"I'm not sure that spotify knew what they were getting into when I got there lol... but then y'all showed up, like you always have. It's invaluable... The sum will always be greater than its parts."
After a 15 plus year career as a rapper, the former artist now media mogul, Joe Budden is trailblazing through the media world and is making moves on his own terms. A fellow creator and advocate for many of the issues creators have long faced such as fair earnings and ownership of your works, Joe has built a portfolio of media platforms that includes The Joe Budden Podcast, Pull Up and State of the Culture.
Budden hosts "The Joe Budden Podcast," or "The JBP" along with Jamil “Mal” Clay, Rory Farrell and Parks Vallely, released bi-weekly through Spotify and YouTube.
Since its humble beginnings as a audio only podcast in 2015, the show has now grown to be the number one podcast on Spotify and a staple in culture.
Before the millions of viewers, the Revolt and Spotify deals and the multi-city tour dates, Joe was on the verge of retirement as a hip hop artist and beginning his entry into the media business.
In 2017, it was announced that Complex Media would be premiering a daily morning show called “Everyday Struggle,” featuring Joe Budden and DJ Akademiks in a debate style show about current hip-hop topics. The show was a hit and was starting to pick up steam, with Joe and DJ Akademiks constantly at odds with each, which became the highlight of the show. By the end of the year, Joe ended his tenure with the show to go full time with the Joe Budden Podcast, something he had full creative control over including the production and other financial responsibilities of the show.
This separation from Complex Media represented much more than the loss of the main seat of a top hip hop show and steady income stream, it represented a new beginning and a big step into the crazy and everyday changing world of business, this time with the creator in charge.
To be specific, in the words of Joe himself, "I'm alright, I don't have any worries. But that's not the case for a lot of other creators. A lot of creators, unfortunately, when we get into this corporate atmosphere, around some suits, around execs, and some people who just don't really understand our culture, it puts creators in a very compromising position."
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| Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Revolt |
As creators, we all have and for some, had that experience of working our main job, building someone else business and/or brand while putting your creativity and dreams on hold. Many times you go day in day out without getting the recognition and more important, the reciprocation you deserve. And without a doubt, there's that lingering everyday thought of taking that step and jumping ship.
For those that ends up taking that leap into the strange unknown landscape of the entrepreneurial world, it comes with a heavy price. Long days and nights working on different aspects of the business, lots of doubt as to whether or not the business will work out or am I going in the right direction, stress from the time commitment it takes to get your business operational and you’ll work harder, longer hours.
Also, the financial risk you will be taking, the resources needed to start and grow a business can sometimes be extensive. Another major factor is the fact that you may not get paid for a while because you will be reinvesting the profits in the early stages of the company in order to grow and expand.
The upside however, is sweet especially when creators are able to create their own way in the same sense as Joe did. One dream and goal of many creators is for their works to not only be appreciated but to be able to make a living off of their works.
"Follow your dreams, do something you love and its not going to feel like work," are all quotes you will hear from many successful entrepreneurs and creators who, for the most part, followed their dreams and it paid off. Joe stating the quote, "I'm don't follow a path, I'm creating my own to leave a trail" carries a lot of weight and speaks to the transformation or the re-brand of Joe, which shifted from an employee-centric career to a owner of a thriving media company.
Keeping true to his words, some of the best JBP episodes is when the guys dive into topics such as the changing business of the music industry, navigating life as one of hip hops top media personality and giving insight into the spotify podcast deal and the revolt deal for his series, State of the Culture.
This added with the fact that many of us got to see the entire grind from the bottom to the podcast being the number #1 podcast on Spotify, all 300+ episodes!
This gives creators alike a sense of path to take, the grind, the time and dedication it takes to get your creations to a point where it takes on a life of its own while flourishing.
Being a witness to these types of stories is what keeps creators going, creating their art, their music, their designs, their products, their inventions, knowing that one day, all of the hard work will pay off! It will take some time to get there and if we have learned anything from Joe, it doesn't matter what you are going through at the moment, ride it through because the comeback is always stronger than the setback. And as Joe likes to say, Creators Create!
Also, the financial risk you will be taking, the resources needed to start and grow a business can sometimes be extensive. Another major factor is the fact that you may not get paid for a while because you will be reinvesting the profits in the early stages of the company in order to grow and expand.
The upside however, is sweet especially when creators are able to create their own way in the same sense as Joe did. One dream and goal of many creators is for their works to not only be appreciated but to be able to make a living off of their works.
"Follow your dreams, do something you love and its not going to feel like work," are all quotes you will hear from many successful entrepreneurs and creators who, for the most part, followed their dreams and it paid off. Joe stating the quote, "I'm don't follow a path, I'm creating my own to leave a trail" carries a lot of weight and speaks to the transformation or the re-brand of Joe, which shifted from an employee-centric career to a owner of a thriving media company.
Keeping true to his words, some of the best JBP episodes is when the guys dive into topics such as the changing business of the music industry, navigating life as one of hip hops top media personality and giving insight into the spotify podcast deal and the revolt deal for his series, State of the Culture.
This added with the fact that many of us got to see the entire grind from the bottom to the podcast being the number #1 podcast on Spotify, all 300+ episodes!
This gives creators alike a sense of path to take, the grind, the time and dedication it takes to get your creations to a point where it takes on a life of its own while flourishing.
Being a witness to these types of stories is what keeps creators going, creating their art, their music, their designs, their products, their inventions, knowing that one day, all of the hard work will pay off! It will take some time to get there and if we have learned anything from Joe, it doesn't matter what you are going through at the moment, ride it through because the comeback is always stronger than the setback. And as Joe likes to say, Creators Create!
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