Interview: Natalie Edell is the Businesswoman for the Swag Generation

It’s an open secret that the music industry is in crisis. Economically, the big labels are far from finding a solution to plummeting record sales; creatively, the divide between mainstream and alternative seems both stark and blurry at the same time. We hear all the time about the next big thing in rap, but what about the other side of the process — how will the younger generation actually manage its creative offspring?

Natalie Edell is a college sophomore with big dreams, a young example of what the future of A&R might hold. No, she’s not the next big white female MC, but she wants to find out who that is and sign her immediately. We recently sat down with Natalie, picking her brain to find out what it takes to make it big in a year as fickle as 2012. Aspiring rappers, listen up.

How old were you when you realized music was something that you wanted to do?

I was 17 and it was four or five months from my 18th birthday and I knew I wanted to do it big. I was at a New Boyz and Chris Brown concert, and I went backstage and knocked on the door – I don’t really know how I got there, but I did – and I just asked for the managers of the New Boyz. He came out, gave me his card. I told him I wanted the New Boyz for a special event which turned out to be my 18th birthday party. I ended up meeting with Greg a couple times –

Who’s Greg?

Greg Johnson is the president of Genuine Management with Michael Mavrolas. They work with various artists and producers. They had the New Boyz at the time, but now the New Boyz are with Nick Cannon.

So through this concert, you got a chance to peek into the music industry?

Yeah, I interned at Genuine. I got to go to BET radio remotes, I got to go to radio interviews, and really cool A&R meetings with the big companies. I just met so many people and got close with a couple of producers and artists.

Were you intimidated at first by the whole industry?

I don’t know why I wasn’t. I was just excited.

Well, you’re from L.A.

Yeah, I’m from L.A.

So everyone is sort of Hollywood?

Yeah. I wasn’t intimidated because at first, I was the girl that had to help them with everything. When producers landed at the airport, I had to pick them up, all that kind of stuff. So I got on a real personal level with them. They would ask what I was doing, I would tell them, we’d exchange numbers. I’m really good at keeping in touch with people. You have to keep your contacts.

Speaking of which, what are you studying, and where?

I study Radio/TV/and Film at Northwestern, with a business minor.

So tell me about your first project that you were working on.

They’re called Soft Silence. They’re a band from Ventura County. They won Battle of the Bands in L.A., which is huge. I really like them. They kinda sound like Coldplay. I was listening to their stuff constantly, telling Greg about it, and Greg loved them but he wasn’t ready to further develop them, I think, so they signed [elsewhere]. But at least I know I got good taste.

But what does that mean, to have good taste? What is your taste?

I would say mainstream. That’s what my ear is. I can spot someone who could make it big.

Is that a bad thing, mainstream? What does mainstream mean to you?

Whatever’s on the radio, truthfully. Of course I love all the other stuff, but my ear is for what can be played on the radio.

What do you think it is about that style of music that makes it so appealing?

It’s uppity, it’s hip-hoppy, it’s easy to jam to.

It’s a special talent to have an ear for that, because everyone wants to sing, everyone wants to rap.

Everyone thinks they’re an artist. Everyone thinks they make beats.

So how do you make the distinction between someone who’s got it and someone who doesn’t? Is it that black and white?

It’s that black and white for me. I’m gonna be honest with you. “I don’t really see you being a mainstream rapper, but maybe you could be a ghostwriter.” You make a lot of money doing that. Usually when I meet someone, I instantly know. Like with Luke Christopher. The first time I heard him, I was like “Oh my God, this kid is gonna be huge.”

In that split second, your intuition, what are you assessing?

I could imagine myself being in the car, listening to him on the radio. He had the look, the style, everything. It’s a huge package to be a pop star. Every person that I’ve found and brought to Greg Johnson – he’s kind of like my uncle. I go to him for everything. I talk to him on a weekly basis. Hopefully I’ll be partners with him on a lot of artists. Every person I’ve brought to him really could be something. Ron Fair went up to my dad at a party and was like, “You know, Natalie is the most talented girl I’ve ever met. For her to pick Luke Christopher, that’s unbelievable. This kid’s going to be the biggest hip-hop artist of all time!”

Tell me about the Luke Christopher story.

He’s from West Lake Village, California, a small little town. He did all his music under his bunk bed. He MC’ed at my high school – I was a senior and he was a junior. I was sitting there looking around, like “Does anyone else see how good this kid is?” That day, I contacted him on Facebook telling him I was going to be interning at Genuine. From there, I got him a meeting with Greg. Things went great, but Luke ended up signing with different management. But then, I met Ron Fair and became cool with him. I went to his house, went down to his studio, put Luke Christopher’s CD in there, and he loved it. [Luke soon signed to Interscope.]

So you’re attracted to the business side of things?

I’m more business, but when I’m older, I want a studio in my house. I love seeing how music is made. Organized Noize, I just love being in the studio with them and seeing them work. It’s just so fun to see them working on the beats, the process. I don’t wanna just be stuck on a desk. I wanna be the person who finds the artist, brings the artist in, signs the artist, works with them in the studio.

You were born to be an A&R. What are your aspirations for this year?

I have three artists I’m working with right now. And one producer. I really want them to develop their sounds and get contracts done and hopefully start managing them. Once I’m managing them – ‘cause I’ll be co-managing with a real management company, so that’s really helpful. I’m still 19.

But these days, that’s what they want. Everyone says the music industry is crumbling, it’s outdated.

Record labels are going out of style. There’s a lot of artists I know that don’t wanna sign. I’m just trying to make a record label where the artist has their rights, and I have percentages of everyone. I don’t want to be just taking all the money from them when they’re earning it. Record labels, with their whole 360 deals, they take everything. I know some artists that are famous, but they don’t have shit. They don’t have any money, and that’s unfair. I’m not out to screw people over. I’ve never been like that.

Any advice for the young and hungry artists who feel like their voices aren’t getting heard right now?

Keep doing what you do, find your own voice, and be distinct. Every rapper you hear on the radio, you know the difference between them. You know exactly who they are as soon as they start speaking. You need to find your own voice. And send me your stuff, too!

Yeah, you are taking submissions. How can people reach out to you?

Send me an email. NHEdell@gmail.com. @N_Edell.

Any ideas for the name of your company?

Yes. I was thinking of 18 Love Records because I was 18 when I signed my first artist to Interscope, and Love because tennis has been a huge part of my life. When you’re beating someone 40-love, 30-love, you’re kicking their ass.