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What if y'all it's unpaid bill Quest Love Supreme. We are back with part two of the Quest Love Supreme Interview with Steve Rick. You've co founded Loud Records or put out some critible albums by Wu Tang, Ray Kwan, Mob, Deep, and Mourn. If you haven't listened to part one, please check it out. Steve talks about growing up in his music industry, James Brown, coming to a bar mitzvah, his relationship with Tupac, and putting out some hip hop classic check it.
I will say that my first listen to that.
Album thirty six Cuban lens.
Oh, thirty six Chambers.
So the day that both Marauders and and the Wu Tank comes out, and we're driving up ninety five from Philly listening to this, and you know, I know it's not not since Princess fan Base with the album Dirty Mind. If I heard what I deem like revision on an opinion of the record when I first heard the Wu Tang record, and not that I was looking from like a commercial standpoint or an underground standpoint, but I just never heard something so dirty in my life I don't know.
It's like this is way too underground for regular people, and yet it almost became the pinnacle of me.
It's weird.
It's like they became they became the epicenter in the mainstream of the system that they were against, which you know, I wasn't complainings power.
Oh yeah they do.
But I just mean they still are still they're not they still not look at it.
I don't mean, I don't mean, like in a four letter word way, like they're mainstream, right, No, But I'm just saying that I there's no way you were going to tell me on that first listen that this group which was.
Going to be the alpha and the mega in the epicenter of what.
But let me ask you a question. Sorry for cutting you off when you heard when you heard Cream and can it be for the first time?
Well yeah, well yeah, well yeah, what did I remember?
I remember hearing Cream for the first time in the studio singles? I knew. I mean I knew actually before because I was on the road. I moved to New York, and I opened up the New York office, and I opened up and I took an apartment in New York, and now I was by Coastal. But but at the end of the day when Cream came out and I forget about the mess on dollar dollar bill and with that meant to me or whatever. But I just knew that this album there was something fucking special about it.
Then three months later, my office in LA was on Melrose and King's Road where Cookies is literally the building with Cookies is, And I'm going to the deli to grab a sandwich and I see this white kid head down to hear on a fucking skateboard with the old Wu Tang Scully singing Wu Tank cleaning the up with and I knew, get go. I said at my age, now I'm sixty years old. Now, I said, when I'm fucking sixty, they're still going to be around.
Yeah, I don't know.
In my mind it was just like again, I gotta go back to the first Jungle Brothers record. Like the Jungle Brothers first album, Straight Out the Jungle was just like an inside secret for like real heads. Meanwhile, like mainstream America only feels Hammer Vanilla Ice like more you.
Know, mainstream rappers.
And one question, though, yes, Jungle Brothers was on Tommy Boy correct.
Uh no, no, no, that's day lot Soul. Jungle Brothers was on Warlock and then went to Warner Brothers for the second album. Okay, and I was just like, just to me, I you know, once once Cream started picking them Traction, I was like, wait a minute, this is almost like if Straight out the Jungle by the Jungle Brothers really got a chance.
Now.
I mean, there's a lot of factors into the success of Wu Tang Clan, but what I was basically leading up to was upon first listen of that entire record, you knew you had lightning in a bottle in your possession.
Yeah, I knew we had Like Outcast was throwing a party. When did their album came out to summer ninety four. I know, I was at a party, an album release party. I was with Steve Staff, okay, and I mean I think I think Clark Hill was DJing. The HD record came on and we're talking, and also everybody just went straight to the to the dance floor and losing the fucking mind. And that's when I knew that there was That was like my first like I needed to see it with my own eyes, right, And that's why I
like to be outside. So it was like at the end of the day, like when I see something with my eyes and that's what made me move to New York and open up shop in New York. And then you remember the new music seminar. Yes, right then said clock, let's find the club areas. Whose area? And they let me do a showcase with the Licks Twister and all of New York showed up.
Shout out to G two Wu Tang's trustee, one of their many street team people that I've associated Wu with.
G used to be part of the Princeton hip hop circle that you know, yeah, but you know he would also work the Philadelphia market like it would have like his side guys also or I don't know if G was part of Rifkins street promotion team or Brizes personal people, but that's how I got hit to them, all right, So I have to ask you the other side of the coin too, because a big part of my personal success was also being the guy on standby whenever somebody would mess up. I e blah blah blah, it's not
going to make it to the show. Can you guys get here in twelve hours? Uh da da da just dropped out, yo, Can you guys fly in next week and literally at the beginning of Wu tank Forever, I swear to God, at least sixty percent of my entire output of doing shows were based on Wu Tang shows not attended.
During the during the period of ninety seven.
You talking about the Wu Tang grade to get some machine.
To starting then, but just basically, you know, like the roots of mine as well have been you know, the twelfth member of the Wu Tang clan, because literally is like, uh, we were supposed to come or whatever designated who member was supposed to show up, and okay, we'll get the roots instead. So for me though in nineteen ninety seven, and I have my theories about this, what are year feelings on Wu Tang Forever.
It's a double album?
Right, but did you get goosebumps.
On certain songs? All right? The album? I mean it was a double album. So, like I said, I never considered myself in a and I got goosebumps on Triumph, I got goosebumps. I've got the name of the kid, it's yours. And there was one and then and there was one more record which I would have well, I really got goosebumps. But at the end of the day. I put that twittergether between Wu Tang and Rage right right, and you know we first million dollar hip hop video. Brett Rattner directed it.
Oh yeah, look, no nothing is, but I just from my perspective, ah that okay. So, first of all, I feel like the strength of Triumph was that it was the first offering. I mean, you know, it could have been like name any other song that it could have been dog shit, the song not actual dog shit. I mean, it could have been Reunited. It could it could have been whatever whatever. The first song from that album was gonna come forth, was gonna be everything.
It Reunited was a song that it's Triumph, and right, why didn't reunite it? To me? The opening Reunited, I mean first, you know, was ridiculous in that. I mean they started fighting. So let me just tell you where I am, right, right, Dicky Passes few months before that, right, m H. Me and Puff had conversations before Big Pass who's gonna come first? We were Biggie and we were both coming with a double album. So Big was always gonna come first, right because I didn't really we didn't.
We weren't having radio records, right, so we have bread through the video and like you said, whatever the video was, the video, the video was. But to me, they were a rock and roll group or they were a group. Right, So the Rage tour mm hmm was right. We sold date Leon records on that album if they finished that tour, mm hmm, right, because we already we started in Florida and we were coming up to New York, so that was already home base, like and sales were going up.
Now we're gonna do the bump fuck you know, like the mid mid Indiana right the mid mid, mid, mid, Midwest, and West coast. That album would have sold twenty million records and that was always my plan if we should have went diamond.
So I agree with you, it should have went diamond. I you know, I don't know the exact conditions.
I don't you know. I know it was a fire. I always felt like, ah, whenever whenever someone gets a.
Good formula and they change it. I wish they didn't make that record in California. I wish they would have stayed.
Well. The problem was, if you saw the show, Ris's house got flooded. Everything was destroyed, right, so that he had he had to start from scratch, anyway, and with everybody having solo recket, I understand what you're saying. Right with everybody, with everybody having solo records in New York,
you're being pulled ten different waves. Everybody's being pultended. Hot they were one plant plass, plat plat, So it's like they're getting so them being in one house together and to create that unity how they had it on the first album. Granted it wasn't hiding and it wasn't in a basement right right, but the house got flooded and everything was everything was destroyed.
Can I ask though, I kind of feel like the end of that rain kind of not the end of that rain, but least the stronghold of that initial period was the Hot ninety seven situation.
Uh, with that that was a bad situation. I was on my back.
Could you have rectified that situation?
Or like, how do you in terms of are you the type of CEO that has to talk to the artists to stop them from sabotaging their progress or whatever? Or could you explain the story that whole Hot nine seven situation and then like Hot ninety seven not playing Wu Tang anymore, and I.
Wasn't I was. I was on a plane. I was it was my bachelor party, Okay, I was flying from Dallas to Atlanta, and you know we land and by phones blowing the fuck up. But you know, I have all pretty much my senior executives with me. You know. It was my brother, was a partner, my best friend, my childhood best friend, Rich you know, was a partner, Mojo who's you know, became a brother and running promotion.
You know that they were all with me. And I'm getting just when everybody had to, you know, not even the two ways, just a page still and like what the fuck's happening? And I couldn't get Risen on the phone. And then Tracy, who was the program there had ninety seven yes, just called me. I'm getting married for fucking days, like called me and said scope fuck yourself, like you know, just like I mean, if she was a dude, who wouldn't want to fist, right, But she.
Didn't know that, you personally like she she was venting, right.
I don't even think she was so mad. I don't even think she went to the wedding. And she was invited to the wedding. Don't forget wu Tang was the first rap record that ninety seven fucking played. They were a dance station.
Hot ninety seven was also on that new Rap work Day, right, more music, less rap. They were on that.
No, they weren't a rap I mean, no said it was a dance station like right, and then Flex was I mean, between Flex and Angie, they're the ones that took it to a whole different place where Flex had to show on the weekends, you know, and then think you know, and then thank god, you know, Puff came a flavor in the year, and there was some you know, and then finally you know, right, and he was making those records like so thank god for him, you know, So there was it.
Was absolutely unrepairable. I guess for our listeners that are hearing, you know, they're they're doing summer jam and uh, you know, I don't know if it's ghost face or I forgot who.
Said something out of line ninety seven. They don't play our ship, you know.
Listen, let's keep it one hundred. There were seventy five thousand fucking people that right, right, they're making a fortune. So we were we were on tour with Rage, right, and at the end of it, we weren't getting paid a lot of money yet right, yeah, really a rage tour and and ghost you know, should he have said it?
No, but I'm about to say that don't help with your argument, which, like, just to to be clear, artists do not get paid for doing summer else.
No, no, but no, now they get you know, they started getting paid a few years not a few years ago. There's a few years after that they were getting paid big dollars.
I see, I see your Nicki Minaj is not getting paid these yeah, for Hot ninety seven.
Well no, I mean, but just black artists in general, just you know, you just those radio step to black radio that you yeah, I'll do it for free, you know, as long as you keep playing my records. But so there was literally absolutely no.
She no. So for a whatch they even banned all loud records.
What yeah, this is the thing.
But this is what was happening to, right, Steve, something wrong, That's what I mean.
I mean, me and Tracy were friends. Who else is she gonna take that out of?
But you know, amir, this happened in Philly with beans like it I had with Foxy Brown with death Jam when she cussed out Kobe and they said we pay ain't playing these records for a minute like that.
I did not know that.
Okay, So with actually you mentioned Puff, I was gonna ask with the with the opening sketch of side three or side two of the Purple tape of Ray Kwan when they kind of, you know, draw a line in the sand with bad Boy and Wu Tang, I e the I guess by that point in ninety five, Bad Boys establishing himself as more of a mainstream.
Middle on the aisle.
I mean no, I mean, look, we got to give credit, what credits to I mean, Puff had everybody. I mean he he had the palm the world in the palm of his hands. He was coming with it hit and you know what what ray Go said, you know, being Puff spoke. He goes, what was that about? I said, I don't know, you know, I have no idea, but I go, let's just keep it. We're in two totally different lanes. We're not even in the same freeway, like you know, I'm just using New York like you know,
we're on the northern state. They're on the I E. You know, And it's just like I'm not trying to compete and think he's making radio radio records. We're still making records for the street, and I'm not like I'm trying to help Puff get as much as he possibly can like so and you know, and they worked it out a few months later.
So I always wanted to know what the response was, because you know, I.
Yeah, no, wh when Shulk said fuck New York or whatever, whatever the hell he said, it's the sorta wars right that that that's when we all they all reunited again, right, And that was that was like two weeks after we came out with the album Wow.
So were you there for hip Hop's funeral? I was there?
No, I wasn't there with my son was just born. So I pretty much was taking.
Can I ask a question real quick about these records since you have such not made for radio records, but yet and still it seems like you got to a stride where y'all were picking like amazing singles I had.
I had the best an our step to this day. That person there was a it was a team. Who was was a guy name of Maddie who actually discobbed Bigie. He worked at Yes Right was a guy right Scott Free started off as my assistant and he got himself into an r quickly stretched Armstrong who had the stretch of babidosh. Yeah, and then he was he was the first one. And then the guy named is Sean C.
King Yes, yeah, yes, yes, speaking of Maddie C my deep, I remember getting shook one's part one. How in the world did you guys manage to on the second go round again capsure lightning in the bottom like the Street Team.
So I was saying, the streets don't lie. The record was cool, it did what it was supposed to do, but it wasn't a fucking smash. And we came in there, you know, and I said, Mattie, what are we gonna do? You know, you know, we're cool, but this is not going to drive any anything home. And he goes, as a matter of fact, Havoc just did a remix last night. Here it is, and you heard it, and we heard it. And I was on my way to how can I be down? And I had a walkman, not even at
this man, I had a walk man. And I was in a car with them stretching Barbido and I was on my me and Barbido. I used to play basketball, and there was like some type of celebrity game mhm, and they lost their mind. And you know they were they were the first one to play it. They played it, we gave it the flex. This is September October. And then when we came back after Christmas, it's the biggest record in New York.
So but I'm saying, in your mind, it wasn't like, oh well that didn't make it all right? What else you guys got? Like no, I think another an R or CEO would have just been like, oh well that's still born.
So what else? What else is down the pike? But now it's just when the data song like that.
Well, when they when they came to the office, I knew they were the perfect bike. Who is your first child? And I got my first check and my first plaque and everything else like that. But you know, when you give a jab, you got to come with a cross or a hook right fuck right away? Right So Who definitely shook people and got everybody's attention. But when we came with Bob, that's when everybody we knew. Everybody knew that Lad was for real and I still had the
marketing cope. So the bigger lab got the bigger the marketing company that the bigger the marketing company, the more people wanted to be a lab. And we were like we were like three for three. You know, well met cap we made a little bit of money, but it just did a little over one hundred, but you know, lick it and go go. But the licksid three hundred thousand. We did two million on the first record, and you know, and Mob did you know they won't planting them on the first alt So even with.
You knowing, like because me, you know, I knew of and I had the fourth and Broadway Mob d from the back, Yeah, yeah, hit back and all that stuff like, but in your mind you were like, yeah, these guys are going to still be a thing.
Yeah. I mean they came to the office they want I don't know if they were gonna smoke a cigarette. They were gonna smoke a blump. But they went to the bathroom and this is in like, you know, a corporate building, right, and they lit pro Proudigy wasn't there because he was sick that time. It was having and you know some of the guys twelve guys and the sprinklers just went off. I said, they're a perfect follow up to That's.
So you there still had to be an edge or a rot or an element of of your groups that authenticity.
I see, I see.
Do you mind telling us like a prodigy story just because you know, we were one of the last shows that he did before we lost him.
He was like a I mean, he was a brother to me. I mean, just like he had such a good, good soul and you know, he just wanted to learn, and he was like a sponge. I think his oldest son or is my oldest son that I think they're like four or five months apart. And he would say, is your son coming to the office. I'm like, I don't know why he was. I need to come up,
and I got my kid with me. You know, if he was coming up, that means he must have been going over some artwork or whatever he was going through. So we were fortunate enough, you know, to have a nanny. So I'm like, I'll make sure you see what time are you going to be here? So I just had to get approval for my wife and you know, and then nanny would watch, you know, both babies, you know, and he and he was appreciated, like and you know, we could have arguments and say fuck you, to each other.
But at the end of the day we would both say, you know, but I love you and you know, And it wasn't like we were just fighting for what we felt. And it was never about money. It was always about maybe a single or a tour or something like that. It's not like we already spent this and we're not going It was just it was about passion and really what was going to get to the next level.
After the jay Z incident in two thousand and one, did you like, how does a lead we'll CEO respond to that to like your back just get the next record ready?
Actually, wait, can you explain the situation to me? You know again, I was in.
LA for the summer. I remember getting the call and I wanted to call Bain. I'm like, where the fuck did you get that picture? Like how did you get the picture? Right?
So, oh, we're going to get you know, want to get on this show? Yeah? I got the t on that join all right.
So so so at the end, at the end of the day, it's like, man, like, let's just get to work and not even about this and Jay or whatever. It's like, what's it saying? Sticks and stones may break your bones? But names will never army. So I mean, yeah, we got one on the chin, but you know what, we're still standing. And it's not how many times you fall, how many times you get up.
Why did you decide to sell the label in ninety.
Nine because I wanted, I you know, when I was selling to Sony, we willing to be the third major in the Sony system, right Columbia Epic and now it is going to be us And and it really wasn't about the money. It was more about my ego, which you know, was fucked up. I was like, all right, we're going to be the third major, and I'm going to be able to have this be on the same playing field as Jimmy as you know, as every as everybody else, because I always felt we weren't on the
same playing field. And it ended up being the biggest mistake of my life.
So you left in ninety nine. So like the whole Project Pat period, and that that whole.
Came three six Mathia're like, we broke three six Mathild, We broke Project Pat, we broke Flip pun Past. During that time, we had Murder music. Divina was before Divina was like ninety five ninety six but ninety eight, right around the fun time, so that you know, and it was just I never played a corporate game before. You know, we went from a staff of thirty people to the coolest, most creative company out there on both aspects, on the marketing side of things and then on the record side
of things. You know, we did the deal and next thing you know, I have the staff at three hundred people, and I'm like, what the fuck is this? Like there was this woman God bless us soul. Her name was Toba Hoffman, and you know, she was in the sixties, calling me mister rifkin I'm thirty five years old, thirty six years old, Like please don't call me mister Rifkett, you know, and she was just and I knew then it was like how much how much time do we have left in this fucking deal? And it was just
like I was stuck for three years. I started having panic attacks and anxiety attacks. I was like, I just couldn't wait to get the fuck out. And it was the first time I didn't know which way to look because I thought I was getting hit every which way I got from corporate.
Now there's another Philadelphia connection that you kind of have. My good friend Charles Stone the third, who directed many of Roots Video, made his debut with the Street classic called Paid Him Full, which is I believe one of your first loud film.
Could you talk about the process of getting into the movies.
Again, I didn't want to be in it. We were doing all we were doing all of Mirror Max's marketing through the marketing company. Now you know, we're branching out. Now I have every film studio MGM, Mirror Max, Warner Brothers, plus the records and the Street Team. Marketing went to Corporate America and I sold twenty five percent comp me to a company called in a Public at that time,
which was the largest advertising holding company in the world. Okay, so Merri Max wants There's a guy named Scott Lambert who was an agent William Marris, who was just a really good good friend, a really good friend of mine. And he says, Merri Max wants to do urban films, like I can get you a three picture deal. And I'm like, huh, you know, he's like he was a brother to me. I'm like, got it, that's not gonna happen. Why would they give me a three picture deal? So
he sets up a meeting. I don't want to say hard. I think it was Bob winste but I couldn't. I couldn't stand Bob. I already had a fight with him once and I beat this ship out of him.
He meantphis, Oh yeah, yeah, all right, we have those questions too, like.
I mean, he mean, he was just a fucking prick. I mean, but when the big earthquake in La happened, my office was destroyed. I had to send a reported because I don't give a fuck who died, who did who?
That?
And I said this, I said, the next time I see you, I promise you to smack the ship. And I hung it and I hung up the phone. A year and a half later, my son is four weeks old. He was born in June tenth July, fourth weekend, nineteen ninety five. I'm pulling off. I took a house in the Hamptons, and there's a guess. I go to take a piss and there he is here, has no idea who the fuck I am? Steve. I smacked him in the face, I said.
And that is our promo, Ladies and gentlemen, Steve will be on quest Lops Supreme smacking motherfuckers up.
I likes it. I like it a lot back, not just any kind in the hand.
So now I got it. So now we're doing a presentation with the Vina you mentioned. So we're coming and my brother says, merrim Max is coming with Off. By the time we land was it was Dimension, which was the sister label to Merri Max. It was like the Indy side said, Jonathan, you're full of ship. We land and get to the hotel. There's a fucking contract. I don't know if my brother fortd my fucking signature. I
don't even remember signing the deal. And next thing you know, I have a three picture This will happen within a week, a three picture deal. And they threw crazy fucking money at us. And then Brett Rattener says, Dame has an incredible story, right, But I go, who's gonna produced it? I don't know nothing about I don't even have to produce a record, like I'm going to now produce a fucking movie. He was, No, you gotta hire this guy Ron. We hired this guy Rock and and and the rest
is history. And they you know, I'm not gonna the only thing that I did is we had the deal, but this was I gotta give credit to day Ding did everything he pictured. He did everything. I'm not trying to take his thunder. I mean he did everything. And you know, I just went for a ride. When he asked me to take my name as executive producer, I was taking my name off anyway. Was based on a true story and I didn't want any fucking heads people just coming.
At it right, coming at you right.
Yeah, So I was taking my name off anyway. I was like, that's not a problem.
We now live in a time in which the African renaissance has truly arrived with like African music and African artists getting mainstream success.
But you know, I know that you.
I mean, I won't say a risk, but you were actually ahead of the game. And I believe you signed a Kon?
Is you not? What was it about Akon? And you signed him early, like back in two thousand and four, two thousand and five.
I believe that he was right when I left Glad, I started SRC Records right right, So I signed Banner. I'm a banner A yeah, yeah, I'm a basketball guy and I break my nose playing basketball. And the macho guy that I am like, all I really want to do is cry, but my son is watching and I want to show him, like I have blood all over me, and I want to show him that it's okay to like get hit and you don't have to cry. Meanwhile,
I'm seeing three of everything. It's like, you know, if the basket's over there, I shot the ball over there right like then, I literally just I never felt paying like and I just passed out. And when they were taking me to the hospital, Kenny Burns with huh and Kenny, he goes, you got to hear this, and I'm like, what the fuck is this? And there was only one record that I wanted to hear. And I mean, there's only one record that I said, just keep on playing
it over and over and over again. And my philosophy was like I never considered myself an A and R guy, Like it was always about the team.
Wait, Kenny Burns said that, No, I said.
Kenny had the tape and then he played with me. We were playing ball, and now I went to the hospital to get my nose ticks.
Okay, I'm just I'm just tripping at Undy Burns. As a part of the Akon story, this is amazing.
Okay, So in those days, I flew private MHM, and I just didn't know if I was laughed to fly. I don't know what the hell was the matter with my nose. I could have been like a full you know rain. Now I don't know what the fuck you know? They said they broke my nose and I couldn't really fly for twenty four hours for effect. So I just said, we're going to Atlanta set of New York, and I met the vine I at aicon. The rest was history, and I pretty much did the same thing. Universal laughed
in my face. I said, this is gonna be the biggest office in my career, and they said, oh, this is couna be biggeran war. I'm like yeah, and they laughed, and I got so fucking mad. I was like, you know what, fuck you guys. And I had There's somebody that was with me at LAB who started off as an intern in the street team guy and then he just grew and grew and grew with me, and then when I started SC he became he was because I gave him a piece of a company me and he
was my president. Got the name of his wife was pregnant at the time, and I said, God, you do the East in the South, I'll do the West in the Midwest. And we didn't have a video. We didn't have anything. He took a kN and I took a conm boo, and I mean, we may believe whoo was a kon and.
We wait, wow, this is like the Little Richard James Brown situation. We're both Little Richard and James Brown. We're touring as Little Richard.
I didn't okay, oh it.
So we had no video. Nobody knew what any kind of looked like. And at the at the end of day, the record broke in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and so like so like you know, I fly fly into me York with the record club locked up with style.
I was about to say, was locked up.
Okay, right, I come to New York and this is where you know Republic was known for doing their research. I should you not. There's a fucking report like like this must have been fifty pages on every storm in Albuquerque and util. You wouldn't believe how many fucking stores that were, you know, between Target and Walmart, and the ship's going through the roof. So wise and We're like,
what the fuck is going on? You know, and I'm like, I'm trying to bring it east and you know now, you know, and we had to change out philosophy because Republic was a radio company. They didn't understand street records. So I had a cover like like Philly came in, Boston, came in Connecticut, came in, Miami, came in you know, New York was the last one to come in, you know. And then who was Mother's Day? And I get a phone call from somebody who goes, what the fuck did
you do in Brooklyn? I'm like, what are you talking about? We're talking about Akon, you know. And the truth is I really didn't do anything. We just we surrounded New York where it would just have to leak in and with the King's plasm mall. You know, the record was being played every fucking call, you know. That Monday, Abro calls me up and he says, we're adding the record, you know. And then two weeks later, like the research was like number one requested in like top three call out.
I mean, the record broke and the right it was the first the first week, I think we scanned three thousand records. It was the lowest sound scanning record I ever had in my life. First week, but each week it didn't go three thousand to fifteen hundred. They stayed at three thousand, three thousand, two hundred, three thousand, one hundred. And when that fucking thing just took off, I mean, by by the fall, we were at sixty thousand a week and we didn't even come up lonely yet.
So tired of that record.
Good God.
I have a confessor about Lockdown. I have an professor about Locked Up.
And this is before the error sizam where you can't find out who the artist is. I swear to God for a good twenty one seconds, For good twenty.
One seconds, I said, holy shit, roberta flex of the scene, yo.
But yeah, but Locked Up with styles Pete was those storymix.
I didn't hear his verse, but A Kon's voice was so I can't describe it.
It's such a compliment to Acon, such a compliment.
Yeah, and I'm saying it's androgynist, but I literally it was a woman singing, and because it was done in such a rich alto, and I never heard this voice before. For twenty seconds, I was like, hey, rich it could happen. I was like, if and Aretha Franklin working together, I was, yo, shot, let me find out that that's.
ROBERTA Flag is about to come back like a motherfucker.
Okay, wait before I let you go, there's one question I always ask of every label CEO, Can you tell me three x that you almost signed that were close but no Cigars.
Jay Z?
You could have you could have signed jay Z.
B mvus hated me so much and because we took him for so much money, they didn't want to give us any more money to sign JA. I go back with Dane since he's fifteen sixteen years old when he was managing Original Flavor.
Wow, Wow, so that's dope.
So Jay.
He wasn't an act, but he was to me one of the best executives, you know, IRV Gotti when he had Mike Geronimo. We tried to get the.
Records ship.
And we'll tell you this, whatever reason we couldn't get the sample cleared and then BMB is saying, you're wasting your time. And this was literally I just signed my DAP. They said, you're wasting your time and we're not going to give you the money to do it find something else. So if I didn't deal with Mike, I'm sure would ended up being with me.
Are you talking about Master I See or the single that he had that was more puffy ish? No, the first single, the first Master I See, that's a goddamn masterpiece.
Oh wow, jay Z and then m and you got a chance to sign him.
Yeah.
But but the thing was this, if he stayed with us and I had to do with Paul Rosenberg a few weeks ago, he wouldn't have been Eminem four hundred million records later, right, he would have been eminent. He would have been Eminem fifty million records. He was an underground rapper, you know. And you talk about Genie and no Battle, right, so you're talking about him and Dray just creating magic that that you know, he would have been Bob Deep. He would have been Wu your pun.
We had a pop record on. I was still how to play it, but you know he would have been just in that length. That was the only thing we knew how to do.
Wow, So I know that you know what.
The thing is also interesting about your story is the fact that how the lineage goes down from your grandfather, your father, you and now your your son is an MC.
Correct.
So my youngest both my sons played ball, you know, one played college, another one played for a famous high school out in LA and he didn't want to go to college, and out of nowhere, he just started rapping and he put out a record and shouldn't put the record out of himself, and he did you know, a few hundred thousand streams. Flex played the record on his own.
Without knowing the connection, no knowing knowing the connection.
But it was during the holidays, so he hit a two week run and he was going to music school in Florida full sale, and it was just you know, my son, he doesn't want to read it. He needs to see it and feel it. So he lost his love from doing like real school work. That's not him. So you know, he has twelve twelve of his friends like his crew. They're rolling in the NBA. So he's going to be an intern for Rich Paul starting December.
The way you're talking about basketball, I feel like your true passion is owning a team.
Or now I've lost so much money in basketball. I mean, I'll I'm just I'm just a fan now that that's all I'm I've lost tensive millions of dollars.
Did you try to No, never try to own a team.
But like my philosophy in life, and this is what I've learned from my dad. If I can help one one person and save their life and put him in the right direction, then I did my job on her. No money, could you know that feeling of saving somebody? You can't put a price on that. And you know, so when me and my wife split, my kids are into racial okay, and they all came out different complexion, all three of them, you know, and one came out
really like skinning, like Jack the Rapper. So when we split, she moved to Florida and there's an area called Delery Beach and in this one area in Dowery Beach is probably the most gang affected in all the flower in a five block radius. And there was a gym there and she threw him in there, and she goes, you got to learn how to stand on your own. And she wouldn't let me go to any games. And then finally like I didn't know what au was or anything like that, and then I don't know where I think
she was coming out to. I don't know where she was going but she goes, oh, you got to pick the ballots at two o'clock as a game at twelve, I get there one to watch the game, and I knew he was gifted and then, but I didn't know that he had two of the games at night, you know, one at six and one and nine. I was in heaven and I just started going to the games, and you know, they respected him for who he was, and I just minded my own business. I wasn't gonna try
and buy a team. But I didn't know that he was eleven and he was playing on a fourteen on the team and they didn't win a game. Right but now, and he wasn't talking to me with me and his mom separating, but now he was back in my life. And I said to the coach, I said, the season can't be over, and he still, well, you know it's over. I'm like, you got to find something. I go, he was, well, there's a tournament next week for twelve and under team. I said, well, alex is eleven. How old to say?
And like, we end up putting six guys on the team. He goes, who will, coach? I said, I will. He says, what do you know about basketball? I said enough, I should you not? I go seventy and oh that whole fucking song seven zero. So Florida is known for football. I know nothing about football. Half my team of professional football players right now. So they were just the best
athletes in the world. And I just had him pressed and they could all shoot the shit out of the ball and jump and they were how old was Alas? He was eleven to twelve at that time, right, yeah? And I really thought I was going to become a professional basketball coach, like I had him traveling. We won States, we won Nationals, we won the World Games, and I
just thought I'm taking on challenges. And then I get a phone called to buy a tournament, which is like a record convention, And just like one thing led to another, and I mean, I lost my shirt. But at the end of the day, that is my happiness. Music, right, Music is the closest thing to God right right, make your laughing and make you cry, just your memories, It just it touches your soul. Sure, and basketball just it just touches me too. Where I get fucking crazy, do you.
Still get an itching or like just one more hit? Metaphorically speaking as in drugs not like a hit single, but just is I mean, are you addicted at all to the adrenaline? Yeah, I'm finding that rare Jim.
So I got. I got this kid right now, same as Take forty five from San Diego, California, eighteen years old, self contained, produces himself. He had eight monthly uses on Spotify and now he's closing in and I want to say a little under two hundred thousand. He had twenty five who was on TikTok and we're closing in on three hundred thousand files and all this kid is just keep on putting out music and putting out music, and
his energy is fucking ridiculous. And people will say to me, it's you know, it's nothing what people are used to be putting out. But you know what, my old day, one of my old day in our guys on the West Coast brought it to me and it's it's it's different. He's self contained. And each day we're going up slowly and he's gonna break. I just don't know when I
don't know how to read records. Yeah, but the adrenaline that I get every day and just seeing it if we're up ten streams or a thousand streams, or getting on a new playlist I have. I was sick for a while. I had a mess heart attack eight years ago. That's why you lost the weight. No, I just was away because I don't want to get another heart attack.
That's what That's what I'm meant, that's what I'm in.
So yeah, I was sent three times.
Oh man, what was that like?
Was it just overworking? Was it stress?
It was never going to the doctor and not taking care of myself. If I went to a doctor and said, hey, your blood pressure is high, you gotta do something. You gotta lose ten times. You gotta do this, you gotta do that. But it was I'm not blaming my x y, I'm not blaming anybody. It was just me not taking care of myself. You could say stress, you could say that. You could say that, but it was just you got to know your body and you got to just take care of yourself.
You know, you got to make yourself a priority.
And that's what it is.
Yeah, you know you are learning that in the pandemic. Thank god.
No, you can't be a victim. And you know, and just like who wants to hear a victim story?
At least not of your own self, so you don't feel like a stranger in the strange land in terms of like.
Yeah, I do, I have no idea? What the fuck?
Okay?
Good?
I mean, I have no truth. I call the Empire distributes us guys. Who is the smartest guy in the music business. I don't want to bother him, so I speak to him, like what can I do today? Like I used to make a clall shoot, right, two hundred people be some mix guys by streeting guys.
Right.
I got five guys, right, and they all work with me? Who are all at the DSPs. I mean I sit here like just twiddling my fucking thumbs and I'll take a nap at three o'clock.
But I'm just saying that today, Like how is it different now promoting? Especially with the internet at the helm you have no word of the internet in the early nineties.
But you have nobody promotes to Like you can't promote, you can't promote Spotify the record. They don't want the record on the radio yet. So my day was today. I got him a booking agent at UTA, right, mm hmm. And I was really excited to do your thing. So I went to lunch, made a few calls, and just thinking about the podcast all day.
Sound like freedom to make That's a dope day.
Wait a minute, I'm gonna get crushed if I don't ask one to asker roth question.
Oh all right, could you talk about your your your work with and Scooter?
I mean at as great as the ASHU was. I know he's from Pennsylvania, you know, right. The guy the name of Jerry Clark introduced me to Scooter. I was in Atlanta and Scooter, I think was still in college mm hm. And he just reminded me a little of myself. I thought he was a little bit more full of shit, but I thought he was brilliant. And I offered him to become president of company with no experience huh.
And he gave Scooter his start.
I gave Scooter his first record.
Yip.
Yeah, shit.
Now I feel like there's a question that I should be asking that I don't know to ask, because again you keep on pulling these historical.
I gave so this, this is what I'm proud of. I gave Scooter his his first record deal with I gave guy Siri. I got him his first deal with Henji, and evil ly with Ruber and Rodriguez at Pendelum America.
Wait what so I just didn't start at Maverick.
Guy was eighteen years old.
You gave oh shit, Okay.
No, I didn't. I didn't sign him. I made the deal for guy.
So guy was was managing Henji. Yeah, e belie at the age of eighteen.
Yeah, you're I think at the age of sixty. And I begged him to go lists an independent record company and he said no.
Wow, okay, all right, gods another So it was another one. I want one more at like, give me some more. Start bragging. Brag on yourself. This is minory moment.
I mean, I can't brag on myself. But you know Scooter, I opened him to become president of s r C. He said no. I said the guy, let's start a record company. He said no, And I made the deal and then on and that's you know, and then me you know me raz and fetch up you know those you got it them?
Can I ask you an awkward question that probably nobody ever asked? Was it ever awkward to have that many five percent on the labels?
Thank you good night, Dante? Also, I mean the black.
Maid has got it the White Maiden's Devil.
They were all on my wedding. I mean I never thought about it, just now, like and it never came to my you.
Know, I also asked that to know. I wanted to know at some point, where the where did they stop because I feel like also at a certain point you're helping to make money too, so.
You don't how much. But that's interesting. Yeah, you never with the bag.
The only one that we had issues with was that press.
Oh yeah, I forgot about the press.
But at the end of the day, I probably handled it wrong. It was my my ego was hurt. It was like, how the fuck are they not trust me?
Are you serious?
Yeah?
I mean I mean were the first record? Were you there for the second album?
No?
I can tell okay, Oh no, I wish I wish that second that second album should have blown up, and it didn't.
But you know, but then you look at you know, m p any up. You know it's just like those are records to this day, you know that still give me goosebumps.
Yeah, stay around forever. No, I mean, this is the first time I think you and I are talking, man, But I've heard them, but stand up.
Things about you and you know, all the respect that you had, and this is like a long, long, long, long, overdue conversation. Man, I thank you for coming on the show.
You in New York? Are you? And l A?
I'm currently in New York. The next time we got to go to dinner, no doubt, no doubt.
Well that's right, you got a daughter too, Right, where do you guys want to go for dinner?
I'll set it up and.
Wait, So good Bill, nothing, no questions.
Well, I just I mean, Steve, it sounds like like you made a lot of close friends and and a lot of people hate you, which makes you an authentic Steve. So congratulations on that. And but what a great career I mean, no, just just too much, too much to process.
Incredible.
Yeah, I really wish I was there at Radio City for that night at uh celebration.
That night was so fucking special. I mean it was. I mean, I think it was Ex's last performance. It was, and it was right before everything shut down.
Yep, yep, it was amazing.
I was in a radio City would never be the same after that. They they never saw so many people backstage and in their life.
I also wanted to know how that was organized and what not.
Well on behalf of Siga, Steven and Bill and Fan Diegelo and Laya, the Great, the Great Steve Rifkin.
Yes, thank you, Supreme.
This was amazing. Oh I didn't talk too much.
No, we live for Rabbit, Holy trust?
What is that?
What are those works?
They go together?
Talk too much?
We don't know.
So until next time, ladies and gentlemen, and I promise you that I will have better camera working and Steve look professional. I'm just I feel like a drunk here. But anyway, thank you for doing our shows.
You're getting You're not a drunk, but you're getting high too much.
All right, We'll see you on the next go around. Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen.
This West Love Supreme is a production of iHeart Cream. For more podcasts from iHeart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.