2015 Has Been the Biggest Year of My Career
When 2015 began, I knew it be one of the best years of my career. For those of you who don’t know, I’m a record producer and founder of an independent music company called Valholla Entertainment. I say “music company” because we’re more than just a record label. Besides, a company that just sells music is just… a dinosaur.
Just to give you a little bit of a background, I started the company in 2005 and its had regional success and a couple minor hit records. We haven’t had any major label affiliations (yet) and we’ve truly been independent since the start.
In 2010, we released a single from Kirby Maurier titled “You”. With the help of production team Jackpot Music, we started work on her solo project. She also stayed busy and regularly filmed covers on YouTube. Her cover of Beyoncé’s “Sweet Dreams” got some major attention and people all over the world started to find out who Kirby was.
After the covers got picked up on WorldstarHipHop.com, we started to get calls from a few A&R’s of different labels. A few meetings later and with major label music chairs, no deals were finalized. We kept working and Kirby eventually released an EP called “Class of ‘96".
“Class of ‘96" was a collection of remakes of Hip Hop classics released in 1996. Although this EP was like a mixtape, it gained Kirby thousands of new fans. People still listen to that project to this day. It’s definitely a classic.
A year after releasing that EP, Kirby started working on a song called “Iz U Wit It” with Vegas Fontaine (of Jackpot). “Iz U Wit It” was unlike any other song Kirby ever recorded. It was a aggressive, it was explicit and it was exactly the kind of music Kirby wanted to make at the time.
Vegas and Kirby would then work for nearly two years crafting a brand new sound, a sound that perfectly fits the kind of music she wants to make. She titled her new project “Doing The Most” and it was unlike anything I heard in the market.
Kirby finished recording “Doing The Most” in January of this year (2015). Then, the ball was in our court. The mixing and mastering process took months and on July 31st, we finally released the biggest album of our careers (so far). During the first week, Apple’s iTunes staff hand picked the album and featured it in their New Music section. The album also debuted on Nielsen Soundscan’s Current R&B Charts. We it did with no radio spins, no videos on rotation… just people willing to support an artist they believe in. The album is currently one of the highest selling independent R&B albums in the South Atlantic Region in 2015.
After the album release, veteran hip-hop journalist Rob Markman invited Kirby as a guest on the Loud Speakers Network podcast he hosts with actress/model Kristin Coral titled, Red Light Special. Rob is one of the best journalists in music so to have Kirby interviewed by him was such an honor. Listen to the interview HERE.
We still have work to do. We’ll be shooting visuals in support of the album. Touring and also servicing radio… All before the GRAMMYs. Yes, the album is submitted in multiple categories for a possible GRAMMY nomination. If you haven’t heard the album yet, take a listen to it and tell me what you think. If you like (or LOVE) the album like I do, BUY IT. Support GOOD independent music. It’s available on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play and Physical albums are available On Demand at Amazon. Also check out the Digital Booklet, which is available to everyone courtesy of Adobe Slate HERE.
Thanks to everyone who supported this album so far…. and I guess I’ll see you at the GRAMMYs? HA!
“Doing The Most” by Kirby Maurier was released on Valholla Entertainment
