Published on April 30th, 2021 | by Dr. Jerry Doby

Pharrell, 21 Savage, A$AP Ferg, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and More Appear at SelectCon 003

On April 28 + 29 Steve Stoute’s UnitedMasters hosted SelectCon 003, the third edition of their virtual conference for free independent creators which was streamed exclusively via Twitch. There were many great moments but I’ve pulled together some top video clips with pull quotes below for your consideration. See below and let me know if you have any questions!

Designed to educate and empower attendees to take control of their future, SelectCon 003 featured industry power players advising on how to secure brand partnerships, the importance of activism, the download on how and why artists should be using NFTs, how to find the right team, and much more. This year’s speakers included Pharrell Williams, 21 Savage, A$AP Ferg, Apple Music’s Ebro Darden, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Mike Dean, Troy Millings and Rashad Bilal of Earn Your Leisure, and more.

Pharrell Williams’ Advice to Up-and-Coming Artists:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXHp9oS4MB0

“No one should own you, no one should own your actions, no one should own your creations but you and anyone else you decide. […] You shouldn’t walk into a company and say I’m gonna make this record, they give you an advance then for the tenure of the entire time your album is out you’re working to pay back that advance. […] No bank gives a company a loan to start a company and walks away with the trademarks, walks away with the patents, walks away with the product and the founder is somewhere still paying off that and borrowing against future earnings. You don’t need to do that. You should always own your creations. […] You should be no one’s slave, you should be no one’s indentured servant, you should be your own master. Period.”

A$AP Ferg Talks About Breaking Into the Rap Scene, Getting Advice From A$AP Rocky, and Love from Diddy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhLJLPr9jWE

“Even my father doing the Bad Boy logo for Diddy…I never asked [Diddy] for help or to hear my tape or CD. I just let him discover […] what I was doing and I actually got a call from him, which was like an hour long, on my first solo tour with Juicy J congratulating me – [saying], “You didn’t ask me for anything. It’s super impressive, if you need anything [let me know].”

21 Savage Discussing Atlanta’s Unique Sense of Community and How that Effects the Next Gen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NM2Arryg0s

“Atlanta is like glue. No matter what, everything comes together. A lot of cities don’t have that and it plays a big role in the next generation coming behind us. The example that we’re setting right now, besides the artists, the city as a whole…how close we are, the bond that we’re building, and the togetherness that we’re showing, that’s gonna rub off on the kids.”

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms on the Artist Community of Atlanta:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoCrCZhHU6M

“We have this amazing creative community in our city but they don’t just exist in our city, they are part of our city. Anything that we need, whether it’s help us with the census, ‘The city is burning, can you come and stand with me while I speak about that?’ Whatever it is they are always there just a phone call away. I think any city across America that’s fortunate enough to have a creative community should avail themselves to those opportunities, too.”

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About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.