You Are Ketchup: And Other Things Known by a Career Musician

Music artists are perceived by the music industry as a condiment to be easily replicated, sold in high volume, and enjoyed by the masses. Kokayi's book, You Are Ketchup, shares the reality of an ever-changing music landscape and encourages artists to adapt and maintain integrity to avoid becoming forgotten. It provides valuable lessons and insights from decades of producing and performing music, covering topics such as art as a commodity, defining artistic communities, and distinguishing one's art from others.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 15 April 2022
Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation

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.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781493061198