Guest blogger Zack is a Chicago native and runs the blog Go Zack and works in the field of public relations.

On a popular music channel’s website, Juelz Santana rebutted claims from Cam’Ron- who alleges that he’s addicted to syrup. He even made up a new word while doing so: “businessly”.

During his interview, he used a lot of filler phrases: “at the end of the day”, “knumsaying” and some others that escape my memory.
[SOURCE: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1605087/20090213/santana_juelz.jhtml]

This makes me wonder if hip hop artists should proper grammar and style when giving interviews. From a PR perspective, it seems as if artists should just be genuine. If they aren’t good speakers, that’s should be okay because their profession is in music, right?

That depends.

If an artist wants to go mainstream, then some interview coaching is needed.

My interview coaching tips:

• Predict The Questions
An artist should always be one step ahead of the interviewer. If his or her name is linked to controversy, then it should be expected that questions will be asked along that line.
Prediction leads to preparation.

• Avoid Filler Phrases by Watching Your Words
It’s obvious why we have two ears and one mouth. Listen for words and phrases that you might use as a crutch. If you are always saying, “Knumsaying”- just pause when you feel the urge to say it again.
Juelz likes to use “at the end of the day” a lot. And that’s fine. I’m guilty of doing that as well. It’s an easy phrase to become addicted to.

To overcome this, one must pay attention to what he or she has already said. You don’t want to keep repeating yourself. So, make sure that the conversation is always moving forward.

• Keep Your Responses Short
This allows for the interviewer to control the interview. You don’t want to add more than what they asked for.

More tips to come!