Against the advice of naysayers, I moved to Brooklyn. Most of the DJs, A&Rs, and former record label execs that I met didn't see the industry as dead, but they did have to adjust to new realities in order to survive. The old ways of getting exposure and securing a record deal have faded, and for many artists, a recording contract isn't even the goal.

Every day you hear people telling you what you need to do, what books you need to read, and what school you need to go to in order to get rich. I'm not here to tell you that. What I am telling you is how to get a job, and how to keep it.