The music scene in L.A. right now is sad.
In 1989, I ran away to Los Angeles at the young age of thirteen, and it was exactly what I was looking for. Part of the reason I survived was the community and camaraderie. People took care of each other. They took care of me.
That is gone from L.A. now. The promoters have turned Sunset Strip into a joke.
Throughout the years. everyone has talked badly about each other and basically shot themselves in the foot. And nowadays, it’s so easy for anyone — including celebrities and public figures — to hide behind a computer and rip someone’s reputation to shreds.
Knocking someone’s art is never cool. The music community has transitioned from a place of support to a place of criticism.
I don’t like to be a negative person, but I also don’t sugarcoat anything. The only way anything will ever improve is if people look around and see the problems.
If we all pretend L.A.’s music scene is perfect, we’re essentially abandoning all hope that we can ever fix the glaring issues. I grew up in the streets of Hollywood, and this isn’t the Los Angeles I fell in love with.
I really look forward to traveling and seeing other parts of the world. I know the UK, Sweden, Germany, and Scandinavia are a handful of places I would enjoy visiting. The fans are great and their music culture is pretty healthy.
Overall, I’m just so fed up with how the United States treats its artists. Even the radio isn’t what it used to be. It’s a joke. A radio campaign isn’t even worth the money anymore. The cherry on top is that artists barely get any support from the U.S. government.
I do what I do for the music, not for the money. Music is my salvation. It keeps me going, but it’s no cakewalk.
Even when I get frustrated with Los Angeles and the music industry in general, I always find a reason for not hanging up the towel. I’ll get a message from a kid who tells me my music helped him survive his own abuse. Or a woman will tell me that my songs helped her cope with the death of her husband.
Despite all the negativity, I don’t think all hope is lost. All we need is a rejuvenation. By starting conversations like these, I hope people will reflect on what they’re seeing in the music industry and vow to do better — support the right artists and strive for positivity.