By Tonisha Johnson (February 2006)

Everybody wants to be a star. It's like a game of pool. If you take all the balls and rack them up they (the balls) represent those pursuing stardom. There can only be but so many. Sometimes you get to be the assistant to the star or the assistant to the assistant. Either way, so many take the path set for them. But then there are others who grab the bull by its horns and demand attention. They work endless hours and pretty much confirm that they'll rest when their dead. Such is the case with President/CEO of CWC Entertainment Group Vincent Tucker.

What was the motivation behind the name ‘Citywide Entertainment’ (pronounced – cee dub cee)?

Vincent Tucker: We wanted Citywide Entertainment to have more of a corporate feel. CWC Records; everything music related falls under that title. As a youth a couple of friends of mine, we were playing around one day and we were joking how we run the city and how we’re connected. I don’t know, somehow, somebody just came through saying we’re Citywide Connects. I referred back to the name Citywide Connects.

How did you get started in the industry?

Vincent Tucker: My goal was to be an A&R rep for music. I’ve always wanted since I was little to be the future CEO of Bad Boy Entertainment. My goal was to do some kind of intern work or something.

How did you prepare yourself to run a company?

Vincent Tucker: I didn’t have a choice. The other record label and it’s ownership it wasn’t going anywhere. The staff that was under me thought basically that I was doing all the work there and I just felt like, if I’m doing all the work, I might as well do my own thing.

Did you end up taking most of the staff with you?

Vincent Tucker: Yes. We had an open call. And everyone left and came to Citywide Entertainment.

Any bad feelings between you and the old company?

Vincent Tucker: No. I mean, you get the typical he say, she say stuff. I don’t if he is or not because it’s not like I’m sitting here, having conversations with him everyday. Whatever he is saying, I haven’t heard it from him directly. I wish him all the best.

Is it hard to keep your emotions out of the business?

Vincent Tucker: In what essence?

In that essence? With he say, she say. Your artists and yourself may have a good personal rapport but at the end of the day its business. Do you have a hard time separating the friendship from the business?

Vincent Tucker: I do have friendship’ with my artists. I do know how to separate business from personal. The decisions I make are for the best interests of my artists business wise. Emotions and business as far as the situation with my former employer…you can’t help sometimes to get fueled by some of the he say she say gossip. Because it just makes you more ambitious, more determined, more motivated to get things achieved and make an impact on the music industry here.

From visiting Dallas and interviewing artists and business men such as yourself, the one thing that you all have in common when it comes to an opinion regarding music in Dallas; is that no one wants to work together. Everyone wants to do it themselves. There is no unity. How do you start a label and work with these people who don’t want to share? How do you get them and yourself to work together?

Vincent Tucker: Great question. I’m not really totally sure. That’s something I try to figure out on a daily basis because, and I hate to state this cliché but everybody is doing their own thing. I just think it’s a horrible thing. We are the No. 5 market in radio. It’s a big market and we need to get together and support everybody. I think the reason why Dallas is not a big hip hop city is because we have no unity. If everybody rise together and get behind an artist or a couple of artists then we could be along the lines of Houston, New York or Los Angeles. Everybody that I’ve dealt with so far wants to come together and make money and try to find some unity.

What are the elements that are causing people not to come together?

Vincent Tucker: I think it’s umm…well, let’s be honest. I don’t think the music industry is about who you know. I think, what I’ve observed is that people…label A may meet label B and once they get up to a certain level then label A doesn’t want to be with label B anymore. They let them use them enough to promote some of their business.

So you really feel that it’s not a sharing thing, it’s more like a ‘using’ thing?

Vincent Tucker: Exactly. That’s what I’m getting from it.

At one point, you said you were going to come to New York. Your reason for that?

Vincent Tucker: I’ve always been fascinated to a large degree with East Coast rap and East Coast artists. At one point it seemed like they had each others back and there was some type of unity there. Besides the fact that I wanted to be the CEO of Bad Boy Entertainment, that was one of the determining factors of why I wanted to move to New York.

Do you think East Coast rap would take out Southern rap?

Vincent Tucker: LOL. Wow. I think Juelz Santana said in an interview a few months back that what the south is lacking is unity.

Ok. Now you’re talking about beef between artists or areas. If you have an artist on your label and that artist has issues with another artist, but you as the label owner have the chance to take on that artist. This may affect the current artist you have because they have a battle going on. Do you put that personal issue aside for the almighty dollar? Has this become a unity thing or a money thing?

Vincent Tucker: I would think in that essence it’s a money thing. Jay Z and NAS is a money thing. As far as East Coast rap coming together with Southern rap, there’s a lot of money to be earned there. But to answer your question, it’s probably more business than personal.

In a sense, you’re saying that at the end of the day, with the statement you previously made, that you and your artists are all good and may go out and buy sneakers together, but business is business. And you’re going to do what’s in the best interest for your company?

Vincent Tucker: I think in a lot of ways yes that’s what it is. If both A and B profit then…I can’t knock ‘em for it. Nobody wants to be broke. Is it phony, yes; but if all parties that are involved don’t have a problem with it then there’s not much you can say about it.

That is what I was referring to about emotions and ego. Your artist is trying to convince you that their rep is on the line and you’re trying to convince your artist that the check is on the line. Hoe do you approach that from a business perspective?

Vincent Tucker: To be perfectly honest with you and truly, I’m giving you this answer without having been in that situation thus far but I’m a huge believer in loyalty and if I have an artist that we are cool, I wouldn’t go out and try to sign a live rapper. That would just show a lack of loyalty and mistrust.

Isn’t that bringing emotions into your business?

Vincent Tucker: LOL. I like that. I like that. Umm, yeah. In that instance yes.  That is bringing emotions into the business. I mean…yeah, it’s no way around it. Damn, you got me. Its emotions.

Were you nervous about starting a label in an area where there isn’t room for sharing?

Vincent Tucker: Yes. Because, actually the label was started officially two days before we actually left the other company. So, yeah I was nervous. But that has to dissipate quickly because if I don’t have composure as a leader than we are not going to be anywhere. The nervousness was not there very long.

And the goal of CWC Records?

Vincent Tucker: Our goal is to be the leading force of the Metroplex’ music scene. I think it’s pretty much agreed amongst all artists here that Dallas, for a lack of a better word, has no iron claw on the music scene. Our goal is to be the leading force in R&B and rap in the Metroplex; in North Texas. CWC Entertainment is to put together, “quality” entertainment, events but also giving back to the community. Where pretty big in giving back to the community. There’s always somebody less fortunate than you and you should take time to give back. And that’s just how we feel about it. Plain and simple.

How does Dallas draw attention to itself?

Vincent Tucker: That’s a good question. I think that every record label down here thinks about that once a week. If not once a day. Because for a while, the popular consensus was, you get a record label and you try to see what you can do in the Metroplex but if things are not working then you move to Houston, move to New York, or move to California. I think with the recent signings of Asylum Records signing all the Houston independents last year. With Universal awarding deals to Dallas veterans Mr. Pookie and Mr. Lucci; The Bioniq MC Steve Austin; I think it shows that the executives are starting now, to look at Dallas and Dallas rap. As of this moment I do believe there is potential for CWC Records to have success in the city of Dallas and the Metroplex as well.

What is the key to a successful label?

Vincent Tucker: I think in an era where promotion dominates talent, I believe it would have to be promotions and networking. At this moment, because some of your most popular artists now are not your most lyrical. Their not the Eric B & Rakim, the Kool G Rap’, The DOC…

Everybody has their own version of what is real rap. And we sometimes make references to the past in regards to that was real rap.  Do you think kids know the real history of hip hop?

Vincent Tucker: Yes I do believe so. I’ve read interviews where some students stood in class, I don’t know for whatever reason the conversations may have swung to rap or music as a whole, and some say rap started with 50 Cent. Rap started with Eminem. I think there is a lack of knowledge. I don’t really blame them. I think if BET and MTV made more of a conscious effort or displayed all hip hop music, then people can have a better understanding of hip hop and its ordinance. (read Part 2 of this interview)

Copyright © 2006 Gesica Magazine