Mogul Talk: Jermaine Dupri on Bringing His Story to BET's 'Music Moguls' & Bosses Who Inspire Him

Mogul Talk: Jermaine Dupri on Bringing His Story to BET's 'Music Moguls' & Bosses Who Inspire Him

  

Jermaine Dupri

 

Music moguls aren't born. Their entrepreneurial endeavors, behavior in the boardroom and the guidance and mentorship they offer to up-and-coming artists are just a few traits that make them VIPs in the music industry. You’re more likely to see their accomplishments in an album’s liner notes than in the public eye.

On Tuesday (June 28), BET is shining the spotlight on music's biggest bosses with Music Moguls, a new docuseries starring Birdman, Dame Dash, Snoop Dogg and Jermaine Dupri. Helmed by L. Plummer Media's CEO Lemuel Plummer and executive producer Chad Greulauch, the eight-episode series follows each mogul as they navigate through the hip-hop business while balancing their personal lives. Dupri is a veteran rapper, producer and esteemed exec behind the careers of Mariah Carey, Usher, and Bow Wow. He also recently teamed up with Queen Latifah for Lifetime’s The Rap Game.

In episode one of Music Moguls, Dupri meets 14-year-old wiz kid Carson Lueders for the first time before taking him under his wing. Viewers also catch JD in sit-down meetings with co-star Dash in Los Angeles, discussing his latest ventures and learning game from him. Speaking to Billboard from Atlanta, Dupri talked about how Common’s manager, Derek Dudley, encouraged him to get involved with Music Moguls, broke down his meeting with Dash and described how Lueders and Bow Wow share similarities as kid stars from different genres.

One of my old managers, Derek Dudley, who actually manages Common. He basically hit me and was like, "JD, they really want you to do this show." He was telling me how important he felt it would be just for my story. I work so much and I’m in the studio so much, creating artists -- that aspect of what I do is never seen on TV. I’m really behind the scenes as a producer when I’m making my artists, creating the right songs and finding artists. When he explained it to me like, "Yo, it’s an opportunity to show the world what you actually really do. People don’t really understand what Jermaine Dupri does than other people that people call moguls." When he said it to me like that, that’s when it kind of clicked for me. "OK, I’ll do it," he said.

Oh, of course. I did "Money Ain’t a Thang" with Jay Z. We had to do that. That was a collaboration between me and Roc-A-Fella. I’ve been knowing Dame for the longest. I’ve known Snoop before he even came out. Snoop is my homeboy. Snoop was the one who actually gave me Bow Wow. And Birdman is from the South. Me and him have done a lot of s--t. Lil Wayne was on Bow Wow’s album before Lil Wayne blew up. All of these dudes are my friends. 

Nah, I’m a producer. He did exactly what I wanted him to do. Basically, I wanted to have a conversation with him. Like I said, I saw this TV show that he was doing. I wanted to ask questions. One thing people don’t understand about Jermaine Dupri is that I’m a sponge of the music industry, the hip-hop world, all of that s--t. Everybody that’s a mogul or that you consider a mogul, I watched and I listened to their moves. I don’t copy what they do. I just watch and I use it as motivation and inspiration.

I don’t think that Dame really knows that about me. I don’t think he knew that’s what I was basically saying, "Yo, I’m watching you. I see what you’re doing so I’m asking you questions about what it is 'cause I’m curious and I want you to be motivated." Dame has been a mover and shaker in this hip-hop world for a long time. I respected him, regardless of how people thought he was and if he was an a--hole. He took his brand so serious and made sure he fought for everything that he wanted. Some people take that as you being an a--hole, I take that as that man is being serious about his business and he ain’t gonna do anything to let him f--k up his business.
 
As a producer, I was influenced by Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor and then Teddy Riley. If you look at the way I created my company, it was based on what Hurby had with Salt-N-Pepa, Kid 'N Play and Kwamé, and just having multiple groups after multiple groups. He didn’t take it as far as I took it but the way he was putting out artists was what I looked at. They was doing different s--t and they was all under his umbrella. I used to talk to Hurby and his brother. We was all cool.

The only way people were really paying attention to you is if you had No. 1 records. I was just trying to figure out the Teddy Riley route. This dude made non-stop No. 1 records. There was no way nobody could f--k with him. I’m trying to figure this out: how do I make No. 1 record after No. 1 record, but at the same time have the groups be separate [apart from the solo artists] like how Hurby had his situation with Salt-N-Pepa and Kid 'N Play? Them two guys are really what I was paying attention to from the business standpoint.

Something that ain’t here right now or something that’s needed – more or less than anything. Something that’s needed or something’s that not in our face at that particular point in time.

Carson is definitely a pop star and he’s only 14 years old. He’s not really privy to the real history of Jermaine Dupri until you start really, really directing the energy and telling him what that is. That was my first time meeting him on the show. That’s the one thing I like about Music Moguls because it is real organic like that. That’s a real meeting — not staged or nothing like that. It’s crazy because when I met Carson, the thing that he says on episodeone  is, "Well, Melinda [Bell] told me you played in a celebrity all-star game." And I’m like, "What does that have to do with us making music?" He was like, "Did you play in a celebrity basketball game with like Chris Brown and all these other guys?" And I’m like, "Yeah." He was like, "Oh my God, I can’t wait to do that. That’s what I wanted to do." I’m like, "We here to talk about music." His whole focus was to play basketball. At that very moment, that’s when I had a Bow Wow flashback. That’s what Bow Wow was. That’s why we did Like Mike because that’s what Bow Wow cared about. He didn’t care about s--t else. He was just like, "Yo, I wanna play basketball."

I have seen it with girls but you know Carson has 1.3 million Instagram followers so I guess that would be equivalent to what I saw with Kriss Kross at the mall. Carson has more Instagram followers than me and he don’t have one hit record out so of course I’m saying the same s--t in my mind that I said when I saw Kriss Kross. I’m like, "Yo, if this guy gets a hit record, this dude is gonna be huge!" I said the same thing about Kriss Kross like, "Yo, if these guys get a hit record and they already got girls in the mall acting like this and they don’t have no music out, what’s gonna happen when they get a record out?" Of course, I had the same feeling. Of course, that’s exactly what I am thinking.

Music Moguls airs on Tuesday, June 28 on BET at 9 p.m. ET.

Actor Jesse Williams Addresses Racism In BET Awards Speech

Actor Jesse Williams Addresses Racism In BET Awards Speech

 

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Actor Jesse Williams won the Humanitarian Award at last night’s BET Awards but the Temple Alum’s win isn’t what got people talking on social media. Rather, it was the acceptance speech he gave after.

“This award… this is not for me. This is for the real organizers all over the country — the activists the civil rights attorneys, the struggling parents, the families, the teachers of students, that are realizing that a system built to divide and impoverish and destroy us cannot stand if we do,” Williams said after thanking his parents and wife in the audience.

For full story go to:  http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

Beyonce opened the 2016 BET Awards in characteristically dynamic style alongside Kendrick Lamar.

Beyonce opened the 2016 BET Awards in characteristically dynamic style alongside Kendrick Lamar. 

  

In an unannounced appearance, Beyonce opened the 2016 BET Awards in characteristically dynamic style. Standing in a giant pool of water and surrounded by dancers bathed in a red light, she delivered a powerful performance of "Freedom," from her latest album Lemonade.

But Beyonce's performance wasn't the only surprise; Kendrick Lamar, featured on the album version of the track, emerged from below the floor in front of the stage to spit his verse before joining Beyonce in the pool of water as the two stomped through the song's epic finale, leaving a final lasting image of the two of them side by side, Bey's arm on Kendrick's shoulder. For an awards show that is promising a much-hyped tribute to Prince as its finale, this was an opening that lived up to the anticipation.
 
Beyonce and Kendrick are both enjoying a fantastic 2016, musically, as Lemonade topped the Billboard 200 upon its surprise release April 23, while Kendrick's untitled unmastered project, also released as a surprise, did the same when it came out in March.

Drake and Future went on to win Best Group in the first televised award of the evening, and Future and DJ Esco came out to accept the award from Taraji P. Henson. Maxwell, Usher, Alicia Keys and more are scheduled to perform later in the show.

Wyclef Jean Talks 'Carnival III,' Donald Trump & If He Regrets Running for President in Haiti

Wyclef Jean Talks 'Carnival III,' Donald Trump & If He Regrets Running for President in Haiti

  

Wyclef Jean turned a summer Friday in the Hamptons into a private fiesta for the celebration of his forthcoming album Carnival III: Road to Clefication. The former Fugees frontman sported an elaborate white headdress while pounding on the drums and mingling with his guests, a mix of journalists, tastemakers, Heads Music label reps and guests of the lavish Hamptons mansion owners, before performing a late-night set that included his feel-good dance number "My Girl" featuring Sasha Mari.

Attendees zoned out to Carnival III with individual headphones, either laying out poolside or flocking to the private beach. Beyond "My Girl," Jean strummed his pain and joy with songs like "Hendrix," his latest single that tackles the temptations of a rock-star lifestyle; "Rich Girl," an infectious tune co-starring Pusha T; "Thank God for the Culture," a soulful thank you to hip-hop; and the uplifting finale "Carry On." After the sunny listening session, Billboard sat down with Jean to discuss his early carnival memories, current events, his stance on Trump and that time he ran for president in Haiti.

Describe your first memory attending a carnival.

[My] first memory of a carnival is a place of escape. My first actual carnival as a kid was in Coney Island, Brooklyn. People think he's from the West Indies, but no, it's like my first memory -- when you come to America and go to a carnival. It's like being in a magical world as a kid. I saw a lot of clowns, people on stilts and circus women. I went on a roller coaster, I saw people on stilts. I saw the circus women and the girls flipping. I wanted to flip them then I wanted to go to gymnastics after that.

What is it about a carnival that made it a muse for your music? 

The carnival is a space where it doesn't have a cover and it can't be linked to any form of music. It's an eclectic zone of costumes, culture and people altogether. For example, Mexico and Cinco De Mayo, you attribute that. If you could actually take footage from all places in the world and put them together, it would still equal "carnival" because that's a place where there's no color. It just is.

What was different about making Carnival III versus your previous two offerings?

I dropped the ball on Carnival II. I felt it could've been bigger because I was getting into politics. I was starting to shift away from music for a minute. So after I did "Sweetest Girl," I shifted into [running for president of] Haiti. I think with Carnival I, there was definitely a focus -- my picture of how I see the world. With Carnival III, it was like the world back to Clefication. It was like I saw all roots leading back to music. After everything I've been through, it's like music still has that power to heal. Then it just pours out naturally because it's the whole undertone of a carnival. Marvin Gaye had the song "What's Going On" and the whole thing with this album, it felt like where's the love? People forgot we're supposed to be having a good time with all this killing and everything.

Did you feel like you needed to make an uplifting album because of the tragedies being covered in the news?

In a non-calculated way, I just felt like we have to uplift ourselves. I'm tired of people saying, "Oh, somebody just got killed. Somebody has cancer." Even the person with cancer is like, "Sing me an uplifting song!" So the idea of this [album] is definitely uplifting but at the same time it still reminds... Like the last song of the album is called "Carry On." No matter what we do, we gotta carry on. And then on the bonus track "Hey Joe," I'm singing, "Hey Joe, where you goin with that gun?" And it's still like, yo, this is reality, and we can't run from realities -- we gotta spread them. I just felt like I wanted to make music to make you escape for a second.

Do you feel music is going in the direction that it should be?

I look at my daughter -- she's 11. She listens to Wyclef and inspired "My Girl" but at the same time, she listens to [Desiigner's] "Panda" and knows every lyric. She listens to Coldplay and knows Coldplay. I just think what happens is when people like us are on our trail and we're coming back and we say we wanna do another album for the generation, the key is to do something so when Desiigner hears it, he gets inspired; so when Chance the Rapper hears it, he gets inspired; so when Drake hears it, they get inspired, because they grew up loving the sport.

When people like us from the '90s decide that we're gonna come back, we have to be like, "You don't have to change who you are -- you can still be you." Like on "Hendrix," dudes like yo, he trappin' on guitar, Clef sounds like Future with no Auto-Tune or it's like Future sounds like Clef with Auto-Tune. It opens the conversation for the kids.

Why did you place Pusha T on "Rich Girl"? 

I'm a big fan of Pusha T. Pusha T is like Miles Davis to me -- the rap is just raw and real. It's new with the 

trumpet as you hear it [on the song]. I wanted to put that contrast with his voice, and the contrast just sounded incredible. 

Listening to your album, it feels like you were making a lot of music for a special bae, like "For A Man." Do you always feel the need to cater to women when you make music? 

Always! I mean that's a must. I come from a woman -- she's first. A woman is beautiful, she's always gotta hear that she's the one and you have to pay that acknowledgment. It's just, as a man, it's important. Men need to hear certain things too. I be talking for the dudes too that wanna hear something, but you know, the record "For A Man" is just telling women like yeah, you are doing the right thing. It's cool to be doing things for your man -- live for your man, die for your man, love your man, hire a stripper, put a pole in the middle, spend that money, get your freak goin', so you can remix it.

One line from your album that stuck out was "Where I'm from, the good die young." Was there a specific incident, whether it was the recent Orlando shootings or police brutality cases across America, that made you head straight to the studio?

I'm always in the studio. You get inspired at certain moments, though. I would say a lot of different moments.
When I saw what was going on in Baltimore, I went in and knew I had to do something. What's going on in Orlando, even just the gator story, and before that, the gorilla story, it's deep because you see all of that debate and talk.

I'm a nerd and thought I was gonna be a judge but when you see the talk about the gorilla and then they had to take the gorilla out, it was a sad thing but if that gorilla had gotten scared in, he would've smashed that kid's brains out in seconds.

We have all of these things happening in the world ... The shootings -- there's no words for that. We've seen
it countless times, over and over again, on Obama's watch. I'm like one of those very militant and realist [people].

I don't have any facade or hype -- it's just me. I understand gun control is very important but at the same time, it scares me because I think the mercenaries already have the guns and that they hide them in their basements somewhere.

I see so many cowardly acts where so many innocent people are constantly caught out there with no firearms or no nothing.

That makes me emotional because what happens if I'm in my crib and somebody just popped up on me, which these days is the number one possibility.

Cowards like to approach people like that. That's why they're cowards. I just think we need more love in the world, and at the same time, we're approaching dangerous times. And during dangerous times, we gotta stick together.


What do you remember about running for president in Haiti? Do you regret that? Do you feel like you could've done more? 
I never regret anything because you know they say whatever don't kill you, make you stronger. I did shake Mandela's hand. I spent time with him. When people saw me with the Fugees wrapping that [Haitian] flag around me, I wasn't another rapper that wanted to speak from an emotional place. It's that same energy that made me feel like I could run for president. When I decided I was gonna run, I was gonna win when they did the data analytics. They used every power they could possibly restore to take me out. This is not Kanye saying one man having all that power -- it's not a song, not in pop culture. I'm one man who had all that power for real, like with one button, I could explode the country with five million Haitians with guns ready to blow up the place for whatever I say but I understood that the true ideology is not to let your ego get in the way. Egos will destroy mankind so I never did it for myself -- I did it for the people. If you do something for someone, you can't be mad if they throw rocks at you or they take you to a cross, you already accepted that they were gonna do that. You keep your eyes open and you await the resurrection because you already know it was over for yourself. Everything that I do for my people, I was doing for my people. At the end of the day, I just want the youth to get their share -- free education and the opportunity to work.
Who are you voting for in this crazy 2016 election? 
Bernie Sanders had the right message. The youth just have to be reminded that they the ones with the power and that's what Bernie reminded us of. [In 2015], people were saying, "Yo, you were dissing Trump on stage" and I say no I wasn't dissing Trump, I was just making my political voice heard. I could never be in a position to support someone who thinks a minority group of people are all a certain way, because once you do that, you're targeting me, you're targeting Mexicans, you're targeting all of us. The reason the United States of America, the land of immigrants, is so special is because it takes all of us together and we become America. Everyone can see at this point that Trump is just an egomaniac. We definitely gotta make sure that we vote.
You've also been working hand-in-hand with Heads Music and Heads Audio. 
I'm just excited about this new label and all the young artists on Heads Music. Also, while you're listening to my album, you're hearing different sound effects through a software that I'm building called Super stereo. Heads [Audio] has partnered up with creative technology in labs out of Singapore. This is crazy shit, so me, scientists and the head of Creative Labs, we got together. I was crazy and wanted to take everything that was stereo and turn it to Super stereo. One day, a man said we gonna take black and white TV and turn it into color. Another man comes out and says, "I wanna take color and turn it into high def." That's what I was doing with sound. I also got with [Heads CEO] Madeline Nelson and her thing was to build artist development from scratch. She has all these incredible artists, and so I came and was like, "Look, partner up with me on my software and we can do this! This music is gonna be your Smokey Robinson." And she said, "Oh, that means you'll sign to the label!"

Is Philly’s Sugary Drink Tax Legal?

Is Philly’s Sugary Drink Tax Legal?

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Mayor Jim Kenney is set to sign the Sugary Drink Tax into law on Monday. Critics have called the tax unconstitutional and they are preparing for a legal fight.

But, do opponents of the measure actually have a legal leg to stand on?

Effective January 1, beverage distributors will be taxed 1.5 cents per ounce of sugary and diet beverages distributed throughout Philadelphia. City Council gave their final vote on Thursday, right after opponents vowed to take immediate legal action.
“We believe we’re on strong legal ground,” Mayor Kenney. “We’ll see what they do, how they do it, how they approach it.”

For full story go to:  http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

Hundreds in line for slain 'Voice' singer's services

Hundreds in line for slain 'Voice' singer's services

MEDFORD, N.J. (AP) -- Hundreds of friends and fans stood in line and thousands more were expected Friday at a memorial service for "The Voice" singer Christina Grimmie.

The 22-year-old was shot to death last week as she signed autographs after a show in Orlando, Florida. Her assailant fatally shot himself.

Among those offering their condolences to Grimmie's family were Alissa and Joseph Canto. The husband and wife from outside Rochester, New York, said they drove 7 hours to come to the services at Fellowship Alliance Chapel.

The couple, both 24, said they've been fans since Grimmie launched her YouTube channel as a high school student.

"We have been fans for years but we didn't know how much we appreciated her until she passed," Alissa Canto said.

A public memorial service was scheduled for later Friday night.

Authorities said Grimmie was gunned down by Kevin Loibl the night of June 10 as she signed autographs after the Orlando show. A motive for the shooting has not been determined. Authorities said she had no personal connection to Loibl, who fatally shot himself after being tackled by her brother.

Grimmie was a YouTube star who was widely known from her appearances on NBC's "The Voice" two years ago. She lived in Evesham, a small community about 20 miles from Philadelphia, before moving to Los Angeles in 2012.

Pop star Adam Levine, who mentored Grimmie when she finished third on "The Voice," offered on Monday to pay for the funeral expenses.

Grimmie was buried in a private ceremony Thursday.

Inside the church on Friday, a large picture of her was displayed on an easel and her music was playing as people filed past to pay their respects.

Grimmie often cited her mother's ongoing battle with breast cancer as her inspiration, including during her first appearance on "The Voice" in 2014, where her mother sobbed in the wings at her rendition of Miley Cyrus's 

"Wrecking Ball."

Her killing was the first of three tragedies for Orlando in the last week. Early Sunday, a massacre at gay nightclub Pulse left 49 dead in the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history. On Tuesday, a 2-year-old Nebraska boy was attacked by an alligator and killed at Walt Disney World.

'The Birth of a Nation' Previews and 11 More Vital Synchs Driving Music Publishing Revenue

'The Birth of  a Nation' Previews and 11 More Vital Synchs Driving Music Publishing Revenue

  

The Birth of a Nation

The song is one of the most haunting in American history. "Strange Fruit," recorded in 1939 by Billie Holiday, was written by New York poet-activist Abel Meeropol after seeing a ­photograph of a 1930 lynching -- "black body swinging in the Southern breeze," he wrote.

"Strange Fruit," which Time named as the song of the century in 1999, now is heard in the preview promoting the October release of the slave-revolt movie The Birth of a Nation, ­distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures. It is a rare example of a synchronization license for use of the song, says Miles Feinberg, executive vp at Music Sales Corp., which owns rights to the work.

"The importance of the song is certainly not lost on us," says Feinberg. "It contributed to the civil rights
movement, so we've been very ­protective of it."

Feinberg reports that licensing requests for "Strange Fruit" have increased in recent years. His theory? "The song captures an anger and feeling of injustice that's appearing in American culture right now," he says. But Music Sales Corp. turns down most requests, he adds, saying that few match the prestige of the tune.
 
One opportunity, however, that captured the song's spirit arose after director-actor Nate Parker premiered The Birth of a Nation at the Sundance Film Festival in January. Music ­supervisor Maura Duval Griffin solicited songs for its trailer, seeking music that was "dark and menacing, but with elevated lyrics about race struggles and history." She referenced Kanye West's 2013 track "Blood on the Leaves," which itself had sampled Nina Simone's 1965 version of "Strange Fruit."

In fact, West's request to license "Strange Fruit" was one of the few times that Music Sales Corp. approved sampling of the song. The ­publisher suggested use of Simone's version for the film ­preview as well, since it is "a little bit darker and more menacing" than Holiday's ­original, says Feinberg.

With few suitable licensing opportunities ­available for "Strange Fruit," the song "is not a big money earner," says Feinberg. "But it is an ­incredible one to have in your catalog."

 

Portraying Nat Turner’s 1831 slave uprising, The Birth of a Nation is promoted by a preview featuring “Strange Fruit.” The iconic song was first recorded by Holiday (inset center) and written by Meeropol (left), with a 1965 version by Simone (right) used in the trailer.
 
More often, synch deals -- the use of music in films and TV, as well as advertising and video games -- drive significant revenue. The ­licensing of "Strange Fruit" is just one of the most notable recent examples of synch ­licensing, which is now a $202.9 million ­business in the United States, according to 2015 figures from global music trade ­organization IFPI. And the United States accounts for 57 ­percent of the $355 million generated by synch deals worldwide.

Music publishers don't reveal terms of ­individual deals and synch fees can vary widely, based on factors including the popularity of the song, the medium in which the music will appear, the duration of the piece and the ­geographic scope of the deal. A copyright used in a trailer may earn $30,000 to $100,000, while an ad typically may earn $50,000 to $500,000.

 
The Birth of a Nation

Adrian Posse, Veteran Producer and Record Executive, Dies at 67

Adrian Posse, Veteran Producer and Record Executive, Dies at 67

  

Adrian Posse, the veteran composer, producer and industry exec who for years led the A&R departments at BMG and EMI Latin, has died.

 

The cause was pulmonary fibrosis, diagnosed after doctors recently found a tumor in his lung. He was 67 years old.

Posse, a short man with a bigger than life demeanor and boundless enthusiasm was instrumental in developing the careers of artists like Belinda, Aleks Syntek, Patty Manterola and Mijares. During his tenure at BMG, he also had key roles in Alexander Pires’ crossover into Spanish and Christina Aguilera’s extremely successful Spanish-language album.

“Adrian dedicated his entire life to music as an author, composer, producer and executive,” said his longtime friend and colleague Nestor Casonú, now MD for Kobalt Music in Latin America. “He was a man of tireless creativity and his name is linked to the history of many Latin music acts. His search was permanent and his optimism endless. He transmitted great energy to those around him and was always looking to make his projects a reality. He lived as he wanted and I’m sure we all have great anecdotes about him!”

Born in Argentina, Posse began his career in music as a member of 1970s folk group Los Huanca Hua and as a producer for well-known tango acts like Osvaldo Pugliese.

Although Posse toyed with the notion of a recording career -- he won the OTI festival representing Argentina in 1978 -- he found fame as a songwriter, producer and A&R in the 1980s, initially working for EMI Argentina.

In the years to come, Posse worked both independently and with labels, primarily EMI and BMG Latin. In his run as A&R director for EMI Mexico he worked with the likes of Aleks Syntek, Thalia and Ricardo Montaner. Later, as international VP of A&R for BMG’s Latin operation, he produced albums for Juan Gabriel, José José, Alejandra Guzmán and Rocío Durcal, among others.

Posse was also instrumental in helping create EMI Televisa, the joint venture between TV network Grupo Televisa and EMI Music Latin America that launched in 2005. There, he was appointed senior creative VP of the company.

Posse was a big risk-taker, and not all his projects took hold. But he was always singularly enthusiastic about everything he put his name on. When he was particularly excited about a project, he would insist one visit his office or recording studio, where he could pump the volume and dissect the recording -- the lyrics, the key changes, the particularities of an arrangement. The excitement was contagious.

Although Posse worked with all genres, and was very vested in reggaeton since the beginning, his true calling was pop, a genre he lived and breathed through multiple generations of artists, and whose evolution he recognized early on.

“At this point you can’t release an album that has no musical fusions,” he told Billboard in 2006, when he took the creative reins of EMI Televisa. “All pop songs ultimately have the same structure. When you incorporate fusions, you have unique opportunities, where you can mix our folklore -- which all has the same four by four rhythm -- with other styles. It’s not a question of marketing. It’s a need people have. They like that sound.”

At the time of his death, Posse wasn’t working directly for a label but was producing several acts through his company, Del Angel Music.

He is survived by sons Nico Garibotti, Rocco Posse and wife Cynthia Posse.

R&B Singer Kent Jones on Paying Homage to Barry White With His Hit 'Don't Mind'

R&B Singer Kent Jones on Paying Homage to Barry White With His Hit 'Don't Mind'

  

DJ Khaled’s We the Best Music recently signed this 23-year-old 

Tallahassee, Fla., native.

 Each year as the weather gets warmer, listeners start to crave a different sound -- a little lighter, and probably something you can dance to. Kent Jones’ “Don’t Mind,” which rifles through languages and lovers, fits the bill, and the single climbed to No. 10 on the recent Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. Jones spoke with Billboard about signing with DJ Khaled and the importance of appealing to multiple demographics in a single song.

 

Your debut hit, "Don't Mind," interpolates Barry White's "Practice What You Preach." What prompted you to do that?

I've always been inspired by Motown and soul. I'm a huge Barry White fan, so I had to pay homage. I wasn't like, "This is the one!" -- I freestyled the whole thing. It's probably my 400th record. I've got a lot of music.

How did “Don’t Mind” come together?

That song was done in a matter of 12 hours. I made the beat; the hook was in my head; the day I recorded the whole thing -- I didn’t even write it. I’m always inspired by early Motown, early soul -- I’m a huge Barry White fan, so I had to pay homage. I just like everything and everybody, and I like being able to introduce myself. Even if that’s the only way I know how to speak that language, I love to know how to speak to people no matter where they’re from. That’s the basis of the song: to tap a nerve in each demographic culture.

"Don't Mind" features French, Spanish, Japanese and Haitan Creole phrases. Do you speak any of them fluently?

Not necessarily. I knew the words I used. I’m not gonna tell you I know every language. I like everything and everybody. Even if I can only say one thing in their language, I love knowing how to speak to people no matter where they're from. That's the basis of the song: to tap a nerve in each demographic. I recently realized I don't mention everyone's country in the song, but they all still love it!

So you didn’t have to lean on Google translate?

No no no no no no no.

Based on the track, it sounds like you have a girlfriend in every town.

Nah -- they all love me, but I have one lady. In the Bahamas especially, it's like I'm a rock star -- I can't leave the airport without making a scene.


How's being signed to DJ Khaled's label?

It’s just been a matter of working both collectively and individually. He's like a Beatle. You can't tell me his team isn't working!

What’s next for you?

I’ve got a new single coming, and let me be the first to tell you: it’s nothing to be mistaken, it’s nothing to be played with. This next one is scary.