It has been over a quarter century since Teddy Riley walked into the music industry. And he still has his wish list ready when you question his aspirations, proving that his illustrious track record still has room for improvement. Granted, there is only one name on that list and that belongs to the artist he looks to as the last bonafide superstar to emerge. But it proves his authenticity as the acclaimed producer he is.

Similar to D-Dot - who we covered last month in Producers Corner [click to read] - this Harlem native has nurtured various producers who have obviously learned from the best to become the best. The Neptunes and Rodney Jerkins are from the Riley School of Development and well we all know what they have achieved.

Talking to HipHopDX, the Blackstreet front man gets into his financial affairs, his plans to travel the roads with his former band mates and gives us an insight to just what is going on with QDT.

HipHopDX: You were a judge on American Idol this year; how was that whole experience?
Teddy Riley: Man, that experience was so incredible. It just gave me and enlightened me to get back in the business and that is what I am doing.

DX: Do you follow these shows where they focus on finding the stars of tomorrow?
TR: No, I sure don’t as I don’t really watch much TV.

DX: Obviously we have found some stars through shows such as American Idol; do you think this is a new way of A&Ring?
TR: Yes it is, it is definitely that but I think that everything comes to a halt after a little while.

DX: Your history is phenomenal and being that you have been around music for so long and have had this success, looking at the industry today, what mistakes would you say producers are making today?
TR: I think people are experimenting and doing new things but I think the only mistake that people are making is doing the same thing that they have been doing. It is just like recycling the same music that is the mistake. It just opens people’s eyes to a producer giving up a song just like his last song.

DX: Various producers will say that people don’t necessarily do their homework and take in other genres to further their knowledge, would you agree with this?
TR: No, they don’t. I mean that is advice I would give someone. I mean when I was coming up I studied everything and everybody. I think I studied too much.

DX: Can you study too much?
TR: That’s how I came up with so many songs by myself. That was my edge, studying people.

DX: You have encouraged the careers of The Neptunes and Rodney Jerkins. How did you come across the Neptunes?
TR: Well, I ran across them during a talent show and they were competing and of course, if a judge was looking at them, you know a regular judge, who didn’t know music, would have picked somebody else, or something like a Whitney Houston song; something that holds a long note. But I could see the talent in those guys and I picked them and I over-ruled the Judge. That night everything they did they just free styled. I saw a real versatility with them and even though they weren’t necessarily singing, they had one singer in the group who is not part of them right now, but he was the voice. I think that person was thinking more solo and wanted to be by himself, so we let him go solo.

DX: Similar story with Rodney?
TR: Well Rodney was sitting on the stoop of my studio for about a week. He kept coming to the studio and waiting to see if he could get into talk to me. Then he did.

DX: This proves that persistence pays off?
TR: Oh yeah, it sure does. And what you have to understand is these guys wanted to learn, they absorbed everything. Pharrell, everything he does is what I done. He has his own style of course, but his work ethic and how he interpreted what he watched is what he watched.

DX: What is the situation with you, Snoop, DK Quik? IS QDT actually going ahead?
TR: Yeah QDT is most definitely going to be in full effect. This is a movement that is brought together by us three and what we are doing is bringing a group of great producers under the umbrella and building them and of course building the brand.

DX: There were rumors that you were working on L.A.X for Game, is there any truth to that?
TR: Man, working on a Game album is like working on a Michael Jackson album. You don’t know if your song is going to be chosen, so I am hoping that I do have something on the album. We have worked on a few tracks, but like I said it is working on Michael Jackson.

DX: You had your joint "Lights Camera Action" with Busta Rhymes which kind of re-introduced back into the mainstream earlier this year. Why were you missing?
TR: I wanted to get with my children. You know you can’t catch them twice and I had to take time out to be with them. People understood me taking that time and the reception of me coming back showed how much they understood that. Continued on page 2 »