DX: How did you network with those other producers back then?
SM: I was in the industry, so when you’re in the industry, you want to be in the loop. There was Industry Night Tuesdays; you wanna be where it’s poppin’ at and where you can meet these guys. Queens had that formula. Rockwilder was from my hood. All these other guys around me was comin’ up. All the producers, they kick it. Also, I was interning at Def Jam from ’96 to ’98; I met a lot of people through that.

DX: You interned for Nas and for Def Jam?
SM: Yup. Yup. Yup.

DX: So you get into this tremendous position of power. So many new money guys are all about new blood. What made you look out for New York veteran producers like Buckwild and B-Money too?
SM: Veterans are the ones that had the sound that had me looking up to them. You’re always gonna have the veterans in the industry that paved the way for you, that inspired you. Buckwild was one of them. Diggin’ In The Crates, you can’t go past that. That was an early in Hip Hop where they had that whole game locked. With that said, you want to mix it up with the OGs, the veterans like Easy Mo Bee and Large Professor and all of them, and at the same time, sprinkle it with the new guys, the roses that grew out of concrete.

DX: You just used a 2Pac line. I really enjoyed and admired your work on Pac’s Life, the album. How challenging was it to come in and handle a project that you know is going to get criticized for its lack of authenticity by hardcore fans?
SM: Mentally, for ‘Pac, it was like, “Yo, this is my chance.” So many great guys I really want to work with, and ‘Pac was one of them. I used to see him in my hood with Stretch [of The Live Squad] and they were so scary that you wouldn’t approach these dudes. I was so young that I ain’t have no swagger to even holler at them dudes. I’ve always been a fan of ‘Pac and Big, and I didn’t get to work with [either]. When I got that ‘Pac opportunity, I’ll tell you man, it was one of the best opportunities. He’s better than working with a live rapper, man. His work is just ridiculous. His vocals, it really just brings a lot out of me.

DX: Looking at that album, “Dumpin’” is a classic moment. You’ve got Carl Thomas and Papoose on there, but also Fatal. It’s a powerful production, and contains that authenticity in Fatal. Tell me about producing it, and your vision and execution…
SM: Certain sounds you know ‘Pac has. The church bells, the organs, the strings, the piano – those are sounds that you know are in ‘Pac [records]. So what I did, so I just gathered up all the instruments from all my favorite ‘Pac beats, and just had those thoughts. I just got into a ridah frame of mind, like I was from the west, and just knew that it had to be that live instrumentation. ‘Pac always sounded good over live music, so I wanted to keep that all in place.

DX: Whether Dre, RZA or Showbiz, there have been other producers who mentored others. What makes this your calling, in regards to Money Management?
SM: I watched guys like DJ Clue and Steve Stoute make money, and I watched guys from my neighborhood – even Irv Gotti, who rose to the top, and I’m watching these guys. I’ve got the talent; I wasn’t just in the music industry ‘cause I wanted to make money, I was in the music industry ‘cause I wanted to be in the music industry. I love music. I knew there was some money there, and I knew I had to completely give my all to it. Everybody I seen give they all, they made it.

DX: Young Buck’s Buck The World was an incredible album for gangsta rap. It was the best thing till summer. As a music industry person, why didn’t it get pushed harder – or as hard as his debut?
SM: I think the industry’s attention-span is ADD completely. Everyone just keeps going; they don’t sit still. The labels and the consumers. They’re gonna keep going. I think with 50’s album and T.I.’s album coming, there were other main attractions that got peoples’ minds drifting and thinking of something else. Hands down though, I’ll say this on the record, [Young Buck’s] album was better than 50’s, T.I.’s and all of theirs'. Buck made an incredible album.

DX: As a businessman, do you think the absence of somebody like Kevin Black not being at Interscope anymore made the difference?
SM: No. I think this whole depression from the label…we didn’t get that belief. They made you scared. Everybody was just scared to make moves. It was a terrible sight, man. The vibe wasn’t there. Everybody had different thoughts on what they wanted. We had to be careful, ‘cause 50 was comin’, so he was on our heels. We was worried that he would outshine us. There were a lot of things to think about.

DX: Is Young Buck’s label compilation a hard thing to push through that system right now?
SM: Early next year. I’m literally on my computer as I talk to you going through all my paperwork in sitting up the whole label. I’m here running the label with Buck. We’re going all out. This is gonna be a time of independence. We’re gonna be signing anything new, talented and good. I don’t only want guys that’s been in the game, I want guys that’s new and on the come up. I’m gonna start doing talent showcases. At this point, all we can do is make the right marketing budget, where we don’t spend ridiculous amounts of money but we get all the impressions we need to make sure everybody knows the record’s in stores. After that, the music should speak for itself. Continued on page 3 »