Interview: Clive Davis – Music Industry Visionary

Date of Interview: 05/18/2011

Over the past four decades, Clive Davis has established and maintained universal recognition as the music industry’s leading visionary. In 2003, his abounding passion for music extended itself to academia, with the establishment of the Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music at New York University. As a division of the Tisch School of the Arts, the department aids the university with the “development” of aspiring music entrepreneurs in a manner that matches Clive Davis’ professional leadership of the successful artists that have been under his care.

In honor of Clive Davis’ influence and accomplishments, both within and outside the music profession, New York University honored the music mogul with a Doctor of Fine Arts degree on May 18, 2011, during its 179th Commencement Exercise. Shortly thereafter, Clive Davis managed to squeeze some time out of his busy schedule and settle down for an interview with Clayton Perry – reflecting on “the art” of artist development, the founding of J Records, and the cultural impact of LaFace and Bad Boy Records.

Beyoncé, Beats and Blackface: Who’s Really Running Her World?

On Thursday, April 21, 2011, Columbia Records officially released the lead single to Beyoncé’s fourth studio album. Although dubbed as an ode to female empowerment, “Run the World (Girls)” is revealed to be a farce underneath the surface.

Interview: Warryn Campbell – Producer Extraordinaire

Date of Interview: 05/06/2011

When all things are considered, great music is quite simply great music. As a result, Warryn Campbell’s production talents have defied musical categorization – fluttering effervescently between the lines of hip-hop, Gospel and R&B. The diversity of his discography speaks for itself: Alicia Keys, Luther Vandross, Jennifer Hudson, R. Kelly, Yolanda Adams.

Warryn Campbell is also the founder of My Block Records, whose roster includes artist such as Mary Mary and Kelly Price. With the recent release of these artists’ respective albums, Something Big and Kelly, Warryn Campbell managed to squeeze some time out of his busy schedule and settle down for an interview with Clayton Perry – reflecting on his internship at Death Row Records, the founding of My Block Records, and his production contribution to Our Stories Films’ Jumping the Broom.

Interview: Don McGlynn – Acclaimed Music Documentary Filmmaker

Date of Interview: 05/05/2011

Don McGlynn is the director of Rejoice and Shout, a landmark documentary that explores the depth and breadth of America’s revered Gospel music history. With no historical precedent, McGlynn braved the arduous challenge of compiling multiple rich – and layered – narratives into a coherent two-hour product that spotlights beloved performance groups with as much care as its presentation of Baptist and Pentecostal traditions. The filmmaker’s passion was matched, of course, by a team of meticulous specialists that aurally and visually restored hours of archival footage from the personal collection of executive producer Joe Lauro.

In the midst of promotional media showings of Rejoice and Shout, Don McGlynn managed to squeeze some time out of his busy schedule and settle down for an interview with Clayton Perry – reflecting on the documentary’s research process, its impact on his spiritual relationship with God, and common misconceptions regarding the Gospel genre.

Interview: Trina – “Diamond Princess”

Date of Interview: 05/04/2011

With a music catalog filled with gold and platinum records, one must wonder about the shock surrounding XXL Magazine’s 2010 dubbing of Trina as “The Most Consistent Female Rapper of All-Time.” Upon close inspection, however, the rationale becomes clear: since 2001, she has garnered seven “Best Female Hip-Hop Artist” nominations at the BET Awards, the highest total overall, and she was the only female rapper to release five studio albums during this time. Consequently, Trina has proven – time and time again – that XXL’s accolade is no misnomer. Based upon these immutable facts, she is still “The Baddest B***h.”

In the midst of preparations for her sixth studio album, Trina managed to squeeze some time out of her busy schedule and settle down for an interview with Clayton Perry – reflecting on the rise of Southern rap, her infatuation with diamonds, and the challenges facing female artists.