For our business advice series CEO Secrets, Krept, one half of the rap duo Krept & Konan, talks about combining music and businesses. Rapper Krept considers himself as much of a local businessman as a musician.
Millions of people have listened to his tracks like Waste My Time, G-Love, and Freak of the Week on streaming services. He’s performed in front of enormous crowds at festivals all over the world, had albums and singles in the top ten, and hosted The Rap Game TV program.
However, opening his restaurant and watching it succeed in the community where he was raised offers him an equal sense of fulfillment.
In 2018, Crepes & Cones debuted in Croydon. Images of Krept & Konan and their musical heroes are used as decorations.
Krept, whose true name is Casyo Johnson, must exercise caution while picking a time to eat there. If he arrives during a popular time, fans will recognize him and swarm him for selfies, leaving him with little time to even put a fork to his lips.
Sitting at one of his tables, he says, “It’s a huge deal to me. “I couldn’t even imagine a place like this when I was growing up. I want it to serve as motivation and a message to let the locals know that hard effort can pay off.
Krept and Konan were both victims of gang violence as they were growing up on council estates in south London’s Gipsy Hill and Thornton Heath. Krept has buddies who have passed away as a result of gang wars. Others have been imprisoned.
According to Krept,
“We always wanted to achieve something that was greater than just music.” “Not everyone can be a musician, but if you have a business mind, there are a ton of chances out there. Even though we aren’t trained restaurateurs, I’ve always just had a business-minded attitude.
At the age of 14, I continued to buy snacks from stores and sell them to the pupils while still in school. These abilities turned out to be helpful.
The hushed-up Krept says, “The music business itself is a hustle. “You need to collaborate with others to write tunes. The business sector could learn a lot from the music industry, and our success there inspired us to attempt new things.
Krept & Konan have worked on high-profile projects since the release of their breakthrough album The Long Way Home in 2015 as their reputation in the hip-hop community has grown.
Rock and punk musicians have often portrayed themselves as rebels against the staid, conventional economic world. However, hip-hop musicians have proudly accepted the role of the entrepreneur.
Profits from Rihanna’s cosmetics line, Fenty Beauty, rather than her extensive discography of top songs, are what helped the singer become a billionaire last year.
Rapper Jay-Z has already joined that elite group after establishing a business empire based on investments, real estate, fashion, and music. Kanye West is a multi-millionaire who also owns a series of fast-food restaurants.
According to Krept, there might be a pragmatic explanation for this. Even those who enjoy major hits may not be generating as much money as you believe because many contracts in the music industry do not favor the artist.
He claims that this is true in his situation, which is one of the reasons he has had to be entrepreneurial with everything from podcasts to the sale of concert tickets. He was fortunate to have studied accountancy in college.
In reality, his most recent business endeavor is a line of baby skincare products called Nala’s Baby. It happened after he had a child two years ago.
Sasha Ellese Gilbert, his co-parent, and current company partner wanted to discover a cream with as few pollutants as possible, so they created one and gave it their daughter’s name.
Nala’s Baby is promoted as being suitable for infants with sensitive skin or eczema difficulties and as being vegan, free of animal testing, and dermatologist-approved.
The product is now available in Boots stores all around the nation and is growing in popularity.
Numerous music videos, including his own, depict the world of the rapper as one of violence, run-ins with the law, and the treatment of women as disposable objects of desire.
This is significantly different from the world that is often portrayed in baby product advertisements, which is one of soft colors, happy families in their homes, and adoring parents.
After giving the matter some thought, Krept responds, “Music is entertainment, it may be like being in a movie or acting.” “But this is how we grew up: with friends passing away, getting arrested, and joining gangs.
We were dealt those cards, so to speak. We can’t help our upbringing; some of my friends are still involved in that today.
According to Krept, his music simply depicts his upbringing, including the lyrics about women, and by doing so, he has opened up new opportunities for himself and allowed himself to be defined by something else.
As an example of someone who overcame a life of crime in the New York projects to achieve success, he cites Jay-Z as “one of the greatest rappers and entrepreneurs of his generation.”
Krept queries, “Does it mean we can’t do great things and grow as people because this is how we grew up?
For their contributions to the Croydon community, Krept & Konan received the British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in 2020. It acknowledged its founding of the Positive Direction Foundation, which offers young people possibilities through music instruction.
Imagine what you could accomplish if you could get back all the time you lost to procrastination, asks Krept without prompting.
I’ve always been good at managing my time, which allows me to multitask and schedule my days.
“I anticipate having several businesses, but I will never allow anything to compromise the quality of my music. I devote my evenings to music.
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