Lord Goldie: Building a Team as a Nashville Hip Hop Artist
Born and bred in Nashville, Lord Goldie remains loyal to Music City and creates opportunities to grow the local Hip Hop scene.
Lord Goldie is not only a unicorn (what Nashville natives are called because they are so rare), but she’s also a founding member of HOME (aka an OG Homie)— signing up for her membership before HOME’s doors opened.
Here’s her HOME story…
Nashville hasn’t yet caught on to the local Hip Hop scene.
So as a Nashville Hip Hop artist, even though I was making music I was proud of, I had to accept that there were certain places that it wouldn’t fit.
I needed to find where I would fit.
With my band, MUJA, we battle with the issue of not having regular venue support around Nashville—and that’s irritating for any artist around here, especially if you were born and raised in Nashville like me. At times, Nashville hip hop artists want to give up because you feel like you’re not good enough for the people here.
I’ve had to overcome that negativity and keep going, knowing that I do have a purpose here.
When I met some of the Verified Producers at HOME, they showed me both how they navigate their careers and the potential of my own career as a producer/engineer. That has helped me tremendously.
One incredible event that happened at HOME fairly recently was Songtank.
It was dope! It was definitely not your ordinary pitch; it’s like Songland x Shark Tank. I feel like my band and I really connected with one of the sharks on the panel.
A lot of these situations in the music industry are all about who you connect with and then nurturing those relationships until something happens.
In any case, Songtank really helped me perfect my pitch. It helped all of us connect with other artists in the room, and there will probably be some big business deals that come out of it.
Songtank was born after HOME started an Entertainment Committee, which I joined. We were brainstorming and came up with the idea of ‘Shark Tank, but with songs.’
What If we get three music industry decision makers together to hear music we all agree is top notch, can they guarantee an opportunity for an artist like they do on Shark Tank?
Back in November and December we started planning the event. Over time, we met and discussed what we needed and what we already had for Songtank. By the time the event rolled around, we received over 120 song submissions. The Verified Producers at HOME listened to all the submissions and picked the final 10 to pitch their songs to the sharks.
After the Songtank event, we noted what happened, what could have happened, and what needed to happen to make the next Songtank even better.
But the very next day after Songtank, I got an email about a future opportunity.
Of course, I can’t say for sure they reached out because of Songtank, but that would be a big win regardless of whether we proceed. Basically, a big sports agency who loves our song “Sunday Funday” reached out and said they want to use it. That would be a big sync placement, however, we’d like the contract to be non-exclusive. If it works out, then that’d be dope. But right now we’re just trying to make sure we make the best move.
Plus, we had some people that we already knew in the crowd at Songtank who really loved that track. One guy is pitching it everywhere for us now too, which is another positive outcome from the event. We just want these deals to be non-exclusive so the songs can be everywhere and not with just one company.
Even if those opportunities fall through, Songtank was still awesome because of the relationships we built with everyone there.
Before Songtank happened, we did The Best of Nashville Hip Hop show in 2021.
That event was an opportunity for hip hop artists in Nashville to showcase their talent to a wider audience. The Best of Nashville Hip Hop was especially a moment for my band MUJA because they were the backing band for every artist that performed. There were about 7 artists on the bill, besides myself, so MUJA had the opportunity to perform with a lot of amazing artists.
The first Best of Nashville Hip Hop was such a hit that we did a second show a few months later. The ability to do those shows is largely because of the resources and support from everyone at HOME.
If you’re a creative who is looking for a community where you can be yourself, grow, and seek counsel, then HOME is the spot. They have a lot to offer artists, producers, songwriters, lawyers—whatever it is you do.
I joined HOME in January 2018.
Logan didn’t even open the space to the public until April 2018. When I looked at the space, it was just an empty garage. But Logan showed me everything they were working on and told me the vision he had for HOME. I understood his vision, so I gave him a down payment to become a Member that same day. Sometimes you have to be an outside-the-box thinker to understand the potential of a space that isn’t yet fully realized. I’m glad I was able to see that in the moment and join HOME so early on.
At the HOME Facility, I can network with people just hanging out and coming in; I meet people who have the same goals even though they may not be another musician or rapper. They might be a lawyer who wants to be a mentor to the Homies or an entrepreneur seeking the structure that HOME gives.
Because of the variety of people who join, HOME has definitely helped me build my contact list and step out of my zone as a hip hop artist. There, I have honed my skills as a songwriter, engineer, producer, manager—everything.
I’ve been able to have access to places and events that I wouldn’t normally be able to get into on my own, whether it be NAMM or different programs. Because of HOME’s programs, I met Jason at Rootnote who helped me out with the business side of my music career. The NashVilla, Think Tank sessions, and other co-writing collaborations are just a few of the things I’ve been able to be a part of and experience because of HOME.
Come join the community and use it to your benefit!
I’ve seen people come in who didn’t know how to use HOME, so they left without asking questions about what to do. When you come in, just be active and use your voice if you feel like something could change or if something isn’t right.
The HOME Team is constantly working to improve the community and facilities. I’ve been at home for 4 years now, and it’s been nothing but blessings.