You Are Ketchup: And Other Fly Music Tales

By Kokayi

Music artists, as perceived by the music industry, are akin to a condiment--to be easily replicated, sold in high volume, and enjoyed by the masses. The message is blunt, honest, and necessary. Implicit in it is the reality of an ever-changing music landscape that requires the artists to adapt, and with integrity, lest they become forgotten. It's this essential idea that the Grammy-nominated artist and creative consultant Kokayi shares in You Are Ketchup.

With a harmonious blend of narrative and advice, DC native Kokayi walks readers through the golden age of hip hop to the current day, dispensing hard-earned lessons and illuminations from decades of producing and performing music. Kokayi is a teacher inasmuch as he is a musician, and now writes for emerging artists yet to achieve success and veteran artists who might have once had it but are not out. Using stories from life and career as a vehicle, Kokayi covers a range of topics, including art as a commodity and advice about defining your artistic community, knowing when your art is ready to level up, finding a formula that works, distinguishing your art from others, and more.

In a music world where an artist's career can too easily become a tale of the past, You Are Ketchup arrives as essential reading for the multitude of creatives hungry for the wisdom and knowledge of a successful insider.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1493061194
• ISBN13: 9781493061198
• Release Date: November 2022
• Publisher: Backbeat Books
• Length: 212 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.2" x 8.6"