Joseph hicks
1. Where are you from and how did you first get introduced to EDM?
Joseph Hicks – I’m From A Tiny Little Place In Upper Northern California Called Trinity County. The Entire Counties Population Is Around 15k and the Town I’m from, the Population is 420 LOL. Okay so the way I actually got into EDM is hella funny. I was growing cannabis around 2010 – 2011 in upper Nor Cal and through the culture, met a group of people that were experimenting with wax/oil and bringing the whole dab movement into popularity (I will leave them nameless for the sake of anonymity) however, they were pretty influential and showed me my first “dubstep” track RUSKO – Babylon:
Volume 1 (Sub Soldiers 2007). I was instantly hooked.
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2. What were the pivotal moments in your life where you decided to join the music workforce?
Joseph Hicks – Tbh it kinda just happened. When I started my label in 2015, I never had imagined making money from the music industry let alone riddim (Hear me out now, LOL.When I found riddim online there were only a handful of producers creating it. There was no real market for it at that point so l had no thoughts in my mind to make money from the music industry) plus I was already making money so everything was just authentic AF and purely for the culture.
Well through trial and error and a lot of time, I eventually became very good at marketing music and building brands and my social proof was there in real time with my brand Riddim Network so people started to request I work for them and build brands for them, help establish fan bases for artists etc. So I jumped in head first and now I work full time in the music industry!
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3. Many would say your company is one of the pillars of premiere dubstep underground music. Could you elaborate more on how The Riddim Network came to be and its mission focus? What inspired the RN branding and vision?
Joseph Hicks – Riddim Network came to be in a funny way lowkey. Aha, okay so essentially I submitted some music to Firepower records back when it was a pillar and prior to the community finding out about Datsik. Well, they totally disregarded my submission, never even listened to it and lowkey I knew it was a hot track because I had received downloads from tons of major artists on the track and it was being played out live everywhere so I was thinking to myself like
“Damn, I submitted an amazing track, it’s being overlooked and nobody is giving chances to the upcoming talent. The industry is gatekept AF and monopolized by a group of people that won’t let anyone in. Maybe I should look at this as an opportunity to start a label that actually supports artists.”
Riddim was something I was addicted to and actively creating daily at that point in time, I saw it as the future of bass music and what better way to break up the monopoly than helping bring forth a new genre to replace the old gatekeepers control… So I started Riddim Network and began pushing the Riddim Sound very heavily.
Our Mission focus is simple – Bring artists opportunities, while helping change the music industry by being the change.
Branding wise, I went with a neon light bulb for our logo because we are like a light in the dark for the underground, and we represent the future of bass music so it just felt appropriate.
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4. What are some big, key highlight moments in your career that you can share with us? Biggest artist support? Highest subscribers? Show collaborations?
Joseph Hicks – Well, I’d say our hand in finding some notable artists prior to any other major label supporting them including Automate, Calcium, Artix, Chibs, Sisto, Sqishi, Bainbridge, Kozmoz, Alienpark, Akeos, (just to name a few, lol) are some highlight moments but there are too many to mention in 1 interview. We did just launch a series of live shows this year which has been a major goal of mine but I didn’t wanna launch until we had established a large enough fan base for it to actually matter lol.
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5. What are your future goals and aspirations for The Riddim Network?
Joseph Hicks – Tours, more live shows, more pop ups, sign more artists, continue to build our community, continue to bridge the gaps between our culture and other cultures. We are building something never seen before in bass music, which I can’t disclose much of but it will be revolutionary and bring about a whole new form of content for fans to fall in love with. I’m very excited for the future 🙂
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6. What advice would you give to independent artists who are in the building process of there careers?
Joseph Hicks – Build your community! Build your core fans! They are literally so crucial I cannot express this enough, it should be your mission to establish core fans and build a community if you ever want longevity & success as an artist. Core fans are crucial for several reasons:
Revenue Generation: Core fans are often the most reliable source of revenue. They purchase tickets, merchandise, and subscribe to exclusive content, providing a steady income stream.
Word-of-Mouth Promotion: Loyal fans are likely to promote the brand or team to their social circles, helping to attract new fans and broaden the audience base.
Feedback and Engagement: Core fans are more engaged and provide valuable feedback, helping organizations understand their audience better and improve their offerings.
Stability and Support: During tough times, whether due to performance slumps or financial challenges, core fans provide unwavering support, ensuring continuity and stability.
Community Building: Core fans help build a sense of community, fostering a strong and vibrant fan culture that can enhance the overall experience for all fans.
Brand Ambassadors: They act as ambassadors, representing and defending the brand or team passionately, thus contributing to its positive image and reputation.
By nurturing and maintaining strong relationships an artist can ensure long-term success and sustainability.
7. Anything else you would like to add? A shoutout? Promo?
Shoutout to my team!
S/o Tee Bailey of Bass Space, Head of Our Sister label and head of design for Riddim Network. Also, co meme creator lol.
S/o to Brooky Dawooky, Head of Black Sheep Presents! He is a RN talent agent!
S/o to Todd Hacket of Hastati Network! Our Tour manager/legal!
Shoutout to my family for always believing in me and giving me the support I needed to take on such an endeavor. Without them, Riddim Network wouldn’t be here so major shoutout to them!!
Fall in love with the journey & stop setting timelines & expectations
Love, Riddim Network
