Over the course of the last 5 to 8 years there has been an obvious shift in the music industry. It’s not brain surgery people, we all know it has become a single driven society that focuses on making money now while it lasts, not later. One label that has enjoyed successes on both sides of that coin is the powerhouse G-Unit Records. J Hatch of iStandard sat down with G-Unit A&R, Dre McKenzie, who is attempting to break the mold of his position, by staying in the know to make his label money now and later. Dre also drops knowledge about producers branding themselves like businesses, surrounding themselves with the right team, and education being a formidable foundation for future success. This is a must read for anyone who hits this page!!!

Hey Dre, thanks for your time, tell the readers about yourself, position at G-Unit and how you got into the game.

I’m from Jamaica, West Indies – born in Kingston and raised in a place called Spanish Town. My earliest memories of music in my life were all the local Roots and Culture Reggae Artists, Michael Jackson, and Prince. When I came to the U.S., was introduced to Rock, Pop, & Hip Hop. I’m really open-minded to all styles to be honest. “Let the rhythm hit ‘em,” like Ra said. If the track feels good I’m widdit. I’m an A&R at G-UNIT RECORDS, Inc. here in NYC and I also do operations work with Nikki Martin, our Vice President. She is the reason I’m here – she gave me my start, plucking me from Columbia & Epic Records where I worked in A&R for almost 3 years under SVP, Dino Delvaille. Nikki was also a VP of A&R at both Columbia & Epic Record labels.

Dino definitely made his mark in the game, so you came up under someone very respected in the industry, now as an A&R for one of the most prominent labels, what are your day-to-day responsibilities and challenges like?

Finding hit records and music that our artists consider hit-record potential is my responsibility and biggest challenge. Streamlining communication among all of my contacts, staying organized and on top of demo submissions, business, beat submissions, and issues related to our projects take up my time day-to-day. I get on average around 300 emails per day, so as you can imagine, that in itself is time-consuming. I zip through them, but do try to get back to everyone that gets in touch. Sometimes it takes a lil’ bit, but it gets done. Working with Nikki, it’s not only A&R creative work that I do. We do a lot of business-work in general. Nikki oversees (from a managerial position as a senior executive at G-UNIT, which is different from a “management” role) practically all of 50’s businesses and coordinates with 50’s chief attorney Theo Sedlmayr (of Sedlmayr & Associates), and manager Chris Lighty (of Violator Management / Strategic Brand Asset Company). Nik and Fif’ have been friends since he was first signed to Columbia. She’s incredible the way she handles everything on her plate – I’ve learned more than you can imagine from her. SONY BMG did everything possible to retain her when she announced she was taking this position at G-UNIT, but no amount of money could get her to not come to G-UNIT. That’s the kind of loyalty that 50 has around him. People really care deeply about his well-being, happiness, and ability to continue to be efficient, no more so than Nikki. I’m saying a lot about her because I want your readers to know where I come from and the people that surround me. The same personal and work ethic that Nikki Martin abides by is how I deal with my daily responsibilities and the people I work with. My work is more than the music we create, but also very much about the people here at G-UNIT and the extended family we deal with through 50’s various businesses. So, I support Nikki in this role, and the combination of my work as an A&R and work with her is my day-to-day. I go in-between these responsibilities, usually taking me into the late night / early morning. At this point my body’s so accustomed to the routine that it’s normal to put in full work weeks with 14 hour workdays. I don’t tend to have downtime. When I become super-accomplished, maybe things will change, but the way I see 50 work that may not be the case. I still have a lot to prove, so I stay on my hustle.

Nikki is also a very influential individual in the game, as an A&R do you and 50 communicate often in regards to the musical direction of artists on the label?
Nope. When 50 says something, that’s the way it is, unless he asks for our opinions and it becomes open discussion. 50’s the ultimate A&R when it comes to his artists. When he hears music it’s pretty simple – does it feel like a hit? Or is it a strong enough track to convey the personality and experience of that particular artist doing the track to that artist’s market? There really is no reason to talk often because we all understand the basis of hit music. He’ll see me and say “Dre we have any hits?” That’s when I have to be able to show and prove. As a company we met about the direction of the new G-UNIT group album, and Fif’ said the direction is aggressive. So that’s what it is. When it comes to production, hot is hot. Producers shouldn’t be too discriminating when it comes to “what type of music” they give to us. Let our artists decide. Better to submit and have them turn it down than not submit and all of us miss out on a hit record. Our crew listens to everything they get. I say this all the time because it’s true, and it separates them as artists from their contemporaries. The artists on this label don’t quit. Every last one of them is very open-minded when it comes to their craft, and they are the hardest working artists in Hip Hop. They get that from 50. That and their collective intelligence are two of the biggest differences I’ve noticed since joining the company.

That’s definitely a different approach than many labels take, you guys are almost a fully functional in-house management and consultation team as well as a label, so what are the next big projects at G-Unit?

The G-UNIT Group Album, Yayo’s solo, Banks solo, 50’s next solo album coming out June ‘08, Spider Loc, Young Hot Rod, M.O.P.

So gearing up for those releases I know for a fact that you will listen to a ton of beats, and pass them on to all your artists, and mostly deal with up and coming producers than the normal “go-to’s”. Why deal with the unknowns and not go with a sure thing?

It’s a reflection of G-UNIT artists themselves. They’re the furthest thing from Hollywood. They all appreciate the finer things their individual successes afford them, but remember when G-UNIT got big for the first time. Guess who they were getting beats from. Why change a good thing? Why not take the hottest beats no matter who they come from? If you read the liner notes of G-UNIT albums, you’ll see a lot of unfamiliar names as producers. G-UNIT artists are smart as hell, they know this business, they aren’t scared to take chances, and they take cues from 50, who’s had hit records (in addition to Yayo, Banks, and Buck) from unknown producers and known producers alike. Each of these guys understands struggle, adversity, and have a drive to succeed that’s unmatched and hasn’t faded since before they were on. Like I said, hot is hot. Let them decide. You never really know where your next major hit is going to come from, so why not take a listen? That’s their approach when making music. That “unknown” producer may have a hit record. Just as well, he or she may be the next major producer in music, period.

Lets switch the convo over to the state of the business now. How has today’s music industry climate affected the A&R job responsibilities?

I can’t really speak for anyone else, but my role is broader than just blindly collecting music and giving to the guys. An effective A&R today has to know the market his artists are operating within, and what that market wants to consume. He or she has to be able to allow the artist to remain true to their message and character while at the same time package the message in a way that’s palatable (digestible) to the people who are buying into the artist – whether it be music, merchandise, performance, or other. After all, it is Artist & Repertoire, meaning in other words “character, message, and personality of the artist & all things that stem from the artist(s)’ character, message, and personality. Today you have to be able to cut costs as an A&R. Before revenue industry-wide started to dip, it wasn’t uncommon to see bigger budgets for new artists, even larger budgets for established artists, and the financial freedom, in general, to be able to place an artist in the studio with a producer and have them work. Today, because of more demanding quotas and smaller profit margins for so many labels, A&Rs are limited in their abilities to spend money on achieving hit records – there are far less resources at our disposal. Not for all of us I’m sure, but yeah, for most. In general, today there is a lot more focus on the raw skills of A&R’s as visionaries with the ability to pinpoint hit music and coordinate with their colleagues as to the right time to release it and through which media into the correct marketplace. I think this was what A&R’s were meant to do to begin with, but I know it hasn’t always been the case.

I definitely agree with that statement and you absolutely show and prove, You’re always at the shows where up-and-coming talents perform, and you make yourself very accessible to the people when most look at A&R’s like lazy office slackers that sign garbage. What do you hope to accomplish by being involved and identifiable?

Hahahaha. J you are hilarious dogg! To answer your question – I love dealing with people. In high school I was the kid that was cool with everybody. For some reason I’m just able to understand people from very different backgrounds and with very different perspectives. That gift allows me to be good at what I do. Music is feeling and emotion and when you’re able to interpret people’s actions as results of how they think and feel, then you’re able to move them by giving them what they want. I have to be around people to remain relevant in what I do. I have to literally see how people react to certain types of music and what they do when they react. Do they laugh, do they cry, do they bop so hard they get tired, or do they stay still as if they’re staring at a wall? I have to experience these moments to make sure I don’t miss a great artist or great music that I wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to if not for being in those spots. Why the hell are you and Don always there? Hahaha

We are there for the same reasons! Now In your eyes, who are some of the producers on the underground scene “under the radar” that will soon shine?

Ahh man you’re trying to get me in trouble. I plead the Fifth. I got more than a few I’m thinking of right now that, if things go right, you’ll see work on soon. The biggest obstacle for “under the radar” producers is their ability to network. There are some really hot producers that just don’t network enough, and they don’t have the team built around them to substitute for their lack of exposure. As is the case with any business, you can be a genius at what you do, but no one will ever know and you won’t make history if you stay behind closed doors. And staying behind closed doors means not hustling hard and sustaining that hustle. It’s not a one weekend thing.

Networking is definitely the key to success, so what do producers need to do in efforts to get placements, is it a relationship thing? A timing thing? Does talent have anything to do with it anymore?

It’s all of the above. Definitely have to have talent, but even if you don’t, if you have a ridiculous team that hustles harder than everybody else, then they will get the spotlight, if only for their 15 minutes of fame. Relationships are key because they seal deals. Just as well, timing has to be right – meaning the market has to be at a point where they’re willing to consume the type of music you do. You’re music has to be ripe at the moment the market is hungry. Just as well you got to have music that moves people. And know that you’re competing with established producers and music on the radio. When I say competing, I mean in the quality of music – mixed and mastered music – not the “type” of music in terms of whether you like what’s on radio or not. You can maintain your style and still break through – the best and most influential producers usually do. But it needs to sound like music that’s competitive. I would say a lot of producers in Hip-Hop today need to try their hand at working with artists and literally “producing” full records / songs, not just the music itself. The most successful producers that I’ve been exposed to have the ability to suggest to an artist how they envision them being on a record, and are also able to interpret and bring an artist’s vision to life in the form of music. You don’t have to this if you do score, advertising, or brand placement work alone, but it will help. More experienced artists may not want your input about how they should flow on a track, but for new producers the song itself may be their breakthrough, rather than the tracks themselves getting heard by an A&R let’s say, then ending up being cut by a marquise artist at a major. Network, network, network. Build your team of managers and attorneys who you trust and can be in places you aren’t. If you aren’t great with computers and online activity, find someone who is and make them part of your team. Keep them. They are critical to your success these days.

Pay attention people, it’s all about teamwork and hustle , now if you had to construct an album from front to back, pick 5 producers you would have to have contribute before turning in the project?

See I wouldn’t ever go about making an album that way. To me, it’s about the artist or group creating songs that make up a work that says something to their fans and the world. First, I would talk to the artist and see what type of music they want to do. From there I’d hit up producers who I think can realize that vision through their music. Once the artist starts picking tracks or finishes a few records I’ll sense the direction and I’ll either get tracks that are along the same route or I’ll suggest tracks that compliment the artist’s style but are totally different in feel from those tracks he or she has already done. Sounds wishy-washy but it’s true. Believe me when I tell you that there are no 5 producers I would absolutely have contribute to a project before it was done. To me that’s forcing something that may end up coming across as manufactured and I don’t want that. I want records that have meaning, because when they do, people react to them and with their wallets. And these types of records don’t have to do platinum #’s in first week sales, but if they don’t, they’ll be the kind of records that grow in strength from week to week rather than decline, and will be the type of music that people look at years down the road and think of as landmark music that changed the landscape of the music industry.

That makes complete sense Dre, but what advice can you give producers on the come up to get into the right frame of mind prior to getting into the “industry” side of things?

Do the type of music you love. Assemble a trustworthy, smart, hardworking team around you. The money and success will come if you persist. Know that you yourself are strong enough to get on and let your music speak for itself. People want the music, and may not necessarily want to hear your opinion at first. You can say how hot your music is all day but be honest with yourself when it comes to your music and how your potential consumers view your music. The market never lies. Know it well. Be open-minded when it comes to your work. In order to get mainstream love you should create music that’s on par with or hotter than what’s out now. Artists will take note and either they or their management will find you. Pay attention to where the money flows, because that’s where people with power and influence place value. If you see producers on artists’ albums that are on the top of SoundScan, Billboard, and getting tens of thousands of spins across the country every week and getting placed in ads for different types of merchandise, then pay attention. If you want to make a nice living you should find out why people would spend so much money on that kind of production. When you do, you don’t have to make the same “type” of music those producers make, continue to push your own sound. But make sure your sound is high quality. Start assembling a team of people around you that can handle the work it takes to be successful in the industry that you don’t want to or don’t have the time to handle. For example, a solid attorney. I can’t tell you how many producers I’ve come into contact with who have had huge records that aren’t seeing any paper from those hits today, or in some cases, never have. That’s not cool and can be avoided. Finally, you should think of yourself and your work as a business. Brand your music. Put your tag at the beginning of your tracks so people and artists become familiar with who you are. And make sure you put your contact info all over your music. Trust me, your music will get lost, and no one’s calling you for a record an artist likes if they don’t know how to reach your or that you even did the track. It happens.

Incredible Interview Dre, extremely Insightful, we appreciate your business savvy approach to music and self success, do you have any last words for the readers?

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Don’t wait… Get in touch with me if you have something I should hear: CLICK HERE. I’m open-minded to whatever it is that’s hot in music today. Spread love and it’ll come right back to you a thousand times over. Nuff Said!!!