Elizabeth Pulanco/Winonan

The Winona State University Music Business Club welcomed musician F. Stokes to the Performing Arts Center Main Stage to share his story and experiences with the music industry.

Nick Elstad, a sophomore, was among the students attending the event.

“As Music Business majors, it will be interesting to hear about the different struggles and stories in the music industry,” Elstad said.

Stokes, born Rodney Lucas, grew up on the South Side of Chicago until he moved to Madison with his mother at age seven. He said his mother was the one who introduced him to music.

“When I was young, my mother would play The Supremes and other Motown, and that was my introduction to Soul music, which is what hip hop is based on,” Stokes said.  Stokes also named Bob Marley and Marvin Gaye as musical influences.

Stokes also looked up to local artists and wanted to follow in their footsteps.

“I used to watch my cousin’s friends rap, and they were my first examples of artists making their own music that I could relate to,” he said.

At 19, Stokes, with $30 in his pocket, made the move to New York City to start a new life with hopes to become a rapper.

“I felt I was being closed in by the small town,” Stokes said, “and I believed I needed to fly.”

Eventually, he began working as an intern at Def Jam records and worked his way up.  He continued working on his music and has had opportunities to perform all around the world.  He has collaborated with Jay–Z and 50 Cent and was recently on MTV’s popular show, “Made,” as a mentor to a young rapper.

Along with telling his story, Stokes spoke about the music industry, the importance of generating audiences and the importance of being able to transform the creativity into a working business.

Stokes also mentioned the necessity of a good manager.

“Great mangers can bring in certain brands to their artists,” Stokes said. “This can help bring in more merchandise and help the sale of tickets.”

One more thing that Stokes emphasized was that investing money is necessary to make the best musical product.  By devoting time and money into a project, he said, the artist is able to put out their best music and get the desired response from the fans.

Stokes finished the presentation on his life and career with a performance of his song “My Small Town in the USA.”  This performance showed that through the ups and downs throughout this musician’s career, it was important to him to remember his roots and where he came from.

Contact Elizabeth at [email protected]