The Power Of Teamwork: Doomtree (Minneapolis, MN) and Living Legends (Los Angeles, CA)

One thing about the entertainment industry is that teams are key to any success. No matter if it is a full team of colleagues backing one person or the playing field is even with everyone involved, it is key that the support is there. For music labels, groups, or crews, you will have various folks focus on different aspects. You will have a mastermind that can support marketing (especially in multimedia), a talented ear that can support the audio production as well as the mixing and mastering, and then you have the performance talent. This is the real importance of having a team support you. The combined efforts of people completing a big project can help more than what one person could attempt to do. Lets look at a few examples.

There's a hip hop crew by the name of Doomtree out of Minneapolis, MN. A newer group to the scene that has punk rock ethics tied to how they put their music out and support each other on their projects. You can even see it in the videos.

For example, we have one of the crew members, rapper Mike Mictlan, with his own video, "Prizefight". In support of one of his projects. Now, in the background for this you have one of the producers (also vocalist) of the group, Lazerbeak, supporting him. And you see Mike's shirt that reads "Doomtree" which indicates the support of the group as a whole even though he is enduring a solo effort.


In Lazerbeak's"Let It Go" video, you will see Mike Mictlan to the side of him in the beginning of the video. Which indicates initial peer support for the group.

Lazerbeak "Let It Go" Music Video from Doomtree Records on Vimeo.

Now, it is a small task just to appear in someone's video but honestly this proves one thing: a project can be a continuous process overall with constant support from the group. The project management here is that you are not stopping with one album as the project and are to be done with the group. The catalog of the group begins to develop as time goes on with the help of people of talents behind the scenes. Producers of the group, P.O.S., Cecil Otter, Paper Tiger, and MK Larada, often handle more than one aspect of the group's appearance and output of releases. It also helps them to become more noticeable as a unit throughout the release of their projects when people hear of them as one. Its funny because I happen to stumble upon this promotional tool of more of the artists in the Doomtree group. A website by the name of Daytrotter has created a free download of some of the crew members music to show their diversity as a musical group and overall unity as artists together (http://www.daytrotter.com/dt/doomtree-concert/20030911-37381997.html). This following write-up points out the social commonalities that the other crew members, Dessa, SIMS, Mike Mictlan, and Cecil Otter share with each other musically and in the form of the message.

To take it back a few years, lets look at indie hip hop group, Living Legends. The one thing about this group that has stuck over the years if the DIY theory they have maintained and supported one another with over the years. And as a result they have been able to grow and gain successful fame from it. Which goes back the idea of the project overall does not stop with one project but several projects. And the overall outcome is a group with a consistent sound that has a catalog.

Take a look at this video from one of the last Living Legends video.

This a song taken from their project "The Gathering". In an interview with rapper MURS, formally signed to Warner Bros., it was admitted that "The Gathering" was made once there was an opportunity for the group to use professional studios as opposed to the studios in other group members's houses. And after touring with another for so many years and not being able to put anything as a group for a while, it was seen as a good project to bring the group back together.

They have achieved their goal and it seems that the catalog of they've done is very much proof of it (click here). Doing a lot production, recording, and marketing themselves has not only garnered them a good reputation but it has financially kept them sound from project to project that they put out on an independent level. Whether it is collaborative efforts amongst each other, with outside artists from different labels, or as a crew together, Living Legends has exemplified the importance of project management many times over and over. They are all supportive of one another which has helped them endure sponsors from different companies such as clothing line LRG and Reebok to put limited edition shoes attributed to the hard work put forth by the Living Legends crew.

Overall, the point is that the team work involved in the projects that both crews have put out get recognized and they become seen as one force. Maintaining individuality with respect to everyone's craft and giving support to each other when it is most needed. And the results from these continuous collaborative efforts set the standard for unity, discipline, balance, and persistence.