Flyntstones  (March 2009) | Interview By: Jonathan Hay

..........................................................................................

Interview was done in March 2009

Questions Asked By: Jonathan Hay

The Flyntstones Gave Dubcnn.com A Special Shoutout! Check That Here
 

..........................................................................................
Dubcnn Exclusive – Flyntstones. Meet the Flyntstones.
By: Jonathan Hay
www.myspace.com/jonathanhay ..........................................................................................

Dubcnn: Right now, you are making power moves all the way down the West Coast with the crossover single you produced, “Hey Lady” by Atiba (Slip N Slide Records). Take the readers behind the music on the creation of your rising smash record…

Gr8 One: Slayte came to me with the Roger Troutman record and asked me if I knew of anyone who had ever sampled that record before. At the time, I didn’t, so he was like, “let’s flip this record.” I said, “Why not?” It took about six hours to chop that sample correctly because the timing was off on the original recording. Besides the bass line and the vocal samples, all the other music on the song is original. I am a musician -- a guitarist to be exact -- so I knew I had to come correct with our original music to compliment Roger’s song. According to his publishing company, this is the best Roger Troutman sampled song ever cleared by them. So we feel really proud about of that accomplishment.


Dubcnn: This certified banger “Hey Lady” has the classic “I Want To Be Your Man” Zapp & Roger sample in the single -- so my question is, what was the process behind clearing such a legendary sample?

Slayte: The first thing you would want to do is consult an entity that specializes in the clearing of samples -- that’s why SNS handled the sample clearance. Today it’s so complicated; I remember a rock band called The Verve who had a song called “Bitter Sweet Symphony”. They had a sample cleared for a song written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. The song version that was cleared authorized the use of a four bar symphony loop, but on the final edit of the song that reached the public, they added a half a bar sample to the loop to help the sample blend better. That additional half a bar sample cost them all of their publishing and royalties. The original split was 50/50 before they added that half bar to the song.


Dubcnn: If you don’t mind me asking, how much did it cost Slip N Slide to clear the Zapp & Roger mega-hit?

Slayte: To be honest, we don’t know the exact amount SNS paid to clear that particular sample. However, I once saw paperwork for an Isley Brothers sample a few years back, it was a four bar loop with no vocals and they wanted 14 stacks.


Dubcnn: How does a sample of that magnitude affect your own publishing and writing shares for the song?

Slayte: It depends on the split negotiated for the use of that sample. Sometimes you can pay a flat fee for the use of the sample and everything on the back end is yours, or you could do a 50/50 split. Nevertheless, when you have a hit record, you just gotta be thankful. For arguments sake, if we, as producers, only received 10% of the gross publishing revenue generated from “Hey Lady” and the song grossed 1 million dollars, well, 10% of a million is $100, 000. Now what if the song was released without the sample and it only grossed $100,000, ten percent of that amount is only $10,000. The moral of the story is “Don’t miss out on a dollar chasing a dime.”


Dubcnn: Would you say the majority of your productions are sample-heavy? Or, on the other hand, do you mostly avoid samples all together?

Slayte: We mostly avoid samples altogether unless it’s specifically requested by a label or artist. Matter of fact, “Hey Lady” was the only song in our library with sampled music from a master recording. If you sample from a master recording, in most instances, you actually have to get the sample cleared by two different entities -- the publisher and the writer. Since we are musicians, we usually replay all of our samples, that way it doesn’t have to be cleared by the writer.


Dubcnn: What other producers are working on the Atiba project?

Slayte: Let me see, I’m not 100% sure of all of the producers that Atiba’s working with for his debut album, but I do know a few: you got Jon Jon (Déjà Vu – Beyonce, Ordinary Love – Paris Bennett), Bink (Jay Z, Rick Ross, Amerie). He also has his own team of writers and producers he works with. Now that he’s signed with SNS, I’m sure Ted’s gonna throw a few more heavy hitters on his album as well. Atiba’s debut album is gonna be bananas. I’m also a fan of Atiba and I can’t wait for his album to drop my damn self.


Dubcnn: So Slip N Slide chose your song to be the first single out of all those other producers?

Slayte: Believe me when I tell you, I was shocked when Atiba called to let me know “Hey Lady” was chosen as his first single release on SNS. That goes to show you that Ted Lucas (C.E.O. of SNS) ain’t about those same ol’ industry politics. It’s not by chance he has the #1 Independent Label in the South. Not too many labels would put a major budget behind a production from up and coming producers. SNS chose “Hey Lady” based on its merit; we don’t have a pub deal, prior placements or inside connects. Ted also put his chips behind another up and coming production team for a lead single in 2006; the result of that decision launched “Hustling” by Rick Ross, produced by The Runners. We are definitely hoping history repeats itself with “Hey Lady”. Thanks to all our Cali fans for requesting the single, “Hey Lady” which was serviced to radio four weeks ago and it is already over 100 spins in California alone!


Dubcnn: Can you comment on the rumor that there was a serious falling out between Atiba and Darkchild?

Slayte: I’m not too sure about Rodney’s side of the story because there are two sides to every coin. But as far as Atiba is concerned, I personally feel that he’s one of the hardest working artists in the game right now. I mean Rodney had Atiba signed since 2005 and never put out an official single, even when Atiba had a song called “If I Had One Wish” getting major BDS spins across the nation, which Atiba financed the promotion out of his own pocket. One Wish generated enough buzz to get Def Jam on deck for a joint venture and reportedly, Rodney never made a move. Atiba was pretty much shelved for the next two years; it wasn’t until recently that Atiba was freed from his deal with Darkchild Records. But to show you how tenacious Atiba is, less than six months later, he was signed to the #1 Label in the South.

So do I think they have beef? No.

Is Rodney on Atiba’s Christmas list? I don’t think so! (Laughing)


Dubcnn: You all also worked with another Slip N Records recording artist, Drew Sidora (famed actress from That’s So Raven, Step Up and Madea Goes to Jail). How is that project going, and what has been your involvement with her music?

Slayte: First, I’d like to give a shout out to the “Chi Town Princess”, Drew Sidora…she definitely blessed that Flyntstones track; another shout out to my homie, Stereo, for producing the vocals on “Not Alone”. The way we got involved with Drew’s project was her management is also Atiba’s management. We sent them a couple tracks and “Not Alone” ended up being her first single. Drew is pretty much taking the same route many artists are taking now; she’s leaking a song here and there off her debut album, giving her fans a small dose at a time. It’s a great strategy because “Not Alone” was the #4 download on Digiwaxx without any major promotion from SNS. She also has another version featuring Chicago rapper, Sly Polaroid, going hard at Yung Berg. Make sure you lookout for Drew Sidora’s debut album, dropping 2009.


Dubcnn: Do you think Drew Sidora will be just as successful in music as she is in her acting career?

Slayte: Without a doubt! Have you seen her YouTube videos with female rapper, Jamiss? All I can say is that, even though she has fame, success and money, she still keeps it one hundred. Why else would you be doing a remix to T.I.’s “Whatever You Like” at 3 o’clock in the morning, recording vocals in the bathroom? That’s some “I’m on a mission” ish right there. From what I see, Drew has a profound love for music just as much, if not more, as she does for acting. Plus she ain’t bad on the eyes at all; believe me when I say she’s gonna be a problem in 2009.


Dubcnn: How did you all get hooked up with Slip N Slide Records?

Slayte: Basically, FM/Bloom Mgmt arranged for Atiba to meet with SNS to listen to his material. I think Atiba played about twenty songs for Slip N Slide that day. The meeting went pretty good, from what I was told, but he only played snippets of each song, not the complete record. A couple days went by, and then SNS called him up and asked him to send the complete version of “Hey Lady”. They contacted Atiba again and said that they wanted to sign him and release “Hey Lady” as the first single, the rest is history.


Dubcnn: In your own words, how would you describe the sound and the sonic personality of Flyntstones?

Gr8 One: Our sound is like the Black Plague, it’s an epidemic. It’s going to spread everywhere. There is no cure for this, you can’t out run it…you may as well accept your fate.


Dubcnn: What was the motivation behind your name Flyntstones?

Gr8 One: Really, we were just having a little fun; it’s also a name that everybody knows. When you hear the name Flyntstones, it doesn’t sound foreign to you. Although, one day, a Hanna Barbara attorney contacted us and was like, “You guys better walk a fine line.” They also made it known that if we tried to market a doll, cartoon or anything like that they were going to sue us. We were like, “It ain’t that serious, Homie, we’re just having a lil’ fun.” Imagine if the Dept. of Treasury threatening to sue 50 Cent for using his name -- how about Jeezy with U.S.D.A? To all ya’ll empty suits: it’s called marketing!


Dubcnn: What is the biggest difference between the overall music business in Germany and America?

Gr8 One: In Germany, they mean what they say and say what they mean. First of all, you actually get paid for your work. That means that if you produce a song for an artist, you get paid no matter what. In America, unless you are an in-demand, you don’t get paid until the song actually makes the album. Also, in America there are too many fakers in the industry. That’s why we own several businesses in Orlando, because if we tried to make a living strictly off music, we’d be basically homeless, dealing with all the perpetrators in the industry today.


Dubcnn: Being that you all have been currently working out in Orlando, Florida, did you all ever cross paths with the notorious, Lou Pearlman?

Slayte: Yeah, I ran into Lou about a year or so before he went on the lam. We met up with him at one of his restaurants, called NYPD, in southwest Orlando. I remember seeing him pull up in that Royal Blue Phantom, I was like, “Dude ballin’ out of control!” My business partner and I were interested in taking his artists, Smilez & Southstar, to Germany and break them into the European market. They already had two or three videos, a complete album and success here in America, so it would have been easy to make the transition. Lou was down for it, but he didn’t want to invest a dime out of pocket; on top of that, he wanted us to pay him an advance to work the project overseas. Not to mention he was keeping the advance on all licensing fees for the different territories. We were like, “Damn, Lou, you can take a private jet to Berlin to eat lunch but you can’t let us take these guys to Germany without breaking you off?” The bad part about it is Lou had already given up on their project before the meeting.


Dubcnn: Do you feel Lou Pearlman is getting what he deserves, or do you think his punishment is too severe?

Slayte: Absolutely, he’s getting what he deserves; I mean he’s chilling right now with three hots and a cot. If he was in China, he would have been executed by now. Lou is no different than Bernie Madoff, the guy who bilked investors out of $50 billion dollars. The only difference was the size of the Ponzi scheme; Lou stole about 300 million and Madoff made off with over 50 billion. I mean, Lou didn’t have a conscience at all, how can you steal somebody’s life savings then charge them an additional fee on top of what they invested with you to go backstage and meet and greet the Back Street Boys? Man, that’s cold!


Dubcnn: There is another drama being heard around the world, and it comes from Slip N Slide artist, Rick Ross…what do you think about the current Rick Ross and 50 Cent beef? In addition, what are your thoughts on the whole Rick Ross correctional officer controversy?

Slayte: That’s hip-hop at its finest, baby -- kinda like the Jay-Z vs. Nas beef, you gotta love it. I know a lot of people feel that 50 have the edge on Ross with the YouTube video of his baby-mama. Personally, I feel she has zero credibility. I feel that Tia is a woman scorned, so she would say or do anything to make Rick Ross feel her pain. A couple months ago, I had the pleasure of being at Poe Boy Records meeting with E Class, the C.E.O. of the label. I personally saw the infamous Rick Ross face in black and yellow diamonds with a matching watch, the Maybach Music charm in rubies and diamonds. E Class told an intern to UPS those joints to Ross because he’s going to do media or something. If Ross was really renting his jewels, he would keep them mothaf--kas locked up in a safe, because if he lost them, he couldn’t afford to replace them if they were rented. Tia also implied that his home & cars were leased. Home purchases are public information in Florida, so anyone can see that William Roberts paid 1.25 million dollars for a 6,000 square foot home in June of 2008. Also, anyone who owns a business knows that you should lease your vehicles opposed to an outright purchase because of the tax benefits, Trump leases all his cars, so you can call him broke too. I personally feel that, if she can lie about those things, then the whole interview could have been a sham. As far as Ross being a correctional officer, I don’t think it’s nothing to be ashamed about. I used to be saved, sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost, does that mean I can’t say f--k you? I think the fact he didn’t acknowledge it right away caused the media to question his credibility. But it’s common knowledge here in Florida that Rick Ross runs with Zoe’s, and real Zoe’s are like the IRS -- you don’t wanna be f--ked up with them dudes.


Dubcnn: What other projects are you all working on right now?

Slayte: Man, we are truly blessed right now. “Hey Lady” and “Not Alone” have opened up so many doors for Flyntstones. Let me see, we produced a song for Trina called “Try Again”. We did a song specifically for Sean Kingston called “Still Be Standing”, which they are really excited about -- shout out to Zach Katz over at Beluga Heights. We are also working on a song right now for the SNS Greatest Hits Compilation for the 2nd quarter of 2009. I almost forgot, like Busta Rhymes, Flyntstones’ getting that Arab money. Two days ago, a huge Dj out of Dubai heard “Hey Lady” on the internet and contacted us via MySpace. Right now, we working on two tracks for his artists, and dude wired half of the money upfront before we programmed a single note, so that’s what’s up.


Dubcnn: What is like working with Trina?

Slayte: We are in the internet age right now, so I’d say 50% of all songs recorded are done without both the producer and the artist [being] in the same studio. The whole “Try Again” song came about when Milk ,the VP of A&R at Slip N Slide, called me up and said Trina need some bangers, we was like, “Bet.” so we put three hot tracks together and sent them to him. Two days later, he was like, “I’m really feeling that ‘Try Again’ record,” and that Trina definitely gonna spit on that joint. Big shout out to Milk, because not only is he a workhorse, he also has ideas. Milk basically gave us the blueprint for creating that track for the SNS Compilation. Make sure ya’ll lookout for Trina’s fourth album, dropping this summer -- it’s called AMAZING!


Dubcnn: What is your recording setup for gear, equipment, etc?

Slayte: We use Logic Pro; they are the only names we are going to mention in this interview because they were the only ones to give us free software. Corporations, if ya’ll want us to co-sign on your products, send us some free ish and we’ll name drop for you, too. (Laughing)


Dubcnn: Describe your typical day in the recording studio…

Gr8 One: There are no typical days; it’s mostly grueling nights to early mornings. Most of the time, I decide if I’m going to work on an R&B, Pop or Hip Hop type track. The genre of the music dictates my kits -- drum sounds, high hats, snares etc. I usually put down the drums, or if I’m not sure of the drum pattern, I’ll just lay a rhythm track then start building around it. The part I hate is looking for sounds. We have thousands of sounds to choose from, which makes the process of finding the right sounds a lot harder.


Dubcnn: Who do you think is the greatest producer of all-time for both R&B and Hip-Hop?

Gr8 One: Flyntstones, of course -- next question, please!


Dubcnn: Final thoughts for the readers at Dubcnn?

Slayte: Damn this was a long ass interview but if you reading this last question that means it was interesting to say the least.

West Side……Holla actcha boyz!


Dubcnn: How would an artist from the West Coast get in contact with you for music?

Flyntstones: www.myspace.com/flyntstones or www.pmpworldwide.com/flyntstones




The Flyntstones Gave Dubcnn.com A Special Shoutout! Check That Here