Sam is an artist (Primitive World), a record label owner (Ecstatic Recordings), a teacher at Point Blank Music School, a former head of A&R at R&S Records, and someone who has taught me a great deal about music/art.

This philosophies presented in this interview are applicable to any field of art, though the conversation does focus on music; so whenever you see/hear the word music in this video/description, you can replace it with your field of art, and the philosophies will likely still apply. For those of you wondering how to make it in the music industry, how to find your sound as an artist/producer, or how to evolve the way you evolve in any field of art, this interview is for you.

To me this episode is all about the mindset of an artist, and how we can invert and combine ideas in order to elevate our artistic expression. Sam shares perspectives in this interview about making better art that I haven't heard anywhere else, and have helped me expand my approach towards making art. That said, some people may find some of his perspectives to be controversial, so it's up to you to assess what information you resonate with.

Time Stamps:

01:24 Skip Intro + How to make your music standout

03:17 Using elements of your cultural heritage to enhance your music

10:20 Working a regular job vs working in the music industry on the path to being a star

14:00 Sam's advice for people who want to become artists (referencing Sufjan Stevens and Illinoise)

20:20 Making great art by combining high culture and low culture art

30:09 Making great art by inverting/combining ideas in the right context

43:54 Incorporating your cultural lineage into your music vs. not

55:14 "The end result is the product of the life that you're living day to day" gem

1:02:10 How to overcome writers block using hierarchical creative technique

1:17:30 You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink

1:21:10 Going straight for the jugular by making shameless pop smashes

1:25:42 How trap producers are becoming less essential in the modern era of music

1:33:20 What should rap/trap producers do to adapt to this fact ^

1:57:57 How interconnected art is + book recommendations (Perennial Seller, Steal Like An Artist)

2:15:04 The importance of taste and ideas Thank you to Sam for sharing your knowledge and your time. Thank you to Jarran Zen for co-hosting this podcast with me.