Navarro’s Life Transition: From Artist to Manager
Throughout our journey in life we often close chapters and open up new ones. That’s no different for Navarro - an artist with over a decades’ amount of work under his belt. Navarro is the founder of Loop Theory, where he manages and develops artists such as Brittney Carter, RYEN, Dre Izaya and many more. These last couple of years Navarro has put down his own pen, to help others pick theirs up and put them in positions to win.
Check out our interview below as Navarro talks through the transition from artist to manager, keys for artists to break through the clutter, starting an after-school program for Little Village Lawndale high-school students to learn about the music industry, and much more.
While many people may know you from putting out music over the last decade, for the last few years you’ve been working just as hard behind the scenes with Loop Theory. Talk to us about your transition from music to management and the inception of Loop Theory.
I gotta say, the love for this side of things came from when I started my after school program Beats and Bars. I realized how much value there was in what I knew and what I had taught myself throughout the years. At the beginning of the program I learned I was affecting more lives and having much more of a positive impact than when I was only releasing music. I realized that was the space that I wanted to keep growing and developing into.
Loop Theory was an extension of that in a way. It helped me understand that I enjoyed working with younger artists and helping them develop, which led me to realize that there was a big need for it with artists in Chicago. There’s an entire generation of artists that were coming up following the SaveMoney, PivotGang movements and I felt there wasn’t any real guidance for these younger artists. Because of that, I knew I wanted to be an extended hand to the next generation.
One of my students that I had in my Beats and Bars program, Kenneth “Disrupt” Clair, after being in my program for 3 years, he graduated from school and had aspirations to continue working on his career as a music producer. He was also really interested in learning how to mix, so I was able to help him get an internship at a studio in the city. As he was developing himself as an engineer and producer, we maintained our relationship and he brought it up to me that he wanted to start producing for artists. At the time he knew Dre Izaya and Brittney Carter, so I mentioned that he should reach out to them and start working on music. I told him that I was interested in managing artists as well, so for us to simply start working together to make sure there was some chemistry, and once we solidified that, we could look to further the conversation about management and take it from there. This was something I had in mind, but this just sped up the process. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to see this through with.
What catches your ear when a new or unsigned artist submits their singles/projects?
I think everything is subjective as it relates to art. I would be discrediting the entire process to say that I look for certain things. I could hear a great song but that doesn’t necessarily mean I want to work with that artist. A good song is the beginning of a spark of interest. But, here are a few key things I look for:
I listen to how open artists are to their creativity. The fact that they don’t box themselves in. That could be from their songwriting, certain words they use, or ways they express themselves. It can be a street record or a soul record, but if they express themselves in a way I hadn’t heard before in that style, then I’m intrigued.
I also trust my personal ear. Honestly, it starts with that. I can’t sit here and tell you that I want to make sure that within the first ‘x amount of time’ it’s going to be a hit. That’s not my intention with music. I look to make sure that I feel something right away. I’ve been blessed I’ve felt that with every artist that I have worked with.
Once I know you’re a good artist and you create good music, I then look to make sure that they can do this repeatedly moving forward. Somebody can write a good song and not write another one for a long time. With all of this being said, we aren’t actively accepting submissions for new artists at Loop Theory. Up until now, every artist has been someone who organically has become part of the team. I think we build a stronger foundation when it isn’t this open submission format. We do appreciate anyone who sends music over and it doesn’t mean we won’t consider an artist that reaches out to us with those intentions, it just hasn’t been the case as of now. We always check out the music and provide feedback or resources if asked. I also have Loop Theory Distribution in the works which will let us work with more artists down the line and we do accept submissions from artists for distribution consideration.
“WORK AROUND YOUR FANS. DON’T WORK AROUND THE INDUSTRY STANDARDS.
CATER TO YOUR FAN BASE AND WORK WITHIN THE RULES OF THE ECO-SYSTEM THAT YOU’RE CREATING.”
What can new artists do to help break through the noise?
Honestly, one of the biggest things I’m a believer of is consistency. A lot of artists get really scared about over-saturating the timeline with their own art. I understand certain artists have to play by those rules because of something they’re signed or obliged to. I even understand independent artists that are hesitant to release a lot due to wanting to feel exclusive, but I’m of the belief that it doesn’t hurt to flood the streets and let people know who you are. You can’t be scared that you’re going to run out of material. Especially if this is what you really do. Once your listeners become fans then exclusivity can become part of the conversation and the artist is now in control of the situation.
Artists have the option to build their official discography on streaming platforms, but then you also have the ability to create things for your website or social media, etc. Drop when the people that listen to your music are emotionally around. Work around your fans. Don’t work around the industry standards. Cater to your fan base and work within the rules of the eco-system that you’re creating. And, maybe one day when you get down the line you’ll play by the major label rules if that’s what you choose to do, but until then it’s key for younger artists to understand that you’re looking to connect with the people directly, so pay attention to where your fans are.
Having been on both sides of the music industry, do you find one more rewarding?
For so many years all I knew was making music, so I wasn’t sure what this transition was going to be like initially. But I have to say, honestly, it is just as, if not more, rewarding on this side. One because I realize that in order for me to have even gotten to this position and have artists asking for my opinion or feedback on their music, they had to respect certain aspects of my craft as well. It’s rewarding because I know that I had to do everything I did to get to this point for people to value and respect my opinion on this side of things.
I find this end much more rewarding because I realize that I can make much more of an impact than I can as an artist. When I was an artist full time I was constantly on my own back if I didn’t write or create every day and there was this guilt on the days I didn’t. Now in days, I’ve gone weeks/months without writing a song and I don’t feel any of that. I know what we are building here and I’m confident in what’s to come, I’m grateful that I was accepting of the blessing. Instead of seeing it as the ending of something, I realized it was what prepared me for what I’m meant to do.
What was one thing that you learned from your managers that you continue to apply to your role as a manager today?
I had a manager named Virgil and I appreciated when he made me feel represented when I walked into an unknown place and introduced me to the right people. He went out of his way to do things that made me feel comfortable and made sure people were aware of who I was. I wasn’t always the most outspoken person in a room full of people. I’ve always been more of an observer, but I realized as a young artist it was important for me to network in those situations. To me at that time it felt that I was a priority and Virgil wanted to put me into these positions to help me grow.
Now as a manager, I’m mindful of these types of things. I want to make sure my artists are represented properly and professionally. I understand that what is sometimes expected of an artist isn’t always what an artists personality is like. Being aware and proactive of these types of things can save your artists from uncomfortable situations and helps make sure you put them in the best environments for them to shine.
You developed an after school program called Beats and Bars, which was designed to teach high schoolers aspects of the music industry. How important was this program to you?
Beats and Bars means a lot because it played a pivotal role in my transitioning period. I had just become a father and had decided to step away from releasing music to focus on my daughter. Soon after I started working at a high school in Little Village, my degree is in Psychology and I was hired to work with some of the youth at the school. I never brought up my music because it was two different worlds to me. A couple months into me working at the school, some of the students found my music online when they were searching for Chicago Hip-Hop and they brought it to my attention. Once they found out I made music, a couple of the youth were interested in starting an after-school music program. The homie Tat (RIP) worked at the Enlace office that handled some of the after school programming and he made it happen for us. The program consists of songwriting, audio recording, production and more. We completed and released albums created by the youth, shot music videos with them, and they also did radio and TV interviews.
Beats and Bars made me realize how much more of an impact I had by working directly with our youth. The message in my music has always been there and as an artist it was always important for me to reach these young brothers and sisters that live in similar communities as I did. At the time Beats and Bars reaffirmed the power of music for me and it helped me stay creative even when I was no longer releasing music. The youth in my program taught me a lot. It’s been a life changing experience and I hope to be able to continue to create these spaces in our communities.
“I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. UNFORTUNATELY THIS HATE HAS BEEN INSTILLED FOR SO MANY GENERATIONS AND THAT’S THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM. IT KEEPS BEING TAUGHT.”
What can we do as individuals to step up and raise awareness of what’s going on in the world as it relates to police brutality and other social issues?
I have been born into and have lived on this side of things. As an inter-city, Mexican-American son of immigrants born and raised on the West side of Chicago, I just know this side of the world - my perspective. I know we have a lot of work to do. Unfortunately this hate has been instilled for so many generations and that’s the root of the problem. It keeps being taught. The systems and the people running them are corrupt. Until we defund and restructure, we won’t know what could be.
I think for now we can start with the people in our neighborhoods, how we interact with our communities, and what we bring to them. I don’t have a specific answer to the question that you’re asking but I think we need to be proactive, understand our positions and what you can do to assist others in their position. We’ve been providing sound systems for protests and community events, as well as offered a space for organizers to meet. We know there’s a lot of work ahead, as a team we’re committed to assisting in the process.
What’s it like being a father during these times?
I really appreciate the time I’ve been able to spend with my daughter. To be able to wake up every morning and cook breakfast for her and my wife. For her being six years old, she is trying to wrap her head around the things she cannot do. We are having to explain to her why we can’t always go to the store, etc. But, I’ve always talked to my daughter about real things since early on and now I’m letting her know the importance of wearing masks, washing her hands and social distancing. We’ve been spending a lot of time in our backyard this summer, since the park across the street isn’t an option at the moment. The one thing she really misses is school, her friends and her teacher. It’s also shocking to her that next year she’s going to transition to the 1st grade, she thought she would just resume where she left off. So at the end of the year, we had a little party in the backyard, got a cake to celebrate her. Looking at her be a kid brings me a sense of peace especially during these times.
What does being a hero mean to you?
I think a hero is someone you respect. The common denominator between our heroes and everybody else is that respect. A hero to me is someone that serves and that is selfless. They don’t have any ulterior motive.
Written by: Nico Rud