Entertainment
Wiz Khalifa session serves to inform and inspire
- Details
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31 Mar 2011
- Written by Milton Howery III
Atlantic recording artist Wiz Khalifa was on the answer end of a Q&A session in recently, thanks to Hot 107.1 radio station and the Memphis Music Foundation. by Milton Howery III
Special to the Tri-State Defender
Atlantic recording artist Wiz Khalifa – well known for his hit single “Black and Yellow” – was on the answer end of a Q&A session in recently, thanks to Hot 107.1 radio station and the Memphis Music Foundation.
| Pat Mitchell Worley of the Memphis Music Foundation guides a Q&A session with Wiz Khalifa. (Courtesy photo) |
The question-and-answers set took place last Thursday (March 24) at the Memphis Music Foundation in downtown Memphis. The Foundation is a resource center for Memphis artists and music professionals, providing them education and guidance in the music entertainment industry.
Pat Mitchell Worley, the director of development and communications for the Foundation was the moderator of the session. Worley fed Khalifa a variety of questions and he also took questions from the audience.
Early on, Worley asked to Khalifa to define a good artist.
“You got to have the complete package as far as knowing who you are, being consistent, and always being able to put that out,” said Khalifa. “Not really doing what other people do, but doing what you do, and what makes you comfortable. That’s what makes a good artist.”
New artists, said Khalifa, should establish themselves as independent artists before going to a record label.
“A record label is just supposed to be used to magnify what you already got or what you have already been doing. As an artist it is always best to get your fan base going first, and then bring it to a label,” he said.
It was clear that those who checked Wiz Khalifa out at the event were really appreciative of the opportunity to have a conversation with him about the music business.
“Wiz is a cool dude, he reminds me of where I am trying to go as a rapper,” Memphis rapper Pat24Seven. “I look forward to possibly working with him in the future.”
Worley said the event was in keeping with the Music Foundation’s understanding that ‘Memphis artists need inspiration from others who are out there in the music industry.”
Others involved in making the event happen included Memphis Music Foundation staff Dean Deyo, Catrina Guttery, Cameron Mann, Elizabeth Cawein, John Miller, Isaac Daniels, Dj Q of Hot107.1 and Deborah Dorsey, regional promotions manager for Atlantic Records.
(For more information, visit www.memphismeansmusic.com.)
(Milton Howery III is the Black Entertainment Network (BET) marketing representative intern for Memphis.)
