the people you invite to special guests and events. Those are the people that you talk to. So you begin to curate your world. Yeah. You know? It's just, you got to be patient. And you got to know what to do. I am no one's A&R. But damn it, I got a pretty good ear. And I know what it takes to get these things going.

46:37
You can't just throw it out there and hope it sticks. You gotta have a reason as to why you're putting out this music, what you wanna get from it, and what you're trying to convey with it. Wow. I mean, well, first of all, thank you for dropping that, Jim, most of the listeners are independent artists. So yeah, definitely gotta highlight what you just said there because I mean, that's so important.

47:02
I mean, if you think about it, if you follow any independent artists online, anybody listening out there, chances are you've come across a post where they're complaining about people not supporting them. And as a supporter, that kind of sucks. Like I know I hate when I see it, like, yeah, y'all don't like good music. Duh, duh, duh. I'm like, well, wait, I just shared your stuff the other day. Like that doesn't mean anything to you, but like you said, to focus on the people who like what you do. Right. Um, cause I honestly believe anybody that.

47:30
feels compelled to make music, they actually have an inspiration, is because somebody else needed to hear the product. So yeah, if you spend so much time focusing on the folks that scroll past or didn't say anything, then yeah, focus is just in the wrong direction. So yeah, I appreciate you so much for dropping that gem. Yeah, welcome. Yeah, I think, you know, everything ain't for everybody. Yeah. You know what I mean? It's just human nature. And one of the things that I've...

48:00
Actually, one of the people I've been following, Demiza, man, he's brilliant. You know what I mean? And I know he's been in this game for a long time, but another thing that he mentioned, which I agree with, which goes hand in hand with the tribe thing is synergy. That's how you create synergy. That's part of it. It's not all of it, but it's part of it by understanding, okay, my consumer, my fans or my tribe, and I hate the word fans, but my tribe likes this.

48:29
then you open them up to a little more and a little more and you bring them along. Cause people don't know what they like until you give it to them. Right. Right. You know? Yeah. Was it that for quote, like if I asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses. So yeah. You know, and, or when you ask people what they like, they don't tell you what they like. They tell you what they don't like. Hmm. Yeah. Think about that. Ask your girlfriend or your homeboy,

48:58
Oh, you know, what kind of food do you like? Well, I don't like tacos. But I ask you to write what you like. You know what I mean? Yeah. There's this even in just ordinary conversation, we start with negative. Yeah, that's a really good point. Yeah, you miss out on the good stuff, looking at the wrong stuff. That's it. Stop focusing on what you can't get. Stop focusing on what you don't like. Focus on what you can get. Focus on what you.

49:28
Yeah, another bar there. Definitely appreciate that. No worries. So yeah, you know, as someone who's interviewed so many people, when independent artists are maybe looking for some press or looking for interviews, what are some, I guess, do's and don'ts that you have to offer, you know, before they start reaching out to different podcasts and blogs and whatnot? I would say have an EPK prepared.

49:58
bio prepared, a link with your music prepared to send to whomever you want to be interviewed by. That is the most important thing because you want the interviewer to be familiar with you and your music and so that when they interview you, they're talking to your strengths.

50:24
Right? They know who you are, at least somewhat from your bio and your EPK. Um, I would say also, you know, don't be, and I'm not sure if you've experienced this, but. You know, if you send someone to DM and say, Hey, you know, I would love for you to interview me. Don't come into the DM talking about your mom. Yo, what up? Yo, let's work. Cause I'm going to ignore you.

50:53
I might block you. There has to be a certain etiquette. I don't care how old you are. You're not going to get a response from me if you do that. A good morning always works. A hello. Yeah. You know what I mean? Don't send me stuff all random. I've had people do that back to back, every day for a week. Just send me stuff. No hello, no nothing. I'm like, what you want me to do with this?

51:22
I'm not, because I'm not going to do nothing with it. I'm going to delete it. Hey, you know, um, just be prepared. Know that there are like probably five basic questions that you're going to be asked and be prepared to answer those questions. Do your homework on the podcast or the interview, understand their, their interview style, because if you're not a talker.

51:50
then that means I have to pull the information from it. Right? Practice on being comfortable with yourself, being comfortable in your skin, being able to speak. Like communication, verbal communication is becoming a lost art. Why? Because we text. Why? Because we use shorthand and we use all these little emojis and LOLs and FMLs. And you know what I mean? Like, so people aren't speaking anymore.

52:20
That is an issue as well. And understand the value of it into you. That's lost, that's on, now that's just lost on every age group I've come across. Yeah. I don't need an interview, okay. Right. Like, you know, I'm not pressed, but I suggest that you rethink that. Yeah. You know? So yeah, I would just say, just be prepared.

52:49
Make sure that the interviewer is prepared and they know what you got out there. Make sure that you are prepared to talk about all your social media handles, what you got coming. Tout your strengths. Yeah, I've worked with, you know, Marcus Machado's, you know, an amazing guitarist out of wherever or listen, this is your opportunity to shine. So make it work.

53:18
Man, that's wonderful advice. I hope everybody listening will take it to heart. Yeah. I mean, and I have experienced some of those where it's just rude. Like, yo, I got this new video coming out. Let me get on your next show. I'm like, yeah, you don't understand the schedule. I've had people reach out on previous shows, like radio shows. I had a talk show before and people would just ask me if I'd play their music.

53:46
And I'm like, well, the one that lets me know you've never listened to the show because you would understand his talk radio. So, yeah, now I'm not even going to address it. So, yeah, I mean, it's. It's it's interesting how many people just feel so brazen to just think that you owe them, you know, the exposure entitled. Yeah. Yeah, that's it. Entitled with no cooth and it is it's just lost on them.

54:16
It's like, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme this. Yo, I need you. Really? Right. You got the wrong person. This is the wrong platform for that. It's not for this platform. No. And it's funny that you say that because, um, in terms of the talk radio, it's something that I want to get into. So kudos to you. I think that talk radio is going to blow, mark my words because as

54:46
the environment changes. And I'm not a huge conspiracy theorist, but I do believe there will be a point where we have nothing and we will back to transistors radios for a short brief time, even if it's just a full-on blackout. You guys are gonna be the ones that are gonna be there filling us in. So that's my next endeavor.

55:16
You know, I was just reading something about how they were trying to put protections in place for AM radio. They keep it from, you know, kind of going by the wayside like it has been. I think there's some more like bills or something that they have to do, but I did hear that they were working on that kind of legislature. So, yeah, that's an interesting point. I didn't look at it that way. But now that you say that, and I'm tying it with what I read, I bet you're right.

55:41
Mm-hmm. Yeah. I always think about the book of Eli with Denzel Washington, when he finds the radio in this, in the, wherever it was, a box or dirt or whatever. And I'm like, yeah, it's going to eventually come to that, I believe. But that's just my own, my own thoughts. But yeah, there's definitely a space and I hope it doesn't go away. Yeah. I mean, it's just really to be documenting things that have happened and the things that are happening,

56:11
So I believe it was, yeah, 2023 was my first time ever visiting DC. And I kind of fell in love with the culture and everything, but we were going through, um, the Smithsonian and, you know, looking at some of the things, the memorabilia that they had up, you know, the space, the mothership replica and all this other stuff. So I'm looking at the museum, looking at all these different, um, you know, musical artifacts. And I was thinking, I bet these people didn't know at the time that they were creating this stuff.

56:40
that this would eventually be erected for people to go and learn. So, you know, I really feel like taking interviews, being a music journalist in this era is still super important because, you know, we're documenting stuff as it happens. Later back, you know, they'll look and be like, oh, yeah, I remember when, you know, someone said this, that or the other. But yeah, it's just so important. And I think, you know, just the fact that.

57:08
You know, it's happening in real time. History gets made in real time. We don't realize this history until we look back. So yeah. You know, salute to you for what you do. You know, and keeping us up to date on all the legends and what they're doing before, you know, looking at the time, it feels like it went by so fast. But, um, I hope that I get to have you back again in the future. Yes. Definitely before we go, I want to make sure that everybody knows everything that you've got going on.

57:37
Every show, every podcast, YouTube thing they need to subscribe to. Give them all your information and what they need to check out. Okay. Thank you. Um, so I am Nubity Ear Hustler. My, uh, social media page on IG is We Ear Hustling Baby. Um, it is the same thing on threads. I do have a YouTube page. It is called We Ear Hustling Baby. Um, I am only doing my podcast for my page at the current time.

58:05
I am continuing to do interviews. I will say that my format is going to change for the new year. I hope to be doing some more live things. And I also hope to be getting some events together, because part of what I do is bring attention to new artists who I like, and I expose them to the masses, and I'm looking to do something where I have.

58:35
a few of those artists perform. So hopefully that'll come to fruition second quarter of 2025. And yeah, that's where you can find me. Right. Well, thank you so much. I really, really appreciate you. And again, shout out to Ultramag for connecting us. It's been a blast. And yeah, I really look forward to talking with you again, hopefully. Yes, absolutely. Anytime we child, you have an amazing day. Thank you so much. Thank you too.

59:03
Alright, that's a wrap for this episode of Instrumental Intel. I've been your host, music producer Achickwitbeatz. I'd like to thank you once again for tuning in and listening. I'd like to thank my special guest, Nubi the Ear Hustler, for coming through and sharing her experience and wisdom. I'd also like to thank my home station, Grander Radio out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

59:22
And once again, I'm excited to come back. Next week, I got more goodies lined up for you. My special guest, music artist, Tomiké, will be joining me. We're gonna talk about the power of perspective and perseverance in music. So it's gonna be another great time. But before then, please make sure that you get out, exercise your right to vote. It's more than just a presidential election going on.

59:43
especially as all this new legislation is trying to get pushed through for things that affect independent artists. Please make sure that your voice gets heard and that you're choosing people who are actually going to represent you. Alright, till next time, you know where to find me. Tune in, tell a friend, I'll see you then. Peace.