We were lucky to catch up with Van-adam Pierre recently and have shared our conversation below.
Van-adam, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you scale up? What were the strategies, tactics, meaningful moments, twists/turns, obstacles, mistakes along the way? We’d love to hear the backstory the illustrates how you grew your brand.
Initially, everything started over social media. Me & a couple of childhood friends at the time created a slogan (popularized after Drake’s “Y.O.L.O” saying) called “R.O.L.O”, which stands for “Roll One, Light One” and it grew into something I didn’t expect at that moment. At the time not only was the meaning fresh but the idea of happily & freely smoking marijuana wasn’t totally popularized and was still seen as a bad thing. I created the term but in time it evolved into a brand that became easy for people in my age range to attach too. Social media definitely helped with that, we were able to continuously get the term trending on Twitter and by finding the people who interacted with the hashtag, reaching out to them and networking with them we in turn grew not only our fanbase but our online presence as well. Already being a Rap artist/Musician was pretty much the cherry on top because it made it easier to create content for people to check out and in time those same people eventually grew with the brand & the slogan. I’ve carried that presence with me up until now, slightly tweaking myself with the times and adjusting to the changes while still maintaining the essense of the meaning in everything that I do. What started as a slogan definitely grew into a motto/brand with the help of social media for sure.
Van-adam, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
For those who don’t know me my name is Van-adam Pierre but I go by the stage name “Kidd Adamz”. I create music in every essence I would say (I write songs & lyrics, create music production, even engineer vocals from time to time). Simply put, I am a musical artist with an abundant-yet-unconventional background. I started off in the music industry at a young age (12) mainly in the local scene of Miami. It’s pretty tough growing in the market down here, not everyone is accessible & networking is one of the only ways to get your feet into any doors out here. I was blessed with a number of growing experiences that literally shaped who I am today. The heartbreaks, challenges, & setback are all testaments to the growth I’ve been blessed to receive from then until now. Consistently showing up to events and setting the tone & energy definitely helped maintain a certain image on the scene and it eventually propelled me to higher levels that were previously closed off to me. (networking with real musicians in the music industry, performance oppurtunities, interviews etc). The discipline is the most important part in all of this. The ability to continue when nothing is promised is a mental strategy that’s completely necessary in order to grow in this business! I learned this early & the consistency of that discipline is what continued to further my footing in the industry. I provide a number of services like music production, online marketing and/or promotions. I dabble a bit in brand/image consulting but would not go as far as saying I am an avid-professional, I am just aware of the talent I possess in that field and frequent in it from time to time when required. I would definitely say when I have clients for music production I’m pretty good at helping them find their sound, that’s literally the first question I ask them: what is your sound? If they don’t know the answer I help them find it by asking who are their favorite artists, what kind of music do they frequently listen to, things of that nature. The conversation will then evolve into helping them find the right production that fits their vibe/sound, it’s important for an artist to know their sound and which direction they want to take their music before working on production with/for them. The one thing I would say definitely sets me apart from others is my attention to detail and my focus/drive. The energy and time I put into things become what I envision them to be. The ability to completely turn a thought into a product is something I pride myself in. No matter what the product is! I have a niche for finding the right names, tones, images, etc. It’s something that I definitely enjoy doing but it’s not at the forefront of my skills & abilities, it’s more like a skill I keep in my back pocket for when I need it. But if you look my previous work you can see why I say it’s what sets me apart from the rest because outside of the products I make (songs, videos, clothing) the creative process in each of these products I created started from scratch. The one thing I can say I’m mostly proud of in all my years of business is signing a record deal! It’s been a slow process but the excitement from that moment eggs me to continue on this path. Just thinking about it re-energizes me to continue doing the things I feel like I need to do in order to further progress in this business. It’s a milestone for sure, but it’s not the end of the marathon. It definitely is my most proud moment and I will have more down the line but I will never forget the moment I put ink-to-paper & became a signed recording artist.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
I think the perseverance is something that flies over a lot of people’s heads. The consistency and effort of doing something even when results don’t show is the magic of it all! I understand people have lives, jobs, & careers that they need to manage but the beauty of those that struggle is the fruits of the labor they will reap from continuing even with no signs of things getting better. I believe in manifestation heavily, so it’s only right that I agree with the universal law of attraction, it’s a real thing and people need to understand this before they even decide what they want to manifest. It will never be easy on any path, especially the one of the entrepreneur but one thing all entrepreneurs have in common is their persistence, consistency, and drive. You need this in order to be successful in any market. As far as being a creative in all of this, you will have dry spells & moments where you are unmotivated but you have to understand it’s only temporary or their may just be something that’s provoking this side of you but it’s not a forever thing and you can snap back into reality as quick as you snapped out of it.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
I think seeing or hearing the expressions on the people that are attached to the art is the best feeling in the world being an artist, don’t get me wrong, I would definitely love to get paid for my work as well as that’s one of the biggest signs you’re doing well, but it’s not the only one. Words of encouragement or words of appreciation from listeners and supporters are worth more than the money you probably would make anyways, because they keep you going, moving, & dreaming longer. They fuel you with the energy to create your best products, because you want them to feel the same way about whatever else you’re doing that they might be interested in! I think that’s where the true gold lies in being an artist.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/kiddadamz
- Facebook: facebook.com/kiddadamz
- Twitter: twitter.com/kiddadamz
- Youtube: youtube.com/kiddadamz