Tay Scott- Holding Fence close

“I feel hip hop is being used against its listeners, influencing the youth in a negative way. ” – @tayscott312

Episode #288 : A.V.A Live Radio Behind The Music with Jacqueline Jax : http://www.blogtalkradio.com/avaliveradio/2016/01/13/episode-288-ava-live-radio-behind-the-music-with-jacqueline-jax

Jacqueline Jax logo photoGETTING TO KNOW TAY SCOTT
by Jacqueline Jax host of A.V.A Live Radio

The Music biz…
I feel hip hop is being used against its listeners, influencing the youth in a negative way. They say sex, money, drugs, and violence sells, so I feel that’s what the music labels want to give the people in order to make a profit. I think there should be more options to choose from musically. There are a lot of people who don’t like to listen to those types of songs, so that’s where I come in with my style of music to fill that void of listeners who would rather have music they could enjoy for years to come and also relate to.
Pros & cons: I’ve experienced some pros and cons myself so far, I learned that if your ever looking to perform at a venue that you should always visit the venue to get a feel for it, it’s always good to get to know who your working with as well, from promoters to club owners. Building good relationships is key to you own success. I’ve also learned that building your own brand isn’t an easy job and it will take some time to get off the ground and make a name for yourself, so you have to learn to be patient with yourself and others around you because it’s never good to stress over things that are out of your control, that nothing worth having is easily obtainable; it’s best to just have fun and enjoy the ride. When it comes to overcoming hurdles the most important thing you can do is to never give up, winner’s never quit and quitter’s never win, is a phrase I live my life by, I things don’t work out for me the way I expect them to I always analyze what went wrong, learn from my mistake and move forward smarter than before, that I think just comes with the business.
Social media…
I like how easy it is to reach out and contact other artists and those who choose to follow you on social media, how quickly we can share something and instantly people from the other side of the world can get the chance to share that moment without being there in person, that’s really cool, It’s a great way to share info. I did find it challenging to gain followers and keep them at first, then later on realized that it takes a lot more than just a few posts to gain followers and connect with the people, it’s more about connecting with others and getting to know them better, finding out things about them to help build a solid support system, so they can do the same in return, especially if your an artist because in order to make a name for yourself, you need fans/followers who will support you and what you do.
I think it’s good to release singles…
from your album before you release your actual album, it gives people a chance to see what you have to bring to the table, gives them something to look forward to, so they know what to expect when they do hear your full album. It’s good marketing as well, helps spread the word about who you are and what you do. My plan is to release 4 singles of my own before I release my album to help gain more exposure, listeners, and supporters. Not that there’s anything wrong with just putting out an album by itself, the only way I see that working for an artist is if they have a solid following in place who will support them and their project. I find it useful to use the “single” strategy so more people are aware of what your doing, the more people, the better.
I’d like to spend 5 minutes alone with …
Jay-Z to pick his brain and just get to know him on a personal level, I’ve watched him for so many years and enjoy the music he makes, it would be a honor to be in the same room as him, let alone speak to him. He’s one of my favorite rappers, I admire how smart of a business man he is, it’s not everyday that a man from the ghetto reaches the heights he has reached in his life/career, it’s truly amazing to see. His consistency is unmatched, and as an artist and business man, I hope to be in a position like his someday soon.
I don’t worry too much about being trendy…
or what’s trending, especially if what’s trending is something not worth paying attention to. I feel people give things like that meaning, and some tend to get carried away with trying to stay current so they do and/or say whatever they can for a bit of attention, which isn’t always a good thing. I think if you stay true to who you are, your morals, and self respect then your supporters will see that and respect you more. If your music is authentic and people enjoy the music you make then they’re more likely to spread the word about your work faster than social media could because word of moth is the most effective form of marketing anyway.
I am most afraid of… losing my ability to write and record music.
My definition of success…
Someone who has put themselves in a position to be financially free and able to live their life the way they want, how they want.

A personal success story of mine would be the time I won a radio contest for my song “Motel Blues.” It was a four week contest in which your song is played each week against another local artist, and whoever has the most callers vote for their song each week, then moves on to next weeks show. I ended up winning four weeks in a row with the most votes each week. It felt really good to know that people enjoy my music, and are here to support me. Winning the contest gave me a sense of reassurance that there are people out there who still enjoy listening to authentic hip hop music. I feel this is a great success story because I learned that you never know who’s listening to you, tuning in, what can happen if the right person hears your music, etc. There’s so many positive things that can happen if you believe in what your doing, and take that leap of faith to help get you to where you want to be in life.

My Goal in life…
After establishing myself as a hip hop artist, a household name, as well as a business man, while dominating the music industry with my music and talents; become a wealthy and successful Entrepreneur (Billionaire), and help give back to those who are less fortunate.
3 ways I challenge myself…
1. Whenever I write/record a song I make sure it doesn’t sound like anything ever heard before, that goes for the production, lyrics, and subject of the song.
2. I really want to perfect my writing ability, so I’m always looking for new ways to connect with my listeners, and different writing styles to help push me to be more creative and efficient with my writing process. (I.E. writers block)
3. I also like to read whenever I get the chance. I like to read about different things like auto-biographies, books on business, forbes magazine, wall street journal, art, music, and history. every once in a while I’ll throw a fictional book in the mix to keep my imagination going strong.
My Influences…
Michael Jackson was a big influence of mine growing up, my parents were big fans of old school R&B, so it was around the house where I found myself dancing and singing like some of my favorite artists I grew up listening to and wanted to be like. I started singing at a young age but as I grew older it was hard to adjust to my voice changing as puberty came into the picture, and was unable to afford singing lessons, so it was poetry that became apart of my life, which later turned into my talent for writing hip hop music.
Motel Blues…
This song was inspired by my family’s past living situation, where at the moment my family and I were living in a motel because we were evicted from our apartment on such short notice. There were 5 of us living in a room with 2 beds, so it was a hard adjustment for all of us to deal with. Along with our new living situation came a deep depression I found myself falling into, it was hard for me to understand why this had happened to my family and I, but it was music that helped me express myself in a creative way, allowing me to find balance and a peace of mind.
You can expect to not only grow with me as an artist, but you can expect to grow as an individual as well. I like to share my knowledge with others to help benefit them however I can. That plays a big part in the making of my music and the message behind each song. I want for people to feel like they learned something new while listening to my music. I decided to make an album not only because I love music, but also because I see the direction that hip hop is going in and I don’t always agree with the direction itself, so I wanted to show people that creativity, substance, understanding, and passion are key things that make any great artist. They’re also key pieces that I feel are missing in hip hop right now; I’d much rather make the music I like to hear, rather than listen to music I can’t connect with. What people should take away from my album is that it’s ok to be an individual with their own mind and opinion, I feel like we all have what it takes to be great, all it takes is tapping into what you think make you great and perfecting that; I’m all about doing what you love to do, being your own boss, and living for yourself at the end of the day, I find life to be much easier that way. Marketing for the album will include advertising via personal social media updates, as well as, radio commercials, radio interviews, performances, singles, and online commercials.
My song “Motel Blues” is available for free download on my Reverbnation page www.Reverbnation.com/tayscott
Minneapolis, MN…
The music scene in MN is a growing one, there are a lot of up and coming artist trying to make a name for themselves, but the only downside is that Minneapolis itself isn’t a town known for hip hop, so it becomes difficult to find support for something that a majority of people are doing themselves. That’s when the crab in a barrel mind state comes into play for a lot of MN artists who don’t like to share the spotlight. Of course not all MN artists are like that, there is some great talent hidden in this city, you just have to know where to look to find it. some great places to check out MN’s hip hop scene would be the “Dakota Jazz club,” “First Ave,” and “Mill City Nights,” but that’s just to name a few places that host awesome hip hop events in the city.
Another fun thing I like to do besides music is traveling. I love seeing, trying, and experiencing new things with new people, it feels good to get away from what you tend to see on a daily basis a see something new, I feel it helps you grow as an individual.

 

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