Steve Rifkind Shares The First Time He Heard Wu-Tang Clan’s ‘Protect Ya Neck’ March 15, 2021 Steve Rifkind Reminisces About His Time With Akon March 14, 2021 The Spice King, Keith Lorren Discusses Coming 2 America Spice Collection March 12, 2021 Rifkind claims he once caught a woman running an escort service out of the joint. Steve Rifkind is an American music entrepreneur. You bugging, yo.’”. Then something doesn’t happen and you get pressure. On one occasion, Raekwon reportedly popped up and ordered strippers to the office. “Any rap record from 1989 to 1999, besides [ones on] Death Row, we did promotions for it,” says Rifkind. He is associated with artists such as Wu Tang Clan, Mobb Deep, Akon, David Banner, Asher Roth, Joell Ortiz and Big Pun. Loud was a family affair. Fans sporting black T-shirts adorned with faded gold lamé Wu logos packed the house to watch men in their mid to late 40s perform classics from the ’90s. The first acts Rifkind signed to Loud were Twista and Tha Alkaholiks, but for him it always comes back to Wu-Tang. “Steve told us to use the departments to our advantage,” says Prodigy, one half of Mobb Deep, which released classics like The Infamous and Hell on Earth through Loud. Rifkind offered Big Pun a deal without ever hearing any of his music because he was impressed that Matteo “Matty C” Capoluongo—an A&R who didn’t bother to pick up a six-figure royalty check for weeks—unexpectedly showed up at the 10 a.m. meeting just to meet Pun. Steve Rifkind's house. You had to have the balls to physically stand up to each other. ... Ep32 Steve Rifkind. “I was like, ‘What the fuck happened to your hand?’ Steve was like, ‘I went to this car lot to buy a car, I asked the dude, ‘How much is the car?’ and he tried to brush me off like I couldn't afford it. ,” and plastering stickers and posters for upcoming albums anywhere rap fans might gather. Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens. One day a man showed up with an empty stroller and, when everyone was off in meetings, used it to steal the office computers. Steve Rifkind's house (Google Maps). Roberts went on to be a prominent music attorney. Please enter the Anti-Spam code Reload. Rifkind left SRC in 2012 because of label politics, but in July 2013 he found a new venture, teaming up with Russell Simmons and film director/producer Brian Robbins for All Def Digital and its offshoot, All Def Music. Ep34 Judge Mitchell. After finding success in both the ’90s and 2000s, treating his companies like family, Rifkind was ultimately undermined by corporate interests. (He once threw a chair at RCA’s chief lawyer, Carol Fenelon, because the company wouldn’t put up the money for Loud to sign Raekwon as a solo artist and release Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.... Security escorted him out.) The property then passed to legendary hip-hop music producer Steve Rifkind, who in turn sold it to Tom O’Gara of O’Gara Coach – the juggernaut that is L.A.’s preeminent dealer of exotic automobile brands: Bentley, Rolls Royce, Lamborghini and the like. With all that stress, he squabbled frequently with his brother Jonathan and partner Isaacson. Mobb Deep made hardcore hip-hop, and we was going to do our numbers, but it’s not so much about first-week sales and ‘Did you go platinum?’ We felt like goldfish in an ocean with sharks and whales. COMPLEX participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means COMPLEX gets paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites. You have three beautiful kids, you’re married, and you got your health. Get premium, high resolution news photos at … With the likes of Wu-Tang Clan, Big Pun, Mobb Deep, Twista, Three 6 … You can’t go for a fourth single when the second single wasn’t successful.’ We didn’t want to hear that. “Hev goes, ‘Get your ass out of bed. Justin later tweeted that he was 'Loving Nyc' to his more than 60 million followers on Twitter. Steve Rifkin, the Chairman and CEO of SRC, took to his Twitter early this morning to make an unexpected announcement. “He had been in the hospital for five days, and said, ‘I worked so hard my whole life, I haven’t taken care of myself enough. The grit and grind of the early days had turned into overblown excess. Imagine a bank lending you money to buy a house and then when you’ve repaid that mortgage, them telling you they still own it. Rifkind”—a formality he knows his former boss hates. Deep because we didn’t sell enough records. You may wish to switch to the. He was miserable and refused to get out of bed, feeling he’d let his Loud family down by succumbing to corporate politics. The writing was on the wall.”, All of the changes and stress only exacerbated Rifkind’s famous temper. The new venture kicks off today — Monday, Sept. 28.. Rifkind had offered Braun a job running his new SRC label mere hours after meeting him in 2008, but Braun was more interested in getting a deal for his artist Asher Roth. A master of rap promotion, Rifkind’s name is also synonymous with “street teams,” the crews that spread the word about the majority of rap releases in the ’90s. Moishe Mana's House. Born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, he graduated from the ‘Benedictine College Preparatory School.’ It was like we’re watching a verbal boxing match, fighting for what we believed in. Rifkind’s experience managing New Edition had taught him that the group would always be bigger than the solo artist. After selling Loud to Sony in June 1999 and leaving the company in 2002, he started SRC Records, which broke artists like David Banner, Melanie Fiona, Asher Roth, and, most notably, Akon. References Along the way, Rifkind discovered “street promotion,” which bypassed all three forms and focused on things like word of mouth, getting music in the hands of urban “tastemakers,” and plastering stickers and posters for upcoming albums anywhere rap fans might gather. Policies. “We had our hand in everything.”, “We built Loud Records through SRC, Steve’s original idea of street marketing,” explains Isaacson. This is the best day of your life. Rifkind considers himself more of a promotions man than an A&R guy, but part of what made Loud so successful early on was his instinct with artists. So we knew right away it was time to go because Steve had nothing to do with it anymore. “When you start a business and it grows, then you have a responsibility to all those other people and the artists. He ultimately left the company in 2002. Are you scared?’ I’m looking at him like, ‘Why would I be scared? Rifkind has also launched marketing campaigns for companies like T-Mobile, Adidas, SanDisk, Nike, Pepsi, Levi Jeans, and Starter. He flatlined three times and each time was shocked back to life. He founded Loud in 1992 with his childhood friend Rich, lucrative street promotions teams open for business. father showed up at his house with Heavy D, a close friend with whom, regularly consulted on ideas and artist signings (he was the first person. Advertisement. 1 hit with “Lean Back.” But all of them pale in comparison to his most successful act ever, Akon, whom Rifkind discovered after a friend played him a song called “Trouble” while he was in L.A. Rifkind was supposed to fly to New York that night. Once again, he did good by his people. Ep33 Esera Tuaolo. But only a fool bets against Rifkind, who’s turned small investments into multi-million dollar companies twice before. After we’d argue we’d all be out having a drink together, laughing our asses off.”. Allen Simon's House. It ended in respect for one another. We got in each other’s face, I ended up swinging on him.’ He beat some dude up in the car lot and the dude bit his hand or some shit. That old friend was Steve Rifkind, the man who signed Wu-Tang to his company Loud Records in 1992 and someone who can offhandedly recall the time Ghost traveled to Africa in search of a cure for diabetes only to end up catching malaria. “Take a Xanax, take a shower, go to sleep,” she told him. Our editorial content is not influenced by any commissions we receive. “When he sold the company to Sony, Steve didn’t make the decisions anymore,” says Prodigy, who released Mobb Deep’s last album on Loud, Infamy, in 2001. It didn’t matter either way to Rifkind: The other labels would still pay SRC to market solo Wu records. Rifkind’s father showed up at his house with Heavy D, a close friend with whom Rifkind regularly consulted on ideas and artist signings (he was the first person Rifkind played Akon for). According to XXL magazine, he is "responsible for breaking in some of hip-hop’s biggest artists in his 25 years in the business". McCoy arrives at "Over Her Dead Body" Los Angeles premiere at the ArcLight Hollywood Theatre on January 29, 2008 in Hollywood, California. Discover what's missing in your discography and shop for Steven Rifkind Company releases. His dad helped arrange James Brown’s first major label deal and scored Elvis Presley and Barbra Streisand their first shows in Las Vegas. You can’t even buy someone a hot dog on the corner these days.”, “As you grow you have to start making numbers to justify everybody’s salaries, the offices, and the overhead,” explains Isaacson. “One time I came to the office and Steve had a bandage on his hand,” remembers Prodigy. The wild times went far beyond arguments between staffers. © Complex Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. He also began suffering panic attacks. Nearby: Mark Edoff's House. Deep made hardcore hip-hop, and we was going to do our numbers, but it’s not so much about first-week sales and ‘Did you go platinum?’ We felt like goldfish in an ocean with sharks and whales. played Akon for). This guy is looking great!” referring to Rifkind’s recent loss of 50 pounds following a health scare. You need to change your sleep habits and take care of yourself because I don’t want this to happen to you.’ He was in a hospital bed while I’m on vacation and he was more worried about me than he was about himself.”. Randy was the drummer and a founding member of the Buchanan Brothers, who briefly toured with The Beach Boys. “I’d go to the club and be like, ‘Lemme get four bottles of Moet!’” says Acevedo, who currently manages French Montana. Nobody does that now; it’s a different industry. Jason Bibi's House. Ep35 Justin Michael Williams . Steve Rifkind: “RZA would come every night at 6 o’clock with a yellow legal pad with 27 lines, with 27 things to do. The heavyset rapper playfully punched him in the face. Rifkind left messages on RZA’s answering machine for weeks trying to get in touch with them. Later that day, two Samoans came running up to him while he was in the middle of a heated tennis match to tell him that he had an emergency on the mainland. “When he sold the company to Sony, Steve didn’t make the decisions anymore,” says Prodigy, who released, , in 2001. By the time he got to the hospital, he’d had a heart attack. The label, founded by Steve Rifkind and Rich Isaacson in 1991, introduced the world to some of the most iconic rap acts. Since ADD launched in July 2013, the company hasn’t broken any stars that seem poised to become the next Wu-Tang or Akon. No one would go four singles deep on Sadat X.”, Artists took notice. Ep9 Reema Zaman. Melonie Diaz, Judy Marte and Julissa Bermudez attend Steve Rifkind SRC Late Night After Party at House of Hype on September 7, 2008 in Los Angeles, CA. “It wasn’t, ‘That’s not professional. His teary-eyed wife called reinforcements. But he sensed something was wrong. Isaacson was on the line and told him that Pun was in a coma. Steve Rifkind is a music entrepreneur who is, according to XXL magazine, "responsible for breaking in some of hip-hop’s biggest artists in his 25 years in the business". “Steve is not the kind of guy who is going to sit in an A&R administration meeting and talk about whether we’re over budget on samples on the Beatnuts record,” says Isaacson, whom Rifkind tasked with those kinds of duties. His father, Jules Rifkind, and uncle Roy Rifkind ran R&B label Spring Records in the ’70s when it was home to artists like Millie Jackson and the FatBack Band. RZA thanked Loud Records founder, Steve Rifkind, and noted Wu was the first act from the label to go platinum. Still a teenager in 1979, he helped promote the FatBack Band’s “King Tim III (Personality Jock)”—one of the first hip-hop records ever, predating “Rapper’s Delight.” Rifkind eventually became the vice president of promotion at Spring. You got a million-dollar company and you fighting in the car lot? You built one of the biggest and best record companies in the world. Someone in Wu’s entourage exclaimed, “You looking like ’97! Don’t have an argument.’ Everybody would stand around. The Radio City house eventually cut the Wu’s microphones off just past midnight, bringing a raucous show to an end. When Rifkind traveled to Hawaii in February 2000, all these troubles weighed heavy on his mind. The whole world loves you.’ That’s what motivated me to start SRC.”. Distributed by RCA and later by Columbia. Thanks to his upbringing, he understood both hip-hop and the music industry. Steve Rifkind is a music entrepreneur who is, according to XXL magazine, "responsible for breaking in some of hip-hop’s biggest artists in his 25 years in the business". “All of a sudden you look down and go, ‘Holy shit! Steve Rifkind is an American music entrepreneur with an estimated net worth of $200 million. Comment. Ep1 Laura House. The size of the roster and staff wasn’t the only issue. Backstage, Raekwon helped usher Rifkind through security. The ambulance was there when he stepped out of the shower and felt a strain in his left arm. Music honcho Steve Rifkind is in debt two years after his divorce from interior designer and former model Nicole Lamy. He was miserable and refused to get out of bed, feeling he’d let his Loud family down by succumbing to corporate politics. His teary-eyed wife called reinforcements. On his 31st birthday, he got the best birthday present ever when RZA showed up to his office. Before hopping on a plane to the mainland, Rifkind wrote a check to Pun’s family and tore up his letter to Mottola. I also don't like when young millennials call me "sir" Check this thread for all of the upcoming Wu-Tang concerts. Last September, at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., the slumbering Wu-Tang Clan rose once again. He was like, ‘This should be the happiest day of your life. But once again, corporate politics got the best of Rifkind. Rifkind began growing a national network of street teams but eventually realized he was better off starting his own label rather than solely promoting acts for others. Then one day he was like, ‘Why are you saying yes to all of them? Adjustment to corporate culture—which included his staff ballooning from a familial 30 to 200, and one employee in particular suddenly addressing him as “Mr. (Left to right: Steve Rifkind, Russell Simmons, Andre Harrell, Rev. (They separated in 2007 but remain cordial.) Instead he flew to Atlanta and signed Akon the next day. Julie Rifkind is the father of Steve Rifkind, founder of Loud Records. LisaRaye McCoy and Akon attend Steve Rifkind SRC Late Night After Party at House of Hype on September 7, 2008 in Los Angeles, CA. (Getty Images) Steve Rifkind’s hip-hop label Loud Records’ 25th Anniversary at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall came in fourth on our 5,001-10,000 Capacity chart this week, grossing $450,751 at the iconic Big Apple venue. But if we’re going to have 30 artists then you have to manage this. & DJ EFN are the Drink Champs. Microsoft has removed the Birds Eye imagery for this map. began growing a national network of street teams but eventually realized he was better off starting his own label rather than solely promoting acts for others. So we knew right away it was time to go because Steve had nothing to do with it anymore. By the early ’90s, the Steve Rifkind Company was billing hundreds of thousands of dollars doing retail, radio, and video promotions for indies like Delicious as well as major labels like RCA. “It was some people at Sony who probably didn’t give a fuck about. That whole corporate card thing ain’t what it used to be. Bobby Hundreds and ThankYouX on the Future of Cryptomedia, Daniel Kaluuya on Chadwick Boseman Story, His Unimpressed Mom & Judas & the Black Messiah | 360 With Speedy Morman, Jake Paul Rips Floyd Mayweather for Taking Shots at Him, Best Hip-Hop Producer Alive: Hit-Boy on Working with Nas, Big Sean, & Benny | 360 With Speedy Morman, Company was billing hundreds of thousands of dollars doing retail, radio, and video promotions for. Steve Rifkind is the founder and chairman of Loud Records and was one of the hosts of the charity event. Melanie Fiona spent nine weeks at No. Rifkind”—overwhelmed him. 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