Set your reminders and tune in! See ya Saturday :)
Indie Review Radio – Hosted by Raychelle & C.Truth
12 pm to 1:30 pm
Call-in Number: (646) 478-5123
Tweet: @IndieRevue
Conrad Dimanche
Conrad Dimanche has had success as one of the giants in the record industry. As the Senior Director of A & R for Bad Boy Records, Dimanche has helped launch three number one albums - Danity Kane, Sean "Puffy" Combs Press Play, and Yung Joc New Joc City. He managed all three of these albums from conception to completion, tirelessly micro-managing every beat of every track. His illustrious cutting-edge career also includes managing the Grammy winning Producer Nashiem Myrick. A modern-day hit maker, Dimanche has produced dozens of albums, including The Notorious B.I.G.'s smash hit Born Again, Carl Thomas, P. Diddy, 8 Ball, MJG, Loon, B5, Bad Boys 2 Soundtrack and Black Rob, to name only a few. The combination of his unparalleled talent for hearing a hit, tireless work ethic, ability to sign new talent and business skills separates him from most of his contemporaries. At times, the amount of his involvement in any given project can become overwhelming. Standing 6'1 Dimanche sports a large tattoo on his right forearm. Interestingly, it is Psalm 23 from the Bible. The quote, in part, reads I will fear no evil. God walks with me. Dimanche's journey began in Queens, New York. As a young boy of Haitian immigrants, his parents told him that he could become anything. His father, George Dimanche, who taught French and Spanish at a Brooklyn High School was his inspiration. His mother, Dina, owned a local beauty salon and the young Dimanche watched as she turned her business into the most popular salon in the area. He witnessed both of his parent's intense work ethic and learned that there were no free rides and by working hard he could achieve his dreams.
As a young man, Dimanche would follow in his mother's footsteps, teaching himself how to cut hair. He opened a barber shop but his love for music never wavered. He was bursting with musical talent -- rhymes, licks, raps, rifts -- filling his mind with no mainstream outlet. Frustrated, he would invite DJ's to spin records at a club next to his barber shop. He was more interested in the music at the parties then the parties themselves. His love for music only intensified to the point where he could no longer ignore his passion. At first, he managed a few artists while still running the barber shop. Dimanche would soon put down his cutting shears.
Dimanche had his eye on two modern-day pioneers: Sean "Puffy" Combs and Russell Simmons. He admired their musicianship but he saw more: their ability to be creative and to be business people. He identified with their stories and risk-taking sensibility and wanted to emulate their success. It would not be easy to make the leap from barber shop owner to record mogul.
It was Bad Boy Records executive Harve Pierre who gave the ambitious Dimanche his first break when he landed an internship at Sean "Puffy" Combs young label. He worked without pay for about a year before making a-entry-level salary. He tapped into his family's ideology about work. He did not skip one step of the process in learning the music business often to the detriment of his personal life. "I would have one dollar hot dogs from the corner vendor and the free hot chocolate in the studio was also a meal for me," Dimanche says. He paid his dues -- in full – working numerous jobs in the music industry before being named as Senior A& R Director for Bad Boy Records. Pierre would become Dimanche's mentor and supporter.
In spite of his success as record executive, Conrad Dimanche says he thinks of himself first as an entrepreneur. In addition to Bad Boy Entertainment, Dimanche owns a production and consulting company called "Big Bang Music Incorporated." He is now a role model being discovered and emulated by young people across the country. He knows that the secrets of making it in the music business are hard work, persistence, dedication and, of course, his undisputed talent.
No comments:
Post a Comment