WHODINI-BLAK

About WHODINI-BLAK

Whodini-Blak, born Demetrius Aquila Reynolds, on May 24th, 1983, a Gemini born to an Evangelist & devoted Christian elementary teacher, he is of Jamaican heritage and birth in Jackson, Mississippi. His first time actually sitting down listening to rap music was in the year of 1997 and it was the Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s song “1st of Tha Month”. He was not allowed to listen to any form of “worldly music” and it changed him profoundly. Throughout high school, he played the trumpet and snare drum, and began composing his own music as well as poetry and lyrics.

Under the moniker Versatile tha Lyrikal Arsonist and member of the group 5150 Regime (Contraverse & J-Roc), the group was signed in 2002 to Scorpio Records right after high school, and dropped the group album, “The Arrival LP”. Following the new album, Whodini-Blak appeared on 99.7 WJMI’s morning program with Mississippi’s Sinatra for an interview and freestyle. In 2004, with Scorpio Records, he auditioned for a soundtrack slot for the New York movie “System Within”.

Over the course of 14 years, Whodini-Blak has amassed quite a laundry list of accomplishments. He has interned at a number of record labels, including the local legend Jac Fross’s label, 1 Flesh Records. His 1st solo venture consisted of the single “Stairway 2-Seven”, which still receives plays on the Chicago & Washington D.C. radio show, in 2007. He has also performed at many charity shows and concerts including the American Red Cross Society & Sickle Cell Foundation, which garnered a great deal of attention from local TV news stations and radio and TV show hosts including the Channel 12 Evening News & 90.1FM.

After working with various 7th Sign West Coast artists, Blak eventually hooked up with IMG/Universal’s Rick Robinson, in which he has made a lasting connection with. He has also had a one-on-one with the co-creator of Def Jam, arguably the most successful executive from the hip-hop world, Russell Simmons, who, over an evening of drinks and music, told Whodini-Blak a number of tips to be successful in the industry. In late 2007, Blak started performing and receiving multiple spins at former club 105, thanks to the Jubilee Jam’s DJ for 2007, DJ 2 Tall. In 2008, Blak met, worked with, managed & featured national recording artists, Aeileon El Nino, King Josiah and Ru Gotti from Bizzy Bone's 7th Sign Regime Midwest.

Blak has ghost written on most of the popular tracks for local artist Cristyle. In August 2008, after a list of purchased tracks & getting to know Aeileon, Whodini-Blak began managing Aeileon and was appointed under boss of a Free Age Music, LLC branch in Mississippi. Working for Aeileon prompted Whodini-Blak to start up the management company Only One Management, LLC with Nicholas “Smooth Wit’ It” Wade, in 2009 having clients such as Bizzy Bone’s 7th Sign Regime members, (Aeileon El Nino, Ru Gotti, King Josiah, Baby Phil, Rip aka Level), IGoon Dosha, Nino, Lil Snow & J. Skillz.. Whodini-Blak has a huge catalog consisting of over 500 unreleased songs, worked for Ta Smallz, Bizzy Bone, Sanjay Kumar, Rick Robinson, Gorilla Zoe & Papoose, performed at over 200 different venues including an Atlanta, Georgia TV show; and Whodini-Blak is a BMI affliate. Through out the 14 year journey of learning and watching others in the music business. Whodini-Blak still books his own shows, tours, drafts his own contracts and maintain professional yet friendly reationships with almost all of the people he's done business with. In 2010, right after the album, "Crossroad 2010", Blak received a phone call from Bizzy Bone thru a mutual friend Byron McCaine, thus began a partnership in all aspects of the industry to revamp the Bizzy Bone Oraclez of Entertainment project. Later on that same year, Blak met Que Loco, Skin-N-Bone$, Mrz. Loco, AC Killer, Heinz, J-Man and various others. In March 2011, Whodini-Blak joined the SonRize Music Group.

Influences

Bizzy Bone, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Aesop Rock, Linkin Park, Michael Jackson

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<p><strong>DJ ROB:</strong> In the music entertainment business what do you consider successful ? <br /> <br /><strong>WHODINI-BLAK:</strong> Success is measured by the amount of self approval an individual has for themselves, and also an individual that stays busy doing what they love about the industry and pursuing new ventures and new creativity. <br /> <br /><strong>DJ:</strong> When a song is being played do you think of the artist or the producer and why ? <br /> <br /><strong>WB: </strong>First, I check out the producer&rsquo;s work, that is the most important and basically tells the mood of the track, when the artist speaks then I listen to them, most of the time the music always play first! <br /> <br /><strong>DJ:</strong> Why do you think record labels work more for artist, than the producer ? <br /> <br /><strong>WB:</strong> Record labels work for the artist more because they are the instrument of voice, they are connected to the fans at a hands on, up close basis which is the key to record sales. Producers are behind the curtains playing the keys. <br /> <br /><strong>DJ:</strong> Is a contract the best choice for a music producer or freelance ? <br /> <br /><strong>WB:</strong> Freelance money is always good, they get that upfront and the rest through royalties but those are not always paid in the required time limit, which result in multiple lawsuits, contract producers are a plus also, think of it as a reliable day job, the down side to that is they are not paid enough and only paid enough if the records breakthrough. <br /> <br /><strong>DJ:</strong> Should the producer or the artist get the higher percentage of royalties and why ? <br /> <br /><strong>WB:</strong> To answer that question is to make an equation that reflects the exact amount of work each party contributed, which is always artist 100% to producer 100% (BMI 200% shares), but that&rsquo;s solely my opinion. <br /> <br /><strong>DJ:</strong> Does the style of the music that is created by the producer influence their music production sells ? <br /> <br /><strong>WB:</strong> Yes it does, a talented producer explore various genres in creation, in doing so, the producer doesn&rsquo;t have just one particular genre of artists that they cater to, it&rsquo;s a diverse way to make money from a many category industry. <br /> <br /><strong>DJ:</strong> As a music producer what genre of music do you think sells the best ? Why ? <br /> <br /><strong>WB:</strong> Pop/R&amp;B&hellip;the best combination ever, everyone loves to sing and everyone loves to dance. Up-tempo and melodic compositions are always top sellers. <br /> <br /><strong>DJ:</strong> Does the decrease in hard copy C.D. sales hurt the artist or producer more ? <br /> <br /><strong>WB:</strong> The artist, the producer already have the bulk of their money. <br /> <br /><strong>DJ:</strong> If a music producer is on tour with an artist should he/she get paid the same as the artist for shows ? <br /> <br /><strong>WB:</strong> No, why would the producer even be there, unless they are playing live and the producer will actually be punching the keys. Producers traveling with the artist is solely their discretion. <br /> <br /><strong>DJ:</strong> What do you think is the best license for an independent music producer and why ? <br /> <br /><strong>WB:</strong> Mechanical licenses, the producer can continue to get paid off of physical sells including the ones the producer initiate on their own. <br /> <br /><strong>DJ:</strong> Who do you think is the most successful music producer ? <br /> <br /><strong>WB:</strong> Quincy Jones <br /> <br /><strong>DJ:</strong> Does a well known music producer help an unknown artist more or does a well known artist help an unknown producer more ? <br /> <br /><strong>WB:</strong> It works in both ways, a known producer can actually jump start an artist career for people to actually pay attention and bring an already establish audience, a known artist can bring an unknown producer more business from potential top artists as well as local business. The downfall to a known producer and unknown artist is that consumer may not think the collaboration is real; and the downfall to a known artist and unknown producer is that the producer is not paid enough and could be unmentioned in the credits thus making his involvement actually obsolete.</p>

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