Published: Friday - January 4, 2008
Words by Donny Goines
Blog by Donny Goines (Photo: Don Michaels)
Too many artists make the SAME mistake. They always assume that they can follow the same path that previous artists have paved and be successful doing so. Sometimes they're right, but for the most part it doesn't work. This is why you need to find your own lane.
When I started out I really analyzed the entire game as a whole and tried to figure out where I would make the most impact musically. I'll be the first to tell you, it wasn't easy. If you listen to my first bodies of work, you will notice that I tried to use many different styles (I will always experiment though), concepts (I still do) and subject mater (I always will), but didn't quite know which direction to go in. Overall what I realized is that I received the most feedback and reactions from the songs that involved my real life. Situations that pertained directly to me and my past. It was then that I knew most of my music would be more "reality" based.
You are not 50 Cent. Your not Kanye. Your not Tupac. You are "fill in the blank here" and the sooner you realize that the better. What works for them may not work for you and musically you need to find your own path and once you do, stay in it until your ready to move on. There's no set time limit for this and there's no way to tell what suites you best until you try it out. You just have to do what you do and listen to your heart. Once you stumble on it and have a feeling that you may have found what your looking for start to explore. You'll know has you progress if its a right fit for you. Finding your own lane is CRUCIAL for the survival of your career and will make the difference between a one hit wonder and a long term career.
Like I said, my lane is more of a "reality" based sound, so that's what you can expect to hear for the most part that when you listen to my music. I will work that angle musically until I master it and make a serious impact on the world and once that happens, those after me will have to find another lane to drive in.
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