DJ Folk: Long-Term Hustling

DJ Folk has been in the music industry for 11 years now. In that time, he’s held various roles including everything from music retail, to interning at Grand Hustle and being an A&R for CTE, Jeezy’s Label. It is safe to say DJ Folk has dabbled in a little bit of everything. “I was a marketing rep intern for the Grand Hustle Mid-Atlantic Region: North/South Carolina, Maryland, DC,” he recalled. “I would go to the different stores like independent stores and Best Buy, and set up the POP’s and handout CD’s  and posters at the shows, and all the promotional material like rubber bands. That was back in the Trap Muzik days when T.I. was doing “Rubberband Man,” so we would pass them out.” Constantly juggling responsibilities that also include managing talent and being an entrepreneur, DJ Folk breaks down his current and long-term goals in the music biz.

J’Adore: What is an average day in the music business like for you?

DJ Folk: Right now, it’s hectic since I did the mixtape with Young Jeezy’s Trappin’ Ain’t Dead. We go back probably five or six years. My old business manager worked at CTE. I already had a relationship over there so it fell into place. Then I manage these producers called The Olympics that just signed to Rick Ross’ Maybach Music. I’ve got the day-to-day business with my company/DJ crew The Cartel. I also have a retail CD store in the works. For the most part, I handle all of the behind-the-scenes business for The Cartel. For my producers, The Olympics, I’m a third party agent after they signed their deal with Ross, so I talk to A&R’s about what’s going on, what they are working on, whose budget is open, who needs this, what genre of music they’re working on so I can provide the necessary music they need…

How is the music industry different for you now than when you first started grinding?

In everything that you’re doing, there is evolving and changing and you never know where you’re going as far as the music industry is concerned. Everyone knows everything in the music industry is going so digital and so technical that in a matter of a few years you’re going to see CDs start to disappear from the stores. You’re gonna start seeing little download stations pop up. You just put your debit card or cash in it, plug your iPod in and download the music you want off of the music station. That’s what we’re implementing with our store. Within the next two months, we’ll have it where people can come in with their iPods and download what they want. You just have to evolve before everything changes so that you can maximize your revenue.

The mixtape game was shook up when the RIAA went after DJ Drama and Don Cannon. How has the mixtape game been changed since that incident?

What it did was opened people’s eyes to what was really going on. Now you’ve got DJ’s cutting iTunes deals. I really think the mixtape and entire music industry is too wide open for everybody to get in it. Everybody says that it’s hard to get into the business. Anybody with the right technology right now can do it.

What changes do you see DJ’s making to adjust for the changes going on in the music industry?

I’ve been approached by like four different companies to do an iTunes deal with my mixtapes. Being a mixtape DJ, a lot of these guys are just looking for a quick buck. Some people are not really DJ’s– just hustlers. You don’t want your short-term decisions to harm your long-term prospects.