Going Platinum

Last night I caught a couple minutes of a show I’ve never seen on a channel I don’t remember - a sort of musical biography of Kid Rock.

My first memory of this guy was how hard he made my best friend Greg laugh to the words of I Got One For Ya. Very irreverent (both of them).

Although I don’t claim to know much about Kid Rock, what I do know I like. So I watched.

After he performed Devil Without a Cause (I’m sharing no links to it, because it’s got the kind of lyrics you really don’t want to hear if you’re not a fan - and even then, discretion is advised), the musician shared a few words about how the music company executives questioned the main chorus of the song, which is “I’m going platinum.”

Kid Rock said they were like, “Really?! ‘Going platinum’? You haven’t sold two records.” But he stuck to his guns, kept the lyric, and has since gone platinum 26 times.

26 times!! How’s that for satisfaction?

I love how Ali, season five winner of The Biggest Loser, repeatedly said on camera, “I am the biggest loser,” even while she was getting escorted off the ranch after losing a group vote. (And went on to be the first female winner of the show.) I love Jim Carrey’s ten million dollar check to himself, and Will Smith saying in a public interview “two plus two is what I want it to be.”

From what I gather about Kid Rock’s story, he was releasing albums as early as 1990 that earned him respect among the rapper community but failed to achieve any sort of commercial success. Album after album was the same story, until in 1998 he released “Devil Without a Cause” which made him famous “overnight.”

In a 1999 interview (after being invited to Woodstock and to the MTV Awards), Kidd Rock said:

“A lot of people told me that I’m committing musical suicide with my sound. They believed you can’t mix rock, country, and rap, and that crossover is dead. I always knew it would work. And it will always work as long as you’re really into it and like what you’re doing. “

Here’s what I know:

It’s easy to be confident after the fact. It’s not so easy when all the evidence points to the contrary; when everyone looks at you like you’ve smoked one too many funny cigarettes.

Sticking to your guns in the face of criticism is easier said than done. And it takes even more guts to do it out loud.

I mean, how easy would it have been to say to Kid Rock, “Look, buddy, if it were gonna happen, it would’ve happened. You’ve been doing this for decades - you’ve had your shot. Now you’re just denying reality and it sounds pathetic.” That person would surely have sounded very reasonable in early ‘98. In 2009, with the benefit of hindsight on this artist’s incredible success, they would be ridiculed for their shortsighted opinion.

What a gift to be able to ignore the critics and stick to your guns no matter what.

I think the Kid hit the nail on the head when he said as long as you’re into it and like what you’re doing it will always work. That’s right along the lines of do what you love and the money will follow, right? Right.

There’s a reason they say that.

Often you’ll hear law of attraction advice suggesting that you keep your big dream to yourself, so as not to “dilute” the energy of it or risk being crushed by naysayers.

But there’s also something very powerful about being “out loud” with it, letting the world in on your gig, and singing your heart out to lyrics night after night that lead you right to where you want to go.

Maybe as a listener that’s why I (personally) prefer to sing along to something like “I’m going platinum” vs. “I can’t get no satisfaction” or “You can’t always get what you want.” These words we speak are powerful!

Kid Rock shares another law of attraction secret with this quote from the same interview: “I never said I wanted to be around for a long time. I always said I wanted to be here for a good time.” he he

I like his style and the inspiration he offers me as a deliberate creator. Hope you found some inspiration here as well.