Max Gousse on Building Artists, Breaking Records, and Playing the Long Game

WEBVTT
00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:02.479
This is America Studios Podcast.
00:00:04.160 --> 00:00:15.919
Today's guest is Max Goose, a Grammy-winning music executive, a producer, and manager, whose work has helped develop and shape some of the biggest names in modern RB and hip hop.
00:00:17.120 --> 00:00:41.039
Over a career spanning more than two decades, uh Max has held key roles in major labels, including Epic Sony, Island Def Jam, and Music World Entertainment, contributing to landmark projects like Beyoncé's B-Day and I Am Sasha Fears, the multi-platinum Dream Girl soundtrack, and helped develop artists like B2K, YG, and Sweetie.
00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:52.320
Today, he's the founder of Artistry Group, a company focused on artist development, management, and building the next generation of culture shaping talent.
00:00:52.640 --> 00:00:55.600
This is Mixed and Masters with Max Goose.
00:00:58.560 --> 00:01:03.920
Welcome to Mixed Masters, the podcast where the stories of the music industry come to life.
00:01:04.079 --> 00:01:09.920
I'm Jeffrey Sledge, bringing you real conversations with the people who have shaped the sound of music.
00:01:10.159 --> 00:01:13.519
We're pulling back the curtain on what it takes to make it in a music business.
00:01:13.920 --> 00:01:18.239
These are the stories you won't hear anywhere else told by the people who live there.
00:01:18.719 --> 00:01:20.879
This is Mixed Master.
00:01:35.680 --> 00:01:36.799
Hey, I'm doing great, man.
00:01:36.879 --> 00:01:37.359
Thanks for having me.
00:01:37.519 --> 00:01:38.159
Happy birthday.
00:01:38.239 --> 00:01:39.200
Happy birthday.
00:01:39.439 --> 00:01:40.319
Appreciate that.
00:01:40.480 --> 00:01:41.760
Thanks for having me, man.
00:01:42.640 --> 00:01:44.959
I feel privileged to be on your podcast on my birthday.
00:01:45.280 --> 00:01:48.879
And I feel privileged that you're doing my podcast on your birthday, you know?
00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:58.959
Yeah, you're the f hey, I had uh I had eye surgery, so you're the first podcast I've done since the surgery, because I always was wearing sunglasses before you think I was everybody thought I was trying to stunt.
00:01:59.120 --> 00:02:01.680
And I was like, nah, my eye was fucked up, you know.
00:02:01.760 --> 00:02:05.680
So it's a little little red, but I'm almost glad not to be wearing these glasses, man, you know?
00:02:06.079 --> 00:02:06.799
Okay, brother.
00:02:06.959 --> 00:02:08.560
But uh, let's get let's get it started, man.
00:02:08.719 --> 00:02:11.039
So you are originally from Brooklyn, New York.
00:02:11.680 --> 00:02:14.639
Born and raised, New York and Maple Street, Crown Heights.
00:02:14.879 --> 00:02:16.560
Crown Heights, Crown Heights.
00:02:17.199 --> 00:02:22.800
So wait, so if you're from Crown Heights, I'm gonna assume you're you're definitely Caribbean.
00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:28.400
And I'm gonna and I'm gonna assume the last name Goose.
00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:29.680
Goose.
00:02:30.080 --> 00:02:30.479
Goose.
00:02:30.879 --> 00:02:35.039
I'm gonna say either Haitian or possibly Trini.
00:02:35.439 --> 00:02:36.159
Haitian.
00:02:37.039 --> 00:02:37.280
Yes.
00:02:37.520 --> 00:02:38.159
And yes, the name.
00:02:39.360 --> 00:02:39.599
Yep.
00:02:39.680 --> 00:02:44.560
The nation, the the the uh the neighborhood was definitely uh Caribbean.
00:02:44.719 --> 00:02:52.240
I had a tr uh Trinity to my right, I had a Haitian to my left, of course, then I had some Jews like one one door down.
00:02:52.719 --> 00:02:54.879
Of course, of course, that was Crown Heights.
00:02:56.000 --> 00:02:57.120
That was Crown Heights back then.
00:02:57.520 --> 00:02:58.960
Renada was across the street.
00:02:59.120 --> 00:03:00.080
Yep, yep, yep.
00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:04.240
So tell me about your uh experience, you know, your experience growing up in Brooklyn.
00:03:04.560 --> 00:03:06.159
Man, Brooklyn was great, man.
00:03:06.240 --> 00:03:09.120
You know, it was the melting pot, you know, it was the melting pot.
00:03:09.599 --> 00:03:19.039
Got a chance to hear all types of music, and I think, you know, being in that neighborhood really influenced uh just in general, just my musical taste.
00:03:19.520 --> 00:03:19.759
Sure.
00:03:19.919 --> 00:03:26.240
You know, yeah, it was like the islands meets, uh, you know, the early days of hip hop.
00:03:26.319 --> 00:03:28.639
It was that's that's what I experienced.
00:03:28.879 --> 00:03:33.680
And then the album, that neighborhood is very outdoorsy.
00:03:34.400 --> 00:03:34.879
Oh, yes.
00:03:35.439 --> 00:03:46.400
You walk one one not to say block, one house this way, you're gonna hear so one house that way, you get it's it's like you know, every house is a brink gonna give you a different culture, you know?
00:03:46.639 --> 00:03:47.039
That's true.
00:03:47.199 --> 00:03:48.080
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:50.080
So you you went to St.
00:03:50.240 --> 00:03:53.360
John's for a little bit and then you uh went finished in Florida.
00:03:53.599 --> 00:03:54.319
So tell me about that.
00:03:54.560 --> 00:04:03.199
Yeah, you know, I went to um I went to elementary school in uh in Brownsville, then uh moved on to high school.
00:04:03.280 --> 00:04:05.120
I went to Steve Descent in the city.
00:04:05.280 --> 00:04:08.159
Okay, and then from Styvescent to to St.
00:04:08.400 --> 00:04:16.560
John's, and then ultimately I ended up moving to Miami to uh uh my dad had my dad was a New York City school teacher.
00:04:16.639 --> 00:04:28.000
He retired, moved to moved to Miami, and I ended up uh going to FIU and studying some broadcasting, broadcasting management, and that's kind of how I fell into the music business.
00:04:28.240 --> 00:04:30.480
Okay, well, we'll get to that quickly.
00:04:30.720 --> 00:04:31.360
Who was on St.
00:04:31.519 --> 00:04:33.600
John's basketball team when you were there?
00:04:34.160 --> 00:04:35.920
Chris Mullen and Walter Berry.
00:04:36.480 --> 00:04:39.759
Oh, ooh, ooh, you played with you was there when it was nice.
00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:41.199
Yeah, it was popping.
00:04:41.360 --> 00:04:41.920
It was popping.
00:04:42.079 --> 00:04:42.560
It was popping.
00:04:42.800 --> 00:04:43.360
Rendy MC.
00:04:43.920 --> 00:04:46.079
Chris Mullen, Walter Berry, or Randy MC.
00:04:46.240 --> 00:04:47.040
That's what I remember.
00:04:47.839 --> 00:04:49.360
Yeah, Holland's Queens, yo.
00:04:49.920 --> 00:04:55.279
So um, so tell me about um your start uh you started at the at the box in Miami, correct?
00:04:55.519 --> 00:04:56.720
Started at the box, yeah.
00:04:57.040 --> 00:05:03.839
Um I saw this uh interactive music video channel out here that kind of blew my mind, and I had to I had to work there.
00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:04.160
Yeah.
00:05:04.399 --> 00:05:08.000
So, you know, I just I just kept harassing the folks until they gave me an interview.
00:05:08.160 --> 00:05:11.199
And then once I got in as an intern, I just never left.
00:05:11.600 --> 00:05:24.160
And uh went from intern to uh programming uh under uh Les Garland, who was the original one of the original uh founders of MTV, and he was the he was the head of programming at the channel at the time.
00:05:24.399 --> 00:05:38.480
Wow, wow so he he kind of took he took me under his wing and introduced me to his network of folks, including uh you know folks like Irving Azoff, Cassandra Mills, uh a lot of the top managers in the business at that time.
00:05:38.720 --> 00:05:48.639
Yeah, we have we have something um slightly in common because my first, well my second job in the music business was I worked at Chrysalis Records, and a guy named John Sykes hired me.
00:05:48.800 --> 00:05:51.759
And John Sykes was part of that original MTV crew too.
00:05:52.079 --> 00:05:53.279
He was, yes, absolutely.
00:05:53.519 --> 00:05:54.240
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:05:54.399 --> 00:05:56.240
Kind of yeah, so we I was I saw that.
00:05:56.319 --> 00:05:58.399
I was like, oh, we got a little bit in common, you know?
00:05:58.639 --> 00:05:59.120
Yes, sir.
00:05:59.360 --> 00:06:03.839
So tell me about working with Avi uh Irving and Chriss Cassandra.
00:06:04.079 --> 00:06:10.399
Well, actually, you know, Cassandra, when she came to the box, uh, you know, I was uh I was her point person.
00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:21.360
I gave her the tour of the facility, you know, and then she uh she saw that I had a a lot of connections, you know, in the city, because at the time it was like the box was really popping.
00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:27.360
It was kind of like a big fish in a small pond, so I would take her around and she she liked the way I moved.
00:06:27.600 --> 00:06:31.519
And so she uh she invited me to join her team at Giant.
00:06:31.600 --> 00:06:38.800
Uh that's just when she was launching uh that uh New Jack City soundtrack.
00:06:39.120 --> 00:06:39.759
Soundtrack, yep.
00:06:40.399 --> 00:06:41.279
Only bad.
00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:41.839
Yep.
00:06:42.079 --> 00:06:43.199
So Jade.
00:06:43.839 --> 00:06:53.279
So that's when that's when I linked up with her, and you know, she uh she was definitely one of the early mentors and taught me how to, you know, taught me the art of AR for sure.
00:06:53.519 --> 00:06:54.079
Yeah, yeah.
00:06:54.480 --> 00:06:55.839
Always admired her from afar.
00:06:56.639 --> 00:07:00.879
I met her a couple times, but I didn't know her, but she's somebody I definitely want to get on this podcast eventually.
00:07:00.959 --> 00:07:02.480
She has a mental media straight attack.
00:07:03.199 --> 00:07:03.519
That's easy.
00:07:03.600 --> 00:07:04.240
I'm in touch with her.
00:07:04.399 --> 00:07:05.439
I speak to her every week.
00:07:05.839 --> 00:07:06.160
Thank you.
00:07:06.720 --> 00:07:07.439
Let's put it together.
00:07:07.519 --> 00:07:07.759
I guess.
00:07:08.319 --> 00:07:14.079
Before we move on to the next page, though, because I I think a lot of people who listen might might not know actually what the box was.
00:07:14.319 --> 00:07:14.879
So tell her.
00:07:15.120 --> 00:07:15.279
Okay.
00:07:15.680 --> 00:07:17.360
So this is pre pre-Youtube.
00:07:17.519 --> 00:07:17.680
Yeah.
00:07:17.920 --> 00:07:18.480
Pre-Youtube.
00:07:19.120 --> 00:07:26.959
So the box was the first interactive music video channel uh where you could look at your screen.
00:07:27.199 --> 00:07:29.279
There'd be a selection of music videos.
00:07:29.439 --> 00:07:44.079
You would pick up your phone, your touchstone phone, um, and then you would order, order the video, and then the the local area where you were, like in the cable system, would all everybody would be able to see the music videos that you ordered.
00:07:44.240 --> 00:07:44.560
Yep.
00:07:44.639 --> 00:07:44.959
Yep.
00:07:45.120 --> 00:07:47.519
Um and it just became a real sensation.
00:07:47.680 --> 00:08:03.600
Honestly, it was uh it was uh it was a great place to work, to be honest with you, because it really taught me the regional differences of the music, and I I was able to really hone in on the data, and I I I started generating all the different reports for the for the record companies.
00:08:03.920 --> 00:08:10.240
I really missed those days of um regional, regional is a my own thing, that's the word, but I miss I missed that.
00:08:10.319 --> 00:08:16.480
Yeah, I know this different, and I'm not trying to be like it should, I'm not being oh, you should go back to it was because things are just different.
00:08:16.560 --> 00:08:24.480
But it was very interesting, like I said, to be regional and kind of see what what you was listening to in Miami and what people listened to in Chicago was completely different.
00:08:24.720 --> 00:08:32.559
Completely different, you know, but you got to get a vibe for the region you were you were um either researching or in, you know?
00:08:32.799 --> 00:08:33.039
Yeah.
00:08:33.279 --> 00:08:36.240
No, it was really a uh a good uh learning experience.
00:08:36.399 --> 00:08:44.799
So you'd see, you know, two life crew popping in Miami, but you know, there'd be, you know, uh Sir Mix a lot going off in Seattle.
00:08:45.039 --> 00:08:45.360
Yep.
00:08:45.519 --> 00:08:47.919
You know, you see the New York shit, the West Coast shit.
00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:48.320
It was dope.
00:08:48.960 --> 00:08:49.679
Yeah, it was super dope.
00:08:49.759 --> 00:08:50.559
It was super dope.
00:08:50.879 --> 00:08:55.759
So tell me about um about your well, we talked a little about your giant experience, but tell me a little more about it.
00:08:55.840 --> 00:08:57.600
So what did you work on at Giant?
00:08:58.080 --> 00:09:01.600
At Giant, I kind of helped Cassandra with some of her things.
00:09:01.840 --> 00:09:07.519
Um Jade, you know, I I helped uh I helped with Jade on the day-to-day stuff.
00:09:07.759 --> 00:09:13.360
Um I wasn't really dead that long, but I I was, you know, because I got recruited.
00:09:13.600 --> 00:09:18.960
I got recruited right away from Giant to work with uh Sylvia Roan.
00:09:19.120 --> 00:09:19.360
Yeah.
00:09:19.600 --> 00:09:23.840
Um I ended up doing a label deal at uh at East West Records.
00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:24.320
Yeah.
00:09:24.559 --> 00:09:37.039
You know, but uh Cassandra gave me some valuable lessons on on how to develop talent, how to how to recognize uh the star, the future stars, and then put in the put in the work to develop the artist.
00:09:37.120 --> 00:09:39.759
That's stuck with me my whole career.
00:09:40.080 --> 00:09:44.480
So I I didn't realize that you did uh Dina Howard.
00:09:45.039 --> 00:09:50.080
Adina was my first ever record um as a as a label.
00:09:50.480 --> 00:09:51.039
I didn't know that.
00:09:51.120 --> 00:09:52.480
I had no idea I had no idea.
00:09:52.559 --> 00:09:56.000
I thought you were signed, I thought you were signed directly to uh Sylvia.
00:09:56.080 --> 00:09:58.720
I didn't know there was a you were the production company that furnished it.
00:09:59.039 --> 00:09:59.600
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:00.720
It was called Mecadon.
00:10:00.799 --> 00:10:03.759
It was me and my me and my cousin, uh Roger Romain.
00:10:03.919 --> 00:10:04.639
Yeah, Roger, yeah.
00:10:05.039 --> 00:10:09.200
Uh my my boy Livio Harris, who, you know, we all still fight to this day.
00:10:09.519 --> 00:10:10.399
It was his concept.
00:10:10.480 --> 00:10:12.639
He just said, yeah, I want to do a female R.
00:10:12.799 --> 00:10:13.919
Kelly vibe.
00:10:14.240 --> 00:10:17.039
And I was like, all right, well, send me the record, let me hear it.
00:10:17.120 --> 00:10:18.480
And you know, he sent me the joints.
00:10:18.559 --> 00:10:20.159
I mean, I heard that record right away.
00:10:20.720 --> 00:10:24.799
So to me, that was like that had to be the first single on the label.
00:10:24.960 --> 00:10:30.799
And uh, you know, luckily, Sylvia listened and, you know, she she backed us on it and then blew up.
00:10:31.600 --> 00:10:31.840
Yeah.
00:10:31.919 --> 00:10:36.000
So did you have problems with that record at radio because of the subject matter at that time?
00:10:36.080 --> 00:10:36.879
I know everybody just ran.
00:10:38.240 --> 00:10:40.080
It was a it's a smash.
00:10:40.399 --> 00:10:41.200
No, not really.
00:10:41.360 --> 00:10:44.159
Actually, you know, it was one of it was a turntable record.
00:10:44.240 --> 00:10:47.679
Like people make, you know, all the make show guys just hit it right away.
00:10:47.759 --> 00:10:48.480
They loved it.
00:10:48.559 --> 00:10:48.720
Yeah.
00:10:48.879 --> 00:10:57.039
Uh Merlin Bob, who was another one of my mentors on the AR side, he he championed us all the way, supported us inside the building.
00:10:57.120 --> 00:10:57.360
Yeah.
00:10:57.600 --> 00:10:59.919
And uh, you know, it really didn't take that long.
00:11:00.000 --> 00:11:02.480
It really took off within like three months.
00:11:02.720 --> 00:11:02.960
Oh, yeah.
00:11:03.679 --> 00:11:05.120
Was it hitting like three months, really?
00:11:05.519 --> 00:11:05.919
Monster.
00:11:06.159 --> 00:11:06.960
Monster record.
00:11:07.200 --> 00:11:07.759
Monster record.
00:11:08.480 --> 00:11:09.840
I saw Merlin over the holidays.
00:11:09.919 --> 00:11:10.480
He was DJing.
00:11:10.639 --> 00:11:12.080
He did he start to DJ again.
00:11:12.159 --> 00:11:14.320
I went to the I went to the set him and spinner.
00:11:14.559 --> 00:11:14.879
Yes, sir.
00:11:16.159 --> 00:11:16.879
I stay in touch.
00:11:16.960 --> 00:11:18.720
I stay in touch with all my mentors, man.
00:11:18.960 --> 00:11:19.200
Good.
00:11:19.279 --> 00:11:21.039
You should, as we should, as we should.
00:11:22.240 --> 00:11:24.159
Um so tell me about MCA publishing.
00:11:24.240 --> 00:11:26.320
Another connection we have, David Renzer.
00:11:26.639 --> 00:11:27.200
David Renzer.
00:11:27.440 --> 00:11:30.159
Because David Renzer used to work at Zomba when I was at the job.
00:11:30.639 --> 00:11:31.600
He ran Zomba publishing.
00:11:31.679 --> 00:11:31.840
Yep.
00:11:32.159 --> 00:11:32.399
Yes, sir.
00:11:32.639 --> 00:11:33.200
Yes, sir.
00:11:33.679 --> 00:11:40.000
No, um David was uh David taught me the publishing game in a very short amount of time.
00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:40.480
Okay.
00:11:40.639 --> 00:11:42.480
So I credit I credit him with that.
00:11:42.639 --> 00:11:50.720
Um so when I sold my uh when I sold my label to uh to Warner, um, I wanted to relocate to the West Coast.
00:11:50.879 --> 00:11:51.200
Okay.
00:11:51.440 --> 00:12:01.360
And I applied for a couple of positions and uh within the Universal Group and uh MCA Publishing, David, you know, he hired me.
00:12:01.600 --> 00:12:03.600
And uh it was a really good experience.
00:12:03.679 --> 00:12:12.320
I got a chance to dive into the publishing side of things, which you know, at that time ARs weren't really, you know, dealing with publishing.
00:12:12.559 --> 00:12:13.679
No, it was very separate.
00:12:13.919 --> 00:12:14.480
It was very separate.
00:12:15.600 --> 00:12:19.600
So it gave me an opportunity to learn uh another revenue stream.
00:12:19.679 --> 00:12:32.159
It taught me about the the the the value of the relationships with the songwriters, which I still maintain to this day, how influential and how key they are to to uh making making your artist successful.
00:12:32.399 --> 00:12:32.960
Absolutely.
00:12:33.200 --> 00:12:42.399
And uh yeah, so I worked with David literally for like a year, and then I struck out on my own with a joy venture with Nottinghill music.
00:12:43.440 --> 00:12:43.759
Yeah.
00:12:44.879 --> 00:12:45.200
Yeah.
00:12:45.360 --> 00:12:48.000
So for my friend Livio helped put that together.
00:12:48.240 --> 00:12:48.559
Okay.
00:12:49.039 --> 00:12:57.360
Um so um at Notting Hill, I was able to sign um Lisa Lefty Lopez was my first signing.
00:12:57.759 --> 00:12:58.159
Really?
00:12:58.320 --> 00:12:59.519
Yeah, at Nottinghill.
00:12:59.840 --> 00:13:00.480
That was dope.
00:13:00.799 --> 00:13:03.600
Yeah, and uh so we had a good round for Lisa.
00:13:04.639 --> 00:13:09.759
I'm sure they were generating mad bread in the in the TLC run.
00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:21.759
That's pretty interesting thing about the publishing thing is like I said, it's so so different, and and as a publishing AR person, you know, you get to like really change people's lives.
00:13:21.919 --> 00:13:30.320
They put a you know, if they have a hit, you put a lot of money in their pocket, you know, and it kind of spurs them to do more stuff and you create relationships that way, you know.
00:13:30.720 --> 00:13:30.960
Yeah.
00:13:31.279 --> 00:13:32.320
No, that was a good time.
00:13:32.399 --> 00:13:32.960
That was a good time.
00:13:33.039 --> 00:13:38.480
We had a we had a pretty big hit with uh um Mel, what was it?
00:13:38.559 --> 00:13:44.159
I think Mel C is it Mel C from uh from uh Spice Girl.
00:13:45.120 --> 00:13:46.559
Oh Mel Mel B.
00:13:46.799 --> 00:13:47.360
Mel B.
00:13:47.600 --> 00:13:48.240
Mel B.
00:13:49.200 --> 00:13:49.600
Wow.
00:13:49.679 --> 00:13:51.279
So yeah, you were doing your thing.
00:13:51.519 --> 00:13:53.279
No, no, no, no, it was uh sporty.
00:13:53.519 --> 00:13:57.840
Oh sporty, not not spice, not uh scary, excuse me.
00:13:58.320 --> 00:13:59.840
It was sporty sporty.
00:13:59.919 --> 00:14:00.960
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:14:01.600 --> 00:14:02.000
That's cool.
00:14:02.159 --> 00:14:04.720
So how was it how was it working with the Spice Girls?
00:14:05.120 --> 00:14:07.679
Um, it was uh it was it was pretty cool.
00:14:07.759 --> 00:14:12.799
You know, they they they I mean they were huge at the time, but they were, you know, they were very down to earth with us.
00:14:12.879 --> 00:14:15.279
So it worked it worked out.
00:14:15.440 --> 00:14:19.759
There's a producer by the name of R uh R Rh Lawrence put that put that whole thing together.
00:14:20.320 --> 00:14:21.120
Ah, okay.
00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:22.159
Okay, okay.
00:14:22.399 --> 00:14:24.879
So what what what was the next step after that?
00:14:25.440 --> 00:14:38.480
Um after Nottinghill, um I got uh I got recruited by uh Dave McPherson and Polly Anthony.
00:14:38.799 --> 00:14:39.519
Another connection.
00:14:39.600 --> 00:14:41.279
Me and Dave were together at Jives.
00:14:41.519 --> 00:14:42.159
Yes.
00:14:42.960 --> 00:14:45.919
So you went over to Epic with uh Polly and Dave.
00:14:46.159 --> 00:14:54.240
Yeah, I went over to Epic with Polly and Dave, and you know, Dave, uh because he had uh he had he was the guy, he was the Backstreet Boys guy.
00:14:54.480 --> 00:14:55.519
Backstreet Boys, yeah.
00:14:55.919 --> 00:15:03.360
So um, you know, strategically I said it made sense for me to try to find a guy group as my first as my first signing.
00:15:03.919 --> 00:15:13.039
So I reached out to um Chris Stokes, who had a success on the West Coast with uh immature project IMX.
00:15:14.960 --> 00:15:18.320
I and R his sister's project at Smooth at Jive.
00:15:18.639 --> 00:15:19.519
We got a lot of connected.
00:15:20.000 --> 00:15:21.600
We do, we do, we do, we do.
00:15:21.840 --> 00:15:22.879
For sure, for sure.
00:15:23.519 --> 00:15:32.159
And uh so you know Chris had this, he he he and Dave Scott had uh had a group called B2K.
00:15:32.720 --> 00:15:35.919
Um we made some changes along the way.
00:15:36.080 --> 00:15:38.080
I added Amarion to the group.
00:15:38.320 --> 00:15:40.480
Oh, so Amarion wasn't in the original group.
00:15:42.399 --> 00:15:45.279
No, we added we yeah, we added we added Amarion.
00:15:45.679 --> 00:15:46.000
Wow.
00:15:46.240 --> 00:16:11.679
And then uh so that became the four guys, and uh, you know, you know, pretty much we we had some immediate success with the first single, and then uh, you know, we had a gold album, we had platinum single, gold album, and then uh went right back in um and recorded uh pandemonium, and that's how they got their first number one pop with uh uh bum bum bump.
00:16:11.759 --> 00:16:12.960
Bump bum bump, yeah.
00:16:13.039 --> 00:16:14.320
That was a big record.
00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:17.200
Remix, remember Puff was on the remix and all that.
00:16:17.519 --> 00:16:18.159
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:16:18.399 --> 00:16:22.799
And then we did uh uh then we did the You Got Service movie at Sony P Sony Pictures.
00:16:23.039 --> 00:16:23.200
Yeah.
00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:31.679
So tell me but tell me about that, because I saw you you you you did that and I know you did Dream Girls too, which we'll talk about later, but tell me about getting into the movie side of things.
00:16:31.919 --> 00:16:35.759
Well, it was really more, to be honest with you, it was about marketing the group.
00:16:35.840 --> 00:16:43.440
I wanted to get, you know, I wanted to get the power of a film company uh behind the group to build them into a into a global brand.
00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:47.519
So I felt the best way to do that was through was through film.
00:16:47.919 --> 00:16:53.360
Um so I spoke to Chris Um and he actually wrote he actually wrote a dope script.
00:16:53.600 --> 00:16:57.440
And um, you know, we were able to set it up through Sony Pictures.
00:16:57.679 --> 00:16:58.080
Thanks.
00:16:58.159 --> 00:17:03.600
I reached out to the president and then she said she set everything up with uh with screen jumps.
00:17:03.840 --> 00:17:06.960
And uh this guy named Clint Culpepper greenlit the film.
00:17:07.359 --> 00:17:09.599
That was that was all that was all in three weeks.
00:17:09.680 --> 00:17:11.279
So wow, that quick.
00:17:11.519 --> 00:17:15.519
Yeah, we didn't know what we were doing, but we set up we set up the movie in three weeks, bro.
00:17:15.759 --> 00:17:16.400
Whatever.
00:17:16.720 --> 00:17:20.640
It was normal to you, it should mean while that shit three weeks is crazy.
00:17:21.039 --> 00:17:21.359
Never happened.
00:17:21.519 --> 00:17:22.240
Yeah, I know, never happened.
00:17:23.039 --> 00:17:24.319
But I know, I don't know.
00:17:24.400 --> 00:17:26.319
We were we were highly favored on that one.
00:17:26.559 --> 00:17:27.119
Absolutely.
00:17:27.839 --> 00:17:28.319
Absolutely.
00:17:28.480 --> 00:17:30.640
I remember that that was uh I worked at Sony for a little bit too.
00:17:30.720 --> 00:17:38.880
I worked at Epic before you were there, and I remember that was back, I don't know how it is now, but back then it was cool, like it was still a very um the company had a lot of synergy.
00:17:39.519 --> 00:17:45.920
You could call like Sony Films and try something or call PlayStation and get like I don't know if it's like that now, but it was cool back then.
00:17:46.000 --> 00:17:49.119
You could kind of move around that Sony corporation and get things done.
00:17:49.359 --> 00:17:57.440
Yeah, no, Tommy, Tommy Matola really, um, really wanted his uh his teams to to just do whatever.
00:17:57.519 --> 00:18:01.200
You know, use the building, just break, just break the artists.
00:18:01.359 --> 00:18:08.240
So yeah, we did we th we fuck with the electronic division, uh the film side, the TV side, the soundtrack side.
00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:08.880
Mm-hmm.
00:18:09.039 --> 00:18:10.319
So yeah, it was a good run.
00:18:11.200 --> 00:18:15.519
So what did that was that the was you guys served the number was the number one film?
00:18:15.759 --> 00:18:16.880
It came in number one, yeah.
00:18:16.960 --> 00:18:20.319
We had we dropped it on uh we dropped it on uh Super Bowl Sunday.
00:18:20.480 --> 00:18:25.200
Yeah, because we were going after the young girls, so we figured that'll send them to the movies.
00:18:25.599 --> 00:18:26.799
Yeah, because they ain't watching the game.
00:18:27.200 --> 00:18:27.839
Not watching the game.
00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:28.799
And then, you know, it worked.
00:18:29.039 --> 00:18:30.960
We marketed it throughout the entire tour.
00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:39.440
So the good thing is that we had the trailer shot and we and we marked we we had the tour and we played the trailer at every stop prior.
00:18:40.000 --> 00:18:42.640
So that ended up that ended up giving us a number one.
00:18:42.960 --> 00:18:48.480
So it was yeah, it was uh it made and I think you opened at number one with 11 million.
00:18:48.799 --> 00:18:49.680
That's crazy.
00:18:49.839 --> 00:18:50.799
Congratulations on it.
00:18:50.960 --> 00:18:52.160
That was that was big.
00:18:52.240 --> 00:18:53.440
That was like really big.
00:18:53.680 --> 00:19:00.480
That was I remember that movie because I think it was like a I don't know, Chris wasn't in that movie, but it was like some type of job, it was a sample of some type of thing.
00:19:00.559 --> 00:19:05.599
I remember going to seeing a movie and like how big it was, and all the girls screaming and going to a hat.
00:19:06.480 --> 00:19:17.920
Hats off to Chris and uh Marcus Houston, yeah, Ta Taz at the time, um, Dave Scott, um Roro and the whole rest of that crew, man.
00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:19.519
They they they put in a lot of work.
00:19:19.759 --> 00:19:20.240
They did.
00:19:20.559 --> 00:19:22.960
They did, they did, they did a good job.
00:19:23.200 --> 00:19:28.559
So did you go to um did I did you go to Music Road after that or were you still at at Epic?
00:19:28.799 --> 00:19:34.799
No, I was at Epic uh when I met I met Matthew, because Matthew had an office in the building.
00:19:37.039 --> 00:19:43.839
Yeah, so I had the good fortune of meeting Matthew, and um we uh I don't know, we just clicked right away.
00:19:44.640 --> 00:19:52.000
And uh, you know, he he had a I believe he just he did a deal with Sanctuary at the time.
00:19:52.319 --> 00:19:59.519
And you know, as soon as he did the deal, he just he just recruited me to come to come work with him as a as a manager.
00:19:59.680 --> 00:20:04.160
And um and uh yeah, I left, I left uh Epic to go work with Math.
00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:05.599
I worked with Music World.
00:20:05.759 --> 00:20:05.920
Yeah.
00:20:06.240 --> 00:20:08.319
So what were your first projects over there?
00:20:08.720 --> 00:20:10.799
My first projects at Music World.
00:20:10.880 --> 00:20:15.200
Um my focus was uh Solange, really.
00:20:15.519 --> 00:20:15.759
Okay.
00:20:16.240 --> 00:20:24.640
Yeah, I was working on Solange, and then we ended up doing uh we ended up doing a partnership with uh Inniscope on Solange.
00:20:25.119 --> 00:20:27.759
And then uh also worked on uh Michelle Williams.
00:20:27.839 --> 00:20:33.680
We did Michelle Williams solo record, Rico Love produced most of that for me.
00:20:34.400 --> 00:20:41.920
Uh did some work on Kelly Rowland and then um started working with Beyonce on uh Dream Girls.
00:20:42.160 --> 00:20:45.440
So you didn't you didn't do any any Destiny's Child stuff, it was just kind of the interview?
00:20:45.759 --> 00:20:47.200
No, I didn't I never worked on Destiny's Child.
00:20:47.519 --> 00:20:48.559
Got you, got you, got you.
00:20:48.799 --> 00:20:49.119
Got you.
00:20:49.440 --> 00:20:53.200
Tell me about the Dream Girls experience, because that was a big Yeah, Dream Girls was dope.
00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:58.000
The underdogs really, you know, they they they basically led on that, you know.
00:20:58.240 --> 00:21:02.079
So that so I I just came in, I came in at the tail end, to be honest with you.
00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:04.960
Okay, seriously, it was the underdogs producing everything.
00:21:05.200 --> 00:21:09.200
Okay, but that was a big launching path for her to kind of next level, you know.
00:21:10.720 --> 00:21:11.920
Huge, huge, huge.
00:21:12.160 --> 00:21:14.640
And then B Day was next, correct?
00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:19.599
Yeah, so from uh yeah, from Dream Girls, we we segue over to uh to B Day.
00:21:20.160 --> 00:21:20.799
Tell me about that.
00:21:21.359 --> 00:21:25.440
I mean, that was um, you know, that was a that was a special project because we really did that.
00:21:26.160 --> 00:21:26.640
Tell me about it.
00:21:26.720 --> 00:21:27.839
That was a real special project.
00:21:28.079 --> 00:21:30.319
Yeah, we did it in a short amount of time, you know.
00:21:30.480 --> 00:21:38.640
So we locked out Sony Studios uh for three for three weeks and um just recruited, you know, the best of the best at the time.
00:21:38.799 --> 00:21:51.680
Sean Garrett, uh Swiss Beats was there, Rodney Jerkins, um McKeeba Riddick, Solange, uh Angie, Beyonce's cousin.
00:21:51.839 --> 00:21:52.240
Uh-huh.
00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:54.799
Uh yeah, man, it was a great time.
00:21:54.880 --> 00:21:55.440
It was a great time.
00:21:55.599 --> 00:21:57.920
Well, you did the BD album got done in three weeks?
00:21:58.079 --> 00:21:58.559
Yeah, yeah.
00:21:58.640 --> 00:21:59.839
We did all the tracking in three weeks.
00:22:01.359 --> 00:22:01.759
Yeah, yeah.
00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:05.359
Yeah, we locked down the whole we locked down the whole studio.
00:22:05.759 --> 00:22:06.400
Wow.
00:22:06.880 --> 00:22:07.359
Yeah, yeah.
00:22:11.039 --> 00:22:12.079
That's a lot of rooms.
00:22:12.640 --> 00:22:15.599
No, we had all the rooms and we just didn't we not we knocked it out.
00:22:15.839 --> 00:22:16.640
It was a good time.
00:22:16.960 --> 00:22:17.359
Wow.
00:22:17.519 --> 00:22:17.920
Wow.
00:22:18.240 --> 00:22:29.519
So tell me you know, I want to talk to you about like one of the other two, but like your um your your approach to doing AR because all of us have have have a different kind of approach.
00:22:29.680 --> 00:22:30.960
Some people are very technical.
00:22:31.119 --> 00:22:33.039
Like Mike Karen, I'll call him the scientist.
00:22:33.119 --> 00:22:34.160
He's like very technical.
00:22:34.319 --> 00:22:36.559
You know, some of us do from a feel, you know.
00:22:36.720 --> 00:22:38.640
So what is your approach?
00:22:39.119 --> 00:22:47.839
Man, honestly, my approach is I I try to recruit the best people for the for the job and and just make make up the rooms.
00:22:48.079 --> 00:22:50.240
I think that's half the battle, to be honest with you.
00:22:50.640 --> 00:22:54.000
Like I think, you know, it's like a like casting a movie.
00:22:54.880 --> 00:22:55.839
You cast in the brand.
00:22:56.400 --> 00:23:00.079
You're hiring the right people and you're putting them in the right room with the right producer.
00:23:01.119 --> 00:23:03.359
Matching up the right songwriter with the right tracker.
00:23:03.759 --> 00:23:04.160
Yeah.
00:23:04.319 --> 00:23:05.200
I think it's important.
00:23:05.440 --> 00:23:06.799
And then let them do their thing.
00:23:06.960 --> 00:23:08.240
Yeah, I stay out the way, man.
00:23:08.400 --> 00:23:08.880
Stay out the way.
00:23:08.960 --> 00:23:10.559
I'm not, I'm not, I'm not a writer.
00:23:10.720 --> 00:23:14.160
So I don't I you know I let the experts do what they do.
00:23:14.319 --> 00:23:14.480
Yeah.
00:23:14.720 --> 00:23:15.359
You know what I'm saying?
00:23:15.440 --> 00:23:21.759
And then once I have all the records, I sit with my artists, we review the music, and we gotta figure out what we want to do.
00:23:21.839 --> 00:23:22.000
Yeah.
00:23:22.319 --> 00:23:24.880
We finalize the track list, and we we go from there.
00:23:25.119 --> 00:23:25.599
Yeah.
00:23:25.839 --> 00:23:37.119
So I'm I'm assuming, I mean, I I know that Sony, the corporation, must have been hugely um excited about her first album as a solo artist, you know?
00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:43.440
Um What was the approach to kind of marketing the record and stuff, and marketing B Day and marketing well we're marketing her.
00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:46.400
Actually, that was that was her that was her second album.
00:23:46.640 --> 00:23:48.000
Oh, that's her second.
00:23:48.240 --> 00:23:48.880
Yeah.
00:23:49.200 --> 00:23:49.440
Yeah.
00:23:49.759 --> 00:23:51.920
Her first album had uh Crazy in Love.
00:23:52.160 --> 00:23:52.559
You're right.
00:23:52.720 --> 00:23:53.359
I'm bugging out.
00:23:53.440 --> 00:23:53.839
I'm bugging out.
00:23:56.160 --> 00:23:56.799
I'm right, you're right.
00:23:56.880 --> 00:23:58.319
I'm bugging out, I'm bugging out.
00:23:58.480 --> 00:24:13.200
So what what was the approach to kind of again taking it to the to the next level, whatever that whatever I don't even know what the next level was, because honestly, Crazy in Love was such a big record that was like how do how do I beat how do I beat a record that big?
00:24:13.440 --> 00:24:16.720
So that was that was the challenge that drove me, to be honest with you.
00:24:17.440 --> 00:24:19.599
Yeah, you well, you you did pretty good.
00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:22.160
Hey, we tried, we tried, we tried.
00:24:22.400 --> 00:24:23.519
You did pretty good, man.
00:24:23.599 --> 00:24:24.640
You did pretty good.
00:24:25.680 --> 00:24:33.599
While you were over there at um at uh Music World Sanctuary, was there any artists that might have come through that you missed as an AR person?
00:24:33.680 --> 00:24:36.400
Because we all got those stories too, like I was gonna sign so-and-so.
00:24:37.440 --> 00:24:40.640
Any artists that I missed at Music World.
00:24:40.960 --> 00:24:46.000
Not really, because the the roster, the in-house roster kept me, kept me.
00:24:46.720 --> 00:24:47.519
Plenty busy.
00:24:47.680 --> 00:24:47.920
Yeah.
00:24:48.160 --> 00:24:56.000
And then uh, you know, as uh I was where helping Matthew both on the management side and the AR side.
00:24:56.079 --> 00:24:59.200
So you and him were just rocking.
00:24:59.440 --> 00:24:59.920
It was enough.
00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:00.640
Yeah, it was enough.
00:25:00.720 --> 00:25:01.200
It was enough.
00:25:01.440 --> 00:25:02.160
That's a lot of work.
00:25:02.319 --> 00:25:03.039
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:25:03.200 --> 00:25:04.000
That's a lot of work.
00:25:04.079 --> 00:25:10.960
Yeah, I'm I'm like I met him in the cafeteria and I used to go by his office every now and again, you know, talking, you know, really more to listen.
00:25:11.279 --> 00:25:23.279
I I would just watch him like um he would uh he would just like he was he would just like give give people hell, but I never took it as him being like mean.
00:25:23.359 --> 00:25:25.039
He was he knew what he wanted.
00:25:25.599 --> 00:25:30.160
He knows what he wants, and he's not veering from that.
00:25:30.480 --> 00:25:38.079
Yeah, he has the vision, and he knows what it was gonna work, and you gotta like go with his vision, you know what I'm saying?
00:25:38.160 --> 00:25:39.279
Yeah, I I really liked him a lot.
00:25:39.359 --> 00:25:39.920
I really liked it.
00:25:41.119 --> 00:25:43.359
He's a great manager, taught me, yeah, taught me a lot.
00:25:43.599 --> 00:25:43.920
For sure.
00:25:45.039 --> 00:25:47.759
If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be a manager of today, for sure.
00:25:48.079 --> 00:25:48.559
I bet.
00:25:48.720 --> 00:25:49.279
I bet.
00:25:49.839 --> 00:25:51.920
So tell me about the about the next wave after that.
00:25:52.079 --> 00:25:53.039
Well, you wait, you know what?
00:25:53.599 --> 00:25:54.160
Let me change.
00:25:54.240 --> 00:25:57.599
Because I saw you did a lot of things with partnerships and stuff too.
00:25:57.920 --> 00:26:01.920
Well, I guess with partnerships as as far as at Music World?
00:26:02.160 --> 00:26:05.599
Yeah, with weren't you doing partnerships with other corporations and stuff like that?
00:26:06.400 --> 00:26:13.359
Yeah, like, you know, whenever, you know, basically, you know, whenever there's a whenever there was a brand deal, I would handle pretty much handled.
00:26:13.519 --> 00:26:16.559
I would, you know, he would cut the deal, but I would handle the the details.
00:26:16.960 --> 00:26:17.440
Day to day.
00:26:18.160 --> 00:26:18.720
Talk about that a little bit.
00:26:19.039 --> 00:26:20.559
The fulfillment, the fulfillment, you know.
00:26:20.640 --> 00:26:25.759
So usually there there would be, there might be a music requirement, you know, that goes along with it.
00:26:25.839 --> 00:26:37.039
So I would be responsible for interfacing with the advertising agency, uh, dealing with whoever their music, uh the music head was, and then making just making sure that they got what they need.
00:26:37.119 --> 00:26:40.640
Sometimes there might be a re-record, there might be an edit.
00:26:40.880 --> 00:26:45.359
So whatever was required to help deliver the final product.
00:26:45.440 --> 00:26:45.920
So I'm not sure.
00:26:47.039 --> 00:26:52.240
I wanted to talk about that because that's such a um unheralded part of the business.
00:26:52.480 --> 00:27:02.079
Like people a lot of people don't really kind of I mean, a lot of insulin we know, but uh people outside don't really know that that's a whole department unto itself.
00:27:02.559 --> 00:27:09.279
You know, that generates a lot of money and you know, and and and helps develop the artist to do that.
00:27:09.519 --> 00:27:14.480
Yeah, those brand deals were very essential to Matthew's uh marketing plan.
00:27:14.640 --> 00:27:23.839
He always had, he always, always made sure that he had brand partners to help to supplement whatever the label was spending on the talent.
00:27:24.160 --> 00:27:28.960
So that kind of became uh uh that was a norm in music world.
00:27:29.039 --> 00:27:31.279
We always had, we were always dealing with brands.
00:27:31.440 --> 00:27:37.039
Uh he was always out, you know, pitching and, you know, meetings with brands for sure.
00:27:37.359 --> 00:27:39.440
We would always be doing brand presentations.
00:27:39.680 --> 00:27:44.319
Brands would be flying us to us in Houston to present the opportunities.
00:27:44.480 --> 00:27:52.640
So it was great to be able to be in that environment because it it taught me later on on how to interface with these agencies.
00:27:52.880 --> 00:27:53.519
Yeah, yeah.
00:27:54.079 --> 00:27:57.279
And I've made that part of part of what I do with my roster.
00:27:57.519 --> 00:27:58.240
Uh sure.
00:27:58.319 --> 00:27:59.519
It's it's very it's very important.
00:27:59.680 --> 00:28:03.279
It's nice to get somebody else to spend some money on blowing your artists up.
00:28:05.920 --> 00:28:08.000
It's a it's it's key, especially today.
00:28:08.319 --> 00:28:10.720
Absolutely, absolutely, man, absolutely.
00:28:11.039 --> 00:28:15.200
So um tell me, I know you worked on um Barbershop too, correct?
00:28:15.279 --> 00:28:16.319
The Barbershop movies?
00:28:16.720 --> 00:28:18.400
Barbershop, I worked on it a bit.
00:28:18.720 --> 00:28:19.920
That was more of a team effort.
00:28:20.079 --> 00:28:22.480
That was uh that was the team at Epic.
00:28:22.559 --> 00:28:25.680
Uh Dave McPherson um led on that.
00:28:25.839 --> 00:28:27.440
David and Marvin, Marvin Peard.
00:28:27.680 --> 00:28:28.319
Marvin Lee.
00:28:28.480 --> 00:28:30.480
Uh yeah, I contributed some songs to it.
00:28:30.720 --> 00:28:30.880
Okay.
00:28:31.200 --> 00:28:31.359
Yeah.
00:28:31.519 --> 00:28:32.559
David led on that.
00:28:32.799 --> 00:28:34.319
Okay, cool, cool, cool.
00:28:34.559 --> 00:28:38.000
So after this, you go to Def Jam, am I correct?
00:28:38.640 --> 00:28:44.720
After musical, well, uh after B-Day, uh the next project.
00:28:45.039 --> 00:28:48.079
We did uh we did the I am Sasha Fierce album.
00:28:48.400 --> 00:28:50.720
Um and that's uh another big album.
00:28:50.960 --> 00:28:55.359
Yeah, Tricky Store and the Dream, you know, delivered Delivered the Monster.
00:28:55.519 --> 00:28:57.599
Yeah, Singer Ladies.
00:28:58.400 --> 00:28:59.039
Sean Garrett.
00:28:59.279 --> 00:29:02.079
Sean Garrett contributed uh a lot of cuts to it.
00:29:02.319 --> 00:29:03.119
So it was dope.
00:29:03.279 --> 00:29:04.319
Yeah, dumb project.
00:29:04.799 --> 00:29:06.319
Singer Ladies a man.
00:29:06.880 --> 00:29:08.240
A seminal record.
00:29:08.400 --> 00:29:09.200
Yeah, exactly.
00:29:09.519 --> 00:29:11.359
A career-defining record and video.
00:29:11.680 --> 00:29:12.640
It was NVIDIA.
00:29:13.039 --> 00:29:13.759
Yeah, and video.
00:29:14.240 --> 00:29:17.440
Yeah, tell me, can you tell me a little about just the creation of that?
00:29:17.519 --> 00:29:21.519
You know, the the record and video and what what what that was like?
00:29:21.839 --> 00:29:28.559
Um, you know, I think so that record was basically uh that was a concept that Dream had.
00:29:29.200 --> 00:29:40.319
And uh he ran it past uh Tricky, and um, you know, they let me hear it, and uh I just relayed my excitement for the record uh to Beyoncé.
00:29:40.559 --> 00:29:44.400
And you know, she she you know she trusted and she came and she came and cut it.
00:29:44.720 --> 00:29:46.799
Yeah, big that subject.
00:29:47.119 --> 00:29:47.440
Big baby.
00:29:47.599 --> 00:29:52.000
And then the video, I remember seeing that video like that's all her.
00:29:52.079 --> 00:29:52.480
That's all her.
00:29:52.720 --> 00:29:53.039
Yeah, yeah.
00:29:53.519 --> 00:29:56.079
Incredible, incredible, incredible.
00:29:56.319 --> 00:30:02.079
So at this point, is it again at this point, so you go to where do you go after after uh music where you go to is this music?
00:30:02.319 --> 00:30:07.359
Uh the music world, I was recruited, I was recruited by um uh LA, LA Reed.
00:30:07.599 --> 00:30:17.279
Uh yeah, I ran into Karen Quark and Karen I had worked with Karen Quark on uh on a pro on a Def Jam project that we contributed to.
00:30:17.599 --> 00:30:21.920
And um I I ran into her at a City of Hope Dinner.
00:30:22.400 --> 00:30:25.680
And uh she uh she reintroduced me to LA.
00:30:25.839 --> 00:30:34.880
We started talking and you know, he invited me to New York and uh, you know, we we hung out for a bit and he you know he made me an offer.
00:30:35.119 --> 00:30:35.680
Wow.
00:30:36.559 --> 00:30:37.759
Do you have City of Hope Dinners?
00:30:37.920 --> 00:30:39.039
Do they still do those?
00:30:39.279 --> 00:30:40.319
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:30:40.400 --> 00:30:41.839
They still don't every year.
00:30:42.000 --> 00:30:42.240
Yeah.
00:30:43.039 --> 00:30:44.880
I haven't been in those one of those in quite a long time.
00:30:44.960 --> 00:30:46.640
Yeah, the studio, yeah.
00:30:46.799 --> 00:30:47.359
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:30:47.440 --> 00:30:50.720
So tell me about uh Def Jam, going to Def Jam, working at Def Jam.
00:30:51.200 --> 00:30:55.119
Def Jam was cool, man, because it's you know Def Jam is the you know it's iconic.
00:30:55.200 --> 00:31:01.279
So as you know, if you if you in the game, you know, Def Jam is definitely a place you want to work, you know what I'm saying?
00:31:02.480 --> 00:31:07.839
It's uh it's a it's a dream to work for for that for that label.
00:31:08.240 --> 00:31:17.200
So for me, it was it had a you know, I had a chance to really work with LA, who are considered the best AR guy of the generation, for sure.
00:31:17.599 --> 00:31:18.480
Absolutely, no question.
00:31:18.640 --> 00:31:18.960
No question.
00:31:19.519 --> 00:31:23.599
And he just had a whole, you know, he just had a whole crew of incredible ARs.
00:31:23.759 --> 00:31:27.920
Lenny, Lenny S, Khaled, Tricky was there.
00:31:28.160 --> 00:31:29.839
Was Shaw Money there at that time?
00:31:30.160 --> 00:31:31.519
Shawn Money can, yeah.
00:31:31.599 --> 00:31:32.480
Karen Farber.
00:31:32.799 --> 00:31:34.559
Um who else joined?
00:31:34.720 --> 00:31:37.119
Uh Dallas Martin was there for a bit.
00:31:37.359 --> 00:31:37.839
Yep.
00:31:38.160 --> 00:31:39.359
Uh who else?
00:31:39.519 --> 00:31:40.559
I think Neo was there.
00:31:40.799 --> 00:31:42.240
That's a Neo Neo was in there too.
00:31:42.319 --> 00:31:43.279
No, you didn't say Neo, huh?
00:31:43.519 --> 00:31:44.799
Yeah, Neo was up in there too.
00:31:44.880 --> 00:31:45.039
Yeah.
00:31:45.200 --> 00:31:46.799
It was a it was it was an interesting thing.
00:31:47.440 --> 00:31:50.240
Okay, so tell me about those meetings.
00:31:52.880 --> 00:31:55.279
Yeah, they were they were they were some crazy meetings, man.
00:31:56.480 --> 00:32:00.400
Khaled would come in and just play press play on some incredible shit.
00:32:00.559 --> 00:32:04.160
With you know, Khaled's energy was just over the top.
00:32:04.400 --> 00:32:05.039
Over the top.
00:32:05.279 --> 00:32:05.680
Yeah, yeah.
00:32:06.240 --> 00:32:07.039
I can't.
00:32:07.680 --> 00:32:10.799
Yeah, I was I was just quiet in the corner with my little YG shit.
00:32:13.039 --> 00:32:13.920
We don't need to do that shit.
00:32:14.160 --> 00:32:14.799
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:32:14.960 --> 00:32:15.440
That was it.
00:32:15.599 --> 00:32:18.240
That was I I could imagine.
00:32:18.400 --> 00:32:20.240
I can imagine how those meetings must have been.
00:32:20.319 --> 00:32:25.519
Because, you know, you know, I mean, uh, you gotta, if you ever been to one, you won't even understand.
00:32:25.759 --> 00:32:26.240
Yeah, yeah.
00:32:26.400 --> 00:32:30.480
No, those guys are crazy competitive, and they were large, they larger than life.
00:32:30.559 --> 00:32:32.799
So I'm just like, I'm on the West Coast, really.
00:32:32.880 --> 00:32:38.720
I I'm really operating it by myself because I was the only, at the time, I was the only exec on the West Coast.
00:32:38.960 --> 00:32:47.920
Because we were, we were doing a rebuild on the on the a rebuild of the label, and they hadn't had they hadn't signed anybody on the West Coast in like 20 years.
00:32:49.039 --> 00:32:50.079
It had been that long?
00:32:50.319 --> 00:32:54.000
Yeah, it had been that long since they had any success coming out of the West Coast.
00:32:54.160 --> 00:32:54.480
Yeah.
00:32:55.200 --> 00:32:55.359
Yeah.
00:32:55.519 --> 00:32:56.480
And I realized that.
00:32:56.720 --> 00:32:59.359
Yes, I was the only one there for, I don't know.
00:32:59.519 --> 00:33:00.880
I was there for three years.
00:33:00.960 --> 00:33:04.720
Uh out of the three years, the first year and a half, it was just me.
00:33:05.039 --> 00:33:11.599
And um, you know, what I did once I got there, I wanted to really tap in to what was happening.
00:33:11.759 --> 00:33:17.519
Um, and I I just linked up with a uh with a bunch of DJs and set up a lot of showcases.
00:33:17.680 --> 00:33:23.519
And I would go to uh I would go to a lot of house parties to see what what the kids were were rocking.
00:33:23.680 --> 00:33:28.720
And uh YG was that guy that, you know, well at the time it was Pusha's Inc.
00:33:28.880 --> 00:33:29.759
It was Pusha's Inc.
00:33:29.920 --> 00:33:30.960
So Pusha's Inc.
00:33:31.039 --> 00:33:41.279
was definitely uh a group that everybody was talking about, and I had them come in and you know I felt like out of all of them, YG was the YG was the guy.
00:33:41.519 --> 00:33:42.400
He was the one.
00:33:42.640 --> 00:33:43.680
Yeah, he was the one.
00:33:43.920 --> 00:33:50.400
So there was a record uh tooted and booted that was bubbling, and I signed I signed them off that record, basically.
00:33:50.720 --> 00:33:55.440
I had Steve, I had Steve go on the show uh a few episodes ago and he told me about the house party thing.
00:33:55.519 --> 00:34:00.880
I didn't know about that house party kind of up and down the coast and going to different parties and performing the story.
00:34:01.200 --> 00:34:07.920
Yeah, yeah, because you know, they you know, they didn't have all age pubs at the time, so you know, you have to be 21 and over.
00:34:08.000 --> 00:34:13.119
So and all the kids were just doing house parties or warehouse parties or that kind of stuff.
00:34:13.360 --> 00:34:13.920
That's dope.
00:34:14.000 --> 00:34:17.840
Yeah, when I signed uh Travis Porter to jive, it was a similar thing in Atlanta.
00:34:18.880 --> 00:34:19.679
Teen parties.
00:34:19.920 --> 00:34:22.159
They would go like the high schools and stuff like that.
00:34:22.239 --> 00:34:27.280
On Friday nights, we had this whole kind of teen circuit, because like I said, they weren't old enough to go to clubs.
00:34:27.440 --> 00:34:30.159
But they were clubs in and of themselves, but they were just young.
00:34:30.320 --> 00:34:34.719
It was but it was it was a club environment, but they were all like 16, 17 years old, you know?
00:34:34.880 --> 00:34:35.440
Yes, sir.
00:34:35.519 --> 00:34:36.000
Yes, sir.
00:34:36.159 --> 00:34:38.719
Yeah, mustard just a DJ though.
00:34:39.039 --> 00:34:43.840
Tell a little bit more about YG and Mustard and all that, and and how you know, tell me about that.
00:34:44.079 --> 00:34:47.280
I mean, YG, YG just kind of he just really stood out to me.
00:34:47.440 --> 00:34:49.440
Like I went to one of their performances.
00:34:49.840 --> 00:34:52.639
Um, everybody in the crowd knew the record.
00:34:52.880 --> 00:34:56.719
But, you know, when they were on stage, they were on stage as a crew, you know what I'm saying?
00:34:56.800 --> 00:34:57.920
So I just pulled them out.
00:34:58.000 --> 00:34:59.920
I just pulled them, put them out front.
00:35:00.480 --> 00:35:04.800
And, you know, he just you know, it was a natural fit, to be honest with you.
00:35:05.519 --> 00:35:08.400
And um, you know, hats off to him.
00:35:08.480 --> 00:35:12.559
Like he YG Mustard and Ty, hard workers, bro.
00:35:12.719 --> 00:35:13.039
Yeah.
00:35:14.800 --> 00:35:15.199
To this day.
00:35:15.760 --> 00:35:18.320
They still, yeah, they got that work ethic for sure.
00:35:18.559 --> 00:35:19.039
For sure.
00:35:19.599 --> 00:35:24.960
So did you did you did you know automatically Mustard would produce the whole record, or were you were you looking at other people?
00:35:25.039 --> 00:35:25.920
You just like let them.
00:35:26.400 --> 00:35:32.559
Nah, I did nah, uh actually I I um I gotta give props to YG on Mustard.
00:35:32.880 --> 00:35:40.880
YG and Mustard were living together, and YG was like, yo, Mustard's a dope producer, let's let's let's really use him.
00:35:41.039 --> 00:35:44.800
And YG basically was like, yo, give me a budget for equipment.
00:35:45.039 --> 00:35:47.039
And so, you know, we worked it out.
00:35:47.199 --> 00:35:51.760
And once he was set up at the crib, he and Mustard just they just went crazy together.
00:35:51.920 --> 00:35:54.000
So it's just where it's just worked out.
00:35:54.559 --> 00:35:55.199
Yes, sir.
00:35:55.360 --> 00:35:55.679
Yeah.
00:35:55.840 --> 00:35:59.599
So that was his producer and his DJ for for the first time.
00:36:00.159 --> 00:36:00.480
You know.
00:36:02.559 --> 00:36:05.199
When you brought YG to Def Jam, did did they get it?
00:36:05.679 --> 00:36:07.840
Because sometimes it the label doesn't always quit.
00:36:08.320 --> 00:36:11.039
Especially West Coast, because it's so a different culture.
00:36:11.199 --> 00:36:13.039
You have you know, you gotta kind of tap in.
00:36:13.679 --> 00:36:19.599
You know, to to LA's credit, um he he trusted me on it.
00:36:20.320 --> 00:36:24.320
And as a as an AR executive, that's what you're supposed to do.
00:36:24.480 --> 00:36:25.679
You're supposed to trust your AR.
00:36:25.840 --> 00:36:27.199
You're supposed to trust your ARs.
00:36:28.159 --> 00:36:29.760
And and he and he did.
00:36:30.000 --> 00:36:34.239
And uh from there, you know, it just went fast, to be honest with you.
00:36:34.480 --> 00:36:37.679
So whatever doubts there were, they got erased real fast.
00:36:37.920 --> 00:36:38.719
It was over quick.
00:36:38.800 --> 00:36:40.400
That was a big quick game.
00:36:40.639 --> 00:36:41.920
Five million on that album?
00:36:42.480 --> 00:36:42.880
Say again?
00:36:43.280 --> 00:36:43.679
What'd you do?
00:36:43.760 --> 00:36:45.280
Five million on the album?
00:36:45.760 --> 00:36:59.599
Uh I actually, it was it was a platinum, it was a platinum single, and by the time he worked, by the time he finished his album, I had I I had already left to do a label deal.
00:37:00.320 --> 00:37:02.320
Oh okay, okay.
00:37:03.199 --> 00:37:03.519
Okay.
00:37:04.079 --> 00:37:05.280
Okay, so tell me about that.
00:37:05.440 --> 00:37:06.719
Tell me about the label deal.
00:37:06.960 --> 00:37:14.079
Um it was uh, you know, I ran into uh I ran into uh Tom Corson.
00:37:14.639 --> 00:37:15.920
Um you probably know Tom.
00:37:16.320 --> 00:37:16.800
You have no Tom?
00:37:17.440 --> 00:37:17.920
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:37:18.159 --> 00:37:26.239
So um, yeah, I had that I had this young female rapper named Sweetie that uh that I was developing at the time with my teen.
00:37:26.400 --> 00:37:30.159
Shout out to Adam Small and Gino the Ghost.
00:37:30.880 --> 00:37:39.440
And uh we um he came up with this record called Icy, based on one of her car raps.
00:37:39.760 --> 00:37:43.280
And uh I went and played that for uh for Tom.
00:37:43.440 --> 00:37:50.159
Tom loved it, and he saw the movement on the video, and so from there, that's how it's that's how it all started.
00:37:50.480 --> 00:37:50.960
Wow.
00:37:51.119 --> 00:37:51.440
Wow.
00:37:51.599 --> 00:37:54.960
So wait, so wait, again, how did you how did you find Sweetie?
00:37:55.199 --> 00:37:56.480
You said somebody just bought it to you?
00:37:57.280 --> 00:37:57.840
No, no, no, no.
00:37:57.920 --> 00:37:59.519
I mean I met her, I met her at a party.
00:37:59.679 --> 00:38:00.480
I just met her at a party.
00:38:00.639 --> 00:38:01.440
Okay, tell me the story.
00:38:01.519 --> 00:38:02.320
Tell me the story, bro.
00:38:02.400 --> 00:38:03.679
Come on, talk to me.
00:38:06.000 --> 00:38:13.199
Yeah, no, it's she's uh, you know, she was um she was at this Puma event with uh some of her friends from USC.
00:38:13.519 --> 00:38:13.840
Okay.
00:38:14.159 --> 00:38:20.079
And uh I was there to check out a girl group that was performing um at the event.
00:38:20.320 --> 00:38:24.719
Uh shout out to Day for uh for the invite.
00:38:25.039 --> 00:38:27.039
Uh he works at MLC now.
00:38:27.280 --> 00:38:27.440
Okay.
00:38:27.760 --> 00:38:29.920
So uh Day uh invited me to the event.
00:38:30.000 --> 00:38:34.400
I was checking out this group, and you know, her sh Sweetie and her friends happened to be there.
00:38:34.880 --> 00:38:37.039
You just saw the Star Quality.
00:38:37.280 --> 00:38:43.599
Yeah, we just got you know, we just got to talking and then you know, a week later, you know, we grabbed the lunch and we just started working.
00:38:43.840 --> 00:38:47.360
It was really that it was that informal, to be honest with you.
00:38:48.000 --> 00:38:50.480
So I see was the first record that we cut.
00:38:50.559 --> 00:38:51.519
Uh cut the studio.
00:38:51.760 --> 00:38:52.639
First record you cut.
00:38:52.960 --> 00:38:53.920
At the studio, yeah.
00:38:54.079 --> 00:38:54.320
Yeah.
00:38:54.639 --> 00:38:55.039
Wow.
00:38:55.199 --> 00:38:59.760
And then uh we shot the we shot the video at uh my friend's house.
00:38:59.920 --> 00:39:02.880
Um and then, you know, we just went from there.
00:39:02.960 --> 00:39:06.559
All the whole team just buckled down and just worked the record.
00:39:06.800 --> 00:39:12.159
And so, you know, to me, that was the that's that was the that's that was part of the new way of doing it.
00:39:12.320 --> 00:39:18.159
Like as a management production company, you really had to step up and be the label.
00:39:18.400 --> 00:39:18.960
Yeah.
00:39:19.199 --> 00:39:19.599
Right.
00:39:19.760 --> 00:39:22.239
So luckily everybody on the team had skills.
00:39:22.400 --> 00:39:27.519
Shout out to Monet Perry and uh Monica Payne and Adam Small.
00:39:27.679 --> 00:39:31.519
We all we all locked arms and uh made it happen.
00:39:31.840 --> 00:39:40.239
So when when you met her, just excuse me, did she want to be an artist, or was it you saying, I think I can make you make you uh kind of make you a star?
00:39:40.639 --> 00:39:44.000
Obviously she had star quality, but like I think it was it was mutual.
00:39:44.159 --> 00:39:47.920
She wanted to be an artist, but didn't have the didn't have the the entree.
00:39:48.079 --> 00:39:48.239
Yeah.
00:39:48.400 --> 00:39:48.960
You know what I'm saying?
00:39:49.119 --> 00:39:53.280
And I had, you know, and I had the I had I had the the team.
00:39:53.440 --> 00:39:57.039
I had the team, the studio, the capital to make it all happen.
00:39:57.119 --> 00:40:00.159
So we just basically teamed up on it.
00:40:00.800 --> 00:40:01.199
Wow.
00:40:01.760 --> 00:40:02.400
It was a good run.
00:40:03.199 --> 00:40:03.440
Wow.
00:40:03.599 --> 00:40:07.440
I didn't I didn't realize that I didn't realize you met her like at a party and I didn't I didn't realize that.
00:40:07.519 --> 00:40:12.000
I thought she was like rapping or whatever, like making demos, like the usual shit.
00:40:12.079 --> 00:40:13.599
I didn't realize it was that informal.
00:40:13.840 --> 00:40:15.760
No, we helped her with the we helped her with the demos.
00:40:16.719 --> 00:40:17.920
The demos were hits.
00:40:18.159 --> 00:40:18.960
Yeah, exactly.
00:40:19.199 --> 00:40:23.280
Exactly the demos were hits, so you have the battle was done, you know?
00:40:23.599 --> 00:40:24.159
Exactly.
00:40:24.400 --> 00:40:25.679
Wow, wow, wow.
00:40:25.840 --> 00:40:32.239
Then that so after that you go to um you start your company while maybe a startup ready, art artistry is what has it already?
00:40:33.039 --> 00:40:35.199
So the labels, the label was artistry.
00:40:35.280 --> 00:40:44.559
We were with Warner for uh three years, then uh I sold the label and then moved over to uh Universal Republic.
00:40:44.800 --> 00:40:46.000
Okay, tell me about that.
00:40:46.559 --> 00:40:51.840
I teamed up with uh well Wendy Goldstein, uh definitely shout out to her.
00:40:52.000 --> 00:40:56.000
She uh she gave me the uh she gave me the deal.
00:40:56.079 --> 00:41:00.960
And we, you know, we we worked for a minute, but then there was a restructuring over at Universal.
00:41:01.360 --> 00:41:08.079
Um so you know it it wasn't as successful as I wanted it to be, but you know, we had a good run there.
00:41:08.400 --> 00:41:09.360
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:41:09.519 --> 00:41:11.519
So tell me what's going on right now.
00:41:11.920 --> 00:41:18.480
Right now, we're we you know we're focused on uh we're focused on being uh the top management company.
00:41:18.559 --> 00:41:20.320
We've got an amazing roster.
00:41:21.119 --> 00:41:24.559
Gavin, Gavin Magnus, who's doing really well.
00:41:24.639 --> 00:41:26.000
Uh he's on Empire.
00:41:26.079 --> 00:41:29.119
We got Shelby Carter, who's on Machine Entertainment.
00:41:29.280 --> 00:41:31.599
She's starting to start in a bubble.
00:41:31.840 --> 00:41:36.559
We've got uh City, a hot RB group named City Limits that are doing great things.
00:41:36.719 --> 00:41:42.320
You know, they they're in business with the NFL, the NBA, and Major League Baseball.
00:41:42.719 --> 00:41:44.719
Sounds like Matthew Knowles shit.
00:41:44.960 --> 00:41:57.280
Yeah, well, you know, yeah, I use some of that, I use some of Matthew's uh you know, because it's you know, it's it's tough to just depend on uh the algorithm, you know what I'm saying?
00:41:58.480 --> 00:42:02.559
Sometimes you gotta go around it, sometimes you gotta use traditional methods, you know.
00:42:02.639 --> 00:42:04.400
There's nothing wrong with TV and radio.
00:42:04.639 --> 00:42:05.119
Not at all.
00:42:05.360 --> 00:42:05.920
You know what I'm saying?
00:42:06.000 --> 00:42:13.440
So sometimes you gotta pivot and then you know you come back to you come back to streaming once you uh once you establish the brand.
00:42:13.679 --> 00:42:14.159
Absolutely.
00:42:14.400 --> 00:42:15.599
So that's so that's what we're doing.
00:42:15.679 --> 00:42:17.039
They're amazing performers.
00:42:17.280 --> 00:42:20.000
You put them in front of anybody, they're out sing anybody.
00:42:20.239 --> 00:42:22.719
So I'm really proud of those guys.
00:42:23.599 --> 00:42:24.320
Two questions for you.
00:42:25.280 --> 00:42:28.000
What do you think um two questions?
00:42:28.159 --> 00:42:33.199
What do you look for in an artist that you or an artist to to bring on to your to your roster?
00:42:33.440 --> 00:42:34.719
Artists are artists.
00:42:34.960 --> 00:42:36.639
And that's the well that's the first question.
00:42:36.800 --> 00:42:37.760
Let's lock in on that.
00:42:37.920 --> 00:42:40.079
What do you is there any particular thing you're looking for?
00:42:40.960 --> 00:42:46.639
I look, yeah, you know what I'll do before I even take on the management client, I gotta rock with them for a little bit.
00:42:46.800 --> 00:42:50.079
I have to see, I have to observe their work ethic.
00:42:50.320 --> 00:42:50.960
You know what I'm saying?
00:42:51.119 --> 00:43:00.079
Because I if without without that, no matter what I do, if they can't if they can't put in the work, it doesn't it doesn't really matter.
00:43:00.159 --> 00:43:04.559
So if that's the case, I'm not gonna make any bread, so there's no point of doing it.
00:43:04.719 --> 00:43:04.880
Yeah.
00:43:06.639 --> 00:43:12.159
So really, so really that's the the most important thing to me is their work ethic.
00:43:12.320 --> 00:43:14.880
Second, I would say is marketability.
00:43:15.440 --> 00:43:26.719
Um third, you know, if they if they if they know what they if they know where they're going musically, cool, but as an AR, I can I can always help them in that area.
00:43:26.960 --> 00:43:27.199
Right.
00:43:27.519 --> 00:43:29.840
So you don't have to come to me with a smash.
00:43:29.920 --> 00:43:32.000
I don't, you know, I can help you find the smash.
00:43:32.159 --> 00:43:32.400
Yeah.
00:43:32.639 --> 00:43:37.039
But uh, you know, if you can't work, I can't make you work.
00:43:37.760 --> 00:43:47.920
I always tell people like a lot of artists say they want it, but then when they get in it, they don't really understand how much hard work it goes to get it, so they don't really want it.
00:43:48.000 --> 00:43:49.840
They kinda want it, but they don't really want it.
00:43:50.079 --> 00:43:58.239
And then there's other artists, so sometimes you'll have these discussions with like, yo, it's so and so, they can't really sing like that, or they don't blah blah blah, or they can't really rap.
00:43:58.480 --> 00:43:59.840
Well, I don't know why they're so big.
00:44:00.079 --> 00:44:03.119
And I'm always saying because they work hard as hell.
00:44:03.519 --> 00:44:04.320
That's why.
00:44:04.559 --> 00:44:05.519
They work hard as hell.
00:44:05.599 --> 00:44:06.960
And they and they really want it.
00:44:07.119 --> 00:44:08.079
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:44:09.280 --> 00:44:11.360
We just have some new additions to the family, too.
00:44:11.440 --> 00:44:14.559
Uh Busy Crook who signed to uh Easy Money.
00:44:14.719 --> 00:44:15.440
Yeah, he's got some.
00:44:15.679 --> 00:44:16.719
Yeah, he's with you guys?
00:44:16.960 --> 00:44:17.599
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:44:17.679 --> 00:44:19.599
We signed on uh a couple of weeks ago.
00:44:19.760 --> 00:44:24.719
We met up we met him, we met him during his Grammy, picking up his Grammys, you know, during that week.
00:44:24.880 --> 00:44:25.119
Yeah.
00:44:25.360 --> 00:44:27.280
And uh he's out here in Miami with me.
00:44:27.360 --> 00:44:30.559
So we uh we locked arms and we're working together.
00:44:30.719 --> 00:44:37.199
And then uh Tricky Stewart uh turned me on to his girl group Horizon, uh, that was just our Star Search.
00:44:37.599 --> 00:44:40.320
Yeah, it was Star Search, they're incredible vocalists.
00:44:40.719 --> 00:44:43.599
Um with Tricky and you, I know what that's gonna be.
00:44:44.000 --> 00:44:45.119
I know what that's gonna be.
00:44:45.199 --> 00:44:50.480
And you know, Sean, me and Sean Baron are are really close too, so I didn't know you had it against people.
00:44:50.639 --> 00:44:51.360
That's dope.
00:44:51.840 --> 00:44:52.320
That's dope.
00:44:52.480 --> 00:44:53.199
That's dope, man.
00:44:53.599 --> 00:44:56.079
So what do you where do you think the business is going now, man?
00:44:56.239 --> 00:44:58.000
Where do you what do you see it going in the future?
00:44:58.079 --> 00:45:00.239
Can you have you kind of figured out anything yet?
00:45:00.480 --> 00:45:10.239
I mean, I the look the the business is gonna be a uh a a mix of uh of real artists and there's gonna be a lot of AR.
00:45:11.119 --> 00:45:12.480
I'm sorry, there's gonna be a lot of AI.
00:45:13.440 --> 00:45:14.320
What do you think about AI?
00:45:14.400 --> 00:45:16.239
Tell me about what do you think about that?
00:45:17.039 --> 00:45:21.119
Um, I mean, I think it's a fan I think it's a really amazing tool.
00:45:21.519 --> 00:45:31.679
Um I think that used in the right way, it can really help you uh save money on your on your recording process.
00:45:31.920 --> 00:45:38.480
It can help you save money on the content side, it can help make your company more efficient.
00:45:39.440 --> 00:45:48.320
Um, you know, as far as the debate, AI artists replacing real artists, I d I really don't think it's competitive to me, honest with you.
00:45:48.400 --> 00:45:50.480
I think they're two separate categories.
00:45:50.639 --> 00:45:58.800
Um I think by have by the the three majors making investments in these AI companies, you know for sure that it's here to stay.
00:45:59.360 --> 00:46:03.199
So if you don't actually dabble in it, you're gonna get left behind.
00:46:03.440 --> 00:46:03.760
Yeah.
00:46:04.000 --> 00:46:11.440
So even though, you know, you might think, you know, it's you know, it's it's gonna hurt talent.
00:46:11.599 --> 00:46:19.760
I mean, in the long run, if you don't, if you don't at least learn it, I think you're gonna put yourself at a disadvantage going forward.
00:46:20.239 --> 00:46:21.119
I agree with you.
00:46:21.280 --> 00:46:24.079
It's it because there's no there's no way around it that keeps it.
00:46:24.239 --> 00:46:24.800
There's no way around it.
00:46:24.960 --> 00:46:25.119
Yeah.
00:46:25.199 --> 00:46:30.000
As soon as the license, as soon as Warner did the Suno deal, I was like, okay, well, it's here to stay.
00:46:31.119 --> 00:46:36.719
Because they're they're viewing AI as a way to uh to to monetize their catalogs first.
00:46:37.199 --> 00:46:37.599
Absolutely.
00:46:37.920 --> 00:46:39.760
So it's here to it's here to stay.
00:46:39.920 --> 00:46:40.239
Absolutely.
00:46:41.119 --> 00:46:44.960
But it's a good opportunity for the for the for the real artists to do that to do their thing.
00:46:45.039 --> 00:46:47.039
Because they're gonna stand out more, in my opinion.
00:46:47.440 --> 00:46:48.079
Yeah, you're right.
00:46:48.239 --> 00:46:48.559
You're right.
00:46:49.280 --> 00:46:52.400
Um before we go, I I do I do have little questions at the end.
00:46:52.480 --> 00:46:53.760
I ask people these three questions.
00:46:53.840 --> 00:46:55.280
So here's it's your turn.
00:46:55.840 --> 00:46:59.599
Give me your three favorite artists in any genre, any whatever.
00:46:59.760 --> 00:47:02.559
It doesn't have to be people you work with, it could be whatever you want it to be.
00:47:02.960 --> 00:47:06.880
My three favorite artists in any genre.
00:47:07.280 --> 00:47:07.599
Stevie.
00:47:08.719 --> 00:47:10.800
Okay Marvin.
00:47:11.679 --> 00:47:12.000
Okay.
00:47:13.039 --> 00:47:13.679
Beyonce.
00:47:14.159 --> 00:47:15.360
Those are three good ones.
00:47:15.519 --> 00:47:16.719
Those are three good ones.
00:47:16.960 --> 00:47:20.960
Since you since you did some movie stuff, give me your three favorite movies.
00:47:21.519 --> 00:47:22.559
Three favorite movies.
00:47:23.360 --> 00:47:24.159
Godfather.
00:47:25.199 --> 00:47:25.440
Okay.
00:47:26.320 --> 00:47:27.360
Scarface.
00:47:28.639 --> 00:47:28.960
Okay.
00:47:30.960 --> 00:47:32.559
Ah, I like that.
00:47:32.960 --> 00:47:33.840
I wasn't expecting that.
00:47:33.920 --> 00:47:35.360
I was thinking something older.
00:47:37.199 --> 00:47:38.639
I don't I think Kugel is dope.
00:47:39.280 --> 00:47:39.679
Oh, yeah.
00:47:40.000 --> 00:47:40.480
He's incredible.
00:47:40.639 --> 00:47:41.760
No, he's incredible.
00:47:42.159 --> 00:47:43.119
Last question.
00:47:43.519 --> 00:47:46.079
Give me your three favorite places in Brooklyn.
00:47:46.400 --> 00:47:49.599
My three favorite places in Brooklyn.
00:47:50.800 --> 00:47:51.840
Parade grounds.
00:47:52.559 --> 00:47:53.840
I used to play baseball there.
00:47:54.159 --> 00:47:54.480
Okay.
00:47:55.199 --> 00:47:56.639
Uh let's see.
00:47:56.960 --> 00:47:58.880
Let's see, let's see, let's see.
00:47:59.360 --> 00:48:01.519
Three favorite spots in Brooklyn.
00:48:01.840 --> 00:48:03.039
It's been a minute, bro.
00:48:03.440 --> 00:48:03.760
I know.
00:48:04.079 --> 00:48:04.400
Let's see.
00:48:04.559 --> 00:48:06.159
I know it'll catch you out there a little bit.
00:48:06.320 --> 00:48:07.760
Oh, you know, we could we can change it up.
00:48:07.840 --> 00:48:08.400
Let me change it up.
00:48:08.480 --> 00:48:09.280
Let me change it up for you.
00:48:09.440 --> 00:48:09.599
All right.
00:48:09.760 --> 00:48:11.840
Give me your three favorite places in Miami.
00:48:12.400 --> 00:48:12.719
Okay.
00:48:13.039 --> 00:48:13.360
Okay.
00:48:13.679 --> 00:48:14.320
Miami.
00:48:14.960 --> 00:48:16.480
Uh South Beach.
00:48:17.360 --> 00:48:18.159
Winwood.
00:48:18.639 --> 00:48:18.960
Okay.
00:48:19.199 --> 00:48:20.320
And downtown.
00:48:20.960 --> 00:48:21.280
Okay.
00:48:22.000 --> 00:48:22.320
Okay.
00:48:23.039 --> 00:48:25.840
What what have you seen change in Miami since you've been there?
00:48:25.920 --> 00:48:27.360
Like how you've been there for a little minute.
00:48:27.440 --> 00:48:28.559
How have you seen it change?
00:48:28.800 --> 00:48:31.679
Oh man, Miami's just Miami's exploding, man.
00:48:31.760 --> 00:48:33.119
The development's crazy.
00:48:33.280 --> 00:48:38.239
Um the state's best basically incentivizing people to move.
00:48:38.480 --> 00:48:41.119
Um, you've got you got no state tax.
00:48:41.760 --> 00:48:45.599
Uh, so you got tons of dope producers moving moving to town.
00:48:45.760 --> 00:48:46.159
Yeah, sorry.
00:48:46.320 --> 00:48:46.480
Yeah.
00:48:46.719 --> 00:48:48.079
You know, you got the Pooh Bears.
00:48:48.320 --> 00:48:49.280
Pooh Bears here.
00:48:49.360 --> 00:48:52.000
You got Dre from Dre and Vidal.
00:48:52.400 --> 00:48:57.280
You got uh you got Hitmaker, you got Rico Love.
00:48:57.679 --> 00:49:00.000
I mean, it's it's Timman's down there, right?
00:49:00.159 --> 00:49:00.719
Timberlin.
00:49:01.360 --> 00:49:03.280
Timberland's out here, yep, yep, yep.
00:49:03.840 --> 00:49:08.639
So, you know, you got, you know, you can get any any type of hit you need, you can get it out here.
00:49:08.800 --> 00:49:09.039
Yeah.
00:49:09.840 --> 00:49:10.320
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:49:10.960 --> 00:49:11.599
Cool, man.
00:49:11.679 --> 00:49:12.800
This was this was fun, man.
00:49:12.960 --> 00:49:13.360
Thank you, man.
00:49:13.440 --> 00:49:13.840
Appreciate it.
00:49:15.519 --> 00:49:20.239
I learned a lot about your career and researching you, and we have all these different kinds of connections.
00:49:20.320 --> 00:49:22.480
And I was like, oh, I didn't know he knows that person too.
00:49:23.679 --> 00:49:24.239
Thanks, man.
00:49:24.320 --> 00:49:24.719
Thanks, man.
00:49:25.679 --> 00:49:27.840
What you didn't know is that we were watching you.
00:49:28.079 --> 00:49:31.199
Because you you had way more credits than me back in the day.
00:49:31.360 --> 00:49:31.920
Yeah, man.
00:49:32.480 --> 00:49:34.239
We were definitely, we were definitely watching you.
00:49:34.320 --> 00:49:35.679
Like, I want to be like Jeff.
00:49:37.440 --> 00:49:38.239
Thank you, man.
00:49:38.320 --> 00:49:39.119
I really appreciate this.
00:49:39.199 --> 00:49:40.079
It's a good time, man.
00:49:40.239 --> 00:49:40.800
It's a good time.
00:49:40.960 --> 00:49:46.079
You can catch Mixed the Mastered on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, or wherever you get your podcast.
00:49:46.480 --> 00:49:49.599
Hit that follow button, leave a review, and tell a friend.
00:49:49.840 --> 00:49:51.599
I'm your host, Jeffrey Sledge.
00:49:51.920 --> 00:49:55.519
Mixed the Mastered is produced and distributed by Merrick Studios.