Matt B sits down with the legendary Chicago tastemaker and artist manager, Hustle Simmons. Hustle tells our listeners more about his Chicago roots and how he got started in the music industry. Hustle also discusses his own music festival ‘Hustl

S2 EP3: The Matt Hennessy Conversation

Sep 23rd, 2021 31m 18s

Matt B sits down for a conversation with Chicago-based music engineer and owner of VSOP Studios, Matt Hennessy. They discuss how Hennessy pivoted his company to work through the pandemic, what it was like working with DMX, the differences of en

S2 EP2: The AP Conversation

Sep 16th, 2021 51m 35s

Matt B goes down to Atlanta and speaks with multi platinum music producer, engineer, programmer, and MD: Adrian ‘AP’ Porter, 1/2 of the production duo 'The AP Factor'. They spend time discussing how he approaches programming and producing for a

S2 EP1: The Rhymefest Conversation

Sep 9th, 2021 42m 16s

'Beyond The Music' is back with an all new Season 2! 'Chi Talk' will feature conversations between Matt and Angela and some of their close industry friends and peers.--Matt B sits down with his close friend and mentor, Rhymefest, for an intim

EP12: Is Artist Development a Lost Art?

Apr 26th, 2021 1h 15m

In the “old music business”, it was common for A&Rs and music executives to invest time, effort, and money into an artist that they believed in to develop their talent and move their careers forward. This birthed generations of many superstars,

EP11: Marriage, Kids, & the Music Business

Apr 6th, 2021 1h

Navigating the new music business as an independent artist/entrepreneur is a full time commitment. It takes hard work, dedication, and grit just to roll out and promote a single. But how does one balance such a fast paced lifestyle as a married

EP10: Moving In Silence

Mar 31st, 2021 1h

Often you will hear people in the industry proudly proclaim that they are “moving in silence”. But by broadcasting their moves to everyone on social media, does this put them at a disadvantage? Angela and Matt B discuss the notion of “moving in

EP9: Cancel Culture

Mar 22nd, 2021 54m 40s

A huge social media phenomenon that has rapidly grown in popularity over the past several years is the idea of “cancel culture”. Typically, a person or entity will say or perform a behavior that a large group of our society doesn’t agree with,

EP8: Does Money Buy Happiness?

Mar 17th, 2021 51m 45s

The American Dream is all about “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” But does money buy happiness? Many people, especially artists, work their fingers to the bone trying to “make it” because they think money will make them happy and s

EP7: Scams & The Music Business

Mar 8th, 2021 46m 5s

Independent artists are often made the targets of various industry scams and hoaxes. The scammers prey on the artist’s (or manager’s) ignorance and strong desire for success or a “quick route” to fame and take advantage of them for their own pe

EP6: Decoding Your DNA & The Importance of Ancestry

Mar 1st, 2021 45m 29s

In this episode, Matt B and Angela share their MyHeritage DNA test results and gain a better understanding of their ancestry. They explore the idea of how an artist knowing their heritage and history can impact them creatively and throughout th

EP5: The Cultural Impact of Energy

Feb 22nd, 2021 40m 6s

An artist's music is a time capsule of their energy that lived during a moment in time and goes on to live forever. But how does that energy impact society and the culture? Matt B and Angela openly discuss the idea of good vs bad energy, how en

EP4: Mental Health & The Music Industry

Feb 15th, 2021 38m 7s

The current landscape of the music industry is extremely competitive, cut throat, and fast paced. Artists are under an immense amount of pressure to consistently put out great art while being under the microscope of social media and society’s i

EP3: COVID-19 and The Music Business/Should Artists Get Vaccinated?

Feb 8th, 2021 38m 6s

The pandemic has altered the world’s sense of normalcy. Every industry was affected and left devastated. However, COVID-19 restrictions had a profound impact on the music industry. Artists were dropped from their deals, venues shut down as live

EP2: Stay Independent or Sign That Deal?

Feb 8th, 2021 48m 10s

Independent vs Major Record Label: which one takes the crown? Matt B and Angela take a deep dive into the pros and cons of being independent vs signing a deal with a major record label. They discuss ownership of masters, maintaining creative co

EP1: The Multifaceted Artist/The State of Music Today

Feb 8th, 2021 41m 25s

In today's music industry (especially during times of COVID-19), independent artists are often expected to wear multiple hats and invest their time into learning new skills that will help them to advance in their careers. In this episode, Angel

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