What are your goals as an artist? If the answer is fame or fortune, I think the real term you're looking for is relevance.

Relevance is the state of being connected with a person, place, or thing. An artist who can remain relevant for multiple generations is an artist who achieves their goals effortlessly.

Relevance can also be an artist’s worst nightmare. Artists face a spectrum. On one end - have a successful career for the rest of their lives. On the other - be a one-hit-wonder. Most lie somewhere in the middle. 

As Lil Yachty put it, the “getting on part is easy, the maintaining success part is very f****** difficult.”

Yachty is the perfect example of an artist who thrived off his initial releases, with viral release ‘Minnesota’ being remixed by Migos & his first initial single ‘One Night’ hitting 49 on the Billboard Hot 100. But, for Yachty, 49 on the Hot 100 is as high as he made it.

“How do you remain relevant forever?”

The question that countless artists, or creators in general, have asked is an impossible one. But first and foremost, having quality art is critical. 

Don’t rush yourself when it’s unnecessary. Look at artists like Healy or Frank Ocean, who have taken their time between releases & ended up with meticulously crafted masterpieces. Compare that to Chance, the Rapper - who was on top of the world five years ago & saw a dramatic fall after the release of The Big Day. Taking 4+ year gaps between releases won’t work for everyone, but if your recent work isn’t up to snuff, don’t be afraid to go back to the drawing board.

The second key lever to remaining relevant is being a part of the culture.

Drake & Kanye are both undeniable influences on the culture. But where Drake excels & Kanye falters is listening to the culture as well. This difference manifests in how deftly Drake has maneuvered internet culture over the last decade, while Kanye continues to falter.

In 2015 alone, Drake 

• Released If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late - whose cover would go on to be memed

• Dropped ‘Hotline Bling’ which is still a popular meme template five years later

• Performed ‘Back to Back’ on stage, with a backdrop of memes crowdsourced from his fans & gathered by his team for the sole purpose of embarrassing Meek Mill

The same year, Kanye went on his infamous 15-minute rant during his VMA Vanguard acceptance speech & announced his presidential aspirations.

As Kanye so deftly put it during his rant, “Listen to the kids, Bro!” We may have collectively clowned Drake for the Toosie Slide, the ridiculous photoshop on the Views cover - or even how the world found out about his son. But the positive impact his decisions have had on his legacy is undeniable. Meanwhile, Kanye failed to take his own advice.

To survive the changing tides in contemporary entertainment, you have to be ready to adapt. Making sure you are paying attention to the culture & not finding yourself relying on complacent strategies is an essential pillar to success. 

In the meantime, keep your ear to the ground & keep working on your masterpiece.

Check out our podcast ‘The Main Course’ for more in-depth discussion!