Carolina All Day sat down with "The Mecca Of Rhymes," FSM to talk about the highly anticipated upcoming event, The Artist/Producer Showcase, takin' place at Greene St. Club in Greensboro, NC on Jan. 9th. We go into the mind of a genius and discuss the event and hip hop in the Carolinas. Enjoy.



CAD: Where are you from?

FSM: Greensboro, NC is my hometown but most recently I’ve been moving back and forth from NC to ATL.

CAD: What is the meaning behind your company’s name?

FSM: FSM means Flight School Music. North Carolina was first in flight so we’re teaching everyone else to be as fly as us and making fly cool music at the same time.

CAD: How did the idea for the Artist and Producer Showcase come about?

FSM: North Carolina has a lot of talent and it always seems as if we are looked over. I’ve been in many cities/states and see how they always have numerous opportunities for unsigned artists to be heard so I wanted to do something for not only Greensboro but NC and SC that to my knowledge has never been done before. So with the contact list I’ve built, I reached out to these people and invited them to be a part of my event.

CAD: Where is the event being held and why did you choose this city?

FSM: Greene Street Club in Greensboro, NC, I chose Greensboro because it’s my hometown of course!

CAD: What are some advantages that your company can offer artists/producers that take part in this event?

FSM: I tried to incorporate every contact you would need as an upcoming artist…the DJ, major producer, club promoter, studio/sound engineer, marketing and promotions executive, the radio personality, A&R’s and of course the producers and other artist for collabs. I’m providing heavy promotion, mixtape features as well as one album distribution through iTunes, Amazon, eMusic etc. from one of our partners Noisyplanet.net. The producers will participate in the beat battle, artists will also get 100 spins on internet radio and perform; both will receive feedback from A&R’s and other music industry professionals.

CAD: You have some big name labels such as Slip-N-Slide, Bad Boy, DTP, etc. attending your event. How did those relationships come about?

FSM: I’ve built a relationship with two of the A&R’s with DTP, as well as the people at 102jamz and Lotus Lounge from previous business inquiries. I figured I would reach out to a few others to have a variety of industry connections. We reached out to this person who knew that person and with the help of a few social networks and e-mail lists we were successful. We told them what we we’re trying to do and they were down.

CAD: Please describe what the Artist and Producer Showcase is about.

FSM: The Triad Artist and Producer Showcase will be a networking event for local artists and producers to gain exposure and valuable information about the music business. It will allow artists and producers to show their current status in the market to professionals in the music industry and develop beneficial relationships to get them to the next level.



CAD: What can the winners expect from this showcase?

FSM: Best artist and producer will win Cash Prizes, Bragging Rights, FSM Triad Showcase Plaque/Trophy, 4 hours of Maximus Studio Time, one week feature on www.carolinaallday.com with T-Shirt, www.nextlevelkidz.com, www.howsmyrolling.net, www.mecca336gnc.com and interview with Street Money DVD Magazine.

CAD: Where can fans or artists go to get more information about this event?

FSM: They can visit www.fsmonline.info, www.mecca336gnc.com, twitter.com/fsmonline or www.myspace.com/fsmonline. If they are located in the Triad area they can find flyers in all of the urban stores throughout the mall in all cities.

CAD: Will you be having any more events in the near future?

FSM: I’m very positive that this event will have a great turnout and once it proves to be successful and the demand is there, yes we will plan to have another! We will be having a music driven charity event in the Spring/Summer of 2010.

CAD: What advice can you give a starving artist/producer trying to make a name in this industry?

FSM: The music industry isn’t the same as it was a few years ago and the chance of being “discovered” for hip hop artist is fading quickly. You have to realize that if you want to be a part of a label, it’s a business. Labels aren’t willing to take the risk like they were in the past to sign an artist based off talent alone. Learn what you can about the business, show them your grind and your dedication and don’t give up. Find out who your audience is and build from there.

CAD: How do you feel the state of Carolina (Both NC & SC) compares to other major cities?

FSM: I think the Carolinas are very close to being at the point we deserve to be at. We have a lot of great artist coming out and obtaining deals with major labels so, we’re starting to be heard. I think the Carolina movement will be the next movement to make a mark such as other cities, like Atlanta, Miami, New York, LA, New Orleans, Chicago, Houston and St. Louis etc. has made their mark in the game.

CAD: Shout outs...

FSM: I’d like to thank Carolina All Day for the partnership, all of our showcase panelist, Sal of DTP, Amir of Grand Hustle, Conrad and Quentin of Bad Boy, Vakseen of Slip N’ Slide, Jason of 1st & 15th, FatBoi Beats, Jessica Parson, DJ MC, Young Gee and Tap Money of 102 Jamz, Skibo, DJ J-Flex, DJ Cease Fire, DJ Ern, Maximus Studios, DJ Vlad, Howsmyrolling.net, NextLevelKidz.com, Street Money DVD, NoisyPlanet, Frank151, Greene Street Club, The Face and the Voice of FSM, FSM artist Young Rush, Hendrix Law and Free @ Last Productions, Oz, Young Bo, Equinox Productions and all of the artist and producers that are participating in the showcase and will be attending the event to gain exposure, knowledge and build a strong music network.