When we look at the development and expansion of the music industry today and the artists pushing the boundaries on what music should sound like, Dominic Fike should be one of the first names that comes up in conversation. Have you heard of him? If not, let me shed some light on the entrepreneur that took the music industry by storm when he signed a 4 million dollar contract with Columbia Records with no social media presence and no music available anywhere.
Background
Dominic Fike was born and raised in Naples, Florida with not too much support from his parents as they were in and out of prison since he was a young child. He and his siblings were forced to move around many times as they were growing up, declaring themselves as homeless for almost the entirety of their youth. Throughout this period, Dominic Fike found comfort through producing and creating music. Pulling influences from the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jack Johnson, Dominic Fike started finding his own voice exploring the rap style. In the summer of 2016, Dominic’s life was turned upside down when he was arrested and labeled a felon when he pushed a cop out of the way so his younger brother could get away after his involvement in a fight. Dominic was given six months of house arrest and in that time, he started his EP Don’t Forget About Me. Upon a failed drug test, Dominic Fike was sent to serve out seven additional months in prison. In that time, Dominic contacted his friend and told him to release the unfinished EP on Soundcloud. Within the first week, Don’t Forget About Me, Demos was streamed 50,000 times.
Negotiations
This started the rush to Dominic’s talent for labels all over the country. Because Dominic Fike was still in prison, label representatives had to travel to the prison to meet with him to discuss contracts, and they all did just that. Dominic Fike was nearing the end of his sentence and about to sign a contract with a label when his mother and father were arrested for their involvement in a major drug bust. Dominic was then faced with the call to protect and take care of his family. Meaning he needed to hire lawyers for his parents and fast. Dominic Fike made the decision to delete all of his music off of the internet and reopen negotiations with labels, driving the interest and size of the offers higher and higher. Dominic Fike found his way to a 4 million dollar contract with Columbia Records and settled.
Moving Forward
Dominic Fike was plucked from obscurity and given the opportunity to flip his life around and make a name for himself as an entrepreneur in the music industry. Imagine getting out of the system and immediately given the money and opportunity to succeed. Where would you start? For Dominic Fike, it was to buy a house, make sure he and his friends and family were set, and acquire the materials to begin working on new music. The thing with music contracts is that they are an advance on your career. So, the label is expecting a return on their investment before the artist is able to receive any profit. In other words, Dominic Fike now had to return the $4 million. And this came with some major setbacks. Columbia Records re-released the Don’t Forget About Me, Demos EP almost immediately and the song 3 Nights took off and to date this song has over half a billion streams. The problem now was that this song specifically and the EP were years old. Dominic had to create new music and tour as soon as possible. It is difficult for any artist to go from creating music as a pastime to creating as a job. For Dominic Fike, this transition was extremely difficult as came with severe anxiety associated with the pressure to produce. Dominic Fike also had no experience with live performance. But all at once, Dominic Fike had to create an album and begin his world tour. And Dominic Fike did just that.
The Creative Process
The most admirable aspect of Dominic Fike’s creative process is that he thoroughly lives and breathes his creativity every day. Most of his songs on Don’t Forget About Me, Demos were recorded in one take. His lyrics flow through his mind and onto paper in the time it takes for him to take a shower. And his music covers a vast mixture of genres not just limited to rap. In the New York Times documentary Dominic Fike, at First there are scenes showing Dominic listening to a demo of instrumentals, sitting back, sitting up thirty seconds later to grab the microphone and recording fifteen seconds of vocals, sitting back, and repeating the process. When Dominic Fike is motivated and inspired, he can create within minutes. When Dominic Fike was asked how one can get to where they want to be, he said “Dedication all day every day, it has to be what you think about and what you breathe”.
Dominic Fike is the best example of the music industry recognizing talent and doing whatever necessary to bring that talent to the spotlight no matter the artist’s background or upbringing. And Dominic Fike is the perfect example of an artist staying true to their morals and creative process no matter what is asked of them. He is an artist willing to push out of their comfort zone to push the boundaries and open the doors to a new style of music and art for the masses to enjoy and explore themselves.