“People aren’t hearing all the music.Artists and producers work hard in the studio perfecting their sound. But people can’t really hear it with normal headphones. Most headphones can’t handle the bass, the detail, the dynamics. Bottom line, the music doesn’t move you.With Beats, people are going to hear what the artists hear, and listen to the music the way they should: the way I do.”
 

This is all that’s written on the About page on Beats by Dr. Dre’s website. It’s simple and also is a great example of personal branding. The hip-hop industry thrives on self promotion and personal branding and ultimately the survival of its artists.
 

Hip-hop represents multitude of stories from struggle, hope, coming up, finding success and the ups and downs of success. In the industry, you would rarely find a successful hip-hop artist who reached the top of the game by being modest. Once considered music of the urban youth, hip-hop is now a full-fledged commercial industry. From TV channels, clothing lines, magazines, books to a host of other offerings, hip-hop certainly has arrived with style. This genre of music was already a $10 billion industry in 2005.

In this modern day era, hip-hop artists and artists of other genres are selling more than CD’s. The successful artist’s brand portfolio can include clothing lines, perfumes, headphones, movie appearances, sponsorship deals, restaurants and the biggest revenue generator in the industry – concerts. I see a lot of resemblance between someone succeeding in the hip-hop industry to someone succeeding in corporate America.

Here are some of the things I took away from hip-hop on building a personal brand. As you do in your resume, in hip-hop you have to market yourself and flaunt your achievements and leverage your strengths. First, be the best at what you do. Perform your job so well that you become invaluable to the company you work for. Then continue to bring value to the client or the company you are working for and you have more leverage to ask for a raise, receive a promotion etc. Being the best emcee or DJ in your city can give you recognition and visibility. Many hip-hop artists have used the local platform to further gain national and international visibility. The new found success can help the artist open doors for more projects and partnerships.

Second, remember that there is always competition. When you’ve built your brand, you have to continue to evolve. You received that promotion but there will be others within the company and outside who want to be in your shoes so continue to find ways to learn more and consistently perform your best. There is not a music artist out there who does not have to worry about competition especially in the hip-hop genre. Social media has broken barriers to getting discovered and thus you have to embrace new competition and also continue to hone your talent. In hip-hop if you don’t think about your competition, you would not survive long.

Third, find ways to stay relevant. If you did a successful project a year ago, it was a year ago. People are more concerned with what you are doing at present. Reach out to the professional organization you belong to and deliver value or join one to build your network and knowledge. I once heard that in the music industry you are only as hot as your last song. So be creative and find ways to get talked about even when you are not in the spotlight. Dr. Dre launching Beats by Dr. Dre in 2007 is a perfect example. Recently Chrysler announced it partnership with Beats by Dr. Dre Audio and the New Heartbeats by Lady Gaga got launched. Pop culture is fickle and artists need to quickly adapt to it and have to stay relevant.

Fourth, remember that image sells and people are driven by what they see. How you carry yourself will definitely impact how others perceive you. In corporate America performance is applauded but you would not get noticed with just doing your job. You need to command the spotlight and be recognized in a positive way. Image is everything and the quality and its appeal has to match for there to be credibility and trust. Hip-hop is certainly an image driven genre. Dr. Dre is perceived to be one of the best producers in hip-hop and through that reputation and quality products, the Beats by Dr. Dre brand has now become a leader in the headphones market.

Fifth, write your own story. Everyone’s story is unique which means you bring something different to the world. Your skill set, personality and background will serve as a competitive advantage to you in corporate America. Although hip-hop artists generally talk about similar subjects, their audience, their roots, delivery style and image among other things is different. You would not go far trying to copy others but you can certainly learn from them.

 
At last, own your personal brand.

 
Image courtesy of Beats by Dr. Dre Official Site