Like many unknown emcees and producers, having the hottest music won’t do you much good if it never leaves your bedroom or studio. Truth is, you’ve got to get out there! After all, it’s not what you know…

For me, the first networking event on my 2010 calendar was the Urban Development Industry Takeover All-Day Seminar & Showcase.

I heard about the event only 10 days prior to it kicking off and knew it was something I HAD TO attend. I walked through the doors, complete with beat CDs, 40Winkz t-shirt and a mindset of "I ain’t leaving this room until I’ve made at least five strong links" (In the end, I only made two but I still left the event more than satisfied!)

As soon as I stepped in the place, my radar went up. Anyone who went near a mic had my undivided attention. Anyone I overheard talking about spitting got eaves dropped on. Anyone who I saw giving CDs out had to put one in my empty hand. For someone like me, who’s laidback, stepping to someone like Mz Bratt as soon as she stepped off the stage and assaulting her with a beat CD is something I’m surprised I did (maybe I just needed an excuse to step to her!)

"The parking ticket I got from wrongly parking outside the event was maybe the best £50 I've spent in a long while!"

I approached countless people on the day. I gave beat CDs to Posty (GrimeDaily), Mz Bratt, Roxxxan, Master Shortee’s manager, A&Rs from both Polydor & Mercury, Wretch 32 plus many more who’s names I don’t even know! Nothing fruitful came from any of those. Not only that but when I left the event I was far from pleased ("Chris! Tell me that's not a parking ticket on my car!").

Anyway, two CDs I gave out in particular had me leaving the event satisfied that I’d got what I came for. What’s funny is that both individuals where unexpected. To my surprise, I recognised the host on stage… it was Fusion from MTV Base's old Hip Hop Review program and also producer of Fallacy (where's he at?). The first thing I said to myself was that "this guy knows hip hop". His opinion would be valuable. As soon as he stepped off the stage I made my move. He must have thought, "Who's this tapping my shoulder and giving me a CD?" What’s interesting is that the cameraman filming the event overheard me talking to Fusion and said he knew of a rapper who needed beats (shout out Robbie!).

True to his word, Robbie forwarded my tracks to a rapper named JL and almost immediately (no fronting) he called me the next day to tell me he felt damn near all my beats! We met up the next day and started a relationship that could be the foundation of a hip hop shakedown on the London hip hop scene. You heard it here first! What’s funny is that if Fusion wasn’t there in the first place, Robbie would've never heard my speech to Fusion and JL would've never heard my beats.

Fast forward a few weeks and after a lengthy conversation with Fusion about hip hop production, I'm letting all of you out there know that the parking ticket I got from wrongly parking outside the event was maybe the best £50 I've spent in a long while!

It’s still early days yet but 2010 should be an interesting year. It all started from me attending the Industry Takeover! Shout out to Urban Development!

ABOUT 40WINKZ

Don’t sleep on 40Winkz. This tenacious beat smith is on the rise and is currently building his roster of true skool emcees. If you have a penchant for the real boom bap then check out a selection of his beat below.

• 40Winkz Beat 1
• 40Winkz Beat 2
• 40Winkz Beat 3
• Catch 40Winkz on Myspace here
• Email 40Wink at fourtywinkz@googlemail.com