Ernesto started living his dream in high school, freestyling in the hallways and impressing his friends with his talent. That talent would soon become less of a hobby and more of a career for Nesto as he graduated and began gathering a small following of loyal fans. Through hard work and dedication to his craft, Nesto is taking Kansas City's music scene by storm, opening for major recording artists and performing for crowds of fans in bars and clubs all over Kansas City.
We asked Nesto if he would share his knowledge of the local industry, and a few aspect of his journey to local super-stardom as part of our "Share The Experience: Interviews with Business Owners" series. While Nesto is not what you would consider a traditional business owner in most aspects, his ability to develop and market himself as a brand gives valuable lessons in brand development and networking.
Share The Experience: Small Business Owner Interviews
featuring recording artist Nesto The Owner from Kansas City.
What is your industry name?
Nesto The Owner
How did you get your name?
My real name is Ernesto so i jus chopped the "ER" and I felt like everything i wanted to do, I wanted to Own it. That's how i got "The Owner"
How would you describe your music for readers who may not have heard it before?
I would say my music is Creative, Funny, Animated, Aggressive, and Unique.
What made you first realize you wanted to pursue a career in music?
My brother "EVSCLUSIVE" started rapping and beat boxing and kinda said "hey try this wit me". Lol funny cas now I rap better than him and he started making all my production. BAND OF BROTHERS!
When you decided to make music your career, did you have a plan? How did you plan to make it work?
I had a plan to do albums and make classic music. I had a vision to do better each year. Since i started every year things have been accomplished thanks to Grinding and the Lord.
What has been the biggest break in your career?
Working with the #1 Independent Artist in the world "Tech N9ne" on numerous Records and Shows.
What are your plans for your career? Where do you want to be in 3 years?
I want to be a Self Made Millionaire! #NuffSaid
When did you first make a profit from your music? How?
I put out a cd in High School and sold them for $1 or $2 dollars and once my school got hip to it then thats when i started growing.
What steps did you take to promote yourself?
Cds,Open Mics, and Networking. I had to spend Money to make Money. This Business is ultimately about how much can you invest in yourself not talent.
You've performed shows quite a bit, how did you book your first gig? What did it take to keep finding venues that would pay you?
Well my brother found my first gig and we had to sell tickets and give the promoter most of the revenue but as i gain popularity I began to switch up the negotiations. This lead to me setting prices for venues to pay for my Services.
When did you start selling your music? What did you do to promote it and encourage people to buy?
I sold cds everywhere I could. I utilized the internet and other social networks to promote my music. I had to do shows for free to gain more fans to see my live sets and more and more people started jumping on board.
Considering your local music industry, what has been the most difficult part of making music a career?
MONEY!
If you had the opportunity to change something about the music industry what would it be?
Bring more Lyrical and creative Music back to the Public eye.
Do you have people working for you? What do they do?
I have street teamers and they help spread my Brand around to places i cant physically get to.
The music industry is hit and miss, and ultimate success seems unattainable to most, what keeps you motivated?
My Family, Fans, Faith and Doing it Independent.
Where would you like to see yourself within the next five years as an artist? What are your long-term career goals?
In 5yrs I'd like to be the most popular Rapper in the world. With hard work I know i can accomplish this.
How did you support yourself when times got tough financially?
Times are always tough and nowadays its about sacrifice. I sacrificed everything for this and will till i die.
How did you raise money for promotion, every day life, studio time, etc?
I work a 9 to 5
How do you define success?
Turning what you Dreamed about for Years into Reality.
Are you working with a label, agent etc? How did you make contacts?
I actually have my own Label and will be joining forces with my business partner. We have high plans for the next 5 yrs and we WILL Accomplish every goal.
How do you promote your music? What have you tried that failed/worked?
I promoted my music everywhere and almost everything failed. I had to realize that it wasnt about the music it was about who you knew.
If you could say one thing to anyone wanting to make a career out of music, what would you say?
Save your money and Spend it with people that matter.
One thing you wish you would have known when you started this career?
This is a 24/7 job and the only way to get better is never stop.
Ernesto "The Owner" Edwards is a hip-hop artist out of Kansas City. He has opened for and collaborated with artists like 50 Cent and Tech N9ne. He is currently recording his newest album to be released soon, and is performing live shows in the Kansas City, MO area. If your interested in working with Nesto, he can be found on his Facebook and his mixtapes can be found on DatPiff.
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