Pusha Rod – A Conversation on Building Trust with the Artist

Who better to call when you want a ‘hit’, be discovered, or need management, then Pusha Rod? He is someone who grew up in the industry and alongside others who have made a name for themselves such as YG, Ty Dolla $ign, and Mustard. Pusha Rod’s story is about an exceptional individual who learned about the business rather than being enamored in it like most would. He took what he saw, learned from being in the room, and created something for himself by understanding what his friends had gone through.

“I literally learned this being amongst my friends,” said Pusha Rod. To be successful in any business, but in particular the entertainment industry, you have to understand how to navigate effectively. Learning to communicate with artists is one of his many prominent gifts, which he learned from being around them. He didn’t just learn how to speak to them, but understood how to listen effectively to them, their desires, and how he could be of service to them in their careers.

Pusha Rod said, “It’s when you say no that their faces will change. And don’t change your opinion when their faces change. It’s the honesty they are going to appreciate.” This was a pivotal moment for him when he started voicing his opinion that was contrary to everyone else’s in the room. At first he was a fly on the wall when he was in these rooms, but soon people started asking him his opinion on tracks. “It changed the bar for me when I told them you could go harder on this part of the song,” said Pusha Rod. The snowball effect happened because then people really started trusting his judgment because they could see the impact his suggestion had on the song. 

“Giving your honest opinion to artists is important because they will know you are around because you believe in them and not just to be around,” said Pusha Rod.

When it comes to A&R, he is known for making hits. So people call him. “I’m never focused on making a hit,” said Pusha Rod. When the artist steps into the room with him, he immediately wants to know how they are doing. Music talks come later for him because he is more interested in understanding the current state of the artists rather than mental or physical. Pusha Rod said, “It’s about getting the honesty out of the artist. That’s what I go for when I’m with the artist.” Those honest conversations many times involve ‘situationships’ happening in the artist’s life, which Pusha Rod can use to translate into an honest song. 

“As a producer, I honestly don’t produce using my fingers,” said Pusha Rod.

What is his secret sauce for being a producer? His ability to bring the right people together. Pusha Rod said, “When I bring all the unique talents to produce something for the artist, my role is to tell them what I think they need or are missing.” He is like the Pied Piper in the room because he gets everyone together in a space. 

“The thing that brings A&R and producing together is honesty for me,” said Pusha Rod. 

In his day to day with artists, he becomes their therapists, best friend, and strict confidant. Pusha Rod said, “I look to see how I can get an artist to talk about what they are going through in a cool way to be put in their music.” It’s important for whatever they put in a song to come out the right way because if it comes out the wrong way then the artist has to deal with other consequences. But that’s why Pusha Rod works with them so closely and ensures whatever they are putting in their songs is honest and cool. 

“The biggest factor is building trust with the artists,” said Pusha Rod.

For the artist, the biggest and most important thing for Pusha Rod is the trust factor. I wanted to know how he dealt with so many egos in the room. Pusha Rod said, “they have egos, but that’s because many people in this industry have been screwed over, so the ego is there to protect them and not how most people think.” Building trust between him and the artist comes from his empathy and understanding that in this industry, so many of these artists have sacrificed, grinding, and been taken advantage of to get to where they are. So he brings much ease to them by coming in with a listening ear, open heart, and no judgment. 

Photo Credit: Daaron Cowan