Features

Ozone: Chaka Zulu

Chaka Zulu
How did you originally get into the music industry?
I was born into it. I have a lot of family that are musicians or in the music industry. I guess you could say I was a roadie, carrying bags, being on the scene, being a runner. When I started taking it seriously and putting my focus into it, my first official job was on an internship level at Jive.

What artists did you go on the road with?

Brand Nubian, Heavy D, X-Clan, Pac, a lot of different artists. Anybody I was cool with who needed somebody just to be on the team and be focused and help promote. I just started doing street team and regional college radio promotions, and that’s how I got a job at Hot 97.5 in Atlanta back in the day. I was a programmer during the day and a personality at night.

Why did you get out of radio?

I got fired. I truly don’t know why, to this day. The technical reason that was given to me was that I didn’t do my job sufficiently, but I know that I did. I guess it was just politics, or for whatever reason. I love radio, to this day. I love it behind the scenes and on the air.

Do you think you’ll ever go back into radio?

I haven’t really left, because I’m constantly in contact with programmers and DJs. I talk to DJs, I tell ‘em how to do their breaks better. I come up with radio promotions to help promote my artists. I would love to get back into radio.

Ludacris was a personality on the same radio station, right? Is that how you met him?

Yeah, he used to come to my office and drop off music and ask questions about the industry just to get feedback. At some point, we just created a relationship and a mutual respect. When he asked me to be his manager, at the time I really didn’t want to do it. A lot of artists had asked me to manage them because I was the music director, so they figured I could get their record play. Something about him and the way he approached me just made me say yes. From there, it’s been history.

When you first heard Ludacris rap, what appealed to you?

The thing that stuck out was that he sounded different than everybody else that was coming out of the South at that time, and he could definitely rap his ass off.

Have you watched him grow musically since that time?

I’ve seen so much growth it’s ridiculous. It’s not even the same artist, in the sense of progression. He’s a perfectionist. He always wants to progress and he doesn’t want to be repetitive, he’s always looking for diversity.

A lot of people speak highly of you as a manager. What do you think separates you from everyone else?

I don’t know. I guess it’s just a matter of perspective. Maybe my approach and how I deal with business sets me apart. Everybody’s job is to market and promote their product. The product, in this case, is the artist. A lot of people can do that well, and from that point on, it’s all about relationships. I like interacting with people because it allows me to transfer and bounce things off them and vice versa, and that creates great relationships. Relationships are what life and this game is built upon.

Is it difficult to be partners with a family member?

Yes, I have seven brothers and seven sisters so I only work with a certani few of them. Me and my brother [Jeff Dixon] are partners, and we’re are almost direct opposites and we argue all the time, but we argue to make each other better and to give each other different perspectives. We watch each other’s backs, and it’s a beautiful thing to work with family when they’re focused. My brother is focused, he walked me into the game and through the game. When I started what I was doing it was separate, then I went to him and asked him to help me because he taught me all the groundwork.

Chingy recently left DTP. How would you analyze or explain that situation?

I can analyze it a bunch of different ways, but the only way I can explain it is that dude just felt he wanted to do his own thing separate from DTP. The stuff that he’s saying about me personally is fabricated. Everyone’s gonna ask, "Why would you leave DTP when you just sold three million records?" It’s an army, a team. He’s gotta make stuff up so that it will make sense. There’s people getting in his ear. If there’s an issue, bring it to the source. Bring it to us. He hasn’t talked to me in over eight months. He never talked to me about the situation. In passing I’d always say, "Whenever you’re ready to sit down, let’s talk," and he’d say, "Yeah, we’ll get together," but it never happened.

Do you think he would have sold three mil if he wasn’t with DTP?

It’s possible. There’s plenty of artists that have good records and do nothing and there’s plenty of whack artists that blow up. It’s all about how you’re presented to the world, and how they accept you.

Does it make you hesitant to sign any new artists?

I mean, that’s the business I’m in. The only thing that makes me hesitant is that I’m a very personal person. it just makes me wary because me and his relationship was business and personal, but it was a definitive line. I’ve never crossed it, but to me, he did.

What other projects are you working on?

We just did our full-fledged label deal with DTP through Def Jam for our new artists Bobby V, Sharissa, Norfclk, and a rock band, Lazy Eye. We picked up Field Mob through Geffen, we still have I-20 at Capital, and we have Playa Circle at Universal. We have deals at four different labels. We’re constantly doing films through our production company, we’ve got three movies sold. Ludacris is involved in some of those, and I-20 is also making his acting debut. We’re trying to find the next crop of up-and-coming black Hollywood stars. We’re trying to create history, create superstars who are very culturally relevant. We want to continue to grow as a company and surpass what my mentors have brought into the game so that the people who come behind me can surpass what I’ve done.

What is the key to success?

Being open-minded and willing to learn something new every day.

How do you feel about the new management at Def Jam?

You have opportunities to do business with people up-close and personal, and from afar. Me and L.A. Reid have a relationship that spans way back and he’s a good guy. I wish him the best in what he’s doing at Def Jam, and right now he’s my business partner, so we’re approaching the game together.

Anything else you’d like to say?

Love the magazine. For real, I do. It’s fresh, it has its own format. You move around a lot and get good pictures so it’s kinda like seeing the world from your perspective. You’re everywhere!

Message Chaka Zulu and Julia Beverly and tell them what you think. Or contact Julia at jb@ozonemag.com

Julia Beverly

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