sustain a living, and we didn’t know where it was going to go. Well, I think Bruno always knew where it was going to go – I didn’t, at that time. I brought them into Epic at one point, but [the A&R team] weren’t that interested in signing them. There is a long list of shining A&R stars who turned their noses up at Bruno. Almost every successful artist has their story. Actually, the first artist I brought into Epic, a month in, was Lady Gaga. This was prior to her even signing to Def Jam; she didn’t have any of the music she broke with, but she was definitely a force, and I responded to that, but my superiors didn’t. I was new, I didn’t have full conviction in my abilities at the time, either; timing is everything in this business. I still have her demo packet. Around the same time I was using Bruno and Phil quite a bit [as writers], so was Aaron BaySchuck. He was responsible for the session that produced Right Round [for Flo Rida], then Nothin’ On You [for BoB], Billionaire and F*ck You [for CeeLo Green]. It was a time in the business when people like Keri Hilson, Ne-Yo, The Dream and Ryan Tedder were sought after writers who used that currency to build their artist profiles – and that’s what we attempted to do with Bruno. As we all know, so much of the power in this business is in the creator and the song, so when you have songs that are in demand, when your time is in demand as a writer, you get taken a lot more seriously – and that’s what started to happen with Bruno. The music business has evolved a lot since you started out as a manager with Bruno. What to your mind are the most valuable functions of a manger today? It’s a completely different business than it was when I
started as a manager and at a label. But fundamentally, for a manager, the proposition is always the same: to seriously protect your artist, help execute their vision, and fight for their right to achieve their goals. While the terrain and the apparatus – whether it’s streaming, social media or other developments – change, the goals are always the same. Ahmet Ertugen said something like: ‘We walk around looking until you’re lucky enough to bump into a genius – and when you do, hold on and don’t let go.’ I’ve been fortunate enough to bump into a few geniuses, and I’ve done what I can to hold on! Lizzo is one of the modern music business’s biggest stories. How has her team strategized
to meet. It took [Lizzo] a few months to make the decision, a period of deliberation, which I’m always very happy to see. The most important professional relationship an artist can have is with their manager, and I consider my most important relationships those with my artists; it’s wise to take that time. After she came to the decision we jumped right in. This is the first time that I’ve been connected to an artist that seemingly blew up overnight, even though she’s been working ten years for this, working her ass off, and is now getting what she so deserves. The success is a result of so many things, namely Lizzo’s talent and vision, but it’s been a team effort from the beginning. Myself, Kevin and Alana at Full
“WE WORKED OUT OF THE WALDORF ASTORIA. MY OFFICE WAS LITERALLY A VANITY INBETWEEN THE BATHROOM AND TOM’S OFFICE – WHICH WAS A CONVERTED BEDROOM.” to break her as a vivid artist proposition, when we’re so used to much of that mainstream streaming business being more about tracks/playlists? It’s incredible – and, talking of geniuses, she is one. She knows exactly who she is, what her vision is, and always has. The thing about Lizzo that was very clear from the beginning was there was two sides: when you said her name, people either said, ‘I don’t know who that is,’ or, ‘Oh my God I fucking love her!’ There was nothing really in-between. Me, Kevin Beisler and Alana Balden have worked with her for almost two-and-a-half years now. We met her in April 2017, at the suggestion of Julie Greenwald and Larry Wade, who both encouraged each side
Stop worked really closely with the Nice Life team – Larry Wade and Ricky Reed – and then her team at Atlantic, Brandon Davis, Grace James, Ashley Kalmanowitz, Torsten Luth and of course Julie Greenwald and Craig Kallman. In the post-Blurred Lines climate, Lizzo’s faced claims about plagiarism and has responded forcefully. Some say those claims are spurious, to say the least. What are your thoughts on the current situation, and what can the music business do about it? Unfortunately, I have been involved in a few of these situations over the years. There’s definitely an ambulance-chasing, bottom-feeding approach that seems to be happening in the 15
