Where is the real R&B?

For years many people including myself have asked this very question. Reminiscing of the days when you could turn on the radio and hear a good R&B song or a slow jam to make you think about that special person. The days of Xscape, Jagged Edge, and Joe are gone and now when you turn on the radio you hear more hip-hop and rap then R&B. This genre of music use to dominate the airwaves and you couldn’t help but to sing along to the radio. Currently traditional R&B artists have been going the route of hip-hop or dub step beats. Yearning for the days of the smooth melodic beats and the harmonies that we received from singers in the 90’s.

This year it looks like the need for R&B is being heard. Artists that we have known and loved are coming out with new music. Bringing back that R&B flavor to music lovers. Songs about love, friendships, heartbreak are being made that brings back memories when you listen to the lyrics. Artists like Kelly Rowland, Justin Timberlake, Chrisette Michele, Alicia Keys and Maxwell to name a few are giving their fans songs with soul and feeling.

There is also a new wave of artists coming on the R&B scene, showing that R&B is not dead and fans need to get ready for what they have to offer. Fans need to show there love of R&B by supporting all these artists, old and new, by buying there music, requesting their videos on TV and songs on the radio, and seeing their performances. Labels need to take notice and they need to promote their R&B artist, stop thinking that fans want the same cookie cutter mainstream music. Fans want the different emotions, they want to blast songs in their car and sing along, they want to cry after heartbreak while their favorite R&B songs plays in the background and gives them comfort. All these different emotions are why artists started making music in the first place, so it’s time to get back to basics. We need that old thing back!

Prince the Icon

Prince is a music legend with ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Helping to start the careers of artists like Sheila E., The Time, and Vanity 6. Other artists like Chaka Chan, showing that even other icons love Prince and his music have also sampled him.

Tonight Prince was honored at the Billboard Awards with the Icon Award.  His performance truly left fans wanting more of Prince. Accepting the honor and giving the last performance of the show, he showed everyone why he is an icon.

When the new age of technology and digital music distribution came into play Prince was all for Internet promotions. He was giving his music away freely and still was able to sell out concerts worldwide. No one knows the reason why but suddenly he wanted all his music off of YouTube, The Pirate Bay, and even some fan sites. He didn’t want his image anywhere that was given away for free. Now some might think this shows that Prince does not care about his fans, while others believe he is just trying to preserve the rights for his image and music.

This can lead to a lot of questions:

Is it smart for an artist not to use the Internet to their advantage?

How does Internet exposure affect album and concert sales?

Has digital music sharing sites corrupted the music industry?

Should fans show their loyalty by buying their favorite artist’s albums?

Can Prince still sell out concerts without having an Internet presence?

No matter how these questions are answered, no one can deny that Prince is an icon. Providing music through out the decades of songs that you cannot help but sing along to.  Purple Rain was an iconic album and movie and if someone does not know anything about Prince, you can be sure they know about Purple Rain.

The Values of a Business Plan

Kevin Geiger and Dr. Steven Gedeon gave great points on the importance of a business plan and the key points of a successful business plan. The changes I will make in my business plan are making sure my financials are clear for possible future investors and that the credentials of the staff are highlighted, as well as, a clear presentation of all services that will be provided. I will make sure that investors can view how my company will turn a profit. This will provide a strong foundation to build up my company.

I will work with my partner to fill in key core positions for the company before the business plan is presented to future investors. I want a future investor to see a complete team base of core members. Researching exact items needed for the office and needed for services to be completed efficiently will help to give accurate number for my financials. The executive summary will become more direct and focused on exactly what the company plans to do and how we will earn our revenue. This will help investors see where they can make their return on investment.

Paying attention to trends for start up businesses and industry trends are very important. Knowing what my competitors are doing can help my company grow and show our creativity and what sets us apart.

The sections I feel are most important are the executive summary and the financial of my business plan. When a future investor read the executive summary it will peak their interest to want to continue and read the entire business plan. The financials will give a clear picture their numbers of the possible success of the company. Once these sections are clear and well planned future investors will not hesitate to become part of my company’s success.

Kevin Geiger and Dr. Steven Gedeon

Kevin Geiger has two decades of experience in the animation industry. He has worked with Disney creating digital characters for movies like “Reign of Fire” and “Chicken Little”. In 2009 he cofounded Magic Dumpling Entertainment, showing that he can take Chinese content to global markets he later returned to Disney in 2012.


According to Kevin, a few key factors investors are looking for an a business plan include:

• How are the investors going to make their money back?

• Prepare a cash flow projection

• Create a business plan presentation for investors

• Select development and advisory teams.



Steven Gedeon is a professor in Entrepreneurship & Strategy at the Ted Rogers School of Management. He holds a MBA and a PhD from MIT. He has won numerous teaching awards and is the director of the Ryerson Entrepreneur Institute, which is Canada’s only student run entrepreneurship centre.

Steven’s view on a business plan is: The most important component is the executive summary and what are the qualification of the management team, the overall business idea and the financials. The key element to a successful business plan is does it have creditability and is their a guide to action.


The two views show that it is very important to let investors know why you need them to invest, how you will create a cash flow, and what they should expect for their return of investment. These are key points that need to be addressed in the beginning of the business plan. It highlights for a potential investor all the key points so they can make the decision if they want to continue reading. You want to be direct and to the point in your plan less fluff and more precise information and accountable numbers. Being prepared with a presentation will also impress a future investor and providing a sample of your item or service will give them a great idea exactly what they potentially will invest in.