Jann Klose Quotes

I was signed by L.A. Reid on Arista Records when I was 16. He understood me and believed in me. Arista folded and I got put on RCA or whatever, then there were new people there, and every six months it changes and more new people come in.

I once worked at a record label called London Records. The company was owned by Roger Ames, one of the most successful figures in the British music industry. Roger always placed a value on loafing, on holidays, on not being in the office all the time.

When I was 13, I was saying that I wanted to be signed to a label. I was begging my dad to get me signed with somebody.

I think, actually, I was the first person to ever sign a simultaneous video and recording deal with a record company.

I was signed to A&M, I was signed to Lou Adler, who had a company within a company, which was A&M Records, and everything - James Taylor, Rita Coolidge, Carole King - I worked on all of that stuff.

If you have good songs and a real desire to make music, the next thing to do, instead of approach record companies, is to get yourself a really good manager because then it allows you to focus on your profession of being a musician. Then they can focus on the darker art of the record label and the music industry.

Someone told me there was a publisher that could find a good home for my songs, but I didn't want to give up my pursuit of a career in the business as an artist.

My first record deal was an independent record deal back in 1995 or early 1996.

I was initially signed to a German label a few years ago.

My passion is music, you know, and music influences culture, influences lifestyle, which leads me to 'Roc-A-Wear'. I was forced to be an entrepreneur, so that led me to be CEO of 'Roc-A-Fella' records, which lead to Def Jam.

I had a good record company right from the beginning, and I'm still with them after all these years. I think I may be the only person in the world that's had a tenure this long with any record company.

Roc was only supposed to be our distributor, but then they ended up recruiting me as the label's artist. They said they really liked my album 'Everything You Wanted.'

I had every major label in the world - I mean, any label that dealt with rap music wanted to sign me. I ended up going with Jive Records because I liked everything about 'em.

I'm not desperate to sign, like, a record deal. I'm very hungry, but I'm just not desperate for it.

I just wanted to have my own dynasty. I wanted my own Cash Money or Roc-A-Fella. Outside of that, I also wanted my own media company.

The Roots - we signed our first record deal when I was about 19 years old.

It was actually really hard to get a record deal after 'American Idol.'

There were so many different labels coming to me and they just didn't seem right, but 300... they wanted me bad. It felt like a family.

I'm so glad I didn't go into the big-music industry until I was 19 or 20.

I met Rick Rubin through Cat Collins, a DJ friend of mine that had worked for Rubin at American Recordings.

I bring in the record label who distributes the music.

I'm the only artist who got paid by Puff, like really, really, paid.

I had to put me foot down with the first record company. It was about 1975, when singers were being given names like Gary Glitter and Alvin Stardust, so they wanted to call me Benny Santini just because me dad's an Irish-Italian with an ice-cream business!

I am probably the oldest new artist Sony has ever signed.

I have inherited two of the most important brands in hip-hop, Def Jam and Roc-A-Fella. Reid and Universal Music Group have given me the opportunity to manage the companies I have contributed to my whole career. I feel this is a giant step for me and the entire artist community.