DADDY’S HOUSE BEST KEPT SECRET

T.O.U.R Online Magazine got a chance to sit down with Sr. Director of A&R @ BBWEG to gain insight into his world of struggle, achievement and success.

The New York City assiduous atmosphere is parallel to the daily “life on the grind” for the executive as he makes a better living for himself and loved ones.

Conrad Dimanche, Sr. Director of A&R began his career as an intern 9 years ago at Bad Boy. He definitely had to prove himself in order to obtain a spot in the company ranks. He worked at Bad Boy for 13 months as non-paid intern. As an intern, Conrad, encountered numerous tasks, sleepless nights, and inadvertent neglect of his family. He understood his goal, and proceeded to remain dedicated and focused to his dream. By remaining focused and believing that his hard work and dedication would payoff in the long run, Conrad met every challenge and moved forwarded to solidifying his position. He eventually was hired to the label by being smart.

Can you think back and remember the first time you realized that music was the career path you wanted to take?

Some of my friends were producers, and I had a barber shop in Queens twelve years ago; and to promote the shop I through parties at the club next door. When I first started out, I was an intern for Bad Boy in the A&R department, But, I did have a job making like 30K year. After my seventh month I wrote a job proposal. I was doing a lot by myself and I took on the most responsibility as possible. I made it so if there was a day that I wasn’t here, Harve who I work for, would miss me because I handle so much. And that’s just me and for any intern. That’s the way you’ve got to be if you want to get a job at a label. You have to become valuable to the company. The only way to do that is to take on as much responsibility as possible, where people depend on you to get certain shit done.

Was there ever a time where you look back after closing the barber shop?

There wasn’t. I was taking a chance. Things were slowing down at the shop and I was working way too much. When business at the shop got a little rough, I just had to make a decision and make a move. For 2 years thing were rough,. But, I had a good job, working 8-12, and then working at Bad Boy from 12 - 4 in the morning. I was sleeping like two hours a day, but then after two months of that he had to quit my job to work for free. I loved it because I was so hungry. I just love being here, learning and soaking up everything. But, it was definitely doing the right things and being smart.

What helped you stay focused on that goal of ensuring that you would be successful in attaining, or solidifying a spot on the executive side of things, rather than being that 1 semester intern?

I was focused; super focused. I’m blessed to be someone that’s always been like that. I set my mind on doing something. When I open my eyes, I’m focused and when I close my eyes, I’m dreaming about it, That’s just who I am. Whatever I want, I’m not going to stop until I get it and that was it. I walked on egg shells for some time and learned, read books, and made sure I soaked up everything I could. I did everything I could and I knew I wanted do an A &R. , my boss was definitely a mentor to me. But, a lot of it I just soaked up on my own.

One thing I use to do…I would have to make copies of music. I would have to dub them at slow or fast speed and, what I would do is sit there and listen to the music, what I was doing was training my ear, Not only to what good music was, but also to what Puff thought was good music. There’s formulas to making hits melodies an shit like that, I was listening. I paid extra attention to teaching myself what bridge was, the make up of a hot hook, what made the track hot, just the melody and feeling. I did that for months and trained myself as an intern to what Puff loved. Ok, if I know I’m going to be an A&R for this dude I’m going to have to know at some point he will depend on me to know what music he loves or what hot music the people going to love. I knew I had to train myself to deliver music to him, so that was my turning point.

The word “Executive” gets misconstrued sometimes meaning that people need degrees to always Hold an executive title. From my experience that is not always the case. Do you feel that a College degree is a necessity in this field?

It’s not a necessity but it depends on what part you play in the company. CFO, yes… Marketing, yes… Being an executive in any department you must have great people skills. A person in an executive position must be able to think logically. A whole lot of common sense plays a valuable role and that doesn’t come from school, that comes from your moms and pops and how they raised you. Sense is not common, that’s why being an executive is rare because not everybody has common sense. Not everybody can juggle a bunch of shit, it’s a skill. Before making music and all that shit, it’s being able to deal with a lot of situations.

In your opinion what does it take to continue attaining success, or advancement in this industry?

Well, it’s more competitive and more saturated than ever. I just try to stay on top my job, not even try, I just stay on top of my job. I’m 34 now, and I know there’s a lot of 25 year old hungry motherfuckers, and I just stay as hungry from day one. It’s not easy to find people with the mindset like I had back then, you know what I’m saying. Having two kids and a wife working for free; motherfuckers just not willing to do it, which is crazy to me because what you get out of it is priceless. There’s no amount of money you put on it. It really depends on the person and what you put into it. I’m the type of person if I want it I’m ready to die for it literally. Per person its’ going to be different. I intern for 13 months; by the 7th month I had already wrote a proposal to the president of the company explaining why I would be valuable to the company.

What may be the difference between you and other A&R’s from different labels?

I micro manage the sound of music and the business of music. Music is the gas for the company to put out songs and albums. Without the music there’s nothing to promote, there’s nothing to market, so that’s key, putting out the right music and making the right music and being able to shape artist that’s key (phone rings again) that what will make the paper for the company.

Being that you’re behind the scene, how would people recognize your work?

Credits on album… My name has been on over 30 albums that gone gold, platinum, and even triple platinum. I’ve never been an out front type of dude anyway. I’m not a cameras person.

Is it about who you know rather than what you know?

It’s a combination, but definitely who you know is important. Had I not known Harve, I would have never gotten a shot to be here. I begged for my internship. And before that, I almost became an intern on a street team so my whole career could have taken a whole different approach. But it never happened. I was so hungry to get in to a label. I was like fuck it let me just go do some promotions, just to learn something.

What doors of opportunity opened to allow you to show and prove that you had what it took, or takes to be successful at what you’re doing now?

You have to make the best out of the opportunity. After my 7th month I wrote a proposal to the president of the company because I was doing a lot by myself. I took on the most responsibility as possible. I made it so if there was a day I wasn’t here, Harve would miss me because I handle so much… where people depend on you to get certain shit done and no one is going to be able to do it like you.

You know by the 7th month I wrote a proposal of why I need to get a job and what was my job description. It took me five months from then to get put on. I actually quit you know because I had enough. I went from weighing 240 to weighing to 180. And, to be 6′1, I went from a big dude to a skinny dude. My family thought I was crazy. I quit the 13th month. I couldn’t take it; they we’re jerkin me around about putting me on payroll. The next day I was offered a job. That’s what I mean, I was offered the job the next day, without me here a lot things would have been fucked up.

And in what ways has your work ethic helped you stay on top of your game?

Well, I’ve always been a hard worker; you know what I’m saying. I’m an entrepreneur at heart and I demand excellence from myself…coming here seeing how Puff worked and seeing how Harve works their great leaders. I came up as an intern, from the bottom of the bottom; it was really a hard grind. I had to run errands like going to McDonalds and making sure I had every condiment there was. If you can handle the littlest shit, someone’s going to give you more responsibilities if they know you’re going to get it right.

You’ve been in the game a good amount of time, what has changed, and what has stayed the same?

I know they’re hiring a lot more interns than before and it changed a lot from when I first came in. The industry just peaked at its all time high, as far as Hip Hop; just how mainstream hip hop went. Financially, everything is different. I saw how the internet piracy almost sucked everything out of the business. Now, you have I-tunes, ring tones and caller tunes and all that shit putting billions of dollars back into the business. So it changed a lot, it’s a lot more saturated. It’s harder to break new artist today. You know, it’s still a tough time in the business financially. Records don’t sell, albums don’t sell as much, but there are so many more avenues to make money in the business today.

There are a lot of talented artist out there, but we all know that everyone won’t get signed, what should independent artist know?

(LOL) it’s harder to get signed! It’s harder to get signed! That’s another thing, having three songs on a demo or one hot joint on a mix-tape and getting a deal is a wrap. Artist development is gone or it’s quickly disappearing. We definitely go with artists that have it together…he/she has to have a buzz already; single(s) playing on the radio. If an artist has that; all we have to do is come in and tweak things and 5 months later we can put an album out. The money turns around quicker. Holding an artist for a couple of years and developing them doesn’t make sense anymore.

Are you content at this point in your career?

Never content, I definitely want more for myself for my family. And, it’s always more to learn, this business it’s always changing. It’s always new things to learn; I definitely want to reach new things everyday. I have a lot of goals.

People are talking about how it’s a wrap for New York in general; do you feel that any newcomers can bring it back?

I don’t think its over. Newcomers of newcomers, I don’t even hear a newcomer that can do it. It’s going to take a phenomenon. For right now, I think Puff and Jay-Z have a chance to bring it back. But it’s not even about bringing it back. It’s about keeping it here for a while but I just don’t see it right now. I think it’s going to ride for a few more years in the South. New York just has some re-inventing to do as far as sound. I’m talking about the variety of different artists; even the newcomers, nothing feels real special. The content and sonically, you know what I’m saying, and attitude has a lot do with it. A lot of it has to change, I travel to the south a lot, their attitude and hunger is different than dudes in NY. It might because they just can’t walk to a Sony building or just stand in front of the Bad Boy office. Things aren’t given to them that easily. So now that they got it they not letting it go. It’s good to have a variety because it’s just going to make the music last longer, but it will come back around.

I love what I do! I would have went crazy if I didn’t cause when you talk about sacrifice the last 9 years of my kids life I missed a lot. I don’t get to spend too much time with my family and just having a social life, like that outside of business. It’s not something I get to enjoy. So there’s definitely a lot of sacrifice. So you gotta love it.

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