A true
business man/woman, looks at a company, examines that company and finds better
ways to make that company run more effectively and/or fulfills a need for that
company. Looking for representation, I was at a place where I was about to be
on my 5th Published Novel and my 3rd studio album. With a
“thick” catalog and plenty of merchandise bought and paid for, representation
made sense. After a series of phone calls I found myself sitting across the
table from Ernie Dozier of RaggTyme Entertainment. Ernie and I chopped it up
and he is a good guy. He was the man back in the 90’s. The man behind the scene
handling business for the Grammy award winning Digable Planets, DJ Kool and
other acts of the day. Looking at his company, I immediately looked for where
the holes where. Technology came and took the world by storm since the 90’s and
his company didn't seem to roll with the changes in how the public consumed
music and information about entertainment in general. Since I needed a “Co-Sign”
from an insider and he needed a spokesman for his company in the digital arena,
the partnership made sense. I immediately established GTV my own YouTube
channel to “sell myself” as that guy. Marketing myself and events that we were
doing together. The general public was excited about everything we did, however
Ernie’s form of old school was not receptive to new ideas that he himself was
not totally in control of. He was also surrounded by a bunch of yes men. Guys
that smiled in his face and then would talk shit about him behind his back.
This was concerning for me because I learned early that a man is judged by the
company he keeps. If these were the folks in his inner circle, how successful
was this company ever going to be? Or better yet, if they’re talking shit about
him now, what’s going to happen if Ernie does break through and gets a “motherfucker”
check? A house is only as strong as its foundation… right? Also, his subordinates weren't very subordinate. He would tell his people many times to do this or do
that, meet at this time or be at this place and they along with him would be
notoriously late, have problems getting there or wouldn't show up at all. Finally, I noted his overall mentality towards business. It is not that he wasn't brilliant in his own right, but his “borrow from Peter to pay Paul” was exhausting
to me and not based in reality. Also, he has the swagger of a pimp which I
found concerning as well. I found myself suing this man for 1500.00 dollars at
the end of our partnership for services NOT provided. It got thrown out of the
California courts and I would have pursued this in a Maryland court...
(Where he
lives and where RaggTyme is based)
but I would have had to sue him for 5500.00
dollars to cover my lawyer fees. A part of me wanted to do it because council
told me it was a very winnable case. But then I thought to myself... “This
negro doesn't have it to give” In his mind, him shopping my music around
without success and giving me some game was worth 1500.00 and it very well may
have been. However, that is NOT what we agreed upon. So if you say one thing
and do another, fucking artist over, karma dictates that you probably won’t be
successful in the long term. So to digress, I think Ernie Dozier of RaggTyme
Entertainment is a brilliant man standing in the way of his own success. His
pimp mentality, insubordinate team, lack of embrace of technology and overall
tom fuckery practices aren't a good look for any company. Believe it or not I
actually wish him well. He taught me a lot.
Especially what NOT to do in this game.
GB.
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