We caught up with the brilliant and insightful B33n Had It Better Known As P.L.M. IM HIM a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi B33n Had It, thanks for joining us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.
As a professional, one thing that I do different from the majority in my industry is, I work with talented individuals REGARDLESS of status. In the music industry and even more specifically in HipHop, a LOT of people get caught up in popularity and status games. And while I understand the dynamics and potential benefits of politics, I’ve seen people work with a less talented options for the sake of potential “clout” by association and in some cases even snub more talented artist for “not having motion” (not having clout/status). Oppositely and often against the wishes & opinions of many of my peers, I choose to work with the better talent rather than the artist with the most status.
A life changing instance of this is my record “Sweat by P.L.M. IM HIM”. I asked several of my peers for advice regarding who should be featured (as I was blessed to have a few potential options for features on the record). As I let them know that I was considering “Rich” (Rich The Kid), who at the time was still heavily slept on, I remember a few of my peers saying things like: “who is that!?”, “Don’t nobody know him!”, “I asked around and don’t nobody know shawty!!”…. My response: ‘bruh actually go hard, folks just sleeping on him, Like he really a star he just need another hard single to take him to that next level’… They saw things differently, tried to persuade me differently, and some were even angry because I said I felt like he (Rich) was a future star.
In the end, I chose to bet on who I felt was most talented (Rich The Kid). And although my record (Sweat Ft. Rich The Kid) initially had a slow reception, a few months later, the record began to gain a traction and my following on social media began to soar. Unsurprisingly, I began to receive phone calls and messages about an artist named Rich The Kid “blowing up” with a new single Ft. Kendrick Lamar (New Freezer) & a song called Plug Walk. Rather ironically, I even received a few calls from the naysayers.. “Aye it’s this artist blowing up named Rich Kid with a song called plug walk, is that the same dude you had put on “Sweat!?”… My response: “Yes, the Multi-platinum artist named Rich The Kid responsible for the those multi-platinum songs is the same “dude i had put on Sweat” LOL!!
B33n Had It, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I randomly said in an interview before “I like to think of myself as one of the “unseen hands” that has shaped HipHop”, and lately I’ve been thinking that it’s a very befitting title and way to describe myself “The Unseen Hand”…. Whether you call it: slept on, the best kept secret, a hidden gem, or whatever… I am a force in the music industry has played a role in multi-platinum records as well as the success of some of the biggest names in HipHop & RnB.
A little C.V.…
-As an A&R: I’ve played a role in bringing the world amazing talent such as August Alsina, as well as helped to foster talent & relationships that have contributed to recent records such as “That’s On You” & “Need A Friend” on Chris Brown’s 11:11 Album (S/o LoopLayrz).
-As a producer: I have helped cultivate and sharpen the skills of influential producers like Earl The Pearll (Earl On The Beat) and many others.
-As a recording engineer & Studio Owner: In 2017 I partnered with Brandi Williams (1/3 Of Platinum RnB Group Blaque) and her associates to create the multiplex studio 6 AM Studios ATL an endeavor that was blossoming into a buzz worthy brand prior or covid-19 and the Pandemic with clients such as: “The Rap Game” tv stars: Latto (Ms. Mulatto), Nia Kay, King Roscoe, & Nova as well as many other influential musicians in Atlanta such as Bobby Kritcal, Strap Da Fool (1/3 Travis Porter), Kodie Shane, Eearz, Slice9, And MANY more.
-As an artist: I’ve collaborated with several notable artist, had my records featured on the biggest radio stations in Atlanta and had record deal offers from major labels as well.
-As a songwriter I was working on material in consideration for Lil Keed prior to his untimely (R.I.P.)
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
A lesson that I had to unlearn was doing business based on faith and good will. I used to do business based on honor as I was raised to believe that a man’s word is his bond. However, as I have learned, everyone wasn’t raised to be people of integrity and even if they were, the lure of fame and wealth in this industry can turn even the most noble of heart into shameless and soulless being’s driven by greed and pride.
I won’t go into details regarding the back stories of learning to unlearn doing business based on faith and good will, but I will say this.. I will NEVER make a false claim to creative works or contributions to the like. I am beyond talented and have no need to do so. That said, I have worked with LOTS of major artist and contributed to the success of MANY multiplatinum musician’s, the majority of which I was NEVER paid for nor publicly acknowledged for. And that is why I no longer do business based on good faith. I’ve been beyond cordial about my experiences in the industry and chosen to refrain from volunteering information. However, make no mistake, if the time comes that I am publicly asked anything regarding creative works that I’ve contributed to in the past, I will answer those questions with uncut and brutal honesty. It is time that the dark veil covering this industry be removed and shady-untrustworthy people be exposed.
My message to all aspiring musician’s and creatives is this …… If a person has sincere intentions of doing right by you in this industry, they will have no problem making that promise in black and white (via contract).
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
A bit off topic but an equally if not more important piece of information regarding funding business is, merchant accounts/ credit accounts. More specifically, music equipment retailers like Sweetwater and Musician’s Friend have credit/merchant accounts, that if you qualify for, will allow you to finance equipment and software, sometimes for up to as long as 48 months with ZERO interest (0% interest).
So for example if you had your eye on a $3,200 microphone, it might seem daunting to think of amassing three grand, and even more daunting to think of shoveling out. BUT, if you qualified for the 48 month 0% interest promo financing, you would only need to come up with about $67 each month to get the microphone. And just to clarify YES you get the equipment in advance, you’re not paying to eventually get it. Accounts like those have been a major game changer for me as a musician lately and have allowed me to make much need upgrades while not exhausting finances need for daily operation. A real “cheat code” as I like to call it!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.MonsterousEntertainment.com
- Instagram: @MonsterousEntStudio
Image Credits
@MalikMarcell @HyerSzn