Dame Ritter Interview (The business side of FV)

Los Angeles-based label funk volume has been on a roll lately. FV founder/artist hopsin is continuing to make his presence known among loyal hip hop fans and rappers while up and coming FV rappers SwizZz and Dizzy Wright are
quickly on the rise. But what makes what’s going on at FV really click
is the man in charge of FV’s business operations: Damien Ritter. Damien
is the numbers guy who makes sure that FV is growing and moving forward
in a way that builds long-lasting careers for all involved. Recently I
talked with Damien about his work at FV.

As a graduate of UC Berkeley and Stanford’s MBA program and a former
employee at Goldman Sachs and Deloitte Consulting, Damien brings some
serious educational and corporate experience to the FV. He’s the numbers
guy. He professes “I bank everything we do on numbers.” To him, it is
not just a quantitative analytical exercise, but it is the key to
understanding the worth of what FV’s artists create. He explains, “If
you have a good understanding of your value then you know what you’re
worth on your level.”

As a relatively young indie label, it is Damien’s business to know
who his fans are and where they are. This is critical information for
booking well-attended shows and negotiating with potential brands. When
it comes to booking shows he quickly asserts “You can’t get paid for a
show until the demand is there.” Since 2007 FV has taken the business of
building demand very serious. The main priority for Damien and the
roster of FV artists is building their fan base from the ground up.

For
them, it is not just about broadcasting the new releases and show
information, but it is about converting passive fans, Facebook likes,
and Twitter follows into super fans who feel invested in the music FV is
creating and love to share that music with others. The result is now
they have an active and supportive core group of fans and an active
street team that gives them the support to go out and tour. But Damien,
cautions that this is not a process that happens overnight. They spent
years creating high quality music, packaging, and videos that delivered
what their fans wanted.

But ask what does Damien spend his days doing? Any number of things
from communicating with lawyers, publicists, booking agents, web
designers to serving as FV’s de facto road manager, A&R head, and
accountant. He quickly explains, “It’s a very small operation, so no job
is too small for someone to do.”

As Damien continues to guide FV’s ascent, he shares the knowledge he
learns. In January he hosted a virtual hip hop industry conference that
brought together industry veterans and newbies in various panels. His
vision is that FV is more than a label, but it’s an “educational hub.”
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