Q&a: Amaechi Uzoigwe
By TODD MARTENS
Saturday, June 10 2006
Saturday, June 10 2006
Published on AllBusiness.com
As the record industry weighs the long-term impact of new technology, Definitive Jux co-founder Amaechi Uzoigwe plans not to be caught unprepared.
In May, Uzoigwe's hip-hop label launched its own digital download store. Now, Uzoigwe reveals that Def Jux will release only digital product for the remainder of 2006—an unprecedented move for a company of its stature.
Michigan-born Uzoigwe formed Def Jux in 2001 with producer/rapper and Company Flow frontman El-P, whom he managed. That was shortly after Company Flow parted ways with Rawkus, having grown increasingly uncomfortable with that label's mainstream ambitions (it was about to announce a joint venture with MCA) and what Company Flow perceived as a lack of promotion.
In five years, New York-based Def Jux has become arguably the most recognizable name in independent hip-hop. In addition to El-P, the Caroline-distributed label is home to producer RJD2, rapper Aesop Rock and political hip-hop outfit the Perceptionists, among others. While El-P, RJD2 and Aesop Rock are not household names, their albums regularly sell more than 70,000 units, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Uzoigwe's ambitions do not stop at underground hip-hop. In 2004, he formed management and marketing firm World's Fair with Flaming Lips manager Scott Booker and Play It Again Sam America managing director Kevin Wortis.
In this Billboard interview, Uzoigwe discusses the growth of indie hip-hop and what he has learned about surviving in the digital marketplace.
Q: How is Def Jux doing at indie retail these days?
A: Indie retail is so trend-orientated. Now that Brit-rock and indie rock are the trend, that's all they want to sell. Two or three years ago, it was all indie hip-hop. We did huge numbers out of indie retail. Now indie hip-hop isn't the hipster music it was.
Q: Were you prepared for this declining support?
A: We had four or five artists who put up big numbers, so we were able to create a real solid platform for the future. We know we can sell X amount anytime Aesop Rock or El-P put out a record. It is not speculative. It becomes a question of how many we think we can sell, and we're up for that. Maybe we thought it would keep growing and growing, and the cats from the underground would be mentioned in the same sentence as the major-label rappers. That hasn't happened.
Q: With the creative differences that drove Company Flow from Rawkus, are you dead set against working with a major?
A: We've had plenty of discussions about that. We approach
In May, Uzoigwe's hip-hop label launched its own digital download store. Now, Uzoigwe reveals that Def Jux will release only digital product for the remainder of 2006—an unprecedented move for a company of its stature.
Michigan-born Uzoigwe formed Def Jux in 2001 with producer/rapper and Company Flow frontman El-P, whom he managed. That was shortly after Company Flow parted ways with Rawkus, having grown increasingly uncomfortable with that label's mainstream ambitions (it was about to announce a joint venture with MCA) and what Company Flow perceived as a lack of promotion.
In five years, New York-based Def Jux has become arguably the most recognizable name in independent hip-hop. In addition to El-P, the Caroline-distributed label is home to producer RJD2, rapper Aesop Rock and political hip-hop outfit the Perceptionists, among others. While El-P, RJD2 and Aesop Rock are not household names, their albums regularly sell more than 70,000 units, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Uzoigwe's ambitions do not stop at underground hip-hop. In 2004, he formed management and marketing firm World's Fair with Flaming Lips manager Scott Booker and Play It Again Sam America managing director Kevin Wortis.
In this Billboard interview, Uzoigwe discusses the growth of indie hip-hop and what he has learned about surviving in the digital marketplace.
Q: How is Def Jux doing at indie retail these days?
A: Indie retail is so trend-orientated. Now that Brit-rock and indie rock are the trend, that's all they want to sell. Two or three years ago, it was all indie hip-hop. We did huge numbers out of indie retail. Now indie hip-hop isn't the hipster music it was.
Q: Were you prepared for this declining support?
A: We had four or five artists who put up big numbers, so we were able to create a real solid platform for the future. We know we can sell X amount anytime Aesop Rock or El-P put out a record. It is not speculative. It becomes a question of how many we think we can sell, and we're up for that. Maybe we thought it would keep growing and growing, and the cats from the underground would be mentioned in the same sentence as the major-label rappers. That hasn't happened.
Q: With the creative differences that drove Company Flow from Rawkus, are you dead set against working with a major?
A: We've had plenty of discussions about that. We approach
