Mixed and Mastered
Mixed and Mastered is the podcast where the untold stories of the music industry come to life. Hosted by Jeffrey Sledge, a veteran music executive and former VP of A&R at Atlantic Records and Jive Records, each episode dives deep into the journeys, challenges, and triumphs of the people shaping the sound of today. From label executives and producers to artists, songwriters, and managers, Jeffrey brings you behind the scenes to meet the minds driving the industry forward. There’s a gap in the marketplace for these voices, and Mixed and Mastered is here to fill it—one conversation at a time. Because the best stories are told by those who lived them.
Mixed and Mastered
Wardell Malloy
Prepare for an electrifying episode of "Mixed and Mastered" as Jeffrey Sledge sits down with the legendary Wardell Malloy! Journey from the vibrant streets of the Bronx to the epicenter of the music industry, where Wardell shares his incredible path, working alongside icons like Chris Brown, Trey Songz, and Mariah Carey. Dive into the art of mentorship, the thrill of discovering new talent, and Wardell's creative passion for photography. With tales of nurturing future stars and insights into the music business, this episode is a must-listen for music lovers and aspiring executives alike. Don't miss this dynamic and inspiring conversation!
Mixed and Mastered is produced and distributed by Merrick Studio, and hosted by music industry veteran, Jeffrey Sledge. Tune in to the discussion on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you catch your podcasts. Follow us on Instagram @MixedandMasteredPod to join the conversation and support the show at https://mixedandmasteredpod.buzzsprout.com/
This week on Mixed and Mastered, we're talking to Wardell Wodey-Molloy, a legend in the publishing industry who's helped shape the careers of Chris Brown, trey Songz, anderson, paak, a$ap, rocky and Lucky Day, among others. As a longtime executive at BMI, he's about discovering great songwriting and supporting the next generation. His other passion is fashion photography, which has landed him in British Vogue and Times Square. Let's get into it. This is Mixed and Mastered with Wardell Malloy. Welcome to Mixed and Mastered, the podcast where the stories of the music industry come to life. I'm Jeffrey Sledge, bringing you real conversations with the people who have shaped the sound of music. We're pulling back the curtain on what it takes to make it in the music business. These are the stories you won't hear anywhere else, told by the people who live them. This is Mixed and Mastered. Okay, mixed and Mastered Podcast with my homie, the one and only Wody. I never call you that, I always call you Wodo, but Wody Malloy, you know it's all the same, wody.
Speaker 1:Wardell. I answer the vote.
Speaker 2:I'm good how you doing man, I'm good, I am honored to be here with you.
Speaker 1:I'm honored you accepted the legendary Jeff Slade. No, we're going to get into your legendary, so let's start it off. You're from the Bronx, Bronx.
Speaker 2:New York. Yeah, from the Bronx, 1750 Sedgwick Avenue. Oh, you're from Sedgwick. I'm from Sedgwick, the home of hip-hop.
Speaker 1:I dated a girl at 1520. Okay, in that building that's right up the block. Yeah, yeah, I didn't realize. I never asked you what area you grew up in. I never knew what area.
Speaker 2:Yeah, south Bronx, sedgwick Avenue. So I grew up South Bronx, but I also spent a lot of my hello I am missing. Okay, goodness, something else happened with my screen. I spent a lot of my youth in Harlem, grew up baptized Abyssinian Baptist Church. Okay, okay, yeah, yeah, and I spent. I spent a lot of time in Harlem growing up.
Speaker 1:So, yes, so tell me about growing up on Cedric Avenue, the home of hip hop.
Speaker 2:Yeah, growing up Cedric Avenue, you know that's those. That's where I discovered my love for music. You know my love for music, my love for fashion. My mom growing up she was a very stylish woman, loved fashion and she made sure I was dressed in all the finest things. So I remember that and the countless albums my mother used to have. She used to have so many albums. Music was always playing in the house and that's where I say I formed my love for music and fashion. You know, I remember a mom. She loved Angie Bofield and Minnie Riperton and Phyllis Hyman and Patty and LaBelle and Luther Vandross and just all those so many names. I have a little bit of an old soul, like a lot of my favorite singers are not from my era. There's always this thing about 90s music, 90s R&B which is R is r&b.
Speaker 2:You know such an amazing time, but to me, like that, 70s r&b, yeah, that's oh my gosh like it's another level, like, and what I love about that, thomas, because everybody showed up to work, everybody showed up to work, everybody was exceptional, everybody was exceptional, there was no you had to be, you know. So that is, I think, one of the biggest memories I have growing up on cedric avenue.
Speaker 1:Just the music, the constant music that was playing in the house now, did you, did you, did you participate in the black parties and stuff around that time when hip hop was kind of you know, blowing up, starting to blow up?
Speaker 2:Yeah, um, yeah. So my grandmother had a big hand in raising me and, uh, she was a bit of a worrier, so I was one of those kids that I literally had to be in the house by the time the lights came on the street lights came on.
Speaker 1:The street lights came on. Street lights came on. Yeah, I had to ride my bike in front of the building.
Speaker 2:She'd be hanging out the window. Don't go too far, don't go. I couldn't go down to 1600 to play with my cousins up the block and stuff like that. I couldn't do that. I was a little bit sheltered in that regard, my grandmother definitely kept me sheltered. That's cool so I mean, you know when I could sneak out to a party.
Speaker 1:Here and there I would, but for the most part so, um researching, I saw that um, you went to virginia state for a little bit. I did go to virginia. So, how was that?
Speaker 2:You know, I wish that I had stuck it out honestly for the experience, but I didn't. Literally, I got there and the sharing of the bathroom, I was just like, oh yeah, that I can't do.
Speaker 1:Man, man and I remember my grandmother.
Speaker 2:I'm definitely a grandma's baby and I was very spoiled. Very spoiled and a little bit sheltered, a little bit. I called my grandmother. I was like Grandma, they're making me share a bathroom. Yeah, man, yeah.
Speaker 2:And she was like oh, no, we got to get you out of there. We got to get you out of there and I did one semester at Virginia State and then I went upstate New York and had a proper apartment, my own bathroom and all the things, your own house. But I do wish that I had stuck it out, though, honestly, because there's nothing like that experience, you know. Yeah, yeah, and I remember the semester that I was there. There was just some amazing things that I learned, some amazing people that I'm actually still friends with now.
Speaker 1:I just couldn't get past sharing the bathroom I always tell people people are nasty people they got some nasty home habits dude, when I, when I went to morgan state State same thing shared bathroom. I'm stunned too because I didn't know, but it was weird, because it was crazy. Okay, we had shared bathrooms and they had no doors on the stalls, so you would literally walk in, somebody may be taking a shit and you'd be like yo, what up? Joe? It was crazy, but actually in hindsight it actually made our dorm floor very close, because you can't front on nobody if they're asking you for toilet paper. Everybody got to be, but anyway, that's.
Speaker 2:It ain't about me.
Speaker 1:It's not my thing, though it's not my thing.
Speaker 2:It wasn't my thing. It was no option.
Speaker 1:It wasn't my thing. I'm OCD, I'm OCD. It wasn't my thing. It was no option, it wasn't my thing. Right, you know what I'm saying. Right, right right. So how did you end up at FIT so?
Speaker 2:FIT. I was one of those people that went to a lot of different colleges. Okay, Just trying to figure out my way because I knew that what I was learning in school, it didn't resonate with me. I knew that whatever they were teaching me wasn't going to be my path. I knew that. I always knew I was a little different. I knew that I probably wasn't going to have a regular job, you know, like a regular nine to five job Nine to five yeah, you know.
Speaker 2:And so I always thought that I would end up in fashion though, although music was my life. But I thought that I wanted to be a stylist. And I realized very quickly that I had no desire to be a stylist when I started working at Source magazine. So I went to Fashion Institute of technology and I was a merchandising major and at the same time I was in class one day and one of my classmates said you dress really, really nice. You ever thought about styling? And I said actually, you know? Yeah, I actually have. And she said well, I have a friend who works at source magazine and she's looking for somebody. Would you be interested in meeting with her? I'm like, okay, sure. And then I ended up being hired at source um as a fashion assistant, and yeah, that was a great lesson. I wouldn't take it back, but I I realized that styling is so much more than dressing people like.
Speaker 2:Number one is hard labor, it's hard labor they kind of trunk clothes around and listen, listen and then so you have to, you have to get the stuff, but then managing this stuff during the shoot is crazy, and then returning that stuff and then lugging it back and forth, it's just. I was like, oh yeah, this isn't for me and you know, really not interested when anybody else wears Toothy Toad. So I was like you just like nice things, you just like fashion, but you're not really into just dressing people. So I got out of that really really quickly. But my journey at Fashion Institute was great because it landed me at the Source magazine. Like I really contribute that to me being at the Source, so it was able for me to experience that and check it off that bucket list.
Speaker 1:Okay, it's not for me, so wait before we get into it. I saw that you worked at the Scratch Academy, so you DJ. No, no, no, so I went to DJ school, scratch Academy.
Speaker 2:I went to DJ school. At this time I was a music executive, I was at BMI, maybe about 10 years at this, at this point, and it was one of those. You know. You know sometimes, as as a creative executive, you know sometimes it's not so creative, right, and so you're being a true, true creative person, because just because you are a creative exec doesn't make you a creative absolutely. That's another story. But when you're really really creative.
Speaker 2:sometimes it can be a little, um, challenging. So I decided, okay, like I want to find, I wanted to like just get that love back for music. And so I went to DJ school and it actually it really ignited, uh, my, reignited my love for music. It just allowed me to experience it in a different way that I had been experiencing it. So I love the experience of Scratch Academy I got my certificate, I completed the course. Andatch Academy I got my certificate, I completed the course and I was really good actually.
Speaker 2:You spent the time, you know what. So I actually purchased a DJ set and it's in storage and I'm debating like, ok, is this something that you really want to do, or was it just something for that moment, to just get those juices flowing Again? I mean, the reality is I don't want to spend at the club or anything like that. Now. I will spend at the opening of a Cartier store or something like that you know something very chic and like that.
Speaker 2:But no, I haven't, man, man, I haven't touched that stuff in years, man, yeah, yeah, years, but it's still on my heart. You know, I'm on the youtube looking at different you know different djs and how they're creating and how they're getting their art out there, and so I'm like, okay, maybe I may revisit that.
Speaker 1:We mess around one day.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, you never know.
Speaker 1:So tell me how you became an A&R executive. Was it universally your first gig?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, tell me the source. And that didn't. It just didn't feel good to me and I left the source. And back then temp agencies were a big thing Remember Absolutely. And I signed up with this temp agency and I had some relationships at Universal and I remember Tom Lewis.
Speaker 2:Tom Lewis, he was this guy, he did rock music, actually OK and really cool guy, but really erratic and very, very quirky and he needed an assistance. I went to his office. I said hey, tom, you know I hear you looking for an assistant. You know he's like you know how to do expenses. I was like, yeah, I didn't, but sure, and he's like you're hired, you're hired. And he hired me right on the spot. And, um, tom lewis and Tom Lewis, I worked with Tom really closely. Tom and Laudalyn Donahower worked closely with them. And then our good friend Angelique Miles from Warner Chapel. She was a big deal over at Warner Chapel and so now she's coming from publishing to records and I remember Jocelyn Cooper said you have two weeks to make Angelique happy or else you're fired. That's how it was. You know the music industry was real cold back in the day. Human resources won't let you do stuff like that, no more.
Speaker 1:But back in the day it was it was not PC more. But no, no, no, it was not pc.
Speaker 2:No, no, no so I, of course the pressure was on to make sure that I made angelique happy within two weeks. Luckily, I did okay. Angelique is, as you know, still one of my closest, closest, closest friends.
Speaker 1:Angelique taught me so much.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah. Angelique taught me so, so much, not just about being a dope, fly-ass music executive, but a nice person while doing it. A nice person Like Angelique spoke to everybody. She was nice to everybody. She didn't have a chip on her shoulder and she could have. You know, I know a lot of executives that accomplished a lot less than her that had chips on their shoulder. So I always admired how people respected her and how she showed respect to other people, and I just learned so much from her, so so much.
Speaker 2:I remember she was a stickler for grammar and she taught me to pay attention to how you write. You know it speaks volumes, it speaks volumes, and so that's one of the things that has stuck with me, as now I'm a senior level exec. That's one of the things that I because I'm into mentorship, that's what? Because I think that the people in my, the people who came before me, your generation, you guys did a horrible job in mentorship, a horrible job in mentorship for the future executives, and so I want to give back in that way for the future executives, and so I want to give back in that way, like that's really, really important to me raising up new executives so that they know how to be, how to represent themselves, how to show up in this world. You know, because it's bigger than just signing talent.
Speaker 1:Yes, my generation has been terrible with mentorship. We all got greedy and we all tried to keep it all for ourselves and didn't pass it on, and I think that's one of the reasons that the black music business is kind of in a weird situation now, because we didn't mentor. So the the generations that came up under us, the ones that cut through anyway, don't have any. I don't know, reverence is the right word, but they don't really care because it's like you didn't really help me. So now I'm doing my thing and I'm doing this and I'm doing that and I'm working with my crew and you guys are now the old guys who didn't reach back.
Speaker 2:So yeah, it's unfortunate, and so that's why, for I, make it a habit to mentor Good Like even the junior executives in our department. I make sure to mentor them because it's important it is. It's very important, it's very important.
Speaker 2:And it's something that I I mean, I thank God that I had mentors, mm-hmm, but I'm speaking as a whole. It's just something with that generation happened, and you can tell because, not for nothing, you guys even though you guys didn't mentor, you guys were quality execs, though. Yeah, you guys were quality execs, and now I'm just not really sure what's happening.
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Speaker 1:So who did you work with on the artist side when you were working with angelique? What artists were you guys working with?
Speaker 2:so you know, universal was so interesting back then. There were a lot of artists that Angelique wanted to sign at Universal. That was, universal was the start of that whole data research and I remember, while I was working there, that was something that Angelique and I both resented, because we didn't want to sign people off of data we wanted to sign people off of. You know, back then you go to go to a showcase, you see somebody you love, you like yo, I want to sign them, I want to nurture, I want to really groom that talent, I want to develop that talent. That's, that's the exciting part about the job. The data thing, that was weird. So you know we did. I remember we worked on like the cha-cha slide and I remember fubu had a deal there. We worked on yeah it. Honestly, it was a bunch of deal there we worked on, yeah it honestly, it was a bunch of names.
Speaker 2:You probably wouldn't even remember. No problem or no. It was interesting because that I remember. You remember when you would call your friends at the other labels like and you do the cd trades and stuff like that. I would never have anything to give anybody. Universal we didn't really have at that time. It was a different universal. I mean we had cash money thank god for cash money and nelly, because that's all the product I had to give and send to people who put the messenger over a big package yeah, but for trades.
Speaker 2:But um, that was a really challenging time. I will say the universal space. And I remember laudelin saying to me one day she's like you know, nr is good, but you love songs. Like I don't care who it's by, if the song is great, I love the song. So she told me about publishing and she's like maybe you should look into publishing. And which is how I got introduced to bmi, because the bmi journey was only supposed to be a two-year stint.
Speaker 2:I was just like I'm just coming in to learn you know publishing, and now, 23 years later, I'm still there. Yeah, um, you know, and that's been a great, great journey. But yeah, the Universal thing, I wouldn't trade it in, I wouldn't trade it for anything, but I do wish that. I kind of wish that I was working for Arista or something like that. I wish that yeah.
Speaker 1:Tell me about the BMI journey, universal's doing its thing.
Speaker 2:now, monty did figure it out, monty.
Speaker 1:Lipman figured it out. We've murdered it now. Yeah, in all genres.
Speaker 2:Yes, and Monty Lipman. He was such a big supporter of mine. I remember when Angelique left Universal to go to EMI and know back in the day, if your boss left, chances are you were out of there. And there was a meeting, a meeting, and Monty Lipman said we are not letting him go, we're going to create a job for him. And that's what Monty did. He created, he gave me a promotion, a&r manager. You know, he created that for me and I got promoted. And that's when I met Vincent Herbert and we were working. He had a girl group called Famille. We were working on that project. So I met Makeba Riddick. Makeba Riddick came. She's like I got some songs that I'd like to sing. She didn't have anything recorded, nothing recorded.
Speaker 2:She just wanted to sing her songs at the demos, and she did, and we were like yo, let's go and work with Famille. And so that's how Vince and I became cool and that's how me and Makiba formed our relationship, which I ended up signing her to BMI. When I got to BMI, but like about six months into the Femil project, I was told about the BMI position and although I knew, you know, I always wanted to be the best A&R guy, like that's what I wanted. Once I said, okay, this is what I want to do. I wanted to be like that A&R guy, but Universal, just that whole philosophy, just didn't work for me, you know. And so I went interviewed at BMI. After five interviews I mean you would have thought that I was interviewing for a VP position, of many interviews as I went to but I had an interview with Charlie Feldman, who I love dearly, and Catherine Bruton, who is one of my best friends. And, yeah, after five interviews I got hired. And that was 2002, october 28th 2002. Wow, I'm still there. You're still there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, tell me some of the people you started off with, like on the artist side, and some of the people you signed over there and you know, just tell me about the gig, because I think, as vivian vivian scott, you on here and who started at ascap, and I was telling her like I think a lot of people still don't really quite understand publishing, you know- no, no so people working publishing.
Speaker 2:Don't even understand, because it's very complex.
Speaker 1:It's very, very complex, you know. No, no, so people work in publishing don't even understand, because it's very complex it's very, very complex.
Speaker 2:You know well, you know I work on the performance right side of it and um, you know I've been very, very fortunate. Bmi is one of those places where they didn't pigeonhole me into a certain genre. You're able to sign, I can sign country. I can sign rock, I can. You know, my forte is R&B, hip hop, gospel and pop. But you know we're not, we're not confined to a genre. We're not confined to a genre. But what?
Speaker 1:I enjoyed about BMI and my time here is that we are the last developers out there.
Speaker 2:Like we develop. I love the art of discovery, like that's my favorite favorite thing.
Speaker 1:Like by the time, an artist is big and people know about them.
Speaker 2:I'm like I'm off to something else, you else? Yeah, I love the art of discovery. Some of the people that I've signed from Chris Brown. I signed Chris Brown, he had nothing out and Tina Davis called me. She's like I got this guy, you're going to love him, yada, yada, yada. And now he's the Chris Brown. Same thing with Trey Songz. You know, trey Songz, I love, love, love Trey Songz. He's somebody very, very dear to my heart. Signed him before anything happening. You know, alex, the Kid, claude Kelly. Claude Kelly was about. He wanted to quit the music industry. He's like I'm not getting any placements, yada, yada, yada. I'm like just stick to what you know, because, you know, jeff, it feels like people come out of nowhere, but it doesn't happen like that.
Speaker 2:That's not how it happens. People are really beating the pavement for years and years. Pavement for years and years. Makeba Riddick man I remember this girl was in I felt like every studio I went to she was there, like she would be hopping from like three studios a night, just writing, beating the pavement, beating the pavement, and you know. Now she's a Grammy award winning. You know songwriter who's written for so many people you know. Now she's a grammy award winning. You know songwriter who's written for so many people you know. So I enjoy that seeing that story. You know the lucky days of the world. I signed lucky day. He was still d brown at that time. You know um, and now to see him that's rewarding D Mile, d Mile. I signed D Mile back in 2012 or something like a long, long time ago, a long time ago, and I mean he just started getting his flowers when Maybe about three, four years, about three years ago, I think, probably with the Silk Sonic albums.
Speaker 1:We, the silk Sonic albums were really air quotes next level and obviously then the Victoria Monet and more stuff he's done Bruno and Anderson Park and but yeah, but he started to really get his shine during silk Sonic, during the pandemic, yeah, yeah, yeah, but he's, but he's been amazing.
Speaker 2:He's been amazing but he. He had to beat the pavement, but he didn't come out. He didn't come from nowhere. He. He's been amazing, but he had to beat the pavement, but he didn't come from nowhere. He's been around, you know. So those are the stories I just love to see. I love to see and I love being part of things from the beginning. St John, another one. You know I signed St John. I actually know there are a lot of stories out there, but but yeah, I got St John's first publishing deal, Really Like, yes, I did, yeah, you know. So those things are rewarding for me.
Speaker 1:So you've worked with Janet Jackson as well.
Speaker 2:So I've never worked with Janet Jackson. We honor Janet Jackson. Okay, so BMI, we do the R&B hip-hop awards every year, so Janet Jackson was an icon one year. That was. I'm not starstruck at all, but it's certain people. When we honor Janet, yeah, you know, that's Janet DeVita Joe.
Speaker 1:Jackson, the one-name people.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying?
Speaker 1:We honor Mariah there's a picture of me, one-namer, you know.
Speaker 2:There's a picture of me on Rollingstonescom, me actually giving her her award, and she's just looking at me in my eyes, and I'm like, wow, this is a moment Because I love Mariah Carey, of course, of course. Mariah is the moment because I love mariah carey, of course, mariah carey um, the biggest, of course is for me when we honor patty lavelle.
Speaker 1:You know, that's my, that's my favorite. All the time that's in your mouth, that's my lady right there, you know.
Speaker 2:So we've had some amazing moments. That is so rewarding to be able to honor your favorites who impacted you Like these people have impacted me as a child. You know we also do the Trailblazers of Gospel Music and I've got to celebrate again some of my childhood legends the Clark sisters. You know, twinkie Clark, twinkie clark, twinkie clark crazy she, twinkie clark. I have a car that she wrote where twinkie clark is thanking me for encouraging her.
Speaker 1:It's this like what are you talking?
Speaker 2:about what? Yes, like you're twinkie clark, like I'm always going to ride with you, because she's the reason why these people are, the reason why I hear the way that I hear. I can't sing, I can't sing, but I hear better than most singers. Yeah, I know when you're off.
Speaker 1:Yeah. I know when you are. Yeah, you know you're flat, you're not good, you know.
Speaker 2:You're not good.
Speaker 1:Tell me a little bit about working with Catherine Bruton.
Speaker 2:Catherine. That's like we're like Batman and Robin we were so. We're so similar but so different, you know which is? Which, I think, is what makes our relationship work. We both are loving gospel. I think that was our. What kind of brought us together. I would love. For gospel music she's a PK. I've learned so much from her. For gospel music she's a PK. I've learned so much from her.
Speaker 2:We don't always agree, but what she taught me is that we can agree to disagree and we don't have to fall out. You can disagree and then go on and talk about something else. She and I we'll have some heated, heated debates and afterwards we will realize, okay, we just won't agree on this, and then we'll find something else to laugh about and then we just keep it moving. She has taught me a lot of maturity. She's made me mature a lot, you know. And another one who has helped me understand that being a great executive is not just about who you sign that's only a small part of it but how you show up. She always tells me I need you to be more forward facing.
Speaker 2:I'm one of those people that I like to stay in the back, like I don't really do podcasts and panels and do a whole bunch of talking. I'm not much of a talker, I just like to be creative. That's what I like to do, and so she pushes me. She pushes me not to be in my comfort zone. She pushes me because she sees something that you know a lot of times we are who we are, something that you know a lot. A lot of times we are who we are, so we don't see really the the, the greatness that that we hold, and so I'm so grateful for her because she pushes me. She doesn't.
Speaker 2:You know a lot of people. They will be comfortable and, and you know a lot of, a lot of people don't really like to see the people who come after them succeed. They're really trying to keep everything for themselves and make sure that their space is solidified. But she's not in competition with anybody. Yeah, but herself. I think I got you, but yeah, she's not. She's not that girl. So I really, really enjoy working with her. She's extremely funny. People don't know she's very, very, very funny. So we clown a lot. So, yeah, our relationship is amazing. I enjoy the dynamic.
Speaker 1:So give me I don't know, I don't even really like this question, but I'm asking you anyway. Give me, like your I don't know if typical, there's no typical but give me a day-to-day and like, I want you to kind of explain to the people like what BMI is and what you do.
Speaker 2:BMI is a performance rights organization, so we pay royalties when your music is publicly performed. Pay royalties when your music is publicly performed. My job is to bring in talent. You know, keep the market share nice and where it is. So we bring in talent, but we also nurture talent. Um, you know, we've kind of all things to our writers and every writer has different needs. So we at BMI Frances Preston she was president when I first got to BMI, and then it was Dale Bryan and now Mike O'Neill. Frances Preston she really, really embedded in the culture of BMI that it is about the songwriter, the songwriter and the song first, and I will say that BMI has done an amazing job at keeping the songwriter first.
Speaker 2:So some days it's a lot of meetings. A lot of meetings, because the level, the amount of people that we have to cater to, it's a lot, you know. So a lot of meetings. Some of it is is connecting the dots. Ok, whether it's it's I need a manager, or can you get this song to such and such, or collaborations, a lot of people looking to collaborate with different artists. It's also managing the staff that comes under you.
Speaker 2:So it's no typical day, honestly, which is what I do enjoy. Sometimes, though, it's a little stressful, because I do like structure and it's not a structured job at all. It's not your day on Monday is going to be different than Tuesday and Wednesday. You know there's a lot of moving parts to it and, on top of top of bringing talent, nurturing talent building on relationships, we also do award shows. We have award shows in all of our departments, from R&B, hip hop, gospel, pop, latin and London I hope I'm not forgetting anything Country as well. So our job is to we have to create these events from the bottom up, like event planners. So the job is not a cookie cutter, one size fits all. We wear a lot of different hats with this job, a lot of different hats. Okay, so it keeps you on your toes, but it can be very, very stressful.
Speaker 1:I'm sure. So tell me about this. Um, photography, photography bug you've caught and honestly caught on your head before, but your photography, I guess journey and you're like you're really, really doing this now. It's not like I'm just playing around taking pictures of birds and shit, like doing, you know, fashion shoots and like you really tell me about it. Tell me about it yeah.
Speaker 2:So you know. Well, number one most people don't know I was a graphic design major in college. Ok, I draw, and it was something that my mom kind of pushed, you know like, don't, don't waste your talent, you know you draw. Yeah, so I was a graphic design major but I knew, like I said, I was going to work in either fashion or music. I just knew it. And so I kind of once I got into music, I just went full force there and didn't look back and I would say, maybe like in 17, I was gifted a book. Cj got me a book about menswear illustration. Okay, I was like, why didn't you give me this book? But I started reading it and then I started drawing again and really having fun with the drawing. And then a friend of mine he's a producer and musical director, joe wilson. I was at his house one day. He said um, I see your portraits. Have you ever thought about taking portraits with a camera and then drawing your portraits? And I was like, no, I never thought about that.
Speaker 2:And he said well, I have a camera. You know, I'm not using it because I just have another one. I just purchased another one, so I'll give it to you. And he gave it to me and taught me a few things. And then Day Howerton, who is a producer, but he's, he was an aspiring producer. I didn't know he was a photographer at the time, though. Ok, ok, he became my mentor and he just taught me. Day Howerton in YouTube, taught me everything I know. And, ironically enough, though, it came full circle, because I used to take photography classes as a graphic design major and back in the day, I would spend hours looking through images and fashion ads and stuff like that, because I've always loved an image, a beautiful image.
Speaker 2:And so, yeah, I just started shooting, and now I've had book covers, I've had three billboards, two in New York. I've had two billboards in New York. Who?
Speaker 1:were the billboards for.
Speaker 2:One was for Bevy Smith's book. I shot the cover of her New York Times bestselling book, her New York Times bestselling book, and that billboard was on 34th Street. And then the second one was Elijah Blake. Okay, he had a billboard in Times Square and I didn't get to see the Bevy Smith one, but I did get to go visit the billboard in Times Square. Man, that was man. You talk about a surreal moment, man, to see your creation up in lights in your city, yeah, in your city. Like I mean, you can't tell me dreams don't come true. True, it's true. You can't tell me dreams don't come true. True, it's true. You can't tell me dreams don't come true. I will say that my life looks, except for some personal stuff, career-wise, my life looks how I planned it, manifested it. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's so weird, but words really do have power. Your thoughts have power. Yeah, bevy smith always says that to me. She's. She's part of the reason I give her so much credit for why I think the way I do now, because a lot of times we've had, you know, you got to deprogram yourself from what you've learned as a kid because a lot of, a lot of times we've had, you know, you got to deprogram yourself from what you've learned as a kid because a lot of, a lot of times yours the stuff that you your stuff and what you think you like and don't like a lot of times that's your parents stuff, absolutely that's your parents stuff.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's not your stuff so it's not your stuff, and so I've. I've spent years deprogramming a lot of what I've learned and now trying to shift to the mindset that I want what I want, how I see myself, how I'm grateful for my photography journey because it's just allowing me to stay creative. It's just I like using my hands in that creative space. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so OK, and now what I'm going to do one day.
Speaker 2:I listen whenever you ready. I'm now focusing on actually selling some of my prints. So I'm building out my online store so I can sell some of my prints. So I'm building out my online store so I can sell some of my prints and actually get my stuff printed so I can actually see it in my house. I don't really print my stuff. A lot of times, you know, you just see it, you send it to the person digitally and that's it. But there's something about actually feeling it. It just it makes a difference. That's dope man. But there's something about actually feeling it. It just it makes. It makes a difference.
Speaker 1:That's dope man.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what's next. Yeah, you know what's next. That's a loaded question there's so much that I want to do, jeff man, there's so much, of course you know. I want to continue to to flourish in the music game and continue to grow and be the best executive that I can be and continue to continue my art of discovery. As far as photography, like you said I did. I did make a British Vogue. I actually was in Vogue twice. That's incredible. I was in Vogue twice actually. Wow, yeah.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's incredible. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so more of that like fashion. I want to do fashion spreads and all those things and people have talked to me about actually like some kind of fashion, and you know I love fashion. I don't know, I just have to figure out what that is, what that looks like for me. Maybe I design. I do have an idea about using my photography in some way with fashion, and there's also there's a series of coffee table books that I want to do to really help the black community heal. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I want to do that with pictures and create conversations, because that's how we heal when we have conversations. Communication Don't be afraid of the difficult conversations, because that's when the breakthrough happens. On the difficult conversations.
Speaker 1:I agree, 200,. But everybody.
Speaker 2:You know everybody's, don't. You don't want to talk to somebody who don't think like you, or whatever, then you're going to be talking to the same it's no learning, it's no learning. Nobody's at the chamber. That's it. That's it. So you know, I really those coffee table books. They've been on my heart for quite quite some time, so I really want to figure out how that works.
Speaker 1:I need about four more of me, and you want to mention no names and incriminate nobody, give me one. I say crazy, but I don't like the word crazy. Give me one spicy story in the music business, something you've seen, a crazy story about signing somebody. Well, first of all, before that, even tell me. Tell me somebody you wanted to sign that you weren't able to, for whatever reason.
Speaker 2:I'm so bad at these questions because now I can't think of one person. I can't think of one person, somebody that I wanted to sign, that I couldn't. I pretty much I can't think of anybody that I wanted to sign that I didn't sign. Okay, that's fair. You know, when I first got to be a mom man, I was signing everybody, man, I was going crazy on them, I was going crazy on them, yeah, yeah. So I don't know, I don't think there's anybody that I wanted to sign that I haven't. Okay okay.
Speaker 1:Well, give me a crazy, a spicy story.
Speaker 2:I can't think of one story, good or bad.
Speaker 1:A spicy story. All right, you know we're going to get back to it. I don't know what you're thinking about. We're going to get back to it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, a spicy story.
Speaker 1:Give me your. You already told me your favorite artist, so we're going to get there. Give me one or two of your favorite.
Speaker 2:So Patti LaBelle is my favorite female artist Of all time. Of all time, luther of all time. Okay, luther vandross would have to be my favorite male artist. Great choices, luther vandross, just the? The remember the first time I heard him, his tone and the background singers I was like what? And I was in the back seat. My mom, uh, used to take me shopping every Saturday. We used to go to Short Hills Mall and Garden State Mall in Jersey.
Speaker 1:Yeah, in Jersey and.
Speaker 2:I remember she went to Sam Goody and got Luther Vandross' Busy Body, wow. And when that first came on I wanted your love and I was like it was the background singers and I was young at this time so I didn't know what I I was listening for, but I knew it was just so pleasing to my ear. Yeah, it was so pleasing to my ear. So I was obsessed with luther since that very, very, very day, very day. It's just he changed. He changed my game. And patty I saw patty on a TV special at like seven years old and I'd never heard of her before. And I mean, you know, patty used to be on 10. Every time she performed she was on me, and so I was young.
Speaker 1:So I didn't know whether to be off.
Speaker 2:I mean, I was like what's happening? I didn't know whether to be afraid or what, but I knew I was obsessed with her. I was obsessed with her from that time. I was just like who is this? And how does she sing like this and cut up like this? I just never seen anybody cut up like that, like it. Just, you know my favorite writers.
Speaker 1:Give me one or two.
Speaker 2:You know, a friend of mine we were talking the other day said I just think Stevie Wonder, he might be the greatest of all time. Okay, he might be the greatest of all time. Yeah, he's absolute, he Babyface. Listen, contrary to popular belief, r Kelly, I mean listen.
Speaker 1:I argue about him all the time.
Speaker 2:Listen, here's the deal.
Speaker 1:I'm not condoning what he's doing, I'm not condoning anything, but we're not talking music. Come on B. What are we talking about?
Speaker 2:Yeah, music-wise, I mean, he's his pen game, his vocal game, you know, and again, I ain't condoning nothing yeah, I'm not saying nothing to me about it separate thing except for thing, except for thing, although I do believe you can't separate the art from the artist I do believe you cannot. But I can't take away what he's already done, yeah, what he's already contributed musically. I can't erase that, yeah, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, who's your favorite photographer?
Speaker 2:Robert Mapplethorpe and Gordon Parks Good choices. Yeah, yeah, yeah, good choice. Yeah, yeah, yeah, good choices. They both. You know, gordon, what I loved about Gordon Parks is he touched on so many different types of photography, right, oh, mariah Carey, definitely one of my favorite songwriters. Okay, mariah Carey, definitely one of my favorite songwriters. Yes, yes, okay, mariah mariah carey, definitely one of my favorite songwriters. Yes, yes, um, what I like about gordon parks is that he, he touched, he did different types of photography. He wasn't just a portrait photographer or just a fashion photographer or just a documentary photographer. He did it all, um, and he did it all very, very well.
Speaker 2:And that's what I want to do, Like, I don't want to be pigeonholed into like just a portrait photographer. You know, I want to shoot fashion, I want to shoot all things beautiful. I'm not into landscape and stuff like that, I'm into people. I like when people look at a photo that I shot and they're like, wow, you know, I can't believe that's me. And I'm like, yeah, that's you, because there's beauty in all of us and I just like showing people the beauty in themselves. So that for sure. And Robert Mapplethorpe, he's just risque and I like risque. Yeah, he was very risque. He was very risque. I mean, you know, he was risque when it wasn't even. I mean now, that kind of stuff is normal.
Speaker 3:You know we see it all the time, but it was not cool.
Speaker 2:He literally was a trendsetter and a trailblazer for sure, absolutely, absolutely yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1:My last question, my last question before we wrap it up. This is for you for hometown, favorite place in the Bronx or, you know what, harlem. I'll give you either area to choose from.
Speaker 2:I'm so bad with these questions, jeff, favorite place.
Speaker 1:It could be anything it could be a food spot, it could be a park, it could be your grandmother's house, whatever, whatever.
Speaker 2:So I will say I'm glad you said that I would say my favorite place in the Bronx would be 1750 Sedgwick Avenue, just whenever I ride past the building, because my grandmother was and still is my absolute favorite person in the world and my hero, you know. So, yeah, so something. We were on the first floor, 1p, and when I drive past on the highway and I see it it always, I always get goosebumps because I remember her. You know, she'd sit on a terrace every day, absolutely, yeah, so watching the people watching the people, watching the people.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and in harlem I would say going back to my grandmother there was this corner store like I said I used to go to. I was a member in the abyssinian baptist church. I got baptized there and every sunday my grandmother would take me to the corner store and we get peppermints and luden's cherry cough drops and I would need those two things in order to sit and be quiet in church.
Speaker 2:Do they still make Luden's? Do they still make those? I haven't seen them in years, but remember the cherry I mean they was good, absolutely.
Speaker 1:That's classic material the cherry and the honey ones, the honey ones yeah it.
Speaker 2:Honey ones yeah, it was candy, but I remember every Sunday she would get her pay and then afterwards, after church, she'd get her daily newspaper. Yeah yeah. I don't know if that's necessarily my favorite, but it's my most memorable. I got you Because it's just my childhood.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I got you and my grandma? Yeah, of course it's beautiful man. Thank you, brother. Thank you, thank you for having me.
Speaker 2:Man, this is good Like. I said, I normally say no to these things because I'm not much of a talker, but how could I say no to my good friend, the legendary Jeffery Slade? We got history, man. That's right, that's right.
Speaker 1:You've seen me grow up. You've seen me grow up. You've seen me grow up, shit you know, yeah, but thank you, man. I really appreciate it, man, thank you.
Speaker 2:I appreciate you.
Speaker 1:You can catch Mixed and Mastered on Apple Podcasts, spotify, iheart or wherever you get your podcasts. Hit that follow button, leave a review and tell a friend I'm your host, jeffrey Sledge. Mixed and Mastered is produced and distributed by Merrick Studios.
