Today we’d like to introduce you to Edward Smith.
Edward, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Boston, MA I’ve always had a passion for music since I was younger. I remember my mom had A music collection that I would just sit and listen to for hours, so I think my love from music came from her. As I got older, I always wanted to be up on the newest music.
Fast forward to early-mid 2000s is when I started developing an ear for talent. Around this time, my friends and I would always compete for who put who on to the best new music. (We take finding out about an artist before anyone else very serious in my community lol) I remember always trying to tell my friends about the artists they didn’t get at first, one instant that stood out is when I first heard “Country Grammar” by Nelly in 2000. I’m like “this dude singing about some street stuff using all these melodies and it seemed so effortless, it was in a way you normally didn’t hear from a rapper all the time.
I remember telling my dawg to listen on our way home from school, I passed him my headphones, after about a few seconds he goes “this dude singing Nursery Rhymes Yo?!” and threw my headphones back at me. We both laughed it off, but it wouldn’t be the last time I found an artist that people didn’t get instantly. Another was hearing “Hussle in the house” by Nipsey Hussle mind you, I’m in Boston trying to tell my friends to listen to some dude from South Central LA, and this was when an artist like Wayne, TI, Jeezy the whole south had the music scene on lock. But I knew Nip was different, his storytelling painted a picture so vivid, Nip was a poet.
So, when I found out what an A&R does, that you can make a living off of finding and developing talent for the labels is when I starting taking music seriously. In 2013 my wife and I (Hey Moose) moved to LA, I landed my first internship working for Kerry Gordy, the son of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy. There I learned a lot about being an A&R, what to listen for when looking for talent, how to structure an album, picking singles, song transitions on an album all from Gordy. Gordy was the Director of A&R of Motown working with the temptations, Four Tops, and Prince just to name a few, he managed Rick James for a few years up until James passed away. While working under Gordy I helped developed an artist named Jada Grace for Epic Records, so she was my 1st professional talent I had a hand in. I gained A ton of studio/industry knowledge from Gordy, which helped me become a better A&R and helped me jump into Artist management. I’ve always wanted to help artists navigate the music industry and not get taken advantage of.
In 2016, I was brought on as A&R/Consultant for Atlantic Records, assisting A&R’s in finding different singers, songwriters, producers and putting them all in the studio and see if any hits come out of it. Atlantic as any other major label is a revolving door of talent, I made a lot of genuine relationships with whom I still keep in contact. That was an experience.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. -but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Pursing my passion and moving from Boston to LA was and still is hard, just being away from family is a struggle. I have a 16yr old daughter (Hi Simone) so being away from her will never be easy, as for the Music/Entertainment industry its full of hardships, so many of us looking to get into the business will experience the same hardships by default. I will say there is a certain level of s**t you have to put up within the music industry. Its an industry full of egos and built on relationships, and knowing the right people can open doors, you ever saw the movie Donnie Brasco? When Luck( Al Pacino’s character) introduces Donnie, he goes “This is Donnie he’s A friend of mine”, he doesn’t say “this is a friend of ours, if he did, It would have meant Donnie was connected, that’s how the entertainment industry is, people fighting to be the equivalent to a “made” man. Wanting to get introduced as a “friend of ours” rather than create their own. With so many people jockeying for position out here you run into a lot of empty promises, pointless lunch meetings, etc. so just trying to establish genuine relationships. That’s one of the biggest struggles getting into this business.
So, let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Take Notes Management story. Tell us more about the business.
I founded Take Notes Management in 2015. The Name is a play on words, sort of like taking notes throughout life, or learn from your mistakes at all times, also take Notes (Music) and use them, bring some positivity for someone; create something, express yourself, etc. We all know music can help people get through some really hard times. So, the name TakeNotes is based on that. After seeing how A&R’s are treated and forgotten about after a while I wanted to broaden my horizons and not just settle for a tiny office at a label we serve as an Artist Management Company as well as A consulting firm for creatives. At the end of the day, I would like for TakeNotes to be known for finding amazing talent and protecting the artists all while helping guide artists in their careers.
One of my proudest moments, since I’ve moved to LA, is when I stumbled upon on a rap group called Coast Contra, which consists of four amazing artists by the name of Rio Loz, Taj, and Ras Austin and Eric Jamal. I had just moved to LA and I heard some of their stuff, I reached out saying that I thought they were dope, I just want to help in any way I can. this was when I was still consulting at Atlantic. I passed their names to a few people up there, nothing came of it but we still keep in contact. Fast forward a few years and I’ve seen the type of team they have surrounded themselves with and them landing a placement on the Queen and Slim Soundtrack feat BJ the Chicago Kid, which was a major accomplishment for them. I was super proud, just knowing that I saw the potential in them.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I’m not A good or bad luck type of person, I do believe in Odds, Chances, and faith, I believe I can always put the odds in my favor just by making smart moves and taking a calculated risk (chances) all while having a plan. I remember talking to my Mentor G, he told me he didn’t believe in stress, there’s no need to stress when you have your faith, I’m still learning to trust the process; I know things will always work out; its what keeps me going in Life and Business.
Pricing:
- $150 A month for consulting services (Video Chat, Phone, email)
- $20 an hour in-studio consultation
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: b0stonsveryown_83
Image Credit:
Charlotte Funches
Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
