Michael Rapino Quotes

I used to work at a label. I used to be a publicist. I used to be at a management company.

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!

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.

Drake was a fan before a friend. He already was a Cash Money millionaire. When opportunity came, maybe we put the most on the table. That was my thinking because I just thought that this was a very talented young man. We saw a future with him, so it was about him being comfortable.

I remember telling the head of Warner Brothers that if they'd just make a video for 'Ol' Red'... and if it didn't work, they could drop me from the label.

Any artist manages his own business along with his manager. Every band should.

If the label presents them with a contract that the band don't want to sign, all the label has to do is wait. There are a hundred other bands willing to sign the exact same contract, so the label is in a position of strength.

I came close to signing Elvis Presley. I offered $25,000 for his contract and they asked for $45,000 and I just didn't have the other $20,000.

Metro was really a star-builder, no doubt about that. You were wrapped in cotton wool.

I wanted to produce Nancy LaMott's albums, so I created my own record company.

I was honored I was signed to Sony. But later I felt like they weren't the right team.

While working for Diplomat Records, I helped several artists with their online branding and social media. Once I left the label, I worked directly with artists and noticed many artists were overlooked and underrated if they weren't in 'XXL' or 'The Source.'

When I met the people at Warner, they were very excited about my style and making me into this big theatrical artist.

I actually re-signed with Warner Bros. on my own. They've been really good to us and all the people over there are great; they love me and I love them. So I'm just sticking with them.

Just because I run an indie label doesn't mean I don't think Jay-Z is nice.

I've probably represented almost every major artist in the world, either directly or peripherally, at one time or another.

As an artist development platform, we've proven that all the work done behind the scenes at American Idol, along with surviving the rigors of the intense live shows, can properly prepare a winner for a real-world music career opportunity.

I have my own label and I'm my first artist.

I realized how important it was to have a good team - manager, attorney and label. It's not just about putting out a record and somebody signing you.

I don't have a manager who's secretly on Interscope. I'm the complete opposite of an industry plant.

We've been lucky. Even as a young, local-level band, we were able to rise out of the local scene without having any debt, without having signed the wrong deal with the wrong manager or the wrong booker or a small label.

I want to have a publishing company and a record label, and I want to manage five artists... eventually.

I am really excited and thankful for opportunity to work with Cotto Promotions, Tidal and Roc Nation.

It's not an uncommon event for artists and labels to part ways - Patty Loveless, Vince Gill both did - and it often happens for the better.

Dave Matthews, Tim McGraw, U2, The Rolling Stones - there are a lot of artists selling out stadiums around the world that we work with regularly. And end up making most of our money with those artists.