J*9: Describe yourself in three sentences
Jo Bean: I am obsessed with music, been doing this for a long time, I am a quiet but can make noise when needed.
J*9: What is an average day like?
Jo Bean: I do radio promotion, so I am currently chasing up DJs to get feedback on tracks. This is my biggest hurdle they get sent so much material nine times out of ten they will hit the delete button. So it is hard work. If everybody came back to me with feedback it would make my life so much easier.
J*9: How hard is it to get Artist’s music out there?
Jo Bean: There are loads of different sides, you got people doing Press, Online, TV and through Social Networking sites. It depends upon how big of a team is on board. I have been involved in campaigns where there are so many people that it takes a lot of money and time. When it is independent artists they are often doing it themselves, especially through the whole youtube, myspace or even selling their Cds on the streets.
J*9: Is it easier having a record label behind them or doing all the promotion yourself?
Jo Bean: Well you have to start from the bottom, you need to get support from people out there, the DJs, Pirate Radio Stations they all have to be on it. What is happening now is that the Major Labels are not even looking at you until you have some heat on you. They want you to do all the work as soon as you do the work, they are thinking this ones looking okay.
J*9: It seems before Record Labels were willing to invest in up and coming talent?
Jo Bean: Back in the day Major [Labels] definitely took more risk with artists and they used to develop people slowly. These days if you release a single and it bombs then that is it you are dropped. In the hip-hop world Majors do not take them seriously, which is why a lot of artists have gone down the independent route. Years ago people wanted big advances you don’t get that now, but you have to pay it all back anyway. Them days are long gone. Even in America all the old school hip-hop guys are doing it themselves, they are putting it out on their own labels and keeping all the money for themselves.
J*9: So how did you get involved in Music Promotion?
Jo Bean: I started off working in record shops and I got a job working in a soul label many moons ago. I moved on to a radio promotion company, I have been in that type of role ever since. I have done label management for All City Music and I love the label management side of things.
J*9: Why is that?
Jo Bean: It was Dan Green Peace label; when I was running it he let me get on with things. It wasn’t just one role, which can be boring you get to have your fingers in many different pies. You are dealing with gigs, promotion, looking after tracks, distributions and then you get too see the end result. In a Major label you would only get to do one little bit and I have experience in everything and that is what I like.
J*9: What was it like working at All City Music?
Jo Bean: All City Music was owned by Dan Greenpeace he manages Sway on the label there was Pyrelli, Baby J, Shameless etc. We also managed Rawkus Records when they came back out, but it disbanded because that audience had grown up now so it harder to get the music out there.
J*9: Grass Rootz is your own thing?
Jo Bean: It is specialist radio Promotion mainly all hip-hop, bit of r’n’b and no grime! I have to be huge fans of the musicxa if I am not feeling it then I can’t project it.
J*9: How do you promote the Artists you work with?
Jo Bean: I work for a lot of new artists so it is really creating a buzz about them and it depends on who else is involved. If you are dealing with American artists, it helps if they are coming over doing tour dates it is whatever you can do to get their name out there.
J*9: What is an effective strategy to promote yourself?
Jo Bean: If it were fresh talent, I would only take it on if I thought it was good. I get sent a lot of material and think nope that’s not happening! But I am pretty straight with people and will tell them if I think it is not strong enough because all of the competition out there. You have to have good material, you may think you are the greatest but that’s in your front room! You need to create a strong profile and you need charisma. I have been to so many shows and the guy on stage has nothing about him or can’t relate to the audience. You need to get on as many support acts as possible. A lot of people expect things to be handed on a silver platter you have to do it all yourself.
J*9: How do you determine good music?
Jo Bean: You hear the beat and you think this have a little something, it is a combination of what they are saying, their flow. You have the ear; you just know what is good. I listen to music and think it is not my cup of tea but it works. If you send me ten tracks I could pick that one that works.
J*9: You have worked with quite a lot names in hip-hop, has there been any that stood out?
Jo Bean: Little Brother they are lovely, Kidz in the Hall are sweat hearts and they are some nice people. They are just like regular people, they happened to have this name and gone on too good things, that is all it is. But is normally the people around are not so nice.
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