PMP Regional: Bangladesh - Atlanta/Georgia
How do you feel about "A Milli" dominating the hip hop game right now?
I feel good man, I feel like hard work is paying off.
Since the success of that "A Milli" joint what has the response been from the different A&R's and label executives in regards to the business aspect?
I've been getting a lot more phone calls than usual. Some surprising phone calls that I wasn't expecting to receive out the blue. Because its part of the Lil Wayne movement and it's a platinum selling album in its first week its pretty historical right now...like some kind of TV sitcom on some Young and the Restless type of shit lol. It's pretty overwhelming right now but I just look at it all as a blessing.
Mathew Knowles/Music World Entertainment - CEO/Founder
How is everything going?
I'm out in Los Angeles right now on my way to Japan. I have a compilation album called "Mathew Knowles and Music World Presents Destiny Divas Vol. I" which incorporates not only some of the top Destiny's Child songs but also current records from Beyoncé, Michelle, Kelly, Solange and Lady Lux. The advertising campaign uses those songs to help position those artists' albums that are coming out in the next three months in Japan. Compilations are very big over there.
How does the business approach differ when it comes to the International market as opposed to the U.S.?
Music World has been very fortunate from the beginning 15 years ago when I transitioned from corporate America I already had a broad awareness of the mulit-national and worldwide approach. So we've been very fortunate with Destiny's Child, , Kelly, soon to be Michelle and Solange that we've sold and still continue to sell more records outside of America than we do inside of America. That surprises most people because we have been very successful in America but we're even more successful outside of America so our focus is equally and in some cases even more outside of America.
PMP Regional: Youngfyre - Des Moines/Iowa
Iowa is usually not one of the first places that comes to mind when one thinks about hip hop and R&B. School us to the scene out there and what it was like for you coming up as a producer
Well, Des Moines, Iowa definitely isn't what most people would think. For the most part it's the same as any other city, only on a minor scale. One of the advantages of living in a place like this is that it's easy to stay focused on your craft. In most other cities, I may have gone a different route with my life, but being here allowed me to stay on the right path, and focused on my goals. There's crime, clubs, and drugs just like everywhere else, you're just not surrounded by it. That along with my strong mind kept me right. I've never touched a drug or alcohol, not even marijuana. On the downside, grinding is ten times harder here than most places, that can present a huge problem, that's why I invest a lot in traveling to network. I also take it as a blessing, because I have the opportunity to put my city on the map, the way Nelly did Saint Louis. And I'm very thankful for that.
Ian Holder/BMI - Associate Director Writer Publisher Relations
What are your current duties at BMI?
My duties are to find writers and producers we feel can have a promising future in the music business and then make sure they're situated correctly with our organization. I'm also involved with the different events and functions to help promote the BMI brand and what services our company provides. It's about creating avenues to bring in dope talented writers and help guide them in their careers and fill any voids they might miss.
Who are some of the more established writers that are currently members of BMI?
You have T.I., T-Pain, Lil Wayne, Yung Joc, Sean Garrett, Michael Jackson, Fat Joe, Lil Jon, Mariah Carey, Snoop Dogg, Chris Brown, Kanye West, Rodney Jerkins and the list goes on. We definitely feel like the people we have are definitely the ones making the big waves in the business both in the past and present.
Jullian Andres Boothe/Slip-N-Slide - Sr. VP of A&R
THE FOLLOW UP
How's everything been going since the last interview?
I've been blessed man. Rick Ross debuted with the #1 album in the country and we got a #1 album with Trina on the Hip Hop Charts. We also got a big record on the from Plies so everything's been good.
Congrats on that. Have there been any signings to the label we should know about?
Yea we have a new R&B/Pop artist signed to the label by the name of Qwote. We did a joint venture with Jive Records through the label he's signed to which is Final Cut.
