Juju McLean Interview: Director of Producer Relations at UnitedMasters

A lot of producers are not giving themselves the credit or even thinking about how they can really take their brand or their value to the next level. That's when they don't learn the business. So, what would you do if you became a producer tomorrow? What were the first steps that you'd take? If I became a producer tomorrow. Spin the rock, spin the one more time. Ladies and gentlemen, I don't even know which fucking camera to look at because we are on the brand new set of the one more time podcast. Looking like damn Ellen DeGeneres in this bitch. I'm Playback Ben here with my co-host. Henry with the three. I'm just so overwhelmed right now, Ben. Me too. Me too, man. I mean, where are we? This is either gonna be our best interview or our worst. One of the two for sure. Welcoming in, though, on the first episode of the new set. It's our 95th interview. Legendary wide receiver, Super Bowl champion from the Kansas City Chiefs, Juju Smith Schuster. Dude, I said it was Juju McClain.

I thought that was like a nickname. It is, but it's a different juju. Oh, okay. In the past, who we got? Who we got in all seriousness, we have director of producer relations at United Masters, a man who wears many hats, though, in the industry. We got Juju McClain in the motherfucking building Juju. on the brand new set of the One More Time podcast. He has nothing to reference, though, so he doesn't even know how epic this is, bro. This is I know you're spoiled for sure. I mean, the setup, dude. I told you, we're gonna have a very adult conversation today. Yeah, right. And I told him it could go one of two ways either very adult or it could just be some childish shit we talk about up here. Who really knows? You never know. You don't know. But so I first uh met you, I don't even know if you remember this at the 404 day. Absolutely celebrity softball game. We have a celebrity on the one more time podcast. We've had multiple celebrities, but like this is official. Let me preface. I tore my ACL that day as well. Oh no shit. I had knee surgery. But tell the people how it ended. We won. Exactly.

I got MVP. So was it worth it? Absolutely lose. This dude is a competitor. We walked away with three trophies. I've played. Three? I played two games on a torn ACL. Wow. So you played with it torn? I tore it the first game we got there. Gosh. And you know, I tore it. I thought it was just a you know a little muscle pull. Because I'm a I'm a competitor, I'm an athlete. So I was like, hey, I can stretch this shit out. Yeah. The adrenaline's flowing. You don't even feel it at the time. The adrenaline was flowing I was jumping. Like I was, I played literally five games total. I played two or three with it. So it was yeah, like so I wasn't far off when I said Super Bowl winner. I was close. He's definitely an athlete for sure. I mean, where do you get the the competitiveness from? Um I played sports my whole life. Uh I actually played college football. I played at Morehouse. Okay. Wow. So linebacker? Uh running back. And I play safety, strong safety. Okay. Running back and strong safety. So um, yeah, like I've always been like, I hate losing. I don't know why.

Like, it's just uh there's something to me. It's like if you're gonna attempt to do something, try to fucking win. Like, why are you just gonna do it for participation and just to hang out? Amen. So, like, yeah, like um, I've always been my entire life just like yo, like if there's a chance to win, if there's something that comes along with this, like I've felt that it's much more fun to win something than to sit there and watch somebody else celebrate the shit. Absolutely. It's so funny, man. So my um my sister just started coaching her uh sons, my nephews, six-year-old soccer team. All right, so my sister and I were like epic competitors, like from the youngest age, at his age at six, we were like competing at the highest level, like trying to win every single board game, like tag, whatever, hide and seek. It didn't fucking matter. We wanted to win, right? Absolutely. Her son is not that way. He is like the kid that you know, stereotypically is on the field, like playing with the dirt, grass and shit, like looking up in the fucking sky, and it's just killing her, man. I think the dog just hasn't got him yet.

He didn't get the dog in him. Like he's he said six. Yeah, you know, he might catch that dog. I started playing football at seven. Okay. So you're a pee-wee. But I had I had a dog in me early. Like I said, I enjoyed hitting. Like, we I was I wasn't playing flag football. We're playing like tackle. Yeah. So like I had the dog in me early. So he might, you know, it takes a little longer. to get to the dog. He might be like an artist or something, too. or he might just need to get hit, you know, like at seven. Like, or he might need to catch a tackle from someone like Juju at seven. Yo, he might, you might find out like one day he really just surprised you might have amazing footwork. And he's like, Oh yeah, he might be an amazing tennis player. Or he might like be like, he might be a golfer. Like, you know? like yeah. Speaking of golf, you're like one of the I saw this video that was like a you know, a guy who like doesn't want to play golf, goes out with his friends, hits a perfect shot one time, iron shot and like two feet from the hole. I was just coming back. I'm dedicating my whole life to this. I will sacrifice my family. Thousands of dollars. Green fees, yeah.

My family time management will suffer. And I feel like you're definitely in that category. Are you there yet? Are you every weekend? So, what's funny is I started playing golf. Like, a lot of people don't know. I started playing like a long time ago. Like, when I say a long time ago, 20, like 2017, 2018. My uncle, like, I have uncles that play golf, like he's an avid golfer. Like, when I say avid, four times a week, playing nine to eighteen, four times a week. Four times a week. Yeah, like, but that's like he does that. Like, that's just his thing. So, like, he would bring me out on weekends, and me and my cousins would hang out with him, and I would just like at the time I would just go and grab the alcohol and bring the alcohol. So I just hang out with the old heads, just to catch a little old older vibe. And I wasn't as into it as I am now. Like I would go and I would hit a couple shots off the tee, like, oh, that was cool. But as I've gotten older, and like I said, I tore my ACL. So like tear your ACL having that surgery, I tore my ACL and my meniscus. It's like, bro, this shit sucks. Like, I'm 30 years old. At the time I was 30 years old, had a torn ACL. I was like, I can't go play basketball.

I can't just go down to court. Like, I used to go hoop, can't go hoop anymore. But I'm still competitive. And I feel like when I picked up golf like really heavy, I was like, yo, this shit is actually like a mental game. Like, I get to still be competitive. It's funny. It's funny because you could be competitive amongst your colleagues. And against yourself. But you're mostly being competitive against yourself because like you're big up in your homie when he has a great shot. And then, but you're like, for yourself, you're like, I gotta shoot better than I did last time. Yes. I know this hole. Like let me go ahead, and this is a par three. I'm going to get a fucking birdie. How do I get a birdie on this? Like, so it's that how do you think the competitiveness in you has like played out in the music industry, right? Um, I mean, it's two, it's twofolds, right? So I am very competitive in music because like I said, I don't want to do anything and not win at it. So, like, when it comes to competitive, if I start something with the artist, if I start something with the with the let's say United Masters, I want to win at the highest level of it. But I'm not comparing my competitiveness, like I'm not being competing against anybody else, if that makes sense.

So I'm not I'm not going against any of the other majors, I'm not going against any of my friends. Fuck TuneCore. Yeah, like that's not my energy. Like, I'm just like fuck DistroKid. Yeah, fuck CD baby. Yeah. I just like that's not my energy. I just I just say like, it's because there's so many artists and so many ways to get into this business, so like I don't want to compete against anybody else. I just want to do like run, especially now. Like I've gotten to a place where like yo, like you're running your own race. There's no man, like I have like I just watched my friends cash in a hundred million dollar label. Like, shout out to LVRN. Yeah, man. Sean Famous was supposed to be here last week, and his Ferrari was in the shop getting delivered. Oh, and that was real because you know he did. No, seriously. And you know he did just buy the Ferrari. Testarossa. yeah. Fire. So Sean will hopefully be a guest on one more time podcast soon. Amber Grimes has committed, and then since been globetrotting. and those are all my friends. man. Those are my friends. So it's like to see that. So I can't like that's the thing. I can't compete against them. Those are those are your friends.

Like, we've seen each other come from like throwing parties and doing things like just around the city. So it's like to see that it's not, it's a it's there's no competition. And it's like people forget the world is abundant. I feel like there's so much abundance, Absolutely. Especially in like you know, music and and just any if you're you know, yeah, any job you have, like there's plenty of room for people to win. You don't have to tear someone else's wall down to build your wall. Absolutely. But in golf, you know, you're competing. It's like the only one person can have the lowest score. So Yeah, that's kind of the thing. So the funny thing about golf is it's like you can have the greatest, you can have the worst hole ever on the first the first hole, right? And you're like, man, fuck like your whole day might be you can you can your day can go to shit. Yeah, but I compare the reason I compare golf to life is because like at any point in time in the day, somebody might give you a phone call and you're like, bro, what the fuck, bro? They just messed up my whole day. But am I gonna allow that to dictate the rest of my day? So, like, with golf, like, that first hole, like, I might have it, like, we played the Chastain. Chastain has no driving range, so you can only chip and warming up and putt there's no warming up. So the first hole, we looked like shit because there was our first drive of the day.

But I was like, you know what? Like, we're we're playing a full 18. I'm about to have a great fucking time today. So that first that first hole was shit. But that second, third hole, I was like, okay, I'm starting to feel it now. On the fifth and sixth, oh, I'm in I'm in a fucking rhythm now. Like, so it's like I've watched like some videos and uh on pros, you know, giving tips, and a lot of them say like it is how you respond to like adversity, you know. When you have a bad hole, the weaker players will let it affect them, and the stronger players will be able to overcome it, you know. what I mean, absolutely. Yeah, is that Reese LaFleur? That is Reese LaFleur. Stop calling during the One More Time podcast. Or just answer it and get him on for. see what he's got to say. Reese don't want shit. He just wants to chat. Reese's we're working on Reese's album. Uh Reese's over at United Masters now. So we're working on the Diva Oh, cool. Volume 4. Yeah. DJ Drama. So Gangsta Grillz? Yeah, Gangsta grills. Amazing. So I think that people need to understand. I mean, we really just got you on because you got this fancy pants title, you know, director of producer relations at United Masters. It does sound made up a little bit.

Yeah, like what does he really do? I mean, like, no, but but honestly, what do you do? Like, what is your day-to-day look like specifically with UM? Because I know you obviously So. That's always a loaded question because so UM is a is first and foremost is a tech company, right? So a lot of people always forget, like, we have like our distribution company is technically considered a tech company. We partner with Apple, partner with um Google, partner with a few different people. Yeah, I read that they're like big investors in you guys. Right? Yeah, both Apple and or Alphabet and Apple, whatever. Absolutely, yeah. So, like, for me, I I run the producer relations department, right? So, well, not I won't say the producer relations, I run the beat exchange, right? So director producer relations. So my day-to-day entails, I uh going back and forth with different producers we bring on platform. Uh we've been active now for a year and a half. So in that year and a half, I brought 80,000 producers on platform. 80,000.

80,000. So when you say on platform, like unpack that. So you know What does that mean? Are you familiar with like a beat stars? Sure. So we're cooler. We're BeatStars, but cooler. Okay. No shade. He said he didn't compete. Yeah, That's no competition. We should it's no shade. So are there are there UM beat stores? So we actually have a beat marketplace, right? So we built a beat marketplace It's called the Beat Exchange. And we have curated playlists. I have four people, I have three people that curate playlists with us. Um we do live events, like we do an event called The Cook Up, which I created for uh the first one was at South by last year. Then we did Art Basel, um, which we partnered with Intel on that. Um, we do uh we have an open verse challenge with Hit Boy. All right. really that was really a really dope moment. I'm actually working on something right now with LVRN. so that's gonna be really, really dope. Yeah. Okay. Any any hints, any sneak previews? Um yeah, we just we're trying to make shit cool. Like uh, I think like they're very good at that. Yeah, like that's like it sounds like you're pretty good at that too. Yeah.

In the very short time at UM, all those things that I saw. I didn't know that that was basically new to what those are all the things I created. Yeah, your role. Yes, that's fire, man. So like I try to, that's what like I don't one thing I don't brag a lot, like people a lot of people don't know. Uh it's only if you know, like if you know, like I say, yeah, like I'm doing X, Y, and Z, so I'll pull up and I'm doing this, I'm doing that. That's why we gotta get you on the One More Time podcast so you can have the moment to brag. Like, this is it. I appreciate that. This is the place to pop your shit, Juju. Yes, all right. So don't hold back on us. Yes, I got you. So you tweeted that you chopped it up with the god Andre 3000 at a party recently in LA. Saturday. Which just sounds epic. Three stacks, man. As fuck. For sure. Yeah. So what what'd y'all talk about? So it was funny because I initially wasn't even going to this party, but it was a it was Levi's and Rolling Loud, right? And I said, Hey, I'm going to pull up. So he pulled up, and they were giving me flack at the door. Like they were like, Oh, you didn't RSVP. And I was like, What

the fuck you mean? RSVP. like I'm Juju McLean. Not even that, but I was like, I don't RSVP in Atlanta, but I was like, for the record, I did actually send my email, but nobody responded. No, whatever. So then she was like, I was like, who's DJing? And it's Chase B's DJing. I said, fuck this. I'll call Chase. So I called Chase's uh best friend. And then I was like, you know what? Chase happened to be walking up at the same time. Chase was like, yo, that's Juju. And he was like, come on, He cool. So then, like the lady at the door, but she was like, I'm so sorry. Y'all are good. And I was like, all right, cool, whatever. So poor girl. She's just doing her job. She doesn't know who the fuck this guy is. Nah, so look, so it was. It was probably a bunch of you being like, oh yeah. I mean, like, yeah, I'm supposed to be here. Nah, but I but I never popped that shit though. I always always stay like, I'm like, yo, like, bro, I'm not about to go back and forth with you. Like, if if I really wanted to be an asshole, I could be an asshole. But I was like, yo, like, I'm gonna just call the homies and the homies will like can verify this shit. Cause like I'm not about to stay down here looking like like you've let a bunch of people in here that probably have don't give two fucks about what's going on. Yeah. I just I'm in LA for the day, a couple days. So I just want to hang out and just catch a couple drinks, yeah, talk to some of my friends.

Yeah, so we go in, and there's a bar to the left, and I just happen to keep walking, and there's like a photo booth and whatnot. And I'm standing, I was like, yo, I know that's gully. And three stacks walks by. I was like, yo, what's up, bro? How you doing? It's like, yo, what's good, man? I was like, and I of course I had up my braids head on. He's like, You from the A? I said, bro, you don't even remember, bro. I said, we had our legendary night together. He's like, huh? So yo, like, do you remember we went to a stripper boxing at uh club Platinum? Wait, correction. It's not platinum. Um, what is the no? I don't care about the venue. I talked about stripper boxes. So we went to a With Andre 3000. So when um Outcast had did their reunion, this was six was six years ago, seven years ago. Was it the ATL like shows or whatever? Yeah. At Centennial. Yes. Yes. So the best night of my life. So go ahead. It was a club that you the old before it was allure. I forgot the name of the club used to be. But it before it was Allure. It used to be there on Mondays used to have stripper boxing. Oh my god. So we happened to go. Like, I'm cool, I'm really cool with uh Killer B who used to work with Dungeon Family, who's part of Dungeon Family, Big Gip, like those are all the homies.

So we all decided to go to stripper boxing on that Monday. And like there's a picture. It's I gotta find it. If I find it, I'll send it to you. Please. But literally, we were in the club, uh, throwing money at the strippers while they were boxing. This shit was fire. That's amazing. And when I said it, he's like, yo, that night was crazy, bro. Yo, what a great time to be alive. Sorry. So then, like, after that, like, I was like, we so we had common ground there, but then I was like, yo, like, it's it's always good to see people from Atlanta, like just out in general, like like this is Andre Thousand, but I'm like, yo, like just seeing him out in general and just running to your people. I was like, yo, like, and I happened to have on the Eastside Golf Jordan 12s. I was like, yo, speaking of, like, you should tap in with Eastside Golf from Atlanta, like these kids from the from the east side of Atlanta, they're the first golf company with a Jordan sponsorship. Like, yo, like these, like these are the sneakers I have on. He's like, Yo, that's fire, bro. Like, yeah, like like plug me in. Like, like, what's up? And I was like, All right, I'll tap in. So I text Elijah Wine the next day and told him, like, I talked to Andre 2000. Mind you, did I get three stacks number?

No, did I get any? But I was like, yo, like, just something like that. I just still dropped that that piece of knowledge. There's like, yo, like they're out here moving around. Putting it in his head at least. Yeah, so like he definitely like he definitely was like, Yo, I'm fucking with it. Like, that's crazy. So it's amazing. It was it was definitely random as fuck there's definitely a random ass LA night like wow I I just I'm really just picking my brain right now like what what would I what would what would I say he actually has a house uh not far from here and um I actually trick-or-treated when I was a kid in this neighborhood I think his mom lived in the house but I I ran into him a couple times I trick-or-treated at his house a couple times one time he like had just gotten back into town and gave me like a granola bar and 20 bucks no way and then uh yeah and he goes to the sushi restaurant actually that I really giving every trick or treater 20 bucks by the way I guess that night it was I would have told him to go back inside and get me a vinyl sign of vinyl and that's it like I'll never come back get out trick or treating again now that's what I would have asked for it but I was probably like 10 like I didn't know what I wanted you know Facts. so talk to us about kind of how you view the overall climate for producers right now in the music industry like how you feeling about the landscape I mean I saturated I don't think it's saturated I think it's I think producers don't like like we get to a place where either producers either know the business you either know the business you don't know the business or you're just getting just pushed around in the business right so like there's this business is like there's as long as there's an artist There's always gonna be a producer but I think producers don't understand their their value or what they can bring to the table and actually start their bit their their own businesses. So like a lot of producers are not giving themselves the credit or even thinking about how they can really take their brand or their value to the next level so that's when they don't learn the business.

Like the producers that learn the business happen to like they understand that hey, if I'm if I'm down on my luck, if I'm not making any money, maybe I should look and go in and try to do a publishing situation. Let me let me lock lock in with one artist or let me lock in on some sinks. Let me let me start tapping in on other places where I can actually generate revenue. And then you have the other producer who's like, Yeah, I'm just gonna you know, give this record to this artist, and he's gonna put it on SoundCloud and we're gonna see what happened. You're throwing shit at the wall, hoping it sticks. So it's like it's it's this business, like it's growing daily, and producers just have to like like with anything, you have to like grow with the times and become accustomed to what's going on. So, what would you do if you became a producer tomorrow? What were the first steps that you'd take? If I became a producer tomorrow, I would go sign up for a PRO. So that's Ask ASCAP, BMI. So many don't even know what that is. Yeah, I would sign up for that because like if I do get a placement, uh, you gotta register my shit and you gotta so I can get paid. I would then also like literally look, I would take a week or two and just scroll Instagram, TikTok. I would look for an artist that I think is compatible with my sound.

They don't have to be a big artist. I would just keep scrolling, and if there's something that I see that I like, actually like, and if I can actually build that, and it's actually better if the artist is not is unknown because I have the chance to build it. That's what Justin did with the baby. Yep, like you find something that's that's unknown and something that's like that's fresh that that can match message your sound. I would tap in with them and actually try to create an entire project, create a sound with that person, and then from there, like once you create that organic magic, everything all the other stars start to find it fall into line. Then I'll go and start networking, like really get outside, like really try to get into the rooms, like shadows a couple people, learn to engineer. Most producers that don't know how to engineer, and you're a new producer, you're gonna be fucked. Cause like You're going to call up an engineer. Yeah, anytime you need a session, you know. But I've seen people get placements literally from being a uh engineer, and they were like the the artist came in and was like, Hey, like, yeah, I need to pull some shit up, but they didn't have anything that was dope, and the producer, the engineer happened to be the producer. He was like, yo, here you go, I'll play some shit.

And they got a placement. That's so it's like, you know, just learn, like, I read a book called The Third Door, right? Okay. That shit, like, really, like, it's a there's really three doors around a way of getting into somewhere. You go to the front door, you go to the back door, or you can create a door. So, as a like in any business, especially being a producer, understand which door you're supposed to go into or how you understand, identify your your entries, point of entries, and actually, you know, capitalize on it. Yeah, I I think what where I feel a lot, you know, of empathy for producers is that let's take the build with an artist approach, right? It's gonna be a fucking minute before you see a damn dollar, bro. But see, I'm just saying, like, That's true. let's just say, okay, people gotta live, people gotta eat, right? That's true. So for me, I think that a lot of producers honestly should either try to find those other complimentary revenue streams to your point, because people are paying for studio time hourly, they're paying for mixes, they're paying for masters, right? So, like artists somehow are paying for that shit, and they're not always so keen on paying for a beat, which I don't even really want to open that door unless unless you guys do.

But you know, for me, almost people think that like, I don't know if it's they think they're above getting another job or whatever, but I do agree with you that the building with an artist is the best approach, but it also can take a lot of time before you financially reap any sort of like rewards, right? I'll be honest with you. I didn't see my first check in music until like 2017, 2018. And when did you start in music? 2011. Yeah. Seven, almost seven years until I got paid. And then even when I got paid the first time, it was some bullshit. And you were associated with stuff that at least I was I was always around stuff that was moving. Yeah. I just wasn't making any money. Cause like there's a there's a certain like music is one of the only places where you can do work and very quality work. And literally, you won't get paid for the shit. Like it's just like you just made something dope. Like it's like it's one of the fine arts that people like, okay, I don't give a fuck. Whereas in like it's the same thing with being a painter. Like you can paint a Picasso probably painted 20,000 pieces.

He only got paid for a few of those. Like the reality is like you don't like this is not a space where, and I tell everybody, like when I go back and talk to kids at high schools or or in college, I'm like, they're like, I want to get into the music business. What should I do? I'll say either don't do it, or if you do it, like understand it. You're probably not gonna get paid. You're probably gonna have times where you got to sacrifice, You're probably gonna have times Where your family's looking at you like you're crazy, unless you go take a go straight to a job. Like, unless you go take one of the um the foundational jobs, like uh doing admin work or being somebody's assistant, like Take one of those jobs like you're you're gonna get paid, but are you getting paid your value? Hey, who am I to say what your value is? But that's also like music is one of those places where it the your your accolades come from your resources and your people that you know. So, like you literally like because I know Amber Grimes, I can call Amber and say, Hey Amber, I want to do X, Y, and Z. Okay, and this is how it makes sense. And I I already come to her with the idea of knowing how to take if there was something that could have been a problem, I gotta add another problem to a plate.

Here's the problem, here's the solution, this is what we can do, and this is how we will all benefit from it. So, like, just taking that at that approach. So, like I tell everybody, like, whether it's a new producer, new artist, like come into this business, like, yeah, if you if you're a producer, shit, if you know how to play the piano, get piano lessons on the side. You know how many People are trying to get their kids in piano. Yeah. Like, do lessons. Like, they have to be very strategic. Like, this is uh, this is not a place where you you have you can come with excuses in this business, because like literally nobody gives a fuck. As much as you want to cry, nobody will ever really like It's cutthroat out here. It is like, and that's why, like, so it's funny because I actually had to take like in January, I didn't go to a Grammys. Like, this is the first year I sat out on a Grammys When they're back. But I had to literally take a mental reset. I was like, yo, like I'm just I've been around music, I've been around the business. I like everything has been going, going, going, going, and I haven't taken the time for myself. So that's what's funny because that's when I really dove into playing golf daily. Yes. Like I was going to the driving range, whether it was going to the driving range every day, it was going and like watching YouTube videos all day. If it's going to like going to chip, going to golf galaxy and and sh and putting, like, I was doing stuff that I can find myself finding clarity and just change up my my thought process.

Cause like you'll get consumed with this shit, man. Yeah, for me, I think that, and I want to get y'all's take. I think it's easier than ever right now to become a producer or an artist, but that means that there's a lot of people out there that don't fucking get it as far as what it actually takes to make it in this shit, right? So it's funny as hell, because I had this conversation with uh Pat. Um Pat over a generation now, right? Certified Pat. Certified Pat. Shout out, Pat. Shout out to you. We had this conversation, and I was like, and it was a couple, I forgot who else was involved in this conversation, but I was like, yo, this is the first, like, the of course, the point of entry of music is very low right now. Like, if I have a phone, I can record. If I have uh any type, if I have internet access, a phone, I can record, I can do whatever. I can go to YouTube, strip a beat, I can do whatever. But I can get into music. But this is one of the only like we have to go to a place where we treat music like a professional sport, right? The same way we treat anything, any other profession. Like, if I wanted to go, if I wanted to go be in the NBA, I can't just walk up to the fucking uh State Farm Arena and say, yo, like I'm here, I'm in the league today, bitch, and start shooting jumpers.

Where do I apply to be a hawk? Yeah, like so, like the point of entry, like like I have to go to go to the combine, I gotta go to the draft, I gotta go try out for the team. I gotta go, like, I gotta go to some practices, I gotta catch a couple runs with with some of the guys. Like, I gotta like treat to get camaraderie. Where now it's like you have a producer or artist that'll pop up and they're like, Yeah, man, my shit's on Spotify, X, Y, and Z. I'm on this playlist, I'm on that. I'm like, bro, I don't give a fuck. I don't know who you are, I don't care. Who are your friends? Like, who are your who the people you hang out with outside of this shit? What do you do outside of just music? Where it's like you're now like I can identify you as having a life outside of this shit. Like, what are you doing? So, like the our point of entry, we have to raise our point of entry for music because like this shit is like like I'm not gonna lie to you, I haven't really been inspired by music lately. Like, the only thing that's been really inspired me was Afrobeats. That's why so sad. I can relate to that. Yeah, not, not the Afro beats, but yeah, the uninspiring. Yeah, just I mean, sometimes we talk about it and like we're like, damn, we have this music podcast, and I'm hella inspired by you know these conversations that we get to have, but then I'm like, damn, like the music, yeah, it's just not doing it for me as much, bro. Like, uh, and and I think I talked to someone on here about the fact that it's almost overwhelming, though, the amount of music that there is.

There's so much. Absolutely. So almost I get I want to try new music, but all I found myself doing is going back to catalog shit, bro. So this is It's tough for me to like get through the songs I don't like of the new shit to find the new stuff that I inevitably I would like. Because I'm not gonna say that there's not new music out there that I would like. It's just that I only have so much time in the day. So if I want to listen to music, I want that shit to hit, and I know what's gonna hit is the catalog of old stuff that I've always listened to that always does it for me and that timeless. So it's tough for me to want to sift through the shit. I don't know. No. I feel that. So what's funny is like that's one of the that was my one of my biggest hangups with going to work for a label, right? Like if I became an AR at a label, you're not just gonna put people on my roster and I'm like, bro, I don't like their music. Like, that's just like I'm not I've never been like, I'm never never want to fake the funk with you. Like, if I don't like it, I'm gonna say, yeah, you know, bro, like, I don't know. Like, this shit, you might need to change this.

You might like, I'll tell you the truth. So, like that being said, like, I am a catalog person as well. But like, I'm inspired by the stuff that I'm currently working on. Like, I list those are things that I actively listen to. Those are things that I'm like, if I if I have a genuine relationship, I'll give it a shot. And like if I give it a shot once and I'm like, yeah, I'm not really feeling this, like I'll move on. But you've set yourself up to only be working on stuff that you're passionate about. Absolutely, yeah, absolutely. Like, and I think that's a that's a pleasure. That's not like a thing that everybody can say. So, like, that's definitely a pleasure, but like I I think I think I've worked hard enough in my career to get to that point to where I like if I like it, I'm gonna work on it. If I don't like it, I'm gonna be like, yeah, I'm not like, and I'll stand on that hill and die on that hill that I'm I don't want to touch it. So, like, yeah, like I'm very active about that. But I also I'm just like the catalog stuff that I do listen to, like my on a Sunday when I'm gonna go on a golf course, I'm playing old school. Like there's a I have a go-to playlist. But like that, that that is so sad too.

Cause like, yeah, you know, there's like old, faithful, old, reliable, but it'll never compare to like finding that that new that feeling of that new artist. Like, This is my new favorite artist. There are though, because like even like, and this is uh I know I'm gonna get some flack from this, but I've listened to Yachty's album several times. Like, I actually love the music where he is. The production is crazy. Production is crazy. Like, I feel like he's in an experimental place where he's like, like, when he gave us Poland first, he said, Okay, now I'm gonna give you say something. Yeah, so you tweeted that say something. something is a perfect song. It's a perfect fucking song. I need to unpack What. what does that mean? What about the song did you find you know, perfect? A perfect song to me is was when you can like any mood you're in, you can play the song, and you just change instantly where you're going in in space and time, right? So when I listened to Say Something the first time, I was like, what the fuck? Like, like He's not on key, which is doesn't bother me, but he's trying something that's so like sonically pleasing, like it's pleasing. Like, there's nothing about this, even with the out of key, it's sonically pleasing.

Like it feels good. I feel good listening to it. And then I watch the video, I'm like, yo, you're in a creative space that like I get it, I understand it. And it's like I just appreciate it so much. So like Say Something is a perfect song. Like, there's only there's only a few songs in the in the world that I listen to daily. I'm like, yo, That's a perfect fucking song. Name the rest. No, at least a couple of Or the other the other few. I mean, yeah. So another perfect song, fronting by Pharrell. So good. Frontin' is like if you're if you're at any type of um kickback situation where you're with the friends, you're the homies, you want to turn some music on, you turn Frontin' on. Any and everybody can get into a space of like it's an icebreaker space. Everybody's gonna enjoy their time. Because it's just like it just feels good. So, like, so front is one of those for me. Yeah, for me, uh a couple Bill Withers songs, I think, are perfect. Okay. I mean, I think use me is probably a perfect record. Okay.

I think just the two of us with Grover Washington's probably a perfect record. I fucking ain't no sunshine, probably a perfect record. Sunshine. You can't listen to that and not immediately whether I mean, because I think what you said is this, and I think you tweeted about this before, or like talked about this in another interview. Was that music needs to give you that emotional connection? Absolutely, bro. You have to feel something. Absolutely. Anything if you're piped up, great. If you're in your feelings, great. If you want to fuck, great. If you whatever it might be, it's got to change where you were at just then or heighten what you were already feeling like. If you were feeling piped up and you just wanna like keep that shit going. that's where you see them, that's where you see music. Like, that's what music was supposed to do. So that's why it's it's interesting now when you talk about the barriers of music and the entries of music. Like, you have artists that are doing it just as a side hustle. They're just making music just so like, oh, I could make a quick buck doing this, I'm gonna do it. But or people that get a following The worst, I hate they get famous for something else, or just showing their ass, and they're like, Oh, I could make a song pretty easily as a side. Whereas it's so like so.

The funny part is like you're always gonna have you're always gonna have a Houston's and you always have a McDonald's, right? Like, that's just the reality. Like, you'll have a Carbone. and you'll have a Wendy's. Those aren't gonna, those, those like those are two ends of the spectrum. Like, you go to Carbone, like you know what you're gonna get. You know, well, I'm not gonna say you know what you're gonna get, but you're gonna get like you're gonna get a great wine, you're gonna get a great steak, you're gonna get some great seafood. You go to Wendy's, give me a four for four, bro. Right. I just need to get a get a quick feel. That four for four slaps the. I don't think they have that anymore. Oh, damn. But see, that's the thing like inflation. Like, see how quick, see how quick that four for four went away? Yeah, Carbone is like Carbone is Carbone. Right. Yeah. So it's like, like, that's the reality though. Like, I that's why I say I can't even when it comes to competition, like, I don't even think about the competition aspect of the shit. Cause like sometimes, like, without even being cocky, like, most of the shit is not even on your level to even compete. So it's like, what the fuck am I looking at that for to even care? There's no point of caring. Yeah, it it really Only has one option.

Because, or I mean, I don't know. I guess the the counter-argument was that some level of seeing what other people are doing can inspire people. Oh, absolutely, right? So, like, LVRN just got the hundred M's. That's that's what I'm saying. The fuck you about to do, juju. That's just so you're about to chase that what is that? Nine figures? Yeah, you're about to chase that nine figure valuation. Nine man, because if you didn't see that, would you maybe I don't know. Like, I do think that stuff like that can inspire you. So it's tough. Like, I it can cloud you too, though. It can it can also like make you depressed. Like, God damn. but see, this is the thing, right? So, like, even and this is like part of that process of me going and like just taking a break and just like re-re-calibrating. Like, I I realize that I don't like being a manager, right? And like, shout out to all of his clients. No, I'm good at being a manager, but I don't like doing it. He doesn't mean it, guys. He loves you. I

Absolutely mean it. You should be good at it and love it. The reason the reason I say I don't like it is because I've sacrificed so much to be a manager, and I've sacrificed so much to be a tour manager. Like, I've missed holidays, I've missed birthdays, I've missed, I I've missed those things, and like now that I look back, like I'm not mad at the time that I missed those things, but I've given so much of my life for people to not understand the much how much you sacrifice into doing it, right? So like the only people that could ever appreciate that much sacrifice are like your actual kids or your actual significant other. So it's like, are the trade-offs worth it? We just yeah, we had a very similar conversation. We literally just had this conversation, and I I, you know, not that I've anywhere close to the tracker that you have has had have had as a manager, but you know, I was doing the manager thing, I was working with Henry and a couple artists, whatever. And I had my my son, you know, born, and I think you have a new child congratulations. Well, yeah, same to you. So yeah, we'll get into that. But like when my son was born, I was like really trying to, you know, go full send into music, try and make it my you know, full-time career.

And I was missing a lot of the early shit. I mean, he's only nine months, so this was like nine months ago, right? When he was born, I was, you know, one foot in, one foot out of kind of both, right? Where it was I was sacrificing some things with you know, personal, and then of course I was, you know, not always there for the clients and whatever, because there's just a lot. But I looked back on it and I was like, man, I never want to, I never want to miss that shit. One thing a client I never appreciate is like that time I could have you could have been with your son, or the time I could have been with my daughter, like I was with you doing X, Y, and Z. Yeah. And like, so fast forward, like it might be three months later, they might be like, Oh, you didn't come up, you didn't show up for this right here that was just a week ago. I was like, bro, like my daughter had got her first tooth, bro, and I didn't see that. Or my daughter just took our first step and I got to get a video of it. Like, that's fucked up. Yeah, yeah. So it's like I had to, for me, I had to take back, take a second back and reevaluate all that and say, What the fuck do I really want out of this music business? Because I've like I said, I've been doing this since since 2011. Like, strong, I started in 2010, 2010 was like, you know, like learning the ropes.

2011, I went full full speed in this shit. Yeah, so let's talk about what you started when you first got into it. I started managing an artist that at like so my best friend at the time and roommate. Like, I started managing him. Like he was he was going around campus battle rapping people. And like I was like, yo, you need to manage him. Like this music shit actually is fire for you. Like, so we would walk to the studios and shit. Yeah, but weren't you also promoting parties before that? I was. I was promoting. Everyone does that. Tell me why. That's like such a common thing. I was promoting parties in high school. Like, I've always been like a but like how does everyone get their start promoting parties? I mean, take the LVRN crew. So it was all of them, or like a bunch of them were party promoters. They were like rivals. I think it's the ability to get a big group of people together. I'm about to say, like, just knowing how to have a good time, and like, hey, that was one of our hustles. That was just the way we hustled. Like, I was like, yo, I know how to talk to a lot of people. I can go sell, like, you give me these tickets, I'm gonna go sell these tickets to X amount of people, and I can get them to pull up. And I'm just a cool charismatic motherfucker.

So, like, they want to hang out. That's what it is right there. It's like it's the charisma, bro. Absolutely. It's the it starts there, you know. If you can like kind of sway, you know, sway people into like trust me, you want to, this is where you want to be on Friday, like buy this ticket. Oh man, we used to have like Toonday. Sean, like they so they were at Georgia State, but we used to have this thing called the shuttles, right? The shuttles used to pick people up from Georgia State from the AUC, um, and then they would take them all, like you basically have a big ass, you rent a shuttle bus, and they would take you to the parties and take you to the clubs. So we used to partner up with Meezy, with Toonday, with Sean, and they would we would all have like Sprinter vans, yeah, like Redd push too, right? Push, Red. I went to high school Red. Okay, yeah. Shout out red. Yeah, that's that's my dog. That's my dog. I love him. That's My dog. That was just that great interview. Yeah, I was just texting him a couple days ago. I love him. That's my dog. Yeah, I've known red, I've known red shit. 20 2007. Yeah, because he was doing figure eight parties and shit, right? Bro. Figure eight, Libra. Yeah. Fucking, like, I did all those.

I did with all of them too, yeah. Bro, with uh uh with uh bocci, uh Bruckup, DJ Bruckup, fucking uh shit, Ray G, uh, Meezy, uh Meezy. Rachy. Rachy used to be a club promoter. We're trying to get the Meezy interview, though. And Rachy, she said she would do it too, because she's at YouTube doing just Rachy was a Rachy was a promoter. Incredible things. Wow. Rachy's gonna hate it, but her and Meezy, like, they really like snap music. Remember Snap music? Oh, yeah, of course. One of my favorite. Rachy and Meezy are like pioneers of that shit. Rachy's in a Soulja boy video going crazy. Oh man, I'm gonna go. Meezy's in a snap video going crazy. Wow. That's real, that's real East Atlanta. That is the giant white tees. Giant white tees and all. So. So you know. So you and your homie. Who rapped. Were just like. Going up to studios. Trying to record. Figure this shit out. So this is. 299 Peter Street used to have a studio in the basement. Yep. Yep. Right. And. His. His grandmother. I don't know if you're familiar with. Damn. I forgot the name of the damn group. Well his grandfather was part of the Bee Gees. The group of the Bee Gees. Yeah. And then his. Rest of his family was part of Organized Noize. Okay. And like. So he was. He was the. City of the Dungeon family. So that's how. So he was very musically inclined. Yeah, so this is all this is all like the 360 circle, how I say, like even

the three-stacks conversation, right? So Killer B, who's his uncle, happened to be like that. Was one of our click connects. So we started a uh click called Cream Cartel. So we were like basically like it was me, Maui, AC, uh Christian, uh shit, Lucci. In the early days of Lucci. Uh that's bringing back a lot of memories. We so we we recorded there. We also recorded at Boom Man Studio up in Lawrenceville. shout out Boom Man. Say what you want about the guy, but man, he's he's figured out something. I remember he was great businessman. He was LA. LA and the boom man. That's how I got introduced to him as a rapper. He used to be on tracks before he was this illustrious I just knew. label owner. I just knew him as my co-manager with there was an artist I was working with that he co-managed with me. Oh wow. Because he was with AE, the artist was Oh wow. at first.

Yeah, so I knew him before AE. AE is a good thing for me to understand, but like I knew him before AE. He used to have poker nights on what on Mondays at the studio up in Lawrenceville. So like we like, yeah. Some business deals going down at the poker games. Bro, I know I think it was more trap than business. So but like that's neither there. Like but yeah, like those are. those are great times, man. Like those are those are the moments where you you look back, you say, I really put in a lot of work that people never got to see. Like walking, like I'm talking about walking from the AUC to Peter Street, like with five bucks in our pocket collectively, and going to the Burger King right there on Northside Drive to buy a meal for us to now go to the studio and record for for free because they're gonna fuck they fuck with us. And it'd be in shitty equipment, or it being like we just doing it because we like there's a passion, there's something to love behind it that we're like, yo, we're gonna make it. But that's how this shit goes, bro. Oh, absolutely. You know how like how much fucking time have we spent chopping up clips and like whatever that like it's looks so easy once it's out and it does well, or even if it's out and it doesn't do well, whatever the fuck, right? The time that goes on behind like this set that we're fucking sitting on.

You know how much time, like just FaceTiming and fucking on conference calls trying to pick the fucking color of the brick and the damn rail and the fucking plants and like whatever. man. But you you had such a love for it that you were like it you were never at any point in time gonna stop. No, no, there was it was never gonna stop. Let me tell you the stressed for a second. Let me tell you the funny part about that though, right? So stressful. This is the part, this is the part of the process where you're like when everybody tells you there's beauty in the struggle, there's beauty and like enjoy the process, respect the process. Like when I work with that artist, I worked with him for six and a half years, seven years. I didn't make a dollar. Yeah. Literally didn't make a dollar. How much did I spend? Oh man, I can go down the list and tell you how much uh money I spent. But that time, that process, like I can tell you about South by trips, I could tell you about fucking A3C events, I could tell you about trips to New York, I could tell you about uh reaching out to every single this is the blogger, reaching out to every single blog. I can tell you about all those things that I did to just like, yo, we're going to make it. Did it did it all of it manifest?

No. But did I build relationships out of it? Absolutely. Did I learn through that process? Absolutely. Do you regret any of it? Absolutely not. Love it. So it's like those are the these are the moments and the times where I was like, or in general, where when you have to be like respect that process and appreciate that process. Cause like a lot of people don't get to like you sit there and you're like, I'm not where I want to be, I'm not where I want to be. But the reality is is are you really like you are exactly where you're supposed to be? So, like, you're only as good as what you've built for yourself thus far. Being happy in the moment. For sure. Absolutely. There's something very important about the presence. Yeah. But but it is hard when you're in the present and you aren't where you want to be. Absolutely. If you were to have heard that same, you know, trust the process. It's gonna be, you know. Do you think you can sit there with the same perspective, you know, back then, you know what I mean? Yes.

And the reason I say yes is because like now, like I've done, like I told you, like, it's weird because I've done I've done this whole spiritual journey in the last, like, especially the last, the last three to four months I've been really trying and like just a spiritual place and just like a place of growth, like, right? Cause like I have a great job at United Masters. I have a great business outside of United Masters. I have like I have all these amazing things that are going on, but it's like there's still points in time where you can have everything in the world, but you still feel empty with things, right? So it's like I have to go back and refine the passion of why I'm doing what I'm doing, right? And then finding that passion for me, like if I told myself, if I told 25-year-old Juju what I juju knows now, or if I told 22-year-old Juju, would I be richer? Absolutely. Would I be in the would I have more material things? Absolutely. But would I be as fulfilled in my as I am now? Absolutely not. Because like then, I like you'd have gave me at 22, you'd have gave me 100,000, or you'd have gave me shit 10,000 at 22. I would've fucked that off.

I did make throwing parties. I fucked money like that off. Like I did dumb shit. Yeah. So it's like I'm more in, I'm in a place now where it's like it's about family. It's about like doing things that are memorable, that doing things that like these moments aren't always gonna last forever. Like the shit that we're doing, like I when I went to I went to Africa for the first time in 2020. That was 2021. I went to for Africa for the first time, and I was like, yo, I'm really in Africa, and the company paid for this shit. I didn't pay a dollar to get here. And I traveled across the world, I'm in Africa, I'm listening to music. We're doing cool shit. Like this is like this is a moment that I probably prayed for in 2010 that I didn't realize that I have now. So I had to appreciate this moment now. So what did you do there? So I was that's when I started working with Sarz. I started work we started working with so like the the first trip was more of a going out and getting a lay of the land and just like you know, catching the vibe because that's the first time in Africa, and like it's Africa, bro. Like you just want to go see it. Like I I wanted to see what it really was. So like went to Nigeria and we just had a a great fucking time for a week.

Like we just had a we we we met the people, we went to strip clubs, we went, we ate great food, we listened to amazing music, we went to shows, we like we got a real like diversion into the culture, like shit was crazy. So I I I have a serious question. Like, how did the strip clubs compare in Nigeria to Atlanta? So the strip club we went to is called Silver Fox. Shout out Silver Fox. That shit we had a great time at Silver Fox. Full nude. That's a fucking little. Like. that's a good question, Henry. It's better than California strip clubs, let's put it that way. Yeah, no shade, Cali, but you know, crazy girls Ain't hitting no shit. Nah, it's uh it's all hype. Um, but yeah, nah, like the strip clubs were cool. Like, I so it's funny, you know, Kelechi. Yes, of course. So I had him on the I went to I went to the strip club with Kelechi in uh in Lagos. Wow, we had a great night at Lagos. Is there's like a festival there that happens every year? There is so I've seen footage of that now for a couple years. Afrochella's in Ghana. Okay, Afrochella. Homecoming, homecoming's in Lagos is in April. That's what I was thinking of. I'm actually going to homecoming next month. Homecoming. That looks

Insane. It looks like so much fun. Damn. I'll be at homecoming next month. Is that is that what you, you know? Were you there for that last time? No, so last time I was there, we were there for uh, so they have a uh like the summer basically starts in December. Okay. So they have everybody comes home for the the like the second week of December and they stay throughout. So I never actually got a chance to go to Afrochella, which is in Ghana. It's like a 30 minute flight from uh Lagos, but I went, we went for like just the experience of Lagos, and the last time I went was for the SARS Academy, which is TSA shout out to SARS Academy. I was wondering if it was like airport TSA. No, so TSA is the fuck those guys. Absolutely. I really don't fuck with TSA. Like they're always putting their hands on Henry in weird places. Yeah, Finding all this drugs. There's no drugs under my balls. Chill out. TSA definitely on some shady shit. But no, no, that's this is for the SARS Academy. SARS is the producer from um Nigeria. He's like, I don't want to toot his horn or anything, but he's like for real of Afrobeats. Like he's literally like the OG of Afrobeats.

Toot motherfuckers, Sarz sounds hard. We just signed, he's at United Masters now, so we signed him to United Masters. So wait, is there a publishing arm of UM? So he's not publishing. We signed him to a label JV deal. So he has a label called 1789. Okay, cool. So basically we brought in a label, we're releasing a compilation project with he has this huge academy. So I'll backtrack. He has his huge academy that he's been doing for the last eight years, where he goes and he taps in, like he sends out a uh uh basically a prerequisite and uh everybody applies. Um this last year he had over 10,000 submissions. They chose 14 people. So people that are come from the SARS Academy are like uh Tim's, Rema, yeah, uh Fireboy, uh Burna Boy, Wizkid, they've all come through the SARS Academy. Those are the all of them. Those are all of them. So that's what I'm saying. he's an unknown OG, like a lot of people don't know who he is. Okay. All right. So it's not just us because we're white and like. No, no, no, no, no. He's like he's a secret. Because we do get a lot of shade for being white and like ignorant sometimes. No. put it this way he's gonna have one of the craziest Afrobeat. Like we're working on, like that's the reason I just got back from LA. We're

working on a wild ass um album for him. Um Protect Sars at all costs, it's gonna be amazing. But is he gonna be Protect Sarz at all costs? Is he gonna be an artist? Like a vocal performer at all? No, no, no, no, no. just producer, just producer, and so same some of the same things I was doing with Danny. Like, we're doing I'm doing it with SARS. Like Danny, I see you. Yeah, some of the same things. Shout out Danny Wolf. Trust me, Danny. Some of the same things. Like, we're we're literally like going and we're putting together a real album, telling a real story, and like just going to take it to the next level. Yeah. Damn. So like a compilation album kind of thing. Yeah, so like there's or just like a Metro Boomin project or whatever. It's a Metro Boomin project. That's what I mean. It's several several artists. We have Timbo. It's like a producer album. I'll give you something I'll drop a couple of gems. Let's go, bro. We got Rema on the album. Let's go. We got Tim's on the album. Let's go. We got uh Skepta on the album. Oh fuck yeah. We got uh Joe Boy, talk to me nice, uh shit, Loj. Come on, bro.

Uh Khalid. Don't play with fucking Sarz. like, this is it's gonna be a fire album. Damn. That was going to be fire. So does he come from Nigeria to LA? Yeah. So he was. Or you just so what's funny is he's only been to LA a few times, and he just hell happened to be out in LA. And I went out there to chop it up with him. and just go through the album. So like we spent a few days together going through the project, going through like just enjoying life together, man. Like I tell you, like, in creating music. That's and that's one of the parts that are lost in now with the new artists coming into the business. They don't understand, like, great music comes from life lessons and like and learned life life. So like if you don't, if you're not doing shit, you're not experiencing life, that's why you tend to have a terrible fucking album. That's why you tend to make terrible bodies of work. Yes. So like for for us, like SARS, SARS has uh he has a lot of life that he's lived prior to doing this project. He has a lot of life that he's currently living. So like he's like, this project is gonna is going to be a a really big monumental moment in Afrobeats. Like, I tell everybody now, Afrobeats is where hip hop was in 2010.

Yeah, so what kind of trajectory do you see for Afrobeats? Like, you think it's gonna be pop music uh eventually? I don't think it's going to be. I think it currently is on track. And the reason I say that, if you look at look if you listen to Burna Boy's album, Burna Boy had a record with uh J Balvin. Balvin. Yeah, which he had like he had records with Blast, he had records with Kalani. Yeah. Um I feel like it's in a place where if you look about if you think about what music was in 2010, where in the blog era where you were just just discovering, there's there's Afrobeats artists now that you'll find, and you're like, bro, he has fucking seven million Instagram followers. He has, but he only has 300,000 monthly listeners. That's because Spotify and Afro Music are new to the continent. Those are not big streaming platforms, though they're just now becoming gaining traction. Where do people listen to Audio Mac is huge in Audio Mac? Audio Mac is huge. So that's the biggest in Africa. I'm not gonna say it's a it's not or like that we know of, yeah, like the US friendly ones. It'll be Audio Mac and then it'll be like Spotify right right behind it somewhere.

But they have something called Boomplay. Boomplay is really big as well. Wow. But now, like, so like, but I think we're in that place of discovery because a lot of people just like even Amapiano, right? Yeah, Amapiano comes from South Africa, so it's not like that's a whole different South Africa is like. Who just taught us about that, by the way? We just had an interview, someone was teaching us about what that, yeah, what the fuck is that? Yeah, it's a it's a whole, Amapiano is basically what um EDM. Sean was talking about it in a different in uh his other interview. Okay with the three black guys on a couch. Yeah, he was talking, they were talking about that, yeah. Amapiano. like it's a it's a it's a whole nother vibe. This is a subgenre, exactly. So like with Amapiano, you have people like DJ Uncle Waffles, she's amazing. That's a great name. She's fire. DJ Uncle Waffles. Her name is DJ Uncle Waffles. I seen her, I've seen her for the first time. She's a she. I seen her for the first time in Legos. She's like, mind you, she's not the most incredible, like no shade. Um Uncle Waffles, I fucking love you. She's not the most incredible DJ in the world, she's the most incredible performer.

Like she knows how to perform in a DJ set. So like when you think about what EDM, like if you go went to an EDM festival and you've seen like a Diplo performing, he's a performer. She's a fucking like they're dancing on stage, they're having the time, they're turning up with the crowd, like she's performing. So it's like even to go back to SARS, like we're mixing those elements of the of that. And for me, like the reason I'm inspired even with the SARS project now, is like I get the chance to now to tell people how to listen to Afrobeats music. Because a lot of people don't know how to listen to it. Like, you don't know, like, you're like, oh yeah, this is cool, but uh like, but well, now when I start adding, I'll I'll sprinkle in sprinkle in an element. Sminos going to be on the album as well. I sprinkle in the Smino, and you're like, Yeah, you're if you're a Smino fan, you're like, oh, let me feel see what Smino's doing on a on this record. So like we get to create a narrative and create a actual story. So, like, and when there's artists, when there's artists you're familiar with too, it can kind of bridge it. It's like more comfortable for people, like oh, this is an artist that I'm familiar with doing this, so now I kind of see how it connects. I can kind of vibe with it more and get into it cleaner, I guess.

Absolutely. Yeah, so like this is when I think features make the most sense. Oh, for sure. So I I'm like not even a huge fan of just like getting a slightly bigger artist that's in the exact lane as you. I mean, like, I I I see where that can like have its purpose, right? If you're a developing act, you're kind of on the bubble, people know you, but not that well, whatever. whatever. You get fucking future and you're a trap artist, like you know, you're you know, you might be out of here, whatever. Like, but so that's the difference in politics and politics, and actually just doing the art, right? So if you're just doing if you're doing the art and you're like, bro, like I'm not just gonna settle for anything, like that's when you you'll go outside the bubble. And that's it's funny because like this, these are more intimate conversations, but I this is part of the process of even AR in a real album. Like, you sit there and you you're like, I could do what what the norm would be, and I can do something that people would be like, oh yeah, like that person on this on this record, it makes sense. But I'm thinking outside the bubble of how can I how can I open your circle? How can I add if I know that part of your your your your fan base that you don't even know about, but I know they enjoy it.

Like, I know that the the people I went to college with are like they like a certain type of thing, or this select group knows a certain likes a certain type of thing, and this select group hangs out doing X, Y, and Z. Hey, This certain type of group might like this type of artist. Well, this type of artist actually has a tone or undertone that can fit on this part, on this record, and it could actually add value to what you're doing. So, like, that's that whole process. Like, that's the part of music where you you still you find the passion of love again, and you're like, bro, I want to do this shit daily. Yeah, yeah, and so as the director of producer relations, like because we know what it is now, you don't have to give them the air quotes. I just like doing that because it's such a fucking nebulous title. Um, is it because he's a producer that you happen to now be A&R'ing his project, or how did you find yourself well or did you like so go after it because you're like, yo, this sounds fire. I want to be a part of this. No, so like I have a track record and made an A&R. So, like, I mean, you were Juju AR for the longest. Are you still?

I don't even know. I saw changes to Juju underscore McCoy. I know, I saw that. I was like, rest in peace to the A&R. But like, apparently apparently, he's still out there. he doesn't want to box himself in. He's a man of multiple talents. No, it was a phase. Like, I like I that's when I thoroughly enjoyed being an AR. That's when I was like in the studio, like prior to actually like managing several producers. I was actually helping producers get placements. I would go to different sessions with different artists and actually plug and play and actually get help producers get placements. I feel like that phase of my life was just was was exactly that. Like I I outgrew that that portion of my life. So like for the AR side, like I could have went to a label and become became an AR. It's not really what I wanted. That was never my passion of working. Like I said, I don't want to work on a projects that I don't like. I don't want to do things that I that aren't inspiring me. Because like now it's like I'm working. Imagine this, you're working your dream job at a like like you're working a dream job in music, making a living, but you're miserable every day because you have to work with some shit that you don't like. So that's just like that's like a double-edged sword.

Like, fuck, I gotta do some shit that I don't like, but I'm doing a job that I fucking love. What kind of shit is this? It's like some weird terrible paradox. You're like so close to the dream. Bro, like it's like purgatory. I would never, I would never put myself in a predicament. So like the SAR situation came because like when I went to Africa for the first time, we actually went and we we were in a process of wanting to expand. United Masters wanted to expand. We wanted to get to a place where this was like, and I I've always enjoyed like I'm Caribbean, so I I've enjoyed like uh not necessarily Afrobeast, but reggaeton. Like uh I've always been a fan of Latin. So, like just enjoying those, like it was is a easy, easy, easily digestible, and I enjoyed it. So, like with SARS, like, like I said, like hearing the project or hearing the music, it inspires me again to think about like, damn, this is the new frontier of music for me. Not that for everyone, but for me, like, I can I see myself helping build this to the next level, see myself adding value to it that we can take this to another height. So, like, it's gonna be more exciting too than just making like a hip hop album.

Oh, it is, you know what I mean? It's like we got we got so many hip hop albums right now. Man, it's gotta be feel fun to be on the frontier of something new, though. You know, it's fun, it's fun, man. So fun. So you obviously did like the six and a half years with that artist that you learned a lot from, but clearly you're not doing that anymore. It didn't, you know, work out long term, you know, so to speak. So what was your first break that you'd consider? Music is like dog years. Let's say that first. It is music is dog years. So those six years was like 20 years of my life. Let's put it that way. Yeah. Uh, but um, nah, like you know, I mean, like, what when did it start to feel like it was working? You know what I mean? Like, did you start working with another artist or you know, like what I mean? I knew music, I knew in general, like the business was working for me when like I'm very practical, right? So when I say practical, when I realized I can have a roof over my head still, I can have because there was a times where that was not possible. There was times where I didn't, like my car had got repossessed. Like, there were times where shit like real life shit happened.

But as those all those trials come to you, are there are you still happy in doing this? And are you still leveling up in the process? Because like those are dark, like those are dark times. Like J. Cole's verse, there's beauty in the struggle was real at that point. Like, I was like, yo, what the fuck? Like, I'm working with this artist, I'm not making no money. I've gone, I've I've done everything I can. I've taken him trying to become get him a publishing deal. I've taken him, he got a distribution deal. Like, we've done X, Y, and Z. The shit is not working. So I, for me and myself, I had to take a uh internal like time and say, Hey, let's pivot. Let's let's start pivoting. Let's start doing stuff that that could make sense. So that's when I went into tour managing. And and so who'd you start working with? So I tour managed for Reese, uh Reese LaFleur. He's coming full circle now. Um Stalley. Yeah. Stalley. Wow, like MMG style. Yeah. Okay. I actually his beard was phenomenal. I A&R'd his Project, Saving Yusuf. Ooh, okay. I A&R'd his project. Place some of the beats on there?

Yes. So placing the beats, like helping, like sequencing. Um are you trying to grow a beard like his right now? Or nah, like his was fucking immaculate. I can't like Stalley. I know what the fuck he blew. I'm not sure what kind of creams. Berries and juices, all types of shit. Like oils, Berries. I'm not, I'm not quite, I'm not quite there. I'm not quite there. Okay. Shout out to Stalley. No, that's that's the homie, man. What he's up to. I love Stalley, man. I talked to him a few weeks ago. Oh, wow. That's my guy. Um I A&R'd Cyhi the Prynce's project around that time. We are Cyhi stans over here. Cyhi's made his way onto the podcast like 40 times. He's commented on a couple clips. I did Black History Project. I did Black History Project. Oh wow. Wow. Amazing. I actually, so true story. Like when I say you have to find side hustles and do things like that, you're like probably out of your comfort zone. I actually made the artwork for uh the Elliott Wilson record. I made our I made the artwork for that. Did you like get a crack copy of Photoshop and just rock out or what? Yeah.

I actually I did. Was that an ode to like rap radar? Elliot Wilson actually blocked me on Twitter after I made that. Shout out to him. So Elephant in a room, I made that I made that. I actually that's when I really started working with Cyhi Heavy Heavy because I like that was the first time I actually had a record go viral. Like I did the I was from the marketing and the the AR and that I did the entire thing of that record. And like that's when he set up the interview. And you got blocked by the GOAT? Yeah, and it was a fire time. Fire, fire, fire time. Did he unblock you? I've I actually don't know. I never checked. Like Elliot. Come on. He definitely blocked me in it because I made a picture for Cyhi. So it was funny as hell. Wow. Um yeah, I made that artwork. I made uh other record. So are you making music at that? I mean, are you making money at that point? Like through all these things. Are you making any money? I was making money, but I wasn't making money from music. I was making money from I was doing silent parties at the time. Dealing drugs? No, no, no. So that's that's way that's way in the past.

No, no, no, no. That's before the party promoted. You know, we had I was actually at the party promoted, but you know, like you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes. Of course. But um, no, I started doing silent parties. I was um so the headphone parties. With the headphones, yeah, silent disco. You were doing silent disco? I brought those to Atlanta. I was actually the first, yeah. It's a weird claim to fame, I feel like. I actually those are cool, man. They like it looks hilarious when you're not wearing headphones. They had their moment. No, let me tell you what's funny. Let me tell you what's funny. I think they're still around. Well, so 20, I started them in 2014, 2015. Okay, started them in 2015. Um, I was doing about in Atlanta, I was doing three parties a month. Um in general, I was doing about seven, eight parties a uh a month. And I've I built a database of like 300,000 people in Atlanta from like throwing silent parties because like yo, why on there? Did you ever come to silent parties? No. I was about to say, like, like we we were literally like I was going to this place called uh um Black Cat Alley. They closed this on Auburn Avenue, but I we were going there and we were doing Halo Lounge, and we were doing um I did a food truck park. I did the old food truck park. Oh, cool. yeah.

I did there. Um yeah, when we were doing we're averaging like seven, eight hundred people a week, and we were doing those. I was doing those weekly. Then I was also running Nashville, I was running a party in Nashville. I was running one in um uh Detroit and Chicago. Wow. And I was doing those monthly. So like I was making, I was actually making a shit ton of money at the time. Cause I we did I did an I started that's when I got my first like introduction to label business as well. Cause uh Nick Grant, we we actually did a deal with Nick Grant to do his, we did a silent party tour for him. His listening party was a silent party tour, so that was really fire. Wow. Um, yeah, so like I was making money on the side, like I had a side hustle that was actually like parallel to music, but it wasn't like what I wanted to do. That's part of the reason why I stopped doing the silent parties. Have you been able to leverage that email database since then? I honestly lost it. Oh no. Wow. I was like, that's part of the ignorance of the business. Like I didn't understand what I really had. That's So valuable. That was so valuable.

Email addresses of music fans. I lost it. Major. Over big L. It was over, it was like Common Juju L. 290, like 290,000 people, bro. Oh my god. Holy shit, man. Imagine just blasting all of them, Sarge's new album. Like, check the shit out. Yeah. Damn. Lost it. Well, for a much wiser man at this point. I feel like you wouldn't make that mistake in today's environment. I mean, I don't even think it was a mistake. I think like oh, it was a mistake. No, I thought, no, big mistake. If I had it. So what would you do with it? But if I had it, like, would I have sold it years ago? That's what I'm saying. What would you do with your like current job with it? Like, I probably wouldn't have had it in my current job because if I still had it, I would probably sold it for an absurd amount of money. And like people If times got tough for sure. Yeah, the information would have got sold to somebody to some company that needed it. Because I had it was 290,000 millennials. So, like, who the fuck doesn't want the info? Yeah, Man. but I mean, like, kidding me. Like, but I think, like, like I said, it served its time. Like, I that was a launching pad for even like people like EARTHGANG. EARTHGANG came and like they premiered records. Like, different artists would come to the silent parties to premiere records because they knew we had a certain crowd that would come every week.

Yeah. So they were coming and dropping records. So this dude was trapping silent parties for a minute. Bro, you had to, man. That's fire. You gotta you gotta hustle, man. Yo, I feel like I have so much more to talk about, but I feel like we've been going for a while. How long have we been going? Oh, we're a little over an hour. Okay, for sure. Well, my friend Juju, we have entered a final segment of the podcast. The very first on the brand new set, H3. Where are we at? I don't even know how to. how to do this. How to act on the new set. Nah, you're acting a fool right now. This is the rapid fire rampage. Okay. Juju clan. It's gonna be a three-part rampage, three short parts. I'm gonna start off with some short answer questions, move into a this or that, and then finish with a word association. Okay. Let's get into it. Rampage! Starting with the short answer. I'm still gonna get like quiet and vibey for this part. Even though I'm gonna go ahead and go ahead and set okay. Do you what?

Okay, I got a boom mic like it's still okay. I can see it. You know, you can move your mic out a little bit, bro. There you go. What? Not that far. What is one of the biggest misconceptions about becoming a successful producer? That everybody can do it. Some people just aren't cut out for it. Yeah, like I mean, it's like I said, it's like professional sports. Everybody's not LeBron James. Some people can be John Stockton, some people could be like Role players, like if they're white. No, I ain't even said like. Like John Stockton still got fire. He got hella rings. Oh my god. So it's like you can still win. You just gotta know your like how to play in your position. Like everybody's not gonna be Metro Boomin We got into a whole thing with Barry Hefner about John Stockton. Yeah, he's not a fan. Yeah. Let's just leave it at that. He's not a fan. Basically thinks he's trash, but I'm like, okay. He got rings, so I know. He's going to Hall of Fame, And he's amazing.

Like, well, could he play in today's environment? I don't know. He probably get cooked. I ain't gonna lie. He's cooked for sure. For sure. But it's like, okay, never mind. Juju, three of the biggest things a producer could do right now to get your attention. Um lock in with an artist. Be serious about your business. Like, have already have a PRO, already have uh your sound exchange, already have like no understand what the business understand how to make money in the business. Like and just do dope shit. Like don't give me the regular 808, uh six count, then a hi-hat. I don't want that shit. Give me like really be creative with this shit. Take it to take it to the heights it goes. You gotta stand out, man. Absolutely, got to. Juju. We had MP3s, we had streaming services. What is the next big industry disruptor?

Um, so it's funny. Web3. People don't people don't want to appreciate it. Thank you. I was kind of like setting him up. You just alley ooped him right there. Yeah, people don't appreciate it, but it's definitely the next big big disruptor. I feel like I feel like my retirement from music is through Web3 as well. So like I I'm all for Web3. I'm all for it. I'm all for like there's certain things in Web3 that I think are just immaculate. I feel like it's it's in a place now where it's you have a bunch of tech people that don't understand music, so it's like the prime time to get into it. And if you understand music, if you don't really understand tech, link up with somebody who understands tech. Yes, talk about it and create the next frontier because like we're in that space. But yeah, Web3, absolutely. Decentralized streaming services, absolutely NFT collections, centralized publishing, like everything. All it's all on the blockchain. DAOs, everything. DAOs are a big one. So glad that one was a selfish question, but go ahead. Don't regret it.

Well, yeah, you get one of those per episode. Per episode. That was my one. Yep. You've hit your quota. Juju, the year is 2045. The documentary/slash biopic of the life of Juju McLean is currently in production. What is it called? Who plays Juju and Who Plays the Female Lead? Oh man, 2045. I feel like that's enough time for you to go crazy. I'm not gonna lie to you. I really don't want to biopic. Because I feel like with a biopic comes all the like scrutiny, like people would be like, all day they're going to pick apart everything that he did bad? And I'm like, damn, I don't want to get canceled in 2045. Yeah, like a spot if you're gonna be able to do it. Who knows what's gonna be acceptable? Like I don't want to I don't want to be canceled, but just documentary that made it he was at a strip club in Lagos, Nigeria. Yeah, like stripper boxing. Yeah. So like I don't want to be, I don't want to be part of those things. So like I feel like um whoever plays juju in 2045 is probably not even like he's probably like right now in elementary school. Okay, that's right. He's probably looking up to me and he's like, yo, like he doesn't even know who I am. Yeah.

And he's one day's gonna become an amazing actor, and he's gonna be like, yo, like, okay, changing question. The year is 2023. Okay. The docuseries of the life of Juju McClain is in production. What is it called? Who plays Juju? Who plays the female lead? It's called You Got Me Fucked Up. So fire. It's called You Got Me Fucked Up, but for the essential title is Don't Quit. Okay. But don't quit, you got me fucked up. Okay. Oh, it's like a parenthesis. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, yeah. And like the don't quit part is like, yo, like, you've done all these things. You've gotten to these points, and you realize that throughout every process, every like interval of your life, you don't want to quit. But then you also realize that through this process, people, a lot of people had you fucked up, or things have had you fucked up. When I say you gotta be fucked up, it doesn't necessarily have to be people. It'd be like situations.

You gotta be fucked up. Like, you don't understand. Like, I'm bigger than this battle. I'm bigger than this moment. I can prevail through all this. So yeah. And who would play me? Um who else? Denzel Washington, man. What the fuck? Got him here. What the fuck? I love him, Big Denzel. Who's the female lead? Female lead. Oh man. Um whoever you just thought about right there, that's who that's who it should be. Yeah, I don't know who the female lead is, man. I'm not even gonna, you know, I ain't even gonna put that out there like that. He's he's holding back on us, Henry. No, never, never. Okay. Okay, um, for this next question, we're gonna need you to get your phone out. Okay. And uh it was Reese. Nope. We're going further down than that. But do but do go to the call log. Okay. Seventh call down. My seventh call down is Don't lie. Reese.

DJ BJ. DJ BJ? Yeah. What'd you talk about? Um, nudie's going to Portland tomorrow. So trying to put new send nudie to the Nike uh campus. What do you have to do with that? What did I have to do? So, like, I'm always like, We talked about never being a hater, right? Or never being just a person like competitive. Like, those are my friends. Like, these are my friends. So, like, uh my homie Malachi from Nike called me. He was like, yo, like Nudie's here tomorrow. As in Malachi, uh not from Wish. Yeah. Oh, okay. He called me. Is that Nike now? Yeah, Malachi. at Nike. I didn't even know. Yeah, he's over energy. Like he does all the energy stuff. So that's like Travis Scott. That's all the like cool friends. So Fire fucking job. Bro, it's amazing. His job's amazing. He travels, he travels and does shit for sneakers. Yeah, it's amazing. Can't fucking beat it. Nah. But he called me. He was like, yo, like Nudie's coming to a coming to town tomorrow. Like uh, I really want to go to the shows. He's like, you know anybody in the camp? I was like, yeah, I was just with BJ. Uh I was at I was at Nudie's release party in LA.

That was my friend. So like, yeah, I called called uh BJ and said, Hey, you guys want to go to Nike campus? Malachi said you come to Nike campus. He just wants to go to the show. Absolutely, bro. Let's do it. So like I'm never a person, like if you're not directly involved necessarily. Not even that. Like, I was taught never block another person's blessings. Like if I have a chance, if you want to meet somebody and I might not know them, like, am I going to s co-sign you you knowing them? Not no. But I'm never gonna not give you access to being able to meet that person because that's blocking somebody else's blessing. Like you never know what can come from that for that person. Like, even if I never ever see anything from that, it doesn't matter for me. Yes. For me, it's always about giving the other the next man the opportunity because you never know what they are going through or what what they actually need in that moment. So like, but when I say like when I say co-signing, like, am I gonna be like, hey, this person is X, Y, and Z and give you a whole no, like, hey, bro, I'm gonna give you the I can teach a man to fish, can't fish for you. Yes, I've given you a lot of people.

Yeah, we need more people like that. Yeah, that that's like that type of attitude is the only type of time I'm on. Like it's gonna keep us moving forward. Yeah, just anyone I've met, you know, our our mutual friend Steve O, who I was texting, well, you know, trying to get prepared for today. Like, I talked to Steve-O earlier today, too. Shout out to Steve-O. He's just like him, red, obviously. Now you like just there's just such there's a certain like cloth that people are cut from, like, and you know it when you when you meet them, right? Like, there's just you know, shout out to a few others, you know who you are, but it's just like the other ones, you know you're not that person, so fuck you. He's one of the ones though. Yeah, for sure. Okay, last one of the short answer, Juju. What is your favorite curse word? Fuck part one. Part one on the new set. Fantastic. Fantastic. We are shaping up nice in the new set. Moving to the this or that. I'm gonna give you two choices. All you gotta do is pick one. Okay.

Yeah, how's that working for you? Having to do it? Not great. It looks a little awkward. To go too far. Yeah, we'll get like a TV tray or something. Maybe have it right here. Fair enough. So vinyl drop or NFT collection. Vinyl drop. TikTok or YouTube. I watch both so much. So it depends on the time of day. If it's early in the day, YouTube. If it's late at night before bed, TikTok. Oh, okay. I like it. Classic Impala or brand new Hellcat? Impala, baby. Pac or Big. I like both of them, but I don't listen to them both enough. Like, I like both of them, but you know. Everyone likes both of them. That's why It's interesting. Hey, so I would say big, only because big is inspired by uh the South. Mm-hmm. he came down here and got a whole new flavor. Yeah.

So big. Okay. Rock or EDM. Rock. Ranch or blue cheese? Yacht Rock. Yacht rock. The yacht rock, yeah, yeah. With the Sperrys and all that. Yacht rock. Ranch or blue cheese? Ranch. Permanently speak with auto-tune or lose a toe. What would that sound like with auto-tune? I've had turf toe before. Turf toe is not a bitch. So you can't get turf toe on a toe that's not there anymore. Yeah, but I have ghost but I have ghost toe there. Like I think the shit's there It's not there. You'd be falling over. Give me auto tune. I'm gonna go out of tune one day. I like it. I like it. Give him the tune. Adopt a bulldog that does your dishes or a husky that speaks Japanese. I got dishwasher, but that Japanese might come in handy. Right. Give me your Japanese speaking dog. I like it, I like it. Last one. Eat fish every day or get smacked in the face by a fish every day. Eat fish every day.

Every day. Every day. Part two. Part two. Part two. Okay. He's got auto-tune. He's got a husky that speaks Japanese, and he's eating a lot of fish. I have a great fucking life. Sounds like a great fucking life. You guys are pescatarian at this point. Last part is the word association. I'm gonna say one word. You just give me one word, right back. First word off the top of your head. Maybe two words, but you know, ideas first thought. Starting, of course, with hip hop. Love. Luck. Sometimes. Home, family, ball. Till I fucking fall. Amazing. Juice. I got it. Password. Reset daily. Yeah.

Knife. I'd rather hold it than get cut with it. Podcast. I got something to get off my chest. G. ABCs? cake. I like ass. That might play into this next one potentially. Magic. City. There we go. Lil. Boosie. United. Master. What an episode. This has been the very first episode on the brand new one more time podcast set. Wow. Y'all know this shit was expensive. So if you fuck with us, at least drop a lot, a like, a comment, a subscribe. Just do the sub. Hit the bell, man.

One time. And if you're feeling, you know, real freaky, like hit that link in the bio and give us a few dollars. We have a donation link in the bio, that is for sure. This has been Juju McClain. Appreciate you coming on, man. Thank you, man. producer relations at United Masters, involved in some super dope shit. We didn't even scratch the surface, man. But we appreciate you coming on. We'll have to do a part two sometime. Thank you for having me. Until next week, Henry. Getting out of here. What are we doing? Peace and out. Peace. Bye bye. Bye.