Kaesevyn: Being CEO in Music
Ju-Marri “Kaesevyn” Sims is a man who has been through a lot, but pressed forward to become the leader he needed to be. Through his label, Alive Music Group, Kaesevyn releases and promotes not just his music, but those trying to succeed in one of the most competitive industries out there. As he sat with the UPcoming, he broke down how one must think if they are going to survive, much less prosper.
After inheriting the label from a mentor, Kaesevyn found himself forced out of his comfort zone as an artist to focus on keeping the business alive. This meant understanding important tax documents, keeping up to date with finances, and looking for ways to grow the label. As a newcomer, to say all of this came at once is an understatement. Regardless, Kaesevyn did not let this overwhelm him or discourage him. In fact, it was vital that he understood everything, not just for the business, but for himself. This is all information he had to know in order to keep himself aware and less vulnerable to the harshness of the music industry. Still, this required patience, discipline, and drive, three of the most important traits of a musician.
Speaking of, when we talked about being one, Kaesevyn mentioned something very important about today’s generation: We are at the easiest time ever to have our music become viral. Rappers like Lil Nas X, Ice Spice, and Lil Pump have found success by posting their music online or on social media. TikTok is an especially important contributor, seeing as how Lil Nas X gained popularity through it. The problems are 1: People are going to be convinced that it’s easy to become rich and famous and fly in blindly without really understanding what they’re getting into, and 2: What happens after they’ve achieved their fame and now they need to come out with another hit?
Kaesevyn said it plainly. “If you’re in it for the fame… This is not for you.” No one should be in music for the fame, because like it or not, that fame has an extremely limited lifespan. Fame without any plans to evolve, make one a trend. Here today, gone tomorrow. That’s what rappers like Lil Pump are now. In 2018-2020, Lil Pump was a name you couldn’t ignore. After multiple failed songs, and some controversies, he’s not talked about anymore. All of the hype around him is practically nonexistent now. To be an artist, you have to change with the times. The best example of this is Jay-Z, who’s every album took on a different approach and continued to reach the top charts. He’s been around since the 90’s and because he figured out how to adapt to his audience’s tastes, he’s just as popular now, as he was before.
Kaesevyn wants to teach this lesson to those he works with. If you’re serious about what you do, you have all of his support. If you’re not, then you won’t have it. Build others up, but make sure they build you up too. That’s what leaders do, and Kaesevyn is proof of that. He wants to ensure those under his label can take care of themselves, so he keeps his contracts fair and easy to understand. This way, the artists can continue on with less stress than if they signed on to a less trustworthy label.
Never get comfortable as a musician, always seek to evolve, and be the change you want to see. Those are the lessons I learned from Kaesevyn.