Hate to see you happy if I’m not the one driving

When you think of global duos in troublesome and toxic relationships, what names come to mind? Rick and Morty? Tom and Jerry? Ronaldo and Messi? Shrek and Donkey? Wizkid and Davido? Drake and Kendrick? In all honesty, the list is endless.

I’ll raise you one though — Artistes and A&Rs.

Dive in!

What Does A&R Mean?

First off, we need to know what “A&R” means before we know what it meansssss. So, A&R, in the broad sense of the word, is an acronym for Artists and Repertoire. It is the wing of a record label or music publisher that is tasked with discovering and directing the artistic development of recording artists (and songwriters).

Alternatively, an A&R rep can work independently and not belong to any company.

Thus, an A&R representative is a bridge between artistes and the record label/publishing company. This makes every activity of the artist as regards music the responsibility of the A&R rep. Think of it as a mother and nanny rolled into one.

So, is being an A&R all fun and games? Or is there more than meets the eye?

Pros of Being an A&R

As an A&R rep, you will probably enjoy:

• Working independently or as part of a team

• Being at the forefront of music

• Working remotely (if you work independently)

Cons of Being an A&R

As an A&R rep, you will probably not enjoy:

• Possible unemployment or job instability

• Blowback if your artiste fails

• Lack of appreciation for your intangible efforts

There are two sides to this coin. Let’s further look at it from an angle.

How Do A&Rs and Artistes Co-exist?

Now, we have an idea of the importance of the A&R rep in the music industry. Let’s find out more about the broad relationship between the artiste and A&R.

A yin and yang connection of some sort.

Role of the A&R to the Artiste

Here, we consider the responsibilities of the A&R rep to the artiste:

Discovering talent

The primary duty of the A&R rep is to scout for new recording artists for their employer. Therefore, such a person must be active on social media or music festivals where they can easily discover new talent. Whilst being well acquainted with the prevalent trends in the market, they should be able to find artistes who will be commercially and critically successful. Thus, A&R reps are often young and affiliated with the industry as creative (artiste, record producer, songwriter, audio engineer) or executive (journalist, strategist).

Offering a record contract

As a representative of the label/publisher, an A&R executive is empowered to offer a record contract on behalf of their employers. This is often a short document that introduces a business relationship between the recording artist and the company. However, the main contract negotiations will be handled by rival entertainment lawyers hired by the musician’s manager and the record company.

Supervising the recording process

The A&R, alongside the artiste, oversees every aspect of the recording process — finding the right record producer, recording engineer, scheduling time in a recording studio, and informing the artist on all facets of making a high-quality recording.

They work hand-in-hand with the artist to select the ‘best’ songs to record. For artistes who do not write their music, the A&R rep helps to find songwriters and session musicians for the recording. They also communicate with their counterparts at music publishing companies to obtain new songs from songwriters and producers.

As the release date nears completion, the A&R rep works closely with the artist to determine which record is acceptable to the record company. Perhaps, suggest new songs need to be written or re-record existing songs.

Marketing and Promotion

Once the record is completed, the A&R department consults with marketing, promotion, the artiste, and their management to choose one or more singles to help promote the record.

Role of the Artiste to the A&R

Here, we consider the responsibility of the artiste to the A&R rep:

Payment

A&R reps are generally paid a percentage of the artist’s royalties and further income. The precise amount varies based on the record label, but it’s usually between 10% and 25% of the artist’s publishing royalties or revenue from sales or licensing.

Who are some of the best A&Rs in the game?

Examples of A&Rs

These are some of the best A&Rs on the local and international scene:

Local

1. Bizzle Osikoya for the Plug NG
2. Ogagus for Chike
3. Temi Olowo-Ake for Native Records
4. TenTen for Chocolate City
5. Trill Xoe for Native
6. Obinna Agwu

International

1. Jimmy Iovine for Dr. Dre, Eminem, Black Eyed Peas
2. Dr. Dre for Snoop Dogg, Game, Kendrick Lamar
3. Diddy for Biggie, Ma$e, Shyne
4. Rick Rubin for LL Cool J, Beatie Boys, Public Enemy
5. L.A. Reid for Outkast, Young Jeezy, Rick Ross
6. Birdman for Lil Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj

Importance of A&Rs Today

Increased penetration and adoption of the Internet today have changed how the audience consumes music. With more digital distribution— by way of streaming — consumers can easily discover unsigned/underground artistes at the drop of a hat. Thus, the consumers bypass the rudimentary role of an A&R rep.

This begs the question: how important is the A&R today?

Different music enthusiasts weighed in, giving their unfiltered opinions.

One bemoaned the lack of enough A&Rs

The former continued

One had unfavorable things to say about the role.

Should A&Rs only cater to signed artistes? What about the unsigned ones? Are the latter only part of the equation when they benefit the A&R directly? Or are they as dispensable as Daniel Regha’s thoughts?

Emerging Artistes and A&Rs

On a regular market day on Twitter NG, the streets were thrown in disarray when an A&R shared her thoughts on some pertinent issues.

There was uproar on the TL as many felt like she was being somewhat classist. Then, another person aired their opinion.

The protagonist of the discourse further explained her position, giving more insight into her line of thought.

As a music enthusiast and musician, I had to drop my two cents also.

Being an A&R today means the internet has somewhat made your job easier. Or that you are out of a job cos the internet can do (some of) your job. Either way, it’s a largely crazy and thankless activity. Mostly, when you’re not sufficiently appreciated by your artiste, company, or community. Tough.

So, there you have it guys. What do you think about artistes and A&Rs? Great partnership? Or a marriage of convenience?