Meet Kevin Araujo | Producer & Publishing Administrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kevin Araujo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kevin, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Before I had even started my own business my goal and mission was to make sure as many music creators as possible had a way to make a living off doing what they love, music. I spent a lot of time learning the music business as well as teaching it to all of the other music creators I came across. I new if the information helped me get compensated, I new what it could do for others as well. Too many of us know amazingly talented individuals who have to work a job they don’t enjoy. Its also very common to know a creator who once upon a time was a superstar or worked on huge songs and made little to NO money at all. Which is ridiculous because if compensated fairly they would still be making royalties and a living off those songs. They say a great business is the fix for a common problem. One of the most common things in the music industry is being compensated unfairly IF you are even compensated at all. Sharing knowledge changed many lives around me but I want to change a lot more lives and the way the whole world views music because you don’t have to be Drake to make a great living off music.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
To get where I am today I had to endure more than most could imagine, the average person pictures the music industry as just being rich and getting paid. Behind the beauty of the art there is business and as the world knows in any business theres more people trying to take advantage of others than people trying to do right by them. As LaRussell says bad people do bad business. It is not just about business but who is behind running that business because someone with no morals, principles or values will do anything to you the moment they have the chance. Most people are embarrassed to admit they are getting screwed over which stops important information from being communicated which we can use to build to avoid each others mistakes. Not being compensated for my work is what led to me to learning so much about the music business. All the people who took advantage of me I am grateful for because it forced me to really learn how the music business works and now I can help others with the same problem. I prefer the knowledge I learned along the way over the money because what I learned is forever and I can continue to flourish but correctly. It definitely wasn’t easy because it kills your motivation to continue working on new music knowing your not even being compensated for the great work you have already done. Unlike the average person I have always believed anything I want in this world I can have, or do, which is what kept me going even with no money in my pocket. What I am most proud of on the creative side would be producing and developing the marketing plan for Stitches viral hit Brick In Yo Face. From the song being placed on Comedy Centrals South Park to having the Miami Heat, Seattle Seahawks, Diplo, Dan Bilzerian, Ed Sheeran, Travis Barker & so many more playing and supporting music we created was life changing. On the business side I am most proud of doing publishing administration because every creator I work with tells me how I changed their life which is an amazing feeling knowing I am helping someone take care of their family. I am looking forward to continue my mission and continue to change lives from upcoming superstars to creators who had hits in the past, everyone deserves to get compensated fairly.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend was in the city we would cruise through South Beach enjoying the great vibe with music possibly enjoy the water. After some food and drinks on ocean drive to really enjoy what the beach has to offer. Outside from the beach I would have to go by spots like Rey’s Pizza for my favorite cuban pizza with a batido “milkshake” spaghetti and some garlic breads or Puccis pizza for a slice if by bayside. Pueblito Viejo for the best Churrasco I have tried in the USA along with some entertainment usually a comedian using all the customers for great jokes. Places like Wynwood’s art district or Brickell if we wanted to enjoy night life. Most importantly a recording studio because any close friend of mine loves music as much as I do.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give a shoutout to rapper Stitches for giving me my first real opportunity. Although I produced and help come up with the marketing plan for his viral hit Brick In Yo Face I am still very grateful he allowed to be apart of the journey. At the time there was people with bigger names, more money, & things like that of more influence trying to get ahold of him but yet he trusted me like a brother with his career. We spent the months before Brick In Yo Face dropped together almost every single day from morning to night working on new music and having fun while we were at it. Spending the time with him is how I realized the marketing plan was right in front of us. Every where we went from studios, airports, malls, anywhere you can think we went and people had the same reaction from kids to the elder. Everyone reacted like they couldn’t believe what they saw and their first reaction was to tell whoever was with them to look at what they had just saw. Realizing this I told him for his debut video we had to put him some where the world can do just that, see him and tell the next person to go see what they saw. At the time Worldstarhiphop was the biggest thing in music but remember this is before Brick In Yo Face so there is no budget. Stitches trusted my word and with the last of his money he invested it to put it on the big screen of WSHH, the rest was history. Within days he was a viral super star with music being played by the Miami Heat, Seattle Seahawks, shout outs from Ed Sheeran & so much more we could not believe.

Website: www.luxurylivingmusic.com

Instagram: LuxuryLivingKirb

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-araujo-392520174

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LuxLivingMusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088510672630

Youtube: @luxurylivingkirb

Image Credits
Lex Fine took all of the pictures. Third picture is myself & Lil Mouse, next myself & Mistah Fab, Myself Icewear Vezzo, Nephew Texas Boy, DY & Southside of 808 mafia, last picture Myself Stitches & Str8 Kash