INDIE CORNER

Jay Classik AN UP AND COMING MUSIC EXECUTIVE YOU NEED TO KNOW:

Jay Classik, is probably one of the busiest guy’s I know ….which means that he’s constantly hustling. While other folks are busy getting high and playing Playstation Classik has been building the Hustlefam brand into national recognition. I recently had a chance to pick his brain. Let me know what you think….here you go:

Q: OUT OF ALL INDUSTRIES WHY DID YOU CHOOSE MUSIC?
Well basically I grew around the music business with my father having a indie label back in the early 90’s and also being a music producers. Music was in my home 24/9, if it wasn’t sports it was music. So once I got to college and was burned out on playing ball, I went to the next thing that came natural to me which was music #1 and of course business.

Q: HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START?
Pretty much the hustle, the grind, no one really let me in the door here in Houston outside of a few people who showed me love early when I was just producing. Of course people like Paul Wall kept it 100, Swishahouse gave me my first ever real studio session when they wanted to cop a few beats from me for Mike Jones mixtape. Outside of that, I pretty much came in and hustled my way to the status and brand I have today

Q: WHO WOULD YOU SAY ARE YOUR GREATEST BUSINESS MENTORS? (DOESN’T
HAVE TO BE MUSIC RELATED) AND WHY?
Um to be honest it’s only been two or three people I’ve watched, studied, and tried to pattern my business savvy behind. Which is Russell Simmons, Sean P-Diddy Combs, and Damon Dash. As a producer I always looked up to Dre and Timbo just based off their work ethic and creativity!!!

Q: SPEAK ABOUT YOUR CURRENT ENDEAVORS
Well basically its Hustle Fam Music Group, which consist of Hustle Fam Marketing/Management Firm, Hustle Squad DJ’s, Hustle Fam Music(label but not unleashing yet), Beat Fanatiks Productions, Awready.com, and Urban Timez Magazine. These all the brands and things I’ve created over the 4 years I’ve been in the music biz seriously. Right now the two brands that everybody in the industry or in the streets is talking about is Hustle Fam Marketing and Hustle Squad DJ’s. I have about 60 dj’s across the globe, mainly in the states and they’re are some of the hottest club, radio, and mixtape dj’s in the game. Really the whole Hustle Squad DJ brand was created a lil over a year ago to assist the DJ’s that were playing my artists records via marketing, branding, management, etc. Plus most the relationships I was building in the music business were Dj’s so it was only right. Then I had some of the hottest artists in the indie market that I was assisting in their careers with either management, marketing, production, a&r’in project’s, etc. So with them representing the brand and giving me credit for the work I was putting in with their careers on top of me branding my name as well, it created a huge buzz on the indie level. Now if you’re an indie artists and your not messing with Hustle Fam Marketing, it’s next to impossible to get that big attention like the artists that are.

Q: TELL ME ABOUT TRIAD
Well Triad is the label Jokaman is on and most of 2006 and early 2007 I spent as the President running the day to day activities. Even though I’ve stepped down from that position to focus more on the Hustle Fam movement, I still spend a lot of time with Triad assisting them with marketing campaigns as well as other things. As a matter fact we have Jokaman’s new single ft. Tum Tum coming soon that we’re about to campaign

Q: WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH THE DESERT STORM SITUATION?
Well I hooked up with Desert Storm South via my homie DJ Storm who is a Hustle Squad DJ, basically I told him I know the Desert Storm/Rocafella/Def Jam history and I would like to see them make a huge statement in the south. Storm, who has high respect for what I do was like lets get it. Now we’re in the process of shopping my artist Yung Texxus( who is the next mega star) to the majors via the Desert Storm Imprint. Things are looking real good and I know we’re gonna make some history together. Shout out to Storm, Clue, Animal, and of course Yung Texxus

Q: ANY ADVICE FOR UPCOMING ARTISTS?
Plan and simple get ya ass under the umbrella homie, Hustle Fam is the movement!!! If you serious about your career and you’re ready to hit that next level give us a holla hustlefam@gmail.com. Also I want them to know, never give up on what you’re doing if you believe in yourself. A lot of times in this industry people sleep on artists for so many different reasons, but it’s up the the artists to stay hustling

Q: BIGGEST BUSINESS CHALLENGE YOU FACED AND HOW YOU OVERCAME IT
Actually when I stepped away from the normal 9 to 5 in 2005 and said this is where I’m gonna make my living and future. It was tuff in the beginning but once you build a respectable brand and you stay hungry never getting comfortable you find out the skies the limit.

Q: WHERE’S RAP GOING TO BE IN 5 YEARS?
Man that’s a good question, sometimes I feel like I can be out of rap in 5 years because I’m such a business minded and innovative person that if I see things slowing down here, I will switch my whole focus and step into another industry looking to have the same success. One thing I will say is Rap will definitely continue to speak to the masses no matter how much they criticize the genre.

Q: WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON?
Getting money…..lmao!!! Nah right now, Yung Texxus album to be released on a major and his single, Jokaman’s album to be released on a major and his single, pushing $park Dawg’s single “Dial Tone”, keeping Reata and Rellik constantly in the studio, and my new rnb artists “Tawana”, I think she’s the shit and its my job to make the world feel the same way…lol!!!!!

Q: WHAT WOULD YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR BIGGEST MISTAKE AND HARDEST LESSON
YOU’VE HAD TO LEARN IN THE GAME?
Never take anything in this game personal (which is hard), it’s only business!!! That’s real talk

Q: BEST TRUE STORY RELATED TO MUSIC…..
Hmmm…..ain’t really got anything good and juicy yet, check back in about a year cause we’re moving in the fastlane and anything can happen

Check out his Myspace page:

Www.myspace.com/hustlefamfirm
Www.myspace.com/hustlesquaddjs
Www.myspace.com/jayclassik
Www.jayclassik.blogspot.com
Www.jayclassik.podomactic.com
Www.awready.com
Www.urbantimezmag.com
Www.beatfanatiks.com
Www.triad-entertainment.com

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