THE PLATFORM
Jadon Woodard was arrested while performing on a subway platform, and ended up with $55,000 worth of studio money.
NEW YORK, NY
Jadon Woodard left a rough situation in Jacksonville Florida for New York City. By 2010 he was living in a youth shelter performing poetry on the subway trains and selling CDs for cash. Every $20 bill is a win, and the goal is to get at least $150 before calling it a day. Getting follows, tweets or DMs is another measure of success.
“We’ve kinda run it like a business. Like a touring group. We’d always set up inside a couple malls in the winter. Then we would really team up and work together. It’s a great way to be an artist and pay bills. If you don’t like working for people or you just have an independent spirit.”
Selling CDs on the street, or busking music in the subways, or performing for tips is an entry point for many artists to sell because it doesn’t have the upfront costs of brick and mortar, or barriers to entry like “pay to play” venues. However, the freedom comes with a cost.
“Depending on where you are, the laws are different and often esoteric. Some places are enforced more regularly than others, and some cops are more aggressive than others. You never know what you’re going to get, some cops will even buy your merch if you’re lucky. If you do get a charge it’s soliciting, loitering, or blocking space, and sometimes “aggressive panhandling, maybe robbery if someone says they didn’t feel comfortable in the situation.”
One day, some cops decided to arrest Jadon for playing in the subway. He spent the night in jail, and barely made it out in time for his next gig. Jadon was approached by Busk NY, a local org that supported musicians who sell on the streets. Jadon’s case lined up with many stories that Busk NY was dealing with, and he was told that the case was gonna go quiet for a while.
Suddenly a viral YouTube video showed another local musician Andrew Kalleen being unlawfully and aggressively arrested on a subway platform. Busk NY decided to put all their cases of unlawful arrest together. The case went all the way to a federal court and they won settlements for all the artists including $55,000 for Jadon.
“I immediately take the money and invested it back into the art. So we can make sure we keep this thing going. We have to take this lawsuit and motivate other artists.”
Jadon believes that his secret was not in being awarded a settlement but in his attitude to asking everyone on whatever channel he’s using. He’s a big fan of asking and promoting over social media but he also says that in-person guerrilla marketing is never going to die, and that artists should be versed in both digital and real world asking.
“Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, Soundcloud, Datpiff and World Star do not a rapper make. You’re going to have to research. You’re going to have to network. You’re going to need the services of professionals to help you package and promote your music. You’re going to need capital for a publicist, to mix and master your album, to shoot you and your the music video you’ll need.
There are a lot of rappers out there hungrier than you. Are you sure you want to do this?”
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STORIES FOR DAYS - EP
DISCUSSION
In business, a “lead” is someone who hasn’t yet shown interest in buying, and a “prospect” is someone who has. On the street, your pitch to sell is very quick. And if a person stops at all then the likelihood they will purchase goes up dramatically. If they begin looking at different options, it’s even more likely.
Q: How do you know when someone has shown interested?
We often give up asking when we meet frustration early. Yet, we get better each time we ask. In “Street Dreams”, Sean says, ”It all depends on your drive and your hustle. If you put it in your mind, I’m gonna make this quota and I’m not leaving until I make this quota. Everything you do is in the mind, you just gotta live it out.”
Q: How do you know when it’s time to ask the same person again?