Beyond The Music

Matt B sits down with the legendary Chicago tastemaker and artist manager, Hustle Simmons. Hustle tells our listeners more about his Chicago roots and how he got started in the music industry. Hustle also discusses his own music festival ‘Hustlepalooza’, working with Rockie Fresh, and more.

Matt B sits down for a conversation with Chicago-based music engineer and owner of VSOP Studios, Matt Hennessy. They discuss how Hennessy pivoted his company to work through the pandemic, what it was like working with DMX, the differences of engineering today versus decades ago, and how he feels Hip-Hop can be compared to Jazz. He also gives his thoughts on the state of R&B in Chicago and his first thoughts on Matt B's 'EDEN' album.

Matt B goes down to Atlanta and speaks with multi platinum music producer, engineer, programmer, and MD: Adrian ‘AP’ Porter, 1/2 of the production duo 'The AP Factor'. They spend time discussing how he approaches programming and producing for artists, what keeps him grounded and motivated after 25 years in the music business, and the importance of artist/producer relationships. AP also shared stories about his time working with Prince, how that interaction changed his perspective in music, and the near-death experience that gave his life new meaning.

'Beyond The Music' is back with an all new Season 2! 'Chi Talk' will feature conversations between Matt and Angela and some of their close industry friends and peers.

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Matt B sits down with his close friend and mentor, Rhymefest, for an intimate discussion. They discuss marriage, balancing relationships and your career, the importance of supporting people you love, and more. Rhymefest also weighs in with his own thoughts on Matt B's debut US album, 'EDEN'.

In the “old music business”, it was common for A&Rs and music executives to invest time, effort, and money into an artist that they believed in to develop their talent and move their careers forward. This birthed generations of many superstars, some of which went on to have great longevity in their careers. However, in the new music business today, there is a heavy focus on numbers and followers as opposed to talent. Executives all but refuse to sign or develop artists that don’t already have large followings; they prefer to pour gasoline on an already burning flame. Why did artist development disappear? How is this impacting the music business today? Angela and Matt B dive into these questions and openly discuss artist development, its disappearance, and advice for new artists struggling to develop themselves.

Navigating the new music business as an independent artist/entrepreneur is a full time commitment. It takes hard work, dedication, and grit just to roll out and promote a single. But how does one balance such a fast paced lifestyle as a married couple with children? Matt B and Angela discuss how they balance being both life partners and business partners in the music industry. They talk about the importance of balance, sacrifice, open lines of communication, maintaining a schedule for their little ones, and more.

Often you will hear people in the industry proudly proclaim that they are “moving in silence”. But by broadcasting their moves to everyone on social media, does this put them at a disadvantage? Angela and Matt B discuss the notion of “moving in silence”, taking constructive criticism, and being inspired by someone versus copying their strategies and ideas.

A huge social media phenomenon that has rapidly grown in popularity over the past several years is the idea of “cancel culture”. Typically, a person or entity will say or perform a behavior that a large group of our society doesn’t agree with, and in turn society will “cancel” them by no longer supporting their brand and/or publicly shaming them. But is this an effective way of handling social issues or disagreements? Matt B and Angela discuss the negative and positives associated with cancel culture and what role it plays in society today.

The American Dream is all about “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” But does money buy happiness? Many people, especially artists, work their fingers to the bone trying to “make it” because they think money will make them happy and solve all of their problems. But is that really true? On this episode, Matt B and Angela talk about the implications of money and how it can coincide with happiness. They also discuss what defines happiness and how to truly pursue it in life and within your career. 'Beyond the Music' also will be featuring their first guest sponsor: Sole of Chicago! You can shop their business at www.soleofchicago.net (and yes, they are Black-owned!)

Independent artists are often made the targets of various industry scams and hoaxes. The scammers prey on the artist’s (or manager’s) ignorance and strong desire for success or a “quick route” to fame and take advantage of them for their own personal gain. Matt B and Angela take the time to dissect what typical scams look like in the music business and red flags to watch out for. They also discuss in detail the best practices for preventing getting scammed.

In this episode, Matt B and Angela share their MyHeritage DNA test results and gain a better understanding of their ancestry. They explore the idea of how an artist knowing their heritage and history can impact them creatively and throughout their careers. Additionally, the duo touches on topics regarding Black American history and how it is taught in our schools, how we are all connected as people, the beauty of the motherland Africa, and more.

An artist's music is a time capsule of their energy that lived during a moment in time and goes on to live forever. But how does that energy impact society and the culture? Matt B and Angela openly discuss the idea of good vs bad energy, how energy impacts our culture, and understanding the role that social media plays in spreading energy all across the globe. Moreover, they will decipher whether or not energy has the power to heal a broken society riddled with anger, depression, anxiety, and hate.  

The current landscape of the music industry is extremely competitive, cut throat, and fast paced. Artists are under an immense amount of pressure to consistently put out great art while being under the microscope of social media and society’s impossible standards. Matt B and Angela discuss the implications that this pressure to achieve perfection has on the mental health of creatives and how social media has played a role in negatively impacting mental health. Additionally, they provide their own personal solutions to dealing with stress and discuss ways to achieve balance while maintaining a healthy mental state of mind as an artist.

The pandemic has altered the world’s sense of normalcy. Every industry was affected and left devastated. However, COVID-19 restrictions had a profound impact on the music industry. Artists were dropped from their deals, venues shut down as live entertainment converted to virtual platforms, and artists were left with few avenues to collect revenue consistently. In this episode, Matt B and Angela discuss the pandemic’s impact on the music industry, as well as the big question: should you get the COVID vaccine?

Independent vs Major Record Label: which one takes the crown? Matt B and Angela take a deep dive into the pros and cons of being independent vs signing a deal with a major record label. They discuss ownership of masters, maintaining creative control, setting goals and expectations, and ultimately…which option is the best for you?

In today's music industry (especially during times of COVID-19), independent artists are often expected to wear multiple hats and invest their time into learning new skills that will help them to advance in their careers. In this episode, Angela & Matt B dissect the concept of being a "Jack/Jill of all trades" as an artist and dive deeper into the importance of being more than just a musician. Matt & Angela also unpack aspects of the state of the industry today and discuss being a visionary, artists chasing fame instead of their dreams, "cookie cutter" music versus music with passion, and much more.