The last name rings a bell...Is Mojo the real first name and what position did they have?Also did he work in the L.A. or NYC office as I worked in the Office in L.A. on Melrose. I can tell you HOW I got that “Intern” position:
I wake up one day and decide I want to learn about the record industry so Wu being basically independent artist and them being signed to a small label like Loud I wanted to learn what they did to put out albums so I call Loud/SRC’s offices. Terry was the secretary at the time and she goes yeah we can use an intern, so I go down and start that day. So im Answering phones, running errands, etc and Terry is running around doing nothing, so I figured out that I’m doing her job. Steve Rifkind then comes into the office one day and he’s like Who are you? I’m like I’m the intern, and he looks perplexed, but Is cool. So while I’m there I’m rubbing elbows with the different departments especially Bigga B who is the head of street promotions in L.A.(RIP). So while I was there Xzibit got signed and I got to hear Papparazzi from the beginning. He was a real nice guy. Always spoke and even after I stopped interning at Loud I’d see him and he’d say what’s up and we’d talk. E-Swift first came in with the papparazi instrumental, then they come in with the full track with vocals. So when Xzibit signed his contract I had to run off copies of it and I also read it and he got very little cash but the biggest sticking point was he got medical insurance for his little new born girl which is noble but the lack of cash opened my eyes to the record business. Also I got to see how Crooked the industry is. Yes I met RZA as well who basically ignored me and didn’t say jack. In terms of Radio Payola was still a thing. The head of the radio Department Tommy straight up told me that they had to pay DJ’s either with Gifts or cash to get spins. He told me about how for example one DJ got some Gold Technics 1200’s for playing music or another DJ got Some sneakers. So fast forward it got to a point I knew they were using me so I basically started using my position at Loud to make contacts with other promoters at labels and that’s how I got into street promotions.I wanted to work for Loud but I made the mistake of thinking Bigga B was the head promoter and he wasn’t....It was this guy from the NYC office named Trevor. He’d come to L.A. every once in a while and I’d talk to him like he was just another promoter when he was actually the head promoter. AnyWay I call up capitol and get tons of vinyl to promote, call up Violater, get vinyl, etc. I think they got wind of it tho and At some point during this time they tell me they don’t need me, and then I get word that terry also got canned because she let me do her job. Also I gotta comment on Steve Rifkind. Dude was just the money man, the guy who ran Loud on the business end was this guy named Rich. You’d see him working his ass off, while Steve would be in his office just listening to music.
Anyway I know long story but that whole thing just totally disillusioned me from ever wanting to get into the mainstream music industry. I saw people ripped off, people who signed contracts get basically shelved and held to their contracts, example a guy gets a 10 grand advance, spends it up and a label basically telling him that they will not make his album but will hold him to his contract basically ending his career. They told him he better not even perform at an open mic or they’d sue him. I met some cool people like Bigga B who hit me with Raekwon’s only built album a month before it dropped and I promoted his club called unity for him. So from that I’d tell up and coming mc’s to go the Project Blowed route and be independent because these companies will ruin your name and image to sell records and I stick to that today.
