Video interview with Jerry Clark coming soon. Check back shortly to watch this exclusive conversation.
Jerry Clark, affectionately known as “Legendary Jerry,” stands as one of the most influential figures in Atlanta’s hip hop scene. With decades of experience holding executive positions at labels including Relativity/Ruthless Records, EMI Music, SRC/Universal, and Island Def Jam/SoSoDef, Clark has built a reputation as a relationship architect and cultural curator. Beginning his career through internships while in college, he quickly ascended to become a pivotal force in Atlanta’s music community, helping shape the careers of countless artists.
Beyond his music industry achievements, Clark is equally dedicated to philanthropy through The Jerry Clark Foundation, which focuses on youth development and community service. Despite facing legal challenges that resulted in a brief incarceration, Clark has rebounded with renewed focus on his passion for relationship building and community service.
How have you created such a strong music legacy in Atlanta?
I think it really starts with building relationships. Everything I stress is about building and cultivating strong relationships, and that’s where it starts. Being in a great city Atlanta, with the history of the Civil rights movement, and then, when L.A. Reid and Babyface brought the LaFace Records here, that just really planted a great seed for this city to start growing musically and culturally. It just shows you how this city embraced me and took me in, because I’m not originally from here, but the relationships that I have established and built and cultivated and nourished, is what allowed me to be where I am and to create the legacy I’ve created.
Can you describe three things about Atlanta that makes it such a special place for creatives?
We’re a close-knit city. I used to talk to people in other cities, and they used to tell me the reason they thought that Atlanta blew up musically and they didn’t, is because we always embraced each other. Meaning producers, songwriters! We were always inclusive, and that set us apart from other cities. Of course, there’s so much talent all around this country, but what set us apart? We were always inclusive of each other.
That’s what set Atlanta apart, as far as pushing us forward, where we took that baton in the late 90s and took it and ran with it, and we haven’t let it go since. Where Atlanta has put its stranglehold on really controlling the urban music culture, and we haven’t let it go since. 25 plus years of having a stranglehold on this culture, and now, we influence everything, Atlanta influences everything, culturally, we are the trendsetter.
Can you tell me your secrets for staying in the game so long in the music industry?
It’s about establishing relationships, and I tend to think that the reason I’ve been able to stay around is not only the relationships, but I’ve been able to recreate myself, and reinvent myself. A lot of people, especially people my age and the people that’s been around the game so long, they get stuck, and they won’t get out of their own way. They’ve been stuck because they refuse to reinvent themselves and recreate themselves, and that’s something that I’ve been able to do, and I’ve been able to do successfully.
That along with having great relationships, I mean, there are people that I’ve known for 20, 25, 30 years that are still in positions, and I am still able to call them and lean on them, and vice versa. They’re still able to call and lean on me. So those relationships are the most important thing, as far as being able to stay relevant for so long.
Who are some of your favorite artists to work with?
There’s a lot of different stories, I’ve had the privilege of interviewing a lot of people on my show. One of my favorites is from the late great Gangsta Boo. I had her previously on my show, and she’s now not with us, but we talked about experiences over the years, and when I worked with her, and the group, Three 6 Mafia, and when I worked with her solo.
So that’s one of my favorites. And of course, Rico Wade, another person not with us anymore, a friend of mine. When we talk about our experiences with him, really, how important he is to Atlanta, not just Atlanta, but the culture period. So those are 2 people that I have a lot of respect for, and that we had a lot of history together.
How has your role in the music industry evolved since the rise of digital platforms and social media?
It’s definitely changed a lot, with me being more a radio promotion guy, and radio being kinda taken the step back. So I have transitioned, recreated myself, where I’m more into the consulting side, and managing songwriters and producers. So I’ve had to learn, over the years, to change with the climate of the industry.
At first it was hard, but then once you know the basics, and you’ve been firmly involved from the mid 90s on, I was able to learn and adjust. It’s all about adjusting and not being so hard headed, be able to adjust with the times. I adjusted, and I’m still here, and I’m still relevant.
Who are your biggest mentors and inspirations in the business?
My biggest was my uncle/first mentor, Mr. Stanley Bethel, rest in peace, Mr. Bethel. He was the one that molded me and introduced me to this music industry game. He had been in the music business for years, and he allowed me to come in and really shadow him, and he taught me everything, how to move around, how to communicate properly, how to build relationships.
Mr. Stanley Bethel, he played a dual role. He was my uncle, and he was my mentor and he was the one that I have to say put me in a position to be where I am now in this business to win, because he taught me so much early on. When I expressed to him that I wanted to be in this business, he took me, and again he molded me, and made me the executive that I am.
What advice would you give someone coming up in the music industry right now in Atlanta?
Once again, it’s gonna sound like I’m beating a dead horse, but build relationships. Always be true to who you are, because it’s so easy to get caught up in the hype, and the glamour, and glitz and lose focus. I’ve seen a lot of young people come into the business or say they wanted to be in this business and they lose focus and they get caught up.
They get caught up in the glamour, and the glitz, and the hype, and they never really become successful. Because this industry, this music business, if you’re not grounded, it will chew you up and spit you right out.
A lot of people put so much emphasis on a check, securing a bag that they forget that the relationship is what’s going to have you secure multiple bags in the future. Maybe not right then and there at that time, but as you build and cultivate relationships, a bag is going to come because relationships, that’s what it’s about.
What legacy do you hope to leave behind?
That I was a great man, I was a great father. I was a great person, that’s it, it’s simple. I was a great man. I was a great father and I made things happen. You called me, and I was able to do it, I made it happen. That’s what I want my legacy to be, but God has got a lot more years for me to build on his legacy, though.
