Steve Lobel Young Atlas

Steve I appreciate you sitting down with us today not a problem man god bless you know it's a Sunday you're always working hard I really respect that yeah you know it's no days off it's twenty five eight eight days a week to be honest with you that's what is instilled in me to work hard and have patience and sacrifice a lot and then you be successful sure when did this journey start for you in the music industry wow this journey started over 30 years ago okay and I look 38 thank you but over 30 years ago to a guy named Jam Master Jay rest in peace from Run DMC all right hopefully everybody out there watching and listening knows who Run DMC is for their music and their legacy and what they did for the culture you know from adidas to first artists to go platinum so on and so forth but Jay Master Jay and Run DMC put me in the music industry I was able to be our Russell Simmons and Leo Cohen and by being around them I would listen and learn you know Russell Simmons is my mentor and I feel everybody should have a mentor right having a mentor is very important and then when you first started off what was the first couple of jobs that you had in the industry like what was your role when you're working with Russell and who you are on things like well you know I didn't really work for Russell Leo like I said I was around them I worked with Run DMC and Jam Master Jay and it was driving the van gonna do shows carrying luggage carrying records going to meetings whatever needed to do I did it um you know shame to the game that's how you learn you educate because opportunities on knock all the time so when opportunities not to take advantage of in a good way and then I was able to work my way into work at Sony and I got to work at Sony records and got a job there and they asked me if I knew how to do retail promotions I didn't but I said yeah and that job entitled going around all the record stores in New York City from from Queens but I'll go to Brooklyn the Bronx Manhattan Staten Island Manhattan even Long Island you go to the independent record stores and you would go check on you know what's selling putting a poster boards giving out t-shirts Prohm samplers so on and so forth and from there they're like hey do you know how to do radio promotions I'm like yeah but I didn't I learned it as I went then next thing you know a and on so Sony taught me a lot because that's what opened the door after Run DMC I got to work with a lot of artists from all over the country now travelin Run DMC you would go around the country but when you're from New York or you really into his New York music right and then you open your ears to things so working in relativity Sony I was able to work with mo P the beat nuts Fat Joe Frankie Cutlass I was also able to work with easy MC Ren bone thugs-n-harmony a bank line which was will.i.am you know cuz ruthless records was distributed by Relativity I also got to work with suave house and Tony Draper which was 8ball & MJG and mr. Mike and south circle and crime boss from Houston I also got to work with the Dayton family I the Midwest and bone thugs-n-harmony other Midwest also got to work with drew down and Mac Mall out of the Bay Area so my ears were opening to all different sounds and you know vocals from all over the country um working at relativity Sony gotcha so you were able to work with a wide range of artists and these artists were established you know top-of-the-line artists as well yeah you know back in the days you know most artists would get signed to record label for seven albums right and there would be million dollar contracts but the reason they were signed for seven albums because the first go-round is usually not when you make your success it goes to two or three albums sometimes you do like you know bone thugs-n-harmony their first album east ninety nine internal major release was huge but you know they had big records off that so but it is is that you know back then the video budgets were a lot of money there was no iPhones there was no social media there was no one run around photographers you know you had to go and do a photo shoot for an album you knows real studio stuff with real so if you do it a collab you have to FedEx the real and wait for a week to be sampled the record you take six months to get the sample cleared so on and so forth right and I see you've worked with a lot of artists some of them dislike coming up and some of them are really established what what is it in terms of the characteristics that really that you need in order to take it to that next level to become one of the greats well you know the patients right sacrifice it's really a marathon not a sprint you know rest in peace the nipsey you know for him saying that but it really is you know hard work really pays off and I was instrumental & instrumental instrumental with my partner big you and putting Nipsey Hussle on he was doing his thing locally in south-central but I met him and then we took him to another level you know that took years and years the first five six years no one believed in him right you know they're like oh it looks like Snoop Dogg he's a rollin 60 that's big you it's never gonna work and what happened years and years and years later it worked so I've been involved with artists that had hits but no one knew who they were you know one of my artists is he had a song called replay show he's like a melody solo yeah you know we had a bunch of records that were big but it wasn't branded properly so he walks down the street no one knows who he is you understand yeah you got big records but the branding and marketing right unfortunately that could be wrong but that was a record company's fault so at the end of the day I just feel like Hall work and having an end game and setting goals and a structure of your business and what you're really doing this for when it comes to hip-hop and the music business then it'll be around for a while know for sure and speaking of goals I know you have a lot of projects going on you want to talk about some of your goals for the end of 2019 some things you're trying to accomplish right well one of my biggest goals is and you know Nipsey Hussle named me maniac Lobell because he said I was a real maniac but you know before he passed away I was with him at a NCAA double a basketball game for Texas Tech shoutout to Brendon one brand one Francis and Bob Francis had a stack but you know he told me maniac you're a genius from are we working University and what I'm proud of is that I'm changing a narrative over the music business so I'm not in the music industry I'm in the music business is a business so if I'm sitting down with you and you say and you're a producer and you don't know about splits for publishing or neighboring rights or royalties you really not a producer you're just making beats this is a business we're here to make money and feed our families and help people so business so we work in university has over 70 modules with people like Gary Vee talking about entrepreneurship to Charlemagne to God talking about mental health to groovy little legendary stylists to be really legendary artists of Cypress Hill and the list goes on from every asset from A&R publisher a tour manager manager booking agent so we work in universities gonna change the game and a lot of my peers in the industry feel like I'm a genius for that so you go into the modules on we work in university comm and you learn about the music business from all things you might want to be a stylist you're gonna learn from groovy Lou you might be a choreographer you wonder how important is for live performances you might want to be an entertainment lawyer we've got some of the best you might want to be an A&R you might want to be a manager not knowing that a manager is a babysitter a psychiatrist a therapist a loan shark so you learned a lot from different peoples always 70 modules and and you sign up and you're gonna learn a lot right that's very interesting and especially because the music industry as you know is and the business has been changing dramatically over the last you know 10 years or so and in terms of a and R I feel like that's interesting because that title is kind of changing in terms of the way you find artists and all that what see you in this day and age is an aien are what does that represent well you know what an A&R means is artists repertoire you know and obviously ANR's back in the days would go out and sign talent right and you might find it off for a cassette you might find it off a mixtape you might find that as a talent search you know and then you develop the artist and that's what hardest developments going on let's fast-forward 20 years and an A&R really is sitting back looking at people's followings people's views people soundcloud people streaming and looking for numbers and more say of height not as a real artist you know real artist is work ethic swag personality charisma talent writes produced everything but that's what changed the Internet is a gift and a curse I mean I love it but a lot of people don't how to adapt to it from the past and that's why I call myself a dinosaur but I'm faster for you cuz I stay relevant right but that's what an A&R does these days you know we have to take it back to all this development and all this God I really believe in that gut like I've done and not just go off someone's numbers because those numbers could come and go but you know you have to be able to change with the game if that's the way the game is you respect it or you don't like it you know what I mean right and and speaking of finding artists because like you said numbers and following has just dramatically changed when people are looking especially labels to sign someone what do you look what do you look for when you're what's your process like when you're finding a new artist well you know these days I'm trying not to manage an artist I like to more consult educate and give back but I'm working with sue surf out of Newark New Jersey and that's probably the first artist that I've been dealing with for a few years because I've imagined the Great Scott Storch so I brought Scott Storch back on his comeback you know he had a hundred million dollars he's got on cocaine he lost everything and he own industry just pushed him to the side I've been working in about three and a half years and I kept my ear to the streets and I was bringing a young artist to him to work with him to a booking stood on cues the PMB rocks to rowdy riches so on and so forth so it made me see is like you know what I want to start working with an artist again because I got so caught up with Scott which is a full-time job that I didn't have time to look for new artists and organically I ran into sue Cerf to a dear friend of mine Greg Keller so I work with sue surf and when I sat down and met with him it was about a story you know a real brand is about a story behind it and his story was great and people know him but now I need to go to the next level he's a battle rapper but the stigma of battle rap resist they can't make songs so I went to Newark New Jersey to his hood and listen to his songs he makes songs he's an online gambler he rollerskates he's a rollin 60 from Newark New Jersey he's been in jail he's been in the streets he's a father he's a son his story's crazy man so and he's a worker so it all just fell in I like to find things organically I don't like to be pushed on it disrespected to work with someone you know forced I just like it old to be organic and everybody I've worked with it's been organic and I go with my gut when people tell me it's not gonna work it winds up working like I go left whenever I was going right they go right I go left you know I'm saying for sure you're not afraid to take chances no not at all yeah and especially like you said when a lot of Industry was pushing Scott to the side when he was going through his troubles like how did how did that come about you two working together um yeah you know I feel like I've been ahead of my time Podcast a huge right now but I had a thing called live with Steve Lobel years ago you can go online and google that I was Soulja Boy yeah yeah I did J Cole Soulja Boy's everybody and no one everybody told me who cares about a podcast now the huge but I don't even do it no more but I was ahead of my time I was on reality TV I don't know I'm just a visionary and people don't believe in it till after the fact but I had live with Steve Lobel and we're talking about you know innovation and creativity and being ahead of our times I'm about to launch a streaming service it's OTT and it's like the DirecTV and you're gonna be able to watch like over 300 channels right from your phone and cardi B is involved with it and it's one of the say thank you to my partner and Albert and Jaz prince who are involved and this is going to be huge because you can go on your phone and watch live television from your local stations to ESPN to MTV to HBO to stars and we're gonna create our own channels a cannabis channel a music channel because there's no b-team rap cities and 106 and parks and MTV's no more so that's gonna be launching very very soon depending on when they're so interview comes out but how Scott Storch happened was i am i was doing live with Steve Lobel and my friend Raoul from Terror Squad I saw was at his house on Instagram so I had him up outside near the any of you got she's like okay come tomorrow to this address and he sends me to this address and I come with my crew and Scott sitting in the house I bought my Chamillionaire placa the one that's got to sign it so I interviewed him for live with Steve Lobel and when I was done he's like got dr. Dre's number I said no but I did have it and then he said you want to manage me I said could give me 24 hours so I called his old manager out of integrity and he told me which I love Derek he said you know swim at the shops and hung up on me but two years later I saw him and he went like this salute Steve man you did a great job so I told Scott the next day I'll manage him and I'm a protocol type of guy I like to go to ANR's and managers and executives because as a manager that's what you want with you and you managing your clients and everybody I went to I would say 90% they told me no feel like Steve come on you know last time I was in a studio at that time he's on cocaine he fell off and Monte Lipman mighty Libman from Universal Republic I called him up I said I wanted Scott to work with Nicki Minaj and he said always a name always a threat talent never leaves and I said Wow and then I spoke with whack 100 and the game I brought game there and we did a record called all eyes with jeremiad I was the first record on my Scott Storch combat and then just started getting in with people once everyone was telling me no it made me fight harder so I would just go to the auto start erect and I keep people around me who are younger than me and smarter than me you know successful person is always surrounded by people smarter than themselves and I was just in the streets as well I'm outside at all time and I'm inside the corporate offices that's what makes me unique as a Caucasian and I would just find out who was gonna be hot and what's coming up I bring them to Scott Scott didn't know the mentality of what do you mean gonna work with them and get paid after he used to always get paid up front people waiting on life him and Hit Factory years ago so I said things have changed the business have changed and we that's what we pay boogies the PMB rocks the dark use the rowdy riches and so on and so forth came and then later on a game dr. James number and they reunited and now he fixed a lot of his relationships and he burnt because of drugs drugs is up man everybody watching us stay away from cocaine and all the man this is this will kill you this will destroy your life your career your family your friends so on and so forth you know you know I never did cocaine I never drank I never do drugs but you know Who am I only God could judge but I just saw it ruin a lot of people's lives and you know who then I just reconnected him a lot of people just recently had him working with Jay Cole just had them a 50 cent and it's all just me going through my rolodex because it's not what you know it's who you know my relationships are great because I've good karma because I don't burn relationships so this call people make this happen I love it so you've been really consistent with the work and what's cool is you you saw those knows that you were getting and you use that like a true hustler will use that as fuel and motivation it's just like imma prove these guys wrong well yeah yeah well you know what it is um there's some gems that I try to tell people if they want to listen or not but it got me to where I got to be right and I was supposed to be I'm uneducated GED I'm self-made self-taught come out of Queens New York cleans finest never forget where you come from lap you'll make money get a little fame and I forget where they come from but you know a lot of my successes come from being organized having a structure and an endgame and following your goals and get those things done communication gotta be able to communicate I gotta be able to talk to a booking agent about martes booking a show or a radio station play in a record or a lawyer going over contracts so communication is very much important never taking no for an answer you know I got all those nose you I'm gonna make it happen regardless common sense which is not common and then the biggest thing I feel is following up if me and you didn't follow up I wouldn't be sitting here today on a lovely Sunday doing interview with you right following up is everything as we meet so many people every day and I make notes you know my memory I'll be forgetting so I make notes text myself things to follow up you have to follow up and and and then that's how business is taking care and you build relationships like that organically know for sure and what is in terms of you know building some of these relationships because that's important because I see like you know you're really out there you're at the right places you're always networking and that's an important aspect but what's some things if let's I know there's some people watching this that wouldn't want to one day be a manager manage artists Lee what's some advice you would give them in today's day and age of some like maybe advice I mean should you go with your gut yeah believe in your client make sure there's some business with your clients and paperwork because a lot of artists get out nezer after you help them out because everything starts at the bottom you know and just you know take some of those gems I gave you and learn and going through we work in University and learn from some of the best managers how to manage somebody because management is not easy it's a full-time job you're taking care of your client you're being the the scumbag you're fighting for your client that's what a manager does really fights for his first client and you know when you say I'm I'm outside I'm outside but I'm at the right places yeah less is more quality over quantity right and if I don't know somebody I'm gonna know who they are when I go into a place I'm not gonna look for girls I'm not looking to drink I'm not looking for none that I'm going in and see how could help me and benefit my clients so how I met you I'm going into a place i'ma find out who's the promoter who's this who's the young guy who's this I need to get to know them I need to build a relationship with them I'll see what we could do it was not meant to be it's not meant to be but the biggest thing is access everybody wants the access and everybody can't get any access like you know just this week on that t grizzlies our release party I'm at you know CC Sabathia celebrity basketball game I'm here I'm there but it's deeper than just the events those are cool but it's also I'm having meetings I'm taking care of business and I'm taking care of business at those places too there's networking involved with business life you don't understand that they didn't just play and party and hanging out especially for me it's networking and building it and making sure this one changed his number and that one I went to have 97 Summer Jam I got to make sure everybody know that I want to do business with didn't change that number a lot of dudes we're changing their numbers so how to make sure that so I'm there Network and I'm not dead worrying about being on stage or being in the crowd I'm learning about backstage navigating and making happen perfect example I put quavo on FaceTime with Scott starts now me goes and Scott's gonna work I think that's what I do like I'm gonna put you in the corner and make that happen like because you never know if the opportunity there tomorrow you get it so that's the biggest thing is the access that everybody wants and I sacrificed a lot to get those relationships to have that access you get what I'm saying so Abe I can't have that access you see me on Instagram I take pictures of people none of ten times I know those people or Johnny Nunez or Ahnold Turner shooting that 4-wire image and I'm snatching the picture from that or I'm bringing a content shooter because I know key content is I've been telling people years content is king for years and years and years Khalid will tell you I've been walking around with a camera disposable polaroid for years you know why it instilled in me because I was putting up posters I was getting close from companies I needed to put them artists I needed to take pics to send it back to them you understand so I knew how important that was so all my throwbacks having them I've been blessed to have all those throwbacks because of that for sure and I do appreciate you following up because I remember when we met and you would not we got on the phone the next day so I could tell you know you're a man of your word yeah you have to be a man of your word you know and I invited you somewhere yeah built a relationship it's about giving back it's about letting the people who want access into the right things we're gonna take advantage of in a good way and not disrespect it and it up and and make you look bad you understand so it's all about integrity and I'm a leader I'm not a follower I don't follow bandwagons I don't jump on bad wagons and to the younger artists and managers out there like if your artists just make sure that being themselves that's what a real brand is a brand has a story it stays consistent with its music its logo its menu arm its look and a lot of times artists they want to follow a trend and it's not really who they are because they think that's what's in and they're gonna clout chase and they gonna do things that are fake and try to look this and that I explain to people a lot you know when they're having a million followers and they're putting up sexy pictures and have all these like but then when you go put up something new in a studio and you get nothing then you really see why people are following you because they be looking at you because you a pretty girl you understand and when I just saw some the other day when something that five million followers they went to go sell some shirts and they could even sell 10% of that so a lot of times don't go buy off the followers I don't I go for true talent and so on and so forth yeah more substance yeah substances everything true pocket substance Nipsey Hussle substance i'm substance you know i'm saying we have something in us to give back substance we're not here today gone tomorrow we're building something and that's why I love music that has substance like Alicia Keys and Bruno Mars and Frank Sinatra that's me you know know for sure and speaking of nipsey just so we can give the people like maybe a little quick story is there anything about nipsey that just like when you think of him a story that sticks out that's just special about him that shows his character you know I'm gonna be consistent as a real real true guy and I'm repetitive in a lot of my interviews because I don't switch up and no one could catch me like I just guys said something else I worked with a lot of artists and with all due respect to all of them I love them all and help them all but nipsey was the smartest mm-hmm and why I say that is because he always wanted to learn he never cared about the fame he just cared about the fortune to make that money and put it back into his neighborhood help us people he was always reading he's always seeking knowledge education going to Barnes and Nobles on tour buying books and stuff so he was just always himself don't need a change about Nipsey Hussle was the size of his clothes anybody knows him used to wear the 3x and now he's fitted you know and um I got to see him you know in that cask and he looked beautiful he looked amazing and you know I was able to you know feel something special about that he looked so good and gods take him to a better place where he must be needed you know but you know you know I have so many memories with him but I'll never forget one memory Kevin Liles called he was working at Def Jam at the time and they were doing the def jam video game and he wanted nipsey in it there's way before nipsey's popular and and he made a Crenshaw Gucci looking sweatshirt like the Gucci logo and I only fly Delta and he was like he called me maniac la belle is like maniac we're going to New York but we're gonna take virgin and you're gonna sit in the middle seat like I hate the middle seats I love Delta but I said no problem you know because I knew we're on a mission and it was always me and him in the beginning and then um we had a hotel in Chinatown and we shared a room together like we dug it out he said we dug it out I him go get his tea and stuff and redbull and we just went to the video shoot it got it done and just you know sharing ruling and laughing practice cracking jokes and stuff like that you know noobs used to come to my house in LA from where he used to live and play basketball and back he'll just get away and think you know I mean so we've been through a lot you know happy don't even know you have sneaker deals way before the Pullman deal you deal with Adidas he I deal with Puma you know we were working on a Timberland sneaker before he passed away shoutout to Kai Lenny from the Toronto Raptors was killing him you know nipsey did a footlocker commercial right around Christmas last year for footlocker and Jordan would I lent it and I was I put that together with reg from jordan that cows always saying in the meeting in the meeting we still in the meeting as Reggie from Jordan so there's so many memories you know just you know being on tour with nipsey on the LAX toilet game and Kendrick Lamar was KDOT a hype man for j-roc and me big you and all the nipsey's homies we're in a Winnebago and nipsey was feeding me noodles and crackers and stuff he's like this from it's how you eat nakhon yeah like damn bro but I've been on told Bone Thugs and I've been on top with Sean Kingston our private jet suite and five-star stuff but you got stuck it out with a with your artist man in the beginning stages when there's when there's McDonald's or a holiday and Express and you have to grow with them to get the bigger better things know for sure you got to put that it's a matter of cost we have said and what are some you know there's a I feel like a lot of a lot of people now are trying to be artists right they're trying to be rappers and whatnot and from what you showed it like there's it's obviously a long journey to get to that spot what are some things they can learn from the nipsey's and these great artists that what it takes to get to that like level you know I feel that everybody's a rapper these days yeah I go to any corner in a mile radius right here by city rap mm-hmm everybody's a photographer everybody's a model pay by as a producer everybody's everything now because of the internet but um you know you should learn from a Nipsey Hussle to really be a real artist even Russ that guy Russ was amazing as well you know the way he did that was amazing I knew his manager for awhile but my nephew Ryan connected us to Russ to work with Scott and uh again you know you have to learn from certain people that's why I mentor is important you don't like this one you go like that one you don't like that one you like that when you're like that when you're like that there's so many different things now to follow suit and try to be like and work hard to be like so to all those artists out there just be yourselves be a leader not a follower don't follow trends find the dope producer and create a sound like swishing DMX did or a snoop and Dre or Missy and Timbaland or mustard and yg and build a sound instead of chasing us out try to be different think out the box build a sound that is a that's a great gem right yeah that's important yeah and like you so you got a record out now let's say I'm an artist I got a record out because I was watching something that was really interesting you said when you were promoting one of the bunk both those records you kept calling video you know Wow did your homework yeah of course it got into my homework you know um so I love that tactic because that's like that's a strategy right and I was like thinking if this was today's day innit today right and I just released the track leg what's a what's it maybe a little cool strategy that I could use today to like bond that well to be honest with you back then maybe your parents know this but there was a show called a box yeah that you control was based out of Florida we just had a marketing plan and we just kept calling and requesting thuggish ruggish bone right and you know broke the record that way shoutout to Eric lyna Justin time Prager who's now VEVO well that's true it's an amazing story and you know you know Fat Joe I used to get in a van with him and rest in peace the big pond and we'd get in a van and Fat Joe wouldn't fly at the time and we would drive to Florida Detroit Chicago st. Louis Cleveland and we would go to the deejays and knocked the doors open with vinyl and make them play the record right then and there like you gotta play this record right you got a flow Joe you gotta flow Joe you know I'm saying like you got to do what you got to do yeah it ain't just coming to these days everybody's emails a record mp3s a record just send a link and it's that quick even with collaborations when we did riding dirty with Krayzie Bone and Chamillionaire and won a Grammy for it with playing skills shout the playing skills I just got a big Latin venture with them and publishing we'll talk about but you know wasn't oh you know we're gonna send it an mp3 and do a collab we did bone and biggie notorious thugs we're gonna sessions with bone and biggie right you understand yeah so these days you know I just feel like an artist needs to work their City their block their state you know I'm saying you from New York don't move to Cali trying to break as an artist work the DJ's in New York work the clubs in New York give you records out build relationships go here there there there and just if it's all about the music again today if Bone Thugs video sucked and the song sucked and went to broke so its thoughts we it's not just aggressive the manager is or the label is the artist music got to be good it starts with the music you know so for sure you know break in your city I'll have people try to break other places and sometimes you do cuz it Spotify and Apple and tidal and streaming services but to be respected really in the game break in your own city your own neighborhood own block people and your own community gotta love you first yeah and I feel like that's important like you said like actually going out there cuz everything's behind a screen now but it's still just as important to go and talk to these DJ's a lot of people think they can just do it on their town in front of the laptop that's important too but we still have to go out touch the exactly people got to buy into you ran and love you and love the music at the end of the day but you know look you got a got in six nine you know like suck my dick disrespectful all that stuff which I don't respect you know I got I don't check in nowhere like checking in just so you know wants us to be clear because you have a lot of young viewers checking in is when I'm going to Chicago with Fat Joe we want to check in we want to check in with Pete though we might need some guns might need some weed they might need some girls we're out of nowhere go get the sneak the hottest Snickers I wonder where the Spanish food is we want to run through the projects and just show love that's checking in you know what I mean so at the end that I was able to get to meet Danny six nine a nice little kid you know Scott made some big records with her you know I spoke to him not too long ago and I said yo freedoms priceless huh those yellow G you're right so I didn't respect what he was doing but when I met him I was like he's a little kid so he was living in a different lifestyle than he really was and that's what the young generation needs to understand don't portray something you're not because that could crumble and backfire on you you understand everybody's a gang member these days like I lived in a live in LA over 20 years I know what gangbanging is you know from some old G's teaching me and showing me and seeing it you understand getting tattoos on your face and if it doesn't work then how do you go get a regular job you understand you can't go get a job with tattoos all of your face if your career doesn't make it so the young generation needs old G's and mentors to teach these people you understand and if you're gonna be racist and stereotyped people judge people you're not gonna make it in the world I do a lot of motivational speaking at schools colleges high schools drug rehabilitation our halls and I tell everybody there if you're going to be racist and stereotyped you'll judge people I know how you grew up or was in jail like that or the streets like that but you're gonna travel the world and be in real society you can't be racist you can't stereotype and they exists but guess what the music industry's dealing with Jews Italians Puerto Ricans Mexicans blacks Asians it's all types of things it's a jumbo pot and if you're an artist that's blessed to travel the world and go to different countries you got to know how to deal with people from different speak the language eat their food so on and so forth and so forth if you really want to be a global superstar you can't be you know that's how you know people can't be racist and stereotyped people and that's what made me who I am I love my mother for that she let everybody in my house Latino Asian I for American I grew up with all types of people so help right and that's one of the great things about New York like you just as soon as you walk out your house you see someone you know different exactly so it's a special city because of that that's how I grew up - exactly Asians black trying to do it from yeah and that's important that we were blessed to have that a lot of New Yorkers think everywhere is like that you know people I would living in Cali for a long time people say you're crazy what drug you want because the energy that New Yorkers have are a little different right and we're very intimidating we're very straightforward we have no patience so on and so forth so if you're not if you're in New York and you live somewhere else people look at you crazy yeah I have no patience in LA yeah and like go calm down relax I'm like no I'm from New York yeah what's the what do you like New York or living in New York or LA more like what no I Love New York yeah you know from New York and it was gay where I come from mom but I feel like with New York especially with rappers everybody's competing against themselves who's popping more bottles who got more changed we got the nicer car got the nice of fur in the winter who got the baddest so on and so forth and there's a lot of hate in New York everybody's hating and not helping each other you know Nemean and that's what New York needs to understand they need to stop I need to help each other because I'm watching Lana I watched Miami Chicago LA help each other and that's how they flourished um but I Love New York I mean I still live in Queens um I never forget where I come from like I said I come back all the time for meetings for business to see my father because families first I lost my mom and I had a lot of regrets I live in LA because I love the weather I built family out there I built a business out there and have a lot of great relationships there as well I wish there was clones of me people think there's a clone of me because I'm always everywhere but I wish I tried to do bicoastal I go back and forth I used to stay travel around the world with artists for you years and years took a lot of total out of me and I had to have some balance and have some selfish stuff to me I was always selfish to me now I need to worry about me understand I was always worrying about everybody around me you know I'm all this for my mom passed maybe we'll I realize that's got to be about me so I dedicate a lot of time not for myself I do cardio I hike going to the beach go to sports games and I enjoy life I don't want to die tomorrow and all I'm known for is working because I do work someone diem in the other day like you ever sit down and go to sleep on your couch and relaxing like hell yeah I love laying on my couch and watching television so I do find time for that I just show a lot of things but I'm also doing a lot of other things I don't show like business and relaxing and stuff sometimes because gotta have your mental right um but I Love New York I've come back a lot got some water side of Hollis Queens rich fly jeez I'm helping su surf like I told you and um I love Callie too so I just go back and forth um I don't I've been here so many months now this year it's like moving back here but I can go back and forth so for sure New York is just amazing especially when it's not wintertime yeah weather is beautiful I love the weather out there made me stay out there stay looking young supposedly you know I'm drinking a lot of water but um it's a different thing out there you know I got into the cannabis game out there okay home with my god burner he's one of the biggest cannabis guys in the game yes you know cookies the brand we were able to open up cookies Melrose and cookies Maywood omen and he has his own cookies licensed floured everywhere and clothing and stuff and we're gonna eventually come to New York so I got in the cannabis game even on smoke weed and I'm working on something really really big in the cannabis game that I can't talk about right now but has to do with music yeah and it's gonna change the game and then I'm helping out my Garf like a buddy from Queens I grew up with he has a string called buddy strain game know something up with him out no that's what's up and I definitely agree with what you said in terms of the hate in New York because I see it all the time we're and I was talking to an artist about it like yesterday a couple days ago was like yo he went to Atlanta right the artist and he's from New York and he was just surprised because he was like you know they introduced me to the program director over here like they were just giving up the plugs like in New York unless you run to someone like me and I'm gonna give you access if it's gonna benefit me right see that's what I've learned the hallway you give her buddy benefit access and then you don't it doesn't benefit you right so it's got to benefit me to it's got it can't be just one-sided it's got to be to sway Street when I wash the face to him you know when I watch the face to Aaron's watch the face yeah and it's got a real reciprocated for sure but you know I shouldn't even say you know there's no hate other places because nipsey died from hate yeah of course so you know in his own community from someone he knew so it's hate everywhere but you know what I'm saying when it comes to New York it just feels like it's just more like cockiness or just holding it for myself and like I said I'd go to the clubs and like who's popping more bottles who got the bigger chains who got the diss dad and I think it's just that's why the New York sacrificed and suffered a long time and now because of a boogies and you know so on and so forth things are happening and I love what young I'm a was doing but that stopped and triad was doing those things stopped it was bringing New York back brother I want to see New York's come back because New York is where hip-hop started you know Fat Joe was always keeping a relevant every year coming back with a hit for New York and lots of the young boy boogie is amazing and stuff and units have a lot of great artists coming out of New York right now so it's a good time just that the DJ's at the radio stations and the clubs need to support support New York yeah not they could support a laner in LA and so-and-so but support home team first and I blame that a lot on the radio stations and DJs a lot of great DJ's that do support and there's a lot that don't yeah that's true there needs to be some more space for these New York art yeah well just even in the club just love yeah but it starts with New York given love back who cares if you in the Bronx Brooklyn Queens Manhattan it's all the same as New York yeah I when I was doing a little homework on you I wanted to since you're so behind the scenes and you know so much stuff that's going on on the business side of the yes who's someone else behind the scenes that makes a lot of things happen then maybe it doesn't get a lot of credit or people don't know about that really makes things happen that's a great question um you know I've always been behind the scenes I always just play in the back I don't want to take pictures and think it's the feds you know they mean I'm just wanted a you know inspire and motivate and push my artists and that's why I left working at a record label because I want to go fight for the artists against the record label cuz a lot of times the record label say they care about the artists but they really don't understand yeah and they put artists in fucked-up deals but you know I don't I don't do stuff for credit um even though credit is part of your resume and value I would like my credit and I asked for my credit but I'm not gonna force for my credit from an artist but things that I do I want to make sure I get my credit for but now because of social media I'm outside a little bit more people say hey we work and yo we were good but do you really even know my history no you just see me on Instagram right now we work but we come from the Instagram we come from rolls of quarters and payphones and beepers and so on and so forth but there's a lot of people behind the scenes that I guarantee you if you saw them walking down the block you would know they are and they can change your life right they could change your life you're running into the clubs weren't about getting close to the artists that I'm not gonna change your life 9 out of 10 times but it's the guy walking down the block that you don't know and you didn't do your homework book that could change your life yeah you understand know officially you know Gazi an empire change the life Nemer a mere you know blame the label you know there's those guys you know they're up at Empire understand but empires doing a lot of great things for you know artists right and stuff for the community you know I feel like Rob Markman there's a guy behind the scenes but he's also a rapper doing things Elliott Wilson journalist sure um you know there's so many people like Eman program director of power 106 Ebro hot 97 you know there's a lot of guys behind the scenes that you know when I see them like you like shampoo you know who does all the guerilla marketing for a lot of labels and Def Jam like sham who deserves his roses rise alive this guy's done so much for the culture you know D and shadow they do radio promo for labels they need their roses Brian Sampson you understand yeah there's so many people behind the scenes lawyers like Gary Greenberg you know they're me yeah Ian's ours like Mike Karen so many people behind the scenes that you know really help move this music business and culture for sure cuz I was I was you just mentioned a lot of names some of them I did know like shouts obviously I tried and I can sit here and yeah my name's you know like Elliott Wilson I've what he does the culture is incredible you know and I asked that just because since we're in such an Instagram age now people see this big artist and they're like oh that but they don't see the huge team of people that are pushing this artist well you know what a team means together by achieves more don't go do themselves like you got Tony Neil you need to know Tony Milla's you know you know he's huge when it comes to all the DJ in the coalition mm-hmm you know what I'm saying like I could sit here and just tell you different people that need to be saluted you know that work behind the scenes Nino cuccinelli from Interscope who's been responsible for breaking artists at Interscope for so long mm-hmm you wouldn't know him walking down the street right you know what I mean guys like that you know I can go you know through my list of so many connects of people that are behind the scenes making things happen you understand you're like you know that been around for long like Julie green wall Julie green world runs Atlantic it's used to be a Def Jam faith Newman you understand what I mean so many people behind the scenes like you know Rob over mass appeals journalists date want Thomas you know Vanessa sat in a double XL he's appeal behind things you know Greg grouchy Greg at all hip-hop calm you know what I mean Trent over HipHopDX he's a people behind the scenes that are helping and pushing stuff you know we created a thing called track lip it's an online sample service you know back in the days if you sample the record it would take you six months to clear it you don't even know if you gonna be able to clear it the legal fees that the fetus sample cost so much money so we created a thing called track live Eric sermons involved Zaytoven involved um Prince Paul's involved and basically go online for a small fee and you could sample tons and tons of music out of this site Jake Cole's record middle child was sampled off track live callebs new record on with Buju Banton the intro to his album sample from track live so we created something different for producers because it's a lot of producers out here who say their producers they don't want a sample because they just no foodie loops and all that stuff and computer but they should know that they can sample and people some of the biggest records in the past are sampled kal-el's new album a lot of his albums use sample there's nothing wrong with that a lot of people in their mind think they don't need to do that and if you're a producer you need to know about neighbor and rights you need to know about publishing and splits when you make a record and who gets what what writer gets what what producers are artists so on and so forth and your royalties and how do you get paid as a producer that's why you need a team going back to the team you've seen all the success success comes with a team that's why I say together right cheese more for sure and you know once you have a established team you got the person that is getting your press you got the person getting your shows the day to day though you know this publicist behind the scenes like echo Haddix yeah it's a legend and Moses you know they do so much for their artists but they're behind the scenes right you know it means there's a lot of people out here that really work hard behind the scenes and if you're not behind the scenes guy like myself you don't know who they are an artist need people from behind the scenes to help them with their careers know without a doubt that's that's that's key man and um I wanted to ask you this because you work with so many great people in the industry I want to ask you two questions they two and one type of thing so what is a characteristic you see those people that are super successful something they all kind of have in common and also is there any person that you haven't worked with yet that you were you're really trying to work with or make something happen with you know those people that I salùte is because they're focused they determined they sacrifice they look at the bigger picture they don't look at the candy look at the candy factory you know they look at longevity and building a legacy of what they do artists is great but it's peeled behind the scenes that I look up to that are really behind the scenes making stuff happen and what they all have in common is the love and the drive and the passion of what they do what keeps me going is the love and drive and the passion of what I do someone that I never worked with that I would like to work with that's a great question I've touched past with a lot of people and again unfortunately a lot of percentage of the music business a lot of people are fake um they don't keep their word you see they're gonna do one thing and they don't do that word so I really uh at this moment know as I look up to I work with like I said to pop I manage this group The Outlaws wrestling pista kotofey and fatal Hussein I work with you know like I said Tony Draper one of the best CEOs executives in the game easy I worked at rest in peace biggie you know I work with a lot of people I would say maybe one work with Roc Nation cuz Scots you know recording a lot of music with the locks and other people that rock nation you know jay-z's I look up to there's a great businessman um I've worked with him in the past man back in the days when mo P and I still see home and he was working with nipsey I don't know if I've worked with a lot of people man even Scooter Braun I look up the scooter and I worked with him in the past you know being on tour with him for a year with Sean Kingston and I is with Justin Bieber so I don't know um I let God deal with that yeah for sure if it's meant to happen it will you always touched I'm always touched bases or touched a little bit of sprinkled a little bit with a lot of people in the industry probably the next generation of new guys that I don't know yet I want to work with God's truth I'm writing a book writing a book called the coach lasts longer than a player okay I'm going to try to do a documentary as well with something like that yeah and then you know I learned the last few years and I should have learned this a long long time ago but most artists that I worked with wrote their own music right right and I never managed the producer so when I started managing Scott I really started learning about publishing and how important songwriters are to sessions because a lot of your favorite artists out here don't write their hooks or their song right and it's noted people know that so I really got involved with the publishing world a lot and I created we work in publishing you know I have a few different things like we'd work an agency where that's where flag guy buddy comes into my guy Joe who's a dope young manager in the music business I have we work in music what goes through stem we're about to chop a new bone thugs-n-harmony single with all five called survival so I go through stem which is a distribution channel so have we worked in music have we worked in publishing we'd work an agency we work in university but that we work in publishing is going through a company called CTM and anybody listening should learn about CTM they used to be called a mahkum then the world's largest independent publisher in the world from Mark Ronson to Phil Collins to the Steve Miller Band to so on and so forth right and since I've learned so much about publishing when I run up to people every day and I see people like I said I'm out I'll ask them the first thing is you got a pub deal and you'd be surprised a lot of them don't well they just got out of it so publishing is what you call real mailbox money its IP intellectual property that is longevity money and it keeps giving so I created we work in publishing we're about to make a huge announcement and playing skills because they're signed to a different publisher as playing skills but I always like to empower people and give them the real opportunity so I came up with this idea I'm very creative I take out the box and we gave them a deal for them to be there first publishing company now their sign to a publisher copious producers but now their own bosses now their executives now they can go sign writers and producers so we gave them an opportunity which nobody gave in the publishing world but we did it see TM because they're the biggest producer in Latin world right now they got that record could , with daddy yankee and their big artists in the Latin world so they transition from urban to Latin so now they're young bosses young executives and you hear about the next few weeks that they're gonna sign young writers and producers out America Columbia Miami because there's so many young producers writing for J I'm writing and producer for J Balvin they're bunny zum-zum and those guys will find them and now they could go sign a check to somebody so instead of being a slave to another publisher now their bosses to their own publisher so we just did that and then also did some other deals so I'm about to go aggressive now and sign a lot of people too we work in publishing yeah that's what I'm working on as well that's you I'm excited for that announcer some of those artists what are what are some other feet oh it's coming just a little bit about the book the coach yeah you know the book is uh it's called the coach last longer than the player I've been working on a few years feel like when's it coming but I don't know if it's gonna be about my whole life story and the music business or just the music business cuz I'm not a snitch but I want to just call out so many guys and people in the industry that is so fake and phony you know a lot of all of you who passed on Nipsey Hussle and all these other things I went through but I'm not a bit of guy that's the real guy but I'm just gonna probably make it about the music business um and there's a documentary that everybody should watch including yourself called his wig by Jerry Weintraub there's one one person I wanted everyone from Jerry wine shops I've seen that yeah it's a nuisance 11:00 yeah so he has a doc called his way yeah he started off as a Maremma William Morris wine imagine Frank Sinatra oh yeah and I watched that doc over and over me too and I've told people to watch it and they just blew me off I've told people to watch and they watched it that could tell if someone's focused Superman scene yeah yeah amazing orders so my brother lo told me about on his way yeah there's no person after that I wanted to meet in my life is Jerry watch on and I was at the Playboy Mansion for a party president piece - you have none and Jerry Weintraub I missed by 10 minutes he came to that party but he wanted passing away months later but I could at least met him that was someone I really wanted to meet you know what's fold you know what's crazy Steve like I'm not lying to you of all the people in there to Entertainment game I wanted to meet him the most yeah as well just because after I saw that documentary I was like wow yeah I'm gonna mimic his dock off a dock of me right and in the book ran you know um my partner we work with University you know told me about Gary Vee which I knew Gary Vee and Gary Vee sat down with a sweet working University but he wants to make me the Gary Vee of the music business so he's installed live with me and making short clips and you know we're gonna start doing that for social media yeah because I have so much knowledge and experiences from being in the game for 30 years and I'm still doing it and still relevant so I'm gonna do that yeah and you're still hungry you're still learning I'm starving yeah yeah I'm starving yeah I love it you know dog woman came by on a Sunday on time it means a lot man I'm starving man and you know what you know when you say on time I try to teach everybody I work with and these are gems for all that's coming up that you should be 15 minutes early you shouldn't go and smell like weed and alcohol you shouldn't bring a whole bunch of people with you to the meeting if you're going to real meetings understand yeah like people say to me oh why don't you take me to Jay Cole session with Scott or the 50 I don't need of the picture also like we're going to a studio session and work I'm not even in this session that's like going to Citibank to work but being in a school teaching you're going to work by yourself yeah so session is for you to go work yeah I went then we got a picture yeah I went to a meeting with 50 cent I'm his manager Scott so we went out of meeting people need to understand that so when you go to meetings you show up 15 minutes early you don't smell like weed you don't bring the homies you don't smell like alcohol you don't be leaned up and you're going there prepare like a professional like you're going to get a real job or you're going to get a bag or you want to go try to close the deal like a professional and bring the people's smarter you around you like a lawyer or a manager to speak with you real artists don't speak for themselves sometimes they let their manager their lawyer negotiate they talk creative they talk vision but then they let everybody do their business you understand so those are some gems and you go there and you don't act ignorant you go there and you talk business that's how business is done so when you say I'm on time a long time because that's what real business people do once I give some of my work and my all happens my word to my balls I gotta calm I never cancel I don't miss flights I don't miss meetings I don't do not never unless I'm dying really sick do i cancel right and those are gems that people need to understand educate yourself ask questions reglue will learn don't be ashamed to learn you look up to nipsey nipsey was learning asking educating reading and he was still a hood stuff you understand so you need to understand that if you're looking up to certain people look up to them for those reasons of their mind their integrity their morals their principles their loyalty their growth you knows a lot of people that don't grow right a lot of people I got to get them away from me yeah I love them but they don't grow you got to grow in life if you don't grow and you're gonna keep doing the same thing and be stubborn and I don't want to be around you you know you got to be able to grow that's what's important you have to learn from your mistakes learn from your experiences take that do move take advantage of situations in a good way that's what I always do leverage everything I love with you everything you understand for sure and don't be scared to ask and and and get seek knowledge yeah cuz that's one important thing especially seeking knowledge right when a lot of people starting off in the music industry they they get these internships but they're just getting coffee and they're not asking questions you know listen um I tell I tell my nephew you're working at a record label as an intern take to see you off for lunch say hey we're late to go for lunch don't look at you like what or go through the principles of protocol go to his assistant I like take them out if you don't go that way and assistance a hater and it's go don't catch him in the elevator the bathroom I said I like to take you out to lunch I guarantee a lot of interns don't do that you take the CEO out they take him to lunch cost you $30 $20 slice the pizza maybe and just ask questions and he's gonna say to you he's gonna always remember my back of my mind like wow you wanted to learn young Stan of course if you have a relationship with an A&R at a label but you work somewhere else but you look up to that person shoot him with text I like to take you to dinner and gain knowledge from ask questions and stuff right no that's not as a real gem right there this is what I tell people like yo you're trying to get in the cannabis game go ask questions learn about that play stupid name you're trying to get into merchandise business go sit down with merch people's take meetings educate yourself learn from them you might not do business with them but they might think you're under wisdom but educate yourself from people who have been successful who's been doing it and done it but organically build it don't do it disrespectful a faucet you know people be like yeah I need a meeting with you what how you say that to me almost summer Jim you'll check my music I'll put the phone to my eye like hold on I'm from Queens Miami Street to Jekyll just disrespect me I'm not here for that right now right like people are out here disrespectful that's why I love 50s clip the other day when he was on a date or went abroad he was walking and some dudes check out my ig it said you know it showed you 50 no security he's still way from Queens I hold on you know disrespect me and I feel like that sometimes people be like yo check my music or put the phone but some of them twice two people at yelling the out of here the time and place for everything so if you're gonna seek knowledge and seek education do it at the right times the right place like don't be scared to ask like lower your pride and your ego sometimes and let me go take this one a lunch just want to dinner and learn you know I'm saying and and that's the problem a lot of people scared to do that there you go egos egos a but watch your ego because everything goes up must come down and everybody's not hot all the time you're gonna be warm you're gonna be cold you don't saying and cockiness leave that behind the door my career I've been blessed cruise control so I appreciate you sitting down with us is there any is there anything you want to drop don't let the people know where they can find you on Instagram yeah you know again like I say Instagram and social music gifting a curse but I have to be on it so it's we working on Instagram we work it's a Twitter at Steve Lobel Facebook or Steve Lobel inators the entertainment you can google me it's gonna be tons of stuff coming up from my lawsuit with Louis Vuitton a Kanye West party to me being a Millionaire Matchmaker reality show to me being on the road to stardom Missy Elliott Moana Scott ten years going back to working with bone tubs or Run DMC and so on and so forth so you google my name I'm outside I'm approachable as long as you respect me I'm available um you could email me it's on my Instagram as long as everything is organic and we build a relationship organically and it's respectful I'm cool because you never know who's gonna be the next next next next next and I want to be part of that next next next as long as we're not gonna sell our souls or integrity or loyalty and get out neva there's how do people get out neva as soon as they get a little famous of money and that's the worst thing you understand of course and people deserve their credit people deserve to shine people deserve to get paid for their hard work people deserve to do a lot of things that they work hard for you understand any just one-sided there's a two-sided stream well no that's that's real and you know it's really humbling the fact that you came by and done all this on a Sunday is a lot you know it is you know organically made a relationship I had a gut inside of me about you and everybody should you remain humble at all times I'm a humble yeah you know I'm saying like I was up and hauled him yesterday and we drive in the car people running up on me like yo got a picture like what the hell like I I'm like what's going on here my guy says like yo Steve you outside people know you are if they're into the culture yeah I'll get out the car take a picture people if that's what they want right I'd rather give you education though yeah but the biggest gem I want to give everybody outside I mean listening and I learned the hallway is balanced we don't have balance and when you're in this music business you're grinding you're working you're chasing and you just and sometimes you know the balance for your family in your life and I learned the hard way when I lost my mom because I have no balance and now I have balance which is the hardest thing I'm not married no children because I had no balance no normal girls gonna stay with you I don't want to be a baby daddy I want to be there for my child so teach yourself balance it's the hardest thing in the music business and in life how do we balance the priorities the rights from the wrongs like right now when I leave you I'm going to have some balance I'm gonna go relax right I'm gonna go swim I'm gonna go sit in jacuzzi I'm gonna meditate in estat yeah none of that work yeah but balance is the hardest thing and don't cheat yourself out of life because she just grind in a working so hard that you lose the the finer things in life and the finer things in life well your family your blood and your real friends that really care about you when you don't got so balance is the key and I'm 53 years old gonna be 54 I'm just finally teaching myself balance which is the hardest thing to learn yeah that's that's especially in New York and I understand it's heavy weight it's you know everyone if you're grinding it's just it's hard to find that time to just enjoy the moment you know so that's a great piece of advice and then the last question we like to ask our New Yorkers when you think of New York what are some things that come to mind for you well it's special when I think of New York I think in New York is uh New York Knicks the New York Giants New York Islanders and the Mets I'm a sports guy I think of lemon ice king Corona I think of Amaro's pizza and white stone I think of 3d restaurant in Rosslyn I think of the en d.f train I think 125th Street in Harlem Apollo Theater I think swag and fashion the hottest clothes sweat suits track suits honestly champion polo I think of my father oh gee Ted I think of Jam Master Jay in peace I think of just great papaya and red onions I think of what hop duck sauce can't find duck sauce in LA getting me hungry um you know Dunkin Donuts of nice Boston cream yeah I missed the softy chocolate shake it's really what I think of - right and a good ass bagel right man everything bagel with some cream cheese and lox ah so that's what I think about New York good food four seasons of whether I like us know sometimes realness culture fashion food my father so on and so forth man yeah sure it was a pleasure Steve I appreciate it pleasures mine

Channel: Young Atlas

Views: 2,485

Rating: 5 out of 5

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Id: VcLIRuSo-EQ

Length: 64min 21sec (3861 seconds)

Published: Fri Jul 12 2019