Start for Free
3 min read

Hey, aspiring artists... Smokey has something to say

Feature.fm

From the Bad Boy #throwback to Rihanna’s duck tape antics, the 2015 BET awards, which were held on June 28, had its fair share of entertaining moments.

While of course the BET awards are meant for music fans, and of course to recognize influential artists, let’s not overlook the underlying lessons aspiring artists can learn from these major celebrities.

Perhaps the most relevant piece of advice for hopeful artists was actually directed toward already-successful celebs by Smokey Robinson, also known as "The King of Motown," during his Lifetime Achievement Award acceptance speech. Robinson offered a long yet captivating shout-out to all artists to stay humble and appreciate their rare opportunity. Robinson’s speech took Twitter by storm, and from what we can see, it resonated with viewers:

So, how does Robinson’s speech pertain to struggling artists? We broke down the most applicable parts of Robinson’s inspiring speech:

“It’s like a bittersweet wine and it’s intoxicating.”

There's not much of a better way to capture the attention of a struggling artist's attention than with a wine reference, right?

But seriously, we all know that the life of an aspiring artist is truly bittersweet. Filled with highs and lows, the aspiration of success can get addicting. The fan support, the journey of getting one small step closer to “making it” and of course the notion of making money from doing what you love everyday is the what keeps every artist going.

Robison is right, the life of musician is bittersweet, but when you are able to make a living off of your passion, the sweet certainly overpowers the bitter.

“And there’s so many people, millions of people around the world, who are standing in line to get a taste.”

The sad reality of wanting to pursue a career in music is that there are millions… and millions of other musicians like you who have the same goal in mind. You are just another artist waiting in what seems like a never-ending line.

But, don't get discouraged just yet! What Robinson failed to mention is as an aspiring artist today, there are limitless tools to take advantage of to stand out amongst these millions of other artists. The powerful tool of social media should be every hopeful musicians favorite sidekick. Effective [digital marketing practices ](http://www.feature.fm/blog/letsgetdigital-five-tips-to-takeaway-from-our-digital-marketing-panel/ " target="_blank) can take your music promotion and artist identity to the next level.

"And for you to become hearty and self-absorbed because millions of people around the world, most of them you’ll never know or never meet, love you, it’s so ridiculous. You should be thankful. It’s a blessing.”

It is important to remember that not everyone is fortunate enough to get the opportunity to make it as a musician, so if you are given this rare opportunity, never take it for granted. Beside thanking their moms and significant others, we can be assured that in a winning artist’s acceptance speech, they will be thank their beloved fans. Whether you have a sold out show or a ten-person crowd, always be grateful for your supporters.

Whether Robinson's speech was a hit or miss to you personally, there are definitely some main takeaways any artist can relate to. Most important, work hard, stay humble and appreciate the privilege you have to do what you love.

In case you missed it, check out the full version of Robinson's [speech.](http://www.bet.com/video/betawards/2015/acceptance-speeches/lifetime-achievement-award-beta15.html " target="_blank)

What did you think of what Robinson had to say? Leave us a comment with your thoughts.