June 30, 2009

Getting Your Feelings Out On Paper

Every now and then you'll hear some news or read about something that makes you question what you are doing with your life.

And that is exactly what happened to me today and here's how I've dealt with it.

I have developed a simple technique that helps me turn what could be a downward spiral, into a productivity session. First I pull up a blank document and begin letting my feelings out.

Without much format I begin to write about what I'm feeling, then why I'm feeling it.

I then move onto what if scenarios; what if I could have anything, what would I want?

If I could do anything what would I do?

After awhile of doing this I begin to clear away the ideas that seem impossible and further analyze the ideas that seem feasible, even if they are lofty or far out into the future.

In this way I build a plan of action and grow from the challenge at hand instead of spending my day in a funk and looking at myself as a victim.

Wishing you continued success!

Cristopolis Dieguez
latinohiphop.org
cristopolis.com

June 29, 2009

Money is Made Around Music

In this video Media Futurist, Gerd Leonhard gives us a quick 1 min. breakdown of how music/musicians will make money off of music in the coming years and decades.

The old model of revenue has been broken for some time now and what we are currently watching is the final phasing out of CD's and the industry that has been built around it.

As music becomes less about ownership due to the availability of instantly accessing any song via the web, the music industry will be forced to find new streams of revenue to replace the old ones.





Wishing you continued success!

--
Cristopolis Dieguez
latinohiphop.org
cristopolis.com

June 28, 2009

Latinos Unidos 4



I am proud to announce that 'Latinos Unidos 4' will be taking place on July 25th @ the CoffiHouse.

This show will be FREE to get in and is an All Ages Show.

Doors open @ 8pm.




The following 8 incredible performers will be rocking the mic:

TEMPERAMENTO

MR. PELON 503

REYES DEL BAJO MUNDO

GORDO BREGA

FENOMEDON

RICO

VMASTA & CORTEZ

CRISTOPOLIS

Plus the hottest Latino Hip-Hop & Reggaeton spun by:

DJ CABEZON




Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have: hiphop@cristopolis.com


Wishing you continued success!

CRISTOPOLIS

June 27, 2009

Keep It Simple Stupid

When doing business keep it simple.

Honest, clear, and simple should be your guidelines when conducting business.

Contracts with fancy language and multiple requirements, royalties, percentage points, etc., are just a pain to everyone involved and always have some secret hidden agenda of not missing out on some pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

How much does an item or service cost?

Do I own it once I've paid for it? If so let's make the contract 1 page.........1 sentence would even do.

But when people get there hands on some contract from a website or lawyer friend, it's just corny.

Last I checked most of us aren't making alot of money off of music....it's just our passion.

If you're one of 'us' (indie underground artist's), then lets keep it simple.

If you're not one of 'us' then how are you fitting into my budget?

Wishing you continued success!

--
Cristopolis Dieguez
latinohiphop.org
cristopolis.com

June 26, 2009

Working With The Cards You're Dealt

There are certain things that we have no control over; gender, race, physical attributes, certain innate talents, the economic situation we were born into.

Some are undoubtedly born with a better hand of cards than others.

But at the end of the day it's how you play your cards that truly determines your character and ultimately what you did with your life.

Choosing to be happy, be smart, be grateful, be clean, be considerate, be healthy, be balanced, be nice, work hard and to try your best......are all choices.

So choose wisely.

Wishing you continued success!

Cristopolis Dieguez
latinohiphop.org
cristopolis.com

June 25, 2009

Michael Jackson Died And Everyone Mourns

This morning if you mentioned Michael Jackson's name people would have thought of 'Jacko'.

Now he has passed away and we all realize that he was arguably the greatest ever.

And all I can think of is that we take to much for granted.

Be grateful, be the great you.

Wishing you continued success!

Cristopolis Dieguez
latinohiphop.org
cristopolis.com

June 24, 2009

Don't Take Things Personally

In all facets of life you will have the opportunity to be offended.

At home, at work, at a show, on a sales call, in traffic, the opportunities are abundant.

But ultimately, you get to decide whether or not you take something personally.

Upon deeper reflection most people will find that there is little to no reason to allow yourself to be offended or even bothered by the actions of others.

Maybe they have a personal issue with the situation at hand that has nothing to do with you.

Maybe they're having a bad day.

Maybe they associate you or your actions with something from their personal life, that makes them unhappy.

The only thing we can be sure of is that most of the time it has nothing to do with you.

So don't take it personal.

Wishing you continued success!

Cristopolis Dieguez
latinohiphop.org
cristopolis.com

June 23, 2009

Striving For Perfection

Today I was going over a flyer design for my next event.

The graphic designer had done an excellent job but there were a few minor changes that I wanted so I asked for them.

When I received the retouched flyer I found some additional mistakes that were created by the reworking of the first set of mistakes.

So I asked for them to be changed.

Now I'm sitting here waiting for the next version of the flyer to arrive and I ask myself whether or not I should let anything slide in order to just keep the momentum going, and the answer is no.

If you have the time and the resources then kindly, clearly, and politely ask for what you want until you get it.

If it turns out that they can't provide it, then that is an entirely different issue. But if they can provide it and all that they needed was some additional guidance then everyone will be grateful that you had the tact and patience to get what you wanted.

Wishing you continued success!

Cristopolis Dieguez
latinohiphop.org
cristopolis.com

June 21, 2009

A Change Is Coming To Latino Hip-Hop

Sometimes it feels as if you can feel it in the wind.....change.

Unpredictable, inevitable, and always reliable.....change.

I feel that sensation now. Maybe it's just me, but I feel a change happening within the Latino Hip-Hop community.

Instead of trying to figure out what that change is going to be....my focus is instead to figure out what role I want to play in the community when that change arrives.

Because change happens, always has and always will.

Wishing you continued success!

Cristopolis Dieguez
latinohiphop.org
cristopolis.com

June 20, 2009

All Out Assault On Your Demographic

There are so many action items on an artist's to do list.

But identifying and completely catering to your demographic is rarely one of them.

If you systematically do this though, your fans will grow by leaps and bounds.

And at the end of the day, fans is what this game is all about.

Wishing you continued success!

Cristopolis Dieguez
latinohiphop.org
cristopolis.com

June 19, 2009

Repetition Makes You Great

I have been conducting a personal experiment over the course of the last 6 months.

It's quite simple really. I have been practicing the exact same show set everyday, 2 times a day.

I have also been performing this exact same set as often as I can.

What I've experienced is quite interesting albeit predictable. I've gotten really good at this set.

These have been my best shows ever. I no longer need to focus on the songs, instead I focus on the crowd and the performance.

Wishing you continued success!

Cristopolis Dieguez
latinohiphop.org
cristopolis.com

June 18, 2009

Effort = Results

The more energy you invest, the more experience you get.

As you increase your experience your opportunities and decisions get better.

As a result you get better.

And as you get better, the sky is the limit.

Wishing you continued success!

Cristopolis Dieguez
latinohiphop.org
cristopolis.com

June 15, 2009

The Power of Planning

Things are not done overnight.

There is always a background story, work that is forgotten, things that aren't included in the bio because they're just not sexy.

Planning and working hard to execute your plan are neccessary. Understanding this little bit of wisdom is what seperates those that do and those that don't, those who achieve and those that fail.

Plan for the future, if you're lucky you'll get to see it.

Wishing you continued success!

Cristopolis Dieguez
latinohiphop.org
cristopolis.com

June 10, 2009

Reggaeton Vs. Hip-Hop

Reggaeton exists.

It has a unique sound that can be easily identified. But so many of the mainstream 'Reggaetoneros' have alot of what I would consider 'Latino Hip-Hop' tracks included within their albums and even as singles.

For example Julio Voltio's hit song "Julito Maraña", which is categorized as Reggaeton but is in actuality a full fledged Latino Hip-Hop track.

It has no traces of the signature 'Dem Bow' beat which gives Reggaeton it's identity.

If these songs are "Latino Hip-Hop" tracks, are the Reggaeton artists performing them, then Latino Hip-Hop artists?

What exactly makes you "Reggaeton" and what exactly makes you "Latino Hip-Hop"?

Wishing you continued success!

Cristopolis Dieguez
latinohiphop.org
cristopolis.com

June 9, 2009

Boca Floja and the Power of Video

Just today I read that 60% of all internet traffic is related to video and that by 2013 video will account for up to 90% of internet traffic.

I pondered on how this relates to me, and to Latino Hip-Hop. The fact of the matter is that I do prefer to watch quick videos (1-3 mins.) versus reading through a few paragraphs.

Then one Latino Hip-Hop artist in particular came to mind. I have personally noticed how Boca Floja has used this trend to his advantage.

I first found him by doing searches on 'Latino Hip-Hop' on YouTube. Once you've found him and click on one of his videos a dozen more show up, it's quite impressive.

He has more videos than mainstream artists...........and this simple fact caught my attention.




Wishing you continued success!

Cristopolis Dieguez
latinohiphop.org
cristopolis.com

June 8, 2009

Ask Questions, Get Smarter

One of my favorite quotes of all time is; "He who does not know something and does not ask, is a coward" by Confucius.

I have used this quote to motivate me for years and have gained alot of knowledge thanks to the effort.

Often we may find ourselves in situations where we do not understand a term or a concept, but are afraid to ask.

We are afraid that we will look dumb.

We all harbor the same fear, but don't be a coward, ask your question and make your life better because of it.

Wishing you continued success!

Cristopolis Dieguez
latinohiphop.org
cristopolis.com

June 5, 2009

I Want A Spotify 'Beta' Invite

It's fascinating to watch the future unfold before your eyes.

In an era when CD's are still being used by a significant percentage of the population, although most would agree that MP3's are clearly the new standard, not so new yet very cutting edge technology is emerging to substitute MP3's.

This technology can be referred to as smart music streaming applications. Services like Pandora, and from what I hear Spotify are the first generation of this new paradigm.

These smart apps will give you the songs you want, introduce you to new music you'll love, and ultimately become your best music buddy in the world.

The more you use them the better they will be able to select music you love.

And ultimately this technology will replace radio, MP3 players, and everything else.

There is no bottom......every thing that has sound will be able to be customized to your preferences wirelessly and in an instant.

We are still seeing the first inklings of this new era.....but it's here.

Wishing you continued success!

Cristopolis Dieguez
latinohiphop.org
cristopolis.com

June 2, 2009

Quitting Your Day Job

Every musician wants to quit their day job.

We all long to work on our music from dusk to dawn, but this frequently doesn't pay the bills.

Let's not forget about health insurance and retirement plans. Paid sick leave and paid annual leave.

My advice is to work a day job until you're making enough money off your music to stop.

What would a doctor or lawyer or accountant or engineer do?

They would pay their bills until they got the gig they wanted.

Wishing you continued success!

Cristopolis Dieguez
latinohiphop.org
cristopolis.com