JDubs Fun Fact #1

5 Things Being in a Band Taught Me (That Still Apply Even If You’re Not Headlining Coachella this weekend)

Apr 09, 2025

Back in the day, I was in a local LA band called Dissnfranchised—a funky rock n roll live hip hop kinda band that could fill a dive bar like the Gabah Club on Melrose in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. Our following grew locally and had the chance to share the stage with acts like Cypress Hill, Deftones, Fishbone, Dilated Peoples, etc etc. Shit, at one point we had DJ Kilmore of Incubus DJing for our band. Later on DJ C-Los became our DJ who was and still is a beast on them tables. Here’s a few pics of the band.

We recorded a self titled album that dropped as a CD because streaming wasn’t a thing yet and recorded a never released EP which I have been mastering since we broke up before finishing it. Nowadays there’s programs that separate everything on a song by instrument and voice so its been great to go back and mess around with the songs to make them sound well produced.

Here’s one of the unreleased songs titled “Headshifters.” Shout out to Eric Brown AKA Erbz on vocals

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We hit different states and even a show in Ensenada, Mexico at a festival on the beach that I will always remember.

We didn’t hit it big, but what I learned from those years still applies to everything I do now in music, media, business.

So here are 5 things that the band life teaches you… even if your biggest gig ends up being life itself:

1. Show Up Even When No One’s Watching (or Listening)

Rehearsals with zero audience? Soundchecks to empty rooms? That’s where the real work happens.
Before the world knew 2Pac, he was a backup dancer for Digital Underground, living in cramped apartments and writing poetry that nobody wanted to hear. But he showed up—every studio session, every open mic, every chance to speak his truth.
🎤 Lesson: Sometimes the only audience you’ll have is your reflection in the mirror—and that’s enough to keep going. Consistency is king. The people who show up, even when no one’s clapping yet, eventually build the skills that get the encore.
Example: Tupac’s path to greatness started behind the scenes, proving the hustle comes before the headline.

2. Learn to Improvise (Because Something Will Always Break)

Guitar cable fried? Drummer late? The sound man don’t know shit? Doesn’t matter—you keep the show going.

One thing I really loved about the band is that after a couple of years performing we got so good at listening to eachother that we sound checked ourselves when we weren’t given that time to do so. It helped us sound better than the band before and after us.
Lesson: Adaptability is your secret weapon in any field.
Example: Questlove wasn’t just The Roots’ drummer—he became a late-night TV bandleader, a DJ, an Oscar-winning filmmaker. Flexibility made that possible.

3. You Can’t EQ Out a Bad Attitude

Your bandmates don’t have to be your best friends, but if one person’s energy is toxic, the whole vibe collapses.

We went through a few musicians a few times because of chemistry. You have to be honest when its not connecting because time is lost when you don’t have the right people in the right position to make the project better.
Lesson: Collaboration wins. Being easy to work with opens more doors than talent alone.
Example: Rick Rubin didn’t get to work with everyone from Jay-Z to Johnny Cash by being a jerk in the studio. He listens first, then shapes greatness.

4. Merch Matters (So Do Your Side Hustles)

T-shirts paid for gas more than any door cut. Same goes for side gigs—those skills can become careers.

The band together came up with designs for shirts and stickers and other merch that did help when the promoter wasn’t going to pay us because not enough people showed up to cover his costs. Happens all the time when you are coming up.

I don’t think I would be where I am if I didn’t have side gigs using the skills I learned as a musician and TV Producer like sound programs or video editing, photoshop… etc etc.

Nowadays its even easier since most programs are more user friendly.
Lesson: Think beyond the stage. Your creativity is currency—diversify it.
Example: Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino) was writing comedy before dropping “This Is America.” Now he’s got Emmys and Grammys.

5. Fail Loud, Learn Fast, Move On

Bad gigs? Embarrassing lyrics? Off-key notes? Been there. Survive it, laugh about it, and write a better song tomorrow.

Before The Chronic changed hip-hop, Dre was part of the World Class Wreckin' Cru—rockin’ sequins in electro-funk outfits and catching zero street cred. Then came N.W.A., lawsuits, breakups, label drama... and he still kept moving. He built empires out of creative restarts.
Lesson: Don’t get stuck in what didn’t work. Reinvention is a superpower.
Example: Dr. Dre turned early embarrassment and industry chaos into a billion-dollar brand. Cringe is part of the climb.

FINAL NOTE:

Being in a band taught me how to hustle, how to listen, how to pivot, and how to believe in something louder than self-doubt. Even if the band doesn’t blow up, you still can. 🎧