Atlanta, the highly anticipated comedy-drama schemed up by actor, comedian and rapper Donald Glover premiered on FX on Sept. 6, and yielded quality advice to aspiring emcees.
The show depicts the rise of two cousins in the Atlanta rap scene. Earnest “Earn” Marks (Glover) sees an opportunity to cash in on the viral song that his cousin, Alfred “Paper Boi” Miles (Brian Tyree Henry) has just released. Though Earn is seen as a wanderer and mooch by everyone in his circle, including his parents, he earnestly begs his cousin to let him take the role of his manager, who is reluctant to say the least. Despite Earn’s inexperience in the music business, he exhibits a couple of characteristics that all managers should have if they are serious about breaking the next big hip-hop artist.
To be a manager, tenacity is imperative
Rap is not like the other genres of music; relatively speaking, the only thing you need is a voice and a microphone. That being said, curators and fans alike have become doubtful of the craft being a viable career option due to the “ease” of becoming a rapper, which has inadvertently created a vast pool of music that would be impossible to listen to in a lifetime. One must ignore countless skeptics, and consistently release quality content in order to be heard, build a fanbase and sustain a living - though the latter is seldom achieved.
In spite of Paper Boi diligently denying his cousin’s request to be in charge of his career, Earn decides to take matters into his own hands. He treks to the local radio station, stirs up conversation with a friend and disc jockey, and pitches the song for airplay, but is ultimately denied. Nonetheless, he finagles his way into the station and slips a burnt CD of Paper Boi’s latest viral hit under the door of the station’s program director. His efforts (though, the idea of passing along physical CDs to radio stations in hopes of getting air time is a bit dated) pay off in subsequent days as listeners bombard the rapper in the streets due to the song’s increasing popularity on the local station.
To be a manager, results must be produced...quickly
As an inexperienced artist manager, the most effective way to gain a client’s trust is to obtain positive results and momentum for their career immediately. Undeterred by Paper Boi’s insecurity about sustaining a rap career, Earn’s tenacious marketing plan of getting radio play has, so far, proven to be a small step in the right direction toward his cousin allowing him to manage him.
Although Glover represents a broke manager-in-training in Atlanta, his well-rounded talents landed him on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2012. Glover, who is listed as the creator and executive producer of the show, likely pulled inspiration from his experiences as a rapper under the moniker Childish Gambino. He has released seven mixtapes, two EPs and two studio albums. His latest album, Because the Internet has sold over 500,000 units since its release in 2013, and was nominated for a Grammy in 2015.
Though Atlanta’s development is in its infancy, aspiring emcees and their retinue should take copious notes throughout the show’s run.
