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photo by steed media service
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brand strategist
VP of A&R, Jive Records
With the steady
decline in CD sales and the anemic profits that the recording industry
has been experiencing in recent years, one must wonder what the future
actually holds for record labels and their artists. According to Jive
Records’ VP of artists and repertoire, Mickey
“MeMpHiTz” Wright, the answer is quite simple.
“As far as these sales go and how people are buying music,
you’ve got to change with the times or you’re going to feel
the wrath of that,” says Wright, explaining that record labels
must adapt. “[For example,] CDs [have] got to go. I love CDs, I
came up buying CDs, but when the Internet came in, that’s how
people are buying their music now …”
Credited for developing the careers of recording artists T-Pain and
Huey, 2007 has been a successful year for Wright. He’s scored two
No. 1 albums with T-Pain and UGK. Now in the process of priming pop
singer Asia Cruz for similar success, the Memphis native insists that
the numbers will improve if the artists are properly groomed for
takeoff.
“It’s not lack of talent, but lack of artist development.
They’ll put the single out, the label will see how the single is
reacting out there and that’s all they really care about,”
he says. “They want their money, and then it’s like the
development kind of goes out the window. I’ve got to develop
these artists before the single hits…” – jason thompson
