Instrumental Intel - Ep 45 International Women’s Day Edition (3-8-25)

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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.
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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.

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Transcript Generated by Riverside

00:00

Hey, happy International Women's Day. Thank you so much for tuning in to Instrumental Intel. I'm your host, music producer, Achickwitbeatz, and I have a special episode lined up for today where I'm going to highlight some of my conversations with some of the wonderful women who have been on my podcast so far. So we're gonna have that, of course, Beats by Me, for your inspiration and a little bit of music industry news. And so again, this is another episode I'm excited to be bringing to you.

00:28

Please do know that you can check out any of these full episodes in the archives at Achickwitbeatz.com. Make sure you click on Instrumental Intel Podcast and it'll get you there or you can search for Instrumental Intel on your favorite podcast platform, YouTube, Facebook and Audiomack. So yeah, any way you want to get to it, you definitely can. So okay, before I go ahead and drop that first beat for the episode, I got to give a shout out to my home station, Grander Radio out of Grand Rapids, Michigan. And with that, let's go!

00:59
[BEAT BREAK]

13:07

Alright, I'm back with the music biz brief. First up, Primary Wave is reportedly finalizing the deal to acquire a significant state in Biggie's music catalog, name, and likeness rights, with a valuation between $100 million and $150 million. The agreement is expected to include 50% of both publishing and master rights. This comes shortly after the passing of Biggie's mother, Valetta Wallace, who played a key role in managing his estate.

13:32

Primary Wave has been expanding its portfolio of legendary artist catalogs, reflecting the growing value of music rights in today's music market. Speaking of which, a new music investment fund, Raven Music Partners, has launched with an initial $250 million to acquire music rights, aiming to grow its portfolio to $1 billion in copyrights. The fund plans to collaborate with independent artists, songwriters, and labels to expand their reach.

13:57

Its catalog already includes 15,000 copyrights across multiple genres, with hits like All About That Bass. Endurance Music Group will serve as its Nashville-based administrator, providing active catalog management. Also in music rights news, indie music investment company Duetti has secured $200 million in new debt funding as it expands into royalty and publishing catalog deals alongside recordings.

14:22

This adds to over $435 million in funding raised since 2022. The company has already made deals with over 700 artists offering upfront payments for rights or royalty shares while assisting with catalog management and marketing. Alright, next up, Impala is urging global regulators to block Universal Music Group's $775 million acquisition of downtown music holdings, citing concerns over market competition.

14:48

The European indie body argues that Universal's growing acquisitions, including its recent purchase of PIAS, threaten a diverse music market by consolidating control. Impala warns that fewer options for labels and artists could lead to higher prices and reduce access to digital services. Universal's Virgin Music Group plans to close the deal by year end despite opposition. I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens. Also, ASCAP has reported...

15:14

$1.835 billion in revenue for 2024, up 5.7% from the previous year with royalty distributions rising 6.5% to $1.696 billion. As the only US pro operating as a not-for-profit, ASCAP allocates 90% of its revenue to its members compared to BMI's 85% following its private equity sale.

15:38

Meanwhile, the U.S. Copyright Office is investigating ASCAP, BMI, CSAC, and global music rights over licensing transparency, questioning why venues and artists must pay all four pros even when performing songs registered to just one. And speaking of licensing, AI licensing and protection platform Vermilio has secured $16 million in Series A funding from Sony Music Entertainment.

16:02

DNS Capital, and others. The company aims to safeguard the creative rights of artists, labels, and studios as AI continues to reshape the industry. Powered by its TraceID technology, Vermilio helps monitor intellectual property, manage AI licensing, and ensure fair credit and compensation. The platform is already partnered with WME and worked with Sony Pictures and Pink Floyd's David Gilmore on AI-driven creative projects.

16:28

Next up, YouTube Music and Premium have surpassed 125 million paid subscribers, adding 25 million in the past year, at an average of just over 2 million per month. YouTube's global head of music, Lyor Cohen, emphasized the platform's goal of becoming the top revenue contributor to the music industry and highlighted AI-driven tools like DreamScreen for Shorts.

16:50

YouTube also expanded its lower-cost premium light tier in the US and continues to see growth in music video engagement, particularly connected to TVs. In other news, the Cranberries are suing Universal Music's Island Records for over $5 million, alleging unfair digital royalty deductions. The lawsuit claims Universal's foreign subsidiaries take a 40% cut of streaming revenue before paying artists, an outdated practice from the CD era.

17:17

It also accuses Universal of using Vevo to reduce YouTube royalties and obscure financial reporting. The band argues these deductions are excessive as streaming platforms now handle distribution and promotion. The case follows a 2021 audit that uncovered the alleged underpayments. So this will be an interesting story to watch. Depending on how this goes, there might be a flood that comes right after it. Alright, and Drew Hill, and that's D-R-E-W Hill and Dutch distributor Artone.

17:46

have secured the future of Proper Music Group, the UK's leading physical distributor for independent artists, through a successful acquisition deal. Proper, which controls 13% of the UK physical market, was previously acquired by Utopia Music in 2022 before its bankruptcy. Hill, who has led Proper for 18 years, navigated the company through the tumultuous period under Utopia's ownership.

18:08

With Artone's pan-European reach and a focus on vinyl and CD formats, the acquisition strengthens Proper's position in the thriving indie market sector. This development promises greater growth potential and opportunities for indie labels to expand in both UK and European markets. Next up, influencer marketing firm VoxFeed is up for sale as its lead investor, Agave Lab Ventures, looks to exit by year end.

18:33

The company, which has worked with both top-tier and emerging artists, boasts a network of 50,000 creators, mainly in Mexico, the US Latino market, and Latin America. Despite revenue growth from $137,000 in 2021 to $414,000 in 2023, earnings dropped to $116,000 in 2024.

18:56

The CEO suggests VoxFeed could be a strategic acquisition for labels or talent agencies looking to spark viral trends and engage fanbases through micro-influencer campaigns. Next in news, Feature·fm has partnered with Bandcamp to integrate automatic links to Bandcamp stores on landing pages created using Feature·fm. This new feature removes the manual step, making it easier for artists and labels to promote their Bandcamp pages. With nearly 550,000 artists using Feature·fm,

19:24

This integration expands Bandcamp's reach and could boost revenue for artists as Bandcamp is a top revenue source for many. Feature·fm also claims the highest sales conversion rates on Bandcamp, enhancing the potential for increased earnings. And finally, the Twitch CEO outlined major changes between 25 including updates to monetization and new features for creators. Twitch is opening up subscriptions and bits to most creators, regardless of follower count, democratizing the platform's monetization process.

19:53

The company also introduced shared hype trains for collaborative streaming, new tools for brand partnerships, and easier ways for creators to earn revenue. Additionally, Twitch will enhance mobile viewing with landscape and vertical options, new power-ups for streams, and smoother editing for clips. So something to take advantage of if you're interested. Alright, and that's it for this week's music biz brief. I'm gonna take a quick pause for the cause, and then I'll be back with a special presentation for International Women's Day, the highlights.

20:22

all the incredible women that have been on Instrumental Intel so far. Keep it locked!

[BEAT BREAK]

24:52

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, vlogs, 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.

25:20

What up everybody? This is Phire Free. I am a spoken word poet and author. And I am also a master's level graduate in counseling psychology. I cultivate healing-centered spaces to work through trauma and to build on wellness, resilience, and

25:51

and presence and awareness. And thank you so much, Achickwitbeatz, for allowing me to be here today. Yes, I'm glad you could take time from your schedule to share with us. And so, you know, many artists, they're going through challenges and they need places to put their emotions into their music or whatever it is that they do creatively. How do you think the process of creating music can help both?

26:18

and challenge mental health for artists? Because we know it's kind of like a double-edged sword a little bit. So what are your thoughts on that? So much. This is a really, this is a really compound question. And part of my frustration with this is the fact that being in the mental health field and being so dedicated and driven and passionate about trauma and its contribution to things like suicidality.

26:45

So we've had to increase suicide awareness and self-interest behaviors and challenges just with dealing with and navigating mental illness in general. There has not been enough effort and interest in making sure that access to creative outlets have been available.

27:10

Um, and so now it was just recently within the last year or so that it was released that, you know, art and writing is so helpful with trauma. Go figure. Right. So, so to be able to take the time to give people artistic opportunity to kind of delve into.

27:35

reacting and responding to some of their most challenging and some of their most in-depth experiences offers them the opportunity to explore it in a different way. And we really do need to be more open to that culturally. Hear more on Episode 1 - Mental Health & Creativity with Phire Free. Hello world. Yes, it is my pleasure also. Wynell J Soul is an R&B Soul singer. I do R&B, gospel, jazz.

28:05

A little bit of blues, very eclectic style, been singing for a very long time. Always really been a singer, like literally always. Since I was very young, I started off and I'm singing gospel in a gospel group with my cousins in Chicago. So I'm originally from Chicago. I do reside in Michigan, but I was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, south east side. So I've been singing in choirs and churches

28:35

weddings and funerals and all of that good stuff since probably about like performing performance since about eight. Wow. That's so early. Yeah, eight years ago. Yeah, me and my cousin were in a, we started a gospel group. So we always, we went from churches to churches singing. And we actually used to come to Michigan when I was little. That's how I ended up moving to Michigan because I used to travel to Michigan to different churches to sing. Yeah.

29:04

Wow. So, okay. To think about doing that as early as eight years old, do you recall ever being like nervous when you started or was it just? Oh gosh, yes. So funny thing is I was considered the shy one of me and my cousin's group, but I was.

29:25

you know, the voice, one of my friends laughing, he was like, oh, so you was the Beyonce of the group. I'm like, you know what? Honestly, when I listened to her story about how she started and how she was uncomfortable on stage by herself, that is totally me. Like, I literally took, it took me a very long time to get up by myself and sing and be comfortable because I was just so used to my cousins being on the side of me. Even though I was the shy one, I was able to like do a lot better, like, performance-wise when I had other people around me for a very long time.

29:56

So yeah, that was really hard. It was hard when I was young. But I got used to it. Like I said, we used to travel. And I actually forgot about how much we traveled until I was speaking to a friend of mine. And I remembered, I was like, oh shoot, I really used to go to different churches and I used to come up here to Michigan and we used to go to churches in Detroit and sing. So yeah. I think my first church we went to in Detroit, I think I was like 12 or 13.

30:24

Hear more on Episode 3 - Recognizing Milestones in Your Music Journey with Wynell J Soul. I am Deepspawn Logic. I am a Jazz Fusion artist and music producer. And I am also the host and creator of Artist Spotlight Sunday. I'm currently living in the state of New Jersey. I'm originally from New York, from Brooklyn, New York, but I've spent a lot of my life in New Jersey. So that's where I'm at right now. And...

30:53

Music was something that I started in 2020 after a bout of depression. You know, I had some close loved ones pass and I was in not a good place. And so my husband introduced me to a couple of things and I just, you know, started dabbling in creating because it helped me focus on something else other than what was going on. And

31:20

From just the first song I created, you know, I was just hooked, you know, and I really found something that I really, really love to do and it hadn't stopped yet. So for the past four years, I've been creating, producing, and releasing music. So it's become something that I've really, really enjoyed doing. Okay, okay. Well, you know, there's so many things to be said about producing music.

31:47

is one, you get to the inspiration from doing music yourself and then being able to inspire other artists to work with. And we know you've got a lot of collaborations that you've done. Could you maybe offer any advice as far as to any independent artists out there listening who don't really know how to go about approaching others for collaborations, but what type of advice do you have as far as seeking collaborators or letting them come to you? Like, how do you choose?

32:16

In all honesty, I've been very lucky. I have not, I should say, collaborated with anyone I don't know or am comfortable with. I'm still new, so it's more of a comfort thing for me. And I was very scared to venture outside of the people I know. My husband, for those who don't know, my husband is a musician, so we do have other musician friends. So it was, being that they were as excited.

32:46

to and in what I was doing. It was very, I was comfortable going to them, asking them to do something with me. Hear more on Episode 7 - Passionate Productions with Deepspawn Logic. Please let the people know who is Öykü Doğan and you know, how you got kind of started or pulled into music. All right. Thank you so much. And thank you so much for inviting me. I'm so excited as well.

33:15

And yeah, so I'm a singer-songwriter, composer, and also a jazz pianist. I started with music when I was very little, and with piano and composing, writing songs later on. And then I was born in Turkey. I moved to Italy for college to focus on my music studies.

33:44

So I studied modern vocals and then also jazz piano. I majored in both. In the meantime, I started also producing and releasing my very first songs and then the first album. That's how my music career officially took off. So...

34:12

Yeah, I still continue with all of these things. I continue producing, writing, singing, and releasing. Also, I now, for the last few years, am a vocal coach. That's another thing that I love a lot.

34:36

So yeah, shortly this is it. Well, that's a lot. Um, you know, especially having all the talents and then now being able to share that with others, I think is a tremendous thing. Um, so since you do have so many talents, who are some of the, I guess, maybe biggest musical influences you have? So whether that be other songwriters, other singers, other jazz pianists,

35:06

Yeah, who have been your biggest influences, should I say? Yeah, this is a very difficult and important question. I started with classical music, but also in the meantime, grew up with my mom's records, so progressive rock, but at the same time, pop. And then I studied jazz.

35:36

inspirations from all these different kinds of music, styles of music. Hear more on Episode 11 - From Classical Roots to Contemporary Beats with Öykü Doğan. Alexandria B. Can you tell us a little bit about who you are, how you got drawn into music, and all the background stuff that we need to know that shows us who you stand for in the world today? And yep, yep, yep, yes I can. So...

36:05

Pretty much how I got drawn into music for the most part is basically how most vocalists have, which is starting off in choirs and church. I was in band in high school and also in choir. So I have a decent amount of music background, not just in like what I use as far as my artistry, but with other things because I play drums too.

36:30

My mom was in the choir with Ricky Diller and New G. So it was like I traveled with them before and kind of got real damn through like the gospel part of the music industry. And she was doing other musical stuff, like in the blues scene. So having her influence, having all of the music my dad listened to as far as like, you know, the crack baby music era. Like when he was like KRS-One and Tribe Called Quest and stuff like that.

37:00

I listen to those of course I'm a Chicago native so I listen to house music.

37:09

What else did you say? Oh, you're doing great. I don't want to start rambling. Oh, no. You know what? That's actually what this is for, you know? But you already started off pretty strong with some of your influences and, you know, how your parents had kind of groomed you in that aspect. So if you could maybe talk a little bit more about some of those things you mentioned, KRS, Tribe-Called Quest.

37:35

Are there any other singers that stood out to you from like when you were really young before you actually started getting into singing yourself in the church? I will say because of my mom, it would have to be Aretha Franklin was the first one. And then like my favorite all-time celebrity, even though she's not like, I can't say this because that's basically being backhanded. My favorite like performer and artist as a whole is Janet Jackson.

38:04

Because her artistry when it comes to choreography and performance and putting on the show, I commend it. Beyonce would be next to it. As far as my favorite vocalist, I would say from high school all the way up until now, I would say my favorite people would be Jasmine Sullivan, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, and this male singer by the name of Duran Bernard. Hear more on Episode 16 - From Raw Talent to Refined Artistry with Alexandria B.

38:32

Kershawn, how you doing? Great to have you on. How you doing, sis? I'm good. Good. Well, you know, some people who have been following what I've been doing for a while might remember that you were on the Music Marvels Radio Show. But since this is your first time on Instrumental Intel, if you could give the people a little bit of the background and how you got into music and all that good stuff.

39:01

Well, music's been around me since birth, you know. Just, you know, my mom with her playlists, you know, her playing a lot of jazz. I really started out as a poet, you know. And then from there, like I always was singing. I sang in the church choir, you know. So, you know, that's how I really got started. And then...

39:29

I started producing, well, I started tinkering with making beats in like, oh, it was kind of like a touch and go kind of thing, you know. Didn't really, I bought my first equipment, my first MIDI controller in 2010, didn't really get serious until about, you know, 2012 on and off and then seriously started to catch wreck around.

39:58

2016. So yeah. Okay. Okay. So yeah, you mentioned, you know, mom having the playlist for you, the records, whatever was going on, who are some of your influences specifically that you can recall? Golly, I would say Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan. Of course, like my big three would be Jill Scott and Erykah Badu.

40:24

in Georgia and Muldrow. Those are my big three right there. So I grew up listening to a lot of their music and everything like that, so yeah. Hear more on Episode 19 - Unpacking Hip Hop Production and Its Influence with Kershawn. My name is Christen Eve. I have been a singer-songwriter since I was 13. I, at that age, fell madly in love with writing music.

40:53

same age I started playing guitar and truly since then it has been the one constant in my life. Like other things have fallen away, other hobbies, other interests, but that has been the one constant and ever since then there hasn't been one year that I haven't consistently written music and just continue staying passionate with my music.

41:16

You know, that's interesting. You said there's other hobbies that have come and gone, but that one stays constant. And I think that a lot of people listening can probably relate to it because a lot of times on social media, you'll see people get frustrated and, you know, they might say, I quit, but then a lot of times they come right back. But, but yeah, with that being that constant, especially to be able to continue to write songs consistently, what do you kind of do to get in that zone? Cause I know like there's been a lot of things that.

41:46

everyone's been going through since the pandemic. But how do you kind of keep that in the forefront and still make sure that you sharpen your craft as you will? So I've definitely had seasons where I've had writer's block. You know, I've definitely come and gone from that space. But as far as writing music itself, I think the reason it's always stayed a constant in my life is because it truly does feel like it's a part of me. Almost like

42:14

Like, you know, if you believe in coming to Earth or not, like, I came to Earth with that being, like, stitched into my soul. Like, it's truly a part of me. And it's... When I have gone through anything in my life, anything hard, any dark chapters, it's always songwriting that I turn to. So for me, I kind of get into that space naturally because it is always the first thing I turn to. No matter what I've been through in my life, I feel like...

42:42

Writing music is just always has always been there for me. And I think because at such a young age, I started turning to it when I would go through hard things. It just became my normal. Hear more on Episode 25 - Defining Success Beyond Mainstream Fame with Christen Eve. Adri-Anne, so thank you for joining me, taking time out of your busy schedule. You were on our previous show, Music Marvels before.

43:10

But this is your first time here on instrumental Intel. So if you could give the people a little bit of background as into who you are and how you first got started with music. Sure. So I'm a singer, songwriter and vocal coach. And I've done many things, including being like a performing artist, recording artist and also doing session vocals. And currently

43:40

I'm recovering from like a pretty, pretty intense health challenge that stopped me from singing for a while. So I'm now trying to get back into it. But I started out just really loving to write songs. And I remember like my parents gave me the opportunity to have piano lessons and like my piano teacher would get really frustrated.

44:08

because I would like make up my own songs instead of learning the songs I was supposed to learn. Oh wow. So I kind of like, now that I'm a parent and I see my son do that kind of thing, it's kind of funny to be like, no, like, I understand why she was frustrated, but I feel like that creativity, like that spark of like, wanting to explore ideas and play with sounds and like...

44:36

just make up your own stuff is like something to be encouraged. I'm glad my parents encouraged me to do that. Yeah. I mean, you know, if you had that spark back then, you know, it was just kind of indicative of what was to come. And so it's kind of good that you can see that in your son now and know to nurture it as well. Oh yeah. So, you know, who were some of your biggest influences from when you got started? Um, I.

45:06

Let me think. Now...

45:13

So as far as music, the music that I really loved growing up was R&B, soul, gospel, and then also randomly folk and Irish music. Because they're not really similar, but I can kind of look back and be like, oh, I love the harmonies.

45:43

and like the groove and the feel and the passion of like R&B and soul. And then you can kind of see like in folk and Irish music, there's a lot of like storytelling. Hear more on Episode 26 - Crafting Emotional Connections Through Song with Adri-Anne Ralph. He's been doing so many things just for the culture. I'd like for you to be able to take a moment and, uh, you know, just kind of share with the listeners who you are and how you got into doing what you do.

46:13

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 UltraMag 7 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.

46:41

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 Twon Mac, who was posting 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

47:09

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, who would you audition with? And I said, I'll get Chip Foo.

47:39

And so he's like, OK. And so I did the interview. Chip was gracious enough to let me use him as my first experiment, if you will. And it took off from there. I started doing Hip Hop interviews there as a co-host 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?

48:09

I'm gonna do both. And so I did. And for almost two and a half years, we did weekly interviews on Weekly Rap Gods, and I alternated and did weekly interviews on my show. Hear more on Episode 27 - Chronicling Music History, Past and Present with Nubi the Ear Hustler. So if you could, just kind of give everybody a little bit of background as to who Megan is and how you got into music. Absolutely, thank you so much for having me. So...

48:37

To start at the beginning, I grew up in a very musical family. My parents are extremely talented musicians, so it's literally in my DNA to be a musician. And so just, you know, all throughout grade school, I was involved in music, I was involved in theater, and in college, I've studied acting and music. I sang for a lot of different bands throughout the years.

49:03

And then I started producing my own music in 2019. So and the rest is history. All right. Well, awesome. You said that, you know, it's in your DNA. Yeah, as music. What types of songs do you remember kind of gravitating towards when you were young or any special artists? Oh, I mean, you know, my parents, of course, they they had so many different.

49:32

I mean, they did a lot of 80s pop music, but for me, like I grew up in the 90s. So I'd say like Christina Aguilera was a huge inspiration for me. Um, you know, like the different pop singers, uh, I actually really loved Enya too. I don't know if you remember the pure moods CD. Um, but yeah, so I, there are so many different types of music that I'm drawn to. And I've.

50:01

I think as an artist, I don't really want to be confined in that way. I just want to have my own sound. And I think that speaks through all the music that I like. Absolutely. Especially since you mentioned some of those heavy hitting pop stars. Yeah, like how do you kind of get into like your own?

50:25

inspiration. So yeah, even though you grew up listening to them, but like to define your own sound, how do you kind of get in that mode before you start to create? Oh, let's see. I mean, well, again, I feel like I've just been drawn to so many different genres of music over the years. I mean, I listened to a lot of the like the punk.

50:46

bands in high school. I listened to Radiohead in college. I mean, I love Bollywood music, so it's just like all across the board. Hear more on Episode 29 - Navigating Indie Artist Life, Music, Content, and More with Megan. My name is Deidre D.S.Sense Smith. I am a lecturer for the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance for U of M. I'm also a cultural ambassador with the State Department and Next Level Program formally.

51:12

Also, yes, I facilitate a workshop that is actually the course of my class at U of M called SYMMYS, Speak Your Mind, Mind Your Speech - Recognize and Empowering Your Words. And so I take that workshop and I teach it in elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, organizations, colleges, what have you. Wherever I'm beckoned, I answer the call and I educate through art.

51:40

And so I myself am an emcee, sometimes a vocalist, but don't sing as well or as much as I used to. And I'm also a songwriter and recently an author of a children's book that should be released pretty soon. That's so amazing. Yeah, oh my goodness. I think that's gonna be, for me, the highlight of my career. But yeah, I'm so excited about that.

52:10

But I'm just, I'm a Detroit girl, East side. And I reside on the West side now. I believe in investing into the city of Detroit. So I'm big on community and so I'm back into the city of Detroit, the way that it's given to me. And I'm all about amplifying as citizens with my own, my Detroit Everything initiative. And yeah, so I'm just, I'm kind of like a round the way girl. Thanks, babe. I love it. So, okay, you know.

52:39

Right off the top. On my Detroit Everything, the initiative is powerful. I see it all across my social media platform. So, you know, kudos to you for that. But you did say you want to sow back into the city, the way it's sowed into you. How do you think that Detroit, if you could quantify it or qualify it with words, how would you say Detroit has shaped your artistry? I think that the landscaping alone.

53:08

does something to me. Just to have grown up in a neighborhood that I did on the East side and saw just intergenerational interactions with community members and citizens alike. I remember seeing both the beauty and the ugly within the city of Detroit, you know, human nature at its best and worst. And I was always able to draw up on it.

53:35

by just, you know, first acknowledging my own faults and my own successes and all those things that come with age and experience and just living life. And Detroit has a way of, I always say it has the hustle and bustle of a big city, but then it quiets down like a countryside at night. And so we have all of this experience and wonderment to take on in the day, you know.

54:00

And even into the evening, but then late at night into the, we after the morning, you have peace, you have solace, you have calm, and you have a time to reflect. No matter your situation within the city, it has a grace that allows you to be still and to be quiet. And I don't think many people recognize how blessed we are in the city of Detroit to have that. Hear more on Episode 30 - Detroit Hip Hop Culture and Academia with Deidre D.S.Sense Smith.

54:31

Kim Carson, who is, I almost feel like radio personality isn't enough because you've done the TV series. I mean, just, I should just say just an all around great personality. How about that? But yeah, just excited that you're here and to be able to share with me and my audience your story. So if you could kind of give people a little bit of a background as to your relationship with music and how you got started as a radio personality.

55:01

Yeah. Thank you so much. It's so nice to talk to you again. The last time we did this, I was interviewing you. I'm much more comfortable with that. Yeah, no, that was it. My, my how the tables turn, but how the turn tables as Michael Stavros said. Exactly. Well, you know, when you talk about music, I mean, for me in my life, when I talk, music saved my life. I doubt I'd be here if it wasn't for music. It was the great escape.

55:30

You know, I grew up in Detroit listening to WDRQ and Bill Bailey in the morning, where I later had a chance to work for him. He's a legend in the business and just grew up with a very eclectic ear because of growing up in Detroit and, and didn't really realize the full impact of music. I think just throughout my life, being a radio personality, obviously.

55:58

Working with music every day, it was important, but the respect for music and what it can do for somebody just grew and grew and grew. Yeah, I can definitely understand that. Detroit has had so much influence on me musically, even though I was born and raised in Kalamazoo. I think having the connections between Detroit and Chicago, both of them were just so rich.

56:25

I mean, Detroit has shaped a lot of my electronic production. So, yeah, I mean, I mean, yeah, sure. You had Motown, you know, but it went. Then you had Eminem, you know, and then the electronica movement. I mean, in disco. Yeah, it was just Detroit is just rich. Detroit. I didn't realize how lucky I was. I thought the whole world was like Detroit because I grew up. I went graduated from Denby High School.

56:55

On the East side, I grew up on 8 Mile and Kelly and near Eastland mall. And I thought the whole country was like that till I got away when I was like, you know, 16 and realized, wow, like I didn't, I grew up in a really special place and it was, it was a microcosm, I think of the world really. And musically it was expressed that way. Hear more on Episode 33 - Lessons from the Airwaves, Insights for Creatives, and Innovators with Kim Carson. 

57:20

I'm Ms Jenny. I'm from Cleveland, Ohio. I started singing when I was like younger, probably like elementary, middle school. I was in a girl group with my best friend, of course. That's how I started. But then we kind of like, you know, just merged apart, not relationship wise, but music wise.

57:49

And I just decided to do things on my own and release my own stuff. So. OK, well, you know, that's kind of interesting. I feel like that's a common trait for most of us who like music, at least women. We've all been a part of at least one girl group in our youth that kind of makes us giggle when we think about maybe the subject matter of the music and whatnot. I had a I had one with my cousins that we actually called ourselves the cousin crew.

58:17

hilarious is that, but anyway. But yeah, it's okay. That's pretty early to get started. What do you think kind of influenced you to want to do music so early? Well, my mom used to like, she used to play those concerts, you know how they used to have them with like VHS tapes back in the day. But she would play them on the TV and we would like just sit there and sing and dance and have

58:47

I don't know, it was just always a part of my life and I picked up on it and then it became like kind of like a therapy. That's beautiful. So who are some of the singers that you remember that kind of drew you in when you heard them? Oh, definitely Mariah Carey. Destiny's Child, Beyonce. Who else? Aaliyah for sure. Monica.

59:18

At least you can use. Hear more on Episode 44 - Writing Without Fear and Finding Your Voice with Ms Jenny. All right, and that's a wrap for this episode of Instrumental Intel. I've been your host, music producer, Achickwitbeatz.

59:31

Once again, I'd like to thank you for tuning in. I'd like to thank all the incredible women that have come on my podcast and shared their stories, wisdom, and information. Again, I do urge you to make sure that you check out the full episodes if you missed any in the archives. And of course, I'd love to thank my home station, Grander Radio out of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Make sure you come back next week. I got more goodness lined up for you. And you know where to find me. Till next time, tune in, tell a friend. I'll see you then, peace.