Interview with Kyle Kraft of Battle Axe Music

*Sigh*

Well first of all *FORESHADOW ALERT* I just want to say how my teacher totally fucked up and screwed up the interview. Mr. Kyle Kraft made it clear how he wanted his updated biography read and researched which was sent to my teacher. My teacher was supposed to send that over to us, however the thing was, my teacher sent us the wrong link...AND with him never replying to his emails I had to go in with info I could find on Battleaxerecords.com (even though it was evidently out of date and possibly last updated 3 years ago!)

So I show up @ about 1:57pm at The Wall Center downtown where their head office is located. I get buzzed up and I was on my way up the elevator. Up on the 18th floor, I enter the suite that they call their office. Nothing elaborate or fancy...it was just that...an apartment suite haha! It wasn't even that tidy and clean, not that it mattered. It was...VERY much as hip-hop as it can get. With posters on the wall, computer cables on the floor and desks everywhere in a somewhat small living room area, it created a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere. So I pull out my tape recorder and....yep. The freakin thing went all haywire...UGHHH...so we did it old school with the note taking (well actually classmate brought his laptop and typed it out).

So first of all, I'll give some background info on Kyle. A hip hop follower since the age of about 7, he truly found his calling that early and stuck with it. About 13 years later he founded the hip hop Independent label Battle Axe Records with Madchild of Swollen Members and was given the General Manager title. And for a few years, it's been butter for him.


...well for the most part. My 2nd question (first being more of an introductory question) was just about to be prepared. So I went along saying "So Battle Axe Records being more of a hip hop label, what do you think---" to which at this point he interrupted me and asked if I read the biography he sent to my teacher.

Coz well...APPARENTLY Battle Axe Records is no longer in business! I was thinking hellllllllllll naww! Shiet, now all my questions are bunk and I'm really fucked. What they apparently now operate is Battle Axe Music which is a music publishing and artist management company. (Hint to all the future industry cats on the business tip: this is where all the money is at now)

Battle Axe Records kinda fell off because Madchild wanted to furthur develop his career as a rapper instead of at the same time developing others on the label. So after that, it kinda fizzed out and Kyle went on to create a new venture with the publishing company. And it's going good for them apparently as Kyle's main artist focus is now on Sweatshop Union and Kyprios.

So my interview was more fluent in casual conversation then something structured with questions. No thanks to my teacher, we had to improvise but shit happens eh? (especially in this business).

Kyle was very open and candid with the ups and downs he went through with managing the former label. I felt a kinda irritated vibe whenever I would ask about the label but he was very helpful in answering our questions. So I kinda stayed clear of that whole topic and let the conversation flow. However, he did admit that some artists who were signed to the label were a big waste of time, and that doing the whole label thing didn't really generate great revenue. He stressed that the whole live music and touring was and always will be the main source of revenue for an artist and their managers. But still that, none of this at first will get you a house in the British Properties, but it will be a steady source of income to support a family.

As we left and thanked him he gave us words of encouragement and advice, it was that artists and the music industry will always need business oriented minds and that there will always be plenty of jobs available. He said just be professional and we'll be fine. (He also gave us some CD's, stickers and pins haha! sweet deal!)


So as soon as I left that interview I had a GREAT thirst to work in this industry. I wanted to network, I wanted to be engulfed in hip hop music and make a career out of it! I later met DJ Seko down @ Dipt coz I was in the neighborhood and I haven't been at that store in a hella long time. We talked, we networked, and he said something along the lines of if I want to survive in this business, it's all about meeting and meeting new people in the industry. And he was right...

So look out peeps...for the next little while I'm gonna try building a relationship with people in the industry and posting about it here. Some familiar and unfamiliar names maybe. But whats the point of working in this biz if you know nobody in it, ya dig? Anyways, peace!