March 25, 2025 • 51 mins
Ever wonder how the biggest music careers are built behind the scenes? Nicole Bilzerian's story is a masterclass in music industry evolution.
Nicole shares her journey in the music industry, starting from her early interest in music to her internships at RCA Records and Jive. She discusses her experiences working with major artists, the transition to Interscope, and her role in building Geffen Records during the pandemic. Nicole reflects on the challenges and successes she faced as a woman leading urban marketing in a predominantly male industry, emphasizing the importance of integrity and hard work in her career. In this engaging conversation, Nicole shares her insights into the music industry, discussing her experiences with marketing new artists like Olivia Rodrigo, the evolution of artist-fan engagement, and her new venture, 81B. She emphasizes the importance of genuine connections between artists and their fans, the strategic planning behind successful music releases, and her vision for helping indie labels with operational support. Nicole also reflects on her favorite artists and memorable songs she has worked on, providing a comprehensive look at her career and aspirations.
Mixed and Mastered is produced and distributed by Merrick Studio, and hosted by music industry veteran, Jeffrey Sledge. Tune in to the discussion on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you catch your podcasts. Follow us on Instagram @MixedandMasteredPod to join the conversation and support the show at https://mixedandmasteredpod.buzzsprout.com/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This week's guest is Nicole Bazarian.
Nicole started her career atJive Records doing marketing for
Britney Spears and JustinTimberlake.
After leaving Jive, she went toInterscope Records, guiding
projects by J Cole, dababy, rayShremard and Juice WRLD.
Nicole then served as ExecutiveVice President at Geffen
Records, where she played apivotal role in launching Olivia
(00:23):
Rodrigo's chart-topping albumSour, which won a Grammy.
She is now the founder of 81B,a company dedicated to
empowering creatives withoperational support.
Since its launch in 2023, 81bhas worked with Nickelodeon,
rebel Music and Gamma.
Let's take a look inside herjourney on this week's episode
(00:44):
of Mixed and Mastered.
Welcome to Mixed and Mastered,the podcast where the stories of
the music industry come to life.
I'm Jeffrey Sledge, bringingyou real conversations with the
people who have shaped the soundof music.
We're pulling back the curtainon what it takes to make it in
the music business.
These are the stories you won'thear anywhere else, told by the
(01:06):
people who live them.
This is Mixed and Mastered.
Hello, this is Mixed andMastered with an old co-worker
of mine who's become a big macamaca, nicole Blazarian.
(01:28):
How are you, nicole?
Speaker 2 (01:30):
I'm good.
I'm good, how are you?
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Good man.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Thanks for asking me to do this.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Of course, of course I mean.
So we haven't seen each otherin quite a while, but I've been
watching.
you know, since you moved toCalifornia, I've just been
watching watching you grow upand up and up and up and I'm
like, oh man, the cold's comingout there.
You know, and I'm real proud ofyou.
You know, but everything thatyou've done, that we'll discuss.
But I'm really proud of youbecause seeing you from the
young, you know, young girl atjive to, yeah, you know what you
and you're still young.
(02:00):
I'm gonna try to call you likeold, but same, no, it's all
right, it's all right.
Become this big executive, youknow.
So let's get started from thebeginning.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
So you grew up in Massachusetts, I did.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Worcester Mass, worcester Mass Now, is that in
Boston?
I don't know geography ofBoston or Massachusetts, but
this one now you know it'scentral Mass Geography of
Massachusetts as well.
This one now.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
You know, it's Central Mass.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
So it's like 45, 50 minutes outside of Boston.
Okay.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Is there a college there or something?
I know the name?
Yeah, there's a ton of collegesin Worcester, actually, I think
I don't know, it might be likeeight or nine, literally.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Okay, yeah, that's why I know the name, because I
definitely have heard the namebefore and after that.
Now, where'd you go to college?
Speaker 2 (02:52):
I went to Fordham.
That's how I ended up in NewYork.
I was in the Bronx.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
That's how you ended up in New York.
You was in the Bronx, in theBronx, yes.
So how'd you end up at Fordhaminstead of UMass or Harvard or
Boston College or one of those?
Speaker 2 (03:06):
You know it's crazy, when I was in high school I was
an athlete, I played softballand I had an attitude at the
time that I was only going to goto schools that were recruiting
me.
And I went on all of myrecruiting visits and they were
all great schools but none ofthem really kind of spoke to me.
(03:26):
So last minute, um, my aunt,one of my aunts, went to Fordham
.
I said to my parents, I said,can we just go check out this
school in New York?
And we went and I just fell inlove with the campus.
I was like, oh, this is amazing, it's in the Bronx, it's close.
Prex sent me to the city.
Um, I was like I'll just walkon.
(03:49):
So I, you know, had a meetingwith the, with the coach at the
time.
She agreed to let me, you know,walk onto the team.
And so Fordham was a lastminute decision for me, but the
best decision I could have made.
I'm so glad I went there.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Wow, where'd you get your interest in music?
Where'd that come from?
Or was it just an internshipthat turned into music's?
Speaker 2 (04:04):
been interested in music.
Um, you know, whether it wasjust like listening to my
parents play music around thehouse, or just I?
I honestly don't know where itcame from, but since a young age
I was really interested inmusic.
My first concert was belbivdevoe.
Okay, okay, okay the homies yeahand um, and I just loved music,
(04:25):
but I never knew that you couldhave a career in music unless
you were the artist.
So I got an internship when Iwas in college at RCA Records
and that opened my eyes to thefact that you could work in
music but not have to sing orrap or dance, and that from that
moment on I was like, okay, nowthis is where I want to be.
(04:46):
I changed everything.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Okay, okay.
So who'd you intern for at RCA?
What were you doing in yourinternship?
Speaker 2 (04:54):
So my first internship was for a woman by
the name of Hannah Serbu, whowas the executive assistant to
Bob Jameson, who was running thecompany at the time.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Yep, yep time.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
And that internship or that assignment was pure luck
in the best way, becauseinterning for the executive
assistant to the person runningthe company, you get to see
everything that's going on inthe company.
So that was just such aprivilege to be like.
Oh my God, there's all thesedepartments and these people do
different things and I was sonaive to how the whole process
(05:25):
worked.
But that was the best firstinternship I could have had.
And then I did another semesterin their marketing department.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Okay, and that's how you got into the marketing thing
.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So how'd you get to Jive?
Speaker 2 (05:38):
So I, like a lot of college students you know, left
college looking for a job and Ihad an arrangement with my
grandparents where they agreedfor my graduation gift they
would pay three months of rentin New York and I would have to
find a job over the summer orI'd have to move back home.
So for those three months I wasa temp.
(06:00):
I got hooked up with a tempagency and I was doing just kind
of temp work at differentlabels and I didn't get a
full-time job in August.
So I moved home for two monthsand then I got a call back.
I was miserable, I was, I was, Iwas.
But so then I got a call backfrom the temp agency that
November and they said, hey, ifyou can come back to New York,
(06:23):
we've got a temp position thatwe think is going to become
permanent, you know, if you wantit, I said yes, great.
So I ended up moving back toNew York and I temped a little
bit again at Jive, actually likeas reception, or that's how I
met Alison Joyce.
I was helping A&R.
Hi, alison, yeah, yeah.
And then the full-timeassistant position opened up
(06:47):
because the assistant for thehead of marketing and special
projects at the time, Julia, herassistant, had gotten promoted
so she needed a new assistant.
So January, three months later,I got the full-time assistant
gig.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
And that was the start.
That was the start Sidebar,because I never ask you this how
did you get to Lenox Terrace?
How did you move to Harlem?
I'm going to ask you that.
By the way, folks, we sharedthe same shoe store.
Yeah, we had the same shoe man.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Yes, yes, I had a lot of shoes repaired walking
around those streets.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
So I got to Harlem because I was in the bronx for
two years post college, right,had a roommate and was making
that commute down, you know, onthe one or the nine train down
to 25th street and then I madejust enough money to get closer
to downtown so I was able tofind a studio in harlem,
(07:44):
actually on 130th between AdamClayton and Lennox.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Fourth floor walk up, but I was by myself right, so I
did that for two years and thenI finally had like a little bit
of money to get in an elevatorbuilding, which you know is a
big deal.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
It's a big deal, yeah , yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
So that's when I moved over to 135th and 5th and
Lenox Terrace.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Okay, okay, cool, cool.
So you started working withJulia.
How was your initial experienceat Jive Like?
Was it kind of like, was itsimilar to RCA, because I don't
quite remember what RCA was backthen.
Was it very different?
And what kind of don't quiteremember what RCA was back then,
it wasn't very different andwhat kind of turned you on about
(08:27):
wanting to do this, like reallydo this, and turn it into a
career?
Speaker 2 (08:31):
I remember it being definitely a bit different.
You know, rca was, you know, avery from what I remember at the
time as an intern, just likevery organized, buttoned up, you
know, label in New York Cityand Jive was just more.
It was smaller, it was more.
You know, I I feel like theterm family is just so overused,
(08:52):
but it really did feel likethat it really was, though it
really was you know we were just, it was scrappy, it was just
like it was a good time, but itwas work and and um, I loved it.
Like from the minute minute Iwent there I was like this is
this is what I want to do for mycareer, for sure.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
Yeah yeah, it was definitely a family environment.
Like you said, it is over term,overused term, but I can say I
worked at atlantic records lateron and I was like, wow, this is
.
I really realized how unique ofa situation Jive was when I
went to Atlantic.
Yeah.
You know, and that's notdogging Atlantic, but it was
(09:29):
just like wow, it wasn't reallyfamily, it was just like more
like corporate, you know.
So it was special.
So tell me a couple of theprojects you worked on at Jive.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
So because I got really lucky with assisting the
head of the department, I kindof like got to see a lot of the
projects that were justhappening at the label at the
time.
But when I kind of got a littlebit more responsibility and
started working my own projects,it was the height of, like
Britney and R Kelly and Sierradays right.
(09:59):
So I think and I'm terrible withdates, but if I remember it was
like the Sierra Evolution album.
Over time, as I kind of came up, I ended up doing I did
Robert's Trapped in the Closetand Double Up album, one of
Britney's albums.
Yeah, yeah it was.
It was a crazy time at thatbefore we move forward.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
I don't have crazy stories the right term because I
don't want to give anybody anytrouble but do you have any
trapped in the closet storiesabout working the record, or do
you just kind of work the record?
Speaker 2 (10:30):
No, I just kind of work the record.
I mean, at the time it was sucha bizarre thing Like what is
this?
So there was definitely nuancesthat came along with that.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
But no, I truly truly don't have any weird stories
yeah, that's what I tell peopleall the time when they ask me
where I rob it.
I'm like I don't really got nowish.
I'm sorry, I wasn't no like 11year old girls walking around
the office like he was.
He was an amazing artist and hekept putting out amazing
records and that's pretty muchall I could tell you.
Man, you know you know.
(11:02):
So after the jive, explain howyou got to Interscope in
California.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
So back to the family , a piece of it.
So I was at jive and then, asyou know, we had merged with RCA
and we became jive RCA and wemoved into the 550 Madison
building and so I had been therethrough the merger for about
nine, 10 years and, like mostpeople, you know you love what
you do but you feel underpaid,overworked and I kept being like
(11:33):
, oh, I got to leave, I got toleave.
Mark Flaherty called me.
Great dude, he had left and goneand done other things and then
made his way to LA to Interscopeand he called me and he said
hey, I kind of know what they'repaying you, I can pay you more.
But you got to move toCalifornia and I was like I
(11:54):
don't want to do that, I loveNew York.
He's like just come for aninterview and then you make a
decision, was like all right,fine, so flew to LA.
I met with him, I met withSteve Berman and I still like
wasn't convinced because I waslike I love New York, I just
love.
New York so much um, but theymade me an offer that I honestly
(12:16):
couldn't refuse um, and Iremember talking to Mark Pitts
about it and because at the timeI had I was working like some
developing artists that I reallyhad passion for, like a Jacob
Lattimore right, who I still,you know, I'm to Mark Pitts
about it, and because at thetime I had I was working like
some developing artists that Ireally had passion for, like a
Jacob Lattimore right, who Istill, you know, I'm still good
friends with Tish to this dayand I was like I don't know.
And Mark was like get yourmoney.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
And I was like that was his famous term Get your
money, get your money, get yourmoney, you gotta get your money.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
And I was like, okay, fine, but I'm going to come
back.
I was like I'm only going to gofor three years and then I'm
going to come back to New York.
So I did.
I ended up going to Interscopeas a marketing director.
They made me a great offer andso I moved to LA.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
So, okay, well, I'll deal with a couple of things,
but tell, between jive andworking at Interscope, you know
it's a totally different totallydifferent totally different.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Well, there was a lot of differences, I think, label
wise, but also city wise.
For example, you know, in NewYork, especially at jive, we
were in the office sun up tosundown.
We all went out after work.
It was like you literally likelived there.
And.
I remember when I first got toLA and I would go to the office
and someone would say like it'dbe like one o'clock, and they'd
be like all right, you know,I've got a meeting, I'll see you
(13:33):
tomorrow and I'm like oneo'clock in the afternoon.
Yeah, and I'm like, oh, you'renot, you're not coming back to
the office.
And they're like, no, no, Likeyou know, with traffic, and no
like no, I'll see you tomorrow.
And I was like, oh, my goodness, like this is a different city,
you know, people aren't livingin the office, it's kind of come
and go, and so that was adifference.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
Yeah, jive, you did that.
Your phone would be blowing uplike like all the rest of the
day Like when are you comingback?
When are you coming back?
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Totally, I mean.
But now, having lived here fora long time, I did get it Like
traffic is crazy, it isgeographically spread out, like
I get it now, but at the time Idid not, I did not understand it
and you know it was definitelyJive was relaxed.
But then going through RCA,which is a little bit more
buttoned up, you kind of got alittle bit more corporate
culture.
And then going to Interscope, Ifelt like was definitely a lot
(14:19):
of creative.
I mean, I got to Interscoperight as Jimmy was leaving and
John Janik was taking over.
I got the tail end of Jimmy andthen I got, you know, john,
john coming in.
So it was a transitional timethat way, but I just it was
definitely a creativeenvironment.
You knew that coming in, youknow, I started talking about
budgets.
Everyone was like yeah, yeah,like talk to us later, you know
(14:41):
what I mean Like it was creative.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Yeah, I've never met Janet.
I've heard great things abouthim, but I've never met him.
What was he like to work for?
Speaker 2 (14:52):
He is super smart.
You know different personalitythan Barry, but reminded me a
lot of him in the sense of readsevery chart, reads every
article.
We'll ask you about it.
Just really, really smart.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Smart guy reads every article.
We'll ask you about it.
Just really, really smart umsmart guy?
Yeah, yeah, I was.
So what acts?
Speaker 2 (15:11):
did you start working on when you got there.
So again, I was very fortunatewith my timing because I got to
in our scope in february of 2013.
It was right when we werelaunching Robin Thicke Blurred
Lines.
Wow.
So I worked Robin that recordand that album.
I did Aloe Blacc, which againat that point was having a huge
(15:33):
moment and is still incredible,incredible artist Record and
Maroon 5.
I worked the five album.
I did Fergie one album.
So when I first got there again, there again my timing I could
not have planned it any better.
I just got really fortunatewith these big artists that were
releasing projects at the timeand they were global projects.
(15:54):
So I got to work with all theterritories and really learn
more about the global space.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
Yeah, yeah, which is very different.
It's just like go.
I remember a jive clive sent meuh to england and to sweden and
you get to see like, wow, it'slike different, it's just like
go.
I remember a drive clive sentme uh to england and to sweden
and you get to see like, wow,it's like this.
It's a really big world outthere.
You kind of think in unitedstates, united states, but then
you go to these otherterritories and you're like, oh,
they do things different andthere's a whole kind of
different system in place inother places, you know yeah um,
(16:21):
it's not.
It's not homogenized, as I kindof thought it was.
You know, Wait before we moveon the blurred lines lawsuit.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
I thought Pharrell got hosed.
What were your thoughts on that?
Speaker 2 (16:40):
To be honest, I don't really know what my thoughts on
it were, because I was socaught up kind of in it.
I mean I got deposed and had totestify.
Oh, wow.
But only to speak about themarketing campaign.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Specifically right and all the things that we did
and how much money we had spentto make the song a success,
rather than the song being asuccess because of a sample or
an interpolation.
Hmm.
So, to be honest, I don't know.
I mean obviously unfortunatefor Robin and for Pharrell and
(17:18):
it definitely is a fine line.
It's definitely a fine linewhen you start talking about
these things, but yeah, that's atough one moving forward.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
You ended up working with with uh j cole and sheck
west and juice world yeah thebaby and ray shram and olivia
rarigo who we'll get to?
We'll get to in a minute.
Um, I remember I went to uhtravis scott's concert tour.
The sheck west opened that.
That for yeah it was after aworld tour yeah and I.
(17:51):
I went in new york and Iremember I knew the sheck west
record was big.
I knew it was big.
I was.
I knew the Sheck Rest recordwas big.
I knew it was big, I was in NewYork, I knew it was big.
But when he came out and didthat song, and you know what was
it, the little drop was likefuck shit, it was something like
that.
The whole garden.
I was like OK, this is biggerthan I thought it was.
This is like a big, big thing.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
How was it working with him and working with, uh,
with Cole and those guys andJuice WRLD?
Speaker 2 (18:20):
I mean, again, I look at like kind of my career so
far and just like what momentsof time I've had and that
particular time was really greatto be a part of, because Joey
Manda had just come also intointerscope and we were really
transitioning or building outthe kind of hip-hop, rap, r&b
(18:44):
artists at the label.
Obviously there were the iconsright, like there were like the,
you know, the eminem 50 likeall right, yes but at the time
there weren't that manydeveloping.
So it was really a priority tobring in label partners and
developing artists to reallybuild up and over that time I
(19:06):
don't know like a six credit tothe entire team because there
were so many artists that wewere working at the time.
So, as you mentioned, you know,j Cole and Dreamville we worked
closely with.
They're amazing, they're justgood people.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
I mean, I haven't met them, but I've heard they're
great people.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Really great people Actually, fun fact, you know,
fast forward.
So Cole just did his the 10thanniversary show at MSG Yep and
I happened to be in New York inDecember for work and I had my
son with me and I brought him.
So my son's first concert is JCole.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
At the Garden.
That's dope, that's dope,that's dope.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
But yeah, that was a great moment in time.
They're really great people towork with.
Working with Grade um, you know, with bibby and pete on juice
world, was really great.
Those guys are just, you know,they're they're forward thinking
and innovative, like I know.
Like all the content that wasmade around juice world was very
thought out by them and by theteam.
(20:09):
So that was a good time.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
I mean, yeah, there was a lot, of a lot of moments
within that six-year period, forsure I bet it was if in reading
about it it felt like you werejust like on, just rolling.
It was like one one one hit,hit, hit, hit after another.
You know, yeah, and you put outone of my favorite albums, um,
the first race rim album.
(20:31):
Yeah, I remember listening tothat.
I was like in the gym orsomething and I put it on and I,
like you know, I like thesingles.
When I put the album on I waslike this is some other shit,
like I really I still listen tothe album sometime today.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
That's a great project, you know yeah, that
that that album was, uh, wasactually a lot of fun.
Um, and I just look back youknow this is kind of off on a
tangent, but I look back andwhen you're in, like the release
of a record, any record right,there's things that you just
find so important.
And I just look back on likesome of the conversations that I
(21:06):
had with Mike Will at the timeand I'm just like why did we
care?
So like there was just likecertain things you know, like
that was a lot of fun to workthat project.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
A lot of fun, yeah yeah, I bet, because they had.
They had that youthful energyand it was atlanta and it was
just like a whole movement, youknow yeah yeah I liked them a
lot, so tell me how you got tonow.
Olivia rarigo, that was geffenor that was still in the scope
that was geffen.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Okay, so tell me aboutterscope.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
That was Geffen.
Okay, so tell me about thattransition to go to Geffen,
because you got to.
I mean, let's leave out somedetails which is when you got to
Interscope, you started and yourose up the ranks.
You were like a senior vicepresident, you were like a big
wig.
It wasn't like you were just nodisrespect but you weren't just
like a product manager.
You were like a product manager,you were like a really doing it
(21:57):
.
So tell me about I want to hearabout that too Like I think
people don't understand how tokind of rise in corporate
America and how to the stuff yougot to do to kind of weave
through that and get to that,that, that that high level.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
Yeah, so I just from start to finish.
Well, I'm not finished, sostart to now.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
Let's say yeah, you're not finished, you're not,
far from it, I'm not finishedyet.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
So, you know, I started as an intern, then I
became an assistant and then, Ithink, I got bumped up to
coordinator and then I was likea junior product manager and
then I got to Interscope and Iwas a product manager or
marketing director we kind ofinterchanged the term, I suppose
and then again, because of thetiming and just a lot of other
(22:42):
factors that played into it, Iwas able to get promoted to the
head of urban marketing.
So that was in the height ofwhen we were really focused on
the developing artists and justtrying to like build out that
team.
So it wasn't just me there was,you know we had a small team to
start and over time, over thosesix years, it grew and, you
(23:04):
know, slowly but surely we wereable to get more head count and
really bring in people to helpsupport the amount of artists
that we had.
Yeah, so I, you know I workedmy way up in the sense of, like
all the things you would expectyou have to work hard, you have
to be, you know, ready for theopportunity when it comes, you
have to be at the right place atthe right time, you have to
have the right people advocatingfor you.
(23:25):
So there's a lot that goes intoit for sure.
So this was now during thepandemic.
It was like June of 2020, 2020,I guess okay my deal was coming
up and, um, you know we weretalking about renegotiating and
I think everyone's generalfeeling was that we wanted to
(23:46):
continue working together.
I wanted to stay, they wantedto keep me, but where is there
an opportunity to grow and you.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
you felt like you kind of hit a ceiling at
Interscope A little bit yeah.
A glass ceiling a little bit.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
And I loved what I was doing.
I mean, we were on a hot streak, like it was great.
But there was just that,conversations on what else I
could do At the time.
Yeah, it was like June of thepandemic Everyone's working from
home.
No one was supposed to bemeeting in person but I had to
have some like secret in-personmeetings to talk about stuff you
know.
And Geffen had been around.
Obviously just prior NeilJacobson had been running Geffen
(24:24):
and he decided to leave and sothere was a new wave of we want
Geffen to continue being anactive label, but like, how are
we going to position it now?
So they had brought over LeeLaRue.
He was at Warner at the time hecame over to Geffen and they
were really focused on buildingthe new iteration of Geffen.
(24:44):
So they said, well, what if youwent over to Geffen and we're
just, you know, the executivevice president of the label and
you work with Lee and you try to, you know, build up this new
version of Geffen?
I said, oh, that's interesting,because my passions at that
time kind of had shifted andI'll always love marketing,
it'll be the backbone of kind ofwhat I do, but I really had a
(25:06):
passion for operations at thatpoint and how things worked and
hiring the right people andgiving the right people
opportunities that kind ofbecame what I was interested in.
So this was kind of the perfectfit.
Speaker 4 (25:18):
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And now back to our show.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
I ended up going over to Geffen, which is part of
Interscope, right, it's all thesame umbrella and when I got
there, like I said, lee wasthere, and then there was, I
think, like three or four otherpeople.
There was shout out to Lowe'swho was doing promotion, dave
Anderson who was head ofstreaming and Erica who was
Lee's assistant.
So there was like five of usand that was it.
Who was Lee's assistant?
So there was like five of usand that was it and it was like
(26:19):
okay, like build a staff in thepandemic Right.
So you know, one of the thingsthat I'm the most proud of is,
in the short time that I was atGeffen, which was probably about
two and a half years, we reallybuilt a staff from about five
people to almost 25 peopleprobably 22 people in during the
pandemic um, and we had, we hadsome successes.
(26:42):
I mean, obviously, olivia isthe biggest one you know to date
, but we had some other big winswith ye and a few other, you
know, a few other signings.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
So wait, okay, I got before.
I want to, I don't want toforget, but I got a bigger
question.
But he, he, he intrigues me somuch, Like how he, like he's not
really seen but he's, he's,he's massive artists, Like he's.
Yeah, how did that?
Who?
Who brought him in?
Like, how did that happen?
Cause I I'm I'm not really upon like the history of him, but
(27:13):
like I guess, how did thathappen?
Speaker 2 (27:16):
um so few people brought him in in terms of like,
brought him to the attention ofthe label.
Ultimately, he ended up signingwith zach bia and his label,
who had a venture with geffenokay and yeah, I mean the whole
kind of being mysterious andwearing the balaclavas and stuff
(27:36):
.
I mean that's him.
I think that's organically him.
To my knowledge, nobody kind ofmade that a thing.
Speaker 1 (27:42):
He was doing that from the beginning.
Yeah, he's dope.
But I got a big question Iwanted to ask you so, being this
white woman head of Urban, howdid I can't I don't know how to
phrase it, but how did that work?
Like, was it pushed back fromsome people?
Was it cool?
Like, how did how did that workwith people?
(28:04):
See, see you and you're like,you're the head of the of black,
the black music marketing, orwhatever you know.
How did that, how did that work?
Speaker 2 (28:11):
So I'm not naive to know that that would be a thing
for some people.
And before I accepted the jobsome of us had that conversation
and I wanted to make sure thatmyself and senior, my history
and kind of what I had done upuntil that point, my intentions
(28:41):
and my integrity, I feel likethey got it and there wasn't any
.
There was definitely no issues.
I think you know for some otherpeople that maybe didn't know
the context or just didn't careabout the context.
you know there were some people,I'm sure, that felt a certain
way but, I think, ultimately,I'm really proud of the work
(29:02):
that I did with the department.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
You did great work.
You did an amazing job.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Not only like the artists that we released, you
know, but just theinfrastructure within the
department and you know,ultimately, later on, you know
some really key hires that Imade and so yeah, so I look back
at that time.
I'm really, really proud of it.
I can't control how otherpeople feel and I just know that
my intentions were genuine andhonest.
(29:28):
So, but yeah, it wasn't, itwasn't the easiest, but it was.
It was a great time.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
I always wondered that because you know people say
you can't control what peoplethink and people have
preconceived notions and youknow who are you and how.
You know the culture, you know.
But I mean me knowing you.
I knew you were real.
It wasn't just like I put it inthere because you know you're
the cute white girl.
It's like nah, she knows whatshe's doing, like for real, so I
know it would work out.
Well, tell me a little bit aboutOlivia Rodrigo.
(30:02):
How did that happen and likeshe's like a global superstar
now, but like, tell me about theprocess of bringing her in and
what your thought process wasgoing into marketing her.
I know she had the big driver'slicense record.
She came in with that.
Correct, that was already.
Was that on like on her?
Oh no, am I wrong?
Speaker 2 (30:23):
I don't know.
So she got signed.
So um, so john janek and samrebeck and matt morris, um, you
know they brought her in.
I believe she recorded driver'slicense like post signing.
I think, with Dan Nigro but youknow Olivia is the is the dream
scenario where we took our timesetting that project up.
(30:46):
I feel like a lot of projectsnowadays, because of a variety
of reasons, we're just rushingthings out the door.
But with Olivia we took a lotof time so she had recorded the
record and in October of thatyear we started talking about
the video and playing the songfor partners and really setting
it up so that come January wecould put it out.
(31:09):
So a lot of creative directionwent into that, a lot of thought
went into that and we took atleast three to four months
setting that up and then inJanuary we dropped it and I
think everyone believed in thesong.
Everyone knew what it could beand how great it was but similar
to Blurred Lines in a way.
(31:30):
I don't think we knew just howmassive it was going to be Like
out the gate.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
But yeah, I mean mean it was an amazing, amazing
record for her so I want tospend a little time on that
before you move on.
I want this because I wantpeople to kind of understand
when you're marketing a newartist like that, who has this
big record like other, what arecertain things that you do would
do as a marketer to, you know,be successful?
(31:57):
Obviously he's like oh, youcall Spotify, but I, you know, I
know there's a lot of steps.
Yeah.
You don't have to go through awhole marketing plan Cause we
ain't got all day but like.
But just kind of tell me acouple of things so that people
can kind of understand what amarketing person does at a what
a marketing person does at alabel to get a big record.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
Well, in the case of Olivia, she already had a
profile, you know, from being onHigh School Musical.
So we wanted to position her asher own artist, as Olivia, not
as her character on TV.
So, yeah, there was themechanics of it, you know
getting the record done, gettingcover art, doing photos that
really show who she is, kind ofgetting all the pieces of the
(32:40):
project together but then reallygetting people to buy into it.
You know, she she herself, youknow showed up again.
This was, I still believe,during the pandemic.
So she was on Zooms with, youknow, the Apple Spotify's of the
world, you know, playing them,not only just driver's license,
but some of the other music thathad already been done, and then
teeing up.
Okay, are we going to releasethe song and the video at the
(33:01):
same time?
Yes, where are we going torelease the video?
Is it going to, is she going toparticipate in it?
You know, is she going to do aYouTube watch party where she
engages with fans?
You know she was totally downto do that.
She actually you know I'vespoke about this before that
kind of like 48 hour window.
(33:22):
I genuinely don't remember howshe slept because she put in the
time of talking to all of theterritories, cause you know,
when a song comes out, it comesout in certain countries first
and then here, and you know.
And so she was doing faninteraction with different fans
in certain countries, first andthen here, and you know, and so
she was doing fan interactionwith different fans in different
countries from like thursdaythrough friday night.
(33:43):
So it was all mapped out.
But you're lucky when you getan artist who wants to do that
much engagement and that muchwork.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
You know who really wants to go hard, did she?
She have a lot of ideas herself, or was it more like you guys
kind of showing her how thisworks?
Speaker 2 (33:57):
No, a lot of it came from her.
She had a real vision.
She does have a real vision asan artist, but there was
definitely a strong creativeteam around her to help bring
her ideas to fruition.
And those creative folks arestill with her to this day.
So it's working, you know.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
Yeah, I mean I'm sure I know, I know what happens.
But like an Olivia or a TaylorSwift I mean he's a massive
artist, but you know, a Billy oreven like a Charlie XCX, like I
see so much fan interactionwith them all all the time it's
like, oh, they post this andthey post that, or they get on
(34:38):
live or whatever and I I don'tknow if I see enough of that on
the black side.
I, I, I want to see it more,because obviously that's what's
driving everything is the, andthen the fans feel like they got
a piece of you in a good way,like you know, they're kind of
supporting you and they're like,oh, oh, she's my girl.
You know what I'm saying?
She did a live and she answeredmy question.
That stuff is really valuableand I want to see more artists
(35:02):
do that, especially now becausethere's so many distractions.
Speaker 2 (35:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
There's so many things going on.
You got to lock in with yourfans.
You have to, because they caneasily go that way, you know, to
something else.
Speaker 2 (35:12):
You know, yeah, I agree, I totally go that way.
You know, to something else,you know, yeah, I agree, I
totally agree.
Yeah, I think, um, we wentthrough a phase where I think, I
mean, I think this phase iskind of maybe on its way out,
but where, um, being mysteriousor like kind of unattainable was
cool.
Not posting as much, it wascool.
(35:33):
A lot of artists felt like ifyou did those things it was
corny.
And look, there was a lot ofthat too, like back in the day,
I mean we worked artists.
Granted, social media wasn't athing back then, but we worked
artists who you know.
You only saw them if they weredoing a show like.
Otherwise there was no part ofthem.
So I agree with you, I thinkwhen an artist really connects
(35:53):
with their fans, they have theability to have longer staying
power.
Yes, but we're also in a very,um, microwavable time where,
like you, have some artists whotake their time, roll things out
properly.
I say you know, with a timelineand with marketing ideas.
Other artists are just soexcited to get their music out
(36:14):
that, like they record on aFriday, they want it out in two
weeks.
Speaker 1 (36:17):
Or less.
Yeah, monday, why can't I putit out Monday?
It's like, bro, it's not evenmixed.
What are you talking?
About.
No, just put it out, you know.
Speaker 2 (36:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (36:27):
So when did you leave , geffen?
Speaker 2 (36:31):
I left Geffen in January of 2023.
Speaker 1 (36:35):
Okay, okay, you started up your own company in B
.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (36:40):
So tell me about that and what the process was and
start and what that.
What does that name mean aswell?
Speaker 2 (36:47):
Okay, so I'll start with the name.
So I came up with 81B because Iwas born in 81.
I can tell my age B for my lastname.
I was born in 81, tell my age Bfor my last name.
But it also the sound of itkind of made me think of like an
apartment number in New York.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
I swear to God, when I read that I was like this is
her apartment number in LenoxTerrace.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
That's exactly what I thought, so it kind of, even
though it represents me as aperson.
It brought me back to New York,which is where I got started in
all of this.
So that's how the name cameabout.
But when I left Geffen I hadbeen working on a lot of joint
ventures.
I mean Interscope in general.
Interscope and Geffen do a lotof joint venture deals.
(37:27):
A lot of labels do now, but Ifeel like they really were at
the forefront of doing that anda lot of the same questions and
a lot of the same dailychallenges would come up with a
lot of our ventures being.
You know they're greatcreatively, they've got the
artists, they know how to findrecords.
You know they move culture,they're doing the cool shit.
(37:47):
But when it came to kind of theoperations, the budgets, the
mechanics of you know who tohire, a lot of those questions
would come up regularly and Iwas like you know there's a real
need for these cool indiecompanies to have a little bit
of structural help.
So my initial intention when Ileft was let me talk to all of
(38:09):
the joint ventures I've everworked with, see, who wants some
operational help, and I'll gowork with one of them worked
with see who wants someoperational help, and I'll go
work with one of them and I hada bunch of conversations with
everybody.
My idea in general, you know,same reaction from everyone.
They loved it, we need you, allthe things.
(38:29):
But there just didn't end upbeing a fit for me in house with
a particular person orparticular company.
So I was like, okay, how do Ido the same thing but in a way
that's manageable for myself andfor everyone?
And I said I'll start my ownbusiness, which, by the way,
never had a desire to do.
I was happy being a goodcorporate citizen, getting my
401k, yeah.
Speaker 1 (38:49):
Healthcare, healthcare.
There's a lot of perks thatcome with being high up in the
corporate world.
You get your corporate card,your travel's paid for.
It ain't bad, it's not bad.
Speaker 2 (39:05):
Yeah.
But then I found myself in theposition where I was like, okay,
I'll start my own business.
So what I ended up doing wasstarting 81B and offering
services to initially creativecompanies who want operational
help.
So again, my target market formy company was going to be all
(39:25):
these indie labels.
It still is, but ironically myfirst partner was Nickelodeon.
Wow.
Which came about because myfriend Tab, who I'm sure you
know Tab, yeah, tab was like Iknow someone.
He puts me in touch with TimWeatherspoon.
Tim was doing stuff atNickelodeon and he's like, yeah,
(39:47):
we could use you.
So in essence, I partnered withNickelodeon to help them build
a bit of a temporary team justto help release some records
that they have.
Speaker 1 (39:56):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
And then I started, you know, I kind of went back to
one of the partners I had atGeffen, which was Rebel Music.
Shout out to Jay and Stan inMiami.
They had left Geffen and theybrought their venture to gamma
with larry jackson yeah, yeah,that's a good dude.
Speaker 1 (40:13):
So who do they have on rebel music?
Who's the artist?
Speaker 2 (40:17):
uh well, sexy red's kind of their marquee artist
right but they've got uh, youknow jay and stan are really
have really kind of over theyears just made a great name for
themselves in the sense thateven if they don't get a signing
, they're in the conversation ofevery kind of hot signing that
there is.
So they brought me in kind ofin a different function, because
(40:40):
they do have a staff just tohelp them operationally with
some of their businesses and theventure with Gamma and I've got
a few other things in thepipeline for this year.
So it's really just kind ofhelping on the business side and
helping creatives do what theydo best, which is create, and
then I can kind of help themwith what I call the boring
stuff.
Speaker 1 (41:00):
No, that's a really good.
I've never even thought aboutthat.
That's a really good idea Cause, like you said, these ventures,
like you said these ventures,like you said, they got the cool
acts and they know how to makethe records right.
You know definitely not to makethe records and a lot of times
know how to kind of, you know,at least start marketing them
and style them and kind of getyou know, give you that allure
yeah, but but you said but thenuts and bolts of I always tell
(41:23):
people the same thing.
Um, there were, you know, youknow the two women at jive back
then Laurel Dan, who was on theTribe album passed away, and
Stephanie Tudor.
They were.
A&r admin, ladies, yep, and Ialways say they really taught me
to do A&R.
Yeah, yeah.
Because it's all the other stuff.
It ain't just being in thestudio, no, no, no, no, no.
(41:44):
It's all the other stuff that'skind of you know of boring but
it has to get done, Budgets andstuff like that.
So it's interesting.
You're kind of doing the samething.
You're doing the I don't wantto call it the dirty work but
the stuff that has to be donefor these ventures and the
product to come out.
That's a really good idea.
(42:04):
Yeah Thanks, you really earnedsomething with that.
Speaker 2 (42:08):
Thanks.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
No, that's good, that's good, that's good.
Sexy red wow, yeah, I actuallylike sexy red.
I get a lot of shit for it yeah.
I like the Bruno record I get alot of shit for that.
I get a lot.
I'm like, bro, that record's asmash, you're gonna hate it, but
I think people don't, forwhatever reason they're not.
Some people, that's because alot of people obviously are,
(42:29):
because she's a big artist, butsome people aren't connecting to
her, so anything she does,they're like I'm like yo, that
Bruno record is a smash in myopinion.
The video was fire again in myopinion, and you know, I like
her, I like her, I like BeckyRedd.
So congratulations to you.
Before we go, I have a couplequestions that I ask everybody.
Speaker 2 (42:54):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (42:55):
In general.
So tell me your three favoriteartists and why they're your
favorites.
Speaker 2 (43:00):
Oh my God, that's impossible.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
That's impossible.
You know what, nicole?
Because we're cool, I'll giveyou five, which is still hard,
but it's not three like anygenre, anything, young, old, it
doesn't matter favorite artistis really hard because I could
list so many, I'm gonna.
Speaker 2 (43:21):
I'll just go with what comes to top of mind.
So coming up, anita baker forsure, my mom listened to a lot
of Anita Baker.
And.
I could just drive and listento Anita Baker albums.
That's one for sure.
Speaker 1 (43:34):
Another guest said her too.
Speaker 2 (43:35):
Yeah, I would probably say the same thing for
Sade, but in terms of morecurrent.
Speaker 1 (43:43):
It could be anything.
You can do it 3-0.
It's on you.
It's on you.
Speaker 2 (43:47):
I will always, always , listen to a chris brown bop,
chris brown all the time, yeah,um, oh, this is so hard.
I mean favorites, favorites,favorites.
Oh, I mean, I know that, I knowthat it's like not
(44:07):
interchangeable, but just theTupac Biggie era.
I could listen, you know.
Again, I can listen to all day.
Speaker 1 (44:14):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (44:15):
I'm kind of gauging this by like things I could
re-listen to, because I don'tre-listen to a lot of music.
Now.
I'll listen to something onceand be like okay, that was cool,
you know.
Speaker 1 (44:24):
Then move on.
Yeah, one more one more.
Speaker 2 (44:26):
Give me one more.
Charlie Wilson.
Easy Charlie Wilson, becauseone I could listen to his music
all the time and he puts on anamazing show.
Speaker 1 (44:37):
If you have not seen a.
Speaker 2 (44:39):
Charlie show.
You need to go see it.
Speaker 1 (44:40):
The guy who's like in his 70s.
He's jumping around like he's22 years old.
Speaker 2 (44:45):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (44:45):
Did you work that project at John's?
The first name Charlie, lastname Wilson.
Did you work that one?
Speaker 2 (44:50):
I did not.
But quick story I got to meetCharlie for the first time when
Blaine shout out to Blaine wasgoing to get him to do some
radio liners and he had to goover to his hotel and be like
can you just knock these out?
And he asked me to go with himand I was like great.
And so just knock these out.
And he asked me to go with himand I was like great.
Speaker 1 (45:09):
And so I got to meet charlie and his wife for the
first time at that point and Iwas like this guy's amazing,
super cool, he's super cool,he's really like he's just real
open and funny and not like he'snot like an asshole, like you
know yeah, yeah really cool.
Um, okay, now I got.
I said I say songs, not artists, because I don't want to, you
know, because artists are toohard to pick cause they're all
like our babies.
Three of the favorite song,three favorite songs you worked
(45:33):
on, and why.
Speaker 2 (45:34):
Ooh, okay.
Well, I guess Blurred Lineswill be one of them.
And the reason is because, youknow, I just look back at the
magic of that song in the senseof I remember when we released
it nobody kind of knew like, isit pop, is it urban, is it
rhythm, is it, what is it?
And then it ended up goingnumber one at every format,
(45:55):
global success, just reallygreat, great song to work.
So I would say I'd say BlurredLines, I mean, I guess I have to
say Driver's License, right,because that too was just an
incredible ride and reallyreally like thought through,
like the marketing and thepromotion and just everything
that we did in that period alsoagain, partially during the
(46:17):
pandemic, um, was just like itwas, really was really memorable
, I guess, um.
And then I'll say I'll sayshrem, i'll'll say Black Beatles
.
Speaker 1 (46:29):
Yeah, who came up with the frozen concept with a
video?
Speaker 2 (46:34):
Honestly, if I recall correctly, that was on the
internet, like that was, like Iforget the guy's name and man,
I'm going to kick myself forforgetting, for forgetting the
name of this person, but itstarted, it started.
Speaker 1 (46:46):
And it just blew up Like I remember that was like
you had every band, like JerryJones doing it on his plane and
like that was a dope concept.
That was dope.
Did you know if Paul McCartneyor Ringo did they ever hear that
record?
Or was there not a comment on?
Speaker 2 (47:04):
it.
I'm sure I mean, I know Well,because Paul McCartney did a.
Speaker 1 (47:08):
That's right, he did a Frozen he did a thing yeah.
That's right, I forgot aboutthat.
Yeah, I forgot about that.
He did do a frozen joint,that's right.
And the last thing I wanted toask you was and you kind of
already answered it, I think buttell me a concert that kind of
changed.
You mentioned the BBD, but isthere another concert to show
you into where you were like, ohmy god, like this is amazing?
Speaker 2 (47:30):
yes, several, but just give me one I mean just in
terms of the performances.
You mean, okay, so performance,wise, pink hands down always
puts a great show.
I mean she's flying in the air,doing all sorts of things,
singing.
She puts on a great show.
Obviously.
I said charlie already.
What else I mean?
I think I went to remember whenuh, I don't, this must have
(47:53):
been, I don't know what yearthis was this wasn't like when
bad boy did their tour.
Oh, yeah, like this was likerecently, like in the last the
reunion tour reunion tour.
I think I went to like three ofthose shows.
I think I did like new york,atlanta and la, because it like
represented a moment in timewith all the artists that were
coming out.
That was.
(48:14):
That was really great show.
Speaker 1 (48:16):
I don't think I actually didn't make that show,
for whatever reason.
I didn't get heard.
It was amazing, but I nevermade it.
I don't think I made.
I don't think I made thoseshows.
Speaker 2 (48:24):
And you know what, you, you know what.
On another show too.
So I've been very lucky to havegone to a lot of J Cole shows.
He, it's just him on stage andhe can carry, like Madison
Square Garden, like they're yourbiggest, you know your biggest
arenas and stadiums.
He can carry just him on astage.
(48:45):
You know he'll have somebackdrops or whatever, but it's
kind of remarkable because Ifeel like a lot of artists.
You know he'll have somebackdrops or whatever, but it's
kind of remarkable Cause I feellike a lot of artists, you know
they need all the bells andwhistles to going around them,
to put on a good show anddancers yeah, he's just, he's
just really good live.
Speaker 1 (48:59):
So tell me um before we wrap.
Tell me, if you can't, anyupcoming plans for um be what's
what's?
I mean you have to name thenext coming clients but I mean
you have to name the incomingclients.
Speaker 2 (49:11):
What's your vision for growing a company?
So I do want to grow it interms of like I want to build
out a small team and really beable to kind of give back in
many ways.
One mentorship, like if I wantto bring some people in, some
young hungry kids that I canmentor and kind of give them
part of this business in a way.
And I also just want to helpmore creatives.
(49:34):
I think it's amazing, like Ifeel like I have a little bit of
a creative in me in terms ofthe marketing side, but like
there are people that are justso wildly creative, artistic,
talented that I would love tohelp with my skill set.
So yeah, growing the company alittle bit and just working with
more creatives good, good,you'll do it, you'll be fine
(49:56):
you'll be.
Speaker 1 (49:56):
You'll be on the, on the, the top, whatever list.
You know the.
You know 100, top 100 of 100and all that type of stuff
you're gonna be we'll see, we'llsee you're gonna be a big
mobile I don't know, I don'tknow.
Speaker 2 (50:08):
You're a big mobile.
I don't know, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (50:10):
So you're staying in LA, you're not ever moving back
East.
Speaker 2 (50:14):
I wouldn't say that I am in LA for now, for sure.
Speaker 1 (50:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (50:17):
But I don't think I'm in LA forever.
Speaker 1 (50:20):
Okay, Would you move East or you wouldn't?
You don't even know where youwould go next.
Speaker 2 (50:25):
I don't know, I don't , I don't know.
There's not another city likecalling my name right now.
Speaker 1 (50:29):
I got you.
Speaker 2 (50:30):
But I don't think I'm in LA forever.
I mean, you know, things aredifferent now.
I have a son and I would loveto be closer to family, but I
bet yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (50:38):
How are you doing with the fires out there?
Speaker 2 (50:39):
Thankfully, thankfully, we're okay.
Our neighborhood, you know,other than kind of poor air
quality during that time, didn'tget hit by the fire, so we were
okay, thankfully, okay, good,good, good, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (50:50):
Well, that's it, man.
Thank you for this.
Speaker 2 (50:53):
Thank you.
This is great.
I love talking about kind ofback in the day and these
stories.
I love it.
Speaker 1 (51:00):
Yeah, I think I told you we talked offline.
I was like there's no placethat I know of for record
executives to tell their storiesand their journeys.
I wanted to give otherexecutives a spot to talk and
tell, because people need toknow who you are.
Speaker 2 (51:18):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (51:20):
Thank you, thank you, thank you very much Thank you.
I really appreciated it.
Speaker 2 (51:25):
Absolutely Happy to do it.
Speaker 1 (51:26):
Yeah, all right, sexy B, I'll talk to you later.
You can catch Mixed and.
Mastered on Apple Podcasts,spotify, iheart or wherever you
get your podcasts.
Hit that follow button, leave areview and tell a friend I'm
your host, jeffrey Sledge.
Mixed and Mastered is producedand distributed by Merrick
(51:48):
Studios.
This week's guest is Nicole Bazarian.
Nicole started her career atJive Records doing marketing for
Britney Spears and JustinTimberlake.
After leaving Jive, she went toInterscope Records, guiding
projects by J Cole, dababy, rayShremard and Juice WRLD.
Nicole then served as ExecutiveVice President at Geffen
Records, where she played apivotal role in launching Olivia
(00:23):
Rodrigo's chart-topping albumSour, which won a Grammy.
She is now the founder of 81B,a company dedicated to
empowering creatives withoperational support.
Since its launch in 2023, 81bhas worked with Nickelodeon,
rebel Music and Gamma.
Let's take a look inside herjourney on this week's episode
(00:44):
of Mixed and Mastered.
Welcome to Mixed and Mastered,the podcast where the stories of
the music industry come to life.
I'm Jeffrey Sledge, bringingyou real conversations with the
people who have shaped the soundof music.
We're pulling back the curtainon what it takes to make it in
the music business.
These are the stories you won'thear anywhere else, told by the
(01:06):
people who live them.
This is Mixed and Mastered.
Hello, this is Mixed andMastered with an old co-worker
of mine who's become a big macamaca, nicole Blazarian.
(01:28):
How are you, nicole?
Speaker 2 (01:30):
I'm good.
I'm good, how are you?
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Good man.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Thanks for asking me to do this.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Of course, of course I mean.
So we haven't seen each otherin quite a while, but I've been
watching.
you know, since you moved toCalifornia, I've just been
watching watching you grow upand up and up and up and I'm
like, oh man, the cold's comingout there.
You know, and I'm real proud ofyou.
You know, but everything thatyou've done, that we'll discuss.
But I'm really proud of youbecause seeing you from the
young, you know, young girl atjive to, yeah, you know what you
and you're still young.
(02:00):
I'm gonna try to call you likeold, but same, no, it's all
right, it's all right.
Become this big executive, youknow.
So let's get started from thebeginning.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
So you grew up in Massachusetts, I did.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Worcester Mass, worcester Mass Now, is that in
Boston?
I don't know geography ofBoston or Massachusetts, but
this one now you know it'scentral Mass Geography of
Massachusetts as well.
This one now.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
You know, it's Central Mass.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
So it's like 45, 50 minutes outside of Boston.
Okay.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Is there a college there or something?
I know the name?
Yeah, there's a ton of collegesin Worcester, actually, I think
I don't know, it might be likeeight or nine, literally.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Okay, yeah, that's why I know the name, because I
definitely have heard the namebefore and after that.
Now, where'd you go to college?
Speaker 2 (02:52):
I went to Fordham.
That's how I ended up in NewYork.
I was in the Bronx.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
That's how you ended up in New York.
You was in the Bronx, in theBronx, yes.
So how'd you end up at Fordhaminstead of UMass or Harvard or
Boston College or one of those?
Speaker 2 (03:06):
You know it's crazy, when I was in high school I was
an athlete, I played softballand I had an attitude at the
time that I was only going to goto schools that were recruiting
me.
And I went on all of myrecruiting visits and they were
all great schools but none ofthem really kind of spoke to me.
(03:26):
So last minute, um, my aunt,one of my aunts, went to Fordham
.
I said to my parents, I said,can we just go check out this
school in New York?
And we went and I just fell inlove with the campus.
I was like, oh, this is amazing, it's in the Bronx, it's close.
Prex sent me to the city.
Um, I was like I'll just walkon.
(03:49):
So I, you know, had a meetingwith the, with the coach at the
time.
She agreed to let me, you know,walk onto the team.
And so Fordham was a lastminute decision for me, but the
best decision I could have made.
I'm so glad I went there.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Wow, where'd you get your interest in music?
Where'd that come from?
Or was it just an internshipthat turned into music's?
Speaker 2 (04:04):
been interested in music.
Um, you know, whether it wasjust like listening to my
parents play music around thehouse, or just I?
I honestly don't know where itcame from, but since a young age
I was really interested inmusic.
My first concert was belbivdevoe.
Okay, okay, okay the homies yeahand um, and I just loved music,
(04:25):
but I never knew that you couldhave a career in music unless
you were the artist.
So I got an internship when Iwas in college at RCA Records
and that opened my eyes to thefact that you could work in
music but not have to sing orrap or dance, and that from that
moment on I was like, okay, nowthis is where I want to be.
(04:46):
I changed everything.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Okay, okay.
So who'd you intern for at RCA?
What were you doing in yourinternship?
Speaker 2 (04:54):
So my first internship was for a woman by
the name of Hannah Serbu, whowas the executive assistant to
Bob Jameson, who was running thecompany at the time.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Yep, yep time.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
And that internship or that assignment was pure luck
in the best way, becauseinterning for the executive
assistant to the person runningthe company, you get to see
everything that's going on inthe company.
So that was just such aprivilege to be like.
Oh my God, there's all thesedepartments and these people do
different things and I was sonaive to how the whole process
(05:25):
worked.
But that was the best firstinternship I could have had.
And then I did another semesterin their marketing department.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Okay, and that's how you got into the marketing thing
.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So how'd you get to Jive?
Speaker 2 (05:38):
So I, like a lot of college students you know, left
college looking for a job and Ihad an arrangement with my
grandparents where they agreedfor my graduation gift they
would pay three months of rentin New York and I would have to
find a job over the summer orI'd have to move back home.
So for those three months I wasa temp.
(06:00):
I got hooked up with a tempagency and I was doing just kind
of temp work at differentlabels and I didn't get a
full-time job in August.
So I moved home for two monthsand then I got a call back.
I was miserable, I was, I was, Iwas.
But so then I got a call backfrom the temp agency that
November and they said, hey, ifyou can come back to New York,
(06:23):
we've got a temp position thatwe think is going to become
permanent, you know, if you wantit, I said yes, great.
So I ended up moving back toNew York and I temped a little
bit again at Jive, actually likeas reception, or that's how I
met Alison Joyce.
I was helping A&R.
Hi, alison, yeah, yeah.
And then the full-timeassistant position opened up
(06:47):
because the assistant for thehead of marketing and special
projects at the time, Julia, herassistant, had gotten promoted
so she needed a new assistant.
So January, three months later,I got the full-time assistant
gig.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
And that was the start.
That was the start Sidebar,because I never ask you this how
did you get to Lenox Terrace?
How did you move to Harlem?
I'm going to ask you that.
By the way, folks, we sharedthe same shoe store.
Yeah, we had the same shoe man.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Yes, yes, I had a lot of shoes repaired walking
around those streets.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
So I got to Harlem because I was in the bronx for
two years post college, right,had a roommate and was making
that commute down, you know, onthe one or the nine train down
to 25th street and then I madejust enough money to get closer
to downtown so I was able tofind a studio in harlem,
(07:44):
actually on 130th between AdamClayton and Lennox.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Fourth floor walk up, but I was by myself right, so I
did that for two years and thenI finally had like a little bit
of money to get in an elevatorbuilding, which you know is a
big deal.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
It's a big deal, yeah , yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
So that's when I moved over to 135th and 5th and
Lenox Terrace.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Okay, okay, cool, cool.
So you started working withJulia.
How was your initial experienceat Jive Like?
Was it kind of like, was itsimilar to RCA, because I don't
quite remember what RCA was backthen.
Was it very different?
And what kind of don't quiteremember what RCA was back then,
it wasn't very different andwhat kind of turned you on about
(08:27):
wanting to do this, like reallydo this, and turn it into a
career?
Speaker 2 (08:31):
I remember it being definitely a bit different.
You know, rca was, you know, avery from what I remember at the
time as an intern, just likevery organized, buttoned up, you
know, label in New York Cityand Jive was just more.
It was smaller, it was more.
You know, I I feel like theterm family is just so overused,
(08:52):
but it really did feel likethat it really was, though it
really was you know we were just, it was scrappy, it was just
like it was a good time, but itwas work and and um, I loved it.
Like from the minute minute Iwent there I was like this is
this is what I want to do for mycareer, for sure.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
Yeah yeah, it was definitely a family environment.
Like you said, it is over term,overused term, but I can say I
worked at atlantic records lateron and I was like, wow, this is
.
I really realized how unique ofa situation Jive was when I
went to Atlantic.
Yeah.
You know, and that's notdogging Atlantic, but it was
(09:29):
just like wow, it wasn't reallyfamily, it was just like more
like corporate, you know.
So it was special.
So tell me a couple of theprojects you worked on at Jive.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
So because I got really lucky with assisting the
head of the department, I kindof like got to see a lot of the
projects that were justhappening at the label at the
time.
But when I kind of got a littlebit more responsibility and
started working my own projects,it was the height of, like
Britney and R Kelly and Sierradays right.
(09:59):
So I think and I'm terrible withdates, but if I remember it was
like the Sierra Evolution album.
Over time, as I kind of came up, I ended up doing I did
Robert's Trapped in the Closetand Double Up album, one of
Britney's albums.
Yeah, yeah it was.
It was a crazy time at thatbefore we move forward.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
I don't have crazy stories the right term because I
don't want to give anybody anytrouble but do you have any
trapped in the closet storiesabout working the record, or do
you just kind of work the record?
Speaker 2 (10:30):
No, I just kind of work the record.
I mean, at the time it was sucha bizarre thing Like what is
this?
So there was definitely nuancesthat came along with that.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
But no, I truly truly don't have any weird stories
yeah, that's what I tell peopleall the time when they ask me
where I rob it.
I'm like I don't really got nowish.
I'm sorry, I wasn't no like 11year old girls walking around
the office like he was.
He was an amazing artist and hekept putting out amazing
records and that's pretty muchall I could tell you.
Man, you know you know.
(11:02):
So after the jive, explain howyou got to Interscope in
California.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
So back to the family , a piece of it.
So I was at jive and then, asyou know, we had merged with RCA
and we became jive RCA and wemoved into the 550 Madison
building and so I had been therethrough the merger for about
nine, 10 years and, like mostpeople, you know you love what
you do but you feel underpaid,overworked and I kept being like
(11:33):
, oh, I got to leave, I got toleave.
Mark Flaherty called me.
Great dude, he had left and goneand done other things and then
made his way to LA to Interscopeand he called me and he said
hey, I kind of know what they'repaying you, I can pay you more.
But you got to move toCalifornia and I was like I
(11:54):
don't want to do that, I loveNew York.
He's like just come for aninterview and then you make a
decision, was like all right,fine, so flew to LA.
I met with him, I met withSteve Berman and I still like
wasn't convinced because I waslike I love New York, I just
love.
New York so much um, but theymade me an offer that I honestly
(12:16):
couldn't refuse um, and Iremember talking to Mark Pitts
about it and because at the timeI had I was working like some
developing artists that I reallyhad passion for, like a Jacob
Lattimore right, who I still,you know, I'm to Mark Pitts
about it, and because at thetime I had I was working like
some developing artists that Ireally had passion for, like a
Jacob Lattimore right, who Istill, you know, I'm still good
friends with Tish to this dayand I was like I don't know.
And Mark was like get yourmoney.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
And I was like that was his famous term Get your
money, get your money, get yourmoney, you gotta get your money.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
And I was like, okay, fine, but I'm going to come
back.
I was like I'm only going to gofor three years and then I'm
going to come back to New York.
So I did.
I ended up going to Interscopeas a marketing director.
They made me a great offer andso I moved to LA.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
So, okay, well, I'll deal with a couple of things,
but tell, between jive andworking at Interscope, you know
it's a totally different totallydifferent totally different.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Well, there was a lot of differences, I think, label
wise, but also city wise.
For example, you know, in NewYork, especially at jive, we
were in the office sun up tosundown.
We all went out after work.
It was like you literally likelived there.
And.
I remember when I first got toLA and I would go to the office
and someone would say like it'dbe like one o'clock, and they'd
be like all right, you know,I've got a meeting, I'll see you
(13:33):
tomorrow and I'm like oneo'clock in the afternoon.
Yeah, and I'm like, oh, you'renot, you're not coming back to
the office.
And they're like, no, no, Likeyou know, with traffic, and no
like no, I'll see you tomorrow.
And I was like, oh, my goodness, like this is a different city,
you know, people aren't livingin the office, it's kind of come
and go, and so that was adifference.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
Yeah, jive, you did that.
Your phone would be blowing uplike like all the rest of the
day Like when are you comingback?
When are you coming back?
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Totally, I mean.
But now, having lived here fora long time, I did get it Like
traffic is crazy, it isgeographically spread out, like
I get it now, but at the time Idid not, I did not understand it
and you know it was definitelyJive was relaxed.
But then going through RCA,which is a little bit more
buttoned up, you kind of got alittle bit more corporate
culture.
And then going to Interscope, Ifelt like was definitely a lot
(14:19):
of creative.
I mean, I got to Interscoperight as Jimmy was leaving and
John Janik was taking over.
I got the tail end of Jimmy andthen I got, you know, john,
john coming in.
So it was a transitional timethat way, but I just it was
definitely a creativeenvironment.
You knew that coming in, youknow, I started talking about
budgets.
Everyone was like yeah, yeah,like talk to us later, you know
(14:41):
what I mean Like it was creative.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Yeah, I've never met Janet.
I've heard great things abouthim, but I've never met him.
What was he like to work for?
Speaker 2 (14:52):
He is super smart.
You know different personalitythan Barry, but reminded me a
lot of him in the sense of readsevery chart, reads every
article.
We'll ask you about it.
Just really, really smart.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Smart guy reads every article.
We'll ask you about it.
Just really, really smart umsmart guy?
Yeah, yeah, I was.
So what acts?
Speaker 2 (15:11):
did you start working on when you got there.
So again, I was very fortunatewith my timing because I got to
in our scope in february of 2013.
It was right when we werelaunching Robin Thicke Blurred
Lines.
Wow.
So I worked Robin that recordand that album.
I did Aloe Blacc, which againat that point was having a huge
(15:33):
moment and is still incredible,incredible artist Record and
Maroon 5.
I worked the five album.
I did Fergie one album.
So when I first got there again, there again my timing I could
not have planned it any better.
I just got really fortunatewith these big artists that were
releasing projects at the timeand they were global projects.
(15:54):
So I got to work with all theterritories and really learn
more about the global space.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
Yeah, yeah, which is very different.
It's just like go.
I remember a jive clive sent meuh to england and to sweden and
you get to see like, wow, it'slike different, it's just like
go.
I remember a drive clive sentme uh to england and to sweden
and you get to see like, wow,it's like this.
It's a really big world outthere.
You kind of think in unitedstates, united states, but then
you go to these otherterritories and you're like, oh,
they do things different andthere's a whole kind of
different system in place inother places, you know yeah um,
(16:21):
it's not.
It's not homogenized, as I kindof thought it was.
You know, Wait before we moveon the blurred lines lawsuit.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
I thought Pharrell got hosed.
What were your thoughts on that?
Speaker 2 (16:40):
To be honest, I don't really know what my thoughts on
it were, because I was socaught up kind of in it.
I mean I got deposed and had totestify.
Oh, wow.
But only to speak about themarketing campaign.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Specifically right and all the things that we did
and how much money we had spentto make the song a success,
rather than the song being asuccess because of a sample or
an interpolation.
Hmm.
So, to be honest, I don't know.
I mean obviously unfortunatefor Robin and for Pharrell and
(17:18):
it definitely is a fine line.
It's definitely a fine linewhen you start talking about
these things, but yeah, that's atough one moving forward.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
You ended up working with with uh j cole and sheck
west and juice world yeah thebaby and ray shram and olivia
rarigo who we'll get to?
We'll get to in a minute.
Um, I remember I went to uhtravis scott's concert tour.
The sheck west opened that.
That for yeah it was after aworld tour yeah and I.
(17:51):
I went in new york and Iremember I knew the sheck west
record was big.
I knew it was big.
I was.
I knew the Sheck Rest recordwas big.
I knew it was big, I was in NewYork, I knew it was big.
But when he came out and didthat song, and you know what was
it, the little drop was likefuck shit, it was something like
that.
The whole garden.
I was like OK, this is biggerthan I thought it was.
This is like a big, big thing.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
How was it working with him and working with, uh,
with Cole and those guys andJuice WRLD?
Speaker 2 (18:20):
I mean, again, I look at like kind of my career so
far and just like what momentsof time I've had and that
particular time was really greatto be a part of, because Joey
Manda had just come also intointerscope and we were really
transitioning or building outthe kind of hip-hop, rap, r&b
(18:44):
artists at the label.
Obviously there were the iconsright, like there were like the,
you know, the eminem 50 likeall right, yes but at the time
there weren't that manydeveloping.
So it was really a priority tobring in label partners and
developing artists to reallybuild up and over that time I
(19:06):
don't know like a six credit tothe entire team because there
were so many artists that wewere working at the time.
So, as you mentioned, you know,j Cole and Dreamville we worked
closely with.
They're amazing, they're justgood people.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
I mean, I haven't met them, but I've heard they're
great people.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Really great people Actually, fun fact, you know,
fast forward.
So Cole just did his the 10thanniversary show at MSG Yep and
I happened to be in New York inDecember for work and I had my
son with me and I brought him.
So my son's first concert is JCole.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
At the Garden.
That's dope, that's dope,that's dope.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
But yeah, that was a great moment in time.
They're really great people towork with.
Working with Grade um, you know, with bibby and pete on juice
world, was really great.
Those guys are just, you know,they're they're forward thinking
and innovative, like I know.
Like all the content that wasmade around juice world was very
thought out by them and by theteam.
(20:09):
So that was a good time.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
I mean, yeah, there was a lot, of a lot of moments
within that six-year period, forsure I bet it was if in reading
about it it felt like you werejust like on, just rolling.
It was like one one one hit,hit, hit, hit after another.
You know, yeah, and you put outone of my favorite albums, um,
the first race rim album.
(20:31):
Yeah, I remember listening tothat.
I was like in the gym orsomething and I put it on and I,
like you know, I like thesingles.
When I put the album on I waslike this is some other shit,
like I really I still listen tothe album sometime today.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
That's a great project, you know yeah, that
that that album was, uh, wasactually a lot of fun.
Um, and I just look back youknow this is kind of off on a
tangent, but I look back andwhen you're in, like the release
of a record, any record right,there's things that you just
find so important.
And I just look back on likesome of the conversations that I
(21:06):
had with Mike Will at the timeand I'm just like why did we
care?
So like there was just likecertain things you know, like
that was a lot of fun to workthat project.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
A lot of fun, yeah yeah, I bet, because they had.
They had that youthful energyand it was atlanta and it was
just like a whole movement, youknow yeah yeah I liked them a
lot, so tell me how you got tonow.
Olivia rarigo, that was geffenor that was still in the scope
that was geffen.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Okay, so tell me aboutterscope.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
That was Geffen.
Okay, so tell me about thattransition to go to Geffen,
because you got to.
I mean, let's leave out somedetails which is when you got to
Interscope, you started and yourose up the ranks.
You were like a senior vicepresident, you were like a big
wig.
It wasn't like you were just nodisrespect but you weren't just
like a product manager.
You were like a product manager,you were like a really doing it
(21:57):
.
So tell me about I want to hearabout that too Like I think
people don't understand how tokind of rise in corporate
America and how to the stuff yougot to do to kind of weave
through that and get to that,that, that that high level.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
Yeah, so I just from start to finish.
Well, I'm not finished, sostart to now.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
Let's say yeah, you're not finished, you're not,
far from it, I'm not finishedyet.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
So, you know, I started as an intern, then I
became an assistant and then, Ithink, I got bumped up to
coordinator and then I was likea junior product manager and
then I got to Interscope and Iwas a product manager or
marketing director we kind ofinterchanged the term, I suppose
and then again, because of thetiming and just a lot of other
(22:42):
factors that played into it, Iwas able to get promoted to the
head of urban marketing.
So that was in the height ofwhen we were really focused on
the developing artists and justtrying to like build out that
team.
So it wasn't just me there was,you know we had a small team to
start and over time, over thosesix years, it grew and, you
(23:04):
know, slowly but surely we wereable to get more head count and
really bring in people to helpsupport the amount of artists
that we had.
Yeah, so I, you know I workedmy way up in the sense of, like
all the things you would expectyou have to work hard, you have
to be, you know, ready for theopportunity when it comes, you
have to be at the right place atthe right time, you have to
have the right people advocatingfor you.
(23:25):
So there's a lot that goes intoit for sure.
So this was now during thepandemic.
It was like June of 2020, 2020,I guess okay my deal was coming
up and, um, you know we weretalking about renegotiating and
I think everyone's generalfeeling was that we wanted to
(23:46):
continue working together.
I wanted to stay, they wantedto keep me, but where is there
an opportunity to grow and you.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
you felt like you kind of hit a ceiling at
Interscope A little bit yeah.
A glass ceiling a little bit.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
And I loved what I was doing.
I mean, we were on a hot streak, like it was great.
But there was just that,conversations on what else I
could do At the time.
Yeah, it was like June of thepandemic Everyone's working from
home.
No one was supposed to bemeeting in person but I had to
have some like secret in-personmeetings to talk about stuff you
know.
And Geffen had been around.
Obviously just prior NeilJacobson had been running Geffen
(24:24):
and he decided to leave and sothere was a new wave of we want
Geffen to continue being anactive label, but like, how are
we going to position it now?
So they had brought over LeeLaRue.
He was at Warner at the time hecame over to Geffen and they
were really focused on buildingthe new iteration of Geffen.
(24:44):
So they said, well, what if youwent over to Geffen and we're
just, you know, the executivevice president of the label and
you work with Lee and you try to, you know, build up this new
version of Geffen?
I said, oh, that's interesting,because my passions at that
time kind of had shifted andI'll always love marketing,
it'll be the backbone of kind ofwhat I do, but I really had a
(25:06):
passion for operations at thatpoint and how things worked and
hiring the right people andgiving the right people
opportunities that kind ofbecame what I was interested in.
So this was kind of the perfectfit.
Speaker 4 (25:18):
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And now back to our show.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
I ended up going over to Geffen, which is part of
Interscope, right, it's all thesame umbrella and when I got
there, like I said, lee wasthere, and then there was, I
think, like three or four otherpeople.
There was shout out to Lowe'swho was doing promotion, dave
Anderson who was head ofstreaming and Erica who was
Lee's assistant.
So there was like five of usand that was it.
Who was Lee's assistant?
So there was like five of usand that was it and it was like
(26:19):
okay, like build a staff in thepandemic Right.
So you know, one of the thingsthat I'm the most proud of is,
in the short time that I was atGeffen, which was probably about
two and a half years, we reallybuilt a staff from about five
people to almost 25 peopleprobably 22 people in during the
pandemic um, and we had, we hadsome successes.
(26:42):
I mean, obviously, olivia isthe biggest one you know to date
, but we had some other big winswith ye and a few other, you
know, a few other signings.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
So wait, okay, I got before.
I want to, I don't want toforget, but I got a bigger
question.
But he, he, he intrigues me somuch, Like how he, like he's not
really seen but he's, he's,he's massive artists, Like he's.
Yeah, how did that?
Who?
Who brought him in?
Like, how did that happen?
Cause I I'm I'm not really upon like the history of him, but
(27:13):
like I guess, how did thathappen?
Speaker 2 (27:16):
um so few people brought him in in terms of like,
brought him to the attention ofthe label.
Ultimately, he ended up signingwith zach bia and his label,
who had a venture with geffenokay and yeah, I mean the whole
kind of being mysterious andwearing the balaclavas and stuff
(27:36):
.
I mean that's him.
I think that's organically him.
To my knowledge, nobody kind ofmade that a thing.
Speaker 1 (27:42):
He was doing that from the beginning.
Yeah, he's dope.
But I got a big question Iwanted to ask you so, being this
white woman head of Urban, howdid I can't I don't know how to
phrase it, but how did that work?
Like, was it pushed back fromsome people?
Was it cool?
Like, how did how did that workwith people?
(28:04):
See, see you and you're like,you're the head of the of black,
the black music marketing, orwhatever you know.
How did that, how did that work?
Speaker 2 (28:11):
So I'm not naive to know that that would be a thing
for some people.
And before I accepted the jobsome of us had that conversation
and I wanted to make sure thatmyself and senior, my history
and kind of what I had done upuntil that point, my intentions
(28:41):
and my integrity, I feel likethey got it and there wasn't any
.
There was definitely no issues.
I think you know for some otherpeople that maybe didn't know
the context or just didn't careabout the context.
you know there were some people,I'm sure, that felt a certain
way but, I think, ultimately,I'm really proud of the work
(29:02):
that I did with the department.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
You did great work.
You did an amazing job.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Not only like the artists that we released, you
know, but just theinfrastructure within the
department and you know,ultimately, later on, you know
some really key hires that Imade and so yeah, so I look back
at that time.
I'm really, really proud of it.
I can't control how otherpeople feel and I just know that
my intentions were genuine andhonest.
(29:28):
So, but yeah, it wasn't, itwasn't the easiest, but it was.
It was a great time.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
I always wondered that because you know people say
you can't control what peoplethink and people have
preconceived notions and youknow who are you and how.
You know the culture, you know.
But I mean me knowing you.
I knew you were real.
It wasn't just like I put it inthere because you know you're
the cute white girl.
It's like nah, she knows whatshe's doing, like for real, so I
know it would work out.
Well, tell me a little bit aboutOlivia Rodrigo.
(30:02):
How did that happen and likeshe's like a global superstar
now, but like, tell me about theprocess of bringing her in and
what your thought process wasgoing into marketing her.
I know she had the big driver'slicense record.
She came in with that.
Correct, that was already.
Was that on like on her?
Oh no, am I wrong?
Speaker 2 (30:23):
I don't know.
So she got signed.
So um, so john janek and samrebeck and matt morris, um, you
know they brought her in.
I believe she recorded driver'slicense like post signing.
I think, with Dan Nigro but youknow Olivia is the is the dream
scenario where we took our timesetting that project up.
(30:46):
I feel like a lot of projectsnowadays, because of a variety
of reasons, we're just rushingthings out the door.
But with Olivia we took a lotof time so she had recorded the
record and in October of thatyear we started talking about
the video and playing the songfor partners and really setting
it up so that come January wecould put it out.
(31:09):
So a lot of creative directionwent into that, a lot of thought
went into that and we took atleast three to four months
setting that up and then inJanuary we dropped it and I
think everyone believed in thesong.
Everyone knew what it could beand how great it was but similar
to Blurred Lines in a way.
(31:30):
I don't think we knew just howmassive it was going to be Like
out the gate.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
But yeah, I mean mean it was an amazing, amazing
record for her so I want tospend a little time on that
before you move on.
I want this because I wantpeople to kind of understand
when you're marketing a newartist like that, who has this
big record like other, what arecertain things that you do would
do as a marketer to, you know,be successful?
(31:57):
Obviously he's like oh, youcall Spotify, but I, you know, I
know there's a lot of steps.
Yeah.
You don't have to go through awhole marketing plan Cause we
ain't got all day but like.
But just kind of tell me acouple of things so that people
can kind of understand what amarketing person does at a what
a marketing person does at alabel to get a big record.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
Well, in the case of Olivia, she already had a
profile, you know, from being onHigh School Musical.
So we wanted to position her asher own artist, as Olivia, not
as her character on TV.
So, yeah, there was themechanics of it, you know
getting the record done, gettingcover art, doing photos that
really show who she is, kind ofgetting all the pieces of the
(32:40):
project together but then reallygetting people to buy into it.
You know, she she herself, youknow showed up again.
This was, I still believe,during the pandemic.
So she was on Zooms with, youknow, the Apple Spotify's of the
world, you know, playing them,not only just driver's license,
but some of the other music thathad already been done, and then
teeing up.
Okay, are we going to releasethe song and the video at the
(33:01):
same time?
Yes, where are we going torelease the video?
Is it going to, is she going toparticipate in it?
You know, is she going to do aYouTube watch party where she
engages with fans?
You know she was totally downto do that.
She actually you know I'vespoke about this before that
kind of like 48 hour window.
(33:22):
I genuinely don't remember howshe slept because she put in the
time of talking to all of theterritories, cause you know,
when a song comes out, it comesout in certain countries first
and then here, and you know.
And so she was doing faninteraction with different fans
in certain countries, first andthen here, and you know, and so
she was doing fan interactionwith different fans in different
countries from like thursdaythrough friday night.
(33:43):
So it was all mapped out.
But you're lucky when you getan artist who wants to do that
much engagement and that muchwork.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
You know who really wants to go hard, did she?
She have a lot of ideas herself, or was it more like you guys
kind of showing her how thisworks?
Speaker 2 (33:57):
No, a lot of it came from her.
She had a real vision.
She does have a real vision asan artist, but there was
definitely a strong creativeteam around her to help bring
her ideas to fruition.
And those creative folks arestill with her to this day.
So it's working, you know.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
Yeah, I mean I'm sure I know, I know what happens.
But like an Olivia or a TaylorSwift I mean he's a massive
artist, but you know, a Billy oreven like a Charlie XCX, like I
see so much fan interactionwith them all all the time it's
like, oh, they post this andthey post that, or they get on
(34:38):
live or whatever and I I don'tknow if I see enough of that on
the black side.
I, I, I want to see it more,because obviously that's what's
driving everything is the, andthen the fans feel like they got
a piece of you in a good way,like you know, they're kind of
supporting you and they're like,oh, oh, she's my girl.
You know what I'm saying?
She did a live and she answeredmy question.
That stuff is really valuableand I want to see more artists
(35:02):
do that, especially now becausethere's so many distractions.
Speaker 2 (35:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
There's so many things going on.
You got to lock in with yourfans.
You have to, because they caneasily go that way, you know, to
something else.
Speaker 2 (35:12):
You know, yeah, I agree, I totally go that way.
You know, to something else,you know, yeah, I agree, I
totally agree.
Yeah, I think, um, we wentthrough a phase where I think, I
mean, I think this phase iskind of maybe on its way out,
but where, um, being mysteriousor like kind of unattainable was
cool.
Not posting as much, it wascool.
(35:33):
A lot of artists felt like ifyou did those things it was
corny.
And look, there was a lot ofthat too, like back in the day,
I mean we worked artists.
Granted, social media wasn't athing back then, but we worked
artists who you know.
You only saw them if they weredoing a show like.
Otherwise there was no part ofthem.
So I agree with you, I thinkwhen an artist really connects
(35:53):
with their fans, they have theability to have longer staying
power.
Yes, but we're also in a very,um, microwavable time where,
like you, have some artists whotake their time, roll things out
properly.
I say you know, with a timelineand with marketing ideas.
Other artists are just soexcited to get their music out
(36:14):
that, like they record on aFriday, they want it out in two
weeks.
Speaker 1 (36:17):
Or less.
Yeah, monday, why can't I putit out Monday?
It's like, bro, it's not evenmixed.
What are you talking?
About.
No, just put it out, you know.
Speaker 2 (36:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (36:27):
So when did you leave , geffen?
Speaker 2 (36:31):
I left Geffen in January of 2023.
Speaker 1 (36:35):
Okay, okay, you started up your own company in B
.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (36:40):
So tell me about that and what the process was and
start and what that.
What does that name mean aswell?
Speaker 2 (36:47):
Okay, so I'll start with the name.
So I came up with 81B because Iwas born in 81.
I can tell my age B for my lastname.
I was born in 81, tell my age Bfor my last name.
But it also the sound of itkind of made me think of like an
apartment number in New York.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
I swear to God, when I read that I was like this is
her apartment number in LenoxTerrace.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
That's exactly what I thought, so it kind of, even
though it represents me as aperson.
It brought me back to New York,which is where I got started in
all of this.
So that's how the name cameabout.
But when I left Geffen I hadbeen working on a lot of joint
ventures.
I mean Interscope in general.
Interscope and Geffen do a lotof joint venture deals.
(37:27):
A lot of labels do now, but Ifeel like they really were at
the forefront of doing that anda lot of the same questions and
a lot of the same dailychallenges would come up with a
lot of our ventures being.
You know they're greatcreatively, they've got the
artists, they know how to findrecords.
You know they move culture,they're doing the cool shit.
(37:47):
But when it came to kind of theoperations, the budgets, the
mechanics of you know who tohire, a lot of those questions
would come up regularly and Iwas like you know there's a real
need for these cool indiecompanies to have a little bit
of structural help.
So my initial intention when Ileft was let me talk to all of
(38:09):
the joint ventures I've everworked with, see, who wants some
operational help, and I'll gowork with one of them worked
with see who wants someoperational help, and I'll go
work with one of them and I hada bunch of conversations with
everybody.
My idea in general, you know,same reaction from everyone.
They loved it, we need you, allthe things.
(38:29):
But there just didn't end upbeing a fit for me in house with
a particular person orparticular company.
So I was like, okay, how do Ido the same thing but in a way
that's manageable for myself andfor everyone?
And I said I'll start my ownbusiness, which, by the way,
never had a desire to do.
I was happy being a goodcorporate citizen, getting my
401k, yeah.
Speaker 1 (38:49):
Healthcare, healthcare.
There's a lot of perks thatcome with being high up in the
corporate world.
You get your corporate card,your travel's paid for.
It ain't bad, it's not bad.
Speaker 2 (39:05):
Yeah.
But then I found myself in theposition where I was like, okay,
I'll start my own business.
So what I ended up doing wasstarting 81B and offering
services to initially creativecompanies who want operational
help.
So again, my target market formy company was going to be all
(39:25):
these indie labels.
It still is, but ironically myfirst partner was Nickelodeon.
Wow.
Which came about because myfriend Tab, who I'm sure you
know Tab, yeah, tab was like Iknow someone.
He puts me in touch with TimWeatherspoon.
Tim was doing stuff atNickelodeon and he's like, yeah,
(39:47):
we could use you.
So in essence, I partnered withNickelodeon to help them build
a bit of a temporary team justto help release some records
that they have.
Speaker 1 (39:56):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
And then I started, you know, I kind of went back to
one of the partners I had atGeffen, which was Rebel Music.
Shout out to Jay and Stan inMiami.
They had left Geffen and theybrought their venture to gamma
with larry jackson yeah, yeah,that's a good dude.
Speaker 1 (40:13):
So who do they have on rebel music?
Who's the artist?
Speaker 2 (40:17):
uh well, sexy red's kind of their marquee artist
right but they've got uh, youknow jay and stan are really
have really kind of over theyears just made a great name for
themselves in the sense thateven if they don't get a signing
, they're in the conversation ofevery kind of hot signing that
there is.
So they brought me in kind ofin a different function, because
(40:40):
they do have a staff just tohelp them operationally with
some of their businesses and theventure with Gamma and I've got
a few other things in thepipeline for this year.
So it's really just kind ofhelping on the business side and
helping creatives do what theydo best, which is create, and
then I can kind of help themwith what I call the boring
stuff.
Speaker 1 (41:00):
No, that's a really good.
I've never even thought aboutthat.
That's a really good idea Cause, like you said, these ventures,
like you said these ventures,like you said, they got the cool
acts and they know how to makethe records right.
You know definitely not to makethe records and a lot of times
know how to kind of, you know,at least start marketing them
and style them and kind of getyou know, give you that allure
yeah, but but you said but thenuts and bolts of I always tell
(41:23):
people the same thing.
Um, there were, you know, youknow the two women at jive back
then Laurel Dan, who was on theTribe album passed away, and
Stephanie Tudor.
They were.
A&r admin, ladies, yep, and Ialways say they really taught me
to do A&R.
Yeah, yeah.
Because it's all the other stuff.
It ain't just being in thestudio, no, no, no, no, no.
(41:44):
It's all the other stuff that'skind of you know of boring but
it has to get done, Budgets andstuff like that.
So it's interesting.
You're kind of doing the samething.
You're doing the I don't wantto call it the dirty work but
the stuff that has to be donefor these ventures and the
product to come out.
That's a really good idea.
(42:04):
Yeah Thanks, you really earnedsomething with that.
Speaker 2 (42:08):
Thanks.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
No, that's good, that's good, that's good.
Sexy red wow, yeah, I actuallylike sexy red.
I get a lot of shit for it yeah.
I like the Bruno record I get alot of shit for that.
I get a lot.
I'm like, bro, that record's asmash, you're gonna hate it, but
I think people don't, forwhatever reason they're not.
Some people, that's because alot of people obviously are,
(42:29):
because she's a big artist, butsome people aren't connecting to
her, so anything she does,they're like I'm like yo, that
Bruno record is a smash in myopinion.
The video was fire again in myopinion, and you know, I like
her, I like her, I like BeckyRedd.
So congratulations to you.
Before we go, I have a couplequestions that I ask everybody.
Speaker 2 (42:54):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (42:55):
In general.
So tell me your three favoriteartists and why they're your
favorites.
Speaker 2 (43:00):
Oh my God, that's impossible.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
That's impossible.
You know what, nicole?
Because we're cool, I'll giveyou five, which is still hard,
but it's not three like anygenre, anything, young, old, it
doesn't matter favorite artistis really hard because I could
list so many, I'm gonna.
Speaker 2 (43:21):
I'll just go with what comes to top of mind.
So coming up, anita baker forsure, my mom listened to a lot
of Anita Baker.
And.
I could just drive and listento Anita Baker albums.
That's one for sure.
Speaker 1 (43:34):
Another guest said her too.
Speaker 2 (43:35):
Yeah, I would probably say the same thing for
Sade, but in terms of morecurrent.
Speaker 1 (43:43):
It could be anything.
You can do it 3-0.
It's on you.
It's on you.
Speaker 2 (43:47):
I will always, always , listen to a chris brown bop,
chris brown all the time, yeah,um, oh, this is so hard.
I mean favorites, favorites,favorites.
Oh, I mean, I know that, I knowthat it's like not
(44:07):
interchangeable, but just theTupac Biggie era.
I could listen, you know.
Again, I can listen to all day.
Speaker 1 (44:14):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (44:15):
I'm kind of gauging this by like things I could
re-listen to, because I don'tre-listen to a lot of music.
Now.
I'll listen to something onceand be like okay, that was cool,
you know.
Speaker 1 (44:24):
Then move on.
Yeah, one more one more.
Speaker 2 (44:26):
Give me one more.
Charlie Wilson.
Easy Charlie Wilson, becauseone I could listen to his music
all the time and he puts on anamazing show.
Speaker 1 (44:37):
If you have not seen a.
Speaker 2 (44:39):
Charlie show.
You need to go see it.
Speaker 1 (44:40):
The guy who's like in his 70s.
He's jumping around like he's22 years old.
Speaker 2 (44:45):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (44:45):
Did you work that project at John's?
The first name Charlie, lastname Wilson.
Did you work that one?
Speaker 2 (44:50):
I did not.
But quick story I got to meetCharlie for the first time when
Blaine shout out to Blaine wasgoing to get him to do some
radio liners and he had to goover to his hotel and be like
can you just knock these out?
And he asked me to go with himand I was like great.
And so just knock these out.
And he asked me to go with himand I was like great.
Speaker 1 (45:09):
And so I got to meet charlie and his wife for the
first time at that point and Iwas like this guy's amazing,
super cool, he's super cool,he's really like he's just real
open and funny and not like he'snot like an asshole, like you
know yeah, yeah really cool.
Um, okay, now I got.
I said I say songs, not artists, because I don't want to, you
know, because artists are toohard to pick cause they're all
like our babies.
Three of the favorite song,three favorite songs you worked
(45:33):
on, and why.
Speaker 2 (45:34):
Ooh, okay.
Well, I guess Blurred Lineswill be one of them.
And the reason is because, youknow, I just look back at the
magic of that song in the senseof I remember when we released
it nobody kind of knew like, isit pop, is it urban, is it
rhythm, is it, what is it?
And then it ended up goingnumber one at every format,
(45:55):
global success, just reallygreat, great song to work.
So I would say I'd say BlurredLines, I mean, I guess I have to
say Driver's License, right,because that too was just an
incredible ride and reallyreally like thought through,
like the marketing and thepromotion and just everything
that we did in that period alsoagain, partially during the
(46:17):
pandemic, um, was just like itwas, really was really memorable
, I guess, um.
And then I'll say I'll sayshrem, i'll'll say Black Beatles
.
Speaker 1 (46:29):
Yeah, who came up with the frozen concept with a
video?
Speaker 2 (46:34):
Honestly, if I recall correctly, that was on the
internet, like that was, like Iforget the guy's name and man,
I'm going to kick myself forforgetting, for forgetting the
name of this person, but itstarted, it started.
Speaker 1 (46:46):
And it just blew up Like I remember that was like
you had every band, like JerryJones doing it on his plane and
like that was a dope concept.
That was dope.
Did you know if Paul McCartneyor Ringo did they ever hear that
record?
Or was there not a comment on?
Speaker 2 (47:04):
it.
I'm sure I mean, I know Well,because Paul McCartney did a.
Speaker 1 (47:08):
That's right, he did a Frozen he did a thing yeah.
That's right, I forgot aboutthat.
Yeah, I forgot about that.
He did do a frozen joint,that's right.
And the last thing I wanted toask you was and you kind of
already answered it, I think buttell me a concert that kind of
changed.
You mentioned the BBD, but isthere another concert to show
you into where you were like, ohmy god, like this is amazing?
Speaker 2 (47:30):
yes, several, but just give me one I mean just in
terms of the performances.
You mean, okay, so performance,wise, pink hands down always
puts a great show.
I mean she's flying in the air,doing all sorts of things,
singing.
She puts on a great show.
Obviously.
I said charlie already.
What else I mean?
I think I went to remember whenuh, I don't, this must have
(47:53):
been, I don't know what yearthis was this wasn't like when
bad boy did their tour.
Oh, yeah, like this was likerecently, like in the last the
reunion tour reunion tour.
I think I went to like three ofthose shows.
I think I did like new york,atlanta and la, because it like
represented a moment in timewith all the artists that were
coming out.
That was.
(48:14):
That was really great show.
Speaker 1 (48:16):
I don't think I actually didn't make that show,
for whatever reason.
I didn't get heard.
It was amazing, but I nevermade it.
I don't think I made.
I don't think I made thoseshows.
Speaker 2 (48:24):
And you know what, you, you know what.
On another show too.
So I've been very lucky to havegone to a lot of J Cole shows.
He, it's just him on stage andhe can carry, like Madison
Square Garden, like they're yourbiggest, you know your biggest
arenas and stadiums.
He can carry just him on astage.
(48:45):
You know he'll have somebackdrops or whatever, but it's
kind of remarkable because Ifeel like a lot of artists.
You know he'll have somebackdrops or whatever, but it's
kind of remarkable Cause I feellike a lot of artists, you know
they need all the bells andwhistles to going around them,
to put on a good show anddancers yeah, he's just, he's
just really good live.
Speaker 1 (48:59):
So tell me um before we wrap.
Tell me, if you can't, anyupcoming plans for um be what's
what's?
I mean you have to name thenext coming clients but I mean
you have to name the incomingclients.
Speaker 2 (49:11):
What's your vision for growing a company?
So I do want to grow it interms of like I want to build
out a small team and really beable to kind of give back in
many ways.
One mentorship, like if I wantto bring some people in, some
young hungry kids that I canmentor and kind of give them
part of this business in a way.
And I also just want to helpmore creatives.
(49:34):
I think it's amazing, like Ifeel like I have a little bit of
a creative in me in terms ofthe marketing side, but like
there are people that are justso wildly creative, artistic,
talented that I would love tohelp with my skill set.
So yeah, growing the company alittle bit and just working with
more creatives good, good,you'll do it, you'll be fine
(49:56):
you'll be.
Speaker 1 (49:56):
You'll be on the, on the, the top, whatever list.
You know the.
You know 100, top 100 of 100and all that type of stuff
you're gonna be we'll see, we'llsee you're gonna be a big
mobile I don't know, I don'tknow.
Speaker 2 (50:08):
You're a big mobile.
I don't know, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (50:10):
So you're staying in LA, you're not ever moving back
East.
Speaker 2 (50:14):
I wouldn't say that I am in LA for now, for sure.
Speaker 1 (50:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (50:17):
But I don't think I'm in LA forever.
Speaker 1 (50:20):
Okay, Would you move East or you wouldn't?
You don't even know where youwould go next.
Speaker 2 (50:25):
I don't know, I don't , I don't know.
There's not another city likecalling my name right now.
Speaker 1 (50:29):
I got you.
Speaker 2 (50:30):
But I don't think I'm in LA forever.
I mean, you know, things aredifferent now.
I have a son and I would loveto be closer to family, but I
bet yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (50:38):
How are you doing with the fires out there?
Speaker 2 (50:39):
Thankfully, thankfully, we're okay.
Our neighborhood, you know,other than kind of poor air
quality during that time, didn'tget hit by the fire, so we were
okay, thankfully, okay, good,good, good, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (50:50):
Well, that's it, man.
Thank you for this.
Speaker 2 (50:53):
Thank you.
This is great.
I love talking about kind ofback in the day and these
stories.
I love it.
Speaker 1 (51:00):
Yeah, I think I told you we talked offline.
I was like there's no placethat I know of for record
executives to tell their storiesand their journeys.
I wanted to give otherexecutives a spot to talk and
tell, because people need toknow who you are.
Speaker 2 (51:18):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (51:20):
Thank you, thank you, thank you very much Thank you.
I really appreciated it.
Speaker 2 (51:25):
Absolutely Happy to do it.
Speaker 1 (51:26):
Yeah, all right, sexy B, I'll talk to you later.
You can catch Mixed and.
Mastered on Apple Podcasts,spotify, iheart or wherever you
get your podcasts.
Hit that follow button, leave areview and tell a friend I'm
your host, jeffrey Sledge.
Mixed and Mastered is producedand distributed by Merrick
(51:48):
Studios.
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