Artist of the Month

Kicking It With Kovas

Kovas (born in Brooklyn, New York as Kovasciar Myvette) made his musical debut at the age of 17, when a chance meeting with Maseo of De La Soul led to working on the group's “Words and Verbs” album. Since then he has been making a name for himself as a successful writer, producer and performer.

His writing credits include a song featured on the new Madden 09 video game, and music for movies and television including Disney's Camp Rock movie, the 2008 remake of the classic horror film Prom Night, and MTV's “Making the Band” reality show. He has also produced music for artists including Nick Cannon, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Chris Brown and De La Soul.

Kovas enjoys the freedom that comes from working on both sides of the microphone. “As a producer/songwriter I can work with an R&B artist one day, a rock band the next day, and a pop or hip hop artist the day after that,” he said. “There are things that I would personally never do as an artist, but I think it would be dope for someone else and I can craft that for them and make them look the best that I can. As an artist there's no middleman, I can say whatever I want to say. There are things that I think the world might be missing out on, so if no one else is brave enough to take the chance or ready to make those statements, I can go ahead and do it.”

Being a producer requires a number of different skills. Generally speaking you need to be technically savvy; learn how to work the keyboards, the drum machines and the computer software, especially if you work in Hip Hop, R&B or Pop music, where the producer can also be the beat maker, the music writer, and the programmer. “When you're a producer you're responsible for everything, seeing the project from beginning to end”, said Kovas. “It’s a lot like being a film director. A film director doesn't necessarily have to write the script or hold the camera, but he has to make sure the whole film comes out the right way.”

As for being an artist, there's more to being an artist than just performing, warned Kovas. “A lot of potential artists don't realize that there's a difference between having fame and having money,” he said. “There are a lot of famous people who aren't that well off.”

Artists need to know about the importance of things like publishing and distribution rights, he said. “By publishing I mean you write the music yourself, write the lyrics yourself, and produce the songs yourself, so that every dime made on the music comes to you. You can go platinum but if you don't own the publishing, then the only way you're going to make money is by going on tour. And, once you're on tour, all of those expenses come out of your pocket. I own the publishing rights to my music which puts me in a very good position.”

According to Kovas there's a lot to know if you want to survive in the music business. “If you don't have an education you won't be able to handle your success,” he said. “The music business is more than just making a record. There's a lot of politics and maneuvering involved. You have to understand marketing and consumer base issues and budget management, so you can understand how records are marketed. Also, people don't realize how much accounting and paperwork is involved in getting paid and keeping your money. I was blessed that I had an education to back me up. I took business and marketing courses, and I apprenticed with business owners. I absorbed information on whatever subject I could.”

There is no specific blueprint for success, remarked Kovas. “There are people who work for years before they get their big break, and there are people who make one record and it takes off. That's why you have to make music for the love of music. Wake up everyday and write a song or make a beat. It doesn't matter if one person hears it or 20 million people hear it. If it's something that's a part of you and you have a passion for it then you can't help but get your break and have your time to shine. It's like the movie Field of Dreams, 'if you build it they will come.'”

For more information on Kovas visit his MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/TheKovasEmpire.

Also, keep an eye out for his new site http://www.kovasisthefuture.com