Inside the Rhythm: Unlocking Music Success with Nathaniel The Great and the Rise of the Great Ones Label

Unlock the secrets to setting the music industry ablaze with R&B sensation Nathaniel The Great, who joins us to dissect the creation of their latest anthem that's igniting the seasons, tailored for the ladies who love to groove. We then pivot to the grand reveal of my new venture, the Great Ones label – a collective that's crafting a future for not just musicians, but also the visionary designers and videographers shaping our culture. Dive into the conversation as we forecast the advent of a revolutionary artist support platform post-release, discuss his IT company's triumphs in the tech hub of Atlanta, and map out strategies for infiltrating the realms of TV and cinema with our soundtracks. Plus, get the inside scoop on Nathaniel's journey alongside R&B powerhouse Jacquees as we gear up to hit the road, all while reminiscing on the personal mountains climbed to reach this peak of his career.

Let's lift the curtain on the industry's intricacies with golden nuggets of wisdom for R&B hopefuls and wordsmiths. We dissect the paramount importance of mastering the business framework of music, and why cozying up to the library or your favorite podcast for deal structure knowledge could be your ticket to the big time. Discover why aiming your lyrical arrows at producers might just be the bullseye your career needs, and how the unexpected can be your unexpected ally. As we wrap, Nathaniel extend a heartfelt shout-out to the fleet DJs for their unwavering support, and rally all creatives to embrace the spirit of collaboration. Don't miss the chance to mesh with Nathaniel The Great for some bespoke music magic – because who knows where a simple connection could lead you in this symphony we call the music industry.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:06

🎵izing" Philly fleet DJs, philly fleet DJs, get joined on Muse swag. That's definitely a banger man. That's, that's, that's winter summer, spring, fall that's all year in room right there, man. You know, that's definitely something for the ladies man.

Speaker 2: 0:57

So you know what?

Speaker 1: 0:59

Who do y'all have on a production on it? That's my guy.

Speaker 2: 1:03

He's a producer named Pushing Keys. He did a lot of joints for me. He ain't do nothing big, but you know he's just a real good producer, just talented dude that is banging out some real good joints right now. Right.

Speaker 1: 1:16

So we're respecting any visuals, or you know, for this whole entire project. You know, I know you're going to do some bar. We're respecting the visuals for this particular song, right here.

Speaker 2: 1:25

Yeah, yeah, I have to. You know what I mean. I have to. That's the only feature on that whole album. The album is like 16 joints long. He's the only one I got featured in. Just to make the full circle story go. You know, fully full circle. I got to get him in a visual, me and him side by side. You know what I mean. Like I think that'll just be good for for the history, you know.

Speaker 1: 1:46

Definitely, definitely. So, you know, definitely, you are a musical genius, you know. And I do want to highlight other things about you. Let's talk a little bit about your label and some of your other businesses that you have that's tying in and allowing other artists to have platforms, mm-hmm.

Speaker 2: 2:04

Yeah for sure, man. So my label I launched it officially this year. It's called the Great Ones and the movement is just more than the label. It's a movement, just anybody that's tapped into their greatness, that's doing things to elevate self. You know what I mean. That's who we got around us. It ain't even necessarily all got to be on the artist level. It's designers, it's videographers, you know what I mean.

Speaker 2: 2:24

Just on the music side, to take it a bit further, like, I'm going to be launching something literally within the next week or so where, like I said, it's like a DistroKid tune called level platform where artists could distribute with us. But we also will offer some of the marketing and some of the other resources to follow, as opposed to just pushing your records to streaming platforms, which all the other companies do. We want to be able to be an asset after that. And then, outside of that, I run an IT company like, literally, it building environments, setting up servers. That's one of the things I do out here in Atlanta and I love what a big 44RE is Cool. Let's start with the music.

Speaker 1: 2:58

talking aboutера, I honestly I think, why I love to have vegas, that I've been speaking with my over time family throughout the year and how itук no-transcript, and so the people I know that were going to go get it or that go get it, or that they were going to get it.

Speaker 1: 3:03

You know people don't believe you don't know you're not going to give another chance of having a major ProW neaut quier to have an EglAc based people or whatever it is, and that's kind of how we did it. I had sat on the vegas song tour. We're not going to disclose it, but you you song tour a lady while in the bathroom, you know so. So you definitely above average, like what is that next big leap for you being extraordinary? You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 2: 3:28

I ain't going to lie man, when I get this thing up in the next week. This is a game-changer. I got so many artists that's ready to run with us and just trust me, because I'm like the lab rat. I'm like the test dummy. I was the crash dummy for a lot of the things that I went through, so I'm always dropping gems and trying to stay an artist away from mistakes that I made. So I got a whole roster of artists that's like, as soon as you get this platform up, we come in with you. You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 2: 3:56

Other than that, I want to, like I have relationships to get same placements on TVs and movies and things like that. So I want to be able to like, really just be a force man. I feel like this takes me out of the conversation of just being a label and an artist, being an actual what we call as an aggregator, a distribution platform. Now I can partner up directly with the revolts and you know what I'm saying Videos and the BETs, because it's a whole different combo when you're that big of an entity and the difference is just being a label and an artist when you have a platform. At that level, the combos already started in the background for me, so that really is the next level for me. Man Like, I spent the last six months putting this together, so I'm excited to launch this. Man Like, this is the first platform that I'm really conversing about it on, but in a week or so, like, it'll be active. You know it'll be active.

Speaker 1: 4:43

Definitely Now. Any tours coming up shows that you know the fans and the supporters you know can look up and get prepared to go to yeah, yeah, we got a couple of dates on this Jack Queese R&B artist named Jack Queese.

Speaker 2: 4:57

We got a couple of dates on his tour, which we just fortunate to have, just partnering with him and his team and just being able to go grab up some locations. I'm going to make the official announcement online in a few, but that's the next touring move that I'm going to make in a second.

Speaker 1: 5:12

Now, being an artist at this level, you know well. Other artists see this interview. I want them to be able to grasp things from this. What do you believe was your greatest um over, the greatest thing that you had to overcome, and how did you accomplish that?

Speaker 2: 5:30

I think the greatest thing that I probably had to overcome was my own entitlement, my own ego, like when I got popping I was young. So I'm like I'm on all these records with all these big artists still not understanding like that that ain't going to make me no real bread or none of this is life changing, but a lot of that will go to your head when you 18 and you on a radio all day. You know what I'm saying. People stop you in the street. It stops you from really learning the business you know, learning how to be more self sufficient. It's limit. It stops you from wanting more.

Speaker 2: 5:59

So any artist right now I would say, before you even get in the situation where you pop in or you get some real traction, learn as much of the business as you can and learn all of the ways that you can make money in the music industry. It don't got to be from your songs. You can make money in the industry to want 30, 40 different things. Learn those things now because as you grow, sometimes that check ain't going to come or sometimes that single ain't going to pop but you're going to have bills to pay and you're going to be invested X amount of dollars. You're going to have to find ways to extract money back out of this game. That takes our time, energy and money.

Speaker 2: 6:28

So learn that as soon as possible, before you get popping in. Even if you get popping, sometimes artists go up and come back down and they come down and fall harder because they didn't find out these ways to monetize the game itself. This game be extracted in all our energy. So how do we, what do we get back from it? And the attention if it ain't money?

Speaker 1: 6:46

so you know learn as much as you can.

Speaker 2: 6:48

That's what I would leave with any artist.

Speaker 1: 6:49

Right Now, once again sticking with your song title being above average. That means that you're getting into some of these rooms that other people will not be able to get into and you're getting these conversations that a lot of other people wouldn't be able to obtain or receive. Fine, what was the greatest piece of advice that you got from a different count apart in one of these conversations and rooms? What was it and, if you can elaborate, who was it?

Speaker 2: 7:20

And I mean I did so many different Jews from different people. So if it was to be the greatest, one greatest piece of advice, I mean let me, let me try to compare. The greatest piece of advice that I ever got in music was really like, be careful of the favors that you asked for yo, because, like musical favors and industry favors are so much different than real life favors. Yo, like when and I say that to say, like you got to cash out on favors, like you, you get one time with most people in this game that's in position to ask them for anything. You got to make sure you pick that moment very carefully and it could be asking somebody what time is it? Don't act for nothing until you really need it and you can exchange for it. Other than that, I'm telling you, and that is, it goes such a long way, man, like I've seen, I've seen dudes, something in a regular scenario where you would think I, you in this position, I'm in this position, I would think you would throw me that look, just cause I would think that this wouldn't be looked at in a way like you've been in over backwards. But in this game, you got to, you got to. The rules are completely opposite of reality because everybody's holding on to the little bit that they have, what they're holding on to their position so well that you know dudes they ain't even. Some dudes wouldn't even put their brother in position before they get knocked out.

Speaker 2: 8:56

So when you ask, and an artist asks for a lot, you know as an artist we'd be hungry We'd quickly say, hey, could you share my song? Hey, could you download my single? Hey, could you introduce me to that guy that you know and that usually that question of asking for things, you got to pick that moment so wisely. Somebody DJ Absolute told me that I'm actually talking about who mentioned that to me.

Speaker 2: 9:17

I used to manage me back in the day and he told me that, like, be careful of these favors, because industry favors are a lot different People are. They only want to do nothing for you, but by the time they do something, that one thing you owe them, the counts as they bent over. It could be yo, they invited you to an event, they going to hold that over your head for infinity and when you go up, be ready to return that favor. I'm just, it's just a different operation and I can tell you a million stories of how that manifested. I say that with the most important advice. It's so many reasons why, but that I'll leave that out there.

Speaker 1: 9:53

Definitely. So. You know, I don't want to hold too much of your time, but I do want. I do want you to do this. You know, if you yourself can give someone that's just like you, just like DJ Absolute there for you, what would be the greatest advice coming from the thing you'd agree to another R&B artist that's like in your shoes? Got that voice. He's starting to get his feet wet. Get in his rooms. What would be that advice you give him so that he can, or heard, so that they can protect themselves in the game a little bit and don't have to go through so much like you?

Speaker 2: 10:32

I mean, I'll double back on this learn as much as you can about the business, the book, everything you need to know about the music. Be, I can read that joint. Until like six months ago, I did the audio book and I'm like, yeah, I should have been listening to this. I heard people refer to that book a million times, but that's a book that I think every artist need to just listen to, because it got a million different types of deal structures in there so you can understand the type of deal that makes it for you before you even look for a deal. So that's for protection.

Speaker 2: 10:57

And then, in terms of just advice, in terms of how to maneuver, don't and I'll say this once again, a mistake that I made took too long for me to understand this. It don't always gotta be you. Don't be afraid to let your homie write something for this person, or write something for you or bring that person in the room that may qualify more. That's a better talking than you. Learn that like get comfortable with that quicker, because the fact that, like now, my plate so full that I had no choice but to start putting people in position and I realized I should have been putting people in position before my plate got this full, because then I'd have had two plates, I'm just realizing.

Speaker 2: 11:27

So expand your team, trust people and don't always have to be the star. Sometimes you gotta have you have a person right next to you or, not to say the star, the lead on something. Let people around you that's good at what they do Get a position that where they can be in front of you in certain moments because it could take you out all of the finish line. Share it. Share it, that's the best way to put it. Just share it as early as possible.

Speaker 1: 11:50

That's super awesome, and we do have one question from the audience, like what would be a advice that you would give to an inspiring songwriter?

Speaker 2: 12:01

All right. So for a songwriter, don't go at the artist directly. Go at the producers around them. Producers are always looking for writers. It's very like if it's a thousand creators in a game. Canada are writers. That's how scarce it is to keep people who's good with the pen. That's how I got my placements. I used to be on Twitter and I used to hit up producers. I hit up so many producers back in the day like yo, send me some beats, I'll throw a hook on it. I know you need some hooks. They always need hooks and writers. Don't go at the artist. You'll never get to them. Go at the producers or the manager. Sometimes the producers are super big, right, you can't always get directly to, let's say, a Metro boomer, but look around them. Go at his manager. It's very rare that songwriters are hitting his manager saying, hey, send me a pack so I can write Metro. Here's some of my work. Work your way around it and you'll get there, because writers are needed. They'll always get writers a chance.

Speaker 1: 12:56

Definitely, definitely, man. That was some awesome advice. So my final question for you would be this If someone saw your picture before they heard your music, or heard your music before they sold your picture, what would you want them out of your words and your, your heart and your phones? How would you want them to take you?

Speaker 2: 13:25

That's one of those variables that I'm realizing now in this day and time. It's it's no way that I'd like I'm. No, I'm not in the box enough to put myself in the box like that. You know I'm saying like I used to want people to be able to look at me and tell it I was a singer. Most people looking me anything I rap first off because I'm from New York.

Speaker 2: 13:41

The way I talk, I wear fittings. You know I'm saying I never can fit it like they. You can't look at me and tell and that actually turned out to be to work in my favor. By the time I start singing, they like what them like. It's cool, you know I'm saying. Or when they hear my music, by the time they rolled up on me, they like yo, I didn't, I didn't expect it to be you, whatever that, whatever that means, and I'm cool with that. So I can't even answer that in the one way and just like look at it, hear me, see me, just absorb it though. You know me, take it for what it is like on the surface level.

Speaker 1: 14:14

Right, definitely so. Before we get out of here, you know, once again, I would like for you to just give another shout out to the fleet magazine and just give us some closing comments.

Speaker 2: 14:24

Yeah, man, first off, shout to the fleet DJs man. Yeah, you know, yeah, my fam we got swerving her L boogie always running around playing my joints. I see Queen B, that's me, that's my brother, tiffany Rose, like most of y'all I'm already locked in with. I always, you know, I'm saying I just want to say thank you for the years of support. I always appreciate, I always support y'all, anything y'all need from me. As y'all know, I'm a fish. You like fleet DJ artists. At this point you know I'm saying like it is what it is and as long as I go, yeah, I always got a spot around me like I'm gonna start trying to book some of y'all when I come in y'all cities. So we gonna talk about that, I'm gonna let classic know and I just want to say thank you for the years of support for real and I and I appreciate the elevation.

Speaker 2: 15:02

I got the magazine now swag you probably kind of knew because I don't remember you at some of them conferences. So welcome to the team because I don't remember seeing you. But like welcome and you doing your thing, you did, you held it down on this interview. I appreciate you, my bro.

Speaker 1: 15:15

Thank you. Thank you Just to let you know, man, I've been in, I've been in almost a year, man 2023 fleet DJ mix tape DJ the year. So I definitely been putting this on work. You know say, but, uh, I Definitely appreciate you for this, for being on the call, you know holding it down for the fleet DJs and, you know, being here with the fleet magazine. Man, we definitely appreciate you and I'm definitely gonna Highlight you on your Instagram right after this.

Speaker 2: 15:42

Yeah, let's build anybody if you that ain't. You know, I know y'all mostly I follow me already, but Nathaniel online, definitely hit me up. Anything I need dub plays, drops, custom versions of songs. I got y'all.

Speaker 1: 15:53

Definitely, man. I appreciate you. This is a conclude. Oh, djs, fleet magazine call. Appreciate everybody for tapping the stuff, swag the stuff, man, thank you, thank you, I appreciate it. I Don't remember to hit that record, but