Welcome to The Manager’s Playbook, my personal newsletter where I share weekly insights for aspiring artists, emerging music managers and executives on how to navigate the music industry, by Ruiz.

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Ruiz Note:

NETWORKING KING!

Cory Litwin is the MASTER of Getting into a Room!

And that’s what you need and want from your manager. Especially in the beginning.

When Cory and Murda Beatz first came out to LA there were no guarantees they could come back. Here’s the thing… Us Canadians don’t always have the easiest time getting across the border. It’s actually a bitch. Especially, when you’re trying to make it in music in a foreign country. That US border patrol can be a pain in the ass. So when you have to travel to the U.S. in those early days of your soon-to-be fruitful career in music, and you’re at the border it can be a hit or miss if you get in. Cory and Murda knew that so they had to work their asses off and seek every opportunity they possibly could and maximize their stay.

And they STILL go hard to this day.

Being from Toronto, I’ve known my brother Cory for a long time. As long as I’ve known him, he’s only had one gear. GO! He’s carved a path for himself with his relentlessness, ambition to curate great experiences, and his non-stop commitment to going all out for his clients. You can rest assured that when you have Cory in your corner, he will figure out a way to get things done and done well. From his early beginnings with Murda Beatz to his rise producing massive records like “Nice For What” by Drake (which Cory came up with the idea for the Lauryn Hill Sample) to managing DaBaby, Busta Rhymes, Lay and a host of others artist, Cory gets the job done.

Now operating as a managing partner at Range (brought into the fold there by TMP alumni Tyler Henry), there is no shortage of what Cory can accomplish. In episode 011 of ‘The Manager’s Playbook’ Podcast we deep dive into the journey of Cory Litwin, all of the above, plus more. It’s a good hang with my brother that I’m excited to share with you all.

Simply put, a conversation like this doesn’t come cheap. Ladies and gentlemen, the one and only Cory Litwin.

And PLEASE DON’T forget to subscribe to our YouTube Channel HERE

You can also listen to ‘The Manager’s Playbook’ Podcast on Spotify, Apple, Amazon and several other platforms HERE

-Ruiz

PAY ATTENTION

This Ain’t Your Grandparents Napster

There is a term that at the majors called “cut to grow”. This article identifies what that really means. If you been following this newsletter, you’re fully aware of this. If not, have a read. It’s not a dire as many would like to have you believe.

Jeremy Erlich Caught The Entreprenuer Bug

Music vet Jeremy Erlich, global head of music at Spotify departs to carve out his own path.

Relax Folks.

Over the past 10 years, I’ve seen some harsh treatment of celebrity/artist in my time in LA.

I won’t name the artist but a few years ago I attended Chance The Rappers After Party after he won a handful of awards including Best New Artist. At his after party, a slew of artist showed up to celebrate. As they showed up paparazzi and fans alike snapped away in a fury to all A-listers who showed up.

In one particular instant, a well known female artist stepped out of her sprinter and didn’t acknowledge the flashing lights. The foul shit that proceeded to come out of a male Paparazzi’s mouth were fighting words. Nasty stuff all for the sake of getting his photo. It was grimy. Needless to say the artist handled it with grace in an instant where if the opposite were true it would have been warranted. I felt for her though. It was unnecessary and entitled.

The piece above was wirtten by Tracey Thorn, a singer songwriter and author in her own right. She is of 62 years of age and is able to communicate the shift in fandom from her lens.

Mike Caren Drops Some Data Points

Mike Caren has been in the game for several years. He is one of the most successful music CEO’s of our time and is still very much tapped in. So when he speaks you should PAY ATTENTION.

INDUSTRY NEWS

You Call It “Pocket Watching”. I Call it Financial Literacy.

Fred Again…Again?

I know this is quite common knowledge but Fred Again really is a great guy. I had an opportunity to meet him and his brother Alex Gibson (also his manager) back in 2016, before the meteoric rise.

We’ve stayed connected here and there throughout the years and they’ve always been A1. It’s great to see the flowers coming their way. Hopefully, this rumour is true.

Oh Canada…

In typical fashion, as its been in recent years, my home country’s government thinks they’re making a genius business move for the constituents of our nation only to have it blow up in your face. This is capitalism…If you tax a company, guess who pays for it? The customer! You pass on the cost to us…smh

The Greatest Night in Pop

Somewhat of an oldie but honestly a goodie. It dropped at the beginning of the year but man is it ever worth the watch. If you want to understand real star power, study this documentary. It is littered with gems if you pay close attention.

CHECK THIS OUT..

Music Industry Job Openings

Have a look at ROSTR’s job board for paid work in the industry.

Stay hungry. Stay open.

Bio

I’m Mauricio Ruiz, the Founder/CEO of 8 Til Faint, an Artist Management company with over 5 billion audio streams worldwide. Our past and current clients include Grammy nominated, Juno Award winning and nominated singer/songwriter Jessie Reyez, Skratch Bastid and more. I am also the Co-Founder of Mad Ruk Entertainment, a content agency with over 3 billion long form video streams worldwide. Our client list includes The Weeknd, Eminem, and Celine Dion, along with renowned brands like Nike, Pernod Ricard, Canon, and the NBA.

Most recently I am the Founder of ‘The Manager’s Playbook’ a newsletter and podcast dedicated to the music business from mostly the artist manager perspective.

Follow me on IG @mauroisruiz

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