1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:12,680 Speaker 1: M Welcome to Strictly Business Varieties weekly podcast featuring conversations 2 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:16,200 Speaker 1: with industry leaders about the business of media and entertainment. 3 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:20,600 Speaker 1: This is Shirley Halprin, Executive editor of Music, with an 4 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 1: episode dedicated to Varieties Music Muggle of the Year Scooter Braun. 5 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:29,080 Speaker 1: Scooter Braun is the rare music business insider with a 6 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:33,400 Speaker 1: high profile outside of his industry. Since two thousand nine, 7 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:37,160 Speaker 1: he's been making headlines alongside the artists he represents, pop 8 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:41,120 Speaker 1: stars like Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Demi Levado and for 9 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:44,879 Speaker 1: a time, Kanye West. Along the way, he's built his company, 10 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 1: Ethical Holdings into formidable entertainment powerhouse, with divisions encompassing TV 11 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:54,840 Speaker 1: and film projects, a record label, publishing companies, and investments 12 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 1: in tech, apparel, social media, and many more future forward ventures. 13 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 1: In June, it was announced that Hybe, the South Korean 14 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:08,119 Speaker 1: entertainment giant which brought the boy band BTS to the world, 15 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:11,840 Speaker 1: was merging with Ithaca to create with Scooter Calls, a 16 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:16,040 Speaker 1: worldwide company. Overnight. The deal came in a just over 17 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 1: a billion dollars, allowing Scooter entry into an even more 18 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:24,280 Speaker 1: exclusive club of self made industry titans. All This came 19 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 1: at a challenging time for Scooter and that he was 20 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:29,759 Speaker 1: adjusting to life and work during COVID and still weathering 21 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:33,040 Speaker 1: the aftershocks of a very public battle with Taylor Swift. 22 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 1: Scooter Braun talks about these and many more topics after 23 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 1: the break. As the story goes, Scooter Braun was tooling 24 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:50,720 Speaker 1: around YouTube one night in two thousand seven when he 25 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 1: happened upon a video of a twelve year old kid 26 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 1: busking in a Stratford, Ontario street singing a neo song. 27 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:01,120 Speaker 1: Scooter was blown away by what he heard. That boy 28 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 1: was Justin Bieber, and he since laid claim to having 29 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 1: toured the world several times over, amassed the most followers 30 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:11,360 Speaker 1: of any musician on Twitter, a hundred thirteen million in counting, 31 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:14,519 Speaker 1: and notched platinum plus sales for each of the six 32 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 1: studio albums he's released since two thousand ten. Justin is 33 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 1: but one of some two dozen clients managed by Scooter's 34 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 1: company s B projects, including j Balvin, Carly Class, and 35 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 1: Little Dickey, the star of the f X show Dave 36 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:33,880 Speaker 1: and Managing Talent represents just a fraction of the business 37 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 1: Scooter overseas or invests in in fact, the last few 38 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 1: years have been especially fruitful for Scooter, who not only 39 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:44,080 Speaker 1: became a father to three, but also closed a trio 40 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:48,280 Speaker 1: of highly lucrative deals. The first was in twenty nineteen 41 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 1: when he purchased Big Machine Label Group, the Nashville record 42 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:54,640 Speaker 1: company that was long time home to Taylor Swift, in 43 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:57,360 Speaker 1: addition to country acts such as Florida, Georgia Line and 44 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:01,959 Speaker 1: Thomas Rhett. Which should have been a straightforward transaction where 45 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:05,520 Speaker 1: Scooters acquiring a company that owns valuable assets like the 46 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 1: master recordings of Taylor Swift's first six studio albums, turned 47 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:12,720 Speaker 1: into anything but, as the two battled on social media 48 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:17,360 Speaker 1: and in the press to try and encapsulate the complexities 49 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:20,680 Speaker 1: of music copyrights is challenging enough, but adding to it 50 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 1: that he said, she said, opposing narratives involving Kanye West 51 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 1: came Kardashian and Justin Bieber, and your head just might explode. 52 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:31,360 Speaker 1: So I'm going to spare you, dear listener, and direct 53 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:33,919 Speaker 1: you to Google and to Variety dot com for all 54 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 1: the details. But at its most basic level, the war 55 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:42,160 Speaker 1: of words involved allegations of bullying on both sides. Taylor 56 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 1: Swift labeled Scooter a bully for what she perceived was 57 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:48,120 Speaker 1: stealing her hard earned I P from under her without 58 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 1: reasonable terms for her to buy it back. Scooter denies 59 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:54,440 Speaker 1: her version of events leading up to the purchase of 60 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 1: her catalog, and also says he was bullied by the 61 00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:00,120 Speaker 1: thousands of Taylor Swift fans that came after him for 62 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 1: wronging their favorite singer, escalating to the point of death 63 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 1: threats against Scooter and his family. Taylor Swift has since 64 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 1: responded by diligently and very publicly recreating her older albums 65 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 1: one by one as re recording restrictions expire. Scooter meanwhile 66 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:23,359 Speaker 1: sold the Swift Masters to private equity firm Shamrock Capital 67 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 1: in for three hundred million dollars, netting around a hundred 68 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:30,480 Speaker 1: sixty million dollars in the deal and divesting himself of 69 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:36,039 Speaker 1: some of the drama. Scooter turned forty on June, and 70 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:38,080 Speaker 1: now that he's been able to focus and work more 71 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:40,839 Speaker 1: on himself, he seems to be at peace with the past. 72 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:43,320 Speaker 1: It made me think back till the first time I 73 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:46,360 Speaker 1: became aware of Scooter Braun. It was two thousand nine 74 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:48,720 Speaker 1: and Justin Bieber was scheduled to make an appearance at 75 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 1: a Long Island mall to sign autographs. When ten thousand 76 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:55,920 Speaker 1: people showed up, it became an unmanageable near riot situation, 77 00:04:56,279 --> 00:04:59,359 Speaker 1: and Scooter was arrested for endangering the lives of children 78 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:03,160 Speaker 1: by not call off the event swiftly and publicly. This 79 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:06,440 Speaker 1: is where our conversation held in his Santa Monica office 80 00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 1: picks up. So, I was thinking back about the first 81 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:11,880 Speaker 1: thing that you and I did together, and it was 82 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:16,719 Speaker 1: actually that mall riot in Long Island. That was like 83 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:20,120 Speaker 1: the first time I'd heard your name, and like, no 84 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 1: criminal record for that, right, No, I got expunged. I 85 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 1: was arrested, but it got expunged. It was a refusal 86 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:30,360 Speaker 1: to tweet. So, Scooter, thank you so much for being 87 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 1: here on strict business. Your family's history is super interesting. 88 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 1: Your grandparents were Holocaust survivors. Your dad was ostensibly a 89 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 1: refugee um and a self made American success who you know, 90 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:48,240 Speaker 1: really provided first generational wealth to his children, as did 91 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:50,120 Speaker 1: my mom. My mom was an orthod, honest, and she 92 00:05:50,279 --> 00:05:52,520 Speaker 1: was a part of that. Got it. And you have 93 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:56,000 Speaker 1: two adopted brothers. I have two adopted brothers uh and 94 00:05:56,240 --> 00:05:59,839 Speaker 1: two biological siblings brother and a sister, and we're all siblings. 95 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:04,600 Speaker 1: So tell us a little bit about growing up in Greenwich, Connecticut. Right. Yeah, 96 00:06:04,640 --> 00:06:06,560 Speaker 1: we grew up in cost Cop, which is a part 97 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 1: of Greenwich. Um. The part of town that I grew 98 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:11,080 Speaker 1: up in was a very well known, like working class 99 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:14,680 Speaker 1: Italian neighborhood. What were your aspirations as a kid. I 100 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:17,400 Speaker 1: just wanted to play basketball. Um. I was on the 101 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:22,640 Speaker 1: Costcop Crushers football team. Um. I played soccer, I played baseball, 102 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:25,600 Speaker 1: played a hundred different sports. My dad was coaching and 103 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:29,240 Speaker 1: really into it. And I discovered basketball and no one 104 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 1: told me that, you know, I probably wouldn't get the 105 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:35,880 Speaker 1: god given abilities to go to the next level. So 106 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:38,880 Speaker 1: I used to um watch this guy named Mark Price 107 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:42,520 Speaker 1: who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he was quick 108 00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:44,159 Speaker 1: and he had a jump shot. All I wanted to 109 00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:47,599 Speaker 1: do was be Mark Prices a little kid. Um was 110 00:06:47,640 --> 00:06:49,880 Speaker 1: he like a shorter basketball player? It was. It was 111 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 1: a six ft one white guy relative, So I just 112 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:57,720 Speaker 1: like the way he played. I was a shooting point guard. 113 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:01,359 Speaker 1: I'd love to shoot. You know. Johnston was a past 114 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:06,359 Speaker 1: first point guard. Mark was a shoot first and my 115 00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:08,640 Speaker 1: brother was more like Stockton, and I was more like Price. 116 00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:12,280 Speaker 1: Um but I, UM, yeah, I just loved playing basketball. 117 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:15,120 Speaker 1: I love being with my friends. Um. There was a 118 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:17,440 Speaker 1: time where I wanted to be in comedy and I 119 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:19,560 Speaker 1: used to watch Comedy Central and take notes on that. 120 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:26,000 Speaker 1: Um but I just uh, I wanted as a kid. 121 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:27,560 Speaker 1: I just as I got older, I just wanted to 122 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:30,000 Speaker 1: have a meaningful life. I didn't really know what it 123 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:33,000 Speaker 1: was gonna look like. I just wanted to do something special. 124 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:36,600 Speaker 1: Tell me about your brother's kids always lived in and 125 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:38,440 Speaker 1: out of our house my whole life. We had a 126 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:41,080 Speaker 1: Russian family who immigrated to live with us for a 127 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:45,240 Speaker 1: couple of months because my dad was a refugee. Uh. 128 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:47,480 Speaker 1: He always wanted to keep a room in the house 129 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:49,680 Speaker 1: for others, and my mom was the same way. My 130 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:52,320 Speaker 1: mom was a very giving person. So you know. We 131 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:55,760 Speaker 1: had a kid named Spoon who was from Milwaukee lived 132 00:07:55,760 --> 00:07:59,360 Speaker 1: with us for I think eleven months. Um. My friend 133 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:01,239 Speaker 1: Dale lived us for a little while. Kids were always 134 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 1: in and out of our house. Um. And when Sam 135 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:07,960 Speaker 1: and Cornelio came along, they were from Mozambique. Um. They 136 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:09,960 Speaker 1: had been lied to about why they were coming to 137 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 1: the United States. They weren't siblings, but they knew each 138 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:15,320 Speaker 1: other Uh and they were living in an abandoned tenement 139 00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:20,520 Speaker 1: in Philadelphia, UM in a really bad situation, and they 140 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 1: would rather return to Mozambique at that point, to a 141 00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:26,000 Speaker 1: third world country than stay in the United States. UM 142 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:30,160 Speaker 1: and UH coach out of Philadelphia, called my dad and 143 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:33,199 Speaker 1: knew that my dad ran an au basketball program that 144 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:36,360 Speaker 1: didn't get paid off and did right by the kids 145 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:38,040 Speaker 1: and got them a good situation. So he said, Hey, 146 00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:40,160 Speaker 1: I don't have room for these guys, but they're good kids. 147 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 1: They can really play, you know. Can you take them 148 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:45,760 Speaker 1: for a tournament and help him out? My dad said yes, 149 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:48,320 Speaker 1: and we met them and they played with my brother 150 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:51,840 Speaker 1: Adam UM and then my dad was gonna help get 151 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:53,880 Speaker 1: him into boarding school. He was working on figuring out 152 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 1: visas and all kinds of different things. And Cornelio, who 153 00:08:57,880 --> 00:09:01,680 Speaker 1: couldn't even speak English, UM set and broken. Can we stay? 154 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:03,120 Speaker 1: And my dad said yeah, for a couple more weeks 155 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:04,560 Speaker 1: while we figure this out. And he goes no forever, 156 00:09:05,240 --> 00:09:07,920 Speaker 1: and we had one family meeting. My parents had always 157 00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 1: talked about adopting and U. We voted as a family 158 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:16,679 Speaker 1: and they became my siblings, and Uh Sam spoke a 159 00:09:16,679 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 1: little bit better English. Cornelio actually learned English watching b et. 160 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:24,040 Speaker 1: He says like he would always he loves jay Z 161 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:26,200 Speaker 1: and he used to watch jay Z. And remember he 162 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:28,000 Speaker 1: came to me one time and he's like, what is 163 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:30,559 Speaker 1: the word watch you? And I'm like, what do you mean? 164 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:33,480 Speaker 1: He's like, jay Z says what you And I was like, oh, 165 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:36,480 Speaker 1: like what you want to do? And I explained it 166 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:40,319 Speaker 1: to him. But it was really interesting because we didn't 167 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:42,559 Speaker 1: have trust funds. We weren't those kids were going to 168 00:09:42,559 --> 00:09:45,520 Speaker 1: public school in a really nice town. My parents provided 169 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:47,280 Speaker 1: a really good life for us, a life they never had, 170 00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:50,920 Speaker 1: um because they both came from from very humble beginnings. 171 00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:54,440 Speaker 1: And Um I had a little bit guilt in that. 172 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:58,679 Speaker 1: But I remember um Cornelio's first day of school at 173 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:01,240 Speaker 1: the public high school where we went. He was in 174 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:04,559 Speaker 1: like this EESL program because he was learning English, and 175 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:07,200 Speaker 1: as they pushed him from room to room, they would 176 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:08,760 Speaker 1: give him books and put in his backpack. And then 177 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:10,480 Speaker 1: he got on the bus and he was home and 178 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:13,320 Speaker 1: he was so scared that first day and we're like, 179 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:15,559 Speaker 1: what's wrong with songs? The sam goes where we come from. 180 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:19,160 Speaker 1: There's not enough books to go home with them. So 181 00:10:19,280 --> 00:10:21,120 Speaker 1: he didn't know what to do in each classroom. They 182 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:22,560 Speaker 1: would push him to the next classroom, and he didn't 183 00:10:22,559 --> 00:10:24,280 Speaker 1: know what to put the books back. And he thinks 184 00:10:24,280 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 1: he's going to get in trouble because he took the 185 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:29,559 Speaker 1: books home. And when you have that kind of experience, 186 00:10:29,559 --> 00:10:31,760 Speaker 1: and you know, people always say, what a wonderful thing. 187 00:10:32,440 --> 00:10:35,200 Speaker 1: You know your family did for these guys, What a 188 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:38,120 Speaker 1: wonderful thing they did for us. You know, they came 189 00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:40,560 Speaker 1: into our lives and they gave us a perspective that 190 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:43,800 Speaker 1: we never had before. And you know, um, they changed 191 00:10:43,840 --> 00:10:47,960 Speaker 1: us forever. You went to Emory University in Georgia and 192 00:10:48,040 --> 00:10:50,559 Speaker 1: became sort of a fixture on the Atlanta scene, from 193 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:54,320 Speaker 1: club promotion to party planning. The hustle was real. Were 194 00:10:54,320 --> 00:10:56,959 Speaker 1: you seeing a career in the music business at that point? 195 00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:01,319 Speaker 1: You know what happened was, Um, I didn't like being broke, 196 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:03,640 Speaker 1: and when I went to college, my parents were like, 197 00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:06,719 Speaker 1: you figured out. So I kind of used basketball to 198 00:11:06,760 --> 00:11:09,560 Speaker 1: get into Emery, but I didn't really have much intention 199 00:11:09,559 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 1: of playing. I had sold fake I d s. First 200 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:14,520 Speaker 1: is my friend sold the fake I d S. I 201 00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:17,280 Speaker 1: was the one who marketed them. Um, and I made 202 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:20,000 Speaker 1: some real money with that, and then he broke my 203 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:23,760 Speaker 1: rules on how we would get caught. So I stopped 204 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:29,120 Speaker 1: doing that immediately and he did get called later. UM 205 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:32,040 Speaker 1: and I started being around parties, and my aunt sent 206 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:35,200 Speaker 1: me this article about this guy Danny A Danny's Angels 207 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:37,839 Speaker 1: in the New York Post, and Danny and I are 208 00:11:37,880 --> 00:11:40,520 Speaker 1: friends now to this day. And I read about this 209 00:11:40,559 --> 00:11:42,040 Speaker 1: guy and I was like, Oh, you can really turn 210 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:45,200 Speaker 1: this promotion thing into a business. And I started really 211 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:48,080 Speaker 1: taking the party thing seriously. And I would make my 212 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:50,600 Speaker 1: money on Thursday nights with you know, the college kids 213 00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:53,600 Speaker 1: and then UM and then on Tuesday nights, I would 214 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:56,240 Speaker 1: go out and be like the only white boy in 215 00:11:56,320 --> 00:11:58,800 Speaker 1: the club. And really kind of learned from this guy 216 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:02,080 Speaker 1: Alex get A Wand who was an Ethiopian immigrant who 217 00:12:02,120 --> 00:12:03,920 Speaker 1: started as a parking lot of tenant who became the 218 00:12:03,960 --> 00:12:06,640 Speaker 1: biggest club owner in Atlanta. UM And at the time 219 00:12:06,679 --> 00:12:08,440 Speaker 1: he was a promoter and he was just so fascinated 220 00:12:08,440 --> 00:12:11,319 Speaker 1: to see a white boy in the line. UM. And 221 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:13,480 Speaker 1: I was brought there by this actor Jason Weaver, a 222 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:16,000 Speaker 1: lot of kind of storytelling, who met me one of 223 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:17,160 Speaker 1: my parties and goes, you want to see how the 224 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:19,719 Speaker 1: other side live and at the time Atlanta was very segregated. 225 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:22,600 Speaker 1: But I came from a background where I was very 226 00:12:22,600 --> 00:12:26,520 Speaker 1: comfortable in different environments, whether the black, white Latin like 227 00:12:26,559 --> 00:12:29,560 Speaker 1: my best friends Colombians, you know, growing up. So for me, 228 00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:34,280 Speaker 1: it was yeah, sure whatever, let's go. Um. And then 229 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:36,720 Speaker 1: I read the book The Operator, which is still in 230 00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:40,079 Speaker 1: my office to this day, and uh, while David Geffen 231 00:12:40,120 --> 00:12:42,040 Speaker 1: hates the book and inspired me because it showed me 232 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:46,280 Speaker 1: someone who like me, who was flawed, who wasn't the 233 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:49,480 Speaker 1: biggest or the strongest or necessarily the smartest, but someone 234 00:12:49,480 --> 00:12:53,240 Speaker 1: who could do the work. And I remember getting to 235 00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:57,280 Speaker 1: this page where David's discussing everyone wanted to sign John 236 00:12:57,320 --> 00:13:00,040 Speaker 1: Lennon's solo career and I'm sitting there, going go to Yoko, know, 237 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:02,040 Speaker 1: go to Yogono. And I turned the page and it 238 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:04,120 Speaker 1: says he went to Yokono and he signed there, and 239 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:07,840 Speaker 1: I said, I can do this, and um. That was 240 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:11,760 Speaker 1: my path into music. And very shortly after I started 241 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:14,559 Speaker 1: working with Shakazoo and ludicrous On there come up. And 242 00:13:14,559 --> 00:13:16,560 Speaker 1: then Japaneu pre came to one of my parties and said, 243 00:13:16,559 --> 00:13:19,280 Speaker 1: you got more potential, and maybe the marketing manager of 244 00:13:19,360 --> 00:13:21,280 Speaker 1: socioph and then a VP and I was twenty years 245 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:25,120 Speaker 1: old and I dropped out, And on one side, I 246 00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:28,120 Speaker 1: was this college kid. On the other side on this marketing, 247 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:30,800 Speaker 1: you know, whiz kid for Jermaine dupri And on the 248 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:32,840 Speaker 1: other side, I'm a street party promoter with a gun 249 00:13:32,840 --> 00:13:34,959 Speaker 1: on my ankle and a gun by my bedside because 250 00:13:34,960 --> 00:13:37,319 Speaker 1: I'm a cash party promoter and at the time of 251 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:42,520 Speaker 1: very serious, dangerous city. I do feel like you had 252 00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:45,560 Speaker 1: a bit of a leg up by being from Atlanta, 253 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:48,360 Speaker 1: or from having spent your college years in Atlanta till 254 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:51,000 Speaker 1: I was thirty. I spent my entire twelve my entire 255 00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:54,080 Speaker 1: adult life until I was thirty years old was in Atlanta, Georgia. Yeah, 256 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:56,440 Speaker 1: well it was like a kind of a prescient move 257 00:13:56,480 --> 00:13:59,839 Speaker 1: I feel like, because Atlanta is the capital of hip 258 00:13:59,840 --> 00:14:03,040 Speaker 1: hop up right now, and you're artists. Even though they 259 00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:06,959 Speaker 1: lean more pop, they have those R and B tones 260 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:10,240 Speaker 1: that like, you know, you're not getting shipped for because 261 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:13,160 Speaker 1: it feels authentic. And I feel like it's because you 262 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:15,360 Speaker 1: came up through Atlanta and you know what that that 263 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:19,760 Speaker 1: music really is. Um No, I just I think Atlanta special. 264 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:24,080 Speaker 1: Jermaine always says like that training in Atlanta. It's just 265 00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:27,640 Speaker 1: so different than being out here or being in New York. Like, 266 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:30,760 Speaker 1: it's just a different thing when you're in Atlanta. And 267 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:33,480 Speaker 1: that's why so many great exects is so much great 268 00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:35,840 Speaker 1: music comes out of that city. It just has a 269 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:39,240 Speaker 1: culture to it that's uniquely its own. And I will 270 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:42,760 Speaker 1: always be grateful to that city, that city. That city 271 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:44,280 Speaker 1: took me from being a boy, made me a man, 272 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:47,480 Speaker 1: all right. So towards the end of your time in Atlanta, 273 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:49,600 Speaker 1: it was two thousand nine, it was sort of like 274 00:14:49,600 --> 00:14:52,440 Speaker 1: a make or break year for you. You had an 275 00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:56,120 Speaker 1: artist that was bubbling under as rof I Love College. 276 00:14:56,840 --> 00:14:59,400 Speaker 1: Um it wasn't bubbling under that was number one on iTunes, 277 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:03,360 Speaker 1: but where can ask? We were bubbling with our mix 278 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:06,280 Speaker 1: tape the Greenhouse Effect. That's what I think really got 279 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:09,760 Speaker 1: all the attention. And then you discovered this kid on 280 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:14,480 Speaker 1: YouTube busking on a Stratford, Ontario street named Justin Bieber. 281 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:17,400 Speaker 1: And at the same time you almost went out of business. 282 00:15:18,160 --> 00:15:21,320 Speaker 1: I had enough money for thirteen months before I went broke, 283 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:23,760 Speaker 1: and I was like, I'm not throwing any more parties, 284 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:26,480 Speaker 1: Let's go. And everyone thought I was killing it, But 285 00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:28,680 Speaker 1: you know to build this rep. I was kind of 286 00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:30,640 Speaker 1: faking it till I made it. I found Asher and 287 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:33,320 Speaker 1: I found Justin, and I put Asher and his boys 288 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:35,160 Speaker 1: in the house we called the greenhouse around the corner 289 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:37,000 Speaker 1: for me, which is a piece of crap, and I 290 00:15:37,040 --> 00:15:39,600 Speaker 1: put Justin and his mom with Aaron Ren's furniture that 291 00:15:39,640 --> 00:15:41,840 Speaker 1: I paid for in a townhouse literally around the corner. 292 00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:46,600 Speaker 1: Asher would babysit Justin. We got to eleven months and 293 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:50,920 Speaker 1: Asher was buzzing with you know, the mixtape, and Justin 294 00:15:50,960 --> 00:15:53,240 Speaker 1: I was developing, but we weren't there yet. We're building 295 00:15:53,320 --> 00:15:55,400 Speaker 1: up his YouTube and um, I was like, I'm gonna 296 00:15:55,440 --> 00:15:57,320 Speaker 1: go broke. This is gonna be done. I got nothing 297 00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:00,560 Speaker 1: and my dad called the chicken um, and I didn't 298 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:04,000 Speaker 1: taking money from them souse. I was eighteen. So suddenly, 299 00:16:04,440 --> 00:16:06,080 Speaker 1: you know, he's talking to me, and I just remember 300 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:09,000 Speaker 1: breaking down, saying, man, I'm a failure, and he kind 301 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:10,840 Speaker 1: of listened, and I just I couldn't believe it all 302 00:16:10,840 --> 00:16:13,080 Speaker 1: poured out of me. And he said, look, you haven't 303 00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:15,080 Speaker 1: listened to us in a very long time, and you've 304 00:16:15,080 --> 00:16:17,440 Speaker 1: come this far, you might as well see it through. 305 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:19,800 Speaker 1: You said, you've got two more months who knows. And 306 00:16:19,840 --> 00:16:21,920 Speaker 1: the next day Asher walked in my apartment and said, 307 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:23,440 Speaker 1: I got someone to play you, and he played me 308 00:16:24,280 --> 00:16:26,920 Speaker 1: half of the hook of I Love College and I 309 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:28,800 Speaker 1: because I was a big college party motor, I knew 310 00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:30,960 Speaker 1: what to do. We got the you know, the old 311 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:33,320 Speaker 1: college team from you know, Animal House, and like, we 312 00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:35,240 Speaker 1: created this whole campaign. We had no money, so I'm 313 00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:38,680 Speaker 1: like doing it on the fly with like friends and 314 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:42,120 Speaker 1: the song just explodes. We go down to south By 315 00:16:42,160 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 1: Southwest and when I'm like, yeah, we gotta we gotta 316 00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:46,280 Speaker 1: get this publishing deal because it could save the company, 317 00:16:46,560 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 1: and um, I put Sony Publishing at one restaurant and 318 00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:52,200 Speaker 1: I had a meeting with her, but I booked the 319 00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:56,880 Speaker 1: universal deal next door and they were like, well, where 320 00:16:56,880 --> 00:16:58,680 Speaker 1: are you going next? And I literally made sure they 321 00:16:58,720 --> 00:17:02,680 Speaker 1: saw each other on purpose, and we drove what was 322 00:17:02,720 --> 00:17:04,760 Speaker 1: going to be a two or fifty deal up to 323 00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:08,760 Speaker 1: a million dollar deal with a bidding war within three days, 324 00:17:09,080 --> 00:17:13,480 Speaker 1: and the commission of that save the company. And That's 325 00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:16,040 Speaker 1: why always say success and failure live next door to 326 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:17,640 Speaker 1: each other. That's why I have such a hard time 327 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:20,159 Speaker 1: letting go of things, because it's just that little bit 328 00:17:20,200 --> 00:17:21,880 Speaker 1: more than no one else believes that no one else 329 00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:24,640 Speaker 1: sees and something special can happen. That's like a real 330 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:28,440 Speaker 1: faith in the universe kind of thing. I'm learning now 331 00:17:28,480 --> 00:17:30,480 Speaker 1: at this age to give a little more trust in 332 00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:32,160 Speaker 1: the universe and let it do some of the work. 333 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:35,600 Speaker 1: Back then, I thought I had to force every issue. Um, 334 00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:38,240 Speaker 1: we just signed the kid le Roy and when we 335 00:17:38,280 --> 00:17:41,520 Speaker 1: met with his lawyer, Robert, turns out that the lawyer 336 00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:44,600 Speaker 1: who did that paperwork for that deal is Robert And 337 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:47,960 Speaker 1: it was a complete full circle moment. All these years later, 338 00:17:48,160 --> 00:17:50,639 Speaker 1: we're doing this deal and Uh, this guy had no 339 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:53,879 Speaker 1: idea the role he played in changing my life. Well, 340 00:17:54,119 --> 00:17:57,200 Speaker 1: you said you have trouble letting go, but you don't 341 00:17:57,240 --> 00:18:01,120 Speaker 1: have trouble having very long term relationship ships with your clients. 342 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:06,119 Speaker 1: Talking about Justin and two thousand nine, Ariana Grande, Tori Kelly, 343 00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:08,800 Speaker 1: Carly Ray Jepson. These are all artists you've been with 344 00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:11,600 Speaker 1: for the better part of a decade. What is the 345 00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:16,040 Speaker 1: key to sustaining long term relationships with talent, have a 346 00:18:16,119 --> 00:18:20,080 Speaker 1: real relationship. You know, the key is caring. There's that 347 00:18:20,119 --> 00:18:22,000 Speaker 1: line in Batman. I think it's like, if you do 348 00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:24,560 Speaker 1: it right long enough, even you become the villain. And 349 00:18:24,800 --> 00:18:26,760 Speaker 1: there are people who don't understand me. There are people 350 00:18:26,800 --> 00:18:28,640 Speaker 1: who say what they want to say, But I'm proud 351 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:31,359 Speaker 1: of None of those people know me, or have spent 352 00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:34,000 Speaker 1: any kind of quality time with me, or have met 353 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:36,560 Speaker 1: me more than three or four times. The people that 354 00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:38,760 Speaker 1: I know, the people that I've spent time with, I 355 00:18:38,840 --> 00:18:40,920 Speaker 1: care about them. I'm out of relationships with them for 356 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:43,160 Speaker 1: the rest of my life. And those relationships are allowed 357 00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:46,680 Speaker 1: to change, you know, an altar, and go from being 358 00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:48,640 Speaker 1: this role in their life to that role in their life, 359 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:51,719 Speaker 1: and go in different places. And I think that's how 360 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:54,919 Speaker 1: I've been able to maintain and not only relationships with 361 00:18:54,920 --> 00:18:57,679 Speaker 1: the artists, but with executives in this company. People are 362 00:18:57,680 --> 00:19:00,840 Speaker 1: allowed to grow and evolve, and if you stay stagnant, 363 00:19:00,880 --> 00:19:03,560 Speaker 1: even if you care deeply about them, things can change 364 00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:04,920 Speaker 1: and you can grow. But if you can you can 365 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:07,919 Speaker 1: involve the relationship, you have an opportunity to keep some 366 00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:11,600 Speaker 1: special people in your life. Recently, you closed a huge 367 00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:16,800 Speaker 1: deal with Hybe, South Korean entertainment giant, during which you 368 00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:22,679 Speaker 1: allotted fifty million dollars in stock to be gifted to 369 00:19:22,840 --> 00:19:27,320 Speaker 1: your artists and long time employees and friends. Do people 370 00:19:27,320 --> 00:19:29,960 Speaker 1: who helped me along the way tell me about why 371 00:19:30,040 --> 00:19:32,320 Speaker 1: you did that. The people who know me will understand this. 372 00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:35,040 Speaker 1: I don't care a lot about money. I think money 373 00:19:35,080 --> 00:19:37,520 Speaker 1: is an avenue to freedom. I don't think it gives 374 00:19:37,520 --> 00:19:40,119 Speaker 1: you happiness. I think you can allow you more opportunities 375 00:19:40,119 --> 00:19:45,000 Speaker 1: for happiness. But I also believe with the foundation of 376 00:19:45,040 --> 00:19:47,440 Speaker 1: the things that I've set up long term, I believe 377 00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:49,159 Speaker 1: at this point, I don't think I'm gonna ever have 378 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:52,000 Speaker 1: to worry about money, and I don't think I've had 379 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:53,679 Speaker 1: to worry about that for a long time because of 380 00:19:53,720 --> 00:19:55,640 Speaker 1: certain blessings and things that have happened in my life, 381 00:19:55,640 --> 00:19:57,800 Speaker 1: both within this industry and things that I've done outside 382 00:19:57,840 --> 00:20:00,600 Speaker 1: of this industry, and foo this next statement will be 383 00:20:00,880 --> 00:20:03,840 Speaker 1: slightly controversial. When I did the Big Machine deal, it 384 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:06,400 Speaker 1: was a very good deal. I was able to recognize 385 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:10,200 Speaker 1: that masters were heavily undervalued, that Big Machine had an 386 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:14,200 Speaker 1: incredible catalog of many many artists, and I was able 387 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:16,320 Speaker 1: to get into value where I even told Scott word Shadow, 388 00:20:16,320 --> 00:20:19,080 Speaker 1: you should take stock because I don't want you resenting me, 389 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:20,720 Speaker 1: you know, because this, I think this is gonna be 390 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:22,320 Speaker 1: worth a lot more in the future, which it's it's 391 00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:25,359 Speaker 1: shown to be. I wanted to work with every single 392 00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:28,840 Speaker 1: person involved in that company and every single person associated 393 00:20:28,880 --> 00:20:31,760 Speaker 1: to that company. I was actually very excited to do so. 394 00:20:32,080 --> 00:20:36,120 Speaker 1: Certain things happened afterwards that I was not expecting. Obviously, 395 00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:38,240 Speaker 1: people can say whatever, but I wasn't able to give 396 00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:40,800 Speaker 1: an opportunity to actually ever get to know people were 397 00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:43,679 Speaker 1: upset by the deal. I thought everybody was going to 398 00:20:43,720 --> 00:20:46,760 Speaker 1: be happy, you know. I thought that everyone in the deal, 399 00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:49,440 Speaker 1: for what I was being told, was going to feel 400 00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:51,920 Speaker 1: like a winner. I regret, and it makes me sad 401 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:54,919 Speaker 1: that Taylor had that reaction to the deal. I thought 402 00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:57,640 Speaker 1: even she would be happy because at the time her 403 00:20:57,720 --> 00:20:59,880 Speaker 1: dad made a tremendous amount of money in the deal. 404 00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:02,159 Speaker 1: He was one of the shareholders of Big Machine and 405 00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:04,800 Speaker 1: made millions and millions of dollars as part of the transaction. 406 00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:07,080 Speaker 1: I was told that everyone was going to be all good, 407 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:09,879 Speaker 1: and then the deal happened and that wasn't the case. 408 00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:13,320 Speaker 1: And I learned an important lesson in that that this 409 00:21:13,359 --> 00:21:15,200 Speaker 1: time around, when I did the Hive deal, I was 410 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:17,320 Speaker 1: going to make sure that all parties were happy. I 411 00:21:17,359 --> 00:21:21,560 Speaker 1: wasn't going to assume that I knew best that you 412 00:21:21,600 --> 00:21:23,800 Speaker 1: know this is gonna work, because that was my mistake. 413 00:21:23,840 --> 00:21:26,760 Speaker 1: Now do I think I deserve what happened or anyone does. No, 414 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:29,639 Speaker 1: I don't think anyone deserves to be attacked publicly. My 415 00:21:29,720 --> 00:21:32,119 Speaker 1: personal opinion, if you don't know someone, pick up the phone, 416 00:21:32,480 --> 00:21:34,800 Speaker 1: have a conversation. And that's why I haven't talked about 417 00:21:34,800 --> 00:21:37,359 Speaker 1: that a lot. The only time I actually did speak 418 00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:39,719 Speaker 1: about it is when my my wife and kids were 419 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:41,680 Speaker 1: being attacked to a point where it was very damaging, 420 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:45,800 Speaker 1: um and scary. But I wish everyone in that scenario 421 00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:48,560 Speaker 1: is still the best. And you know you're not gonna 422 00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:51,560 Speaker 1: make everyone happy in life. But I learned going into 423 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:53,800 Speaker 1: the Hive Deal that this time around, I'm gonna make 424 00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:56,919 Speaker 1: sure everyone feels good. And the artist I worked with 425 00:21:56,960 --> 00:22:00,960 Speaker 1: weren't entitled to cash or stock. My employees that didn't 426 00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:04,000 Speaker 1: have equity weren't entitled to cash in stock. My friends 427 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:05,320 Speaker 1: who helped me along the way to weren't a title 428 00:22:05,359 --> 00:22:07,439 Speaker 1: to cash in stock. But I knew that I was 429 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:09,520 Speaker 1: going to do very well in the deal. I'll continue 430 00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:12,720 Speaker 1: to do well. I'll always do well, And this time around, 431 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:15,360 Speaker 1: I wanted everyone to know I took care of them 432 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:18,040 Speaker 1: and felt good about what was happening, so I thought 433 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:21,600 Speaker 1: a lot about it because of what happened before. You know, 434 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:25,200 Speaker 1: we learned from our past, and I felt really good, 435 00:22:25,359 --> 00:22:27,320 Speaker 1: and I felt really good that my partner encouraged it. 436 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:30,240 Speaker 1: When I talked to Bang about it and I said, 437 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:33,399 Speaker 1: I'm going to give fifty million of my stock away, 438 00:22:33,560 --> 00:22:35,640 Speaker 1: he said, you know, I did something similar with BTS 439 00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:37,920 Speaker 1: when I took the company public, and it was nice 440 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:40,679 Speaker 1: to be able to call artists and friends and them 441 00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:44,960 Speaker 1: say well, what's what I gotta do, and I'm literally nothing, 442 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:47,600 Speaker 1: You've already done it. You've been here for me. We're 443 00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:49,320 Speaker 1: going to continue to be there for each other. And 444 00:22:49,359 --> 00:22:52,160 Speaker 1: now you know that everything I do over here, you're 445 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:56,560 Speaker 1: participating it. And um, I hope it encourages other executives. 446 00:22:56,760 --> 00:22:58,840 Speaker 1: You know, there's a lot of companies going public now, 447 00:22:58,880 --> 00:23:01,159 Speaker 1: there's a lot of companies being old now, and I 448 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:03,480 Speaker 1: hope it encourages other executives to make sure they take 449 00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:06,520 Speaker 1: care of their people. Just because you're not obligated to 450 00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:09,440 Speaker 1: doesn't mean you shouldn't. It was a gift, it was 451 00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:11,840 Speaker 1: the right thing to do. Well. Tell us more about 452 00:23:11,840 --> 00:23:15,840 Speaker 1: the relationship with Hybe and how do you envision Ithaca, 453 00:23:16,040 --> 00:23:19,080 Speaker 1: which is the holding company of SPP. How do you 454 00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:24,480 Speaker 1: see the two companies working together? Um? Very well, I 455 00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:26,840 Speaker 1: just got back from creating myself a couple weeks ago. Look, 456 00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:29,680 Speaker 1: they're building an amazing gaming unit. Um, there's a tremendous 457 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:33,080 Speaker 1: amount of synergies. They're in the East where in the West. 458 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:36,240 Speaker 1: Coming together makes us a global company. That One of 459 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:38,640 Speaker 1: the things I really liked about Bang is that, like us, 460 00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:43,000 Speaker 1: he allows creativity to take its lead. So, you know, 461 00:23:43,080 --> 00:23:44,719 Speaker 1: I asked him, I was like, do you expect our 462 00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:46,800 Speaker 1: artists to collaborate with your artists? And he goes if 463 00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:49,840 Speaker 1: they want to, you know, and because he's a producer, 464 00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:53,399 Speaker 1: he's a creative himself. So I think it. You know, 465 00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:55,400 Speaker 1: we were in a position where we've created a lot 466 00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:58,000 Speaker 1: of leverage for all of our artists. We have a 467 00:23:58,040 --> 00:24:00,280 Speaker 1: lot of visibility on the worldwide market. Now, we have 468 00:24:00,280 --> 00:24:02,679 Speaker 1: a lot of visibility on understanding all of the deals 469 00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:04,760 Speaker 1: that are in the marketplace, and I think we have 470 00:24:04,800 --> 00:24:06,720 Speaker 1: a very unique opportunity. I mean, looking at the chart 471 00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:09,560 Speaker 1: this week, I was like, oh, like one, five and six. 472 00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:12,280 Speaker 1: Like you know, and in my career I've had multiple 473 00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:13,720 Speaker 1: times where it's been like a lot of that between 474 00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:17,560 Speaker 1: the artists, but you know, getting to see the high 475 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:20,119 Speaker 1: artists coming in and the timing of it. And I 476 00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:22,639 Speaker 1: got to sit and meet BTS, biggest group in the world, 477 00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:25,480 Speaker 1: and could not be more humble. Great guys, I mean, 478 00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:27,920 Speaker 1: I really enjoyed my time with them. In the conversation, 479 00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:30,560 Speaker 1: it was great. We've we talked about this about how 480 00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:32,639 Speaker 1: many companies have failed to bring East and West together, 481 00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:36,880 Speaker 1: and I think the difference is this time just being 482 00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:39,199 Speaker 1: honest with you. I think a lot of American arrogance 483 00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:41,840 Speaker 1: has been the reason why we failed in the past. 484 00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:43,879 Speaker 1: Like that we know best and this is the way 485 00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:46,280 Speaker 1: it should be. And I told my whole team this 486 00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:49,879 Speaker 1: is about relationship and humbling ourselves to the fact that 487 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:52,159 Speaker 1: we are all partners and it's not going to be 488 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:54,280 Speaker 1: about ego. It's about what's right and what's the best 489 00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:56,879 Speaker 1: thing and what can we build together long term. And 490 00:24:57,119 --> 00:24:59,960 Speaker 1: I have a tremendous amount of respect for my new partner. 491 00:25:00,840 --> 00:25:02,840 Speaker 1: I know they have it for me. I know they 492 00:25:02,840 --> 00:25:04,760 Speaker 1: have it for our artists just in the way they've 493 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:07,879 Speaker 1: responded to certain things already. And it's me it's business 494 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:11,120 Speaker 1: as usual, but with just more firepower. You mentioned kidle Roy, 495 00:25:11,280 --> 00:25:14,360 Speaker 1: who's the most recent signing to SPP. So he's a 496 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:19,160 Speaker 1: seventeen year old, real talent from Australia. Huge song right now, 497 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:21,280 Speaker 1: without you tell me what you see in him. I 498 00:25:21,320 --> 00:25:25,000 Speaker 1: think he's incredible. When the world finds out his true 499 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:27,840 Speaker 1: story and what he's been through, it's pretty remarkable. I 500 00:25:27,880 --> 00:25:31,080 Speaker 1: think he's wise way beyond his years. He's seen a 501 00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:32,800 Speaker 1: lot of things in a very short amount of time 502 00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:35,480 Speaker 1: and had to respond to those things. I think he's 503 00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:39,240 Speaker 1: a brilliant songwriter and producer. Justin recognized his talent pretty 504 00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:42,440 Speaker 1: early and they have some cool stuff cooking. But um, 505 00:25:42,480 --> 00:25:45,399 Speaker 1: I just think he has it, you know, Ariana has it. 506 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:47,440 Speaker 1: Justin has it like I mean, all these artists I 507 00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:49,200 Speaker 1: get to work with Baldin like they have it. Right. 508 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:52,359 Speaker 1: When you want to be a superstar, there's only so 509 00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:54,280 Speaker 1: many Mike's in the room and there's a lot of 510 00:25:54,280 --> 00:25:55,840 Speaker 1: talent around. You've gotta be one of those people. You 511 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:58,639 Speaker 1: don't care you're grabbing that mic. First meeting, I was like, Wow, 512 00:25:58,760 --> 00:26:01,040 Speaker 1: he's grabbing that mic and he has a real vision. 513 00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:03,399 Speaker 1: And I think we're in a unique place where the 514 00:26:03,400 --> 00:26:06,240 Speaker 1: managers we are today is actually better suited for him 515 00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:08,359 Speaker 1: than the managers we were ten years ago because he 516 00:26:08,359 --> 00:26:10,520 Speaker 1: has such a vision and we're able to we have 517 00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:12,280 Speaker 1: a lot of team and really great people to help 518 00:26:12,359 --> 00:26:15,600 Speaker 1: him execute it. But I think he's really special. Are 519 00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:19,679 Speaker 1: you finding that the music business is attracting young executive talent? 520 00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:23,520 Speaker 1: The music business will always attract young executive talent. You know, 521 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:25,560 Speaker 1: there's gonna be more and more people that are like, 522 00:26:25,760 --> 00:26:27,479 Speaker 1: wait a second, I can make more money in crypto. 523 00:26:28,119 --> 00:26:29,840 Speaker 1: You know, there's always gonna be those people are gonna 524 00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:31,240 Speaker 1: make you know, I want to go in at tech. 525 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:34,560 Speaker 1: Like the ceiling in music is actually only so high 526 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:39,159 Speaker 1: when you come to financial success. It is not it's 527 00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:41,200 Speaker 1: it's from where it was. I mean, we're seeing the 528 00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:43,199 Speaker 1: new valuations in the universal it's going up and up 529 00:26:43,200 --> 00:26:46,720 Speaker 1: and up. But comparatively to other industries, it is a 530 00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:49,600 Speaker 1: pretty low ceiling. But the energy of the music industry, 531 00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:54,199 Speaker 1: there is no ceiling. The magic to be associated to 532 00:26:54,359 --> 00:26:58,760 Speaker 1: these incredible creatives, these writers, these producers, these artists. Like 533 00:26:59,119 --> 00:27:01,480 Speaker 1: there's such magic being in a place where you're in 534 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:03,840 Speaker 1: a studio and you're watching something being created, and then 535 00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:06,639 Speaker 1: a year later you're sitting in an elevator and someone's 536 00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:08,880 Speaker 1: humming next to you and you're realizing, wait, that's the song. 537 00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:10,600 Speaker 1: I was there, I witnessed that, or being at a 538 00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:13,480 Speaker 1: concert and seeing everybody sing those words, like, there's just 539 00:27:13,520 --> 00:27:16,600 Speaker 1: a magic to this industry that is unlike anything else. 540 00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:20,639 Speaker 1: And that's why you're going to attract a guy who 541 00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:25,680 Speaker 1: used to paint cars like mo you know too come 542 00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:31,040 Speaker 1: through and create Marshmallow. Or you're gonna, you know, attracted 543 00:27:31,119 --> 00:27:34,600 Speaker 1: Justin lu Bliner who's doing marketing and he puts all 544 00:27:34,640 --> 00:27:38,080 Speaker 1: his energy into a Billie Eilish and Phineas, Like, you're 545 00:27:38,119 --> 00:27:42,040 Speaker 1: going to attract young, amazing talent to something that's so magical. 546 00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:48,040 Speaker 1: Always we need to take a quick break. We'll be 547 00:27:48,080 --> 00:27:50,680 Speaker 1: back with more from Varieties Music Mogul of the Year 548 00:27:50,920 --> 00:28:02,040 Speaker 1: Scooter Braun, And we're back with Scooter Braun. So, Scooter, 549 00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:08,040 Speaker 1: you were an early investor in Uber, Spotify, Lift, drop Box, Um. 550 00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:17,120 Speaker 1: More recently you've backed tech entities like Clubhouse, New Wave, Row, Kupang. Yeah. 551 00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:20,199 Speaker 1: Kupang is like the Amazon of Korea and actually just 552 00:28:20,240 --> 00:28:22,480 Speaker 1: went public. It's an incredible company. Has nothing to do 553 00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:24,800 Speaker 1: with my more recent deal with Hybe, but I actually 554 00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:28,720 Speaker 1: invested in two thousand thirteen because I was with h 555 00:28:28,800 --> 00:28:32,439 Speaker 1: Sigh in Korea for Gongenham style and uh I had 556 00:28:32,440 --> 00:28:34,080 Speaker 1: a headache and his wife ordered me a talent on. 557 00:28:34,119 --> 00:28:36,439 Speaker 1: Some guy knocked on the door and handed her talent on. 558 00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:38,520 Speaker 1: I was like, what is that? Well, how do you 559 00:28:38,560 --> 00:28:41,400 Speaker 1: decide what to invest in? It's like falling in love, 560 00:28:41,680 --> 00:28:44,800 Speaker 1: you know. It's like I always compare falling in love 561 00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:46,240 Speaker 1: to like finding an artist. You just kind of know, 562 00:28:46,320 --> 00:28:50,320 Speaker 1: your gut tells you. Um sometimes as you see an 563 00:28:50,320 --> 00:28:54,000 Speaker 1: opening in the marketplace. Sometimes like I invested in something 564 00:28:54,040 --> 00:28:56,640 Speaker 1: called Go Puff a while back, like you know, met 565 00:28:56,680 --> 00:28:58,440 Speaker 1: the founders and I was like, wow, these guys are special. 566 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:03,200 Speaker 1: Met him through my friend Michael um Row, my partners 567 00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:04,560 Speaker 1: in t Q, which is what I do all my 568 00:29:04,640 --> 00:29:07,560 Speaker 1: investing through now Andrew and Schuster. They were able to 569 00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:09,800 Speaker 1: identify Roe and Zach I think is one of the 570 00:29:09,800 --> 00:29:13,520 Speaker 1: best young CEOs in the world, and that's a telemedicine company. 571 00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:17,360 Speaker 1: Is just explosive and changing the whole world of telemedicine. 572 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:19,720 Speaker 1: And that's it. Sometimes you find a founder who reminds 573 00:29:19,720 --> 00:29:21,520 Speaker 1: you of a great entrepreneur. You know. I did this company, 574 00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:25,440 Speaker 1: liquid Ivy with t Q and Brandon, you know, he 575 00:29:25,600 --> 00:29:27,239 Speaker 1: just could tell he was one of these guys that 576 00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:30,400 Speaker 1: was gonna make it happen. Remember becoming friends with Whitney 577 00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:32,480 Speaker 1: from Bumble and I was like, no matter what, she's 578 00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:36,960 Speaker 1: going to figure this out. And um, it's a unique experience. 579 00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:40,480 Speaker 1: You meet people that understand the burn the ship's mentality, 580 00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:44,240 Speaker 1: this mentality that like the soldiers would arrive on the 581 00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:46,320 Speaker 1: shores of their enemies and the generals would say, burn 582 00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:48,480 Speaker 1: the ships, burn our own ships. The only way you're 583 00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:50,160 Speaker 1: going home is in the ships of our enemies. There's 584 00:29:50,200 --> 00:29:53,840 Speaker 1: no turning back. And when you meet entrepreneurs who have 585 00:29:53,920 --> 00:29:56,120 Speaker 1: that mentality. I remember the first time I met Travis 586 00:29:56,120 --> 00:29:59,440 Speaker 1: from Uber he had it. Funny enough, his competitor John 587 00:29:59,760 --> 00:30:02,960 Speaker 1: over a Lift had it also. It's a very unique 588 00:30:02,960 --> 00:30:05,800 Speaker 1: thing and I've always tried to look for that and 589 00:30:05,840 --> 00:30:08,720 Speaker 1: follow my gut um. And then when I met Schuster 590 00:30:08,760 --> 00:30:11,760 Speaker 1: and Andrew, it went to a completely different level because 591 00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:14,560 Speaker 1: we have this amazing fund now t Q something that's 592 00:30:14,640 --> 00:30:17,200 Speaker 1: the most successful things in my life. And to have 593 00:30:17,280 --> 00:30:21,880 Speaker 1: such incredibly seasoned investors as my partners, and Andrew and Schuster, 594 00:30:22,720 --> 00:30:24,880 Speaker 1: we all bring a unique thing to the table and 595 00:30:25,520 --> 00:30:27,680 Speaker 1: been able to now make investments in There so many 596 00:30:27,720 --> 00:30:33,040 Speaker 1: incredible companies from Row to Saturn to neon Um that 597 00:30:33,080 --> 00:30:36,840 Speaker 1: are all becoming these unicorns. The first time at Daniel Leck, 598 00:30:37,040 --> 00:30:39,720 Speaker 1: you know the story, It was partially because of a 599 00:30:39,760 --> 00:30:43,040 Speaker 1: place you were working. If you're referring to Billboard, I 600 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:47,960 Speaker 1: actually didn't start there until two thousand thirteen, but tell 601 00:30:48,040 --> 00:30:52,280 Speaker 1: the story. Um. I was twenty seven, Daniel was twenty four, 602 00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:55,480 Speaker 1: and Bill Wordy put us on the thirty on the 603 00:30:55,480 --> 00:31:00,920 Speaker 1: thirty list, and I called up Bill and asked if 604 00:31:00,920 --> 00:31:03,440 Speaker 1: I could be introduced to every single person on the 605 00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:05,000 Speaker 1: list that I knew about six of the people, but 606 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:06,320 Speaker 1: I didn't know the others. And I felt like I 607 00:31:06,320 --> 00:31:10,120 Speaker 1: should know my peers. And I emailed and called every 608 00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:12,160 Speaker 1: single person on the list over the next two weeks, 609 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:16,080 Speaker 1: and Daniel was in Sweden with this company that was 610 00:31:16,200 --> 00:31:20,920 Speaker 1: justin Sweden called Spotify, and he and I became friends. 611 00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:23,520 Speaker 1: He was like, this is really cool. You're calling me, 612 00:31:23,640 --> 00:31:27,080 Speaker 1: like Justin's big and Sweden now, so like Justin was 613 00:31:27,080 --> 00:31:28,680 Speaker 1: starting to explode. That's why I was on the list. 614 00:31:29,240 --> 00:31:32,360 Speaker 1: And he said, I'm coming to l A. Let's hang out. 615 00:31:33,040 --> 00:31:35,320 Speaker 1: And we became really good friends. I first met his 616 00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:38,479 Speaker 1: buddy Shack, who was kind of his liaison to everybody, 617 00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:41,200 Speaker 1: and I asked if I can invest, but I really 618 00:31:41,200 --> 00:31:43,800 Speaker 1: did believe in it and to see it become what 619 00:31:43,840 --> 00:31:47,080 Speaker 1: it's become today. I encourage all the people coming up 620 00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:49,760 Speaker 1: to realize you don't want to meet the big wig 621 00:31:49,800 --> 00:31:52,640 Speaker 1: you admire. You can meet them. They might make you 622 00:31:52,680 --> 00:31:56,200 Speaker 1: happy or they might disappoint you. Meet your peers, Meet 623 00:31:56,240 --> 00:31:58,080 Speaker 1: the people you're coming up with, who are sitting right 624 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:00,320 Speaker 1: next to you with the same big dreams, and bet 625 00:32:00,320 --> 00:32:02,560 Speaker 1: on each other. Because one of the best investments of 626 00:32:02,600 --> 00:32:05,000 Speaker 1: my life has been Spotify. I was able to get 627 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:06,480 Speaker 1: my parents in a little bit of that and that 628 00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:10,360 Speaker 1: changed their life. So I would encourage people to reach 629 00:32:10,400 --> 00:32:13,240 Speaker 1: out to their peers and build those relationships because you 630 00:32:13,280 --> 00:32:15,840 Speaker 1: never know what it can turn into. So you're also 631 00:32:15,880 --> 00:32:19,000 Speaker 1: a collector of fine art. What is your take on 632 00:32:19,240 --> 00:32:23,120 Speaker 1: n f T So, I'm curious, that's kind of controversial. Take. 633 00:32:25,360 --> 00:32:28,480 Speaker 1: My take on n f T s are long term, 634 00:32:28,520 --> 00:32:31,920 Speaker 1: there will be an amazing thing for the masses. Um 635 00:32:32,080 --> 00:32:35,000 Speaker 1: long term you will have just like in art in 636 00:32:35,040 --> 00:32:36,840 Speaker 1: our world, there are gonna be mass art and there's 637 00:32:36,880 --> 00:32:38,560 Speaker 1: gonna be fine art and n f T s will 638 00:32:38,560 --> 00:32:42,840 Speaker 1: have that. UM. I think right now the industry is 639 00:32:42,880 --> 00:32:44,640 Speaker 1: not set up for that to be a mass thing, 640 00:32:45,480 --> 00:32:47,720 Speaker 1: and right now it's still a fine art thing, but 641 00:32:47,840 --> 00:32:50,080 Speaker 1: playing within a very small pool, which was what fine 642 00:32:50,160 --> 00:32:54,720 Speaker 1: art is. So for example, most of these n f 643 00:32:54,760 --> 00:32:58,920 Speaker 1: T platforms, you need a crypto wallet to participate, but 644 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:01,840 Speaker 1: most people don't have a crypto wallet, and a lot 645 00:33:01,880 --> 00:33:05,200 Speaker 1: of these platforms can't validate as fast. So, like, I 646 00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:08,480 Speaker 1: think the biggest auction I've seen is ten thousand people concurrently, 647 00:33:09,160 --> 00:33:11,280 Speaker 1: Yet I think the majority of the people bidding of 648 00:33:11,320 --> 00:33:13,280 Speaker 1: those ten thousand that were in there were the same 649 00:33:13,600 --> 00:33:17,200 Speaker 1: for people. So I think you're seeing crypto whales kind 650 00:33:17,200 --> 00:33:19,800 Speaker 1: of take the news up and they have a lot 651 00:33:19,840 --> 00:33:22,960 Speaker 1: of cash they're sitting on through their investments in crypto. 652 00:33:23,160 --> 00:33:25,400 Speaker 1: I think crypto is very very real. I think bitcoin 653 00:33:25,520 --> 00:33:27,440 Speaker 1: is something you should be putting in as part of 654 00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:30,640 Speaker 1: your portfolio as well as ethereum. Ripple is going to 655 00:33:30,720 --> 00:33:33,880 Speaker 1: probably go public soon. I think platforms like coin based 656 00:33:33,880 --> 00:33:38,400 Speaker 1: and cracking are incredible UM. But I think the n 657 00:33:38,440 --> 00:33:41,320 Speaker 1: f T world still needs to mature and you're going 658 00:33:41,360 --> 00:33:44,600 Speaker 1: to see things that are part of history, which is 659 00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:46,200 Speaker 1: when you look at art, there's some things that are 660 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:48,040 Speaker 1: just pure talent and there are things that were first. 661 00:33:48,360 --> 00:33:50,480 Speaker 1: You know, Andy Warhol was the first to kind of 662 00:33:50,520 --> 00:33:54,240 Speaker 1: create the mass production. Um, so his pieces will always 663 00:33:54,280 --> 00:33:56,080 Speaker 1: be significant, and that's why certain n f T s 664 00:33:56,160 --> 00:33:58,440 Speaker 1: right now will be significant. But I think a lot 665 00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:02,360 Speaker 1: of this is growing pains. Who do you go to 666 00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:06,040 Speaker 1: for business advice? Who's on your speed dial? Um? I 667 00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:09,480 Speaker 1: have a tremendous amount of trust in my kind of 668 00:34:09,560 --> 00:34:12,600 Speaker 1: right hand advisor and David Bullo, who's been like a 669 00:34:12,600 --> 00:34:15,759 Speaker 1: brother to me for a really long time. Um he's 670 00:34:16,040 --> 00:34:22,239 Speaker 1: CEOO of and and a financial advisor. Um. You know, 671 00:34:22,320 --> 00:34:24,640 Speaker 1: to be able to talk to my investment partners Andrew 672 00:34:24,640 --> 00:34:27,840 Speaker 1: and Schuster, I think they have a savvy and a 673 00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:30,200 Speaker 1: brilliance to them that allows me to look at a 674 00:34:30,239 --> 00:34:33,080 Speaker 1: lot of things. Learned a lot from talking to Howard Marks. 675 00:34:33,120 --> 00:34:35,760 Speaker 1: I learned a tremendous amount from talking to David Geffen 676 00:34:36,600 --> 00:34:38,799 Speaker 1: in all things, whether it be art or music, or 677 00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:42,600 Speaker 1: culture or life. Um, he's just he was the guy 678 00:34:42,680 --> 00:34:44,680 Speaker 1: admired the most when I read that book, and then 679 00:34:44,680 --> 00:34:47,360 Speaker 1: when I was thirty we became friends. In the last decade, 680 00:34:49,440 --> 00:34:53,440 Speaker 1: I actually love the guy he is family and he 681 00:34:53,520 --> 00:34:57,400 Speaker 1: has been one of the most incredible voices of wisdom 682 00:34:57,440 --> 00:35:00,040 Speaker 1: I've ever had. Lucien has been an incredible voice for 683 00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:03,319 Speaker 1: me over the years. You never know where you going 684 00:35:03,400 --> 00:35:04,759 Speaker 1: to get wisdom from. You can talk about where you 685 00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:08,240 Speaker 1: get business advice. The wisest people I know aren't wise 686 00:35:08,280 --> 00:35:11,319 Speaker 1: because of business. One of the assets that you've picked 687 00:35:11,400 --> 00:35:14,120 Speaker 1: up in the last few years is Atlas Music Publishing, 688 00:35:14,160 --> 00:35:18,000 Speaker 1: which is home to copyrights on songs by Brandy Carlile, 689 00:35:18,040 --> 00:35:22,879 Speaker 1: at Cheering Drake, Nicki, Minaj, John legend Um. Considering how 690 00:35:22,960 --> 00:35:25,880 Speaker 1: catalog sales are such a hot commodity on Wall Street 691 00:35:25,960 --> 00:35:28,440 Speaker 1: right now, with everyone from Bob Dylan to Paul Simon, 692 00:35:28,600 --> 00:35:32,400 Speaker 1: Barry Manilow selling the publishing rights to their songs for 693 00:35:32,520 --> 00:35:36,480 Speaker 1: astronomical values, and probably the biggest player in the space 694 00:35:36,600 --> 00:35:40,200 Speaker 1: is Hypnosis Song Fund, which is headed by Mercury Atis 695 00:35:40,680 --> 00:35:45,080 Speaker 1: musician producer Nile Rogers. You've done some business with Hypnosis Um. 696 00:35:45,160 --> 00:35:48,080 Speaker 1: You sold a hundred and five songs by producer Andrew 697 00:35:48,080 --> 00:35:52,520 Speaker 1: Watt for an estimated forty five million dollars. I understand 698 00:35:52,520 --> 00:35:55,880 Speaker 1: the attractiveness of a big payout to an artist who 699 00:35:56,040 --> 00:35:59,440 Speaker 1: is let's say in the winter of their lives. But 700 00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:06,640 Speaker 1: what is like thirty? Yeah, so what is the thinking 701 00:36:06,680 --> 00:36:08,839 Speaker 1: behind these deals? I can only speak to wats deal, 702 00:36:09,160 --> 00:36:12,520 Speaker 1: you know, and every deal is different. It depends what's 703 00:36:12,520 --> 00:36:14,000 Speaker 1: going on in their life, what they want to get 704 00:36:14,040 --> 00:36:16,320 Speaker 1: out of it. What are the terms are being offered? 705 00:36:17,600 --> 00:36:21,399 Speaker 1: Wat's thirty He was being offered incredible terms by Mark 706 00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:25,040 Speaker 1: and an incredible valuation. We should mention a few of 707 00:36:25,080 --> 00:36:28,840 Speaker 1: the songs on which what is credited. They include Dualipa's 708 00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:33,920 Speaker 1: break My Heart, Senorita by Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendez, 709 00:36:34,239 --> 00:36:37,800 Speaker 1: as well as several tracks on Justin's latest album. And 710 00:36:37,840 --> 00:36:39,719 Speaker 1: we know that he has a lot more hits coming 711 00:36:39,719 --> 00:36:41,239 Speaker 1: and we actually only did it up to a certain 712 00:36:41,280 --> 00:36:42,759 Speaker 1: amount of songs, and there's a lot of hits he 713 00:36:42,800 --> 00:36:45,319 Speaker 1: still owned, and a lot of hits he continues down. 714 00:36:45,320 --> 00:36:47,320 Speaker 1: You know, he's involved with Peaches, He's involved with anyone. 715 00:36:47,400 --> 00:36:51,560 Speaker 1: He's like all these other songs. Thirty years old. To 716 00:36:51,680 --> 00:36:54,920 Speaker 1: be able to give yourself the gift of generational wealth, 717 00:36:56,280 --> 00:37:00,440 Speaker 1: you gotta ask yourself, is the royalty that I'm receiving 718 00:37:00,480 --> 00:37:04,600 Speaker 1: over the next fifteen to twenty years. Do I want 719 00:37:04,680 --> 00:37:06,759 Speaker 1: to make money off that royalty, or do I want 720 00:37:06,760 --> 00:37:09,040 Speaker 1: to get all that money up front right now, and 721 00:37:09,080 --> 00:37:13,920 Speaker 1: can I make more money investing it properly? And for him, 722 00:37:14,040 --> 00:37:16,839 Speaker 1: we decided to get that money now, allow him to 723 00:37:16,880 --> 00:37:19,160 Speaker 1: invest that money properly to live the life he wants 724 00:37:19,160 --> 00:37:21,280 Speaker 1: to live now for the next fifteen or twenty years. 725 00:37:22,040 --> 00:37:26,000 Speaker 1: And he's still in the middle of his career making 726 00:37:26,040 --> 00:37:27,880 Speaker 1: all these other hits that he can create an annuity 727 00:37:27,880 --> 00:37:30,600 Speaker 1: and royalty for his family in the future of that 728 00:37:30,680 --> 00:37:33,600 Speaker 1: and if he chooses to sell that he can as well. Um, 729 00:37:33,719 --> 00:37:37,200 Speaker 1: so you know, every deal is different, and we got 730 00:37:37,200 --> 00:37:39,600 Speaker 1: a really great deal from Murk that allowed him to 731 00:37:39,640 --> 00:37:43,919 Speaker 1: still participate in the creativity of those songs, but put 732 00:37:43,960 --> 00:37:46,719 Speaker 1: him in a place where he can put together the 733 00:37:46,719 --> 00:37:49,880 Speaker 1: proper portfolio and investments that actually are going to make 734 00:37:49,960 --> 00:37:51,960 Speaker 1: him more money than waiting for that royalty every single 735 00:37:52,040 --> 00:37:56,279 Speaker 1: year over the next fifteen years. And it's not like 736 00:37:56,360 --> 00:37:58,800 Speaker 1: his name goes off of those songs or the memories 737 00:37:58,840 --> 00:38:01,319 Speaker 1: of those songs or the history of those songs. Let's 738 00:38:01,320 --> 00:38:05,400 Speaker 1: talk about justin a little bit, uh COVID nearly decimated 739 00:38:05,440 --> 00:38:08,200 Speaker 1: the live music industry, which is slowly coming back to life, 740 00:38:08,520 --> 00:38:10,920 Speaker 1: and during that time, Justin was supposed to head out 741 00:38:10,960 --> 00:38:14,560 Speaker 1: on an arena tour. It was canceled the first time, 742 00:38:14,600 --> 00:38:19,120 Speaker 1: then it was canceled and rescheduled. UM, tell me about 743 00:38:19,160 --> 00:38:23,640 Speaker 1: like the planning and reconfiguring that goes into rescheduling a 744 00:38:23,680 --> 00:38:26,799 Speaker 1: tour of the size and how did you guys handle that? 745 00:38:27,719 --> 00:38:30,720 Speaker 1: For us, it was a blessing in disguise for specifically Justin, 746 00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:32,760 Speaker 1: I think it was a blessing in disguise for everyone, 747 00:38:33,400 --> 00:38:35,440 Speaker 1: you know. I think coming out of COVID, there's been 748 00:38:35,480 --> 00:38:37,319 Speaker 1: a lot of changes, a lot of people's lives, and 749 00:38:37,560 --> 00:38:39,520 Speaker 1: there was a lot of Some people had a really great, 750 00:38:39,520 --> 00:38:42,240 Speaker 1: wonderful COVID. Some people had wonderful and hurtful and everything 751 00:38:42,239 --> 00:38:45,280 Speaker 1: else and growth coming out of it. But for Justin, 752 00:38:46,560 --> 00:38:48,160 Speaker 1: he made some of the best music of his life 753 00:38:48,960 --> 00:38:50,879 Speaker 1: and he was able to slow down and really heal 754 00:38:51,600 --> 00:38:58,040 Speaker 1: from a sickness um and you know, right, one of 755 00:38:58,080 --> 00:39:00,719 Speaker 1: the biggest hits of his entire career with Peaches. So 756 00:39:01,600 --> 00:39:04,479 Speaker 1: for us, it was about when is the world coming back? 757 00:39:04,640 --> 00:39:07,880 Speaker 1: When are we gonna not reschedule again? What are you 758 00:39:07,880 --> 00:39:09,640 Speaker 1: gonna put it out far enough that we feel comfortable? 759 00:39:09,640 --> 00:39:11,560 Speaker 1: Which was the next February. We just were like, no 760 00:39:11,680 --> 00:39:13,520 Speaker 1: chances here, we're gonna We're not gonna do this again 761 00:39:13,560 --> 00:39:16,560 Speaker 1: to the fans. Um. But then we got to put 762 00:39:16,600 --> 00:39:19,440 Speaker 1: out such great music that you know, now we have 763 00:39:19,440 --> 00:39:24,520 Speaker 1: a sold out tour and and there's a lot of 764 00:39:24,560 --> 00:39:26,719 Speaker 1: excitement and his performance I think he's going to be 765 00:39:26,760 --> 00:39:28,359 Speaker 1: the best performance of his life because I've never seen 766 00:39:28,440 --> 00:39:33,040 Speaker 1: him so disciplined in preparation in his entire career, and 767 00:39:33,080 --> 00:39:36,200 Speaker 1: we have some such great music coming from him. So 768 00:39:36,360 --> 00:39:39,040 Speaker 1: for us, it was let the music lead slow down. 769 00:39:40,680 --> 00:39:43,160 Speaker 1: I'm very happy for him because now he is not 770 00:39:43,280 --> 00:39:46,320 Speaker 1: only excited about the tour, but he's well rested. He's 771 00:39:46,560 --> 00:39:48,840 Speaker 1: in the best place he's ever been mentally and physically, 772 00:39:49,400 --> 00:39:54,239 Speaker 1: and he is just ready for next February. Um. So 773 00:39:54,520 --> 00:39:57,080 Speaker 1: it was a blessing in disguise. I'm sure you factored 774 00:39:57,120 --> 00:40:00,000 Speaker 1: into because on his last tour he kind of strugg 775 00:40:00,040 --> 00:40:02,160 Speaker 1: roll towards the end, you have to cancel a bunch 776 00:40:02,200 --> 00:40:06,759 Speaker 1: of shows. His mental health is obviously really important in 777 00:40:06,880 --> 00:40:09,560 Speaker 1: situations like this. Yeah, and I think all artists, whether 778 00:40:09,560 --> 00:40:11,680 Speaker 1: the Ariana Demi justin like, they've all gone through some 779 00:40:11,719 --> 00:40:13,520 Speaker 1: serious stuff mental health. You know, if you see the 780 00:40:13,560 --> 00:40:16,680 Speaker 1: j Balvian documentary we just put out with director Matt Hyneman. 781 00:40:16,719 --> 00:40:19,560 Speaker 1: It's so honest and really address his mental health. I 782 00:40:19,560 --> 00:40:21,319 Speaker 1: think we factor that in a big way. But the 783 00:40:21,360 --> 00:40:24,760 Speaker 1: difference for Justin specifically is he now is Haley. And 784 00:40:24,840 --> 00:40:27,759 Speaker 1: Allison is doing an amazing job as she has for 785 00:40:27,920 --> 00:40:30,880 Speaker 1: over a decade with me on really protecting him and 786 00:40:30,920 --> 00:40:33,640 Speaker 1: making sure he's in the right place. But Haley is 787 00:40:34,080 --> 00:40:37,160 Speaker 1: such an incredible force in his life. And he's always 788 00:40:37,200 --> 00:40:39,520 Speaker 1: had to tour alone. You know, we could always be there, 789 00:40:39,520 --> 00:40:43,040 Speaker 1: But it's different now he's touring with his wife. Now 790 00:40:43,200 --> 00:40:46,000 Speaker 1: he has his best friend going on a worldwide vacation 791 00:40:46,280 --> 00:40:48,479 Speaker 1: with him where he's going to do what he loves 792 00:40:48,480 --> 00:40:50,640 Speaker 1: a couple of days a week and they could see 793 00:40:50,640 --> 00:40:52,799 Speaker 1: the world together. And I think he's never had that 794 00:40:52,840 --> 00:40:54,680 Speaker 1: experience before, and I think that two of them are 795 00:40:54,680 --> 00:40:58,560 Speaker 1: excited for that experience. A decade ago, Never Say Never 796 00:40:58,719 --> 00:41:01,520 Speaker 1: was released and it was a huge box office success. 797 00:41:01,560 --> 00:41:04,279 Speaker 1: It brought in a hundred million dollars in its theatrical run. 798 00:41:05,000 --> 00:41:07,440 Speaker 1: You know, now, I look at that movie and the 799 00:41:07,480 --> 00:41:12,840 Speaker 1: sequel believe as really being trailblazers. In the music documentary Space, 800 00:41:13,280 --> 00:41:17,680 Speaker 1: Ariana Demi Levado, J Balvin. They've all had documentary films 801 00:41:17,800 --> 00:41:21,600 Speaker 1: or series released in the last few years. What's your 802 00:41:21,640 --> 00:41:25,600 Speaker 1: involvement in these projects and what's your take on artists 803 00:41:25,600 --> 00:41:30,680 Speaker 1: produced content. I think we unfortunately live in a society 804 00:41:30,719 --> 00:41:35,040 Speaker 1: that would rather believe someone else about someone else's character. 805 00:41:36,200 --> 00:41:38,399 Speaker 1: You know, we live in this place where like, if 806 00:41:38,400 --> 00:41:40,000 Speaker 1: I tell you, hey, I'm a good person and this 807 00:41:40,080 --> 00:41:42,400 Speaker 1: is my truth, You're gonna be like, I don't know. 808 00:41:42,440 --> 00:41:43,880 Speaker 1: I want to go get a reference from someone who 809 00:41:43,920 --> 00:41:49,760 Speaker 1: barely knows you. Um. And for me, if an artist 810 00:41:49,800 --> 00:41:53,280 Speaker 1: is willing to tell their truth in a documentary, who 811 00:41:53,360 --> 00:41:57,000 Speaker 1: better to do that with an honest filmmaker and them 812 00:41:57,040 --> 00:42:03,960 Speaker 1: giving that person their trust. So I promise you you 813 00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:07,120 Speaker 1: saw the real j Balvian in that documentary. He gave 814 00:42:07,560 --> 00:42:10,840 Speaker 1: Matt Hyneman so much trust it made him uncomfortable, I 815 00:42:10,960 --> 00:42:14,759 Speaker 1: promise you. Demi laid it all out to Michael Ratner. 816 00:42:14,800 --> 00:42:18,480 Speaker 1: In fact, that's probably the only person in the world 817 00:42:18,719 --> 00:42:25,320 Speaker 1: that they would tell those things too. Um from Demi 818 00:42:25,360 --> 00:42:31,439 Speaker 1: discussing the overdose to rape to her childhood two UM 819 00:42:31,480 --> 00:42:34,320 Speaker 1: and I'm going to work on my pronounce with Demi. 820 00:42:35,040 --> 00:42:38,360 Speaker 1: UM is something that they have discussed with me, and 821 00:42:38,360 --> 00:42:43,600 Speaker 1: I'm happy to honor and love them to death. I've 822 00:42:43,719 --> 00:42:46,960 Speaker 1: said this for over ten years. Tell the truth because 823 00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:50,680 Speaker 1: the fans can see through everything else, and the documentaries 824 00:42:50,680 --> 00:42:54,080 Speaker 1: are real because of that. And I'd rather have a 825 00:42:54,120 --> 00:42:57,240 Speaker 1: documentary with an honest filmmaker, with someone giving them their trust, 826 00:42:58,000 --> 00:43:00,360 Speaker 1: than someone from a distance who's never or had a 827 00:43:00,400 --> 00:43:04,480 Speaker 1: real conversation with the subject, giving their speculation on who 828 00:43:04,480 --> 00:43:07,759 Speaker 1: that person is and what they were thinking. And your involvement. 829 00:43:08,440 --> 00:43:12,719 Speaker 1: My involvement is for the for Demi's not until final cut. 830 00:43:12,880 --> 00:43:15,200 Speaker 1: I did an interview and that was it because once I, 831 00:43:15,719 --> 00:43:18,200 Speaker 1: my job is to find the filmmaker they're going to trust. 832 00:43:18,760 --> 00:43:22,040 Speaker 1: With Justin's most recent ones, Rory and Michael Ratner, they're 833 00:43:22,080 --> 00:43:24,360 Speaker 1: part of his family now they're there. You hear Michael's 834 00:43:24,400 --> 00:43:26,239 Speaker 1: voice and a lot of stuff. Even with Demi when 835 00:43:26,239 --> 00:43:29,960 Speaker 1: he built that trust. Um, you know, Hyneman did the 836 00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:33,399 Speaker 1: same thing Ariana when she just gave her most recent 837 00:43:33,400 --> 00:43:36,000 Speaker 1: concert documentary, she edited it like she just was like, 838 00:43:36,160 --> 00:43:38,759 Speaker 1: I'm just gonna show you this is my life. So 839 00:43:39,880 --> 00:43:41,879 Speaker 1: my job is to put together the teams that they 840 00:43:41,880 --> 00:43:45,080 Speaker 1: feel comfortable enough to speak their truth. Once that happens 841 00:43:45,120 --> 00:43:47,640 Speaker 1: I step out. Um. So I actually didn't see the 842 00:43:47,680 --> 00:43:50,919 Speaker 1: j Balbin documentary until it came out. Um. I didn't 843 00:43:50,960 --> 00:43:53,120 Speaker 1: see the Demi one until final cut the week before 844 00:43:53,800 --> 00:43:57,000 Speaker 1: because I don't want to influence it. One thing about 845 00:43:57,000 --> 00:44:00,960 Speaker 1: Ariana's documentary that I really loved his You really got 846 00:44:00,960 --> 00:44:04,720 Speaker 1: a sense of how tremendously talented she is as a singer. 847 00:44:05,360 --> 00:44:08,120 Speaker 1: And also there was like this little clip released of 848 00:44:08,200 --> 00:44:12,560 Speaker 1: her recording her parts to positions, which was so impressive 849 00:44:12,640 --> 00:44:16,279 Speaker 1: because she's harmonizing these really difficult harmonies. Do you think 850 00:44:16,320 --> 00:44:21,800 Speaker 1: people just underestimate ari Yes, I do. I'm so glad 851 00:44:21,800 --> 00:44:24,279 Speaker 1: you asked me this question because I'm excited to tell 852 00:44:24,320 --> 00:44:28,360 Speaker 1: you about how talented she is. When someone does something 853 00:44:28,600 --> 00:44:35,320 Speaker 1: so exceptionally well with a lot of visibility, we gravitate 854 00:44:35,360 --> 00:44:38,839 Speaker 1: towards that is our explanation of who they are. So 855 00:44:38,920 --> 00:44:41,799 Speaker 1: she is one of the top pop stars of all time, 856 00:44:42,560 --> 00:44:45,759 Speaker 1: so we discuss her in that way. But if she 857 00:44:45,840 --> 00:44:48,120 Speaker 1: decided to never walk on stage, we talk about her 858 00:44:48,120 --> 00:44:50,719 Speaker 1: as one of the top writers in the industry. If 859 00:44:50,760 --> 00:44:52,560 Speaker 1: she decided to never go on that stage, we talked 860 00:44:52,560 --> 00:44:54,440 Speaker 1: about her as one of the best vocal producers ever. 861 00:44:55,239 --> 00:45:01,280 Speaker 1: And we discuss how this young woman runs pro tools 862 00:45:01,320 --> 00:45:05,320 Speaker 1: and rites and harmonizes and comes up with the visuals. 863 00:45:05,360 --> 00:45:07,560 Speaker 1: We we'd literally say she's one of the best creative 864 00:45:07,600 --> 00:45:11,160 Speaker 1: directors in the entire industry. She just happens to also 865 00:45:11,200 --> 00:45:17,040 Speaker 1: be Ariana Grande. She is that triple quadruple ten time threat. 866 00:45:17,800 --> 00:45:19,680 Speaker 1: But I am glad you asked, because I do want 867 00:45:19,680 --> 00:45:24,680 Speaker 1: people to realize that she is that good. That Justin 868 00:45:24,800 --> 00:45:28,440 Speaker 1: really did write Peaches, that Demi does write those songs, 869 00:45:28,800 --> 00:45:31,640 Speaker 1: that Balding comes up with that stuff. You know that 870 00:45:32,480 --> 00:45:35,080 Speaker 1: Tory Kelly really sits in her room and comes up 871 00:45:35,120 --> 00:45:37,479 Speaker 1: with all those instruments and all those patterns and everything else. 872 00:45:37,840 --> 00:45:41,520 Speaker 1: You know that Dave really is Little Dickey and Dave 873 00:45:41,680 --> 00:45:44,120 Speaker 1: and he's writing that show with Jeff Schaefer and Suladi 874 00:45:44,280 --> 00:45:47,560 Speaker 1: and like he's really that genius. That Andrew Watt plays 875 00:45:47,600 --> 00:45:50,239 Speaker 1: all those instruments and comes up with that stuff. Like 876 00:45:52,280 --> 00:45:54,399 Speaker 1: these are some of the most talented people in the world. 877 00:45:54,480 --> 00:46:00,799 Speaker 1: Cuavo is a ridiculously good producer and killer boy. We're 878 00:46:00,800 --> 00:46:02,839 Speaker 1: all talking about what a talented artist he is. He's 879 00:46:02,880 --> 00:46:07,240 Speaker 1: coming up with these melodies, he's producing these tracks. Unfortunately, 880 00:46:07,400 --> 00:46:10,160 Speaker 1: as human beings. We compartmentalize things, but don't let anyone 881 00:46:10,200 --> 00:46:13,880 Speaker 1: ever put you in a box. With Jay Balvin, you 882 00:46:13,920 --> 00:46:17,359 Speaker 1: signed him two years ago, and that would have been 883 00:46:17,520 --> 00:46:20,760 Speaker 1: right on the heels of Desposito being literally the biggest 884 00:46:20,760 --> 00:46:25,759 Speaker 1: song of Luis Fonzi wanted English, he wanted an English star, 885 00:46:26,080 --> 00:46:29,560 Speaker 1: and Justin was down in Columbia at the time and 886 00:46:29,760 --> 00:46:31,560 Speaker 1: was like, man, this song's blowing up down here. And 887 00:46:31,560 --> 00:46:33,000 Speaker 1: I was like, I have the rights of the remix. 888 00:46:33,080 --> 00:46:34,080 Speaker 1: Do you want to do it? And He's like, you 889 00:46:34,080 --> 00:46:36,120 Speaker 1: think I should? And I was like yeah, And we 890 00:46:36,280 --> 00:46:39,640 Speaker 1: got um Jay Balfin's guy to cut him and help 891 00:46:39,680 --> 00:46:41,680 Speaker 1: him with the Spanish and I was like, I want 892 00:46:41,680 --> 00:46:44,560 Speaker 1: you to do in Spanish and Justin's like bet. And 893 00:46:44,600 --> 00:46:47,440 Speaker 1: when I turned it in, both Republic and Luis Fonzi's 894 00:46:47,440 --> 00:46:48,800 Speaker 1: team were like no, no, we wanted him to do 895 00:46:48,880 --> 00:46:51,360 Speaker 1: an English to cross it over, and I was like no, 896 00:46:51,800 --> 00:46:53,480 Speaker 1: like this needs to be in Spanish because one that 897 00:46:53,480 --> 00:46:57,040 Speaker 1: helps Justin in the Latin American market. But too, I 898 00:46:57,120 --> 00:46:59,680 Speaker 1: knew with Justin and how big the song was that 899 00:46:59,760 --> 00:47:01,600 Speaker 1: we get it number one in the US for a week, 900 00:47:02,200 --> 00:47:04,080 Speaker 1: and all I wanted was it to be number one 901 00:47:04,080 --> 00:47:06,560 Speaker 1: in the US for a week because Donald Trump had 902 00:47:06,560 --> 00:47:09,400 Speaker 1: just become the president and he was making young Mexican 903 00:47:09,520 --> 00:47:13,800 Speaker 1: and Latin American kids I feel like second class citizens. 904 00:47:14,200 --> 00:47:17,040 Speaker 1: I feel like they were less than because they spoke Spanish. 905 00:47:17,200 --> 00:47:19,080 Speaker 1: So I wanted the number one song in the country 906 00:47:19,160 --> 00:47:21,960 Speaker 1: the first summer of Donald Trump's presidency to be a 907 00:47:21,960 --> 00:47:24,480 Speaker 1: song in Spanish. Like I was driven by this, and 908 00:47:24,480 --> 00:47:26,719 Speaker 1: Mike Chester know you know well, was our head of 909 00:47:26,719 --> 00:47:30,200 Speaker 1: promotion at the time, and Republic said, no, one needs 910 00:47:30,239 --> 00:47:33,080 Speaker 1: to be more English. We talked to John Ivy here 911 00:47:33,080 --> 00:47:34,799 Speaker 1: in l A who said, I can't play this, it's 912 00:47:34,840 --> 00:47:37,839 Speaker 1: too much Spanish. And I told everybody, give me two 913 00:47:37,880 --> 00:47:40,759 Speaker 1: weeks of airplay, and if I'm wrong, I'll get him 914 00:47:40,800 --> 00:47:43,160 Speaker 1: to go back in and cut it again. But give 915 00:47:43,239 --> 00:47:46,560 Speaker 1: us two weeks. We were sixteen weeks at number one. 916 00:47:48,000 --> 00:47:53,080 Speaker 1: I didn't even expect that, And the entire summer of 917 00:47:53,160 --> 00:47:55,600 Speaker 1: Donald Trump's first year in presidency, the number one song 918 00:47:55,640 --> 00:47:57,359 Speaker 1: in the country was a song in Spanish. And now 919 00:47:57,440 --> 00:48:00,280 Speaker 1: because of that song, there's lots of songs since Banish 920 00:48:00,320 --> 00:48:02,880 Speaker 1: on the pop radio all over the US, And uh, 921 00:48:02,960 --> 00:48:05,319 Speaker 1: I feel like that song broke down barriers. And then 922 00:48:05,640 --> 00:48:11,320 Speaker 1: the next song to break Down the Barrier and Jay Balvin, 923 00:48:11,480 --> 00:48:14,600 Speaker 1: and then he did it again with Bad Bunny and 924 00:48:14,760 --> 00:48:17,680 Speaker 1: Cardi b and like, he started breaking down the barriers 925 00:48:17,680 --> 00:48:20,719 Speaker 1: one after another with him and Bad Bunny and um. 926 00:48:20,719 --> 00:48:23,440 Speaker 1: When the opportunity came to work with him, I jumped 927 00:48:23,440 --> 00:48:25,480 Speaker 1: all over it because I think he's an iconic artist. 928 00:48:25,480 --> 00:48:27,160 Speaker 1: He's one of the most important artists in the world, 929 00:48:27,840 --> 00:48:30,360 Speaker 1: and he sells out shows all around the world. The 930 00:48:30,360 --> 00:48:33,000 Speaker 1: thing I respect them most about Jose the guy speaks 931 00:48:33,000 --> 00:48:37,520 Speaker 1: perfect English, but he will never sing in anything but Spanish. 932 00:48:37,760 --> 00:48:40,200 Speaker 1: He could literally make an English album tomorrow, but he 933 00:48:40,239 --> 00:48:43,279 Speaker 1: won't do it because he says his culture is one 934 00:48:43,320 --> 00:48:46,479 Speaker 1: of Spanish and he will always sing in Spanish because 935 00:48:46,480 --> 00:48:48,080 Speaker 1: he wants to bring his culture to the rest of 936 00:48:48,120 --> 00:48:52,600 Speaker 1: the world. And his integrity and his loyalty to his 937 00:48:52,680 --> 00:48:56,760 Speaker 1: culture is something I truly admire. I was thinking about 938 00:48:56,880 --> 00:49:01,040 Speaker 1: philanthropy and one thing that's really great. You'll go one 939 00:49:01,080 --> 00:49:03,560 Speaker 1: on one, like you'll walk outside into the audience and 940 00:49:03,719 --> 00:49:06,440 Speaker 1: hand someone to ticket, you know, and maybe for you 941 00:49:06,520 --> 00:49:08,719 Speaker 1: that's just like a tiny sliver of your day, but 942 00:49:08,800 --> 00:49:11,080 Speaker 1: for that person it's probably a story they're going to 943 00:49:11,160 --> 00:49:14,080 Speaker 1: repeat for like the rest of their lives. So I 944 00:49:14,120 --> 00:49:18,200 Speaker 1: feel like your view of philanthropy can almost come down 945 00:49:18,239 --> 00:49:23,360 Speaker 1: to that one act. But you're also incredibly insistent that 946 00:49:23,680 --> 00:49:28,920 Speaker 1: your business here have philanthropic components to it. So explain 947 00:49:28,960 --> 00:49:30,759 Speaker 1: that to me. Um. Well, in Jewish culture is something 948 00:49:30,760 --> 00:49:33,719 Speaker 1: called sidaca, which is you have to always give back. 949 00:49:34,360 --> 00:49:36,040 Speaker 1: So I've always kind of grew up with that concept. 950 00:49:36,040 --> 00:49:38,080 Speaker 1: My mother always really even when I was throwing party, 951 00:49:38,160 --> 00:49:40,040 Speaker 1: she was like, every fourth party, can you give the charities? 952 00:49:40,080 --> 00:49:43,000 Speaker 1: Every fourth party was a charity party. And in our company, 953 00:49:43,040 --> 00:49:45,640 Speaker 1: we've always given a piece of our proceeds and the 954 00:49:45,640 --> 00:49:48,440 Speaker 1: things we do. And I'm never an artist fight back. Um, 955 00:49:48,480 --> 00:49:50,480 Speaker 1: it's whether it be make a wish or whether it 956 00:49:50,520 --> 00:49:54,280 Speaker 1: be giving away money. Um shawna who runs our philanthropy department. 957 00:49:54,400 --> 00:49:56,320 Speaker 1: That's her whole time job. Her full time job is 958 00:49:56,400 --> 00:49:59,360 Speaker 1: running our family foundation and running the foundation here, helping 959 00:49:59,360 --> 00:50:01,799 Speaker 1: our artists, a foundations doing we joke around, we make 960 00:50:01,840 --> 00:50:05,160 Speaker 1: the money, she gives it away and she's incredible. You 961 00:50:05,200 --> 00:50:08,120 Speaker 1: know a lot of Seawan Andeppe, Yeah, and a lot 962 00:50:08,200 --> 00:50:10,920 Speaker 1: of these amazing campaigns. And my philosophy has always been 963 00:50:10,920 --> 00:50:14,240 Speaker 1: fifty percent people should see in fifty percent they shouldn't. 964 00:50:14,600 --> 00:50:16,160 Speaker 1: They shouldn't because you know you're doing it for the 965 00:50:16,239 --> 00:50:19,000 Speaker 1: right reason and that's just for you and for the 966 00:50:19,280 --> 00:50:22,200 Speaker 1: doing good. And then fifty people should see who cares 967 00:50:22,200 --> 00:50:25,200 Speaker 1: if they criticize because as many people who will criticize, 968 00:50:25,239 --> 00:50:27,359 Speaker 1: oh look, they just want to be seen. There's also 969 00:50:27,440 --> 00:50:30,399 Speaker 1: another fifty percent that's watching and saying I'm inspired by that. 970 00:50:30,800 --> 00:50:34,560 Speaker 1: I want to go do that too. Um, so you 971 00:50:34,560 --> 00:50:39,200 Speaker 1: can't let the noise bother you. And for me, you 972 00:50:39,280 --> 00:50:42,040 Speaker 1: nailed it. My wife is the founder of cancer and 973 00:50:42,120 --> 00:50:44,439 Speaker 1: she's a hero, you know, for the work she does. 974 00:50:44,880 --> 00:50:46,960 Speaker 1: And at times we look at philanthropy differently and we 975 00:50:47,000 --> 00:50:49,080 Speaker 1: meet in the middle, Like sometimes I do the big 976 00:50:49,080 --> 00:50:50,920 Speaker 1: opra gesture where I just see somebody and I'm like, 977 00:50:50,960 --> 00:50:53,160 Speaker 1: I'm just doing this, And she likes to plan it 978 00:50:53,200 --> 00:50:55,040 Speaker 1: out of like how do we make the biggest impact 979 00:50:55,320 --> 00:51:00,919 Speaker 1: not necessarily the same one. And um, when I was young, 980 00:51:01,880 --> 00:51:04,239 Speaker 1: my brother and I were in the airport, i think, 981 00:51:04,280 --> 00:51:07,279 Speaker 1: traveling somewhere with our parents. I mean I'm talking six 982 00:51:07,320 --> 00:51:10,440 Speaker 1: seven years old. My brother was five or six, and 983 00:51:10,520 --> 00:51:14,200 Speaker 1: Carl Lewis, the Olympic runner, was coming through the airport 984 00:51:14,200 --> 00:51:15,720 Speaker 1: and he had just won a bunch of gold medals 985 00:51:15,719 --> 00:51:18,000 Speaker 1: for being the fastest man in the world. And he's 986 00:51:18,000 --> 00:51:19,800 Speaker 1: walking through the airport and we just spent the summer 987 00:51:19,800 --> 00:51:22,160 Speaker 1: watching the Olympics and remember seeing him. My dad's like, 988 00:51:22,160 --> 00:51:25,360 Speaker 1: that's Carl Lewis, and we had never seen anyone famous before. 989 00:51:25,760 --> 00:51:28,359 Speaker 1: We had just freaked out, and me and my brother 990 00:51:28,400 --> 00:51:31,799 Speaker 1: I remember we kept running past him and stopping and 991 00:51:31,800 --> 00:51:33,680 Speaker 1: he'd walk past us, and then we'd run past him 992 00:51:33,680 --> 00:51:35,359 Speaker 1: again to say, we're the fastest man in the world. 993 00:51:35,480 --> 00:51:37,279 Speaker 1: And he saw us and he smiled at us. He 994 00:51:37,320 --> 00:51:39,040 Speaker 1: went like this like a little jerk with his head 995 00:51:39,320 --> 00:51:42,280 Speaker 1: and we're like and he smiled at us. I'm thirty 996 00:51:42,360 --> 00:51:47,520 Speaker 1: nine about the forty. I've never forgotten that. And um, 997 00:51:47,560 --> 00:51:52,640 Speaker 1: I always say that our every day is someone else's forever. 998 00:51:53,680 --> 00:51:58,080 Speaker 1: Never take that for granted. So whether it be giving 999 00:51:58,120 --> 00:52:02,680 Speaker 1: away that one extra ticket or doing that one extra push, 1000 00:52:03,000 --> 00:52:05,400 Speaker 1: you never know the impact you can have on someone else. 1001 00:52:06,080 --> 00:52:09,200 Speaker 1: And Carl Lewis didn't realize the impact he had on me. 1002 00:52:10,800 --> 00:52:15,040 Speaker 1: And somebody who was kind to my grandparents when the 1003 00:52:15,040 --> 00:52:17,480 Speaker 1: immigrated here didn't know the impact they'd have in my life. 1004 00:52:17,520 --> 00:52:21,799 Speaker 1: Like you just don't know. So it's important to put 1005 00:52:21,840 --> 00:52:25,840 Speaker 1: that element in because, Um, before my grandpa passed, he 1006 00:52:25,880 --> 00:52:29,000 Speaker 1: used to say to me, God's always going to fill 1007 00:52:29,040 --> 00:52:31,719 Speaker 1: your glass up, and if you don't pour that water 1008 00:52:31,760 --> 00:52:34,000 Speaker 1: into other glasses, all it's gonna do is spill over 1009 00:52:34,000 --> 00:52:36,600 Speaker 1: the top and make a mess. So keep pouring that 1010 00:52:36,680 --> 00:52:38,960 Speaker 1: water into other glasses so that you don't make a mess, 1011 00:52:39,280 --> 00:52:42,040 Speaker 1: and you'll keep getting your glass filled up. So I 1012 00:52:42,040 --> 00:52:43,719 Speaker 1: think that's kind of the way I've always looked at it. 1013 00:52:44,440 --> 00:52:46,880 Speaker 1: So let's talk about your TV projects a little bit, 1014 00:52:46,880 --> 00:52:51,000 Speaker 1: because there's a lot of them. Um, Dave on f 1015 00:52:51,320 --> 00:52:55,759 Speaker 1: X starring Little Dickey. Dave's a genius. I mean when 1016 00:52:55,800 --> 00:52:59,239 Speaker 1: Billy Crystals shouting out this show, you know you made it. 1017 00:53:00,880 --> 00:53:03,840 Speaker 1: It's also the biggest comedy ever in efics history. Well, okay, 1018 00:53:03,880 --> 00:53:06,160 Speaker 1: I'm sure artists come up with, like, you know, crazy 1019 00:53:06,239 --> 00:53:08,839 Speaker 1: ideas all the time, Like how do you know this 1020 00:53:08,880 --> 00:53:11,000 Speaker 1: is something that we're gonna back, We're going to create 1021 00:53:11,040 --> 00:53:12,960 Speaker 1: a show, We're going to take it to the network. 1022 00:53:13,920 --> 00:53:15,480 Speaker 1: Well that was that was a beautiful thing when the 1023 00:53:15,520 --> 00:53:18,279 Speaker 1: gut ideas come together. When I met Dave, I was 1024 00:53:18,320 --> 00:53:20,160 Speaker 1: hoping he'd want to do a show. When he told 1025 00:53:20,160 --> 00:53:22,520 Speaker 1: me he created a little Dick and he always saw 1026 00:53:22,560 --> 00:53:25,000 Speaker 1: it as a show like herb. It was the same 1027 00:53:25,000 --> 00:53:27,080 Speaker 1: thing I saw. So I was like it was our 1028 00:53:27,239 --> 00:53:29,000 Speaker 1: our dreams were aligned, and I was like, let's go. 1029 00:53:29,360 --> 00:53:32,080 Speaker 1: Sometimes you just gotta believe an artist. I mean, Justin 1030 00:53:32,160 --> 00:53:35,319 Speaker 1: had a vision for Drew. We backed it. Ariana has 1031 00:53:35,360 --> 00:53:37,479 Speaker 1: some incredible stuff coming that she has visions for DEMI 1032 00:53:37,560 --> 00:53:40,839 Speaker 1: has some incredible stuff like like you just you hear 1033 00:53:40,880 --> 00:53:42,839 Speaker 1: it and you say why not? Like that's always been 1034 00:53:42,840 --> 00:53:45,480 Speaker 1: a philosophy for mine. Why not? Why not us? Why 1035 00:53:45,520 --> 00:53:47,279 Speaker 1: can't we do that as long as we have the 1036 00:53:47,280 --> 00:53:50,880 Speaker 1: band with why not try? When you mentioned Drew House, 1037 00:53:50,920 --> 00:53:53,000 Speaker 1: so I just wanted to sort of throw this at you. 1038 00:53:53,520 --> 00:53:57,240 Speaker 1: Did you learn anything about the apparel business from Kanye? Oh? Yeah, 1039 00:53:57,360 --> 00:53:59,480 Speaker 1: I mean I learned a lot being around Kanye. I 1040 00:53:59,520 --> 00:54:02,600 Speaker 1: see there's differently. I see pallets differently because of those 1041 00:54:02,680 --> 00:54:06,880 Speaker 1: years with Kanye. He is a creative genius and he 1042 00:54:06,880 --> 00:54:11,560 Speaker 1: helped me immensely just being around that creative genius. I 1043 00:54:11,600 --> 00:54:14,759 Speaker 1: have a tremendous amount of admiration and appreciation for him. 1044 00:54:14,880 --> 00:54:17,600 Speaker 1: Um and I don't have anything bad to say. There's 1045 00:54:17,600 --> 00:54:20,120 Speaker 1: times when we both amen frustrated with each other. To 1046 00:54:20,200 --> 00:54:22,560 Speaker 1: be a student is always exciting for me. You know, 1047 00:54:22,760 --> 00:54:24,600 Speaker 1: just because you're great at one thing doesn't mean you're 1048 00:54:24,640 --> 00:54:27,000 Speaker 1: great at another. Every time you go into something else, 1049 00:54:27,000 --> 00:54:28,440 Speaker 1: you should act as if you're a rookie and try 1050 00:54:28,480 --> 00:54:30,719 Speaker 1: and learn a little bit, but trust your gut. I 1051 00:54:30,719 --> 00:54:33,319 Speaker 1: mean that's amazing because I always think of fashion as 1052 00:54:33,400 --> 00:54:37,719 Speaker 1: like incredibly difficult, you know, barrier to entry, Like I 1053 00:54:37,760 --> 00:54:43,200 Speaker 1: think everything's a difficult barrier to entry. Trying is the hardest. 1054 00:54:43,239 --> 00:54:45,640 Speaker 1: Giving yourself the confidence to say I'm going to step 1055 00:54:45,680 --> 00:54:47,440 Speaker 1: out there and put myself out there. That is the 1056 00:54:47,480 --> 00:54:51,359 Speaker 1: hardest barrier to entry yourself. You know, if you do it, 1057 00:54:51,760 --> 00:54:56,759 Speaker 1: you try, you're halfway there and then you gotta keep going. Well, 1058 00:54:56,760 --> 00:54:59,239 Speaker 1: what is failure anyway? Like you and I've discussed this, 1059 00:54:59,280 --> 00:55:01,640 Speaker 1: I just want to say this on podcasts people are listening. Okay, 1060 00:55:01,680 --> 00:55:03,719 Speaker 1: you have an idea and you go for it and 1061 00:55:03,760 --> 00:55:08,680 Speaker 1: you fail. Are you free the next day? Are you 1062 00:55:08,719 --> 00:55:13,040 Speaker 1: waking up breathing and healthy? If you are, have you 1063 00:55:13,080 --> 00:55:15,320 Speaker 1: really failed? Because I can give you a hundred examples 1064 00:55:15,320 --> 00:55:17,640 Speaker 1: of someone in a third world country who still doesn't 1065 00:55:17,680 --> 00:55:19,719 Speaker 1: have an opportunity that next day. I can give you 1066 00:55:19,719 --> 00:55:22,919 Speaker 1: a hundred examples of someone dealing with cancer that isn't 1067 00:55:22,960 --> 00:55:24,759 Speaker 1: having the same freedoms that you have. I can give 1068 00:55:24,800 --> 00:55:28,120 Speaker 1: you a hundred examples of someone who's wrongfully imprisoned and 1069 00:55:28,200 --> 00:55:32,200 Speaker 1: not even getting the opportunity, Like you're failing. Isn't an 1070 00:55:32,360 --> 00:55:36,120 Speaker 1: end destination, It's an opportunity to tell a story later 1071 00:55:36,200 --> 00:55:39,800 Speaker 1: when you're successful. It's like a ski lodge on the 1072 00:55:39,840 --> 00:55:42,400 Speaker 1: way to the top of the mountain. It's a learning experience, 1073 00:55:43,120 --> 00:55:47,120 Speaker 1: and that's hard to understand, especially when you're in it. 1074 00:55:47,920 --> 00:55:50,239 Speaker 1: Like for me, there's things in my life that I'm like, man, 1075 00:55:50,280 --> 00:55:52,359 Speaker 1: I'm a failure at this, and I get so down 1076 00:55:52,360 --> 00:55:57,239 Speaker 1: on myself, and then I'm understanding that, like maybe I'm 1077 00:55:57,280 --> 00:55:59,040 Speaker 1: just not seeing the whole story yet, maybe I'm not 1078 00:55:59,120 --> 00:56:02,279 Speaker 1: understanding where I'm that. This isn't necessarily a failure and 1079 00:56:02,280 --> 00:56:03,840 Speaker 1: it doesn't matter because there are people who are going 1080 00:56:03,880 --> 00:56:06,000 Speaker 1: to say you failed, and they're going to doubt you 1081 00:56:06,040 --> 00:56:08,319 Speaker 1: and everything else like that, But no one's gonna remember 1082 00:56:08,320 --> 00:56:11,200 Speaker 1: you in a hundred years. So understand how finite that 1083 00:56:11,239 --> 00:56:14,680 Speaker 1: moment is and how finite that person's opinion is. So 1084 00:56:15,960 --> 00:56:17,840 Speaker 1: everything I'm saying to you is something I'm working on 1085 00:56:17,840 --> 00:56:21,319 Speaker 1: in a daily basis myself. I can't think of a 1086 00:56:21,360 --> 00:56:24,839 Speaker 1: better ending than that. Well, thanks for having me, You're 1087 00:56:24,880 --> 00:56:26,680 Speaker 1: the best, and I'm going to keep being a work 1088 00:56:26,680 --> 00:56:35,600 Speaker 1: in progress for you. Tune in next week for another 1089 00:56:35,640 --> 00:56:37,280 Speaker 1: episode of Strictly Business