Clout Coins: New Artist Guide with justicewearscoolpants

Clout Coins: New Artist Guide with justicewearscoolpants
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Clout coins is a series developed by @justicewearscoolpants to help and guide new artists and entrepreneurs through the industry in an unfiltered vlog.
From a young age, Justice Baiden was unknowingly groomed to be the man he is today. As the child of Ghanaian parents, Baiden often heard music from various sects of Africa and reggae from island legend Bob Marley, cultivating an ear that welcomed diverse genres and styles. “I was exposed to different types of ideas, sounds and thoughts,” he says. Born in Atlanta, then moving to Ghana in early childhood and returning to Atlanta for the sixth grade, he learned to adapt and appreciate other cultures. Even his slight height was something he turned into an advantage. When you’re picked last during for basketball and looked past by the girls, the gift of gab is a much-needed tool.
“I’m 5’5,” Justice says. “I had to finesse situations and prove that I’m an asset. I had to dress the best. I did things to position myself to be the leader and get folks on my side. I’ve always been an amazing people person.”
In high school, he reconnected with Ari Jo, an old classmate who had transferred. Justice remembered the awesome singing voice she had during a talent show years prior. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with you,” he told her, “But I know I’m supposed to work with you and help you with your music.”
It wasn’t until he began college at Georgia State University that he met singer-songwriter Keri Hilson’s manager and realized that was the path he too would travel. Baiden helped find Ari an engineer and put together songs. When it came time to find a band for her, he stumbled upon a gifted guitarist who also sang and rapped named Raury. The high schooler with hippy vibes was a diamond in the rough, one Justice opted groom—but not alone.
GSU classmate Carlon Ramong and Baiden (the pair bonded over their general dislike of school) became a partner. “I found out he’s artistic, a weird computer geek and has an eye for drawing. He got on board to help with graphics.”
Then roommate Junia Abaidoo, who had quietly observed Baiden’s moves. “He said, ‘I believe in what you all are doing and I want to be down,’” Justice recalls.
Collectively, the trio became Love Renaissance (LVRN), a name born from recognizing that tough guy and trap music was dominating airwaves and the crew wanting to provide tunes with varied emotions infused within them. Raury, an affected teen with a penchant for singing and rapping, couldn’t have been a better fit.
“I was developing his project for a year,” Justice says. During that window, Justice met with school bud Sean Famoso McNichol and Tunde Balogun, who were transitioning from being DJs and party-promoters to more managerially slanted minds. Baiden invited them into LVRN. “That was how the strong founding five got together.”
With their powers combined, the quintet—Baiden serving as A&R—released a rugged-yet-stunning collection of Raury visuals, then dropped his critically acclaimed debut effort, Indigo Child, in 2014. It earned him a deal with Columbia Records.
Since then LVRN has discovered and nurtured multi-platinum acts (Virginia singer DRAM and Atlanta singer/rapper 6lack), brokered a joint venture label deal with Interscope in 2017, and this year they aim to add further their creative efforts with their new marketing agency, Kids Against Cubicles.
As LVRN’s Head or A&R, Baiden’s not exactly the finance man he went to school for. But he is doing more than well at handling his business.
“I’m curating and A&R’ing for every artist that we have,” Justice says. That includes a forthcoming debut album from newbie songstress Summer Walker, who recently dropped a remixed version of single “Girl Need Love” featuring superstar Drake. “I always felt like when I added to a situation,” Baiden continues, “it gets better. I’ve always known that I was going to be an entrepreneur. I'm a competitor. The biggest competition and game that exists is you creating what your life will be. I gambled on myself.”
With those bets paying dividends, Justice is now sharing what he’s learned on his vlog Clout Coins. “I want to help new acts, managers, execs get the answers that they need," he says. "I want to put out all of the marketing plans for all of our artists and really be a well of inspiration.”
“I want us to be one of the best brands to ever do it in lifestyle, not just music. It’s hard to do. We’re five Black guys who are checking our egos, splitting the money equally and doing what the rules before us said we couldn’t do. It’s possible to make a lot of money and history with your friends.”
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