Wondaland Records, also known as Wondaland Arts Society, is a record label partnered with Epic Records, a section of Sony Music Entertainment. The founder and band leader Janelle Monae Robinson created this label for the hip-hop artists of the future.
It was quite the journey for the band of Wondaland, and here’s how it all started.
1. She studied drama to help herself master the art of performance.
Before Janelle became active in the music industry in 2003 with her unreleased album, The Audition, she had an interest in theater. She created a ballet with her album Metropolis: The Chase Suite. She was nominated at the Grammy Awards for The ArchAndroid album in the category of Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album.
By studying drama, Janelle learned how to start a career in the performing arts. The connections she made in school helped her achieve better things with her music career later on.
Many music and drama schools showcase their talented students in online videos like this one.
2. She performs with an alter ego.
At a young age, Janelle was influenced by Walt Disney and The Wizard of Oz. From that season in her life, she created a sci-fi character who is an eccentric robot princess who falls in love with her inventor, Anthony Greendown. The name of the character is her alter-ego, Cindi Mayweather.
Janelle isn’t the only musician who performs with an alter ego. Beyonce famously performs under the persona of Sasha Fierce. Creating an onstage alter ego will help you perform with more confidence and more enthusiasm.
3. She used her industry connections to land a record deal.
Janelle associated with the band OutKast, and then she was discovered by Sean Combs. He visited her MySpace page, and they chatted about an interview time with Bad Boy Records A&R. She was a signed artist at Bad Boy in 2006.
The music industry is more about connections than chance. By getting to know more musicians and producers, you’ll be one step closer to finding the right label.
4. She started her own label to help other artists to reach their full potential.
The current Wondaland artists are Deep Cotton, St. Beauty, Jidenna, Roman GianArthur, and Janelle Monae herself. They have a deep vision that will propel the company forward as they strive for global success.
Plenty of artists today, such as Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas, are starting record labels of their own. Once you learn the ropes of the recording industry, you’ll be ready to take charge.
Starting your own label is a big step in your music career. However, once you’re ready to take your career to the next level, consider joining together with a few other musicians to start the next Wondaland Records.
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Julia Green is a young founder of her own organization, The Julia Green StandOut! Kingdom; she loves to write poetic songs, read religious books, and study biblical scripture in her spare time. She is a student at University of Missouri-St. Louis, majoring in English and Media Studies as she is an advocate of education.
