MADEMUSIC MADEXXXX
I didn ’ t want to be the producer who did the same thing for the rest of my career . I wanted to be the producer that if you put me in a room with Lady Gaga , I ’ ll figure that out . If you put me in a room with Cher , I ’ ll figure that out and that ’ s really what I started to do .
MADE : You ’ re working on Empire now . What is that creative process like and how is it different working on a TV Show ?
RJ : It ’ s a lot different because everything is visual . I ’ m creating based off who the character is . If Lucious Lyon is this controlling father who is very dark and aggressive , I have to make the music be that for him no matter what song it is . I don ’ t care if it ’ s a ballad . I don ’ t care what it is , I have to do that . So , it ’ s just a different process , but I love it . What makes me love it so much is that it ’ s the one thing that I can create tonight and know that the visual is going to be there . I can actually see it on TV the following week , and that ’ s really cool to me .
MADE What are your thoughts on the music industry now and do you like how it has evolved ?
RJ : I do now . If you would have asked me this question a few years ago , I don ’ t know if I would have been able to say that I did , but now I do . It ’ s because now we ’ re streaming . If you see what ’ s happening with streaming , it ’ s allowing people to be entrepreneurs . It ’ s allowing people like Chance The Rapper to be able to put out his own music without a major label and be successful . I love that . I love the fact that now there ’ s a new delivery system , a new way of distribution . Where if I ’ m thinking of an idea , and I go work on it , I can literally have it out in 24 hours . To me that ’ s the greatest feeling the world . To know that you can make music and get it to the masses in a matter of a push of a couple of buttons .
MADE : What advice would you give to millennials who want to change the game in music ?
RJ : I would say now is the perfect time to change the game . Because of the internet , you have the option of putting your music out quick . And if you ’ re great , you can get discovered . I have two or three people who are signed to me and I found them all via Instagram and Twitter . Now they ’ re making good money and a good living and they proved that what I ’ m saying is right . Get your stuff up on these streaming sites like Audiomack that ’ s really dope for people to be discovered . That ’ s how Chance The Rapper got discovered . If it ’ s good , someone will contact you , I really believe that .
MADE What are some of the biggest lessons you learned over the past 25 years in the music industry ?
RJ : I think the biggest lesson I learned is just to maintain balance as much as possible with family . Don ’ t let the music industry keep you from enjoying life outside of the music industry . For me , it ’ s really about balance between God , family and knowing you can make records as long as you can . But , you have to have that balance where you ’ re spending with your family . When you ’ re alone and sick in the hospital , it ’ s not going to be too many people from the music industry to come and see you . I try to make every event my son or my daughter — or any of my kids have . Anything they have , I try to make it . I try to make everything . I try not to miss anything . I don ’ t want to be the father that my son hits his first home run and I ’ m not there .
MADE : You ’ ve accomplished so much and you ’ ve worked with everybody . How did you create this legendary career and do you feel you made it ?
RJ : I consider myself a lion , so I stay hungry . On paper , I ’ ve made it . On discography , I ’ ve made it , but I ’ m still working hard to make it . I feel like I made it in certain aspects of the industry . If you asked me what artists I wanted to work with as a kid , I would have told you Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson . From that standpoint , I made it because I ’ ve accomplished that goal . If you said , “ What ’ s your next goal ?” I would say to work on a big TV show . Well , I ’ m working on the biggest TV Show , Empire . So from that aspect , I made it . If you ask me what my next goal is — my next goal is to create my own TV show or create my own film based on my life story . So , I haven ’ t made that yet . I believe in life you have to keep dreaming and keep having goals . And even if you made it , you have to keep making it . GAMECHANGING HITS Rodney ’ s talks his favorite Darkchild singles of the 90 ’ s
1998- “ The Boy is Mine ” by Brandy & Monica :
My first number one record . It stayed number one for about 14 weeks . It won a Grammy . I think it ’ s a staple in our industry and I
think it ’ s a timeless record , so it ’ ll be around forever .
1999- “ Say My Name ” by Destiny ’ s Child : It was the third single [ on The Writing ’ s On The Wall album ], and in the beginning the label acted like they weren ’ t going to put it out because the other singles had already did well . It won two Grammys .
1999- “ It ’ s Not Right But It ’ s Okay ” by Whitney Houston :
As a young kid , I always dreamed of working with Whitney . I can ’ t remember if it won a Grammy , but I believe it did . [ Editor ’ s Note : In 2000 , the single won a Grammy for Best Female R & B Vocal Performance .]
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