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STEVE LOBEL
Manager, Bone Thugs~n~Harmony / A&R Mo Thugs/ CEO A2Z Entertainment
Steve is known around the music biz as one of the hardest working hands-on managers there is. If you need to deal with anything relating to Bone Thugs~n~Harmony and their massive entourage you must first go to Steve. As the liaison between Bone Thugs~n~Harmony and all business entities, Steve bridges the gap between executives and artist alike.
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EK: From the beginning, how did you get into the industry?
SL: Many, many years ago, I started runnin? around with Run DMC and Jam Master J. I wouldn?t say road manager; but, every show they was doin?, I was goin? around with them learnin? the game.
EK: How did you meet them?
SL: From the neighborhood. From The Hollis, Queens, Jam Master J?s brother, Marvin. From there, I just came close to everybody in the crew.
EK: What year did this happen?
SL: They started in ?83. I would say, about ?86. Jam Master J really inspired me, and, influenced me to get into the music industry. Always runnin? around with him and Run DMC, I had privileges to meet a lot of rappers and record company executives, such as, Lyor Cohen, Russell Simmons. And, going up to Rush Entertainment and Def Jam Records a lot. I always kept my eyes and ears open, seein? on a daily basis how the music industry was run I just sat back and learned a lot goin? to meetings, the studio, video sets, photo shoots, radio stations, goin? on tour.
Then, I went in another direction and opened-up a couple bar-restaurants. I got rid of my businesses, because I got into a car accident. After that, what I really wanted to do was get back into the music industry. A friend of mine from Relativity/Sony called and said ?There?s a job open.? So I went over there and started doin? street promotions in New York for three months. Alan Grunblatt, GM of Relativity saw potential in me, how aggressive I was, and, that I had a lot of ambition.
The next thing you know, Alan took me to do retail promotions for stores all over the country. And, they saw more in me than just that. Then I started workin? with the artists.
The next thing you know, Cliff Cultreri, Sr. Vice President of A&R, Relativity Records said ?I?ve gotta get this guy on my side. All these artists say they love Steve. He really puts in down. He gives 300%.? So, he hired me to work with him.
I was runnin? around with Run DMC and was doin? a lot of collaborations with groups at Relativity. I was privileged to work with Eazy-E, may he rest in peace. Then, he introduced me to Bone Thugs~n~Harmony.
EK: You started working A&R. In what capacity were you dealing with artists?
SL: I was in the studios, getting their albums together to make release dates for Relativity. I didn?t even do that a month. The next thing you know I started runnin? around with artist on little promotional tours. And honestly, overnight, I was involved with Bone Thugs~n~Harmony camp.
EK: You were working with Eazy-E first?
SL: Eazy-E, may he rest in peace, was on Relativity. Ruthless was through Relativity. Bone was on Ruthless/Relativity Records. They came to New York to work with Eazy-E. I ran around with them, and, started getting? involved with Bone Thugs~n~Harmony?s business.
Then Eazy-E passed away. I started workin? with Bone Thugs~n~Harmony, bein? with them every second. They established Mo?Thugs Records. Next thing you know Layzie, Krayzie, Wish, Bizzy and Flesh were like ?We want this guy to run with us, to take care of business.? A lot had to do with Mo? Thugs, distributed through Relativity. I went out to LA with all the groups, about twenty-two artists. We organized the family, and, got the photo and video shoots together for Mo? Thugs Records. Everybody was in the studio. We made ?A Mo Thugs Family Scriptures Compilation?. We sold two million records, and, it?s still sellin?.
Then I was on two major tours with Bone Thugs~n~Harmony as road manager, takin? care of the Mo Thugs family. I went overseas with Bone, over-seeing all the business. It?s like, whatever Bone Thugs does, Steve Lobel is right there to make sure everything is right. From collaborations with Mariah Carey, to her video; Bone and Biggie, may he rest in peace; Master P; Fat Joe from the Terror Squad.
The next thing you know, I?m livin? with Bone wherever they go-Cleveland, LA, NY, Miami. Eatin? with them. Sleepin? with them. I became part of their family. They got a big Mo Thugs Family! I was takin? care of all the Mo Thugs artist from A to Z. Makin? sure they?re eatin?, getting to the studio, and here and there on time.
EK: You?re managing them, making sure they are doing their day to day.
SL: I?m not technically called their manager. It?s a weird situation. The music industry is broken down into so many different jobs; and, everybody who knows Steve Lobel is like, ?What do you do? We know you?re the glue.?
EK: You started with street promotions, and yow, you are hands-on with one of the biggest Rap groups of the ?90?s. Looking at your experience over the years, Steve, what advice can you give somebody who wants to get into artist management, or, A&R? Explain what the entails.
SL: God put us on this planet, and, gave everybody a mission. I feel my mission is to make things stay organized for people. To be a manager, you have to be very organized. Common sense is really the key for that. And, you need strength and ambition.
Management is a 24-hours a day, 7-days a week job. I?m runnin? with Bone Thugs~n~Harmony, the Mo? Thug Family and entourage. I move about sixty people every day, by myself, with a cellular phone, pager, and, a travel agent. You really have to love what you do, and, dedicate yourself to that person you are going to manage. No matter if the person is good, bad, or ugly, you have to be there everyday; ?cause, problems occur.
There is a lot of pressure. People are dependin? on that person to make sure the group or artist gets where they have to get, on time, because, business is business. When you?re punctual, people want to deal with you. When you?re not on time, and you?re not about business, people don?t want to deal with you no matter who you are, how many records you?re sellin?, how much money you have.
I would tell the youth to remember these words: Business is business, bottom line. If you say you?re gonna do somethin?, be there and get the job done. And, do the best you can do.
EK: What motivates you to deal with sixty people at one time? It seems it is pre-occupying your life
SL: What motivates me is the energy. I love the people I deal with. I love Rap music. I love music in general. I love the industry. To do what you do in life, you have to love it. If you?re not happy with what you?re doin?, don?t do it, no matter how much money you?re makin?. In the long run, it?s your happiness that makes you move. I get pumped-up, and once I start, I cannot stop! If I know we got to do it, we do it.
I really don?t have much of a life, socially. I try to make it the best I can. To be honest with you, if I?m not workin?, if I?m not doin? somethin? everyday, I go crazy. I?m not the type of person to sit around. I have so much energy in me, people think I?m on something. I have a Snickers Bar. It give me a sugar rush, and, I do what I gotta do.
EK: There are a lot of people who try to get into the music business, but, they don?t really know what they are getting into. There is a lot of dedication and commitment. How does one break-in at first? And, how does one get to the level you are at, as manager or A&R, other than being introduced to somebody??
SL: If you?re not goin? to dedicate yourself to this, don?t get into the music industry. There are millions of people with a lot of talent tryin? to get in. Once they get in there, they learn the hard way that It?s a full-time job, just like if you go to work in a bank, or, if you?re a mechanic or lawyer. It?s probably more time consuming.
Like my boy Krayzie Bone says ?If you?re an artist, it?s a job.? You just can?t make a record, sit back, and (think) it?s goin? to sell. You?re in the studio recordin?. Then, you have to go out on promotional tours to promote that album. You go to radio stations, host video shows, do in-store autograph signings. You have to sell yourself, and, your music.
Puffy, and so many other people, started as an intern. Workin? at a record company, you have to start as an intern. Be punctual. Be organized. Be high-spirited, happy, smilin?. Communicate with all the people. Never be jealous of the next person because they got the job there. Never disrespect nobody. Just work hard and keep your mind to that one thing you?re responsible for doin? as an intern. The next thing you know, you?ll have a job. And, you?ll keep movin? up, because, in the music industry there are doors opened every day to succeed.
The people around, who you don?t think are noticin? it, are noticin? what a good job you?re doin?. The next thing you know, they?ll be pullin? you into a meetin? sayin? ?We want you to do retail promotions, radio promotions, and street promotions. We want you to do videos, take the artists around. We want you to look for artist, be in the studio with artist.? There are many departments in the music industry. You?ve just gotta give it 300%.
EK: You?ve been doing this a lot of years.
SL: Not to quote years, I?m blessed that I was able to run around with Run-DMC, because, they?re a legend. Now, I?m blessed workin? with Bone Thugs~n~Harmony. They?re very creative, intelligent young men. They have a lot to conquer in this music industry. They?re settin? trends. They?re original. They?ve got a big camp. And, they?re about taking? care of their business. At the same time, havin? a good time.
I was blessed to work with Notorious BIG, when we did the Bone & Biggie record, may he rest in peace. I was blessed to work with Eazy-E, may he rest in peace. I was truly blessed to work with Puff Daddy, bein? in collaboration with him. I was blessed to work with Mariah Carey, Fat Joe, and Big Pun. Recently on the Krayzie Bone- Thug Mentality 1999 Album, I served as co-executive Producer and had the opportunity to work with Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, E-40, Gangsta Boo, Naughty by Nature, The Marley Brothers and once again, Mariah Carey, Fat Joe and Big Pun. I could say I ran into, worked with, or, was in the studio with a majority of these artists out there right now.
In the beginning, when I was with Run DMC, we traveled the whole country. I was a little na?ve about the music. I was only hip to east coast music. Once I started travelin? with Bone to every state, I learned so much about the Rap game. Southern music, camps like the Suave House, and, Rap-A-Lot; the west coast with Death Row, Dr. Dre, The Dogg Pound, Eazy-E and the whole Ruthless camp; down to Miami, with the Luke kind of bass music. There?s a big, big country out there. And, what?s bein? played in on part is not bein? played in the other. It woke me up to all types of music, all types of artists, different camps, and, different big executives and CEOs of these record companies.
EK: It was a rarity, ten years ago, that you would hear Rap music. It would be more of a rarity to hear it in a public place; or, that the White culture as a whole listened to or bought it. What do you say to those who think White people can?t make it in Rap? You?re a prime example of somebody who has.
SL: I?ve been listenin? to Rap a long time. I used to go roller-skatin? listening with the Sugarhill Gang. As years went by, I said to myself, ?This is gonna turn into a multi-billion dollar business. It?s gonna be part of every inner city and outer city youth. From suburban kids, from the way they?re dressin?, to athletes, TV, movies, commercial to just takin? over.? When I told that to my mom, she though I was crazy.
I thought Run-DMC was commercial. Now, there are other artists that made it really commercial. Rap is huge. The tours; people performin? it at the Grammy?s, American Music Awards, Soul Train Awards, MTV Awards, Super Bowls, Pro Bowls, All-Star games; video?s; commercials; and, all these artists, from Will Smith to LL, to Brandy, havin? their own TV shows.
I hope it sticks around for a long, long time. It?s a way to help a lot of people make the best of a bad situation and get out of it, just like sports. It gives people opportunity to have a better life, instead of negative life. A lot of people wind-up takin? the bad route out, and, bad things happen. What?s good is that a lot of these rappers I know or work with, when they make it, they take fifty people out with them. Givin? them jobs puts other people eatin? and livin? good. They take care of their families. Life just keeps goin? on.
As far as any color, religion, or, race in Rap?music is music. It?s made for everybody to enjoy, just like Rock ?n Roll. Now, you have a lot of these Rap artist getting? into Rock ?n Roll collaborations. Run DMC and Aerosmith; Onyx and BioHazard; Flesh~n~Bone with Green Day, Puffy and Mo? Thugs both have a Rock band on their labels. I see it bein? universal. And, it?s just gonna get bigger and bigger.
Rap music listeners go from Urban Youth to White suburban children, teenagers and even younger all over the world. When we were on tour, I couldn?t believe the children comin? with their parents to see some of these groups. There?s a lot of negative in any type of music. There?s a lot of positive in any type of music. As long as someone?s comin? positive and real, I think it?s a great message for any child to listen to.
EK: You are in a unique situation, being in charge of Bone on the road, as well as dealing with them in several other job capacities. How do you differentiate what you do?
SL: Anybody who knows Steve Lobel, it?s like, ?He does twelve people?s jobs.? I have to move so many people that sometimes I amaze myself! I?m deliverin? Bone and Mo? Thugs for the record company. I?m makin? sure artist are in the studio makin? quality music. Getting? them to a radio or TV station to do interviews for the publicity and radio departments. Getting them to a video show for the video department. I stay at their photo and video shoots to make sure everything is right. When the guys go on tour, I?m the road manager, makin? sure we?re on stage on time, that the sound?s right, that everybody?s on point. I?m responsible to be sure they?re up, on the bus, on the plane. Its all back to organization skills. That?s somethin? I learned from just watchin?, listenin? and analyzin?.
I get the job done, because, I have to do it. The challenge makes me feel good at the end of the day, sayin?, ?Yeah, I?m exhausted, but, everybody?s happy. Everybody?s in their room. We just did everything we had to do today; and, we?ll sell more records. It makes the fans happy.? Bottom line is, I make it happen.
EK: There are a lot of phony people in the music business, from the bottom up. I have beared witness to the unshakable trust between you and Bone. You obviously possess this trust quality that comes from something deep, which you can?t teach. How would you classify that?
SL: Honestly, it?s just the person. You have to have it in you. This world is full of good and bad. My parents taught me ?When you?re right, you?re right. When you?re wrong, you?re wrong.? Maybe it?s the way I was brought up.
You have to crawl before you can walk. The guys had to be around me a long time to gain trust in me, especially with so much money on the line, and, responsibility involved goin? on the road. Now, they trust me with their lives, so to speak. I trust them with mine, so to speak
EK: When people get into this business purely for the monetary standpoint, they are going to find it won?t motivate them. Like you said, it?s the connection, the interaction, having that feeling of accomplishment. Talk a little about that.
SL: It?s not about the money, because, it could be gone tomorrow. Easy up. Easy down! In reality, it can?t buy happiness. If you?re not in love with what you?re doin?, don?t do it and be miserable, because, you won?t do a great job. I?m in the music industry because I Love what I do. At times, I might be a stress case, I might not have a social life; but, the bottom line is, I?m happy.
EK: How does an intern harness the political advantage, if he or she is trying to get to the top?
SL: It?s not easy, because jealousy is everywhere in any job. Everybody thinks you?re getting ready to take their position. Never be jealous of the next woman or man. People do not like someone who tries to put down the person at the top, or, one on his or her way to the top. That will get you fired. You might say, ?I could be doin? things. I?m better than whomever.? But reality, you?re not. You can idolize somebody, if you have to. But, say to yourself, ?They worked hard. They deserve it. And, I?ma gonna work extra hard, because, I want to be like that person.? You got to earn your stripes. Work really hard. Be focused. Concentrate on one thing at a time. And, go full steam ahead.
I would say to anybody reading this book, ? All that glitters ain?t gold.? The cars, jewelry, clothes and champagne didn?t come overnight. The people you see on top of this music industry all got years and years under their belt. When a lot of these rappers come out, they?ve been trying? for five or six years to get a record deal. When the right break comes they move in. They learn every day. They give it 300%. And, they make it. So, ?overnight? success is a word. Everybody puts in their dues. Bottom line is, you have to crawl before you walk. You have to work for anything in life to get where you want to get.
This interveiw was from the Book INSIDE THE MUSIC BUSINESS: THE POWER PLAYER Conversations with Eric Kline. visit www.insidethemusicbusiness.com
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