1 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:08,000 Speaker 1: Welcome, Welcome, Welcome to the Bob Left Sets podcast. My 2 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:10,280 Speaker 1: guest this week is a man who needs no introduction, 3 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:12,479 Speaker 1: so I won't give one. We'll get the history. Le 4 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:16,600 Speaker 1: Or Cone, who's present gig after a long, illustrious career 5 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:19,520 Speaker 1: in the music business, is the global head of music 6 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:22,880 Speaker 1: for YouTube and Google. Le Or good to have you here. 7 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:25,919 Speaker 1: Thank you, Bob. I'm happy to be here. Let's start 8 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:28,680 Speaker 1: from the beginning. Now, you were born in New York, 9 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: and that's correct, but you lived in Israel, right my 10 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 1: first three years? Yes, okay, so you immediately moved to 11 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:38,120 Speaker 1: Israel only to age three, and then you moved to 12 00:00:38,159 --> 00:00:40,319 Speaker 1: where I went, back to New York, back to York. 13 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:42,840 Speaker 1: What'd your father do for a living, Well, my dad 14 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:47,839 Speaker 1: is a was a child psychiatrist, child psychiatrist, and was 15 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:51,200 Speaker 1: there music in the house, enormous amounts of music. So 16 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:55,960 Speaker 1: from New York we moved to Los Feless on the 17 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 1: East Side. And what year you moved to Las felis 18 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 1: Las Feless and probably sixty six. And there's a lot 19 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 1: of music because my father was the first person that 20 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 1: connected the intercom system to his record player, and so 21 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 1: he loved Dixieland jazz and and chamber music. So throughout 22 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:20,319 Speaker 1: the house all we heard was Dixie Land, jazz and 23 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:23,400 Speaker 1: chamber music. Now, but the mid sixties the heyday of 24 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 1: music in Los Angeles. So were you an active record 25 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:30,760 Speaker 1: buyer radio listener? Was a little kid then little kid? Okay, 26 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:34,480 Speaker 1: so what do you remember? My brothers were My oldest 27 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 1: brother was. My parents were very active, um, social people 28 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 1: in uh. We attended all the love ins really, so 29 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 1: they were hipsters. Um, they weren't hipsters, they're more hippies. 30 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 1: My my father was instrumental with the classroom without walls, 31 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 1: the community center, school and Antioch and all of that stuff. 32 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 1: He's uh, you know. And my mother was a real 33 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 1: active woman too. So we were surrounded by a lot 34 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 1: of love and and we're politically active. We try to 35 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: elect McGovern and attended all the love ins really, So 36 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:17,640 Speaker 1: what were those experiences like because you know a lot 37 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 1: of people that was before the internet. People would only 38 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:22,359 Speaker 1: read about that they didn't actually have the experience. Well, 39 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:24,920 Speaker 1: it was very young, but um, a lot of people 40 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 1: and I remember, I'm going some of the love ins 41 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: happened at Griffith Park. I don't know if you know 42 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:34,800 Speaker 1: that I don't. Yeah, and uh, um it was just 43 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:38,920 Speaker 1: it was an extension. I actually grew up in the 44 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:43,360 Speaker 1: real hotel, California. My mother had what people would refer 45 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:51,239 Speaker 1: to as a salon where we had poetry readings, art exhibitions, UM, 46 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:57,440 Speaker 1: book fairs, uh anything, political rallies. The house was full 47 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:01,919 Speaker 1: of people all the time, and we used to house 48 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:05,040 Speaker 1: a lot of artists, find painters that stayed in our 49 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 1: home sometimes upwards of a decade. So did you like 50 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 1: that or not like that? I love that. It's the 51 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: only thing I knew. I loved um the interaction between 52 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 1: you know, all sorts of people. It was. It was 53 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:23,640 Speaker 1: strange at times, but um, you know, that's what I knew. 54 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:27,400 Speaker 1: So and then people always ask the children of psychiatrists, 55 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 1: it's that's also all you knew. Do you have any 56 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:34,560 Speaker 1: feeling good, bad, insights not insights? Well, I think that 57 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 1: I was very lucky because, uh, there was a lot 58 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:42,160 Speaker 1: of love in the house. My father was a very 59 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 1: high intellect. Um still alive. No, Unfortunately we didn't actually 60 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:53,040 Speaker 1: um do sports together. So we're four boys, and where 61 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 1: are you in the hierarchy? I'm number two and our father, 62 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 1: um son's activity is more taking fits Is explained to 63 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:05,640 Speaker 1: my audience case, they don't know what that's a sauna? 64 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 1: And um it was this in the Fairfax area. No, 65 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 1: this was at the Jewish Community Center and lost Felis, 66 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:17,560 Speaker 1: and he would tell us stories Yiddish, mostly Yiddish stories. 67 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:21,960 Speaker 1: Do you speak Yiddish? I don't you understand it? Not? 68 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 1: Not much, but it's very descriptive language, as you know. 69 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 1: So um that was that was our the extent of 70 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:32,520 Speaker 1: the I don't know, we just um my father. My 71 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:35,279 Speaker 1: father would constantly tell stories which actually had a lesson 72 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 1: or a moral. Was that the type of story your 73 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:42,240 Speaker 1: fine would tell? No, No, imaginative stories, long and lustrative stories, 74 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:47,240 Speaker 1: beautiful stories. He wasn't spending his days trying to educate us. 75 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:50,400 Speaker 1: You know, we were living life, and I think living 76 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:54,159 Speaker 1: life in a pretty awesome way. So you went to 77 00:04:54,839 --> 00:04:57,479 Speaker 1: one of these schools without walls yourself. No, I was 78 00:04:57,560 --> 00:05:01,039 Speaker 1: the black sheep of the family. I actually, um was 79 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 1: the first uh test case of riddling. Um My dad 80 00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:08,640 Speaker 1: signed me up for it, and that was a very 81 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 1: hyperactive kid. And all my brothers went there. But I 82 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:15,120 Speaker 1: went to a more traditional school, thank god. And do 83 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:18,200 Speaker 1: you still take riddle into this day. I don't When 84 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:21,000 Speaker 1: did you stop taking the riddle in just before going 85 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:23,160 Speaker 1: to college and you think it helped? You think it 86 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:26,599 Speaker 1: was a big mistake. Oh no, I think definitely it helped. Okay, 87 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:29,600 Speaker 1: So you went to traditional school and this was in 88 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:34,679 Speaker 1: Las VELAs, correct, John Marshall High School. Okay, And when 89 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:37,640 Speaker 1: did you music really drove the culture back then? But 90 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 1: when did you start a personal affinity with music? So 91 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:44,480 Speaker 1: what what's interesting is that all my brothers were huge 92 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:49,640 Speaker 1: record collectors and they had lots of posters on the wall. 93 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:52,599 Speaker 1: I never collected a record, nor did I have a 94 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 1: poster on the wall. And but it was interesting because 95 00:05:56,839 --> 00:05:59,920 Speaker 1: they were all locked in their rooms with a very 96 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:04,800 Speaker 1: particular style of music and they didn't cross pollinate. I 97 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:07,320 Speaker 1: was the one who was in each one each of 98 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:11,040 Speaker 1: my brother's rooms listening to all types of music, so 99 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:14,400 Speaker 1: I was open for the experience. They were, you know, 100 00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:19,200 Speaker 1: always arguing which is the you know, best artist, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. 101 00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 1: And that was that just wasn't my thing. And what 102 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:25,080 Speaker 1: did you like back then? Do you remember um? I 103 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:31,159 Speaker 1: remember um being moved by the Delta Blues. My brother 104 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:34,680 Speaker 1: had a big thing going on with the Delta Blues, Um, 105 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:39,200 Speaker 1: Freddie King, I remember Janis chopping all all of that 106 00:06:39,640 --> 00:06:43,800 Speaker 1: um stuff. I had my first kiss with Carol King Tapestry. 107 00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:46,960 Speaker 1: I mean, I don't know. It was um, they're all 108 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:51,000 Speaker 1: over the place, and so you go to high school 109 00:06:51,839 --> 00:06:57,320 Speaker 1: and you not what's your high school experience? Like? Um, 110 00:06:57,320 --> 00:07:01,440 Speaker 1: My high school experience was pretty good. It's you know, 111 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:04,800 Speaker 1: Los Felis back then was a sleepy little village. It 112 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:10,400 Speaker 1: was the pre strip malls. You know, those four parking 113 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:13,840 Speaker 1: spots with the po box and the Chinese food which 114 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:16,440 Speaker 1: were all over Los Angeles. You haven't been to Los Angeles, 115 00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:18,640 Speaker 1: don't know, but from one end of the spectrum, from 116 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:21,600 Speaker 1: the Valley Hallway, Orange Country, endless strip malls. What what 117 00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 1: a disaster of urban planning. But I fortunately grew up 118 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:30,320 Speaker 1: in Los Felis prior to um strip malls. It was 119 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:36,240 Speaker 1: a sleepy little village and you know, we lived basically 120 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:40,240 Speaker 1: in Griffith Park and I don't know, it was wonderful. 121 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:45,280 Speaker 1: Um upbringing, door always open. Um. Were you in on 122 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 1: any athletic teams in high school? So? I was a 123 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:51,880 Speaker 1: quarterback and I lost my elbow? Really yeah, how did 124 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 1: you lose your elbow? I went to throw a long 125 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:59,800 Speaker 1: pass and I got caught and had several surgeries. And we, 126 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:02,840 Speaker 1: of course, I said, lived in Griffith Park, and I 127 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 1: had a cast on, and I picked up a set 128 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:10,000 Speaker 1: of three dollar clubs at a garage sale, and that 129 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:16,000 Speaker 1: summer played golf one with one arm, and then became Roosevelt. Um, 130 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:18,960 Speaker 1: not Roosevelt, it was Coolidge. I don't know if you 131 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:22,960 Speaker 1: remember Coolidge. It was considered the number one pitching put 132 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:26,760 Speaker 1: in the country. Where was it? It was? You know, 133 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:32,440 Speaker 1: a football field away from Roosevelt's. Roosevelt is a part 134 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:34,720 Speaker 1: three across street from the Greek Theater on one end 135 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:37,520 Speaker 1: of Griffith Park. I I ended up playing there, but 136 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:42,200 Speaker 1: that summer I played exclusively Coolidge. And um, I became 137 00:08:42,240 --> 00:08:45,160 Speaker 1: a great golfer after that. How's your how's your elbow today? 138 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:49,200 Speaker 1: It's a gimp elbow doesn't straighten out, and UM, I 139 00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:53,080 Speaker 1: don't know, probably helps my golf game, who knows. And 140 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:57,960 Speaker 1: so after high school you go to directly to college. Um, 141 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:00,800 Speaker 1: yes I did. And you went in Miami. Correct any 142 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:05,040 Speaker 1: specific reason why he went to Miami? Well, I uh 143 00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:12,120 Speaker 1: was reacquainted with my biological father, who um insisted that 144 00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:15,400 Speaker 1: if he were to pay for my college education. I 145 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 1: had to go east of the Mississippi River. And it 146 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:22,920 Speaker 1: was three weeks before UM school was going to start, 147 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:26,000 Speaker 1: and he says, I'll get you into any college. At 148 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:30,199 Speaker 1: the time, he was living in Nigeria in Africa, And 149 00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:33,640 Speaker 1: so I threw a dart and I hit Key West 150 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:36,679 Speaker 1: and three weeks later I was at the University of Miami. 151 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:39,520 Speaker 1: I was the only Southern California And it's like absurd 152 00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:44,079 Speaker 1: who from southern California would ever think about going to 153 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:48,200 Speaker 1: the University of Miami. But man, did I pick the 154 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:52,200 Speaker 1: right time. My timing is always really good. Bum That's 155 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:54,959 Speaker 1: the thing, you know. I went during the cocaine cowboy 156 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:58,880 Speaker 1: era UM when they did the thirty on thirty at 157 00:09:58,920 --> 00:10:03,720 Speaker 1: the U and we became national champions UM many years 158 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:06,600 Speaker 1: in a row, and it was just an extraordinary time 159 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:10,320 Speaker 1: to be in Miami. It was actually the only true 160 00:10:10,360 --> 00:10:13,800 Speaker 1: trauma I had was it was the first time that 161 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:18,040 Speaker 1: I've ever bumped into a JAP And I remember, what 162 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:20,240 Speaker 1: do you explain to the audience, what you mean a 163 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:24,280 Speaker 1: JAP is a Jewish American prince or princess. And I 164 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:27,040 Speaker 1: remember calling it's funny because how do you feel as 165 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:29,120 Speaker 1: a Jew? And I'm a Jew. Two, you can use 166 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:31,440 Speaker 1: the word jap. How about if a non Jew uses 167 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:34,199 Speaker 1: the word term jab it doesn't matter, Okay, I think 168 00:10:34,240 --> 00:10:38,679 Speaker 1: it's very descriptive. So I remember talking to my mother 169 00:10:39,280 --> 00:10:45,240 Speaker 1: and I said, Um, there's these guys. They're a really 170 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:50,000 Speaker 1: fancy cars. They listened to a lot of Saturday Night 171 00:10:50,080 --> 00:10:55,760 Speaker 1: Fever and they have uh star of David's on their chest. 172 00:10:55,880 --> 00:11:00,199 Speaker 1: And it just I can't figure out what planet they 173 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:05,040 Speaker 1: came from. And she couldn't help me either, because we 174 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:10,680 Speaker 1: came from California. All our friends were basically hippie Jewish 175 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:16,040 Speaker 1: families and so um, that was an interesting dynamic for 176 00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:19,199 Speaker 1: me to witness that at that stage of my life. 177 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:23,199 Speaker 1: And and and and I don't know, it was well, 178 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:24,880 Speaker 1: I know the similar experience. I grew up in the 179 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:28,040 Speaker 1: suburbs fifty miles from New York City in Connecticut, and 180 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:32,000 Speaker 1: I went to college where uh the people were prep 181 00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:34,960 Speaker 1: school and you had these very rich non Jews. It 182 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:37,520 Speaker 1: was very I never ran into people like that before. 183 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:41,200 Speaker 1: So being out irrelevant makes you more worldly. Yeah, well, 184 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:45,000 Speaker 1: you know it was interesting what what I say it was? 185 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:50,000 Speaker 1: You know, for me, it was a culture shock. Um, 186 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:55,640 Speaker 1: But I actually became very very close friends with many 187 00:11:55,679 --> 00:12:00,920 Speaker 1: of the Latin American Jewish um Um kids that sent 188 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:05,079 Speaker 1: there from South America and Central America. And when pure 189 00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:08,320 Speaker 1: serendipity or there was an affinity or why there's a 190 00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:12,760 Speaker 1: there was a huge community. Um. Many of the Jewish 191 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:16,200 Speaker 1: families from Central and South America sent their kids to 192 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:20,120 Speaker 1: the University of Miami. So, you know, I went to 193 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:22,960 Speaker 1: the hill Hel you know, I met other people. So 194 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:27,120 Speaker 1: UM we became very close friends and you maintain those relationships. 195 00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:31,760 Speaker 1: Not really no odd okay, but just going back to 196 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:35,680 Speaker 1: the agree you're comfortable talking about. You said your biological father. Sure, 197 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:39,839 Speaker 1: can you explain what was going on there? So my 198 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:44,959 Speaker 1: parents UM divorced when I was an infant. UM. My 199 00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:51,280 Speaker 1: parents met liberating Israel, and my father was one of 200 00:12:51,320 --> 00:12:55,760 Speaker 1: the commanders of the Battle of Haral, which is the 201 00:12:55,880 --> 00:13:00,240 Speaker 1: hills leading up to Jerusalem. My mother comes from a 202 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:04,320 Speaker 1: very very famous family. My great grandfather is one of 203 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:10,439 Speaker 1: the signers, one of the pioneer families. Um was the 204 00:13:10,480 --> 00:13:16,000 Speaker 1: founder of Bank Mizrachi. He was Rabbi Cook's assistant. Uh. 205 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:21,800 Speaker 1: He went to he was invited before immigrating to Palestine. 206 00:13:22,400 --> 00:13:28,880 Speaker 1: Um to the Basil conference with Hertzel. Um he witnessed 207 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:33,920 Speaker 1: Hertzel and invited him to his factory in Poland. He 208 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:39,520 Speaker 1: Um Hertzel came to the factory, gave an incredible speech, 209 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:44,000 Speaker 1: and the very next day my um great great grandfather 210 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:48,800 Speaker 1: sold the business and moved from a home that had 211 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:53,960 Speaker 1: fifty five bedrooms to barracks style living in Jerusalem. Where 212 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:59,000 Speaker 1: was Where was the home with fifty bedrooms in Poland? 213 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:03,680 Speaker 1: And was the epicenter of the Golden era of Jewish 214 00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:08,560 Speaker 1: life which was in Poland. Um in the fifteen hundreds, 215 00:14:09,679 --> 00:14:15,679 Speaker 1: the Um Polish king decided that he was going to 216 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:20,600 Speaker 1: create a society that was free of religious persecution and 217 00:14:20,640 --> 00:14:25,480 Speaker 1: everybody was able to practice. That's why UM Poland was 218 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:30,080 Speaker 1: such an epicenter for Jewish culture. And Um, you know 219 00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:33,760 Speaker 1: that last couple hundred years. And what year did your 220 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:39,720 Speaker 1: grandfather then moved to Jerusalem around nineteen fourteen fifteen, very 221 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:41,760 Speaker 1: early on? Okay, And you were telling the story of 222 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:48,160 Speaker 1: your biological thoughts. So my biological father, UM was didn't 223 00:14:48,160 --> 00:14:52,040 Speaker 1: come from such an incredible family, very nice family, but 224 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:57,080 Speaker 1: UM not distinguished like UM my mother's family. And she 225 00:14:57,120 --> 00:15:00,440 Speaker 1: didn't want him to be in the UM have a 226 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:04,640 Speaker 1: career in the army. So she encouraged him to get 227 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:08,720 Speaker 1: out of the pressure cooker and go and study engineering 228 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:13,840 Speaker 1: in New York City. And they had a very difficult 229 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:20,880 Speaker 1: life together. He really wanted to continue his career in 230 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:25,880 Speaker 1: the military. He was a security guard, a janitor, all 231 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:29,600 Speaker 1: while going to school. A lot of pressure in the 232 00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:35,360 Speaker 1: house and he was very physical and um my mother 233 00:15:35,800 --> 00:15:39,960 Speaker 1: just couldn't take it anymore. So I decided to get 234 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:42,800 Speaker 1: a divorce and that's how it happened. I didn't see 235 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:47,320 Speaker 1: him for many many years. He became a uh AN 236 00:15:47,320 --> 00:15:56,000 Speaker 1: engineer and then a specialist in building huge infrastructure, primarily 237 00:15:56,040 --> 00:16:00,720 Speaker 1: in third world countries, and went on to have this big, 238 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:03,920 Speaker 1: very big career. And though of the four kids in 239 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:07,560 Speaker 1: the family, he's the father of how many, um my 240 00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:11,200 Speaker 1: eldest and myself. And did he get married again and 241 00:16:11,240 --> 00:16:15,080 Speaker 1: have children again? He did? And so you have step brothers, sisters. 242 00:16:15,880 --> 00:16:18,440 Speaker 1: I considered them all brothers and sisters. I don't like 243 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:21,880 Speaker 1: that step thing. And you have regular contact with them, yes, 244 00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:26,480 Speaker 1: And so he ultimately had his second family where um 245 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:30,400 Speaker 1: they started in Nigeria, then went to Switzerland. Um and 246 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:35,320 Speaker 1: then to Israel. Okay, so he was financially successful and 247 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:38,160 Speaker 1: your ultimate feeling about him, you tell the story of 248 00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:40,480 Speaker 1: him paying for college. You did you have how much 249 00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:42,840 Speaker 1: contact with you and you feel good about No? No, no, 250 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:47,720 Speaker 1: very little contact. Um and a very rough guy. And 251 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:54,360 Speaker 1: he always dangled money. Um the rabbi they countant the home. 252 00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:57,400 Speaker 1: He had all sorts of rules of how you were 253 00:16:57,960 --> 00:17:01,320 Speaker 1: able to inherit his money. And I didn't play by 254 00:17:01,320 --> 00:17:03,920 Speaker 1: any of the rules. And I was the one only 255 00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:06,720 Speaker 1: one cut out of the will. Really did you know 256 00:17:06,800 --> 00:17:08,320 Speaker 1: in advance of his death that you were cut out 257 00:17:08,359 --> 00:17:10,520 Speaker 1: of the will? I didn't know in advance, but I 258 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:13,840 Speaker 1: had no interest in it either. It would it would. 259 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:18,399 Speaker 1: It was better for um my brother and sister, my 260 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:24,120 Speaker 1: two brothers and sister then and I was fine with that. Okay. 261 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:26,720 Speaker 1: So you go to the University of Miami. You involved 262 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:29,840 Speaker 1: in music at all there? Yeah? I was the director, 263 00:17:30,040 --> 00:17:35,120 Speaker 1: the student organizer of of concerts. So okay, you say 264 00:17:35,160 --> 00:17:38,439 Speaker 1: you listen to music in your brother's rooms. What motivated 265 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:42,520 Speaker 1: you to do that? And you know I'm active, and 266 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:47,439 Speaker 1: you know I don't actually know the story, sorry, and 267 00:17:47,480 --> 00:17:49,480 Speaker 1: so who do you remember some of the acts you brought. Yeah, 268 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:53,480 Speaker 1: I brought Loggins and Messina and I'm drawing a blank. 269 00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:56,480 Speaker 1: But I had a pretty good run there. Now, University 270 00:17:56,480 --> 00:17:58,760 Speaker 1: of Miami, even to this day is has a very 271 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:02,080 Speaker 1: famous music school. Were you involved with that at all? 272 00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:05,359 Speaker 1: Not at all? Okay, So then you graduate from University 273 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:08,639 Speaker 1: of Miami. I do after after the traditional four years, 274 00:18:09,359 --> 00:18:13,800 Speaker 1: and then what was the next step, I believe it 275 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:16,879 Speaker 1: or not. The next step was I thought that I 276 00:18:16,920 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 1: could be a shrimp farmer in Ecuador. And what did 277 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:23,159 Speaker 1: you know, somebody was a shrimp farmer in Ecuador. So 278 00:18:23,320 --> 00:18:27,080 Speaker 1: my roommate was the grandson of the president of Equador. 279 00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:30,680 Speaker 1: He didn't speak a lick of English. And I remember 280 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:36,560 Speaker 1: one year is English started improving, he told me about 281 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:40,720 Speaker 1: his uncle that loved shrimps, and he dug a ditch 282 00:18:40,760 --> 00:18:44,040 Speaker 1: in his backyard and and made some very good shrimps. 283 00:18:44,119 --> 00:18:48,119 Speaker 1: And another time he came back, he said that little 284 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:50,679 Speaker 1: ditch in the backyard is a couple of miles wide. 285 00:18:50,880 --> 00:18:53,520 Speaker 1: And that was the beginning of the shrimp farming industry. 286 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:58,119 Speaker 1: And I thought, because the University of Miami had a 287 00:18:58,119 --> 00:19:01,320 Speaker 1: big marine biology, you know center, so I thought that 288 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:06,399 Speaker 1: I could actually do business in Ecuador and you know, 289 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:08,520 Speaker 1: be on the front end of that. But that didn't 290 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:11,000 Speaker 1: work out very well. Did you actually go to Ecuador 291 00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:13,880 Speaker 1: and try I did? How long did that last? Um? 292 00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:19,359 Speaker 1: That last about nine months? And it didn't work out because, uh, 293 00:19:19,880 --> 00:19:24,040 Speaker 1: just political situations. It got funky down there. Okay, So 294 00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:26,240 Speaker 1: you leave Equador and then you go where I go 295 00:19:26,359 --> 00:19:30,320 Speaker 1: to Los Angeles, back to my parents home, and my 296 00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:34,440 Speaker 1: mother helped organize me to work for the National Bank 297 00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:39,440 Speaker 1: of Israel in Beverly Hills and uh that's called bank Leumi. 298 00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:43,159 Speaker 1: And what did you do for Bankleyumi? I was a 299 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:51,639 Speaker 1: financial analyst. I basically counted uh, Persian money because the 300 00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:56,639 Speaker 1: shaw had just fallen and they were racing to Beverly Hills. 301 00:19:56,800 --> 00:20:00,560 Speaker 1: So the job sucked. I didn't have a window and 302 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:04,040 Speaker 1: there was no finance being done. It was just a 303 00:20:04,080 --> 00:20:06,440 Speaker 1: horrible job for me. And you did that for how long? 304 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:08,760 Speaker 1: I did that for six months? And you're living in 305 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:12,080 Speaker 1: your parents house. I know, I had my own crib 306 00:20:13,400 --> 00:20:17,000 Speaker 1: in Beechwood or somewhere, and that's that's a canyon up 307 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:20,119 Speaker 1: by Griffith Park. So okay, so you're frustrated with that, 308 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:23,679 Speaker 1: what's your next move? Well, my friends were throwing lots 309 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:27,520 Speaker 1: of parties, and this was the beginning of there's some 310 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:33,120 Speaker 1: very famous clubs, power Tools and Radio Radio actually being 311 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:38,320 Speaker 1: the first one. And they were throwing parties and they 312 00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:41,560 Speaker 1: were trying to encourage me to come in and work 313 00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:46,080 Speaker 1: with them. They were having so much fun um, and 314 00:20:46,119 --> 00:20:49,800 Speaker 1: I just felt like I shouldn't bounce around. My mother 315 00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:52,240 Speaker 1: got me this job. I was just going to focus, 316 00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:55,760 Speaker 1: and but I was miserable and that ran its course. 317 00:20:55,840 --> 00:20:58,960 Speaker 1: I just couldn't do it anymore. So I said I 318 00:20:59,160 --> 00:21:02,400 Speaker 1: joined them, but I to think of some other spend, 319 00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:06,960 Speaker 1: some something that I could do to add value. I 320 00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:09,800 Speaker 1: just didn't want to ride along them. So and this 321 00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:13,159 Speaker 1: was a full time business for them. I wouldn't say 322 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:16,360 Speaker 1: it's a full time business. It wasn't for it. They 323 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:20,560 Speaker 1: did parties sporadically um, but they were making a lot 324 00:21:20,600 --> 00:21:25,200 Speaker 1: of money at the time. And I remember that I 325 00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:28,480 Speaker 1: was driving by the Stardust Ballroom and I pulled over, 326 00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:32,879 Speaker 1: where's the Stardust Ballroom. It's an iconic place. It's not 327 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:35,360 Speaker 1: there any longer, but it was on Sunset and Western. 328 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:39,880 Speaker 1: It was one of the most important venues in Los Angeles. 329 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:43,280 Speaker 1: It's actually where the beginning of the punk scene started. 330 00:21:44,840 --> 00:21:50,760 Speaker 1: So what happened was the owners were umbought its sight 331 00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:56,359 Speaker 1: unseen from Korea. They're very, um fabulously wealthy, and they're 332 00:21:56,880 --> 00:22:00,399 Speaker 1: trying to leave and they got sold the bill of goods. 333 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:05,520 Speaker 1: You know, Hollywood Um nightclub on Sunset Boulevard. It was 334 00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:08,639 Speaker 1: a seed is the wrong side of the freeway. It 335 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:11,960 Speaker 1: wasn't the wrong side of the freeway. So I said 336 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:15,320 Speaker 1: to them, Hey, maybe I could you know, paint and 337 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:18,600 Speaker 1: and and put some shows in here. And they said 338 00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:23,360 Speaker 1: there they would be thrilled. And so that's how we started. 339 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:26,399 Speaker 1: And so the value you added to your friends was 340 00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:29,520 Speaker 1: finding the venue the venue. But I also thought about 341 00:22:30,560 --> 00:22:37,000 Speaker 1: because Bobby, I'm I'm basically a very curious person. So 342 00:22:37,240 --> 00:22:41,800 Speaker 1: there was these posters all over Los Angeles, very big, 343 00:22:41,840 --> 00:22:45,920 Speaker 1: big posters, and it was there were colorful and bright 344 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:50,560 Speaker 1: and Uncle Jam's Army. Have you ever heard of it? No? 345 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:53,560 Speaker 1: I didn't move to l A, you know, until after this. Okay, 346 00:22:53,560 --> 00:22:58,880 Speaker 1: So Uncle Jam's Army was had poster boards all over 347 00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:01,120 Speaker 1: the place, but I didn't know what it was at 348 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:03,919 Speaker 1: Sports Arena and they gave me the time, So I 349 00:23:04,040 --> 00:23:08,119 Speaker 1: ended up going there and lo and behold. It was, 350 00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:12,440 Speaker 1: you know, at the Civic Center, jam packed um full 351 00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:17,880 Speaker 1: of kids from South central l a um listening to breakbeats. 352 00:23:18,640 --> 00:23:22,280 Speaker 1: There weren't even rappers at the time, and it was 353 00:23:22,359 --> 00:23:26,840 Speaker 1: exciting for me. And then I kept coming back to 354 00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:31,520 Speaker 1: the parties, and then they started importing um rappers from 355 00:23:31,560 --> 00:23:37,000 Speaker 1: New York um that had singles. But because it was 356 00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:41,040 Speaker 1: a you know, city facility at eleven o'clock, they had 357 00:23:41,080 --> 00:23:44,320 Speaker 1: to shut their party down and my party didn't get 358 00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:47,960 Speaker 1: started till midnight. So I said, maybe I could hire 359 00:23:48,040 --> 00:23:51,080 Speaker 1: some of the talent that they had to play a 360 00:23:51,119 --> 00:23:55,560 Speaker 1: second gig in Hollywood, And that's how I started doing 361 00:23:55,600 --> 00:24:00,359 Speaker 1: my thing. So what years this this was too So 362 00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:03,040 Speaker 1: how often would you have a gig at the ballroom? Um? 363 00:24:03,240 --> 00:24:06,600 Speaker 1: There was There was a period of time I had 364 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:12,919 Speaker 1: a regular weekend party Friday and Saturday in a little 365 00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:16,560 Speaker 1: small part of the ballroom. And then every once in 366 00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:21,840 Speaker 1: a while I'd imagine a show, and you know, so 367 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:26,880 Speaker 1: much bigger ones like concerts, not part I had parties 368 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:29,199 Speaker 1: and concerts, and so the concerts who were what was 369 00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:31,840 Speaker 1: some of the talent for the concerts. So the one 370 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:36,639 Speaker 1: that that really changed my life was actually the first 371 00:24:36,680 --> 00:24:43,000 Speaker 1: one and it was Social Distortion Circle, Jerks, fear fishbone Red, 372 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:47,040 Speaker 1: Hot Chili Peppers and run DMC's quite a bill. Yeah, 373 00:24:47,160 --> 00:24:52,000 Speaker 1: well they're all unsigned. Um I borrowed like seven dollars 374 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:55,200 Speaker 1: from my mom. I made thirty six g s that night. 375 00:24:56,400 --> 00:25:01,719 Speaker 1: How was the capacity? Um? Capacity was like, you know, 376 00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:05,760 Speaker 1: it's been a long time, some thinking, three thousand people 377 00:25:07,119 --> 00:25:10,040 Speaker 1: and it was really super cool bomb it was something 378 00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:16,680 Speaker 1: just uh, I still haven't come down from that moment. So, okay, 379 00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:19,399 Speaker 1: you make thirty six g's in retrospect, did you know 380 00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:23,119 Speaker 1: what you're doing? Or you were just lucky? Just lucky 381 00:25:23,200 --> 00:25:26,080 Speaker 1: because I put on the second show with Houdini. I 382 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:29,720 Speaker 1: don't know if you know. And um, I lost all 383 00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:33,000 Speaker 1: that money and then some and I had already started 384 00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:36,399 Speaker 1: spending that money. So I was really not in a 385 00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:39,639 Speaker 1: good shape. And you were still at Bank Loomi or 386 00:25:39,680 --> 00:25:41,680 Speaker 1: you're done. No, I was done. And you still have 387 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:45,040 Speaker 1: these partners. Your friends are just yourself. I know they're 388 00:25:45,080 --> 00:25:49,679 Speaker 1: they're my partner. Okay, so how about security and all 389 00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:52,159 Speaker 1: those other issues. I didn't know anything about any of 390 00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:54,919 Speaker 1: that stuff. And did you have any bad experiences? And 391 00:25:55,040 --> 00:25:58,960 Speaker 1: no bad experience, only love Okay, so you made the 392 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:03,800 Speaker 1: only bad experience. This was the fear that still drives 393 00:26:03,840 --> 00:26:07,360 Speaker 1: me today when I sat outside the venue thinking that 394 00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:10,000 Speaker 1: there was going to be a walk up like there 395 00:26:10,119 --> 00:26:12,000 Speaker 1: was at the run dy m C show that never 396 00:26:12,040 --> 00:26:16,520 Speaker 1: showed up. And it's a pain that's below the heart 397 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:20,040 Speaker 1: and above the stomach. And I still can feel like 398 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:25,159 Speaker 1: right the second I could feel that pain, and um, 399 00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:27,639 Speaker 1: you know, I've been running away from that pain ever since. 400 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:32,000 Speaker 1: And at this late date, why did the Houdini show 401 00:26:32,040 --> 00:26:39,120 Speaker 1: not work? I think it was hubrius that I didn't 402 00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:45,119 Speaker 1: ever reflect on why the first show did and I 403 00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:49,040 Speaker 1: think it was um much thinner it didn't. You know, 404 00:26:50,359 --> 00:26:55,560 Speaker 1: the run d m C with those Hollywood bands was 405 00:26:55,600 --> 00:27:01,280 Speaker 1: a statement. It was um a combination that was built 406 00:27:01,320 --> 00:27:05,359 Speaker 1: to succeed, and then Houdini was I thought was going 407 00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:08,640 Speaker 1: to draft off of that success and I didn't have 408 00:27:08,720 --> 00:27:14,560 Speaker 1: really the package. Um that made sense? So, UM, you know, 409 00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:17,840 Speaker 1: can I tell you? So you lost money? But did 410 00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:21,159 Speaker 1: you continue to promote concerts? No? I was done. I 411 00:27:21,320 --> 00:27:26,359 Speaker 1: just done promotion doing promotion. I have such a great 412 00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:31,720 Speaker 1: respect for promoters because it's just really hard. It's hard 413 00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:35,760 Speaker 1: on every level to do it right. It's it's really 414 00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:40,240 Speaker 1: hard on every level. But with the run DMC show, 415 00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:46,600 Speaker 1: the biggest issue I had that night was running U 416 00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:52,919 Speaker 1: refused to perform, and I didn't understand exactly what was 417 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:55,520 Speaker 1: going on. He went on stage and then he left 418 00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:58,080 Speaker 1: and I went to talk to him and I said, 419 00:27:58,119 --> 00:28:01,359 Speaker 1: what's the story. He says, I'm sure you saw it. 420 00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:03,520 Speaker 1: They don't like me and they're coming to attack me. 421 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:07,000 Speaker 1: And I didn't understand exactly what he was referring to. 422 00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:11,960 Speaker 1: And then I realized all these kids that were stage diving. 423 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:14,600 Speaker 1: They come on the stage and they you know, dance 424 00:28:14,680 --> 00:28:17,720 Speaker 1: around him and then fling themselves on And I said 425 00:28:17,720 --> 00:28:21,800 Speaker 1: to him, listen, I know this sounds strange, but it's 426 00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:25,400 Speaker 1: only a deep appreciation for what you do. And he 427 00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:29,400 Speaker 1: absolutely looked at me and didn't believe me, and I 428 00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:33,800 Speaker 1: kept talking and convincing him. I said, you have to 429 00:28:34,320 --> 00:28:37,880 Speaker 1: you have to trust me that this is simply a 430 00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:41,480 Speaker 1: an appreciation for what you do. He says, Okay, I'm 431 00:28:41,520 --> 00:28:43,800 Speaker 1: I'm going to give it a try. He went back 432 00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:48,240 Speaker 1: on stage and for the rest of his set he 433 00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:52,120 Speaker 1: helped fling little white boys off the stage, and it 434 00:28:52,240 --> 00:28:56,280 Speaker 1: was cheer bliss for him. He had the best time, 435 00:28:56,400 --> 00:29:00,240 Speaker 1: and that's the person who encouraged me to come to 436 00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:06,640 Speaker 1: New York. Stay right here, we'll be back with more 437 00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:09,640 Speaker 1: of my conversation with Lear Cone, head of music for 438 00:29:09,680 --> 00:29:13,200 Speaker 1: YouTube and Google. Here on the Bob left Sets podcast. 439 00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:17,800 Speaker 1: This is Bob left Sets. Had a great guest this week, 440 00:29:18,040 --> 00:29:20,920 Speaker 1: Leo Cone, head of music for YouTube and Google. If 441 00:29:20,960 --> 00:29:22,960 Speaker 1: you ever want to see the guests as opposed to 442 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:25,720 Speaker 1: just listening, or in the case of leor both he 443 00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:29,040 Speaker 1: and me and his Porsche Targa, follow and tune in 444 00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:34,200 Speaker 1: on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for photos and videos. Now 445 00:29:34,360 --> 00:29:39,960 Speaker 1: more with Lee or Cohen. Okay, so you're you're out 446 00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:43,000 Speaker 1: of promotion. How long before you go to New York? Immediately? 447 00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:46,200 Speaker 1: Bob immediately? And does he promised you a gig? Or 448 00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:48,760 Speaker 1: you just you know? So he put me in touch 449 00:29:48,800 --> 00:29:55,520 Speaker 1: with Um Russell, his brother, his brother, and Um Russell said, 450 00:29:55,560 --> 00:29:59,440 Speaker 1: come to New York. And you know, Um, you know 451 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:02,440 Speaker 1: my brother, it speaks very highly of you and and 452 00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:05,840 Speaker 1: let's get it on. So I sat in my parents 453 00:30:06,040 --> 00:30:10,280 Speaker 1: kitchen table and I said to them, there is these 454 00:30:10,320 --> 00:30:13,920 Speaker 1: people that talk instead of sing, and they want me 455 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:19,000 Speaker 1: to come to New York. And my father stroked his 456 00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:25,360 Speaker 1: beard and said, son, there's an instrument called the contract. 457 00:30:25,920 --> 00:30:29,880 Speaker 1: I'm certain you have no no need for it, but 458 00:30:30,560 --> 00:30:34,160 Speaker 1: it's an instrument that when things don't go so well, 459 00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:36,880 Speaker 1: you don't have to commit to memory what you agree to. 460 00:30:37,120 --> 00:30:40,800 Speaker 1: And my mom cut him off and said, son, contract, 461 00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:44,840 Speaker 1: no contract. I think you should go, and more importantly, 462 00:30:44,880 --> 00:30:47,880 Speaker 1: I think you should try to avoid work. If you 463 00:30:47,920 --> 00:30:52,080 Speaker 1: could find your passion, you would be a very rich man. 464 00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:57,160 Speaker 1: And she wasn't referring to money. And since my mama's boy, 465 00:30:57,200 --> 00:31:03,720 Speaker 1: I listened to my mom and I went and I've 466 00:31:03,760 --> 00:31:07,000 Speaker 1: avoided work my whole life, thirty seven years in this business. 467 00:31:07,080 --> 00:31:09,080 Speaker 1: And so how so what do you do you get 468 00:31:09,120 --> 00:31:12,520 Speaker 1: to New York? My mom told me, please call me 469 00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:16,480 Speaker 1: when you get to New York. At a friend that 470 00:31:16,720 --> 00:31:20,840 Speaker 1: went to the you and transferred to Columbia University, and 471 00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:24,280 Speaker 1: he invited me to sleep on his floor. He lived 472 00:31:24,280 --> 00:31:29,280 Speaker 1: in a welfare hotel close to Columbia University. And I 473 00:31:29,360 --> 00:31:34,160 Speaker 1: was so enthusiastic about being in the music business that 474 00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:38,080 Speaker 1: I went straight to the office and I tounded the 475 00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:40,880 Speaker 1: door open, thinking that there was going to be a 476 00:31:40,880 --> 00:31:45,200 Speaker 1: marching band and I was going to meet Russell because 477 00:31:45,240 --> 00:31:49,600 Speaker 1: I never met Russell. There was no marching band, there 478 00:31:49,680 --> 00:31:52,520 Speaker 1: was no Russell. In fact, he never told anybody in 479 00:31:52,520 --> 00:31:58,280 Speaker 1: the office, and all three of them, we're in deep depression. 480 00:31:58,640 --> 00:32:02,800 Speaker 1: And the reason why they were troubled was run DMC 481 00:32:03,200 --> 00:32:06,280 Speaker 1: was at JFK and they were supposed to go on 482 00:32:06,320 --> 00:32:09,800 Speaker 1: their first European tour and their road manager was on 483 00:32:10,240 --> 00:32:14,520 Speaker 1: Cocaine Binge and was the only one with the valid passport. 484 00:32:15,200 --> 00:32:17,760 Speaker 1: And I said, well, I have a valid passport. They said, oh, 485 00:32:17,800 --> 00:32:21,760 Speaker 1: can you get to JFK. So I literally, instead of 486 00:32:21,800 --> 00:32:24,120 Speaker 1: calling my mom from New York, I called her from 487 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:26,240 Speaker 1: London and I said, Mom, you're just not going to 488 00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:29,920 Speaker 1: believe this. And that's how I became the road manager 489 00:32:29,960 --> 00:32:34,760 Speaker 1: for run d m C. Okay, you know nothing, zero 490 00:32:35,080 --> 00:32:37,520 Speaker 1: road managers and guy's got up, stay up twenty hours 491 00:32:37,520 --> 00:32:39,720 Speaker 1: a day. Here's all the problems. How did you do 492 00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:44,720 Speaker 1: in that gig? First of all, these are the most 493 00:32:44,920 --> 00:32:52,400 Speaker 1: amazing guys on the planet. They were enthusiastic about sharing 494 00:32:52,440 --> 00:32:58,680 Speaker 1: what they had to with everybody. They were responsible and 495 00:32:59,040 --> 00:33:03,920 Speaker 1: we were very ethan crew. You know, our our band 496 00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:08,520 Speaker 1: was Jay's Needles and Records, and so you know, I 497 00:33:08,600 --> 00:33:11,640 Speaker 1: didn't have to think about, you know, what what it 498 00:33:11,720 --> 00:33:15,080 Speaker 1: meant to have a writer and technicians and everything like that. 499 00:33:15,400 --> 00:33:19,560 Speaker 1: You know, we screwed the need on and had the 500 00:33:19,600 --> 00:33:23,200 Speaker 1: records and and played gigs, and you know, I was 501 00:33:24,040 --> 00:33:27,600 Speaker 1: I'm serious person, so I was focused and I wanted 502 00:33:27,640 --> 00:33:32,840 Speaker 1: to um do a good job. And I was very 503 00:33:32,920 --> 00:33:35,680 Speaker 1: fortunate and lucky. I told you my timing is pretty good. 504 00:33:35,960 --> 00:33:39,080 Speaker 1: So how long was that European tour? That European tour 505 00:33:39,200 --> 00:33:41,000 Speaker 1: was about a week and a half. And then you 506 00:33:41,040 --> 00:33:43,040 Speaker 1: come back to New York and then what in fact, 507 00:33:43,560 --> 00:33:47,080 Speaker 1: you know who picked me up and he was driving 508 00:33:47,080 --> 00:33:52,920 Speaker 1: the van, Roger Rames. You're really for those people don't know. 509 00:33:53,720 --> 00:33:57,240 Speaker 1: Rod Rames was a legendary record guy. He had London Records. 510 00:33:57,400 --> 00:34:00,320 Speaker 1: We've been the in Araam, etcetera. Then went to I 511 00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:04,680 Speaker 1: think the chairman of and then he ultimately was the 512 00:34:04,720 --> 00:34:07,240 Speaker 1: chairman of Warner And if you see the movie twenty 513 00:34:07,240 --> 00:34:09,879 Speaker 1: four Hour Party people, there's a great scene where he's 514 00:34:09,880 --> 00:34:12,799 Speaker 1: trying to buy the assets of Factory Records. I never 515 00:34:12,880 --> 00:34:15,120 Speaker 1: I never knew Roger was driving to Bay. I'll have 516 00:34:15,160 --> 00:34:17,480 Speaker 1: to tell him that the next time. He is an 517 00:34:17,520 --> 00:34:23,840 Speaker 1: amazing record man from Trinidad, from Trinidad. And remember Rundy 518 00:34:23,920 --> 00:34:30,320 Speaker 1: m C was licensed by London Records, so that's that. Okay, 519 00:34:30,320 --> 00:34:31,680 Speaker 1: So you're a week and a half and you're back 520 00:34:31,719 --> 00:34:34,239 Speaker 1: in New York. Yes, and you're now you're back in 521 00:34:34,239 --> 00:34:36,040 Speaker 1: the office. So they have worked for you. Oh no, 522 00:34:36,200 --> 00:34:38,480 Speaker 1: we were gigging all the time, so you're now a 523 00:34:38,560 --> 00:34:41,319 Speaker 1: road manage I'm a road manager, but we're gigging on 524 00:34:41,360 --> 00:34:45,919 Speaker 1: the weekends. So I worked in the office, um during 525 00:34:45,920 --> 00:34:52,680 Speaker 1: the week doing what well. We also represented Curtis Blow Um. 526 00:34:52,840 --> 00:34:55,279 Speaker 1: I don't know. We're just you know, it's a long 527 00:34:55,320 --> 00:34:59,799 Speaker 1: time ago bomb, I'm old. Okay, okay, So you're doing this. 528 00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:03,240 Speaker 1: How long do you play the role of road manager? 529 00:35:03,400 --> 00:35:06,480 Speaker 1: Three and a half years road manager. Never missed a gig. 530 00:35:06,520 --> 00:35:09,640 Speaker 1: We never missed a gig, and once we did five 531 00:35:09,719 --> 00:35:13,960 Speaker 1: gigs in the night in three different states. Never about that. 532 00:35:14,160 --> 00:35:18,800 Speaker 1: Never never missed a gig. We were so mobile, unlike 533 00:35:19,560 --> 00:35:23,120 Speaker 1: all the kids these days that need their whole block 534 00:35:24,040 --> 00:35:28,640 Speaker 1: to join them. We were run DMC, jam Master j 535 00:35:29,239 --> 00:35:33,880 Speaker 1: rest in Peace miss him every day, Runny Ray and myself. 536 00:35:34,320 --> 00:35:37,800 Speaker 1: We all carried our own luggage. There was no high posting, 537 00:35:38,400 --> 00:35:41,080 Speaker 1: and we got it done and we we felt so 538 00:35:41,200 --> 00:35:44,600 Speaker 1: blessed and so fortunate and lucky. Where were those five gigs? 539 00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:49,839 Speaker 1: What three states were they? They're like Virginia, d c Um, 540 00:35:50,239 --> 00:35:54,239 Speaker 1: Carolina Area. That are okay? So after those years you 541 00:35:54,320 --> 00:35:56,360 Speaker 1: and you were the road manager only for run DMC 542 00:35:56,760 --> 00:35:59,360 Speaker 1: or for Curtis Blow and these other people. Uh no, 543 00:35:59,480 --> 00:36:04,200 Speaker 1: I did um for the Beastie Boys. Ended up I 544 00:36:04,360 --> 00:36:08,640 Speaker 1: ended up managing the Beastie Boys. Um. Was this during 545 00:36:08,960 --> 00:36:11,480 Speaker 1: the license to Ill period or before or after that? 546 00:36:11,760 --> 00:36:15,440 Speaker 1: This was before and after and and and during two 547 00:36:15,920 --> 00:36:20,279 Speaker 1: and yes during too? Okay, dude, you have now that 548 00:36:20,360 --> 00:36:23,640 Speaker 1: was six licensed ill was like there was a certain 549 00:36:23,680 --> 00:36:26,920 Speaker 1: amount of buzz, but that was a gargantuan record, far 550 00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:30,080 Speaker 1: exceeding anybody's expectations. Did you have a belief that it 551 00:36:30,080 --> 00:36:32,160 Speaker 1: would be as big as it was? Not? At all? 552 00:36:32,600 --> 00:36:36,680 Speaker 1: Not at all. I had no vision, zero vision. I 553 00:36:36,840 --> 00:36:40,839 Speaker 1: was the in in the group of people. I was 554 00:36:40,880 --> 00:36:47,160 Speaker 1: the operator. So I think the vision Rick had and 555 00:36:47,239 --> 00:36:52,120 Speaker 1: Russell had, and then their heads were cast it forwards. 556 00:36:52,239 --> 00:36:55,920 Speaker 1: My head was straight down. The Beastie Boys first tour, 557 00:36:56,320 --> 00:37:02,200 Speaker 1: I started them in Seattle and four hundred seaters by 558 00:37:02,239 --> 00:37:06,200 Speaker 1: the time they got all the way down California and 559 00:37:06,400 --> 00:37:10,400 Speaker 1: to Texas. Um they were an arena, so I switched. 560 00:37:10,400 --> 00:37:14,520 Speaker 1: I had to switch the venues that that fast started four. 561 00:37:15,400 --> 00:37:20,200 Speaker 1: And then just to understand the business arrangement, this was 562 00:37:20,320 --> 00:37:24,239 Speaker 1: deaf Jam at the time, and this was rush management 563 00:37:24,480 --> 00:37:27,520 Speaker 1: and def Jam were you know, so when you were 564 00:37:27,560 --> 00:37:30,680 Speaker 1: the manager, you were ultimately working for Russell. You're working separately, No, no, 565 00:37:30,760 --> 00:37:33,440 Speaker 1: I was working for Russell. Okay, so you do that, 566 00:37:33,480 --> 00:37:36,359 Speaker 1: you have the great success, and then def Jam has 567 00:37:36,360 --> 00:37:40,560 Speaker 1: a deal with Columbia correct, and then um UM. You know, 568 00:37:41,440 --> 00:37:44,080 Speaker 1: there weren't too many people to put records out, so 569 00:37:44,920 --> 00:37:50,880 Speaker 1: um Rick and Russell Um decided to start a record 570 00:37:50,880 --> 00:37:53,200 Speaker 1: company so they could put out records that they wanted 571 00:37:53,200 --> 00:37:56,560 Speaker 1: to put out. I thought the sexier side of the 572 00:37:56,560 --> 00:38:01,760 Speaker 1: business was managing and so um. Ironically to a degree 573 00:38:01,760 --> 00:38:05,359 Speaker 1: it is. Again it's a service business. You say that 574 00:38:05,400 --> 00:38:11,480 Speaker 1: with some drove me out of the business. It's it's 575 00:38:11,480 --> 00:38:14,040 Speaker 1: a license to starve to boot for many people. So 576 00:38:14,080 --> 00:38:18,120 Speaker 1: in any event, they start this record company, and your 577 00:38:18,200 --> 00:38:20,760 Speaker 1: role in the record company is I was a manager. 578 00:38:21,600 --> 00:38:24,920 Speaker 1: The record company was Russo and Wreck. So what point 579 00:38:24,960 --> 00:38:28,279 Speaker 1: do you move to the record company. Well, remember Rick 580 00:38:28,400 --> 00:38:34,560 Speaker 1: Leaves and Rick leaves and starts right, so it's like 581 00:38:34,840 --> 00:38:39,080 Speaker 1: really short time. And then Russell actually moved to California 582 00:38:39,160 --> 00:38:42,799 Speaker 1: to make movies, so you know, I just ended up 583 00:38:42,840 --> 00:38:45,640 Speaker 1: having to do it, so you ended up being It 584 00:38:45,680 --> 00:38:49,800 Speaker 1: was scary. It was very scary, don't don't get it twisted. 585 00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:56,880 Speaker 1: To be the person that was guiding a cultural brand 586 00:38:56,960 --> 00:39:00,880 Speaker 1: like Deaf Chaan, especially with Rick on and then Russell 587 00:39:01,040 --> 00:39:04,360 Speaker 1: in Hollywood, was scary. It was really really scary. You 588 00:39:04,360 --> 00:39:07,279 Speaker 1: remember how many acts you had on the label? Um, 589 00:39:07,320 --> 00:39:11,400 Speaker 1: we didn't have that many acts. Um. I started signing 590 00:39:11,560 --> 00:39:16,560 Speaker 1: acts and I signed one stiff after another. I mean 591 00:39:16,719 --> 00:39:20,000 Speaker 1: I couldn't. I couldn't, honestly, I couldn't sign an act 592 00:39:20,040 --> 00:39:25,480 Speaker 1: that would sell. And I was fortunately it was like 593 00:39:25,520 --> 00:39:28,560 Speaker 1: a little side in print that I was signing this too. 594 00:39:29,320 --> 00:39:34,480 Speaker 1: Um it was r L Russia associated label until Rick 595 00:39:34,560 --> 00:39:39,759 Speaker 1: and Russell unwound their their situation. But man, it was 596 00:39:39,840 --> 00:39:45,239 Speaker 1: so scary. I honestly could not sign worse acts. It was. 597 00:39:45,440 --> 00:39:49,480 Speaker 1: It was really, um, a very difficult time in my life. 598 00:39:50,160 --> 00:39:52,920 Speaker 1: And then when does Russell come back and get involved? Well, 599 00:39:53,040 --> 00:39:56,000 Speaker 1: Russell comes back a few years later, but at that 600 00:39:56,080 --> 00:40:00,279 Speaker 1: moment I caught my breath, and I really had a 601 00:40:00,400 --> 00:40:04,239 Speaker 1: much tighter aperture of what was needed um to be 602 00:40:04,360 --> 00:40:08,200 Speaker 1: successful and to write the ship and to get started again. 603 00:40:08,320 --> 00:40:13,480 Speaker 1: And the you know, my vision was blurry and and 604 00:40:14,400 --> 00:40:18,720 Speaker 1: with the Beasties leaving Rick, leaving Russell, there's a lot 605 00:40:18,800 --> 00:40:23,600 Speaker 1: of um and I just needed a tighter aperture. And 606 00:40:24,800 --> 00:40:28,400 Speaker 1: thank god that Red Man came in the door and 607 00:40:28,480 --> 00:40:32,040 Speaker 1: we signed him and time for some action happened, and 608 00:40:32,080 --> 00:40:36,200 Speaker 1: it was the re birth of Deaf Jam recordings. And 609 00:40:37,040 --> 00:40:42,720 Speaker 1: the interesting news is that we also had Public Enemy 610 00:40:43,160 --> 00:40:47,600 Speaker 1: and Slick Rick in that transitional period. So while I 611 00:40:47,719 --> 00:40:53,319 Speaker 1: was signing stiffs and you know, cold his ice, um, 612 00:40:53,400 --> 00:40:57,839 Speaker 1: they still kept um the shine of the label very 613 00:40:57,880 --> 00:41:04,080 Speaker 1: important and help me find my breath and and gave 614 00:41:04,160 --> 00:41:07,840 Speaker 1: me cover. And at the time, are you making any money? No? No, 615 00:41:07,960 --> 00:41:11,360 Speaker 1: I had roommates that I was thirty three years old, okay, 616 00:41:11,400 --> 00:41:14,480 Speaker 1: and so how does I was the mayor of Alphabet City. 617 00:41:15,120 --> 00:41:19,280 Speaker 1: The first bit of money that we made was one 618 00:41:19,080 --> 00:41:24,359 Speaker 1: numbers okay, do you remember? I remember so so um. 619 00:41:24,440 --> 00:41:30,320 Speaker 1: By then I also had a huge stable of artists. 620 00:41:30,600 --> 00:41:33,000 Speaker 1: I was E. P. M. D s Manager, Eric b 621 00:41:33,160 --> 00:41:36,760 Speaker 1: and Rock Kim's manager, Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince's manager. 622 00:41:37,520 --> 00:41:40,839 Speaker 1: Um it goes on and on, Steta Sonic, Big Daddy Cane, 623 00:41:41,640 --> 00:41:44,880 Speaker 1: you know, really goes. There's no there was nothing moving 624 00:41:44,920 --> 00:41:47,920 Speaker 1: like I made the cold chilling deal. There's nothing moving 625 00:41:47,960 --> 00:41:52,640 Speaker 1: in wrap that I wasn't wasn't a part of at 626 00:41:52,680 --> 00:41:57,000 Speaker 1: that time. But still it wasn't enough money for me 627 00:41:57,080 --> 00:42:01,120 Speaker 1: to move out. It was still nascent business. And then 628 00:42:01,800 --> 00:42:06,520 Speaker 1: one came along and uh, Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh 629 00:42:06,560 --> 00:42:10,799 Speaker 1: Prince started printing money, like we'll explain what the deal? 630 00:42:10,800 --> 00:42:14,160 Speaker 1: What is the person who's called is charged? So what 631 00:42:14,239 --> 00:42:17,160 Speaker 1: was the offer? The offers? You could speak to the 632 00:42:17,160 --> 00:42:20,520 Speaker 1: act and they would leave messages. And there was months 633 00:42:20,560 --> 00:42:23,160 Speaker 1: that Jazz Jeff and the Fresh Prince we were making 634 00:42:23,200 --> 00:42:26,319 Speaker 1: north of four d thousand dollars a month. Wow. So 635 00:42:26,360 --> 00:42:28,719 Speaker 1: it was the key to constantly change the message or 636 00:42:28,760 --> 00:42:31,640 Speaker 1: to keep people on the line. Constantly change the message, 637 00:42:31,920 --> 00:42:34,480 Speaker 1: get people to call every day, and what might the 638 00:42:34,520 --> 00:42:38,440 Speaker 1: message be, I'm old bomb. Okay, we'll have to go 639 00:42:38,480 --> 00:42:40,360 Speaker 1: back into the archives. So that's how you make some 640 00:42:40,440 --> 00:42:43,719 Speaker 1: real money. You get to move out De Jam's at Colombia. 641 00:42:44,000 --> 00:42:47,320 Speaker 1: It ends up being purchased by PolyGram tell us that story. 642 00:42:47,560 --> 00:42:52,839 Speaker 1: You have to understand that there was a beautiful incubation 643 00:42:52,960 --> 00:42:56,719 Speaker 1: period for us at def Jam. What I mean by 644 00:42:56,760 --> 00:43:01,640 Speaker 1: that is there was much more demand, didn't supply. The 645 00:43:01,760 --> 00:43:08,000 Speaker 1: major labels actually didn't get into signing wrap backs because 646 00:43:08,239 --> 00:43:13,520 Speaker 1: the bosses of those labels made their success through rock 647 00:43:13,560 --> 00:43:17,719 Speaker 1: and roll, and their kids were too young, and so 648 00:43:18,560 --> 00:43:21,640 Speaker 1: as far as rap was concerned, it was just noisy 649 00:43:21,760 --> 00:43:26,760 Speaker 1: music um or noise, and they didn't want to invent. 650 00:43:26,840 --> 00:43:30,560 Speaker 1: They thought it was a fad. They wanted no part 651 00:43:30,600 --> 00:43:36,760 Speaker 1: of it, and we started, you know, building a real business. 652 00:43:38,480 --> 00:43:42,120 Speaker 1: What I mean by incubation is we had no cloud 653 00:43:42,719 --> 00:43:48,760 Speaker 1: we had no money, we had no experience, and Russell 654 00:43:48,800 --> 00:43:53,680 Speaker 1: and I like getting high, and just any one of 655 00:43:53,719 --> 00:43:56,520 Speaker 1: those was enough not to be able to build a business. 656 00:43:56,560 --> 00:44:02,200 Speaker 1: But because the majors were so arrogant, all they had 657 00:44:02,239 --> 00:44:04,960 Speaker 1: to do was drive fifty blocks and they would have 658 00:44:05,040 --> 00:44:09,920 Speaker 1: seen that the demand was blowing the roof off of 659 00:44:10,200 --> 00:44:15,919 Speaker 1: all the clubs uptown. So, you know, seven years goes 660 00:44:16,000 --> 00:44:18,680 Speaker 1: by and now we get a little bit of money, 661 00:44:18,719 --> 00:44:22,239 Speaker 1: we get a little experience, some clouds. Getting high is 662 00:44:22,239 --> 00:44:27,480 Speaker 1: not that important anymore, and their kids are now starting 663 00:44:27,520 --> 00:44:32,680 Speaker 1: to grow up and Donnie Einer's kid actually preferred going 664 00:44:32,719 --> 00:44:35,320 Speaker 1: to a public enemy show than the Bruce Springsteen show. 665 00:44:35,680 --> 00:44:38,799 Speaker 1: And that's when Donnie said, oh my god, I'm out 666 00:44:38,840 --> 00:44:44,320 Speaker 1: of position. And so I had a very fragile group. 667 00:44:44,400 --> 00:44:46,880 Speaker 1: They were called third Base. You ever heard of them, 668 00:44:47,000 --> 00:44:50,040 Speaker 1: of course, Okay, So they didn't really like each other 669 00:44:50,120 --> 00:44:53,720 Speaker 1: that much, and they were very, very fragile. UM Search 670 00:44:53,880 --> 00:44:58,240 Speaker 1: is a very inquisitive person and very tasty person and 671 00:44:59,360 --> 00:45:03,800 Speaker 1: Donnie can vinced them to start a production company. And 672 00:45:04,080 --> 00:45:06,759 Speaker 1: that's put too much tension on the group. And that 673 00:45:06,840 --> 00:45:11,760 Speaker 1: was behind my back. That's my partner and at Columbia 674 00:45:12,120 --> 00:45:15,840 Speaker 1: Columbia Records, and so that's how NAS got signed to 675 00:45:15,880 --> 00:45:22,120 Speaker 1: Columbia Records through MC search. Oh yeah yeah, so um 676 00:45:22,360 --> 00:45:25,319 Speaker 1: that put a lot of search and it was Pete 677 00:45:25,400 --> 00:45:28,920 Speaker 1: and Pete writes about baseball or something these days, and 678 00:45:28,960 --> 00:45:30,799 Speaker 1: it put a lot of tension on the band, put 679 00:45:30,840 --> 00:45:35,760 Speaker 1: a lot of tension on me. And you know, because 680 00:45:35,760 --> 00:45:38,600 Speaker 1: of our deal structure, we were deeply in the red 681 00:45:39,680 --> 00:45:42,839 Speaker 1: and to the tune of nineteen million dollars, but it 682 00:45:42,880 --> 00:45:44,759 Speaker 1: was used to it was at a joint venture or 683 00:45:44,800 --> 00:45:47,840 Speaker 1: you still own your assets or you know, no No, 684 00:45:47,960 --> 00:45:52,800 Speaker 1: we didn't own our assets. They actually owned the assets. Um. 685 00:45:52,880 --> 00:45:58,239 Speaker 1: We had a UM some action. UM, it's embarrassing to 686 00:45:59,080 --> 00:46:02,879 Speaker 1: tell you what that action is. It's it's less than 687 00:46:03,040 --> 00:46:07,359 Speaker 1: what bands are getting signed for today. But were they 688 00:46:07,400 --> 00:46:09,080 Speaker 1: made you were nineteen million of the red Have they 689 00:46:09,080 --> 00:46:12,560 Speaker 1: made money on the deal? Oh, of course they made money. 690 00:46:13,080 --> 00:46:17,480 Speaker 1: But UM, they wanted to go full tilt boogie in 691 00:46:17,640 --> 00:46:21,000 Speaker 1: wrap and they thought they can do it themselves. And 692 00:46:21,239 --> 00:46:24,840 Speaker 1: they thought that the only barrier was their focus and money. 693 00:46:24,920 --> 00:46:29,719 Speaker 1: And they're both focused and they're going to invest. And UM. 694 00:46:29,760 --> 00:46:33,879 Speaker 1: They gave me the option to um by the red 695 00:46:33,920 --> 00:46:38,160 Speaker 1: balance back and then get out of the building. And 696 00:46:38,800 --> 00:46:41,280 Speaker 1: it wasn't really an option. They were they were flinging 697 00:46:41,320 --> 00:46:44,360 Speaker 1: us out of the building. And it was scary because 698 00:46:44,680 --> 00:46:47,800 Speaker 1: I didn't let anybody at at the company know because 699 00:46:47,840 --> 00:46:52,000 Speaker 1: there would have been hugely distracting and difficult for people. 700 00:46:52,080 --> 00:46:55,960 Speaker 1: So I remember every going trying to find record companies 701 00:46:56,000 --> 00:46:59,360 Speaker 1: to partner with, and um the only one was Alan 702 00:46:59,520 --> 00:47:05,920 Speaker 1: Levy and PolyGram and actually he gave us six million 703 00:47:06,040 --> 00:47:11,200 Speaker 1: for that piece, and UM, so we gave them nineteen 704 00:47:11,239 --> 00:47:13,440 Speaker 1: And it was the first little bit of capital that 705 00:47:13,640 --> 00:47:20,240 Speaker 1: Russell and I got and um we actually was again 706 00:47:20,480 --> 00:47:26,160 Speaker 1: very good timing. I actually shipped Regulate at Columbia and 707 00:47:26,200 --> 00:47:30,239 Speaker 1: they weren't paying attention and that went on to sell 708 00:47:30,280 --> 00:47:35,279 Speaker 1: four million albums. So my first def Jam PolyGram experience 709 00:47:35,960 --> 00:47:42,160 Speaker 1: was warranty Regulated sold four million albums, very very thrilled 710 00:47:42,280 --> 00:47:46,200 Speaker 1: and a lone Leavi was thrilled and excited, and we 711 00:47:46,239 --> 00:47:50,400 Speaker 1: had a very interesting deal with him, very very good deal, 712 00:47:51,000 --> 00:47:55,120 Speaker 1: very forward looking deal because he believed that rap catalog 713 00:47:55,960 --> 00:48:01,480 Speaker 1: was going to be a huge, huge opportunity nitty, especially 714 00:48:01,480 --> 00:48:05,600 Speaker 1: in the multiple of of the CD business. So um, 715 00:48:05,640 --> 00:48:08,600 Speaker 1: it was really great timing for us and it was 716 00:48:08,640 --> 00:48:12,759 Speaker 1: beautiful and at that time def GM is operating in 717 00:48:12,800 --> 00:48:17,280 Speaker 1: what part of PolyGram Island Island and then they ultimately 718 00:48:17,360 --> 00:48:20,600 Speaker 1: roll it up into I D j um No it 719 00:48:20,680 --> 00:48:25,880 Speaker 1: was p L g Um with Rick Dabas and Johnny Barbs, 720 00:48:26,800 --> 00:48:31,200 Speaker 1: um Um Peter cup Key and then it was really 721 00:48:31,239 --> 00:48:35,960 Speaker 1: a difficult time because Alan Levy wanted to buy the 722 00:48:36,280 --> 00:48:39,800 Speaker 1: business and Russell wanted to sell and offered fifty million 723 00:48:39,840 --> 00:48:42,960 Speaker 1: dollars and I said I'm not interested in that, and 724 00:48:43,000 --> 00:48:47,919 Speaker 1: I had a block on it, and Russell was very 725 00:48:48,040 --> 00:48:53,640 Speaker 1: upset and he was our lawyer was making him very 726 00:48:53,680 --> 00:48:58,960 Speaker 1: scared debt because of me blocking UM. He wasn't going 727 00:48:59,040 --> 00:49:01,800 Speaker 1: to end up with any money. And it was a 728 00:49:01,880 --> 00:49:05,319 Speaker 1: very stressful period for the two of us. And I 729 00:49:05,400 --> 00:49:10,359 Speaker 1: just believed that we could um improved the multiple. And 730 00:49:11,480 --> 00:49:15,520 Speaker 1: I remember that Russell was pounding me so hard. And 731 00:49:16,000 --> 00:49:19,200 Speaker 1: it was actually Danny Goldberg that went around my back 732 00:49:19,280 --> 00:49:22,320 Speaker 1: to my my company and told him that I'm selling 733 00:49:22,320 --> 00:49:24,960 Speaker 1: the company. This is what he's running Mercury when he 734 00:49:25,000 --> 00:49:26,960 Speaker 1: was running Mercury, but he was very close to a 735 00:49:27,040 --> 00:49:33,640 Speaker 1: lone Livy and I fell into depression and I UM 736 00:49:33,680 --> 00:49:36,520 Speaker 1: at the time, my wife said, your health is much 737 00:49:36,560 --> 00:49:40,279 Speaker 1: more important than you know this type of stuff. Just 738 00:49:40,320 --> 00:49:43,920 Speaker 1: sell the company. And I agreed to sell it. And 739 00:49:43,960 --> 00:49:50,360 Speaker 1: then four days later the board rejected UM that fifty 740 00:49:50,400 --> 00:49:55,720 Speaker 1: million dollar deal. And UM they rejected because two days 741 00:49:55,800 --> 00:50:00,359 Speaker 1: earlier they met secretly, this guy from Philip s met 742 00:50:00,440 --> 00:50:06,440 Speaker 1: secretly with Edgar Broffman and because of that they didn't 743 00:50:06,480 --> 00:50:11,959 Speaker 1: want any transactions to happen. So again great timing, and 744 00:50:12,080 --> 00:50:14,480 Speaker 1: they were talking about buying the Universe Emerging with Universal 745 00:50:14,520 --> 00:50:19,840 Speaker 1: assets and no they're no Universal was was buying PolyGram. 746 00:50:19,880 --> 00:50:24,319 Speaker 1: Now remember the reason why Phillips was selling PolyGram as 747 00:50:24,400 --> 00:50:28,640 Speaker 1: they invented the CD. So they're the reasons why they 748 00:50:28,680 --> 00:50:32,319 Speaker 1: gave the green light to Alan Levy because they discovered 749 00:50:32,640 --> 00:50:35,920 Speaker 1: that the CD was a powerful opportunity, but it was 750 00:50:36,000 --> 00:50:40,560 Speaker 1: also the perfect master, so they rode the upside. They 751 00:50:40,600 --> 00:50:47,080 Speaker 1: allowed him to buy Island UM and UM motown. I 752 00:50:47,080 --> 00:50:51,200 Speaker 1: mean hundreds and hundreds of UM hundreds of millions of dollars, 753 00:50:51,239 --> 00:50:54,799 Speaker 1: you know, massive. No one's ever seen prices like that 754 00:50:54,880 --> 00:50:58,320 Speaker 1: because they knew the conversion from tape to CD was 755 00:50:58,360 --> 00:51:01,880 Speaker 1: going to be a windfall. But they also knew that 756 00:51:01,960 --> 00:51:06,000 Speaker 1: it was the perfect master. So they allowed Allan to 757 00:51:06,120 --> 00:51:09,440 Speaker 1: build this over a decade and then sold it from 758 00:51:09,520 --> 00:51:11,720 Speaker 1: underneath him. You were do you believe they were totally 759 00:51:11,760 --> 00:51:13,799 Speaker 1: conscious that the Internet was coming and they had a 760 00:51:13,800 --> 00:51:20,040 Speaker 1: perfect They made a fortune. They sold to Edgar for 761 00:51:20,239 --> 00:51:25,280 Speaker 1: you know, coasted twelve billion dollars And the only problem 762 00:51:25,520 --> 00:51:32,480 Speaker 1: is that Edgar Universal bought PolyGram, but the largest market 763 00:51:32,480 --> 00:51:35,920 Speaker 1: share in North America was a little company called Death 764 00:51:36,000 --> 00:51:40,680 Speaker 1: Chamber Recordings, and that deal didn't go through, and so 765 00:51:40,840 --> 00:51:44,440 Speaker 1: Doug had bought Doug Morris. Doug Morris had bought this 766 00:51:45,120 --> 00:51:49,839 Speaker 1: UM was brought along UM by Edgar and we had 767 00:51:49,920 --> 00:51:54,879 Speaker 1: just dropped UM Job Rule, DMX and jay z All 768 00:51:54,920 --> 00:51:57,319 Speaker 1: in the month of December. Everybody told me, you can 769 00:51:57,440 --> 00:52:01,160 Speaker 1: never release a record in December. Thecember is off limits 770 00:52:01,200 --> 00:52:06,800 Speaker 1: because the retailers are too focused on stocking. It's taboo 771 00:52:06,880 --> 00:52:13,080 Speaker 1: to do that. And I felt like UM parents started 772 00:52:13,320 --> 00:52:17,319 Speaker 1: becoming less and less under UM a knowledgeable of what 773 00:52:17,440 --> 00:52:20,520 Speaker 1: to give as a gift of music to their children, 774 00:52:20,920 --> 00:52:23,600 Speaker 1: so they gave them cash. And the closure I got 775 00:52:23,640 --> 00:52:27,520 Speaker 1: to Christmas, UM, the better I was going to fare. 776 00:52:27,760 --> 00:52:30,279 Speaker 1: So you literally delayed the release knowing that the kids 777 00:52:30,320 --> 00:52:33,880 Speaker 1: would blow the cash. And it was all during the 778 00:52:33,960 --> 00:52:38,480 Speaker 1: transition and the due diligence of PolyGram and the Universal merger. 779 00:52:39,320 --> 00:52:44,880 Speaker 1: So remember Island, Mercury, A and M. All of those 780 00:52:44,920 --> 00:52:48,800 Speaker 1: executives were frozen because they didn't know what was happening. 781 00:52:48,840 --> 00:52:52,840 Speaker 1: Everybody was frozen. But I was driving my multiple and 782 00:52:53,280 --> 00:52:56,400 Speaker 1: so all of PolyGram was frozen. Who's going to be 783 00:52:56,440 --> 00:53:00,640 Speaker 1: the boss? Who's going to survive all that swirl is happening? 784 00:53:01,120 --> 00:53:06,440 Speaker 1: And I dropped three very important and influential albums that 785 00:53:06,480 --> 00:53:10,160 Speaker 1: I'm proud of UM in the month of December at 786 00:53:10,200 --> 00:53:14,040 Speaker 1: that moment, and it was UM a stunning moment. Okay, 787 00:53:14,080 --> 00:53:15,799 Speaker 1: so the deal goes through it where does that leave 788 00:53:15,880 --> 00:53:20,160 Speaker 1: Jeff Jam? Um? That leaves def Jam in the catbird seat? 789 00:53:20,800 --> 00:53:25,680 Speaker 1: And unfortunately, UM, we have a natural clock on our 790 00:53:25,719 --> 00:53:30,759 Speaker 1: deal and there was time for for UM the deal 791 00:53:30,840 --> 00:53:34,359 Speaker 1: to two. I tried to fight it even then. Thank 792 00:53:34,360 --> 00:53:37,360 Speaker 1: god I didn't fight it because the UM the month 793 00:53:37,480 --> 00:53:41,120 Speaker 1: that we sold was the first month of the decline 794 00:53:41,160 --> 00:53:46,879 Speaker 1: for the last eighteen years. Okay, so what was that price? 795 00:53:46,920 --> 00:53:49,560 Speaker 1: I'm sure it's public a big number. It was three 796 00:53:50,280 --> 00:53:55,960 Speaker 1: million dollars for the total and Russia and I owned UM, 797 00:53:55,960 --> 00:54:00,520 Speaker 1: so that's a good paycheck. It was fabulous. It was 798 00:54:00,880 --> 00:54:06,880 Speaker 1: just it was amazing. It was amazing. Listen, UM, you 799 00:54:06,960 --> 00:54:11,160 Speaker 1: know it's that type of that type of money has 800 00:54:11,160 --> 00:54:13,480 Speaker 1: no context to me because I don't live like that. 801 00:54:13,600 --> 00:54:18,080 Speaker 1: So UM, So where is the money today? Um? The 802 00:54:18,160 --> 00:54:21,919 Speaker 1: money is with my ex wife, UM, Um with me. 803 00:54:22,360 --> 00:54:26,800 Speaker 1: It's I mean, it's invested. Yeah, it's an investors certainly. 804 00:54:27,160 --> 00:54:29,280 Speaker 1: How much is real assets? How much the stock market? 805 00:54:29,560 --> 00:54:33,319 Speaker 1: For most stock I would say, UM, real assets are 806 00:54:34,320 --> 00:54:42,000 Speaker 1: UM and is UM more in the equities? And then 807 00:54:43,080 --> 00:54:47,080 Speaker 1: is is more UM liquid and stuff like that? And 808 00:54:47,200 --> 00:54:50,880 Speaker 1: how active are you in managing that money? I'm not 809 00:54:50,960 --> 00:54:53,800 Speaker 1: very active. I suck at I suck at that. You 810 00:54:53,920 --> 00:54:58,160 Speaker 1: hired people, yes, and you're smart, smarter people than myself. 811 00:54:58,280 --> 00:55:00,640 Speaker 1: So how do you end that's by away. That's the 812 00:55:00,680 --> 00:55:05,920 Speaker 1: secret of my success is surround yourself with super dough people, 813 00:55:06,480 --> 00:55:09,719 Speaker 1: give them a lot of sunlight and water and just 814 00:55:10,520 --> 00:55:13,560 Speaker 1: hug it out. So how do you end up running? 815 00:55:13,560 --> 00:55:21,960 Speaker 1: I d J Well? I had the most insane month. Um, 816 00:55:22,000 --> 00:55:25,200 Speaker 1: you know, I sold the company for a big number 817 00:55:25,880 --> 00:55:31,000 Speaker 1: and part of that um, when you sell a company, 818 00:55:31,040 --> 00:55:35,920 Speaker 1: you're obliged to work for them, um, and I was 819 00:55:35,960 --> 00:55:38,120 Speaker 1: obliged to work for them. So they asked me to 820 00:55:39,400 --> 00:55:43,960 Speaker 1: look over Mercury Island and left cham and I remember, 821 00:55:45,040 --> 00:55:48,360 Speaker 1: you know, on a white board playing around with the names, 822 00:55:49,000 --> 00:55:53,440 Speaker 1: and I didn't know who. I couldn't trace the steps 823 00:55:53,480 --> 00:55:58,640 Speaker 1: back to someone with Mercury, so I couldn't find the 824 00:55:58,680 --> 00:56:01,600 Speaker 1: heartbeat there and I was but I was able to 825 00:56:01,640 --> 00:56:06,040 Speaker 1: find Chris Blackwell and the heartbeat there that's island records. 826 00:56:06,320 --> 00:56:11,839 Speaker 1: So I decided to call it island def jam, and I, um, 827 00:56:11,880 --> 00:56:16,160 Speaker 1: def jam island doesn't sound as good as Island def jam, 828 00:56:16,200 --> 00:56:21,040 Speaker 1: and the I d J sounds really dope. Okay, And 829 00:56:21,080 --> 00:56:23,880 Speaker 1: to what because black Well ultimately leaves. But when you 830 00:56:23,920 --> 00:56:31,640 Speaker 1: start how involved is Blackwell? Blackwell has already left the building. 831 00:56:32,760 --> 00:56:35,279 Speaker 1: So now you're many many many years okay, you're you're 832 00:56:35,360 --> 00:56:38,640 Speaker 1: running at lock Stock and Barrel Well. I told you 833 00:56:38,680 --> 00:56:42,480 Speaker 1: I surround myself with super dope people. Okay. So in 834 00:56:42,520 --> 00:56:45,560 Speaker 1: your tenure at I d J, sir, what what did 835 00:56:45,560 --> 00:56:51,280 Speaker 1: you learn? I learned that the entrepreneurialism of rap music 836 00:56:52,120 --> 00:56:58,080 Speaker 1: and the co mingling of of artists and the UM 837 00:56:58,320 --> 00:57:04,680 Speaker 1: determination to mind audiences and connect them with the artists 838 00:57:05,000 --> 00:57:09,799 Speaker 1: is very, very powerful. And just that, you know, I 839 00:57:09,800 --> 00:57:14,000 Speaker 1: felt like I could do anything. And that runs its course, 840 00:57:14,280 --> 00:57:16,120 Speaker 1: and you ultimately end up at Warner, but even in 841 00:57:16,160 --> 00:57:20,040 Speaker 1: a bigger position, bigger title, And what do you learn 842 00:57:20,080 --> 00:57:23,600 Speaker 1: in your tenure at White at Warner? My tenure at 843 00:57:23,600 --> 00:57:27,800 Speaker 1: Warner is that it was the first time I've ever 844 00:57:27,880 --> 00:57:32,560 Speaker 1: come across or had an experience with private equity people. 845 00:57:33,200 --> 00:57:37,960 Speaker 1: So I had no context that they bought and sold, 846 00:57:39,080 --> 00:57:42,920 Speaker 1: and I hadn't simply no context that they bought and 847 00:57:43,040 --> 00:57:47,400 Speaker 1: had a four year horizon. So had I known that, 848 00:57:47,440 --> 00:57:51,280 Speaker 1: I probably wouldn't have left UM to take the job 849 00:57:51,360 --> 00:57:55,680 Speaker 1: to take the job because it was too distracting. I 850 00:57:56,400 --> 00:57:59,919 Speaker 1: don't want I didn't like change in that type of way. 851 00:58:00,240 --> 00:58:02,800 Speaker 1: I like change in other types of way, but not 852 00:58:02,880 --> 00:58:04,720 Speaker 1: in that type of way. You mean in terms of 853 00:58:05,440 --> 00:58:07,880 Speaker 1: the ultimate sale point, Yeah, I don't. I don't like 854 00:58:08,320 --> 00:58:13,520 Speaker 1: I don't like change, financial change. I like structural change. 855 00:58:13,880 --> 00:58:18,800 Speaker 1: I like change, but not um um financial change. People. 856 00:58:18,840 --> 00:58:21,240 Speaker 1: So when you're at Warner, to what degree in the 857 00:58:21,280 --> 00:58:23,520 Speaker 1: back of your mind are you here? Are you feeling 858 00:58:23,560 --> 00:58:25,880 Speaker 1: that pressure? Hey, I gotta make the numbers. We're gonna do, 859 00:58:25,880 --> 00:58:29,640 Speaker 1: We're gonna sell I I um. I didn't pay attention 860 00:58:29,680 --> 00:58:33,720 Speaker 1: to that. I was focused in other things. And the 861 00:58:33,760 --> 00:58:38,320 Speaker 1: only time where it crested against me was when they 862 00:58:38,400 --> 00:58:43,160 Speaker 1: decided to sell it, and I had to meet with 863 00:58:43,320 --> 00:58:47,560 Speaker 1: the thirty odd bidders over and over and over and 864 00:58:47,600 --> 00:58:50,200 Speaker 1: over again, and I got further and further away from 865 00:58:50,280 --> 00:58:54,560 Speaker 1: the music and further away from the artist, and I 866 00:58:54,600 --> 00:58:58,040 Speaker 1: felt like we were doing a stunning job. I mean two, 867 00:58:58,760 --> 00:59:03,440 Speaker 1: you know it, Lectura and Atlantic were in really tough positions. 868 00:59:03,600 --> 00:59:07,720 Speaker 1: Warner was living on its past, and so I felt 869 00:59:08,040 --> 00:59:13,720 Speaker 1: merging um a lecture in Atlantic. Together we found our 870 00:59:13,760 --> 00:59:17,280 Speaker 1: heartbeat and and then I was working on on the 871 00:59:17,320 --> 00:59:21,600 Speaker 1: Warner Brothers situation, and you know, we we I think 872 00:59:22,160 --> 00:59:27,040 Speaker 1: really started the three sixty business. That was a very 873 00:59:27,080 --> 00:59:32,040 Speaker 1: important part of my strategy and I was very proud 874 00:59:32,040 --> 00:59:35,600 Speaker 1: of it. So and you know, and then to get 875 00:59:35,640 --> 00:59:40,960 Speaker 1: sit swiped into having to talk to financial people about 876 00:59:41,720 --> 00:59:44,040 Speaker 1: you know, a transaction was a buzz kill. It was 877 00:59:44,200 --> 00:59:50,680 Speaker 1: very difficult for me. We'll return to this conversation with 878 00:59:50,800 --> 00:59:54,000 Speaker 1: Lear Cone, head of music for YouTube and Google. Right 879 00:59:54,040 --> 00:59:58,320 Speaker 1: after this. This is Bob left Sett. Do you like 880 00:59:58,520 --> 01:00:01,240 Speaker 1: hearing from the heavies. I love talking to them. And 881 01:00:01,320 --> 01:00:03,760 Speaker 1: that's exactly what I'll be doing at my Music Media 882 01:00:03,800 --> 01:00:06,800 Speaker 1: Summit in Santa Barbara at the end of April. Take 883 01:00:06,840 --> 01:00:09,720 Speaker 1: your Wallflower roll to the next level by actually meeting 884 01:00:09,760 --> 01:00:13,840 Speaker 1: the players, maneuvering, manipulating the chessboard. Go to Music Media 885 01:00:13,920 --> 01:00:18,120 Speaker 1: Summit dot comfert tickets and more information and now more 886 01:00:18,240 --> 01:00:22,720 Speaker 1: with Lee your Cone. So it ends and you start 887 01:00:22,800 --> 01:00:25,400 Speaker 1: three hundred, Yes, and you have a big hit with 888 01:00:25,440 --> 01:00:29,920 Speaker 1: Feddiwab Yes. So what you learn at three hundred? I 889 01:00:30,040 --> 01:00:34,200 Speaker 1: learned at three hundred that the barrier of entry I 890 01:00:34,280 --> 01:00:40,240 Speaker 1: had a hunch at Warner between subscription and advertising that 891 01:00:41,200 --> 01:00:43,720 Speaker 1: there is going to be a huge sea change. The 892 01:00:43,760 --> 01:00:48,640 Speaker 1: ability to build audience and to identify an audience UM 893 01:00:48,720 --> 01:00:52,520 Speaker 1: without having to go through the expense of a physical 894 01:00:52,560 --> 01:00:59,680 Speaker 1: product was a liberation for UM young people to start 895 01:00:59,800 --> 01:01:03,520 Speaker 1: lay bules and to start getting into the game. And 896 01:01:03,640 --> 01:01:06,080 Speaker 1: I had a hunch that they couldn't keep me out 897 01:01:06,080 --> 01:01:09,760 Speaker 1: of the party, and so I cobbled together a little 898 01:01:09,760 --> 01:01:12,800 Speaker 1: bit of money and I went to work, and lo 899 01:01:12,960 --> 01:01:18,960 Speaker 1: and behold, I realized that the true remaining barrier entry 900 01:01:19,160 --> 01:01:21,800 Speaker 1: is simply a little bit of capital, not a lot 901 01:01:21,840 --> 01:01:25,360 Speaker 1: of it. And you could actually make a lot of hay. 902 01:01:25,760 --> 01:01:27,720 Speaker 1: So if someone were to start today, how much capital 903 01:01:27,720 --> 01:01:31,480 Speaker 1: do they need? It's all different. It all depends. I 904 01:01:31,520 --> 01:01:35,080 Speaker 1: started with fifteen million, a little little sum of money. 905 01:01:35,320 --> 01:01:38,760 Speaker 1: I heard that l a just raise sent you know, 906 01:01:39,360 --> 01:01:42,320 Speaker 1: it was a different thing, I believe you know, we 907 01:01:42,440 --> 01:01:47,080 Speaker 1: have a three hundred over thirty employees now, UM, but 908 01:01:47,120 --> 01:01:49,960 Speaker 1: you're you're not involved with three hundred anymore. But I'm 909 01:01:50,000 --> 01:01:53,600 Speaker 1: the largest shareholder, so you're still a shareholder. Yes, okay, 910 01:01:53,720 --> 01:01:55,400 Speaker 1: So you have the success with fiftie rop. Can you 911 01:01:55,440 --> 01:01:58,320 Speaker 1: tell us any more about that? What do you want 912 01:01:58,320 --> 01:02:01,400 Speaker 1: to know? How do you find that HiT's HiT's beautiful 913 01:02:01,640 --> 01:02:03,480 Speaker 1: he was, so did you find him? The record was 914 01:02:03,520 --> 01:02:08,320 Speaker 1: already done. The record was already done. Um. He is 915 01:02:08,360 --> 01:02:13,200 Speaker 1: a very interesting melodic rapper, UM and it was just 916 01:02:13,320 --> 01:02:17,120 Speaker 1: his time and we signed him. So that's a music 917 01:02:17,160 --> 01:02:21,040 Speaker 1: business bomb. Okay, So you know today where there's so 918 01:02:21,160 --> 01:02:24,440 Speaker 1: much noise in the channel. Although the success of his 919 01:02:24,640 --> 01:02:27,440 Speaker 1: records a couple of years back, what made he What 920 01:02:27,480 --> 01:02:29,320 Speaker 1: did you do to make the record successful? He certainly 921 01:02:29,320 --> 01:02:33,240 Speaker 1: had to hit record Without that you're dead in the water. Well, 922 01:02:33,320 --> 01:02:37,880 Speaker 1: we engaged an audience. We UM went to our friends 923 01:02:37,880 --> 01:02:40,920 Speaker 1: at Spotify, they supported us. When to our friends at 924 01:02:40,920 --> 01:02:43,520 Speaker 1: Apple they supported us. What did that support look like 925 01:02:43,720 --> 01:02:47,520 Speaker 1: to support whether it's UM real Estate and app or 926 01:02:47,760 --> 01:02:54,120 Speaker 1: real Estate and Playlists, or or video UM at YouTube, 927 01:02:54,800 --> 01:02:59,560 Speaker 1: UM the dsp s or the these platforms. UM were 928 01:02:59,600 --> 01:03:02,440 Speaker 1: happy to see us, and they were happy to support 929 01:03:03,000 --> 01:03:09,520 Speaker 1: an independent label and independent artist. And we also, you know, 930 01:03:09,600 --> 01:03:14,000 Speaker 1: got the record on the radio. And so what can 931 01:03:14,040 --> 01:03:16,919 Speaker 1: I tell you? It's not really it's not magical. It's 932 01:03:16,920 --> 01:03:19,040 Speaker 1: a lot of hard work, it's a lot of talking 933 01:03:19,080 --> 01:03:22,200 Speaker 1: to people, it's a lot of saying, like what you 934 01:03:22,320 --> 01:03:24,600 Speaker 1: do every once in a while you go out on 935 01:03:24,600 --> 01:03:28,880 Speaker 1: the limb and say this artist is really incredible, and 936 01:03:28,960 --> 01:03:32,240 Speaker 1: you put your reputation on the line and you shoot 937 01:03:32,280 --> 01:03:37,400 Speaker 1: the flare up and people, um pay attention, give it 938 01:03:37,440 --> 01:03:39,800 Speaker 1: a shot, and when they give it a shot, it 939 01:03:39,880 --> 01:03:42,400 Speaker 1: starts working. And and that's how well I guess one 940 01:03:42,440 --> 01:03:43,920 Speaker 1: of the I agree with everything you're saying. But one 941 01:03:43,960 --> 01:03:47,400 Speaker 1: of the fascinating things is there was a record two 942 01:03:47,480 --> 01:03:50,680 Speaker 1: Christmases ago. The end of it was a hit everywhere 943 01:03:50,720 --> 01:03:53,760 Speaker 1: in the world. Rag and Bone Man Human never made 944 01:03:53,760 --> 01:03:55,920 Speaker 1: it in America, and I have to, I mean, my 945 01:03:56,000 --> 01:03:57,920 Speaker 1: fault with the label let the record down. Do you 946 01:03:57,920 --> 01:04:03,680 Speaker 1: have any ideas why I don't want to um um 947 01:04:03,720 --> 01:04:07,080 Speaker 1: a Pine on something I'm not an expert at so 948 01:04:07,520 --> 01:04:12,920 Speaker 1: I don't know whether he was focused on Australia at 949 01:04:12,920 --> 01:04:15,760 Speaker 1: the time when they needed him to show up in places. 950 01:04:15,880 --> 01:04:19,400 Speaker 1: You know, Um, when you have a worldwide hit. The 951 01:04:20,080 --> 01:04:23,480 Speaker 1: interesting thing is you can't clone yourself and you need 952 01:04:23,640 --> 01:04:29,600 Speaker 1: physical support of a record. So um, I couldn't. I 953 01:04:29,640 --> 01:04:32,200 Speaker 1: couldn't the Pine on it. I I don't know. You know, 954 01:04:32,240 --> 01:04:34,760 Speaker 1: Colombia is a really good label. Okay, So let's go 955 01:04:34,760 --> 01:04:37,280 Speaker 1: back to three. Three D is still active at this point, 956 01:04:38,240 --> 01:04:41,280 Speaker 1: very active Okay, how do you end up at YouTube? 957 01:04:42,080 --> 01:04:49,320 Speaker 1: I ended up at YouTube because um Robert Kinson called 958 01:04:49,360 --> 01:04:52,080 Speaker 1: me up and asked me if I could He's he's 959 01:04:52,200 --> 01:04:57,760 Speaker 1: the big boss YouTube, and he asked if I could 960 01:04:58,520 --> 01:05:03,320 Speaker 1: surface him some candidates to be the head of music 961 01:05:03,480 --> 01:05:07,960 Speaker 1: and that it was time for that category to have 962 01:05:08,960 --> 01:05:13,440 Speaker 1: someone that woke up every day specifically focused on building 963 01:05:14,320 --> 01:05:18,080 Speaker 1: that business. And I surfaced him a couple of people 964 01:05:18,960 --> 01:05:25,520 Speaker 1: over the you know, four months spanning. Then he calls 965 01:05:25,560 --> 01:05:28,120 Speaker 1: me out of the blue and says, you know, he 966 01:05:28,280 --> 01:05:32,200 Speaker 1: used this expression, you're my You're my Dick. I had 967 01:05:32,240 --> 01:05:35,720 Speaker 1: no idea what he meant. He's I said what he says, 968 01:05:35,800 --> 01:05:38,919 Speaker 1: Dick Cheney, and I still didn't don't to this day, 969 01:05:38,960 --> 01:05:41,280 Speaker 1: I don't really know what he's referring to, but the 970 01:05:42,560 --> 01:05:45,240 Speaker 1: he says, I love the candidates, but I prefer you 971 01:05:45,320 --> 01:05:47,760 Speaker 1: doing the job. And I told him I have zero 972 01:05:47,840 --> 01:05:51,960 Speaker 1: interest in the job, and I was having too much 973 01:05:52,000 --> 01:05:54,640 Speaker 1: fun at three hundred. I think three hundred's going to 974 01:05:54,720 --> 01:05:58,160 Speaker 1: be worth you know, half a billion dollars in five years. 975 01:05:59,800 --> 01:06:06,080 Speaker 1: I really believe that this is the era. Just mark 976 01:06:06,160 --> 01:06:09,440 Speaker 1: my words, this is going to be the biggest gold 977 01:06:09,560 --> 01:06:14,080 Speaker 1: rush ever in media and it's going to be around 978 01:06:14,080 --> 01:06:19,720 Speaker 1: recorded music. It can never be activated until the Impressario 979 01:06:19,920 --> 01:06:26,000 Speaker 1: rooms again. And that's the critical gating factor. All everything 980 01:06:26,160 --> 01:06:30,320 Speaker 1: is ready for them, and then Impressario is the unemployable. 981 01:06:31,360 --> 01:06:38,520 Speaker 1: The Chris Blackwells of this generation, deomrtiganst those that um, 982 01:06:38,520 --> 01:06:41,760 Speaker 1: you know, have a very specific point of view who 983 01:06:41,840 --> 01:06:46,280 Speaker 1: know how to um engage with talent and they could 984 01:06:46,280 --> 01:06:49,600 Speaker 1: build huge businesses. Once again, I think the environment is 985 01:06:50,080 --> 01:06:53,880 Speaker 1: right for that. But going back to YouTube, I really, 986 01:06:54,280 --> 01:06:58,600 Speaker 1: you know, I was having hits and I had no 987 01:06:58,680 --> 01:07:03,040 Speaker 1: interest in doing the job. It's like, um, it wasn't 988 01:07:03,080 --> 01:07:07,920 Speaker 1: the right time, and they kept being persistent and kept 989 01:07:07,960 --> 01:07:11,479 Speaker 1: asking me. And then it was my partner Kevin Laws 990 01:07:11,600 --> 01:07:16,400 Speaker 1: who said to me, you know, you always talk about 991 01:07:16,440 --> 01:07:19,919 Speaker 1: your biggest fear about the music business is the high 992 01:07:20,000 --> 01:07:27,880 Speaker 1: concentration of distribution. So if you actually were worked with 993 01:07:28,200 --> 01:07:32,880 Speaker 1: Google and YouTube and help them work with the labels 994 01:07:32,960 --> 01:07:39,480 Speaker 1: and help build another distribution channel that's healthy and another player, um, 995 01:07:39,520 --> 01:07:42,480 Speaker 1: you will bring diversity to distribution and you could be 996 01:07:42,520 --> 01:07:45,400 Speaker 1: a great gift back to an industry that you really 997 01:07:45,440 --> 01:07:50,320 Speaker 1: love and that really resonated to me. So um, this 998 01:07:50,440 --> 01:07:52,880 Speaker 1: is my gift back to the industry. If I could 999 01:07:52,920 --> 01:07:57,560 Speaker 1: get Google and YouTube to help bring diversity to distribution, 1000 01:07:58,320 --> 01:08:02,400 Speaker 1: I think with four the contributors, the value of the 1001 01:08:02,440 --> 01:08:06,080 Speaker 1: business will creep back to the labels and to the artists. 1002 01:08:06,120 --> 01:08:10,240 Speaker 1: If it's only two, we're in really bad shape. It 1003 01:08:10,240 --> 01:08:13,720 Speaker 1: would be a very bad day for creation. So okay, 1004 01:08:13,800 --> 01:08:15,680 Speaker 1: so what is the vision for you to now that 1005 01:08:15,720 --> 01:08:19,320 Speaker 1: you have this job. The vision is to work very 1006 01:08:19,360 --> 01:08:23,040 Speaker 1: closely with the labels. So prior to me getting there, 1007 01:08:23,640 --> 01:08:27,920 Speaker 1: they were mostly in negotiating entity. They negotiated with the 1008 01:08:27,960 --> 01:08:32,599 Speaker 1: corporate centers and they would go away and come back 1009 01:08:32,640 --> 01:08:37,520 Speaker 1: and negotiate three years later. And there is no infrastructure 1010 01:08:38,320 --> 01:08:42,360 Speaker 1: of people facing off with the labels. The people that 1011 01:08:42,479 --> 01:08:46,720 Speaker 1: actually signed the acts, marketing and delivered the acts. They 1012 01:08:46,760 --> 01:08:50,519 Speaker 1: were only facing off with the corporate people. And you know, 1013 01:08:50,560 --> 01:08:52,960 Speaker 1: in the last twenty years, what do you do get 1014 01:08:53,040 --> 01:08:55,360 Speaker 1: rid of a corporate person or any in our person 1015 01:08:55,680 --> 01:09:00,639 Speaker 1: and our person corporate person, sorry, corporate. The corporate entities 1016 01:09:00,720 --> 01:09:05,599 Speaker 1: of all these companies shrunk massively. Um. The the true 1017 01:09:05,640 --> 01:09:10,120 Speaker 1: power is with the labels. Okay, everybody knows that that, 1018 01:09:10,320 --> 01:09:13,439 Speaker 1: um Um. The labels are the ones with the power. 1019 01:09:13,920 --> 01:09:16,760 Speaker 1: But not only the power, they're they're the ones that 1020 01:09:16,800 --> 01:09:21,240 Speaker 1: are in the trenches. And so what's happened in the 1021 01:09:21,320 --> 01:09:26,400 Speaker 1: past is you know when YouTube or Google were went 1022 01:09:26,520 --> 01:09:30,840 Speaker 1: to negotiate, you know, it was their Super Bowl to Oh, 1023 01:09:30,840 --> 01:09:35,800 Speaker 1: they're going to negotiate against the Google team, and I'm 1024 01:09:35,840 --> 01:09:38,559 Speaker 1: not really that interested in that. I actually want to 1025 01:09:38,560 --> 01:09:41,519 Speaker 1: go back to back with the companies, with the labels. 1026 01:09:41,520 --> 01:09:44,880 Speaker 1: So we built an infrastructure UM to understand what the 1027 01:09:44,960 --> 01:09:50,720 Speaker 1: labels priorities are and to help break acts. And to me, 1028 01:09:51,520 --> 01:09:54,360 Speaker 1: that's one of the most important things that we could 1029 01:09:54,400 --> 01:09:59,080 Speaker 1: do at YouTube and Google is to understand what's important 1030 01:09:59,120 --> 01:10:02,360 Speaker 1: to the labels and and to the artist and to 1031 01:10:02,479 --> 01:10:08,480 Speaker 1: the management community, and to help UM break some acts. 1032 01:10:08,520 --> 01:10:13,160 Speaker 1: That's one thing. The second thing is to convert our funnel. 1033 01:10:14,280 --> 01:10:19,320 Speaker 1: So really the YouTube Google people have been very raw. 1034 01:10:19,439 --> 01:10:24,439 Speaker 1: They don't understand why they're so vilified, and they felt 1035 01:10:24,520 --> 01:10:29,439 Speaker 1: like they built this incredible ecosystem on a global scale 1036 01:10:30,200 --> 01:10:34,200 Speaker 1: UM to have people engaged with media and pay with 1037 01:10:34,240 --> 01:10:38,960 Speaker 1: their eyeballs, and instead of getting a pad in the back, 1038 01:10:40,080 --> 01:10:44,240 Speaker 1: they got vilified because that was in their UM the 1039 01:10:44,280 --> 01:10:51,120 Speaker 1: industry's mind, siphoning opportunity from subscription, which was still nascent UM. 1040 01:10:51,160 --> 01:10:55,000 Speaker 1: But growing. And so one of the things that I 1041 01:10:55,120 --> 01:10:58,840 Speaker 1: told um them and it didn't take a lot of convincing. 1042 01:10:58,840 --> 01:11:02,360 Speaker 1: They were already believing that so um, that their funnel 1043 01:11:02,439 --> 01:11:05,839 Speaker 1: can convert into subscription. There are people in that funnel 1044 01:11:05,880 --> 01:11:09,040 Speaker 1: that have a job that are leaned into music that 1045 01:11:09,080 --> 01:11:15,800 Speaker 1: should pay a subscription um um. And and that's what 1046 01:11:15,800 --> 01:11:21,280 Speaker 1: will happen. So between promotion and helping the labels and 1047 01:11:21,439 --> 01:11:26,559 Speaker 1: the artist community um break artists, and then converting our funnels. 1048 01:11:26,680 --> 01:11:31,519 Speaker 1: So it's simply not just advertising that it's also so 1049 01:11:31,640 --> 01:11:36,800 Speaker 1: your goal is to make it a subscription business. No, No, 1050 01:11:37,040 --> 01:11:42,759 Speaker 1: my goal is to add a subscription business on top 1051 01:11:42,800 --> 01:11:49,920 Speaker 1: of an advertising business, um bob. This industries growth is 1052 01:11:49,920 --> 01:11:54,160 Speaker 1: going to come from both advertising and subscription. I know 1053 01:11:54,240 --> 01:11:58,040 Speaker 1: everybody's drunk on subscription and it's really a nice thing 1054 01:11:58,560 --> 01:12:02,160 Speaker 1: and it's great, but when you talk about the world, 1055 01:12:03,040 --> 01:12:05,760 Speaker 1: they're gonna be way more many more people paying with 1056 01:12:05,800 --> 01:12:10,519 Speaker 1: their eyeballs than paying is a monthly subscription. Okay, that's 1057 01:12:11,000 --> 01:12:14,800 Speaker 1: going to be fact um. And so we want to 1058 01:12:14,840 --> 01:12:19,320 Speaker 1: play in both. Um. Okay. Since you brought up industry criticism, 1059 01:12:19,360 --> 01:12:22,320 Speaker 1: what do you say to the industry that says the 1060 01:12:22,360 --> 01:12:26,240 Speaker 1: split is not good enough on YouTube. The split is great, 1061 01:12:27,120 --> 01:12:30,759 Speaker 1: the pie will grow. It's just it's the same argument 1062 01:12:31,640 --> 01:12:35,160 Speaker 1: with spot that they had with Spotify at the beginning. 1063 01:12:35,320 --> 01:12:38,640 Speaker 1: Everybody was screaming about Spotify. Wasn't the split as you 1064 01:12:38,680 --> 01:12:43,000 Speaker 1: could see um from their public filing that the split 1065 01:12:43,120 --> 01:12:47,439 Speaker 1: is actually enormous. It was the size of the pie. 1066 01:12:48,120 --> 01:12:52,760 Speaker 1: And so um, you know, we're talking about hundreds and 1067 01:12:52,840 --> 01:12:55,479 Speaker 1: hundreds of billions of dollars that is still stuck in 1068 01:12:55,520 --> 01:13:01,200 Speaker 1: traditional media. That will flow to the digital um players, 1069 01:13:01,520 --> 01:13:05,160 Speaker 1: and that and that money will create to the labels 1070 01:13:05,640 --> 01:13:10,200 Speaker 1: and as the as more and more countries come online, um, 1071 01:13:10,320 --> 01:13:14,439 Speaker 1: that probably will be getting bigger. The growth in advertising 1072 01:13:15,200 --> 01:13:19,760 Speaker 1: is out of control, Bob, out of control. Okay, so 1073 01:13:20,200 --> 01:13:24,680 Speaker 1: before they blink, I know everybody's all geeked over subscription, 1074 01:13:25,240 --> 01:13:28,080 Speaker 1: but don't forget how much money is going to be 1075 01:13:28,160 --> 01:13:31,400 Speaker 1: made in advertising. So when you say the money stuck 1076 01:13:31,400 --> 01:13:34,000 Speaker 1: in traditional media, can you amplify that a little bit 1077 01:13:34,240 --> 01:13:39,240 Speaker 1: like television and radio. So you're talking about advertising advertising money. 1078 01:13:39,400 --> 01:13:43,479 Speaker 1: The Levy broke in America, but in other countries it's 1079 01:13:43,520 --> 01:13:47,639 Speaker 1: still they're still stuck in traditional media, but it's starting 1080 01:13:47,680 --> 01:13:51,439 Speaker 1: to break there too. I mean, everybody has kids. They 1081 01:13:51,439 --> 01:13:55,519 Speaker 1: see how they they digest media. They don't digest media 1082 01:13:56,160 --> 01:14:00,720 Speaker 1: on an appointment, you know, on um you know, a 1083 01:14:00,760 --> 01:14:04,920 Speaker 1: regular way. It's on demand. So the other complaint that 1084 01:14:05,000 --> 01:14:09,680 Speaker 1: people have in the industry is about takedown notices, that 1085 01:14:09,800 --> 01:14:13,559 Speaker 1: they can't issue one takedown notice, but they're constantly playing 1086 01:14:13,600 --> 01:14:18,280 Speaker 1: whack a mole with videos on YouTube. Bob, I invite 1087 01:14:18,600 --> 01:14:22,200 Speaker 1: all of those people on my dime to go to 1088 01:14:22,320 --> 01:14:26,679 Speaker 1: Zurich to our campus um that is dedicated to content 1089 01:14:26,760 --> 01:14:31,479 Speaker 1: i D. Bob, when I tell you they've built a 1090 01:14:31,640 --> 01:14:37,520 Speaker 1: world class content i D system that is um um 1091 01:14:37,640 --> 01:14:42,960 Speaker 1: um failed proof that's the case. Please, who's ever listening, 1092 01:14:43,840 --> 01:14:48,800 Speaker 1: you yourself, come to Zurich and please meet all the 1093 01:14:48,920 --> 01:14:53,320 Speaker 1: engineers that have built a first class content I D system. 1094 01:14:53,439 --> 01:14:55,240 Speaker 1: So you think at this point in time, if I 1095 01:14:55,280 --> 01:14:58,200 Speaker 1: issue one takedown notice, that should take down all the 1096 01:14:58,240 --> 01:15:02,000 Speaker 1: pirate copies of the song. It's correct, Okay, it's correct. 1097 01:15:02,000 --> 01:15:03,880 Speaker 1: So you think it's the purpose the people who are saying, 1098 01:15:04,120 --> 01:15:07,200 Speaker 1: oh I have to constantly issue takedown notices. You don't 1099 01:15:07,200 --> 01:15:10,800 Speaker 1: think that's true. No, No, at least it's not as 1100 01:15:10,880 --> 01:15:12,719 Speaker 1: true as it used to be. So you don't believe 1101 01:15:12,720 --> 01:15:14,559 Speaker 1: the law needs to be changed that this is a 1102 01:15:14,600 --> 01:15:19,120 Speaker 1: business solution. Oh, absolutely, this is a business solution. Okay, 1103 01:15:19,200 --> 01:15:21,280 Speaker 1: let's go back to how you're going to help the labels. 1104 01:15:21,840 --> 01:15:24,439 Speaker 1: What have you done and what can you do to 1105 01:15:25,120 --> 01:15:28,760 Speaker 1: help a label promote a record? So, Bob, did you 1106 01:15:28,840 --> 01:15:33,000 Speaker 1: know that eight of all of watch time on YouTube 1107 01:15:33,760 --> 01:15:37,960 Speaker 1: is internal recommendation? Engine? I did not know that. Shocking, 1108 01:15:38,120 --> 01:15:41,439 Speaker 1: isn't that? When I first started, I thought it was 1109 01:15:41,520 --> 01:15:46,880 Speaker 1: absolutely the reverse was searched, and then maybe some other 1110 01:15:47,360 --> 01:15:53,360 Speaker 1: remnant was um promoted. But no, of all of watch time, 1111 01:15:54,520 --> 01:15:59,760 Speaker 1: billions of hours of watch time is internal recommendation. You 1112 01:15:59,800 --> 01:16:03,000 Speaker 1: get lost in YouTube. I wouldn't say I get lost. 1113 01:16:03,000 --> 01:16:06,120 Speaker 1: I'm on YouTube constantly, but but you don't. You don't go, 1114 01:16:06,320 --> 01:16:09,639 Speaker 1: you don't um um dial something up. And then all 1115 01:16:09,680 --> 01:16:12,639 Speaker 1: of a sudden, the next thing they first of all, 1116 01:16:12,680 --> 01:16:15,719 Speaker 1: I'm sophisticate enough to know I switched off auto play, 1117 01:16:15,760 --> 01:16:18,320 Speaker 1: and I got much more email and recommendations of people. 1118 01:16:18,320 --> 01:16:20,400 Speaker 1: So I'm on YouTube many times a day. I'm not 1119 01:16:20,439 --> 01:16:23,679 Speaker 1: the average person. Well, if you were the average person, 1120 01:16:23,800 --> 01:16:27,559 Speaker 1: you would realize that it would start to get to 1121 01:16:27,600 --> 01:16:34,000 Speaker 1: know you and start servicing serving you um entertainment that 1122 01:16:34,200 --> 01:16:37,320 Speaker 1: you're most likely going to appreciate. I certainly get some 1123 01:16:37,360 --> 01:16:39,360 Speaker 1: of that on the right hand side. So yeah, so 1124 01:16:39,840 --> 01:16:50,400 Speaker 1: I'm so if I could surface to the um UM 1125 01:16:50,479 --> 01:16:56,240 Speaker 1: the priorities of the labels as an input to the algorithm, UM, 1126 01:16:56,400 --> 01:16:58,800 Speaker 1: I could probably do a really good service. Is that 1127 01:16:58,880 --> 01:17:03,320 Speaker 1: active today? That's sacred? Okay, So you you go to 1128 01:17:03,360 --> 01:17:06,400 Speaker 1: a label, they have a priority, you believe the priority 1129 01:17:06,479 --> 01:17:08,880 Speaker 1: is valid, and you will get into the YouTube system 1130 01:17:08,920 --> 01:17:10,559 Speaker 1: to make sure it's put in front of X number 1131 01:17:10,600 --> 01:17:15,160 Speaker 1: of eyeballs. That's sacred. Now it's in other streaming services. 1132 01:17:15,720 --> 01:17:18,519 Speaker 1: They look at issues of save, they look at how 1133 01:17:18,560 --> 01:17:21,040 Speaker 1: how long. All of that is important. And so you 1134 01:17:21,080 --> 01:17:23,599 Speaker 1: look at all that data. All of that is important. Yes, 1135 01:17:23,880 --> 01:17:26,400 Speaker 1: all of that well, okay, so the biggest YouTube hit 1136 01:17:26,479 --> 01:17:29,520 Speaker 1: of the last year, one of the biggest is the Desposito. 1137 01:17:30,520 --> 01:17:33,639 Speaker 1: Was that purely organic? Or did YouTube help know you? 1138 01:17:33,640 --> 01:17:36,800 Speaker 1: You want to hear something really interesting? I try to 1139 01:17:36,880 --> 01:17:43,160 Speaker 1: reverse engineer that. And the beginning of that party was 1140 01:17:43,200 --> 01:17:46,680 Speaker 1: that the manager bought a hundred thousand dollars worth of 1141 01:17:46,800 --> 01:17:50,840 Speaker 1: true view ads. Explain to my audience what those are. 1142 01:17:51,040 --> 01:17:54,479 Speaker 1: A true view add is a new format of advertising there. 1143 01:17:54,600 --> 01:18:00,800 Speaker 1: You know, Google is constantly iterating um at around advertising, 1144 01:18:01,080 --> 01:18:11,240 Speaker 1: and the um UM that actually got the right eyeballs engaged, 1145 01:18:11,479 --> 01:18:15,800 Speaker 1: and the right eyeballs started um affecting the algorithm, and 1146 01:18:15,840 --> 01:18:21,000 Speaker 1: then it spread like wildfire. Okay, a little slower. He 1147 01:18:21,160 --> 01:18:25,120 Speaker 1: bought the ads, and the ads translated into view and 1148 01:18:25,160 --> 01:18:31,320 Speaker 1: then obviously the ads were highly targeted, and once he 1149 01:18:31,439 --> 01:18:35,320 Speaker 1: got people engaged, it started building a wildfire. And that's 1150 01:18:35,360 --> 01:18:38,240 Speaker 1: what happened. Okay, So if someone had a do you 1151 01:18:38,240 --> 01:18:41,080 Speaker 1: think that's replicable at this point in time? UM? I 1152 01:18:41,120 --> 01:18:45,800 Speaker 1: don't you know. Desposito was a fabulous um record and 1153 01:18:46,000 --> 01:18:51,920 Speaker 1: video record and video, But I do believe that the 1154 01:18:52,040 --> 01:18:56,439 Speaker 1: digital world allows you to be way more targeted in 1155 01:18:56,640 --> 01:19:03,280 Speaker 1: your audience. UM. We are learning a lot. Like, for example, 1156 01:19:04,080 --> 01:19:09,599 Speaker 1: we are now thinking about related artists and how we 1157 01:19:09,680 --> 01:19:18,880 Speaker 1: could help the labels surface their content UM by them 1158 01:19:20,200 --> 01:19:25,800 Speaker 1: choosing what the related artists would be, that audience would 1159 01:19:25,800 --> 01:19:30,760 Speaker 1: be and putting that that content after those artists. Is 1160 01:19:30,800 --> 01:19:37,120 Speaker 1: that a personal choice or algorithmic? Um, it's both. It's 1161 01:19:37,200 --> 01:19:41,519 Speaker 1: both now, it's inputs. If we go back a couple 1162 01:19:41,560 --> 01:19:45,280 Speaker 1: of years, it was not uncommon for a hit track 1163 01:19:45,800 --> 01:19:48,960 Speaker 1: on YouTube to have many more views than streams on 1164 01:19:49,000 --> 01:19:54,640 Speaker 1: Spotify frequently, that's the reverse. Now, Okay, so what is 1165 01:19:54,680 --> 01:19:59,599 Speaker 1: the future of video? I a YouTube clip and how 1166 01:19:59,600 --> 01:20:02,679 Speaker 1: importan and there's that breaking an act. I think, um, 1167 01:20:02,720 --> 01:20:06,960 Speaker 1: context is I think we're in an audio visual world. Actually, 1168 01:20:07,040 --> 01:20:10,200 Speaker 1: Chuck d is the one who says this perfectly. Uh 1169 01:20:10,840 --> 01:20:14,280 Speaker 1: who I encourage you. He's got an incredible story. He 1170 01:20:14,320 --> 01:20:17,000 Speaker 1: would be a great person to do a podcast with. 1171 01:20:17,840 --> 01:20:20,679 Speaker 1: But we used to be in an audio only world, 1172 01:20:20,760 --> 01:20:23,400 Speaker 1: and I think we're in an audio visual world. So 1173 01:20:23,800 --> 01:20:27,839 Speaker 1: I think video brings context, and I think we're searching 1174 01:20:27,880 --> 01:20:31,080 Speaker 1: for context. You know, the Levy broke, right there used 1175 01:20:31,160 --> 01:20:36,200 Speaker 1: to be very tightly curated ways that you were touched 1176 01:20:36,200 --> 01:20:41,120 Speaker 1: by music, and now, um, the Levy broke, and now 1177 01:20:41,160 --> 01:20:44,400 Speaker 1: there's many, many, many many bands. So now we need 1178 01:20:44,479 --> 01:20:47,760 Speaker 1: a certain amount of curation and some more context. I 1179 01:20:47,800 --> 01:20:50,719 Speaker 1: couldn't agree more. It's a charity of choice. And yeah, 1180 01:20:50,840 --> 01:20:55,160 Speaker 1: and I think that the you know, three point four 1181 01:20:55,240 --> 01:21:00,400 Speaker 1: point oh version of the Internet, we would start seeing 1182 01:21:00,400 --> 01:21:05,240 Speaker 1: more curation and video is important to help provide context 1183 01:21:05,520 --> 01:21:10,759 Speaker 1: as well. Okay, now we live in an era where 1184 01:21:11,040 --> 01:21:14,080 Speaker 1: tracks are less dominant in the culture than they ever 1185 01:21:14,160 --> 01:21:16,320 Speaker 1: were before. It's really spread out. You know, you go 1186 01:21:16,400 --> 01:21:19,040 Speaker 1: back to when we grew up. The hit track literally 1187 01:21:19,080 --> 01:21:21,240 Speaker 1: everybody in society now where if we talk about the 1188 01:21:21,320 --> 01:21:24,280 Speaker 1: number one track, a fewer people know that. But I'm 1189 01:21:24,360 --> 01:21:27,400 Speaker 1: leading up to something different. Why is hip hop the 1190 01:21:27,439 --> 01:21:30,439 Speaker 1: most dominant sound today? You know, I've been watching you 1191 01:21:30,960 --> 01:21:33,760 Speaker 1: raised the banner of hip hop. I don't think it 1192 01:21:33,880 --> 01:21:38,040 Speaker 1: was always you weren't a flag bearer of of hip hop. 1193 01:21:38,160 --> 01:21:41,320 Speaker 1: I've always thought that hip hop was big for the 1194 01:21:41,400 --> 01:21:45,960 Speaker 1: last you know, but it's fantic twenty years. It was 1195 01:21:46,000 --> 01:21:51,000 Speaker 1: gigantic then too. I mean, I mean, you know, I 1196 01:21:51,040 --> 01:21:53,640 Speaker 1: don't actually know. I guess maybe I live in my 1197 01:21:53,680 --> 01:21:58,360 Speaker 1: own little bubble. I I remember Eminem selling ten million 1198 01:21:58,400 --> 01:22:01,400 Speaker 1: plus albums. I mean that was and Chop Liver. I've 1199 01:22:01,479 --> 01:22:05,120 Speaker 1: been feeling hip hop's dominance for a long time. It's 1200 01:22:05,160 --> 01:22:10,000 Speaker 1: scary too, because you know, it's now multigenerational it's used 1201 01:22:10,040 --> 01:22:16,120 Speaker 1: to be. I was always worried about the multi generational aspect. 1202 01:22:16,160 --> 01:22:19,720 Speaker 1: Does my son really want to share his records with me? 1203 01:22:20,120 --> 01:22:23,679 Speaker 1: Where is the battle cry? That isn't the debate between 1204 01:22:23,760 --> 01:22:27,320 Speaker 1: father and son about that is not music. That's just 1205 01:22:27,400 --> 01:22:30,720 Speaker 1: a bunch of crap. We're bumping the same music right now. 1206 01:22:32,479 --> 01:22:35,439 Speaker 1: My son's twenty three. Okay, what does he do? He's 1207 01:22:35,439 --> 01:22:40,360 Speaker 1: in an R three. He's a really remarkable music person. Okay, 1208 01:22:40,400 --> 01:22:42,840 Speaker 1: But getting back to this hip hop thing. I don't 1209 01:22:42,840 --> 01:22:45,920 Speaker 1: want to say that hip hop wasn't big. But if 1210 01:22:45,960 --> 01:22:48,000 Speaker 1: you go on Spotify, which I believe is the most 1211 01:22:48,040 --> 01:22:51,639 Speaker 1: accurate chart today because of consumption, out of the Spotify 1212 01:22:51,720 --> 01:22:55,120 Speaker 1: Top fifty in the United States, thirty five or forty 1213 01:22:55,160 --> 01:22:57,559 Speaker 1: tracks or hip hop tracks, I don't really pay attention 1214 01:22:57,640 --> 01:23:00,559 Speaker 1: to things like that bomb. I mean, if you look, 1215 01:23:00,720 --> 01:23:03,400 Speaker 1: I don't. Honestly, I don't pay attention to it. I 1216 01:23:03,479 --> 01:23:09,160 Speaker 1: remember when I was invited to the first World Congress 1217 01:23:09,200 --> 01:23:12,840 Speaker 1: of PolyGram or something like that, and I was flying 1218 01:23:12,880 --> 01:23:15,759 Speaker 1: from London to Seville and I was next to the 1219 01:23:15,760 --> 01:23:19,519 Speaker 1: head lawyer of PolyGram and he said, so, where is 1220 01:23:19,600 --> 01:23:23,640 Speaker 1: hip hop going? I said, I don't know. He says, what, 1221 01:23:23,640 --> 01:23:26,400 Speaker 1: what do we pay you millions millions of dollars for? 1222 01:23:27,240 --> 01:23:29,400 Speaker 1: And I said, I hope you don't pay me millions 1223 01:23:29,400 --> 01:23:33,559 Speaker 1: of dollars. I've never weather veined music. I never made 1224 01:23:33,560 --> 01:23:37,360 Speaker 1: any declarations you that's for you to do. I hope 1225 01:23:37,400 --> 01:23:41,960 Speaker 1: that I've created an environment that some kid aspires to 1226 01:23:42,000 --> 01:23:44,680 Speaker 1: be on my label, that will be the person that 1227 01:23:44,720 --> 01:23:49,200 Speaker 1: will ultimately change your direction as safe place for an 1228 01:23:49,280 --> 01:23:53,240 Speaker 1: artist to change the world. And so when you talk 1229 01:23:53,280 --> 01:23:56,479 Speaker 1: about hip hop dominance and that you're just making, you're 1230 01:23:56,560 --> 01:24:00,680 Speaker 1: just it's you're calling its end right now, you're you know, 1231 01:24:00,880 --> 01:24:05,760 Speaker 1: and after something is big, something gets small. I don't know. 1232 01:24:05,920 --> 01:24:09,559 Speaker 1: I just I don't pay attention to talk about some 1233 01:24:09,600 --> 01:24:13,120 Speaker 1: of these issues. I believe rock is dead. Now, you're 1234 01:24:13,160 --> 01:24:14,760 Speaker 1: not predicting the future. You want to weigh in on 1235 01:24:14,800 --> 01:24:19,160 Speaker 1: that until it isn't, Bob, until it isn't about jazz? 1236 01:24:19,240 --> 01:24:22,320 Speaker 1: Is jazz dead? No? Hell no, are you kidding me? 1237 01:24:23,360 --> 01:24:27,479 Speaker 1: Jazz is dead. No people say jazz is dead, Bob, Bob. 1238 01:24:27,560 --> 01:24:32,920 Speaker 1: Only only people that are trying to weather vane and 1239 01:24:32,960 --> 01:24:37,799 Speaker 1: put numbers two things, um that need to declare something 1240 01:24:38,400 --> 01:24:41,519 Speaker 1: like I said, that's your gig. I don't think I've 1241 01:24:41,560 --> 01:24:43,599 Speaker 1: never been a part of that. I go to jazz 1242 01:24:43,600 --> 01:24:47,599 Speaker 1: clubs right now. Okay, So how much do you play music? Now? 1243 01:24:48,600 --> 01:24:51,120 Speaker 1: Me play music a lot, and you play old stuff, 1244 01:24:51,120 --> 01:24:54,680 Speaker 1: new stuff, all stuff new stuff. And if you you know, 1245 01:24:54,720 --> 01:24:57,320 Speaker 1: the old Desert Island question had to take two or 1246 01:24:57,360 --> 01:24:59,840 Speaker 1: three records or albums to the Desert Island. What were 1247 01:24:59,880 --> 01:25:03,040 Speaker 1: the You have to be a Zeppelin record for you 1248 01:25:03,240 --> 01:25:05,360 Speaker 1: have to why I thought it would be a hip 1249 01:25:05,400 --> 01:25:07,320 Speaker 1: hop record? I just honest, Well, you said I get 1250 01:25:07,400 --> 01:25:11,799 Speaker 1: two or three? Man, of course Zeppelin, which was on Atlantic. 1251 01:25:11,800 --> 01:25:13,800 Speaker 1: Where do you have a specific Zeppelin record you want 1252 01:25:13,800 --> 01:25:17,439 Speaker 1: to weigh in on too? Okay, led Zeppelin too, Yeah, Okay, 1253 01:25:17,520 --> 01:25:20,120 Speaker 1: Living Loving, Thank you a whole lot of Okay, two 1254 01:25:20,120 --> 01:25:22,519 Speaker 1: more records. I would say, they have to be a 1255 01:25:22,560 --> 01:25:25,439 Speaker 1: public enemy record for me. Okay, can Chuck? Do you 1256 01:25:25,439 --> 01:25:30,040 Speaker 1: have another hit? For sure? For sure? But the definition 1257 01:25:30,080 --> 01:25:34,760 Speaker 1: of a hit is something that I've always had trouble with. 1258 01:25:35,400 --> 01:25:38,120 Speaker 1: What is a hit? It allows you to go on 1259 01:25:38,240 --> 01:25:42,320 Speaker 1: tour and engage ring the bell and engage your audience, 1260 01:25:42,720 --> 01:25:47,519 Speaker 1: and it allows you to have enough um fanfare for 1261 01:25:47,600 --> 01:25:51,240 Speaker 1: people to go and put their hard earned money to 1262 01:25:51,680 --> 01:25:56,400 Speaker 1: see you live and to bring a community together. I 1263 01:25:56,400 --> 01:25:58,680 Speaker 1: don't know what the definition of a hit is these days. Well, 1264 01:25:58,680 --> 01:26:00,760 Speaker 1: I would say there's two types of hit. What is 1265 01:26:00,800 --> 01:26:03,439 Speaker 1: a hit The track is fantastic, whether it's spreads or not. 1266 01:26:04,000 --> 01:26:06,559 Speaker 1: Then there's the commercial hit where it has some level 1267 01:26:06,560 --> 01:26:10,040 Speaker 1: of ubiquity. Yeah, So that's what I what I mean 1268 01:26:10,640 --> 01:26:13,120 Speaker 1: you meant you meant the ladder, yes, and the other 1269 01:26:13,320 --> 01:26:17,759 Speaker 1: the ladder most likely not because Chuck has never woke 1270 01:26:18,280 --> 01:26:20,559 Speaker 1: He never woke up trying to do that. You have 1271 01:26:20,640 --> 01:26:23,840 Speaker 1: to wake up sometimes trying to do that right to 1272 01:26:23,960 --> 01:26:27,639 Speaker 1: get ubiquity. Um, Chuck never woke up. Do you How 1273 01:26:27,880 --> 01:26:30,200 Speaker 1: big a factor you believe agism is in hip hop? 1274 01:26:30,600 --> 01:26:33,840 Speaker 1: Of course ages has something to do with it, but 1275 01:26:33,920 --> 01:26:36,600 Speaker 1: it's more about a little bit of a secret. The 1276 01:26:36,760 --> 01:26:42,280 Speaker 1: moment from obscurity to celebrity has the highest velocity. That's 1277 01:26:42,479 --> 01:26:46,719 Speaker 1: where the most hey can get made. At a certain moment, 1278 01:26:47,120 --> 01:26:50,640 Speaker 1: after a certain period of time, there's a certain expectation. 1279 01:26:50,760 --> 01:26:54,880 Speaker 1: You don't get any dap from your friends, turning them 1280 01:26:54,920 --> 01:26:59,720 Speaker 1: onto another jay Z Right. So the velocity is much 1281 01:26:59,760 --> 01:27:03,840 Speaker 1: big earlier on a career, which has nothing to do 1282 01:27:03,920 --> 01:27:06,720 Speaker 1: with age. It's the little secret that becomes a much 1283 01:27:06,720 --> 01:27:10,240 Speaker 1: bigger secret. Period of time of velocity I think is 1284 01:27:10,880 --> 01:27:13,920 Speaker 1: And since we're playing this game, what's the third album? 1285 01:27:14,080 --> 01:27:16,519 Speaker 1: I'm gonna have to get back to you, Bob. That's 1286 01:27:16,560 --> 01:27:19,040 Speaker 1: fine with me. It's a very dear album. Okay, So 1287 01:27:20,320 --> 01:27:23,360 Speaker 1: at this point in time, what about you, Bump, Well, 1288 01:27:23,400 --> 01:27:25,519 Speaker 1: I always say if I was in a desert island, 1289 01:27:25,960 --> 01:27:28,120 Speaker 1: I would bring and this is kind of a humorous thing. 1290 01:27:28,120 --> 01:27:30,320 Speaker 1: I would say a C d C Back in Black 1291 01:27:30,360 --> 01:27:33,639 Speaker 1: and Joni Mitchell Blue and one is a very noisy record, 1292 01:27:33,960 --> 01:27:36,240 Speaker 1: and one is a very quiet record, illustrating that my 1293 01:27:36,400 --> 01:27:40,120 Speaker 1: taste are somewhat broad. Now it's funny because taste were broad, 1294 01:27:40,520 --> 01:27:43,120 Speaker 1: then they narrowed, and then in the Internet era they 1295 01:27:43,200 --> 01:27:46,000 Speaker 1: broadened again. Beautiful, okay, which I think is great. I 1296 01:27:46,000 --> 01:27:48,519 Speaker 1: mean especially I think one of the most fascinating things 1297 01:27:48,600 --> 01:27:51,040 Speaker 1: is the amount of hip hop there is in country music. 1298 01:27:51,520 --> 01:27:54,800 Speaker 1: Even people brought up in you know, rural areas, are 1299 01:27:54,840 --> 01:27:57,160 Speaker 1: are you know, as opposed to urban areas. Well. Luke 1300 01:27:57,240 --> 01:28:00,240 Speaker 1: Lewis and I started a company called Lost high Way. 1301 01:28:00,280 --> 01:28:03,479 Speaker 1: I don't know if you're fantastic. So the reason why 1302 01:28:03,520 --> 01:28:09,040 Speaker 1: we founded that record um company was that we believed 1303 01:28:09,600 --> 01:28:13,719 Speaker 1: that the society of country was so rigid. But these kids, 1304 01:28:14,479 --> 01:28:19,840 Speaker 1: even though they respected the great songwriting and culture of country, 1305 01:28:19,880 --> 01:28:24,120 Speaker 1: they also loved Chris Cobain and Public Enemy, and we 1306 01:28:24,120 --> 01:28:27,880 Speaker 1: were interested in those artists. We didn't get all the 1307 01:28:27,920 --> 01:28:30,240 Speaker 1: way to our mission, but we had, you know, Ryan 1308 01:28:30,280 --> 01:28:34,160 Speaker 1: Adams and Lucinda and Brother where Art Dow and stuff 1309 01:28:34,200 --> 01:28:35,960 Speaker 1: like that. But we were going to get to the 1310 01:28:36,040 --> 01:28:43,680 Speaker 1: hip hop country flavored was Jamie Johnson on the Lost Hollyby. Okay, 1311 01:28:43,960 --> 01:28:46,559 Speaker 1: So in the time you have left on the planet, 1312 01:28:46,640 --> 01:28:51,559 Speaker 1: what would you like to achieve? Oh? Wow, that's a 1313 01:28:51,600 --> 01:28:57,840 Speaker 1: beautiful question. UM. I would love to continue, you know, 1314 01:28:58,080 --> 01:29:03,439 Speaker 1: parenting and being a great father to my children and 1315 01:29:04,320 --> 01:29:11,160 Speaker 1: great husband to my wife. Um uh, contributor to my community. UM. 1316 01:29:11,200 --> 01:29:14,799 Speaker 1: I feel in the middle of my mission of bring 1317 01:29:14,840 --> 01:29:19,479 Speaker 1: diversity to distribution, and and helping the labels and and 1318 01:29:19,479 --> 01:29:24,799 Speaker 1: and Google and YouTube collaborate and work together. UM signed 1319 01:29:24,840 --> 01:29:29,200 Speaker 1: some more dope bass acts that changed the world, and 1320 01:29:29,200 --> 01:29:36,160 Speaker 1: and UM i'd like to keep contributing UM in a 1321 01:29:36,280 --> 01:29:41,080 Speaker 1: very positive way. I don't know. I think we've really 1322 01:29:41,080 --> 01:29:42,880 Speaker 1: covered it here. We've got your history to your president. 1323 01:29:43,000 --> 01:29:45,040 Speaker 1: Is there anything that we didn't discuss that you feel 1324 01:29:45,040 --> 01:29:47,280 Speaker 1: a need to go to a shipload of things we 1325 01:29:47,320 --> 01:29:51,439 Speaker 1: didn't discuss, But UM, I appreciate your time. You know, 1326 01:29:51,560 --> 01:29:54,639 Speaker 1: this has been wonderful. You've been very open. I certainly 1327 01:29:54,680 --> 01:29:56,479 Speaker 1: learned things about you that I don't know, and I 1328 01:29:56,520 --> 01:29:59,000 Speaker 1: think we've humanized you for people who just know you. 1329 01:29:59,360 --> 01:30:01,160 Speaker 1: There's maybe a art board, they make fun of you 1330 01:30:01,200 --> 01:30:04,240 Speaker 1: and Hits magazine. You're working at YouTube. This has been 1331 01:30:04,280 --> 01:30:08,040 Speaker 1: absolutely wonderful. Thank you. You're so welcome. You know, I 1332 01:30:08,080 --> 01:30:11,560 Speaker 1: wake up every morning and I know who I am. 1333 01:30:11,600 --> 01:30:15,040 Speaker 1: You know, and the people who actually know me know 1334 01:30:15,160 --> 01:30:19,160 Speaker 1: who I am. And I never really concentrated or really 1335 01:30:19,200 --> 01:30:22,160 Speaker 1: cared too much about what other people thought about me, 1336 01:30:22,280 --> 01:30:25,160 Speaker 1: especially those that don't know who I am so well. 1337 01:30:25,200 --> 01:30:27,439 Speaker 1: I know from previous discussions when there have been people 1338 01:30:27,760 --> 01:30:31,439 Speaker 1: shooting arrows at you, you you managed to compartmentalize that, 1339 01:30:31,479 --> 01:30:33,720 Speaker 1: not let that bother you. It's always stuck with me 1340 01:30:33,720 --> 01:30:36,559 Speaker 1: because so many people are saying, oh, saying but not you. Yeah, 1341 01:30:36,760 --> 01:30:40,040 Speaker 1: you stayed with the mission. No I want to You know, 1342 01:30:40,120 --> 01:30:43,599 Speaker 1: I remember when I was in elementary school and because 1343 01:30:43,640 --> 01:30:47,680 Speaker 1: of my funky name and my accent. Where does the 1344 01:30:47,720 --> 01:30:51,439 Speaker 1: accent come from? It's a it's a guttural m Hebrew 1345 01:30:51,920 --> 01:30:55,559 Speaker 1: accent mixed with speech therapy. They try to get rid 1346 01:30:55,600 --> 01:30:58,920 Speaker 1: of my art. You know, I literally walked around this 1347 01:30:59,080 --> 01:31:02,160 Speaker 1: earth without an are four year and a half Webbitt 1348 01:31:02,160 --> 01:31:05,840 Speaker 1: won in elementary school. They thought that some you know, 1349 01:31:06,040 --> 01:31:08,920 Speaker 1: well funded during the Reagan era or something like that. 1350 01:31:09,600 --> 01:31:13,439 Speaker 1: Um every Wednesday, they came in and got me for 1351 01:31:13,520 --> 01:31:16,320 Speaker 1: speech therapy, and they thought they could fix my Hebrew 1352 01:31:16,360 --> 01:31:21,240 Speaker 1: are I kept telling them it's a Hebrew accent. Um. 1353 01:31:21,280 --> 01:31:24,000 Speaker 1: You know, it's not only lived in Israel for three years. 1354 01:31:24,320 --> 01:31:27,519 Speaker 1: But if you if you understand Hebrew, it's a gut 1355 01:31:27,560 --> 01:31:32,080 Speaker 1: or r and that's the hardest thing to change. So anyhow, 1356 01:31:32,080 --> 01:31:37,920 Speaker 1: I remember um wanting to play baseball after school, and 1357 01:31:38,000 --> 01:31:40,479 Speaker 1: because of my name and because of my accent, they 1358 01:31:40,520 --> 01:31:43,920 Speaker 1: always picked me last. And I never got mad, but 1359 01:31:44,000 --> 01:31:48,280 Speaker 1: I chased down every fucking ball. Um that I just 1360 01:31:48,320 --> 01:31:52,200 Speaker 1: like converting people based on my work, not by you know, 1361 01:31:52,880 --> 01:31:55,439 Speaker 1: all that stuff. So one of the many lessons you've 1362 01:31:55,439 --> 01:31:58,120 Speaker 1: gotten from New York calling today. Once again, thanks for 1363 01:31:58,160 --> 01:32:01,080 Speaker 1: being on the Bob left Sets podcast. Good luck, Bob, 1364 01:32:01,240 --> 01:32:07,280 Speaker 1: thank you. That wraps up this week's episode of the 1365 01:32:07,320 --> 01:32:10,759 Speaker 1: Bob left Sets podcast, recorded at the tune In studios 1366 01:32:10,800 --> 01:32:13,840 Speaker 1: here in Venice, California. I hope you like listening to 1367 01:32:13,920 --> 01:32:17,000 Speaker 1: this conversation with le Or. I thought it was phenomenal. 1368 01:32:17,680 --> 01:32:19,519 Speaker 1: I'd love to get your feedback and know if the 1369 01:32:19,520 --> 01:32:21,920 Speaker 1: same is true for you. Email me at Bob at 1370 01:32:22,000 --> 01:32:25,840 Speaker 1: left sets dot com. Until next time, I'm Bob left sets,