Keeping Your Brand Authentic with Reza

Originally Published in January 2022 Print

Reza Sarrafieh is someone the industry calls when they need to propel the careers of upcoming music artists into the limelight— especially in the arena of radio promotions.  He is an industry veteran who has decades of experience in making sure that artists are branded and marketed authentically. Today’s artists are focused on followers, which to a degree is important, but for Reza they need to focus on their core and developing an authentic image and musical career. 

Be True to Yourself

The number one mistake labels make with artists is using a formula of familiar beats and hooks from a previous track record of success. Sarrafieh shares about his experience working with Kendrick Lamar to get his break on the radio. They had chosen to push Kendrick’s song “Swimming Pools” which didn’t meet much success. “It’s because instead of being authentic to the sound of Kendrick Lamar, we pushed for a song that had a Dre beat with catchy hooks,” said Sarrafieh. For artists like Kendrick Lamar who have their own unique sound, flow, and pen work, following a previous artist’s formula is not only inauthentic and not conducive. Sarrafieh said it wasn’t until they went back to their authentic self in terms of music that more success was found. 

Establish Your Brand

Artists initially have to establish a brand that works in creating and sustaining a fanbase while producing music that is both purchased and downloaded.  “When you look at the soundcloud artists, they have similar looks and sounds because we see what works for their audience and they share the same audience,” said Sarrafieh. It’s the reason people tend to complain that emerging artists are inauthentic or copying each other, they are building an audience out of an already existing audience. “The more the artist is established and around longer, the more they can play around with their look and sound to see what works and what doesn’t,” said Sarrafieh. 

Find the Right Label

From Interscope to Roc Nation, Sarrafieh shared that the power as we know is held by the label and what they measure as a successful output and return by an artist. “When I was at Interscope it was all about the bottomline: how much are you selling and what is being downloaded,” said Sarrafieh. That’s the huge con of a major record label that comes with a financial benefit with larger budgets. At Roc Nation, they are able to work with the artist in an organic way. The question they ask is how is the artist going to move the culture forward. The biggest benefit of an Indie label like Roc Nation is the time they have to invest in the artist development. “We can get to focus on nurturing their creativity instead of thinking about our new stakeholders meeting and explaining immediate returns,” said Sarrafieh. Artists must not only ask themselves who is their authentic-self in terms of their musical career, but also if the label they are signing to is ready to support and develop that authentic-self.

Match Your Energy

“Many times artists find a disconnect with their audience sooner than later because what they are singing or rapping about doesn’t match the same way they move,” said Sarrafieh. Though the audience tastes changes, the thing that stays the same is their want for the artists to actually mean and live what they are talking about. 

The thing about life in general is that it is always changing. Musical careers change and evolve as well. When artists feel the desire to change, Sarrafieh advised “it comes down to the artist staying in their lane and having faith.”