Every now and again I hear that people are mad that someone stole their swagger. You’ll see a post online or hear someone describe instances where they noticed someone copied the way they speak, or the way they dress. In the world of art where uniqueness is praised as the pinnacle of creativity, it is definitely frustrating to watch other people make waves, possibly leeching dollars off your creative output.
Something I got to wondering about is why this is a bad thing. Even if that person misrepresents reality and claims they came up with it on their own, is it that big of a deal? Were you actually getting those dollars yourself?
The history of a situation will always reveal the truth. When the internet sleuths start sleuthing they will literally build your case for you. To me it feels like most people have nothing to worry about and should be flattered that what they do is being copied.
Make your brand full of sticky ideas
One of the most impactful books I ever read was “Made to Stick” by Chip & Dan Heath, the brothers extraordinaire. It introduced me to the concept of stickiness. The TL:DR but you should really read the book version is, in order for an idea to spread, it has to stick with people.
If you come up with something really cool and marketable for your brand. You want to embrace the sticky. One of my biggest successes is that when people see pickles, they think of me. The whole pickle concept sticks with people as it taps into a base love or hate of pickles. It’s also silly.
A lot of people worry about their ideas being stolen but it’s the opposite of what you should be caring about. Let them steal every idea. You are the creative one, you will have new ideas, they will always be playing catch up. It’s the fact that you have ideas that are worth stealing that shows you are one providing the sticky icky intellectualism.
Pop stars do what they can to be memorable. They want people to copy their mannerisms. If they have an iconic costume, it will become that year’s trending halloween costume. The idea is that your fans, and competitors copying you is proof you are winning. You can’t actually hoard the goodies and grow. To succeed in this artist game, people have to copy you.
Or at least they can copy your tactics if your strategy is sound. That’s another branding tip blog to come. For now, instead of being mad at swagger theft, encourage people to do it. The ones who matter will know the truth.
Think about the brands you like, I bet you copied stuff from them
I am watching The Wire for the first time. All of a sudden I heard this “Shieeeet” that I have heard so often in my life. At that moment I realized everyone who used that particular “Shieeeet” had watched The Wire. Even the characters in the show start using it in a mocking and jokey kind of way. That particular shit was sticky.
When you are providing pure dope sauce to the world, people are going to steal your vernacular. They will copy your fashion sense. They will try and emulate your wins. You want this to happen, or why did you get into art in the first place? You are meant to be a cultural figure if you are a successful (commercially) artist.
In a sense building a brand is like creating an archetype for people to follow in your footsteps. You provide the guidelines and the parameters for your tribe and then build the community around that. You are the role model they are modelling off of.
This community's willingness to copy you is going to be a huge factor in your success. For a minute I had a bunch of people saying “Bridge the Gap” and “Knowledge Nuggets”. These were things I coined for my show but instead became Holdie slang.
Maybe in people’s minds this is something that is permitted by fans but not permitted by fellow artists. I can’t tell anyone how to feel but arguably that’s still silly. Most artists acknowledge their influences, or at least artists with clout enough to matter are honest like that.
For the ones that don’t the fans will always reveal the truth.
But Holden, some people have evil eye and steal concepts
I know, I can tell you I wasn’t following anyone’s trend when 514 Online Mix and I kickstarted a new wave of English Hip Hop interview platforms (we didn’t know about each other at first). You can call that hubris but our platforms did a lot to highlight what was happening during the COVID times. I’m sure along the way there was shade cast my way and people may have jacked ideas. Or, they didn’t and it would all be in my head to put it out there.
I saw other people launching shows and while folk like The Hu$tle, Chopvision & The Morning Detour all had me on, a lot of people did not have me on their shows. No one owes me this, and I can be salty. Instead I just take pride in knowing I played my part in helping get people more interested in the English scene.
No one really watched Bridge the Gap. One day I’ll bring it back but it’s going to require people to care for me to revive it. Currently, the only people asking for it want to be on it. I learned most people won’t watch their own episode, let alone anyone else's. A few people definitely went on my show and started their own podcasts after.
I like this example because it’s ludicrous to think that I started the interview trend. 514 Smoke was around a long time before me. Tek Luciano was doing interviews before I was doing interviews even if my show started before his current show.
If I’m being really honest I didn’t really do anything special. I just got lucky Tek Luciano came on my show and it put a lot of people on to what I was doing.
The goal here isn’t to gloat, that’s the point of the blog as a whole. The point is that you should just take pride in your influence and keep it moving. It’s better for your soul.
If you’re lit you are lit no matter what
A lot of the people I’ve seen be upset over swagger jacking are actually really talented folk. They ooze originality and whatever they do comes off magnificent. If all of a sudden someone rapped in a suit and got more attention than me it would definitely annoy me. It would not change how much wearing suits is a part of my brand.
Maybe that person also likes suits. Or better, maybe they saw me perform and said, that dude’s suit doesn’t fit right, let me wear a more fire one. It’s not like I own the patent on performing in a suit. If someone else came to monetize on the great pickle dichotomy, I’d also be annoyed, but flattered. It’s on me to do what I do so lit that everyone knows I’m the reason behind the wave.
Ideas are designed to be shared. They are meant to be stolen and jacked. It is a fair argument to say that all creativity is based on stolen material morphed into something new. That something new is supposed to be an infusion of who you are, but sometimes it’s just jacking enough different sources to mask the origins.
When you start to win and people speak on you positively, or negatively, you are supposed to be grateful. The alternative is no one talks about you and then how does your brand spread? If people are willing to steal from you, it means you are really onto something. Do more of that.
I’ve watched enough YouTube drama summaries to know that no creative theft will remain hidden. You really don’t have anything to worry about. Raging over the situation may actually cost you bags though. Don’t block your blessings over ego.
Live Long and Prosper Everyone