Oh I know no one is bashing me. I do get a bit ...... .what's that word.... hyper when it comes to that comment though. I've been told this my whole life by great magicians. That is kind of a mind-f*ck when you are looking for advice, and the advice is, "don't be you, be like us."
So yeah I do get a bit defensive. I would tell someone else the same thing if they are trying to get booked. But if you are selling tickets to a show... you aren't advertising a magic show, you are advertising YOURSELF.
It really all boils down what career path you are choosing. But don't stress my responses Formula, I get hyper from time to time. I know I'm not being bashed.
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And to Steerpike (sorry I can tell I'm going to get hyper... I'm just really liking this discussion. Thanks for trying to get to the heart of it, because I do believe I should be able to easily explain this... but alas I can't, so this is going to be long):
How do you define a culture? How about this, you define / describe your culture to me. I grew up in Washington Heights, NYC. A few blocks north of Harlem and right across a small Harlem River to the south Bronx. The birthplace of hip-hop. And you can roll through anywhere in this dirty & grimy city and ask anyone what is hip-hop and you will consistently get a different answer.
It isn't about being urban, or growing up with crackheads, or selling drugs, or even (shamefully) wearing your pants to your kneecaps. My man I've travelled the world doing magic. And when I was in Darwin, Australia performing I met more hip-hop heads there than I do in Maryland. Same in Japan, Thailand, South Korea, the Phillipines and Canada.
You know what's hip-hop? Getting rejected by every single music label on the planet, and then going out and still selling 100,000 copies of a tape you and your people's recorded in order to get attention. That's Wu-Tang.
You know what's hip-hop? Taking a culture that scares the living crap out the average suburban, middle-class, college educated family, and convincing their kids to wear over priced t-shirts. That's Jay-Z.
You know what's hip-hop? Getting shot a bunch of times, being a convicted felon... and having a small affluent town in Connetticut name a day after you, plus selling over-priced flavored water (vitamin water). That's 50 Cent.
It's about overcoming obstacles and still coming above. That is what it is to me. It is different to different people.
And of course
this is Hip-Hop
There are four traditional pillars to hip-hop from the late '70s to early '90s. They are DJing, Break dancing, graffiti, and rapping. As the people that got together to participate in these activities they started bonding. Same way some of us bond with others that do magic. Especially if these past times are keeping your mind off the b.s. you are living in.
As the money started coming in, and I mean the real money, other major pillars (the one's I grew up as a teen with) were as important if not more important than the original ones. They were beatboxing, the slang, street knowledge and street entrepreneurship aka the hustle. That last one has been my biggest influence.
My dude, the first person to give me a blunt was Method Man from Wu-Tang. As a young kid I saw that group go from selling tapes out the back of a trunk. To selling comic books, shoes, video games and anything / everything they can slap a Wu-Tang symbol on. That hustle, that drive to take a little bit of success was never seen before. That is hip-hop.
Being given an inch... .and turning it into a mile.
Take a good look at my performance style. I really don't have that much skill.... but I talk one hell of a game. And I'm not saying that in and of itself is just hip-hop, but you wait and see. When you start seeing Smoothini limited edition condoms on sale in your local drug store, you'll remember this thread. LOL.
Here's proof that I can be dressed up and still perform. This is at a radio station last monday:
Smoothini @ ClubZone.fm
What you probably don't see from my performance style is how I feed myself. I have been paying my rent & bills, plus feeding my son just off of magic for the past six years. For the past 3 I haven't recieved one email by anyone interested in booking me. Not one.
Not even an inquiry.
But I still work. Why? Because I don't take no for an answer. I get up at 8am and I hustle tickets to my show ALL DAY. Phone calls, emails, visiting offices, whatever it takes. Till 3am... maybe to 4 or 5 at times. Take a small nap throughout the day, take care of my son and back on my grind. I have yet to have met a magician that works as hard as I do. I do this seven days a week my dude. While I see others just waiting for a gig to land on their lap and complaining about how things are slow. I go out and convince people to see me while building a fanbase. It's how Wu-Tang did it.
Maybe that isn't hip-hop to you, but my business model is exactly how a drug dealer will push his product.