West Coast Connection Forum

DUBCC - Tha Connection => Outbound Connection => Topic started by: themovie on June 27, 2002, 08:46:17 PM

Title: Irv Gotti: The Shadow Man Comes
Post by: themovie on June 27, 2002, 08:46:17 PM
This writer first met Irv Gotti many years ago, while doing a story on a hot, but difficult rapper named DMX. At the time, X didn’t want to talk because he was tired from recording an album and film, but after an hour or so Gotti somehow got him to talk. Then, an A&R at Def Jam, he was instrumental in getting the Yonkers emcee signed to the monolithic record label. Not long after, Irv brought along another gruffy-voiced rapper – this time Ja Rule. It was at this time that he was dubbed “The Shadowman,” because I realized that he lurked in the background, just outside of the light. All the while, he was pivotal in making the big things happen at Def Jam and most people didn't know it.

The Shadowman now comes to the front.

Things have not been perfect for Irv Gotti through the years, but right about now, he is raining 30-footers in the rap game – love it or hate it. Ja Rule. Ashanti. Charlie Baltimore. Murder Inc. Millions sold. With the release of his Compilation, Irv Gotti Presents...a new era begins. AllHipHop talked to Irv about the love, the hate and all things in between. While it may be long, part 1 is just the beginning. Part 2 cometh.

AHH: Can you talk about what you want to accomplish with the album?

Irv Gotti: What I want to accomplish is the success that I’ve been having lately. [laughs]. Just providing the people with some more good music.

AHH: How has the label progressed from the early days, from The Murderers and Ja…to now, you swinging the R&B joint.

IG: It’s progressed, and we’ve gotten smarter. We learning how to make better records. From when I first started out to now, it’s an ill thing. And it’s an understanding of the business a little bit better. Like with each year, each success, you learn more. And with more learning, you start understanding what you need to do to be successful.

AHH: What’s the main lesson you’ve learned since you’ve been in the business?

IG: Noting really matters except hit records and the radio playing them hit records. Hit records makes everything great. No hit records, ya fucked up. Hit records, everybody want to sit and talk to you. Everybody wants to give you some fucking money. So I try to stay focused and keep my life real simple. Cause when I was coming up, I didn’t really talk to anyone. I was just focused in the studio and making hit records. So sometimes I won’t answer my pager, I won’t talk to nobody. I just stay in the studio and make hit records.

AHH: What about the underground cats? A lot of cats say “keep it real” and others say “hit records.” What do you aim for, the radio or the art?

IG: Both. I try to make hit records that will do both and be successful. But at the same time, keeping my integrity. I feel with all the records we made, even when we made “I’m Real”, with JLo, I don’t feel like that was a poppy record. I feel like it was a very soulful record. All my records is black music. So I don’t like I’m compromising the integrity of hip-hop or anything. Cause I ain’t making no Hammer shit. But even that, fuck it, that’s Hammer.

AHH: What would you say to the critics? Some people are saying you following Puffy’s model for business or whatever? Some of the old Bad Boy records have been rehashed.

IG: I mean, music is music. He was killing it. And if “Flava in Ya Ear” was a smash then, and I want to sample it, I’m gonna sample it. When we go in the studio to make a record, I don’t know what the fuck we gonna do. Understand? If it’s gonna be looping flava in ya ear, or coming with some original shit like “Always on Time”. I think I have shown a wide range of hit records. I like the space that we’re in right now, cause we do anything. I’m not gonna play out, because I don’t have a sound. Like Neptune’s have a sound. They are super talented, but they have a sound. When you hear their joint, you know. Swiss had a sound. I don’t have no sound. Timberland has a sound. My shit may sound like the Neptune’s, my shit may sound like Swiss. When me Chick and Seven go in the studio, I don’t know what we gonna do. But I know we gonna have a hit.

AHH: Talk about your other producers.

IG: It’s like this. With me, I’m the quarterback. I can’t play instruments though. Sometimes I will have an idea, sometimes they’ll have an idea. But both them guys is extremely talented. Like Chink can pick up any instrument, it doesn’t fucking matter. He can play it. I just feel so confident when I am in the studio, that we can make smash hits. Cause it’s nothing but 3 really talented people in the studio. Then we got writers with Ja, Ashanti, Charli, Caddi. That’s extremely talented writers that know what they want to and know how a hit records should sound. It’s a real good thing with me and my crew right now. And the fact that we keep posting up #1’s,it’s just a stamp that we know what the fuck we doing. It’s a confidence thing that’s very dangerous for me. Cause I am extremely confident right now.

AHH: Speaking of dangerous, you guys used to be called “The World’s Most Dangerous Record Label”…

IG: We still do sometimes, but I flipped it. “The World’s Most Talented Record Label”.

AHH: What made you do that?

IG: I just feel we are. [laughs] When we are all in the studio together, man, it’s a site. Like when the whole Inc, is in the studio together, it’s crazy yo. The vibe is so crazy, I get gansta niggas in there saying..”man I think I can make a beat..” [laughs] When we all in the studio, it’s magic man. It’s really magic.

AHH: Talk about Ja for a little bit.

IG: Ja is the franchise. He is Murder, Inc along with me. It’s no one that can ever replace him in my eyes. Like Ashanti can fucking sell 10 million, and don’t get me wrong, that’s the Princess, no one can replace her either, but Ja started this shit with me. Understand? I ain’t never losing that. He holds a special place with me and he knows that. That’s my brother, for real. And it’s crazy how far he’s come. Like Dude, got it. From top to bottom, from performing on stage, he’s got it.

AHH: Word is, you pay him pretty well to keep him happy. Ja’s got as much money as me. He’s just as paid as me. He might have more money. [laughs]. But we don’t watch each other’s money. And I’m never gonna have a riff with him. I gave him a piece of Murder inc. He’s a partial owner of Murder Inc. And he wants his own label, MI2, and I’m getting it for him. And I’m gonna work that label as if it were my label. And the funny thing with it, is I’m his artist.

AHH: huh?

IG: [laughs]. I’m gonna be his artist.

AHH: Word?

IG: [laughs]. Fuck yeah.

AHH: Ok, you gonna have to explain that. So you gonna start rhyming?

IG: Yeah, fuck it, I don’t give a fuck. In a minute though. I’m not gonna be rhyming on every record…

AHH: Ok, so what kind of flow do you have right now?

IG: Very simple.

AHH: That’s what’s up. That shows a lot of brotherhood...

IG: That’s fucking right. And I want that. It’s important to me. We staying together. Like he may want to dive over here and do something different…that’s great! But we staying together.

AHH: Right, no doubt.

IG: See, Juve separates from Cash Money, I don’t know if he’s gonna do 4 million again. Because maybe he needs to be with Baby and them niggas, just holding it down. I don’t know. Same thing with X and Ruff Ryder’s. Soon as that riff happened with them, his sales went down. Respect each other.

allhiphop.com
Title: Re: Irv Gotti: The Shadow Man Comes
Post by: King Tech Quadafi on June 27, 2002, 09:02:15 PM
shows Irv in a different light


i dont like em as a label or their music

but i respect Ja, Irv , and the rest of em