Jason Geter Talks Incubator "Heavy Sound Labs" and Bringing Artist Development Back
I was about 21 years old when I heard the name Jason Geter. After doing further research, I began following his career aggressively. While the laws of attraction were busy working itself out, I became a huge fan of an artist he was developing. Nick Grant.
It was a cold rainy day in lower Manhattan, New York and Nick invited me to his listening party. Before I left, all I wanted to do was meet Jason. Someone told me that he was upstairs, so I patiently networked my way around the room until he made his arrival.
Jason Geter is one of the Co-Founders of Grand Hustle, owner of Strivers Row lifestyle brand, co-founder of AKOO, co-founder of the Hustle Gang brand, producer of the film Takers and founder of Heavy Sound Labs.
He stood cool, calm, and collected with hands in his pockets before I introduced myself. Jason is undoubtedly one of the most down to earth executives I've ever met.
Only Apple iCloud would know where our famous picture is. The image never left my head. When I was presented the opportunity to sit and speak with him about his new incubator label "Heavy Sound Labs", I knew the music Gods had my back! Our conversation will always have an impact on my career:
(NR) You are one for keeping a good team around. Like Beyonce, she keeps the same people around for a long time. Talk about having a good team?
(JG) That is the first time anyone has compared me to Beyonce in any kind of way. She’s great! So, thank you!
I think that if you really want to play in the arena and you want to win championships you need a good team. You need people you can pass the ball to. You can't do anything.
I saw very early executives managers, etc., try to do everything. It’s not possible! I think that if you have the ability or energy to attempt or tolerate - go for it.
But you truly need people that specialize in things. People that win championships.
That’s something I’m happy and proud of, and it’s something I don’t talk about too much. A lot of good executives came from Grand Hustle.
Brittany, she’s now the general manager at 10k. Jennifer Drake is at Sony. Dina Marto went on to put on young Austin at Atlantic who’s doing his thing.
Even from Motion Family, the Creative Collective; they met at my office. They met working with me on different things.
Off that wave, they created Motion Family and built that into something historical into itself. Of course, you have the; Clay Evans, Hannah Kang, Kirsten Daniels, Amir Boyd - those guys that have their own story that’s incredible as well. Definitely something I’m proud to help nurture a lot of executives and a lot of female executives.
(NR) Congrats on your Forbes interview. You made it! Haha, You talked about “redefining what it means to be a record label”, Heavy Sound Labs. Let’s talk about Heavy Sounds and what “redefining a label looks like”.
(JG) Traditionally record labels sign artists and they work with an artist, and they put out a music portion. When I say I want to redefine what it means to be a record label, I feel like that structure is the ultimate structure, and it was created so many years ago.
It’s not truly relevant - to me - on how a lot of us do business today. People do all types of jobs now.
I’m talking from my perspective, which is the black executive experience. As a black executive, you start with nothing! You have to create everything.
You create all the value where the money comes. When you’re on that path of success, you learn how to do a little bit of everything. Every day there's a new goal or idea that comes about.
Success in music is like obtaining a passport, and once you succeed you can venture off and explore so many other avenues in business.
High tech space, television, film, fashion, of course, you have endorsements. Depending on who the artist is that determines opportunities.
At the end of the day, you look at companies, like Faze Clan. Faze Clan’s building something great over there. They’re building out a gaming company that’s going into film, music - that’s killing it with merch!
They're killing it!
So that’s the world that I’m living in, I’m living in the future. Not what you told me in the past. I’m living in “no boundaries”.
That’s why I’m redefining what it means to be a record label. I want to get into business with superstar artists, I want to get into these emerging artists and I want to grow them into creative entrepreneurs.
If you look at my history and track recorder, that’s what I’ve done. I feel like if you get into business with a super start you can diversify the suit.
(NR) With a pool of artists, how do you plan on focusing on each artist? What’s the formula? How do you plan on focusing on each artist?
(JG) Having a solid team, it starts with that. I have Malachi Lee, Kirsten Daniel, Ryan Pompeii and Tamiko Hope. Of course, I have other resources I can tap into as well.
That was my first step, putting together a solid team. Looking at the business today, and seeing what artists need the most.
I have extra resources coming out of Santa Monica. Those guys have a whole building, so adding more resources that I can tap into, that’s more than music.
Back to the question you asked, how do I plan on managing so many artists? How I deal with structure, having a solid team.
Phase 1:
Discovery
Artist comes in with an 80/20 split - typically distribution split
24-month term deals
Structure, Strategy, Resources
We put the music out and examine the traction
Once we see traction we invest capital and more resources
Once we hit our goal - which is partnering them with a major label - we reach out to the labels
Then we support the artist as much as they want from there
Typically in music, there's a cycle. You’ll see them start off (if they gain success) and want to become their own entity and they want to put on other artists.
But at a certain point, you see things happen with their original label. I’m getting ahead of the curve. Once we make it to the point where we need to get them, we’re going to start falling back.
(NR) But you’re bringing the artist development portion back into the ring? Labels are not doing that.
(JG) Absolutely, major labels are not into artist development. Totally understandable. They have a bigger bank.
They can afford to take later risks. For me, I’m taking early-stage risks. What I’ve always done.
When I met T.I. , no one even knew him. I went to the studio, made some music and I got it going. When I met Travis Scott he had 500 views on Youtube.
I’ve always been an early investor. So I’m saying “I’m going to do what I’ve always done, but I’m going to use technology to make smarter decisions.
(NR) How have the relationships you’ve created catapulted your career and how do you bring that to Heavy Sound Labs? For example, as you said, providing technology as an outlet to generate opportunities for your artist.
(JG) First I’ll say we’ve been building our own proprietary technology to help us. We’ve been building our own app.
Tools on there that would be offered to the artist and the Heavy Crew members. So for me, I really wanted to have a different conversation.
The music business, the conversations are restricted to what they focus on. Record business over there, and touring over there.
To help an artist be a “creative entrepreneur” to open up outlets. Originally for hip-hop, the go-tos have been fashion. I’m looking beyond 2020.
What’s the next go-to? Cannabis? Of course video games, technology, and more.
Mike Jones, former CEO of MySpace, he’s backing new businesses all day long. So now I can be in business with the people that can help with the technology and also when I get the artist that fits that partnership that can be their go-to. A rolodex that’s definitely different, that’s totally different.
(NR) Where do you see our culture heading with COVID-19 and Racial Injustice affecting us so much?
(JG) Heavy Sounds are literally about doing business digitally. Doing business online, so I think the pandemic has shown all of us, “you should try to do something that’s online”. HAHA.
Physical has stopped. It’s all of our first time seeing this, and it’s amazing. It reinforced my thoughts, “Wow this is happening, this is what I said I was going to do.” I knew it would work in my favor. Now I have a Heavy Crew.
(NR) Is that the slack channel? I’m in it! It’s amazing and built great relationships for me.
(JG) Yes - we have a slack channel. I’m glad you’re in it. Really unique. It’s truly a game-changer. It’s always been interns, street teams, etc.
It’s always existed, if I was going to have an online record company, I had to have an online community. The people that I met, that were on the street teams, those people - I’m not in any fraternity - but in the music world, it’s like a fraternity.
We all came up together.
There’s a pride and respect you have because we saw each other come up, and we made it. But that’s a special connection that you carry on with a person throughout your career.
So I wanted to create something that would serve that purpose. That you can learn and share information with. And as Heavy Sound grows, I want to hire within.
That’s the goal, to hire people straight out of Heavy Sound.
Provide opportunities.
(NR) Wow, I love it! Pulling from within! I always like to end with this question. What’s the legacy you want to leave and be remembered for?
I was inspired by the people that came before me, so I want to maintain that. Of course, inspire young African Americans.
Whether it’s music or things outside of music. I just want to truly inspire people to chase success.
I always say design your life. No matter what cards you were dealt with. Once you touch down and get here, it’s truly up to us how we live our lives. And we have to live with the outcome.
So I want to inspire people to push things forward, us as black people: Economic empowerment. That’s the starting place for us, as well as education.
Follow Heavy Sounds and Jason Geter:
Sponsored by H2P Management
