CHARLIE ROSE INTERVIEW

JD 86 Comments 0 likes


THIS IS FOR ALL YOU UP AND COMING EXECS HOW DO YOU FEEL AFTER SEEING THIS? I SAW THIS ON REALTALK AND IT DIDN’T HAVE MANY COMMENTS AND I WONDER WHY? THE MOST INTERESTING THING TO ME THAT HE SAYS IS THAT HE ALMOST FEELS LIKE HE SHOULDN’T HAVE TAKEN CLIVE’S JOB THE WAY HE DID.

Tags: ,
Share This Post
Have your say!
00
86 Comments

  1. I think the reason for the lack of comments and possibly lack of interest is that everybody wants to shine, but very few want to put in the work. I am a student of greatness because greatness never overtook anyone by accident, it is something that is achieved by a mindset. Many people may find a conversation with Charlie Rose to be “boring”, but a true student of greatness would be grateful to have the privilege to hear a dialogue between two great men. Success leaves clues, and on the hunt for success, you must follow the clues that have been left by great men like LA Reid and Clive Davis, who was mentioned in the interview, and of course you JD, who have remained successful and relevant through all the trends in such a trendy business.

    -edw

  2. I hate him for what he did to Janets Discipline album. Janet deserves so much better. Glad she left!!! I think it would be a good idea, if Janet, just completes the album she wants to make 100%. and THEN offer it to a label.

  3. This is one of the very rare candid dialogues that you could have posted on here. I’m shocked that I may be one of few to comment on this post. Especially at a time in music where it is becoming more evident that the label exec position is very dynamic yet chaotic. Just to hear LA talk about the struggles at Arista and his vision of certain talents just inspires me regardless. It reinforce that the music industry is a business and it’s a dog eat dog environment. His journey from so-so (no pun) musician to developing a nack for talent and assising in the process definitely is important today. Everybody sees a JD, Puff, Clive, or whomever and thinks the shit is easy to get popping but it’s a hard working process to get on the aforementioned level of success. This post was very interesting and inspiring. Keep pushing out that food for thought!!!! Live.Learn.Laugh…Living The Life!

    I’m a Lifer!!!

  4. He said you have to be honest about your talent? ……………Okay, LA. He should try that sometime.

  5. MAAAAAN! Fuck LA Reid he is the fucking devil! JD you know what im talking about. R.I.P to my cousin SHAKE like i said again FUCK A LA REID.

  6. FUCK LA REID !!!!! he jacked up my sister Janet’s DISCIPLINE project just like he jacked up TLC, TONI
    BRAXTON career !!! God don’t like ugly & his time is coming !!!! He didn’t have the decency to return your phone calls JD regarding work & business while you were associated with the label !!!!!!!

    LA=DROP DEAD !!!!!!!!

  7. You have to respect that LA Ried knew he would make a better exe then a musician. Look around people, some people no matter how many times they flop can admit it and then on top of that those same people will not help anybody else. This interview really did nothing for me, I already knew the history. When LaFace was on Peachtree St he was doing a lot better then when he became the president to Arista.

    The music business is going through a transformation. All the Old heads need to clear out to make room for the new people in this digital age. If you have ever recorded on a 2 inch reel, you should consider retiring!! People are not buying records anymore because the music is not entertaining anymore. LA is not connected to the street anymore and that’s the big problem. JD seems to be more connected which is a good thing, but this is a people business not just a talent business. The people that can motivate and move people will win in the end. This is not the time to stay in your circle, it’s the time to reach out to new people.

    My goal is to be an executive so this video was very important to me. Thanks for sharing it.

    SPOCK

    Nelly in the Ocean??? Is Nelly even relevant any more? Are we going back to the past or going to the future? Bad move JD.. You might as well have gotton Kilo or Rhyme the Dream!!! What’s the difference????

  8. i don’t know la but i do have an respect for whatever he did but the shady shit that went on with laface was just to much for me and then def jam just to much for me but at the end i do give credit wherever credit i do in this situation lol

  9. I think it was a very interesting interview. I think the most real thing he said was being able to know your talents and understanding what your place is. I do not think anything is wrong with someone testing the water’s to see if they have the ability to do more than what they are currently doing . However let’s say you are a producer then you want to become a executive. With no executive experience. If it does not work then maybe being a executive is not the path that person should take. They should stick to what they do best and maximize that. It’s like a executive who all of a sudden want’s to be a producer. It’s almost impossible to do both in this industry because at a certain level of being a executive it take’s away from the time it takes to be a top notch producer. If you have noticed there are plenty of former and key word FORMER producer’s who have turned out to be incredible CEO/President’s. However 99.9% of them gave up being a producer for a living. You carry those skill’s over to being a Exec but you can not succeed at a level that is expected when you have one foot in the studio and one foot in the office. One of them is going to suffer if not both!!

  10. @SPOCK Damn u went in on Nelly’s position as an OCEAN Boy…Hahaha. Wow. What was confusing to me was that how the fuck did TYRONE (The Help) get in the crew. Totally confused by that too. JD I would like to encourage you to revamp the OCEANS positions man. Bow-Wow is so relevant to this movement homie. You need a young cannon on the team. TYRONE is not it!!! Start from scratch my dude. Hahaha.

  11. LA had a great run, but i think he’s done now. and thats cool, cause he’s old. this is a young persons business. anyone over 50 really has no business sayin what kids should listen to. he talks about his ears, but i could name a lot of examples recently where his ears are not good. bad signings, bad single choices. i dunno, for me its easy to hear hits. these days its easier then ever cause most hits sound the same, u can tell in 2 listens if a song gonna work or not. not sayin what i personally like, but if its gonna be a hit on the radio. when i’m 50+ i probably won’t be able to tell either, but right now its easy. to me LA’s exec career look like this. outkast, usher, pink, TLC, Ciara. he still eatin off those great years. he aint really done shit since he got to idj. rihanna wasnt his signing, kanye wasnt his, mariah wasn’t his signing, the killers was there already…i mean who he really signed? dream is hot but he only signed him cause he the hottest writer who gave him umbrella. they fucked up janets record, fucked up mariahs last record, fucked luda’s whole career up, fucked up jeezys record, the list goes on. hes not a smart business man, hes a record man. but now that gone whats left other then goin on charlie rose and tryin to save his job by boostin his profile and talkin slick?

  12. R&B——> http://www.LeVarThomas.com

  13. I wouldn’t have seen this interview, had you not posted it. I don’t go to the website you mentioned, and Charlie Rose is aired after midnight on PBS where I live. I stopped watching any part of a Charlie Rose show when The Tavis Smiley show stopped airing after it.

  14. @4lifeEnt215, no one could have worded that response bettter than you did. I read the other responses and felt as though i going through the twilight zone. It’s a business ppl and it gets grimmy and ugly. It’s survival of the fittess. I just watched making the band last night and then listening to L.A made me realize that music execs have to make decisions that’s best for their brand and for their career as well. I can’t judge L.A for his business moves and I may have done the same thing had i been in his position. Music is from the heart, but the business aspect of it is w/o one. One Love!

  15. fuck LA REID. FUCKING DEVIL [LIFER FOR LIFE]LFLLFLLFLLFLLFLLFLLFLLFLLFLLFLLFLLFLLFLLFLLFLLFLLFLLFL

  16. @ Spock. Sorry your comments are so irrelevant! First you commend L.A on his attributions to the music industry and then you diss. Then you say that the post was nothing to you and then at the end of your post you say it was….dude are you okay?

  17. interesting parts:
    great artist, good song = 25 year career. That was pretty obvious……although I’d dis-agree, its GREAT ARTIST, GREAT SONG = 25 year career.

    plus the comments of searching out the talent. to me it sounded like; someone finds the talent (JD) then he wants the artist and has no ability in truly crafting this artist, cause he’s all business…..$$$$ is what he see’s.

  18. He needs to humble himself.

  19. La reid has very old school ideas…he doesnt seem open to other ppl’s opinions or new ideas..I respect him for what he has accomplished but i dont like the way he did Janet!

  20. You know! I couldn’t even watch the whole interview because I am truly disappointed with his actions with Janet’s album. There was no promotion. The album went to number one in the first week. How do you not want to promote a #1 album??? Didn’t he pretty much beg Janet to sign on the label? L.A. Reid has a bad track history with Toni Braxton and TLC so I’m surprised that Janet left Def Jam. His principles are a little fucked up.

  21. Okay, I do not have time now to watch this video but I do hope to see it judging from the comments that have been left. I have no desire to be a music exec but I am interested in the entertainment industry from a behind the scenes perspective so I look forward to seeing this and other videos and articles relating.

    Oh and lol @ the dude going in on Nelly. I think it is good that the Oceans isn’t a “popularity’ contest and is just the people that JD is cool with and deals with on a regular basis. That makes it more fun to watch their interactions. And I can’t wait for the mixtape.

  22. first of all u guys are FUCKIN RETARDED for sayin fuck la reid for janet. LA DIDNT FUCK UP HER ALBUM HER SHIT WAS TRASH TO BEGIN WITH. U CAN PROMOTE DA HELL OUT AN ALBUM BUT IF ITS STILL TRASH NIGGAZ AINT GON BUY IT! its easy to blame the man in charge but the arist needs some blame too. this guy signed usher pink OUTKAST etc etc give him some props PLUS HE IS HUMBLE U DICKHEADS

  23. Ok…so in response to Spock…Nelly is more relavent than u are so at this point ur opinion on him becoming something u wont….is not desired no required. For the simple reason that the OCEANS are a collection of MEN. Which…im not too sure u are.

    Moving forward.

    La…maybe he should try and bring bk peebles…LMAO…na that was a joke.
    But honestly i dont like him. I am a HUGE Janet fan. And people tend to point fingers in the wrong direction when they talk about the relationship that Janet and la had. I dont totally blame la totally for the discipline bs…although i loved the album…and the tour. But i kind of put some of the blame on janet for trying to fix something that wasnt broke. I think she should learn about the 80/20 rule. But i dont like la for the simple reason that when discipline returned the numbers it did, lA thru jd and janet under the bus…when in fact he should of had his FAT ASS SON runnin behind that motha.

    LA talkin some he has an ear….maybe he does…but he also needs a nose to smell that bullshit commin outta his mouth. If i was clive i wouldnt of even wasted my time….like clive is the shit…hands down…. I think clive should of left and took all the artist he used them good ears to hear with him.

    A this point LA is insignificant. And JD i have to say i admire u. Bcuz u could be a “nigga” and slam this man…i mean smear his shitty ass name all over the industry…..but thats not very “OCEANS” like at all. But u havent. And that takes a lot considering the things that he himself has said about u. And there is no direction for u but UP….and i need u to atleast slam la one time….jus tell him to kiss yo ass as u continue to rise to the top lol.

    LOL and tell Janet that i said…she need to keep jammin wit jimmy….lol…abd also maybe she can try and go bk to Virgin and bring them outta of a upcoming bankruptcy….janet left and Virgin went south….
    And also JD…i wanna invite to the wedding….lol…

    Tell all the Oceans…i said wassup and tell Dondria i need some more music…cuz im officially a fan…

    Mr_Knottoway…..

  24. Well this is only my opinion and I people don’t take it the wrong way, this guy rubs me the wrong way. To me it seems he has a motive behind what he does. I do in a way agree with Spock the music business is going though a transformation, but not with the “Old Heads clearing out”. If any is going into this business or already in it should take it upon themselvs to stay current with whats out there.

  25. LA Reid seems like he always wants to be in control! In control of everything! From the production, to the set list and beyond. That it seems to me like the artist loses full control of their content. Hmm, Janet comes to mind! The music business is in shambles! Time for LA to bow out gracefully and let someone else take his postion. He tanked Arista and his soon gonna tank Def Jam like Jay-Z did. He puts his money on people that have already been sucking the game dry! Why do you think he signed Janet Jackson? He saw $$$ signs. He obviously doesn’t know how the music business goes and he’s the f–king chairman of a record company. Oh and the reason why he wished he didn’t take Clive’s position is because he’s friends with Clive. He felt he hurt Clive by taking his position. Because Clive was let go due to ageism. But hey! he became the chairman again after LA screwed things up! This interview only showed me that with a smart mouth anyone can become an executive. Thanks for posting!

  26. how come no one is saying anything about B. Cox being inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame?

  27. jd i want to ask You not if you were LA reid but you being jermaine dupri and Arista came to you wanting to replace CLIVE WOuLd yoU take that position?

  28. one of the major issues in the whole game is, everybody is making our game scientific. music is art, you cant say jayz is better than soulja boy. simply , the kids who bought a million soulja boy album prob never bought jayz & the million who bought jayz prob never bought soulja boy. majority of the hip hop world is urban, black america. and we simply hate each other. everybody bases there life & decissons on competition. the faster we learn all this shit is about self satisfaction & not what other people think. most big song writers, producers, promotions people, exc’s etc win because they’re willing to take a chance with the heart & gut. jd you’re gonna be back on top, yea i said it, jd will be back on top

  29. @4LifeEnt215…Yeah Nelly… I didn’t want to mention the fact that JD TURNED NELLY DOWN TOO…when he was trying to get on!!! And now they are boys!!! That’s funny…

    That’s TLC, Outkast, The Dream, Luda,,,the list goes on and on of the people that JD slept on…..JD should have been eating off 80% of the black music that came from Atlanta from the last 15 years.. But I am just on the outside looking in. Oh yeah, JD thinks I’m angry… Nope just keeping it real…

    JD let me run So So Def for 6 months..No Salary, Ill work for free… The underdog with something to prove is going to work 5 times harder!! Holla at me..

    I like Tyrone in the Oceans, dude seems to keep it real. JD needs somebody around him to keep it real. Who checks JD? Besides sound scan? LOL If you are going to get throw back niggas like Nelly, you might as well get MC Hammer. No matter what, you have to respect Hammer!! That nigga was signed to Death Row and was giving advice to 2 Pac. Follow him on Twitter, he seems very grounded. Hammer in the Oceans….yeah that’s the ticket…..LOL

    SPOCK

  30. That interview – and someone like LA – would have actually been more relevant 10 years ago than today. The reality seems to be that unless you have a full fledged radio hit – earned on the artist’s merits and efforts, not the label’s – your label and execs like LA Reid ‘may’ start to pay attention. Yeah, he will take a Karina or someone like and make subtle attempts at developing her, but she will fade away just in time for college. The internet celebrity model is proving to not be viable, artist development is non-existent, so it seems that LA’s job is sit back and wait for one of the artists that they have made a half-hearted commitment to by signing them to catch a hit, then mobilize the PR machine to take credit. I mean… JD, what was his contribution to your Usher and Mariah hits, other than the executive head bobs when he listened to it?

    I meet amazing talents all of the time – all looking to get signed. I don’t have the heart to tell them that it will be the end of their career, not the beginning. Because before you get signed, you are always grinding and on the rise. Once you are signed, there is really only one way to go for 99.99999% of all artists – down and out. Sure you are entitled to talk a big game, but everyone knows there is no money there. It is sad. I told one kid the other day… you are an amazing songwriter and mc, but I hope you can act too. Bow is probably thinking the same thing right about now.

    The key for these young aspiring MCs and execs is to monetize their grind in some way, monetize their personality and presence, and you certainly don’t need LA for that. Not in 2009. Take your talents to a big ad agency who is clueless about your culture. $100,000+ a year in your pocket is more than a whole lot of artists. I am trying to start a movement… redirect all of this talent to and creativity to a place that could really use it, and nurture it, develop it, and actually enable talent to see the light of day.

  31. LA REID is slick with how he mentions but when i look at LA REID he doesn’t have what kevin liles , jimmy iovine , lyor cohen has and looking back he destroyed arista he reminds me of robert mugabe and kanye west was found by damion dash i think babyface was te force behind arista man , i don’t like la ried

  32. i mean la face records but La ried is not smart his like edgar brofman def jam is not the same like when lyor and kevin ran it , even he messed up arista thats why they shut it down like his fowl him and sylivia rhone

  33. like music companys emi , edgar brofman , vivendi and close down theres no need for them like every body has excess to the resources to create and distrubute music , i got the killer company sorry look out in july i am going to put alot of these people out of business we taking music back to the people im sorry jd

  34. but every body needs to eat equally

  35. spock you’re dead ass wrong about nelly. dude is an incredible song writer & he’s the realist nigga in the rap game. you aint never heard one of them derrty ent niggas talking about they broke. that nigga nelly is a real mf when it comes to music & family (we all we got). we gotta stop trying to measure people on sales & stats. #’s may not lie, but a lot goes into making a project work & a project fail. it aint always the music or the artist either. bow wow & nelly suffered from the same shit, wrong 1st singles. sound scan & bloggers fuck up a lot of shit because theyre both the new critics & analyst for hip hop. a nigga dont have a shot. this is why niggas gotta put all this personal shit to the side, stop blaming other niggas & all the real niggas get together & play their position. when jd wanted a radio show, i didnt say you’re a producer & an exc you cant have an hour on my show, i said cool. too many niggas trying to box other niggas out. by the time we figure it all out, it’ll be too fuckin late. i ask this again, did dr king jr die a millionaire, how much is your legacy worth?

  36. It’s far too easy to say such and such “slept” on an artist.

    If market conditions are all pointing to X being the next thing, why would you take a gamble on Y? Not too mention, too many label overstretch themselves by signing to many artists without having the channels in place to promote and market them properly.

    I respect L.A but he is sadly a card carrying member of the same folks that churn out the same cookie cutter artist, same beats, and the same playlists that get played over and over on radio stations across the nation.

  37. The reason why he said he wished you never took Clive’s job is because he felt like he betrayed him by taking his spot since they are friends. BMG let Clive go because he was aging. Ageism and racism is quite profound in America. But LA’s dumbass got Arista in debt because he was blowing money on artists that don’t sell. He’s a f–king dick rider! He’s too busy sucking Jay-Z’s balls rather then doing his job! and to the people saying they hate LA because of what he did to Janet’s album. Get the f–k out of here! Janet is the one that sung about CONTROLLLL! Janet should’ve taken control of her own damn career! She should’ve known better then to go to a record label! Especially how Virgin records did her with the All for You album and 20 Y.O. album. She should’ve just went independent! Like Prince. Record labels are pretty pointless once you pass the 20 year mark in the music biz. They are just looking for fresh faces to be the next Michael and Janet Jackson. FRESH faces!

  38. @ashbee….SLEPT…Do you understand that Oatkast is considered to be the best rap group in history, we are talking about Grammy winners… TLC…How big are they??? And JD worked on their (TLC) albums so he had to know the potential. Sometimes you can’t see the forest for looking at the trees. If I am always looking in the mirror I can’t see the millions of dollars right beyond the reflection…

    That is why I want to see some new blood in Oceans. Get some new niggas right off Candler Rd. Get a Mexican or a white boy or a white chick, get a big girl to work with B Cox……just something new…….

    Spock

  39. Wow interesting Video….

    La Reid seem to take things a little personal it seem to me he was saying nothing…then saying a whole in subminal way.

    Anywho…

    My personal opinion you have to totally love music to have ear for it.

    Yes, I think La was rather “sly” about how he took Clive job…he wasn,t nice about. I am pretty sure Clive was peeve when it all went down. (KARMA A B*TCH now lay in it) La will have his day on that..issue alone.

    I do however believe that Younger generation will have to be more involve in Digital age of music. Promotion,concerts, etc….will all have to shift to a digital format..or get left behind.

    People like you JD can start the new ERA of musicial promotions and marketing….. You have to listen to the options that are out there to push music back to the limelight.
    Just look at Concerts sales people are not going anymore….you basically selling your tickets for free. There should be someone out there thinking….Let me do a concert online or Pay-per view….see how things go. Sometime you have to take a risk to see if you can get people to catch on.

  40. Waz up..JD…?
    I heard u had a beef wit him…so I understand why you post this video…lol but anyway I feel like if he wanted this semi ego trippin confession to be well done…he should admit that he made some bad buisness move these last year…what I’m sayin is how can a CEO like him can mess a promo for janet’s last album (u got like 5 global hits in it)…I’m from Geneva so let me tell u the album didn’t even been played well in radio…so it means that the label DID NOT DONE THE JOB AS IT SUPPOSED so who’s the boss of the label?? U know the name…

  41. All I have 2 say is L.A. Reid slept on Nelly and I know he is kicking himself in the ass for not believing in T.I.!!!!!!!!!!! THat shit he did with you J.D. Was bogus 2. And he kills me acting like he believed in KAnye west. He did not believe in KANYE WEST! Jay-z did not discover KAnye west. J.D. GAVE KANYE WEST HIS FIST PLACEMENT SO IN A SENSE EVEN THOUGH NO I.D. GROOMED KANYE. J.D. GAVE HIM HIS FIRST MAJOR PLACEMENT. JAY-Z DID NOT EVEN BELIEVE IN KANYE. KANYE PAID FOR THE VIDEO AND PROMOTION OF THROUGH THE WIRE. L.A. DID NOT BELIEVE IN KANYE.

    LA IS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO BASE HIS OPINIONS OFF POPULAR OPINION . HE DOES NOT GO AGAINST THE GRAIN.
    FOR HIM 2 LIE IN THE INTERVIEW LIKE THAT SICKINS ME
    WHAT ALSO KILLS ME IS HOW HIS SUN THINGS HE’S AN EXEC OR A7R NOW? DOES HE KNOW’S TALENT?
    ITS ALL BULLSHIT.
    J.D. DO A YOUTUBE VID ABOUT THIS SUBJECT PLEASE…..

  42. Life is all about knowing your strengths and staying in your lane. Seems like LA got that down. But you also gotta keep ya karma in order.

    Wow @ this conversation switching from LA Reid and Exec’s to Nelly and Tyrone and their positions in the Oceans. But since we talking about that let me just say this, I think some of yall dont understand why the Oceans were formed. Its JD and HIS circle of friends. NOT WHO YOU WANT IN IT. This aint MF American Idol or Pick my new BFF. Get the fuck outta here! LOL Man I see why JD calls you a hater Spock. You always on some other shit! lol but hey do you!

  43. well i did actually watch the interview the whole way through and i’m feelin the part about a great artist with a good song and a good artist wit a great song… that was pretty interesting…. twitter @JayBAPE

  44. I never really like LA Reid. I am a huge fan of TLC, Toni Braxton… basically most artist that was on LaFace and most if not all of them got screwed over or career isn’t as big as it should be, that’s why I really didn’t like him.

    Most of his artist he bragging about were already known prior to being with him, I hope all artist learn not to put your whole career in the hands of one person, its up to them to make sure things everything is going right and if not make sure they address it early before it becomes huge issue.

  45. @Kandi ,, Oh I am sorry, I didn’t know the Oceans was just a circle of JD’s friends, I thought it was just going to be a group of the best niggas around put together by JD. I didn’t know, did he ever say what the Ocean crew was? But it don’t matter, them niggas are funny, I watch them on youtube to start my day off and they are entertaining. I won’t talk about Nelly yall just stop talking about my nigga Tyrone.. And I am not a hater, I am just keeping it real. Yall talking about me hating but let me see how many of JD’s projects that you went to the store and purchased… I bet I purchased over 80 percent of them. So if JD can have about 1 million haters like me I bet he will be happy..

    SPOCK

  46. YOU NEED A MIXTURE OF OLD, YOUNG OLD, AND NEW… WITH TOO MUCH NEW YOU GET , NO DISRESPECT, TOO MANY STANKY LEGS AND SOULJA BOYS. I DON’T WANT TO HEAR THAT ALL DAY…

    PEOPLE JUST NEED TO TALK THINGS OUT AND SUPPORT EACH OTHER. NOT FEAR ONE ANOTHER.

  47. …….idk…..Idk

  48. Beyonce being a big movie star my ass he was being so fake right there. I couldn’t even watch it anymore. LA know he has negative feelings about some artist he wasn’t keeping it real in that interview. I’m done! Like I said before the faker you are the more successful are. That’s the way it is in the industry now. And yes he was crazy wrong for how he did Janet’s album he doesn’t know what talent is anymore.

  49. I think this interview was a bit more personal.. like based on L.A’s experiences in the industry. Not so much industry news/facts or what’s upcoming. That’s why there’s really not much to comment on. However, I did find his commentary on the whole Clive Davis “replacement” at Arista really interesting. He seems to be genuine though. I would have liked to see more conversation about what he is going to do as an executive to adjust to the digital age, and what plans he may have/see coming for the music industry’s future. Even if it were vague, it’d still be interesting. Hey! JD, you should do a “bidness” blog sometime soon, with your thoughts!

  50. I thought it was an interesting interview. I’m senseing from alot of the comments that something has happened between JD and Reid and i feel kinda stupid for not knowing what it is.

    But regardless, L. A. made is choice and he has to live with the consquences. He’s not making that big of a difference any way because have of the people who they Protrayed to be his own finds (basically) are on because of others. Rihanna- because of Jay Kanye- Because of Jay. Mariah’s back on top because of JD and pretty sure the rest are where there at because of others as well.

    But like someone already said. You have to respect Reid because he did what he felt he was convicted to do.

    On the Oceans dicussion going on.
    JD has the right people in it. There HALIRIOUS!!!

  51. @Spock
    Hate is ok sometimes…well actually its not…i do it for shits and giggles. my friends call me the queen of the haters…so i know my peoples, and you are one of my peoples. LOL You talkin bout replace Nelly with Hammer…thats just crazy talk! lol

  52. I’m just a fan of music but I have some business experience. It seems to me the biggest mistake the industry made is let all these other businesses create empires off their product. Whether it’s MTV or BET, Apple, Youtube, or other online sites. They didn’t try get an piece of these business at a startup standpoint. They are only now starting to ask for theses type deals with other businesses. The second thing is the whole conglomeration of the radio, tv, print, and music industry. So you have billion dollar companies dealing with other billion dollar companies which means everything cost way more than it should to promote because billion dollar companies don’t deal in small numbers. This mean that people can’t really risk take like they use to because if you are wrong the losses are really big and it also means that in order to win you have to win big. The thing I never understood about the music industry is why don’t major labels just go buy a TV network together and make it like the old MTV.

  53. I got lost after he said Jay-Z was the Frank Sinatra of our generation. No Jay-Z is just Jay-Z, and Sinatra is Sinatra.

    Beyonce being a movie star, is bs. Its that type of executive thinking that’s holding us back. She hasn’t been in any blockbusters and that’s what makes a movie star. She’s alright, but there are better actresses that could be playing those roles. She was good as Etta James, though. But she’s really just a name.

    On to LA Reid, it just seems anyone in or put into a position of power in the entertainment industry has to be cut throat, I don’t see any other way around it. LA didn’t create this dynamic. Artists & execs have been getting f’ed in the a** since it became about making money and its a constantly revolving door. Its up to the individual to hold their integrity in check and not sell their soul for a dollar.

    Plus labels lost their credibility when they stopped grooming their artists. You found a diamond in the rough and dusted it off, smoothed the rough edges, and made them sparkle & shine. Now they want microwave artists, just heat and serve. That’s not longevity and that’s not long term money.

    We’re in a time when you don’t need labels like we used to and that independent just may be the best option for some. Even one of those mega deals like Madonna & Snoop have for the superstars of our generation are an option.

    It pains me to see so many people holding on to the dream of working for a label or being signed by one, its just not like it used to be, the chances get smaller by the day. But there is a whole new window of opportunity in this digital age that a lot of people are not taking advantage of.

  54. We all know about L.A and his grimeyness. Bitchassness is not becoming on a man. I am not with that stay in you lane bullshit. I can’t imagine if MLK or Malcom had just stayed in their lanes. What if Barack had stayed in his? Fuck THAT!
    What if JD and Puffy had just kept on dancing in videos and never stepped outside the box and said I want to be the BOSS?! LOL (LFL) Thank God they love music!

    I believe that you can go where you heart and hard work can take you. Music has brought us as a people through some of the harshest tragedies, biggest triumphs, coldest winters, and sexiest summers.

    However, it is changing as the younger generation moves in with the digital age. Nothing wrong with that but, the game is changing so fast and everyone is so desperate to stay relevant that everything is starting to sound the same in the industry. When you get a chance to be presented with something fresh, people call it bullshit because it sounds different than what they hear every five minutes on a radio.
    Music is a love affair and those of us that are in love with sound and the way it is placed together strategically to make your ass hit the floor and wild out or grind, ( We don’t grind in the club no mo’) and those of us who still have to pull out something from the 60’s or the 70’s when it’s time to tear that thang down, We strugglin………. BITCHES IN THE BACK BOUNCIN!!!!!!!!!

    Holla Twitter@Jackolantern80

  55. like they say dont brake that bridge because you never know when you have to cross dat bridge again. Wow i here a blame game going on. But you have to say to the one’s that been there done that make way for the new new. But like i say watch out because the new new is coming anyway even if the door get broken down where ur nt going to be able to put that motha fucka up again. We are coming so get the last of yall bread while yall can. This is not directed toward jd just to clear things up nor his circle i just love me some B. cox and so so humble intynational. just some little advise to industry heads.

  56. LA Reid Has had some amazing success and introduced the world to wonderful artist like Outkast, Usher, Toni Braxton, TLC, & Pink to name a few. The Laface era made a huge contribution to music, not just as a label, but the production company as well. Some of the music that was written is timeless. That was then, this is now. His transition to a major label executive has been controversial, twice (Arista & Def Jam). Neither of his situations was handled well. With Arista it looked as if he were slapping Clive in the face & stabbing him in the back. I guess it’s not what you do it’s how you do it. Hind site is 20/20, I wonder if he had to do it again would he, or was it really about power at that time. His take over of Def Jam was a surprise to me, I thought Kevin Liles was going to have that position & rightfully so. I question LA’s leadership their, like Meth says Def don’t Jam no more. The marketing & promotions departments are poor, song selections & 1st single choices & release dates are suspect. Luda & Kanye should have never been released at the same time. It seems like once the albums are released the projects are abandoned & left to move on their own. What happened to Nas, Janet, Jezzey, Method Man, Red Man, Ghost Face, Brutha & just about every other album released?

    His honesty about his skill set was refreshing & more people in the industry need to reaccess their skill set, priorities & focus. There are so many executives who want to be in the forefront, which is taking the focus off finding, developing, promoting & marketing artist. We need more executive who are willing to play the back and be the man/woman behind the machine.

  57. JD, did you really post 58 minutes? How can LA say he wants people to be honest about their talent? He was talking to hear himself talk…if you’re an artist or aspiring artist there’s a chance you see something in you that not everyone see’s…..you believe in yourself even if no one else does…exactly how it should be……I believe in myself and will prosper!

  58. I hate how he and def jam shitted all on janet and JD Discipline was her best CD period. I felt the energy from the first single this could have been her return to the planet janet! i also loved what JD did with 20 y o so I know he is worth more than what LA gave him. JD has just as much of a track record as LA.

  59. DON’T 4GET THAT L.A. DIDN’T BELIEVE IN USHERS SONG “YEAH” HE THOUGHT LIL JON WOULD MAKE HIM LOOK BAD. THAT SONG WAS THE BIGGEST SONG USHER EVER HAD!!!!!

  60. LA Reid suck he did Mrs. JD death wrong he sucks like weed and no rolling paper

  61. What a doushbag, it’s dripping all over him. I hope Mariah will leave Island too. Janet and Mariah deserve much better.

  62. Honestly people are smashing LA Reid for what? He’s a smart business man and person. Young people think they can run the music business. Which I feel the voice of the young is desperately needed. But people fail to realize that you have to be smart and intelligent too. This man is Harvard educated and has been in the business to gage success and failure. You need experience first so work hard and don’t ask people for shit. Make your own presence and if you have it you have it and if you don’t you just don’t..

    Keep it real with yourself. JD knows what he’s doing but he can’t do it all. No person in this world can do it all except Jesus!

    Long live LA Reid….Long live digital.

    PS: I feel you young artist have it too easy. I remember I had to dig in the crates and sample each of my kicks, snares, hi hats and what ever sound I needed to make a song. Now people can just download a rack of sounds that took me years to build. I think that’s why a lot of artists are sounding the same. No creativity exists like it did when people recorded on 2 inch reels.

    By the way Timbaland, JD Jay Z, Will.I.Am and DR.Dre recoreded on 2 inch reels….. mr. spock.

  63. Before I speak about La let say a few about Nelly.. It’s ok if Jd put Nelly in the Oceans, He a good dude
    As far as his music, I don’t fuck with either but that’s because he has became too predictable.. Give you a club song that I never hear in the clubs then some cheezy as song for the ladies. But that’s Jd’s boy so he is in the Oceans then
    He’s in the Oceans.

    Now to La Reid, I don’t know. A lot of artist have cried foul against. Is his ears really that golden of is is the fact he had over
    The years SHAKE, DALLAS, JD, RICO,DAMN IT EVEN PEBBLES (who brought him TLC) to supply his demand for top talent.
    .I do remember when LA was bragging about what he was gonna do with Janet then all of sudden the talk as well as
    The promo stop. Now Janet is a mega star but if your label is suppose to do they half, how do you bounce back
    Iif they stop promo while you out promoting. I call that bullshit… Now I’m not joining the knock La team but
    Foul is foul… He hasn’t done shit since he been at Def Jam and that is a fact…

  64. listen to the king album, ti says it in a verse, if la knew how wrong he could be, i took my song to street. i have some of ti’s stuff in my vault right now. including the song he did the bonus verse on for my 6 o’clock vol one. mike caren was my a&r, he didnt even put ti’s names on my credits. then he signed him 2 or 3 years later. a lot of these exc’s cant hear or dont have vision(the hear what they heard, thats gone). this whole game has turn into dick riding, instead of hip hop. most of the exc’s now who are gambling on one hit wonders & records buzzing in the streets are gonna loose. they think everything in the south is the same & they’re wrong, including la. stanky leg, just like cupid shuffle will not make a real profit. staffing, rent, promo tour(flts & hotels), videio, street promo, online promo, advance, etc. when you add it all up & look at the gross vs the net. for company like def jam or atlantic, it’s a waste of time. you know swag surfin & stanky leg aint gonna have 2 or 3 platinum albums. they begged me to come to dallas & sign gs boys or help them get a deal. look at lil wil, big tuck, mike jones, paul wall, cham, etc. dallas has had over 7 or 8 groups get signed & nobody has sold 100,000 records. and the houston artist are suffering big time. hit records are good but when you get a deal remember, the work has just begun

  65. @JR… I have recorded many times in 2 inch. I know how to send my sympte to the tape and turn down that 24th track and everything. I might sound crazy but when it comes to making music my knowledge is with the best of them. I should have clarified my statement, I was referring to the artist not the producers. Quincy Jones produced Thriller when he was 50 years old, so for a producer I know it takes many years of learning the craft, but look around at today’s producers? How many of them even know what the circle of fifths is? Quincy Jones could write sheet music, some of these cats don’t even know the difference between a bass and trouble clefts. LET’S LEARN MUSIC PEOPLE!!

    Go to BIG’s last album and listen to the interview at the end. He said he wanted to come out, make a gang of money, then get in the background somewhere so that he would not be doing the same thing as a 20 year was doing making him look silly. There are not many artist that can stay in the game more then 3 albums, when your time is over, use the resources and contacts that you have made to help the next guys. White boys know how to change positions and do other stuff that they see their is a demand for. If have one success as an artist we spend the rest our lives trying to be an artist. I just saw Special ED was coming back out!! SAD.. Dude looks like Larry Holmes…..Back in the day their was a whole support team for the artist to help them get ready for the public today their is nothing.

    We have to get back to grooming artist not just trying to get a one hit single on them. MY group “Them Concrete Boyz’ i have been working with since they were 17, they are 23 now and have just got to the point where they are ready. When I say ready I mean, stage show, writing hooks, and PR in general. I hate hearing new artist come out and can’t even hold an articulate conversation.

    SPOCK

    PS ….2 Inch Reels sound better then protools or anything digital anyway..AND the bass hits harder!!

  66. look at it like this, la is in charge of the machine. when you get in a machine you must do all the work yourself. we cant depend on the person who gave us the shot. la, clive, barry, jimmy or whoever. they dont know why outkast sold millions, eminem, 50, 2 pac, ti, etc. i gave la the 1st plies smash for my mixtape on def jam. they were scared to take a chance on it, i knew plies was gonna blow. being a dj vs an artist, it’s not enough money on my end to invest the kind of money into a project to make it work because the label & artist are the ones who really profit off the mixtape game, not the dj. when it comes to investing several 100,000 out of pocket into a project. it looks good to the public, but not at the bank. bottom line is the exc’s have to upgrade their biz models. my concept sold 15,000 million for outkast & they didnt do one show or promo. so ya’ll can keep thinking i dont know what the fuck im doing, im about to show the world. and like i said before, jd will be back on top, god is preparing him for greatness & real appreciation of his talent. cars, cloths, diamonds & stuntin is not the way to really appreciate these gifts we have called talent. it’s time for young hip hop biz people to understand self satisfaction. thats why you’ve never seen me with one single diamond or chain. money will folllow you if you let it. i dont chase money, it let money chase me!

  67. @ gregstreet…Yo since money is chasing you, let your boy Spock hold something… It’s a recession over here on the East Side…

  68. Sooooo….first i listened to the interview and read some of the comment…and i first want to say to whomever hated on tyrone….you mustve missed the living the life episode title “getchu a tryone” he’s more than the help…hes a valued opinion…..so dont hate on the man cuz he’s where u wanna be…hehehehe…

    I didnt find the interview enlightning at all really…..i mean i heard him when he re-validated the fact that being the person behind the music with the will to do wat it takes to make an artist successfull is the mindset to achieve the things he has yet at the same time if you didnt know that by now maybe an exec isnt your calling afterall and u should re-eval the position you wish to play in the industry.. I do wonder if he is sincere in his comment about not liking the way things took place between him and clive regarding arista or if he said it because he felt he should but in actuality feels like it is wat it is ? I guess at the end of the day he has done for music wat he has done….and will continue to do wat he will, but hearing of some of the projects he didnt support (some that were a success after all) you have to be thankful for people like JD and others that hear things in music he doesnt.

    nikkinkiki

  69. I have never heard an executive show any type of regret toward taking the top dog’s job. That might be a sign that this person is not really cut out to be at the top… all that is needed is for that next young guy coming up to have the drive to take his spot and not look back… Hmmm… I wonder who could do that?

  70. Feeline Says:

    “… I question LA’s leadership their, like Meth says Def don’t Jam no more. The marketing & promotions departments are poor, song selections & 1st single choices & release dates are suspect. Luda & Kanye should have never been released at the same time. It seems like once the albums are released the projects are abandoned & left to move on their own. What happened to Nas, Janet, Jezzey, Method Man, Red Man, Ghost Face, Brutha & just about every other album released? ”

    Exactly! of all the albums that came out the past two years have had very poor promotion,

    Kanye promots himself, every artist should do that, if they don’t feel that their album is being promoted, they need to just get out there and promote it themselves because it’s their album and if it fails they fail…

    oh and I love Beyonce but he was laying that on really heavy and reaching really far, “the most successful and hardest working” are you serious? Perhaps for this decade, but overall? NO Frikin WAy!

    Lets give her that title after she gets to the 20year mark and still on top.. until then she is not the “the most successful and hardest working” ..

  71. Until reading this I had never realized how many extremely talented artists on Def Jam had projects that fizzled after signing with Def J. The label gets the talent due to its name, but its clear that the label is not supporting these artists careers once they produce 1 or 2 good albums. Its funny that LA mentioned a good artist can have a 25 year career, but his company is not helping to create these 25 year careers.

  72. Is this why many artists are putting their best work on mixed cd’s rather than than their major releases? (i.e. the mentality of “If I am gonna do hard work, I might as well maximize my profits, rather then let it die in the corporate cutting room floor”)

  73. I feel LA interview was a JOKE..he was fronting all the way..Music is not music any more..Yes, he label has some big hitters..Jay-Z to Kayne..but before he took on the label..these people had already had a solid place in the music..I couldn’t watch it all, he made me sick to my stomach..
    I just hate what he try to do with an ICON, Janet. Her last album was good to me..I felt alot could have been displayed on her behalf.

    I just see GREED and no caring for his up and coming artists..

    I say go back to the Basics..

  74. I speak as a native Atlantan, and my opinion is that Atlanta and the South in general would not have the music scene or artists that it has today without LA Reid, Rico Wade (and Ray and Pat), Jermaine Dupri, and Dallas Austin. JD said it best on his twitter when he said that LaFace was built by him, Dallas, and Rico.

  75. @gregstreet Greg you always been a real nigga! I remember talking to you @ zac studio’s in atlanta during polow da don’s b-day weekend. IT was before polow leaked the usher record and I remember you saying that the label was afraid of that record. it blew and you said it was gonna blow. I remember watching that north american v-chip vid with you , chubby, polow and chip. What you said during that convo is that everybody diss something new and sown it but when the idea pblow everybody jumps on the band wagon. no disrespect to any other producer who told polow not to make pop records but imagine if he listened. Now those same producers is trying had 2 get on pop projects after polow done already kiled the pop game and is the go 2 guy who haven’t lost yet. So What I’m sayng is this for guys like you and polow who are proven how can you be wrong. the same with j.d. ? why should you guys have 2 argue with these execs? its crazy…….

  76. He said I was OK. So therefore I’d rather be behind the artist. Then he read a few books, looked at a few contracts and realized it was more profitable to be behind the artist anyway and @ the beginning of the interview you can see that he gets the shine for all of the artist on his label. This is the best part… he can go home to his family at the end of the day! Pure bliss if you ask me. Props to LA Reid

  77. JD & Spock,

    1). How can you two continue to say that all of the oldheads should be removed from the game when you two are both headed into your 40’s in the coming years? Last time I checked we youngstas consider 40 yr olds “oldheads” also. And that’s the problem, if we continue to age discriminate in hip-hop then we will continue to depreciate the art from in value. I mean if you look around hip-hop is the only music where after a certain age you can’t do it anymore which is foolish. I mean the Rolling Stones and U2 are all well into the 50’s and still doing their thang and you don’t hear rock and roll people criticizing them for being old heads in the game..

    2). JD in your last episode on LTL (from Friday I think) you sat there and crticize Bow Wow for not having a $30,000 watch on and $100,000 earrings but yet and still and few weeks back on this very site you wrote a blog about if Obama knew how bad the streets were and then you you criticized rappers for making it rain in the club during this recession. So how in the hell can you get on Bow Wow for not having a $100,000 earrings and a $30,000 watch? That seems beyond hypocritical in my view…

  78. he sounds like he knows wht he is talking about but when u think about, what talent has he discovered in the past decade that he himself can take credit 4 to validate what he says? hell he stepped into record companies with already successful artist then tried 2 take credit 4 their continued success when he really can not deliver the right support and guidance 4 them. usher and janet’s last projects were not handled properly by the likes of him and all his experience and those r both artist that know how 2 get out there and make their shit happen if the rec company do what they r supposed 2. so 2 mr reid i say thanx 4 ur contributions but get into ownership and let the current and new qualified execs and artist do their thing. if he doesnt think their is anything more 4 him 2 learn then he is done. exit gracefully.

  79. This was a really good interview. Everyone wants to down l.a. reid but look at the his track record…it speaks for its self. I’m not saying that he makes every smart decision or move but everyone makes mistakes even music executives…He is one of the music executives that dont believe in disposable music and i must respect that…Now JD i have a 2 questions for you…first, do u think that its smart decision for us to pursue a career in the music industry on the executive side given our economy and the way the industry is??…..and also name ur 10 favorite music executives of all-time?

  80. Ericdwills: You pretty much shut this thread down after the first post. Good info and good analysis.

  81. This was a good interview, LA Reid is the truth in this business of Music, he had the fore site to see himself as the one behind the scenes and recognize real talent and ability in a person. We are so lucky that with the technology that we have today we can make so called records in our bedrooms, that has produced a lot of self produced crap. This music business is hard and getting harder to make a living in, but there are those who still believes in making history in music, and providing a platform for artist to express their talents to the world. In that I would like to thank all the real music cats for making great music, we love our music the greatest music there is on this planet.

  82. @ gregstreet…thanks for hitting the nail on the head. the real work starts after the deal is made. as LA stated, check out Beyonce. that chick is a hard worker. plus she has a family that supports her and work 110 times harder than her. and that’s why she is a GREAT artist who has made lots of money. a lot of cats see the videos, see the celebs flossing around town, and think when i get a deal i’ll be stuntin just like them. HA!

    but, one things for certain…the labels aren’t helping artists learn how to manage their money. why is that? why don’t someone like LA refer his new artists to financial advisors or accountants? that’s why artists keep going broke. besides hooking them up with stylists, a&r’s, tour managers, etc…provide some real help by referring them a BANK. cuz i know hald of these artists have never had a bank account or wrote a check.

    at the end of the day, artists need to understand how the business and money works. and also they need to understand the true value in everything they see and hear.

  83. I think LA should retire ole boy is loosing his touch…

  84. It’s still about making good music, better music and great music. Who determines all that?? Not one fucking record executive in my opinion. Or those A&Rs. It’s really the people in the streets, clubs, parks and family support that makes you successful ( hit or no hit on radio). Maybe I’m old school quote from PE “who gives a fuck about a god’damn GRAMMY).

    You have the right to be true to your craft as long as an executive approves it.? Give me a break.. If an executive belives in you or not you must belive in yourself and do it right. You music will blow if enough people hear it and it’s really good. Getting a major deal will give you more exposure no doubt. But like Lenny Kravitz said, I may not come out selling a million records in a week or a year, but I have a long career with a real fan following.

    @Spock. I feel you homie on that response.. Very well said.
    @greggstreet.. I’ve meet you I wish you were running a major label as an executive.

  85. That was great JD. Thanks for that. I sometimes as a Indie producer need to feed off the wisdom. Ur book for sure set me straight. Yeah getting my degree was a step. But now that Im getting my feet wet, Im growing out of touch with the Indie markets. I know more than the owners (LOL). So now I had to find a new place for me Consulting/Artist Development for Indie labels. I found my niche for sure. Thanks again for challenging everyone and being a role model, you really set the mold and standard. Watching LA’s thought process was cool as well. Much respect. Im a Lifer all day, with a house on the hill, and a Bentley in the Garage. Ha! Yo boy go Ham in Cali. 1 Luv.

    -Charm

  86. Good blog. This has been enjoyable to us.

Leave a Reply