They Thought Top Artists Were Giving Them Their Big Break. But Was It All a 'Menu of Bullshit'?

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses a scheme where some high-profile musicians are allegedly reaching out to independent artists and offering them promotion opportunities in exchange for money, but often failing to deliver on their promises. The article explores the experiences of several independent artists who claim they were targeted by this scheme, as well as the potential legal and ethical implications for the celebrity artists involved.

🙋 Q&A

[01] They Thought Top Artists Were Giving Them Their Big Break. But Was It All a 'Menu of Bullshit'?

1. What is the main issue discussed in this section?

• The article discusses a scheme where some high-profile musicians are allegedly reaching out to independent artists and offering them promotion opportunities in exchange for money, but often failing to deliver on their promises.
• Independent artists claim they were contacted by verified accounts of artists like Ne-Yo, Fat Joe, the Game, Jadakiss, Nick Cannon, and Dave East, who offered them opportunities to be featured on mixtapes, get shoutouts, or have the artist record an "intro" for their song, all in exchange for payments ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.
• However, the independent artists say they often ended up with minimal promotion or exposure, and in some cases, the celebrity artists would ghost them after receiving the payment.

2. What are some examples of the experiences shared by the independent artists?

• Dwayne "WayneWayne" McDaniel Jr. paid $1,200 to Ne-Yo for a song intro, but has not received it two years later.
• Hyena XXL paid $1,200 to Ne-Yo for a feature, but was ghosted after sending the money.
• Olisaemeka Odili (Avalon Aviie) paid the Game nearly $1,000 for a slot on his mixtape, but only received 635 streams.
• Jennifer Sanchez (JenBunny) paid the Game $5,000 for an intro and video promotion, but was disappointed with the low-quality final product.
• Bryan Berry (Movin Mazerati) paid $900 to Nick Cannon for an intro and shoutout, but Cannon never followed through.

3. What are the potential legal and ethical issues with this scheme?

• The deals are often made through Instagram DMs with no formal paperwork, which can create legal issues around the contracts.
• The celebrities are exposing themselves to potential legal risks by engaging in these types of transactions.
• Ethically, the scheme is seen as taking advantage of independent artists who are desperate for exposure and opportunities in the industry.

[02] The First Widespread Iteration of the Scheme

1. When did this scheme first emerge, and what factors contributed to its rise?

• The first widespread iteration of this scheme appears to date back to summer 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic led to a decline in live music and touring, which was a major source of income for many performers.
• The pandemic "really showed how difficult it is even for veterans in this business to generate revenue that supports their livelihood," leading to the emergence of various scams and schemes to take advantage of vulnerable artists.

2. What was the role of the DaBlock365 promotions account in this scheme?

• DaBlock365, an Instagram promotions account allegedly run by Brooklyn rapper Uncle Murda, was identified as a key player in organizing the mixtape opportunities with celebrity artists.
• DaBlock365 partnered with the bigger artists to put together the various mixtapes that independent artists could pay to be featured on.
• After being named and shamed online, DaBlock365 reportedly wiped its SoundCloud account where the mixtapes were hosted, and some artists like Redman deleted their posts associated with the marketing opportunity.

3. What were the potential financial gains for the celebrity artists involved?

• Based on estimates, if the celebrity artists charged an average of $300 per slot on their mixtapes and had 15 artists per mixtape, the potential earnings could have been substantial.
• For example, the Game's unverified SoundCloud page posted 56 playlists between October 2020 and August 2021, which could have earned him around $252,000 if each playlist had 15 artists paying $300 each.
• Similarly, Jadakiss' 25 playlists could have earned him around $93,750 based on the same model.

[03] Uncovering the Players Involved

1. What connections were found between the different individuals and accounts involved in the scheme?

• The article traces connections between various individuals, including:
  • "HardWorkingMusic" and "QP Music" CashApp accounts used by Ne-Yo and Jadakiss to receive payments from artists
  • Edwin Quesada Perez, a retired soccer player and shoe reseller in Miami, whose business was associated with the "QP Soles Miami" CashApp account
  • Johnathan M. Soroush, who was linked to the DaBlock365 account and has been described as an "Uncle Murda disciple" who helps recruit artists for the promotion platform
  • Big Trill, a music figure with over 1 million Instagram followers, who is associated with Soroush and has connections to various celebrity artists

2. What is Johnathan M. Soroush's role in the scheme, and how does he defend the marketing opportunities?

• Soroush admits to being the one messaging independent artists from the celebrities' accounts, though he claims the celebrities "know what's going on" with their pages.
• Soroush disputes the notion that the marketing opportunities are a scam or rip-off, arguing that the artists are getting a "bargain deal" compared to traditional features that can cost $100,000.
• He claims to have helped "thousands" of artists, businesses, and entrepreneurs secure paid marketing opportunities, though he declines to provide specifics on how much money has been generated.
• Soroush distances himself from the DaBlock365 account, but later contradicts himself by providing details about the account's access and operations.

3. How do the independent artists feel about the experiences, and what lessons have they learned?

• Many independent artists feel "disrespected" and "played for a fool" by the celebrity artists' offers, which they see as preying on their desperation and lack of resources.
• Some artists say they will be more cautious and ask more specific questions if they consider paying for promotion in the future, such as the details of the playlists or promotions.
• Despite the negative experiences, the artists say their dreams have not been beaten, and they see the losses as part of the challenges of breaking into the music industry.