United Masters, a music distribution company, took over ZeroSpace in Brooklyn to curate an evening of music, culture, and conversation with SelectCon. For the third consecutive year, the event was held in person, allowing attendees to experience activations, engage in networking, and discover valuable insights to elevate their careers.
As the evening hours of October 24 approached a line wrapping almost around the block formed at ZeroSpace. This line held creatives of various backgrounds hoping to snag a seat at this years SelectCon. Founded in 2020 by CEO Steve Stoute, SelectCon debuted in July as a virtual conference with over one million attendees. In 2022 SelectCon saw its first in person event at Terminal 5 in New York with speakers like Issa Rae.
SelectCon hosted by Speedy Mormon and Ivy Rivera included several activations and photo ops for attendees to participate in. They also offered three food options that included: Mizanne’s Kitchen, Happy Bull Pizza, and a United Master’s themed bodega. The event designed to mimic a New York City subway with the icon subway globe. The standout activation, “From The Block,” showcases emerging and established urban artists freestyling in their hometowns on an online platform. This year’s SelectCon included performances from United Masters artists Billy B, Cleotrapa, and Bay Swag. United Master’s “Make Your Debut Challenge” 2024 winner Dono also performed at SelectCon.
Photo Courtesy: Vinny Nolan
This year’s SelectCon was in partnership with Ally bank. Which further highlighted the conference theme of “Entrepreneurship Beyond Music”. It is often recognized that, in an earlier era of the music industry, bad deals were being signed by artists. These deals typically required artists to create multiple albums at low costs, resulting in minimal return on investment. By partnering with Ally United Masters shows the importance of finical literacy at all levels. Whilst ensuring to highlight the importance of understanding the business behind the creative fields to ensure longevity.
The first panel, “Find Your Ally: The Importance of Mentorship and Coaching in the Industry,” was moderated by Rachie Jackson. The panel featured Lenny Santiago, Tremaine Emory, Natalie Brown, and Mike Weiss. During the panel Weiss a third generation music buff highlighted the importance of mentorship going both ways. He emphasized the importance of being okay with not knowing everything because it’s important to also soak in knowledge. Natalie a corporate responsibility leader at Ally identified the importance of budgeting as a creative. Following up with the phrase “your credit score is like your gpa in high school.” Demin Tears founder Tremaine put emphasis on not following the trends find out what works for you and keep moving.
As the evening progressed, the segment titled “Mogul Talk,” hosted by Steve Stoute, began. It featured three men who transitioned from the music industry to successful business ventures.
Photo Courtesy: Vinny Nolan
Our first mogul, Joe Budden, a Harlem native, is best known for VH1’s Love and Hip Hop and his podcast. Prior to that Joe was a rapper whose claim to fame in 2002 came with his debut album Breakthrough. During the conversation Stoute asked if Budden was an artist in today’s era would he be an indecent artist. To which he responded “independent artist” because now it’s all about digital footprint. He emphasized that today’s artists must promote themselves on social media since labels are no longer developing artists from scratch. Joe emphasized that creators must understand their financial information, as ignorance can lead to future challenges. He also stressed the importance of trusting one’s instincts to avoid being misled by enticing financial offers.
Our second mogul Cam’ron began his music career in the mid -1990s in a rap group Children of the Corn. The rapper’s rise to fame came after his 1998 debut album ‘Confessions of Fire. The Harlem native then went on to directing, acting, and even fashion designing. Today, Cam’ron hosts his podcast “It Is What It Is,” offering sports commentary in a barber shop style. He describes it an urban version of ESPN sports. When asked for advice for upcoming creatives, Cam’ron thoughtfully replied, “Believe in yourself, but also stay realistic.” He goes on to clarify saying follow your dreams but don’t spend all your bill money following your dreams, make sure to create balance.
Photo Courtesy: Vinny Nolan
Our last mogul, 50 Cent, a Queens native, rose to fame after his mixtape Guess Who’s Back? Today the Queens native is most known for his work in the creation of STARZ power universe. The ‘21 Questions’ rapper believes that artist should understand the business and not focus solely on the creativity. Following that story 50 and Stoute discuss the cameo that the Apple iPod made in the ‘PIMP’ video. Steve Jobs offered $150,000 to feature the item but the rapper only received $50,000 due to his manager’s cut. This story marks the iPod’s first public appearance, showcasing a poor business decision due to a lack of industry knowledge. The rapper reveals he earned $17,000 per episode in early seasons of Power. However, he was able to negotiate a higher salary once he had the numbers to show.
Overall, SelectCon 2024 featured great performances and had panels that educated attendees. It showcased the importance of learning from our peers mistakes to ensure we don’t make the same kind. It also highlighted the importance of negotiation and trusting in yourself.
