MBW’s Key Songs In The Life Of… is a collection wherein we ask influential music business figures concerning the tracks which have – up to now – outlined their journey and their existence. This time, we hand our turntable over to Max Lousada, World CEO of Recorded Music at Warner Music Group. The Key Songs In The Life Of… collection is supported by Sony Music Publishing.
Max Lousada’s gambles are paying off.
Warner Music Group’s World CEO of Recorded Music has laid down some ballsy bets over the previous half-decade – not least his ongoing religion within the management of Los Angeles-based Warner Data, and his deep private involvement in a megabucks partnership deal with 10K Initiatives and Elliot Grainge.
Properly… Warner Data is at present pink scorching, with a run of credible artists storming to the highest of charts all over the world – Zach Bryan, Benson Boone, Teddy Swims, and, in fact, the return of Dua Lipa.
In the meantime, 10K Initiatives, following on from its culture-moving success with Ice Spice, is marshaling one other international viral hit artist, this time in tandem with WMG/ADA: Artemas’ I Like The Manner You Kiss Me has raced to half a billion Spotify streams. Business prognosticators are whispering the phrases “breakthrough star”.
And following Warner’s $400 million acquisition of 300 Leisure in 2021 (a deal wherein Lousada performed an instrumental function), the Kevin Liles-led label this week landed straight in at No.2 on the Billboard 200 with Gunna’s One Of Wun.
Talking with MBW, Lousada bats away plaudits for his function in these accomplishments. And as nicely he would possibly; formally talking, he’s not right here to speak about music enterprise issues.
That is purely an interview about how music – keep in mind, that previous factor? – has soundtracked and enhanced Lousada’s 50 years on this planet.
These of you who’ve learn our Key Songs… options earlier than will know the drill: Lousada should decide seven(ish) tracks which have outlined varied stopovers in his life thus far, and clarify why they imply a lot to him.
In Lousada’s case, mentioned songs soundtrack every part from his childhood in London to the cultural melting pot of mid-’90s Brighton, his first entrepreneurial success in music — launching the distribution firm In A Silent Manner — to his escapades in NYC as a part of Rawkus Data.
Actually, Lousada’s playlist brings us all the best way as much as in the present day, the place he stands as one of the influential figures within the trendy international music enterprise.
Contemporary off the aircraft from Jazz Fest in New Orleans, Lousada guides MBW on a private and musical odyssey all through his life, beginning – at 10 years previous – within the “smoky pubs” of South London…
1) Miles Davis, In A Silent Manner (1969)
My dad was a giant jazz fanatic. I grew up in Tooting Bec, South London, and our common Sunday can be going to the again of a pub – they don’t actually do that a lot anymore – and listening to jazz bands, surrounded by all these nice conflict tales of what occurred at Ronnie Scotts and so forth.
It’s fascinating while you do an train like this [Key Songs] and understand how influential these early years of your musical tapestry have been. At this level, I might have been between the ages of 9 and 13, listening to those bands in smoky pubs with a number of pints all over the place and folks smoking Gauloises. I’d get a packet of crisps, and I’d both be listening or out taking part in within the pub backyard.
My dad’s report assortment gave me a reference to him; Donald Byrd, Blood Sweat & Tears, Miles, Thelonious Monk. He’d been a social employee in his early 20s in New York for gangs in NYC, so he’d seen extra of the world than most individuals. He was from a really creative household; my grandmother and different family members have been all in movie and theater, stage designers and different roles. That creativity and appreciation of tradition influenced my dad’s household and, subsequently, influenced him.
“I might have been between the ages of 9 and 13, listening to those bands in smoky pubs with a number of pints all over the place and folks smoking Gauloises.”
In A Silent Manner, each the album and the music, caught with me as a result of it was Miles at his greatest – fairly controversial, difficult the conventions of jazz and rock. Mavericks resonate with me, individuals who push boundaries, and due to information like In A Silent Manner that began at a really early age.
This report was so important that my first firm was referred to as In A Silent Manner [a UK-based distribution company that Lousada co-founded in 1994, which imported records from the likes of DJ Shadow and Delicious Vinyl].
I nonetheless flip to Miles Davis after I wish to be challenged musically, with creative bravery. Once you take a look at what he did with hip-hop, with experimental rock, with dance… he was so forward of his time. Individuals usually see him as a boxed-off ‘jazz’ artist, however he’s far more expansive than that.
2. London Posse, How’s Life In London (1993)
I grew up immersed in DJ membership tradition, mixed with early hip-hop tradition. I used to go to this notorious nightclub referred to as Dance Depraved In Vauxhall; the very best hip-hop, soul, reggae, ‘hip-house’ – exhibiting my age! – was all there.
I needed to give recognition to London Posse right here, who mashed up hip-hop and ragamuffin, and will go toe-to-toe with the very best. Again then, in the event you dropped How’s Life… alongside an EPMD or a KRS-ONE report, it could maintain its personal. However actually that is me paying homage to so many fascinating and necessary [UK hip-hop] artists from that period who’ve been a bit missed: Monie Love, She Rockers, Cookie Crew, Demon Boyz, Overlord X.
“actually that is me paying homage to so many fascinating and necessary UK hip-hop artists from that period who’ve been a bit missed: Monie Love, She Rockers, Cookie Crew, Demon Boyz, Overlord X…”
That scene was large in unbiased report shops and South London golf equipment – a lot of these artists went to my faculty, or lived across the space. I might have been round 17 years previous, I’d began to run membership nights, and South London simply felt like an exciting place to be.
I then moved on to Brighton Polytechnic, learning Humanities, which I didn’t end. Music simply overtook every part; selling golf equipment, shopping for vinyl, till In A Silent Manner occurred.
I lived in Brighton for 4 years and it had an unimaginable music scene. I noticed each Gil Scott-Heron and Robert Plant stay. And there was such a vinyl-collecting tradition, pushed by independents and curators like Gilles Peterson, James Lavelle, Skint Data, Ninja Tune, and Rawkus Data [for whom Lousada would later lead operations outside of the US].
It was a time of unbiased explosion, taking influences from all over the place, mashing them collectively, and making UK sounds.
3. A Tribe Known as Quest, Test The Rhime (1991) / Mobb Deep, Shook Ones Pt II (1995) / Mos Def, UMI Says (1999)
After we’d began our distributor [in the mid-’90s], I’d began hanging out in New York, and particularly at Rawkus [a client of Lousada’s distribution company before he joined the label].
For those who lower everybody open at Rawkus, A Tribe Known as Quest can be of their DNA. The founders of Rawkus, Jarred [Myer] and Brian [Brater], have been initially doing drum’n’bass and hip-hop, however that was in a short time distilled into this various hip-hop sound.
I vividly keep in mind going to The Tunnel in New York, and once they performed Shook Ones by Mobb Deep… as a British child, seeing the power and explosion of this music that I liked, and understanding we have been beginning a label in the course of all of it. Whereas we didn’t work with both ATCQ or Mobb Deep, we have been aspiring to have information that had that type of influence…
…which brings me to Mos Def. By the late ‘90s at Rawkus, we have been releasing good songs and having hits from superb artists like Pharoahe Monch, Talib Kweli, and Firm Circulate. You felt just like the epicenter of one thing that was altering. We’d constructed a merch firm, we have been studying and making errors. After which Blacker On Each Sides occurred.
UMI Says wasn’t Mos’s greatest report from that album – that was Ms. Fats Booty. However it’s my decide, partly as a result of it’s over such a tremendous Fela Kuti beat.
Being concerned with a profitable and well-funded label presently in Rawkus gave me the possibility to launch my very own unbiased label [Ultimate Dilemma, which Lousada started in London in partnership with Mushroom].
4) Zero 7, Future (2001)
I first heard Zero 7 once they remixed Radiohead’s Climbing Up The Partitions. It blew me away, so I discovered Sam [Hardaker] and Henry [Binns] and signed them to Final Dilemma. It was my first million-selling album; doing that on an unbiased label was a giant deal. It modified my life.
There was quite a bit occurring, quite a lot of uncertainty on this planet, we’d not too long ago had 9/11. Zero 7’s [Simple Things] album grew to become the soundtrack to quite a lot of escapism from that.
Working with Zero 7 was the primary time I toured the world: I went to the Montreal Jazz Pageant for the primary time, The Troubadour, The Hollywood Bowl. Then Sam and Henry introduced Jose Gonzalez into the band.
Sam and Henry had such expertise, and a tremendous supervisor in Carol Crabtree. I selected Future for my observe right here as a result of I needed to pay tribute to Sam and Henry’s partnership, however particularly as a result of it was such a fantastic platform for Sia’s vocals.
5) Shuggie Otis, Inspiration Data (1974) / Terry Callier, I’d Somewhat Be With You (1972)
Shuggie Otis might be my favourite artist on this planet. His music could be performed to principally each viewers, whether or not you’re a dance-head, a hip-hop head, or a rock head. But, surprisingly, he’s nonetheless one of the undiscovered artists. I can play him in [musically-educated] rooms, and individuals are like, ‘Who’s this?’
The first dance at my wedding ceremony was his Strawberry Letter 23. His entire catalog is completely beautiful; it was an actual problem to decide on simply one among his songs right here. As a songwriter, producer, vocalist… he’s one among one. He deserves to be heralded by anybody who’s keen about music in any style.
“A misnomer in in the present day’s report enterprise is that all of the sudden everybody wants to show up with a success. Truly, the trick is simply figuring out good folks; the really nice artists determine it out from there.”
I additionally needed to incorporate Terry Callier right here as a result of he’s been a giant affect on me musically; you possibly can draw a straight line from him to my musical style and, I assume, my philosophy of believing in expertise. A misnomer in in the present day’s report enterprise is that all of the sudden everybody wants to show up with a success. Truly, the trick is simply figuring out good folks; the really nice artists determine it out from there.
I’d Somewhat Be With You is from an LP referred to as What Colour Is Love? – the entire album is unimaginable.
Gilles Peterson, an expensive buddy and a giant affect on me, launched me to Terry Callier. Later in [Callier’s] life, Gilles signed him and put out a report on Speaking Loud, a label I liked.
6) Fleetwood Mac, The Chain (1977) / The Beatles, Come Collectively (1969)
Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours is like Carole King’s Tapestry — there are simply no fillers in these information.
Rumours is filled with swagger, character, and timeless songwriting, particularly the Stevie and Christine tracks. Fleetwood Mac is what I placed on when my children have been born, so it has a really particular place in my coronary heart. Then once more, I assume you possibly can’t actually play Mobb Deep’s Shook Ones within the maternity ward!
Once you take heed to Come Collectively, you simply assume: How is it potential for music to remain so important for therefore lengthy?
Individuals usually talk about the thought of ‘disposable music’ in the present day, so I assume I actually needed to incorporate two songs right here that straight counter that. These two information are equally necessary in the present day as they’ve ever been — if no more necessary.
Additionally… Rumours was Fleetwood Mac’s sixth album. It reminds us of the necessity to permit artists to stay, breathe, and expertise. For me, specializing in record-making and touring over every part else in an artist’s life leads, in expertise phrases, to a little bit bit an excessive amount of ‘push’ and never sufficient ‘pull’.
We have now to remind ourselves that these are unimaginable creative creatures that want area to create worlds. They shouldn’t be operating in direction of the sunshine – the sunshine ought to come to them.
7) Steely Dan, Black Cow (1977) / Minnie Riperton, Les Fleurs (1969)
These tracks symbolize summer time and winter to me.
I play Black Cow initially of each summer time – it signifies the beginning of the season for me. That drives my household a bit mad… nevertheless it’s a ritual now, and in my protection, it’s a fucking feel-good report!
Black Cow, by way of its place as a pattern in hip-hop historical past, speaks for itself. I got here to artists like Tom Petty, Steely Dan, and Bob Dylan comparatively late – in my 20s – as a result of it wasn’t actually my musical ‘faculty’. However after I began spending extra time on the West Coast, the expertise of listening to music in LA warmth and Laurel Canyon, drew me to [Steely Dan album] Aja.
Steely Dan undoubtedly aren’t ‘uncool’ by any means, however I additionally actually like the very fact they’re comfy in their very own pores and skin.
If Black Cow is my summer time solace, Minnie Riperton is my winter solace: She’s bought me by way of quite a lot of touring forwards and backwards on planes in bleak climate.
Les Fleurs has this ‘70s, French R&B factor occurring. I first heard this after I was in my early 20s and I simply thought: ‘Who is that this?!’ She’s essentially the most melodic, sensual, dope singer. She’s bought three basic albums and I don’t assume anybody’s ever touched her at what she does.
8) Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, I Marvel If I Take You Residence (1985)
I couldn’t stay with out this, so I’m demanding it as my bonus observe! It’s my responsible pleasure.
I ought to warn folks: This isn’t a fantastic music; it’s not a fantastic vocal; it’s not dangerous manufacturing, nevertheless it isn’t the very best. But the sum is by some means larger than the components.
All the different artists I’ve talked about listed here are genre-defining and distinctive. That is my dance single of the combo. It was almost Goldie’s Timeless; it was almost a Photek report. However this was a report I’d all the time play after I briefly DJ’d and it could all the time maintain the group.
It’s not a basic in standard phrases – nevertheless it’s a basic to me.
