New York 2006

Chapter 113 Maslow’s Esteem Needs

The morning after Luo Ji returned to New York, he quietly arrived at Future Music Company without notifying anyone.Opening the door slightly and observing, I found that most people in the company were basically at work.Fishing is much less common than before.

Luo Ji looked at the company's employees and couldn't help but smile. He would sign a few new singers after a while and keep them busy. As a capitalist, he didn't want to keep idle people, so he felt comfortable keeping these people busy.

Luo Ji watched for a while and found that Jeff Busker was sitting in the rest area with a black man and a man who seemed to be Latino. The three of them were laughing and drinking coffee. They looked very relaxed and comfortable.

He must have been quite busy screening singer information some time ago. After all, he is a senior executive of the company, so it would be nice to relax.

Luo Ji peeked at the company employees working hard, and suddenly someone tapped him on the shoulder.Luo Ji was startled. He quickly turned around and saw that it was Max.

"Fili, when did you come and why are you hiding here?" Max asked doubtfully.

Luo Ji didn't feel any embarrassment at all about being discovered. He said calmly, "I'm here today because I have nothing to do. By the way, what did you do?"

"I went to arrange the place for the sound check. After all, it will be used tomorrow."

Max finished speaking, then looked Luo Ji up and down, smiled and teased: "After all, people who have become billionaires have learned to peek at the company's employees, what a capitalist's face."

Luo Ji said, "You know how to hurt people with your words. Do you call this peeking? I'm just looking at you openly."

"Yes, yes, you are right."

After Max finished speaking, he stepped forward and gave Luo Ji a big hug: "I haven't seen you for a long time. I miss you a little."

Luo Ji instantly felt the majesty of her breasts: "Why do you feel your breasts are so big?"

Max left immediately and said angrily: "You have ruined the joy of a good reunion."

"I'm just stating the facts," Luo Ji said.

Max looked solemn: "Pay attention to your identity. You are the boss. Don't try to make unspoken rules for me. I will not give in."

"Okay, okay, let's stop joking and get down to business." Luo Ji pointed at the two people next to Jeff Basker: "What's going on with them? Why do they look so unfamiliar?"

Max took a look and said, "They are Philip Lawrence and Bruno Mars."

Hearing these two names, Luo Ji immediately remembered that Jeff Busker wanted recruiters to assist him in selecting singers, and Luo Ji agreed to let him recruit two singers.

After the recruitment was completed, Jeff Busker faxed the list of personnel to Luo Ji.The final employment applications of these two people were signed by Luo Ji himself.

"How's their level?"

Max looked around and found that no one was around. He lowered his voice and began to complain: "These two people are Jeff Basker's former colleagues at the West End Independent Press. They worked together before. These two people came in through the back door. As for I don’t know much about their level.”

"Okay, let's go to the company first. I'll ask Jeff later."

"it is good."

Max took the initiative to push open the door of the company, then bent down and stretched out his right hand in a gesture of invitation.After not seeing each other for two months, Max didn't feel alive at all.

Luo Ji said, "Go to my house tonight."

"You don't really want to make unspoken rules for me!" Max opened his eyes and said.

Luo Ji complained speechlessly: "My mother wants to see you. I don't understand why she likes you?"

"Humph, there are so many things you don't understand."

Luo Ji first walked to the break room, said hello to Jeff Busker and two of his former colleagues, got acquainted, and then began to inspect the company.

After not coming back for two months, the company has added more than ten new faces, all newly recruited.After being introduced by the heads of each department, Luo Ji quickly memorized their faces, figured out their scope of responsibilities, and had a rough idea of ​​what these people were doing.

After the inspection, generally speaking, the company is under Luo Ji's hands-on work. Each employee has his or her own job, and there are no redundant employees who are not working without being paid. The human resources are just right. After a round of inspection, Luo Ji is still relatively good. satisfied.

"This is a stepped signing contract designed by me, which is in line with your concept of treating singers fairly."

Jeff Busker took Luo Ji to the artist management department and took out a document and handed it to him.Luo Ji took it and read it. The most basic terms were similar to contracts in the current recording industry.New singers must sign six albums, and only if their album sales reach at least a certain number, will the company produce their next album.New singers also receive a certain signing bonus when they first sign a contract, ranging from 50 to 50 dollars.The production costs of albums by new singers also follow the market.Probably 100 to [-] million.

The following terms are different from the current record industry. A singer's album sales start with 50 copies. For every additional 100 million copies, the singer's share ratio will increase, starting at 10%, capped at 20%, and 20%. It’s almost the same level as today’s top singers.

This share ratio will only rise and not fall.That is to say, a singer’s share of the first album reached 15%, but the sales of the second album were not as much as the first, and his share of the share was still 15%.

As album sales increase, signed singers also receive certain bonuses, benefits, and special treatment from the company.Singers who can create their own music also receive certain preferential treatment.

Of course, singers also have certain restrictions. They must cooperate with the company in promoting the company, filming MVs, etc.By default, the venue is handed over to SB Live Performance Company, and the singer's share of the concert is also related to album sales.

Generally speaking, compared with traditional record labels, the record contracts of future music labels are designed to be more reasonable and transparent, and they also provide certain benefits to singers.

It reflects Luo Ji's philosophy as an artist and not to squeeze his peers.

After reading it, Luo Ji praised: "Jeff, your contract design is very reasonable. I'm very satisfied."

"Boss, thank you for your affirmation."

Luo Ji then changed the topic and looked directly at Jeff: "How are the levels of Philip Lawrence and Bruno Mars you recruited?"

Jeff Busker immediately said: "I was about to tell you this. Both of them are my former colleagues at the West End Independent Publishing Company. We both studied under Steve Lindsay. Don't worry, although they are with I have some connections and went through the back door. But there is absolutely no problem with their level."

"You promise? This position is very critical. As people in the artist management department, they will sign the singer in the future. They will also need to find relevant songwriters in the market based on the singer's tone and formulate the album's style."

Jeff Busker hesitated for a moment, and then said with firm eyes: "I can guarantee that their professional level is absolutely acceptable, but whether the singer can be recognized by the market is not something I can decide."

"Okay, I believe you. So, do you have anything to say about tomorrow's audition?"

Jeff Busker paused for a while and then said: "Bruno Mars also wants to participate in the audition session tomorrow."

Luo Ji asked uncertainly, "Are you talking about the short, Latino-looking guy?"

Jeff Busker hurriedly said: "Yes, he has Puerto Rican, Jewish, Filipino and Spanish ancestry. He is a mixed race."

"Isn't he a little short? That's a bit off."

Jeff Busker explained: "Even though he is relatively short, he is very good at singing and dancing."

Luo Ji thought for a moment and asked in confusion, "Mars, how come his last name is Mars?"

"Hahaha."

Jeff Basker finished laughing and said: "His original name was Peter Keen Hernandez. Because he was of mixed race from four countries, he looked strange. We used to say that he came from Mars, and then he named himself Bruno." · Mars’ stage name.”

Luo Ji praised: "He is very smart, and his stage name is very memorable. Let him audition tomorrow."

"Thank you, boss." Jeff Busker said respectfully.

Luo Ji looked at Jeff's attitude and smiled.

As soon as the news came out that Luo Ji was worth over [-] million, Luo Ji discovered that except for a few people, the people around him who served him were not as open-minded as before, and they had a lot more respect for him.

Jeff Busker is one of them. I remember that the two of them talked very casually and often joked.Now he speaks much more formally and his attitude is much more respectful.Of course there's lawyer Jamie and agent Braun.

Although these adults had respected him on the surface before, Luo Ji could feel that they, more or less, looked down on him, a 16-year-old mixed race, from the bottom of his heart.

Now, Luo Ji felt a deep-seated respect for him from these people.Unlike Max, Luo Ji made no attempt to correct the relationship.

In Maslow's hierarchy of needs, it is not unreasonable for esteem needs to be ranked at the second level of the pyramid. To a certain extent, he enjoys this feeling of being respected.

Gaining strength, achieving achievements, achieving success, and being respected by others is a really good feeling, very good.This kind of emotional experience is something that many people will never feel in their lifetime, and it surpasses most emotional experiences in the world.

(End of this chapter)