3 Things We Can Learn From Nate Robinson

At the time of this article being written, the most recent upload on Nate Robinson’s channel was three weeks ago. It’s this very thing, in addition to a few others, that inspired the creation of this article. Despite his comedic effort in the ring, there are a few things that Nate has taught us that aspiring artists like you should take note of. I know…i know…that sounds crazy…but let’s talk about it.

Capitalize On Your Moment

     Remember the earlier point about the Youtube channel? Let’s examine that some more. With about 43.7k subscribers currently, this number could easily be approaching 100k subscribers if Nate and his team, the same ones who probably thought the fight was a good idea in the first place, took more control of the moment that existed after the event and is quickly fading away. While I may be making some assumptions about the decision-making around the Triller event, there is something to be said about not owning this moment more.

     Continue following me here, but let’s think about the Superbowl. The NFL obviously doesn’t know who’s going to win the game despite how much we think they’re in cahoots with the New England Patriots and their “rigging”. The NFL has to create merchandise to commemorate the eventual win for both teams competing and depending on how the game pans out, they have to bring out the gear that makes the most sense. I bring this up because that same mentality should’ve been applied by Nate and his team. If he won, there should’ve been plans for some kind of rollout that highlighted that. Jake Paul, the winner, has just paraded around the internet in Nate Robinson jerseys. Nate should’ve had shirts, shorts, beanies, and everything else under the sun ready to ship if he won. Now let’s deal with reality…He lost so I’m sure you want to know the plan for that. Gloating about taking an L isn’t fire at all. I’m not even sure what that type of merch looks like to be honest but it’s 2020 and capitalizing on culture can be done in various ways. In this case, Nate should’ve given it some time (24-72 hours max) and begun delivering multimedia content to own this moment.

What does that look like? For one, he could’ve continued his Youtube series titled ‘Road To The Fight‘. The last four episodes have all done over 100K views. Releasing a wrap up video while Nate Robinson was the hottest thing on the internet would’ve only kept the momentum going. Recorded IG lives with notable names in his contacts (NBA stars and other public figures) about their reactions to the loss, a confessional video detailing the plan going into the fight and how things went south, and basic Q&A videos with fan questions would have all been great methods to keep the attention on himself. I could list thousands of other things but hopefully, the point has been made which is that this moment is more about Nate Robinson than it is about the actual winner of the fight, and he’s dropped the ball. Clearly, all angles of the outcome weren’t examined and now we’re witnessing a missed opportunity.

As an up and coming artist, you have no idea what opportunities are waiting for you on the other side of the door. Because of that, having a plan for everything is important. If your song gets hot, capitalize on that moment. Release a music video, drop an EP with unreleased music, start an online challenge, get twice as active on Instagram. It is important to keep the content coming while the spotlight is on you. Of course, there’s a fine line between authenticity and ‘faking it’ but you’ll figure that out. Ask yourself what you would do if you had a “Nate Robinson” moment and your music/project is the thing everyone is talking about…how would you respond?

Be Prepared To Laugh At Yourself

     Another observation I’ve made while thinking about this whole thing is that Nate Robinson has been taking himself way too seriously now that the fight is over. On 11/29, one day after the fight, he retweeted some nice clips of his NBA career reminding us not to forget about his previous accomplishments and achievements because of the fight’s outcome. Either way, there’s now an entire generation of kids that will know Nate for something  other than being a 3x dunk contest winner, the Knicks’ former franchise player and more. However, that’s not what any of this is about right now. He fought and he lost. Get over it and again…take control of this moment. Laugh at yourself and continue to have people talking about you.

A great example of someone who never takes them self too seriously is…Drake. Drake has a long history of participating in internet culture where he’s often been the joke of the moment. Whether it was his “looking back” meme from DJ Khaled’s “No New Friends” video or the “In My Feelings” challenges that helped boost the virality of the single. Hell, he even did the same thing with “Hotline Bling” by continuing to make fun of himself and his dance moves to the point that T-Mobile used the virality of that moment to make a Super Bowl commercial in 2016.

I’m not sure how “The Boy” would spin him taking a physical L like Nate did but there’s power in knowing when it’s time to join in on the jokes. What harm could be done? He’s already been hit! A video of Nate reacting to his own knockout video would probably have 1M+ views by now.

As emerging artists, I hope everyone can feel what it’s like to have a large number of people discussing your efforts one day. More importantly, it’s important to know when to join in on the conversation.

Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance

     I’m going to keep this one short. If you’re still reading, I appreciate you. In college, I heard a professor say “proper planning prevents poor performance” and I since called them my “5 Ps”. This also applies to the Nate Robinson situation. In this case, proper planning takes form in adequate training for the fight. But taking things a step further, Nate could’ve planned better for the overall moment. In the time and space we live in right now everything is an opportunity to further push your brand. As emerging artists, you are a brand. Fans like music but also grow to become fans of the people behind the music even more. The adoration of the rich and famous can have its negatives at times but it’s important to develop a brand around what you’re offering. This was a missed opportunity for the Nate Robinson brand to be pushed more however it’s clear that those around him didn’t look at either outcome in the same business/brand-building way that I’ve taken for this article. I encourage you all as the eventual movers and shakers of the music industry to do the exact opposite. What’s the worst that could happen?