Tell me about the I.P.O. group and your goals for the company?
We’re an all-in-one record label, entertainment agency, and management firm. The record label is going to be tech focused, so we’re developing an app that’s going to streamline things for the music industry. We’re building the slack of music, so that different departments will have unique logins so that we can optimize workflow across the board. We think this will benefit artists, labels, managers, and everyone involved. Beyond that, the company has also been expanding into TV and film. We just finished an original series and are working on a few other scripts, it’s crazy how things can snowball and that’s something that’s picked up a lot of momentum. I wrote over 900 pages of script during the pandemic and have been motivated to continue building on that.
Would love to hear more about the app development and what the launch for that might look like?
The goal is to get it to record labels first and have them use it for their own teams. Then, we can begin rolling out to the public through the app store and allowing more people to get familiar with the product, which we think speaks for itself. There’s still some features we haven’t announced yet, it’s going to be an exciting launch.
As you navigate these different verticals, what’s been the biggest motivating factor for you?
I just want to build the most innovative music company. From my past experience working at Nike, Atlantic Records, and with countless artists, I’ve seen this industry from a lot of perspectives. And with that, I’ve seen what can be built better in each area. And that’s what my goal is, to help improve this whole industry. We’re working to help artists, managers, label executives and everyone in between. In my career I’ve been able to break through in the “industry” but I do feel like it can be a bit clique and some don’t take it as seriously as they probably should because they’re friends with certain people. At the end of the day, it should come down to who really goes hard and cares about things in this industry and not who knows the most people. That’s an aspect of the industry being more connection based than work-based, is what we need to flip in my opinion, so we’re trying to build an app for that. So that the industry can see who’s being most productive and bringing the most to the table day in and day out. The more we can cut through the noise, the more we can focus on improving the content. That’s what it’s all about.
What’s something that you think will continue to separate you as an innovator?
The way that we approach things. I think it’s easy to get caught up in what you’re “supposed to” have for a release in terms of assets. It can be very systematic and a lot of creativity gets lost. So I think that’s one thing that we’ll continue to do differently, we’re looking to zig when others zag. It’s important for us to continue to push those boundaries with ourselves and the artists we work with. We want the things that we work on to have an impact in the short term, but also have longevity in the future. It’s important to be able to balance the vision for both. And that’s something I think we do differently.
I know you also have experience as an artist yourself, is that something that you think helps your perspective?
Yeah definitely. One thing that’s big is leaning into your strengths. The biggest thing is getting people to care in the beginning, once you get things moving it can snowball quickly. But being able to try new things in the music industry both personally and professionally has allowed me to maximize things and become an expert on how to move the needle.
Is it difficult to wear both hats or do you see both journeys as being part of the same goal?
Yeah I think they’re both part of the same journey, now is the time to take that next step. People think that if you work at a label as an executive, that’s what you do and there’s no space to evolve. But on the flip side, we see artists evolve into executives at major labels all the time. So I’m just looking to break that blueprint and do it in the reverse order.
Whether it’s his disruptive app or strategy towards personal artist progression, Malcolm is looking to shake the way the industry thinks and works. With a wealth of experience and expertise, his vision is becoming clearer with each step in 2022 and beyond. In an industry that’s often muddied by friendships and favors, Malcolm is focussed on the finished product. And he’s leaning into his strengths by betting on himself and consumers that will gravitate towards his unique vision for the future.
https://youtube.com/c/therealmalcs
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/malcs/973246229
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