Artists, if you’re presented with an offer that sounds too good to be true… that’s because it’s BULLSHIT. This past weekend, it came to our attention that an individual(s) used the @Audiomack name — and the name of one of our employees — to SCAM an artist. THREAD:
Last November, Eric Isom (@GODSAVETHEREBEL), a former writer at Pigeons & Planes, told @281neek, an independent rap artist from Houston, that he “knew a guy,” who, for $500, could get Neek booked at @RollingLoud 2020 in Miami this May on the @Audiomack Stage.
Before I continue, it’s important to note: You cannot buy your way onto the @RollingLoud stage. Rolling Loud pays its performers, it doesn’t require its performers to pay them. @Audiomack, a past presenting partner at RL, has zero control over talent booking. ZERO.
Isom told Neek to pay him $250 and that he would cover the other $250. Neek said OK and sent Isom $250 via Apple Pay on 11/27. Before signing a contract, Neek was told a better opportunity was available — for an extra $250, he could perform at 7:15 PM before Young Thug. 
Neek received 2 "performance" contracts. Both came from an email pretending to be @RyanPayan, who is the product manager of Audiomack (see below). The contracts are full of errors and giant red flags.
Reminder: always have a lawyer look at a contract.
Reminder: always have a lawyer look at a contract.
The first contract, delivered on 12/11, states Neek will perform between 3-6 PM. The second, delivered on 1/5, states Neek will perform “during the time slots 7:15.”
Note: Despite Isom informing Neek the price went up by $250, the price stated on the contract isn’t adjusted.
Note: Despite Isom informing Neek the price went up by $250, the price stated on the contract isn’t adjusted.
Anxious to perform at @RollingLoud, Neek signs the second contract and CC's Isom in his reply — he believes that, for $750, he will be performing before Young Thug at the biggest hip-hop festival in the country.
26 days later, with no confirmation, Neek sends Isom a text...
26 days later, with no confirmation, Neek sends Isom a text...
Isom reassures Neek, who calls Isom “a friend,” that he’ll receive a call later that day from a Florida number. Neek never receives a call. Neek asks Isom about the individual multiple times. Isom says it’s a “guy” he knows in real life. Isom never provides Neek with their name.
On 2/3, Neek receives an email from a person impersonating Tony Centeno (@_tonyMC), a Miami-based writer for XXL (see screenshot) who has never worked for @RollingLoud. Neek replies to the email — multiple times — but never receives a response.
On 2/17, nearly three months after Neek paid Isom his first $250, Isom responds to Neek via text. Suddenly, Isom doesn’t recall the prices he quoted Neek (who reminds him).
A day later, Isom responds, telling Neek his phone is broken.
Then silence.
A day later, Isom responds, telling Neek his phone is broken.
Then silence.
Growing desperate by the day, Neek, this past weekend, searches for Ryan Payan on social media and sends Ryan a DM via Instagram. He wants to know why his name isn’t on the @RollingLoud flyer. He wants to know why he, nor Eric, have heard from Ryan.
To reassure Neek that Audiomack isn’t involved, and to safeguard against more artists falling victim to this scam, I spoke with Neek via phone on Monday. He told me he’s known Isom for over a year, and that Isom has used this same nameless “guy” to help boost his @Spotify plays.
Neek is adamant that he trusts Isom and believes Isom is not the scammer, but that Isom, like Neek, is being scammed.
Following my call with Neek, I sent Isom a DM, asking to speak with him about the matter. Isom responded in kind.
Following my call with Neek, I sent Isom a DM, asking to speak with him about the matter. Isom responded in kind.
In summary: Isom admits he “didn’t do digging” on the individual, who now has a name: “Tony Cabelleros” — not to be confused with Imposter Tony Centeno.
Isom says Tony has no social media except IG (it was "recently deactivated"). Oh, and now his bank account is frozen.
Isom says Tony has no social media except IG (it was "recently deactivated"). Oh, and now his bank account is frozen.
Isom says: “Scams happen often and there are a lot of peculiar characters in this game that can and have helped with multiple developing artists, some of them just turn sour. Took a gamble to help a friend and it burned us, not the first time it’s happened to us nor the last.”
Isom claims he paid back Neek the $500 that Neek paid Isom over 2 payments. Two days later, at the time of this tweet, Neek has not received a refund from Isom, who, again, claims he’s locked out of the same bank account he would use to make the payment.
Isom is adamant he’s not a scammer. He claims he, too, has been taken advantage of. I asked Isom for screenshots of his communication with Tony, for a screenshot of his payments to Tony on Neek’s behalf. He has provided neither. At best, Isom displayed gross negligence.
This situation isn’t about justice for Neek, who was naive & refused to see the GIANT red flag Isom was waving in his face for months. It’s not about exposing Isom, either.
It’s about fact-checking, and Google research, and vetting sources. Don’t be stupid. That’s the lesson.
It’s about fact-checking, and Google research, and vetting sources. Don’t be stupid. That’s the lesson.
Before sending anyone money, Neek could have reached out to @RollingLoud to confirm the validity of this opportunity. He could have reached out to @Audiomack to confirm if someone named Ryan Payan even worked for the company. He could have given the contract to a lawyer. Etc...
If you’ve been scammed by ANYONE claiming to book acts for the @Audiomack Stage at @RollingLoud this May, please forward me their email(s) ASAP. We will share the emails with our friends at Rolling Loud and, if necessary, report the fraudulent claims to the authorities.
@audiomack @RollingLoud UPDATE: It appears this isn't the first time Isom attempted to run a scam. He apparently tried the same approach in 2018, while an employee at @ComplexMusic, using a near-identical "contract" and price point — and his name in the contract.
@audiomack @RollingLoud @ComplexMusic UPDATE 2: In Oct '18, @GODSAVETHEREBEL attempted to broker a deal over DM with an artist representative, for a "slot" on a branded content campaign on @Complex that was to feature "up and coming artists." At the time, he was a writer for @PigsAndPlans, which is owned by Complex.
@audiomack @RollingLoud @ComplexMusic @GODSAVETHEREBEL @Complex @PigsAndPlans UPDATE 3: On Wednesday, Neek sent an email to Jonathan Briks, a booking agent at @UnitedTalent, regarding two upcoming @ToryLanez shows in April that he paid to play. Of course, Briks — the real Briks — wasn't behind the fake email Neek received. Again, it was a scam.
