I had the privilege of coming into contact with Dallas Martin, an A&R at Warner Bros. Records. With several years of success at Island Def Jam and now Warner Music Group, he has ventured into starting his own entertainment company Bluprint Ent.
Introduce yourself to the people out there that don’t know who you are?
My name is Dallas Martin A&R at Warner Bros. Records and I'm currently working on the Rick Ross project. I'm based in Atlanta but I'm back and forth between here and New York working on the project.
I was hired as a consultant in 2009 and worked as an intern for a year and a half. In 2010, I was hired full time as an A&R for the label.
What was your music business experience prior to working for Warner Music?
My first experience was managing producers. When I attended Clark Atlanta University I always had that knack for really wanting to go out there and strive for it and work in the entertainment business as an A&R. So when I would meet producers at my school I would take them under my wing and help them get placements. Through that I was able to build a lot of good relationships with a lot of people in the Atlanta area because at the time Atlanta was where it was at for the music and a lot of people were coming down there to work.
As an A&R what advice would you give to the producers out there on their grind?
It's really about staying consistent, constantly grinding and staying humble. A lot of producers start to slow down and get frustrated because they may not get a bunch of placements right away but if you really believe in yourself its going to work out for you. It's about connecting with the right artist and the right songwriter and making it happen on your own. If you're submitting undeniable hit records nobody is going to turn you down. If you're not at that level yet then my advice is to keep on striving and work on making yourself better and if you believe in yourself it's going to happen.
Is looking for new acts for the label your main focus or is it working with artists that are already signed?
I'm always looking for new talent, that's my main focus everyday as well as making hot records and albums.
What happens after you're interested in a particular act?
I would want to go to their town, see them do a show and see how the people embrace them because nowadays in the rap game you have to have something going on to even get people to look at you. A rapper should want to have his own thing going on so if we come looking for you the ball is more in your court for the deal. So if I see that the artist has real potential and they have some momentum in the streets I would bring them up to New York and put them in some meetings and see what everybody else in the building thinks about them and take it from there.
On the R&B side if they have the right sound and the right look and we know we could make some big records with them we're more willing to take a chance on that because we can build that up. With the rappers you have to have that already out the gate.
How much of your time is spent in the studio as oppose to the office?
I spend a majority of my time in the studio but you definitely have to put in a lot of office hours with the meetings to make sure the right people are excited about your project and to make sure they have the correct information needed to make the project a success.
What is your take on the role the Internet plays when it comes to music development?
I think the Internet is a big, big, big platform for artists and I'm always online checking for who's out there because it just takes a click of the button to get your music out to millions of listeners. So if you're getting that feedback and that buzz on the Internet that's a plus. If you got that hot record growing on the Internet you're going to get that recognition. With the older A&R's I don't believe they were on the Internet like the younger generation is.
Based on the current trends of the music business where do you see the industry going in the next couple of years?
I think it's going to be all-digital soon obviously. The labels are going to have to stay ahead of that curve and figure out ways to get people to purchase the music. Before the big thing was going to the record stores when the album came out and looking at that shit. Nowadays everything is on iTunes so all they care about is getting the music as fast as they can and then move on to the next. But we still have to embrace the technology because we have no choice so at the end of the day it helps with the marketing and the promotion so we just have to figure out better ways to capitalize off of it.
As an A&R what advice would you give to the producers out there on their grind?
It’s really about staying consistent, constantly grinding and staying humble. A lot of producers start to slow down and get frustrated because they may not get a bunch of placements right away but if you really believe in yourself its going to work out for you. It’s about connecting with the right artist and the right songwriter and making it happen on your own. If you’re submitting undeniable hit records nobody is going to turn you down. If you’re not at that level yet then my advice is to keep on striving and work on making yourself better and if you believe in yourself it’s going to happen.
In past negotiations, what were some ways that you were able to separate the people involved from the problem or issue being negotiated?
It is important to remain calm and stay focused on the key points of the negotiation. Compromise enough to make sure that you get what you want, without giving in to all the demands that are being made. The client needs to trust you and know that you have their best interest at heart, which is very important.
How can unsigned artists get more leverage or power when negotiating a deal with a record label?
One of the best ways to negotiate a deal as well as get more leverage with a label is to create a buzz with media/marketing numbers. You can use media outlets like YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, websites & webisodes.
