Swizz Beatz: Young Creatives Can't Forget the 'Business' in Art Business
*By Chloe Aiello*
Even for Kasseem Dean ー a.k.a accomplished producer, rapper, and art enthusiast "Swizz Beatz" ー the hustle never stops.
And after more than two decades in the music industry, Dean's best advice for young creatives is to never forget the "business" part of the art industry.
"Understand the business that you're in. We devote so much time to the creative that we miss out on the business. So it's the music business, fashion business, art business ー and a lot of creatives miss the business part and they waste their time," Dean told Cheddar on Thursday.
The music mogul released "Poison" earlier this month. The studio album, his second, is his first release since since 2007, and features collaborations with Nas, Lil Wayne, and Kendrick Lamar, among other industry heavyweights.
Dean may be thriving, but he experienced struggles during his early days in the business ー and he more than understands how unforgiving it can be, especially in the age of streaming platforms like Spotify ($SPOT), [which famously pays artists very little to stream their music.](https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2018/01/16/streaming-music-services-pay-2018/).
"There is no perfect way" to achieve success in the music industry, Dean said, whether an artist is signed to a major label and on Spotify, or independent and on YouTube. It's about the business plan ー and monetizing everything from merchandise to touring.
"That's why I left the music industry for so long, to diversify my portfolio and get into designing cars, watches, fashion ー just different things so I don't have that much pressure on me when I'm doing music. It's a thing that's fun," he added.
Beyond the music industry, Dean has a passion for the arts.
Along with Keys, he founded The Dean Collection, an organization that aims to support aspiring artists and democratize art, often through grants and "No Commission" art fairs, which return all proceeds to the artists. [The Dean Collection's next event](https://dean-collection.com/#mainRoom) is scheduled for Dec. 6 and 7 during Miami Art Week.
Airbnb.org has announced that it will provide up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees with free housing. Airbnb.org is the philanthropic branch of Airbnb that provides free housing for those affected by disasters. Joe Gebbia, co-founder and chairman of Airbnb.org, joined Cheddar News to talk about how the company has helped thousands find shelter in times of crisis. "A lot of people are saying this conflict is likely to be the largest humanitarian crisis since World War II, and I believe Airbnb believes that companies have a responsibility to step up and to help out in times like these," he said.
As companies struggle to recruit and retain employees, major retailers are raising wages. According to Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank data, the country's youngest workers are seeing the fastest wage growth of any group, even outpacing inflation. Daniel Altman, chief economist at staffing firm Instawork, breaks down the impact of inflation on the labor market, the power shift from employer to employee, and how the Russia-Ukraine crisis might impact jobs and salaries moving forward. "There's a feeling that the wage increases have been postponed for quite a long time and with prices going up, there's just a little more urgency right now," he said.
Chris French, Head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit at Goldsmiths, University of London, joins Cheddar Reveals to break down the psychology behind ghosts and what we perceive as the paranormal.
Paul Patterson, Associate Professor of English at Saint Joseph's University, joins Cheddar Reveals to discuss why we find ghost stories so compelling and how the horror genre has grown and evolved within American culture.
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted blood donations leading to severe shortages throughout the country. Chloe Aiello reports on the desperate need for new donors.
JPMorgan Chase celebrates black culture and our communities every day as we continue to celebrate Black History Month. Cheddar News is highlighting prominent Black Americans who are carving their own historic paths and trailblazing in their industries. Today we turn our focus to one leader helping shift the culture of amateur sports across the U.S through esports. CEO and Founder of PlayVS, Delane parnell, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
