Blog: YouHeardThatNew.com
Niche: Music/Entertainment
Founder: Nile “LowKey” Ivey
Twitter: @lowkeyuhtn /#youheardthatnew
From his brown leather couch in his apartment, Nile Ivey (better know by his nickname LowKey) has started one of the best-known hip-hop blogs in the digital space. Just 30, LowKey’s YouHeardThatNew was named Vibe magazine’s No. 9 blog on the Top 50 Rap Blogslist it published in 2010. It landed at No. 25 in The Source‘s Power 30 Digital List and has been featured on BET, MTV, HOT 97 and Power 105. He’s also the go-to person for an industry hungry to know what sounds and what artists people are gravitating to. LowKey spoke to BlackEnterprise.com about his relationship with the labels, his brand and what’s next.
YouHeardThatNew is unique because …
It provides an experience and a colorful inside look to the music business and its inner workings. More so, when I cover events and attend shows, I like to provide and paint an image that the reader or consumer wouldn’t normally see from the average coverage of said event. Nowadays it’s extremely easy to give the who, what, where, why, how and when of said event but those small intricate details are often overlooked and left out. As an industry tastemaker, influencer and host, it’s my job to convey a different message instead of simply reporting who was there and who was beefing with who.
I realized blogging was a business when …
Lables, artists, brands and managers started looking for consulting advice. It took me by surprise because I was simply looking at the blog game as a means for me to get my voice heard on a different platform. My original platform was radio, but I didn’t have enough experience in that field and my patience was short so
the Internet was the next best lane for me to jump in. Once people of importance started to see how much of an influence I was, things shifted and again I had to step back and really re-evaluate what I was doing with my site and why.The advice I’d give to anyone who wants to follow in my footsteps is …
Individuality is KEY. You are who YOU are because that’s who you see in the mirror everyday when you wake up. It’s good to admire and appreciate those around you, but understand that no one can do what you do. Whatever it is that you’re good at? Hone in on that and perfect it day in and day out. There are so many intricate parts that keep this industry moving that there’s room for everyone to make money and leave a legacy. This game has become saturated with the same content, commentary, look and feel. If you’re entering this blog game now? Understand why you’re entering and make sure no one can provide what you plan on providing with your brand.
The relationship my blog has with labels and A&R people in the industry is …
It’s funny because aside from radio, A&R’ing is essentially what I wanted to do and live. I love discovering new music and giving it to people who have no idea it exists. I have a great relationship with a lot of A&Rs in the industry now because they understand we know the pulse of what’s hot on the Internet and sometimes in the streets.
They look to our sites, our Twitter pages and IG pages to see what’s the next big “thing” about to emerge. In some sense, us bloggers have become unofficial A&Rs for these labels because they search our sites to see who they should be paying attention to. Hell, it’s almost like we’re doing their job for them. But then you have some A&R’s who will send us stuff because they know we’ll appreciate what they have to offer. There’s definitely a high respect level with both parties.The way I came up with the name of my blog is …
Honestly? I was in my parents house shortly after graduating Howard University and my mother explicitly told me, ‘You have X amount of time to figure this music industry thing out or I’m shipping you to MD to live with your aunt.’ That scared the ever living shit out of me. So, I called a partner up and asked him, ‘What do you say to your friends every time you hear a new song or album?’ ‘You heard that new…Jay-Z? You heard that new…TI?’ The light bulb went off in my head and I never looked back. There’s no way in hell you can forget that name after the first time I tell you.
The next move that’s going to grow my brand is …
Hosting. Brand ambassador work. A&R’ing. Hosting. Hosting and hosting. I love hosting. It tickles my funny bone in a way. If I could host a concert, show and/or an event every day of the year, I would. I recently signed to a talent agency so hopefully that move will expand on my hosting career; but I’m not trying to limit myself and just blog for the rest of my life. The site is already instilled in the culture today so now it’s time to grow my site past the workings of the Internet and let these companies, corporations, networks and brands see my worth. The next 6 months should be very interesting, trust me.