Featured Fan – DeJuan Lewis
“Wake up with a spirit of expectation” is the philosophy on which my faith stands. Four short months ago, I packed my bags, kissed my mother and two baby sisters goodbye, and tried to mentally prepare myself for all that may come once I relocated my life to NYC in pursuit of a dream I refused to let go of. From the moment I stepped off the bus onto the streets of New York, I knew faith and a spirit of expectation would have to guide me through this experience that was free of certainty and contained no guarantee of success.
Although I had moved under the guise of an audio engineering student, my ultimate goal was to break into the highly competitive, ever-changing music business. However, I hadn’t developed any industry contacts, which I knew was vital to my advancement. Along the way I met a few connected people within the industry that filled my head with false hopes and empty promises, which at times, I must admit altered how I perceived things. However, my faith, passion and determination allowed to move forward and press on in the face of adversity.
One day, while at school, I came across a flier on the front desk for an A&R workshop that would take place the next day. I am a firm believer that when opportunity knocks, you must be the one who welcomes him. Therefore, I set my sights on attending this conference that featured some of the most influential A&Rs in the business and emphasized the possibility of building industry contacts. On the day of the conference, I was the first one there, hoping to catch a glimpse of the A&Rs or anyone else with whom I could discuss music and build rapport. Although it was 2 hours before the event began and three before the A&Rs arrived, I knew I had to somehow stand out from all the others who shared the same dream. As Jean Nelson, Chris Styles, and Sickamore spoke of their experiences, cleared up industry misconceptions, and offered advise, I paid very close attention, hoping to pick the brains of three of the most successful players in the game. They offered real, practical insight, refusing to shy away from topics often considered taboo and controversial such as nepotism and industry politics. At the end, I watched as everyone swarmed the guys with questions, business cards, mixtapes, and pleas for job positions. I followed the pack and there was no originality to my rap. “Hi Mr. Nelson. I’m an audio engineering student and I was wondering if you know of anyone I can speak to regarding internship opportunities.” What else could I really say? I couldn’t come up with a clever remark. We shared no mutual friends. Therefore, I had to resort to the same old, tired jargon I’m sure they hear from everyone. Soon thereafter I realized that I could not leave an imprint in the minds of these A&Rs when there are 50 other people saying the exact same thing. In situations such as these, you become a number rather than a face or a name so I decided to look elsewhere. Earlier that night I had spoken to Omi McIntosh from FanFamily, who organized the event. I was very impressed by her and by what she had accomplished. She and I spoke for awhile, shared a few laughs, and eventually exchanged contact information. That same night, I emailed Omi, thanking her for taking the time to speak with me and sent her my resume, asking if she’d keep me in mind for events and so forth. She and I stayed in contact for several weeks, and one day I received a phone call from the A&R department at Atlantic Records asking me to come in to discuss an internship position. Unbeknownst to me, Omi referred me to one of the many friends she’s made at the label. Starting in June, I will be working as an intern at Atlantic Records, where I will have the opportunity to work under the tutelage of some of the industry’s most influential figures while building my relationships and industry contacts.
I learned three very valuable lessons during this whole experience. The first is do not allow events of the past to affect or hinder what you do in the present. Had I allowed myself to be discouraged by those people who had made promises and never followed through, I would have missed out on this incredible opportunity. The second is, if everyone else is going through the front door, find a way to go through the side window. And the third is, never lose that spirit of expectation and always allow your faith to guide your path.
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