Cody Patrick is a music industry pro who has worked with some of the biggest names in hip-hop and pop, including Future, 2 Chainz, Yo Gotti, T-Pain, and more. He’s well-known for his skills in digital marketing, promotion, and video production and owns Organic Music Marketing, an exclusive agency with an outstanding track record. Recently, Patrick was hired by Asylum Records to be part of its A&R team and use his expertise to identify and develop a new generation of stars. He was gracious enough to stop by the Mike O’Cull Music company HQ to chat about his new job, what he does, and how he got there. Here are some of the highlights of our conversation.
Tell me about your new position at Asylum Records.
I was recently hired by Asylum Records as part of their A&R team. My main role is to research and discover new artists for potential signing. I also help with administrative work such as organizing audio files for release, gathering producer agreements, and oversight of the recording process.
What do you feel you bring to the scene at Asylum?
I believe I am bringing a fresh ear/eye to the scene at Asylum. I’ve always been able to recognize talent early and I believe I have a true ear for hit records. When I listen to a record, I always think from the perspective of the consumer and leave my personal thoughts behind. I do not let my personal taste determine whether or not a record is good. Even if I do not personally like an artist, I can still tell if the artist has potential to succeed.
What’s your background in the music industry?
My career in the music industry dates all the way back to my late high school years (2006) when I started out managing urban indie artists and funding some of their hopes and dreams. During that time, I struggled to find any companies that offered legit music marketing services that were accessible for indie artists. I encountered so many companies that were ultimately offering empty dreams, false promises, and some even delivered fake results. Some of these companies / PR agencies weren’t even listening to the records before taking on clients!
After wasting a ton of funds working with just about every music promotion company available to indies that I could find, I realized that I would be better off taking on the marketing campaigns myself. After a ton of trial and error, reading, creating my own unique methods, and studying what the major record labels and rising artists were doing, I was able to personally run my own campaigns that delivered real and drastically better results for my artists than the companies we had hired in the past. After I had some success stories with my own artists, I realized I could use the same methods for other artists and my company, Organic Music Marketing, was born. After working hundreds of digital campaigns of all sizes and types, I learned how to maximize pretty much any size marketing/promo budget for any artist in any genre.
I have also had a lot of experience as a music video producer with one of Atlanta’s most prestigious production companies, Resolve Media Group. We have directed and produced some of the largest music videos to date such as “Bad and Boujee” by the Migos, “Broccoli” by DRAM, “Sassy” by Rapsody, and, most recently, “Jefe” by TI and Meek Mill. Over the years we have worked with practically every major record label and artist, including Future, 2 Chainz, Yo Gotti, T-Pain, YFN Lucci, Cyhi The Prynce, Mac Miller, Dreezy, and many more.
I believe my well-rounded experience in the game is one of the reasons I am given so many opportunities to work with some of the biggest artists in the world. There are not many elements of the industry that I am not tapped in to.
What sets you apart from the other people in the business?
I am able to analyze statistics for an artist in a very unique way because of my digital marketing background. I can easily distinguish fake numbers from the real. Being able to combine my marketing knowledge with my eye and ear for talent definitely sets me apart from other A&Rs in the industry. I can also communicate well with artists as I got my start working in management. I also have so much experience in almost every part of the business. I have done everything from artist management, music video production, promotion, and now A&R.
What genres do you work with?
Hip-hop and pop.
What have been your biggest successes to date?
Unfortunately, I can’t really discuss most of these due to non-disclosure agreements. However, I would say gaining the position at Asylum is the most successful thing career-wise.
Who do you listen to away from work?
I always find myself listening to the artists that I work with almost all the time. However, outside of work, I usually listen to old hits from the 2000’s and some of the records that are in the Top 100. I pretty much am always listening to some sort of music, no matter what I am doing.
What’s the best part of what you do?
The best part of doing what I do is that I have a career that I am passionate about. I have always known I wanted to have a career in the music industry since I was 16 years old. It took many years of trial and error, sweat, and work to ultimately reach success in this game. It was not easy and it feels great to finally be at a point where I feel like I have a long-lasting position in the music industry.
