Rene Mclean Keeps On Moving

Rene McLean has quietly made a name for himself in the world of urban music. As CEO of the McLean Entertainment Group—which includes RPM Marketing & Promotions, the Mixshow Power Summit, and Emixshow magazine—he has been particularly influential in promoting the mix-show format through his various ventures.

Having had a hand in the early careers of Busta Rhymes and Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, McLean recently launched RPM Management. The New York-based management firm serves as home to the Neptunes, DJ Enuff, and Cam'ron, who recently signed with Roc-a-Fella/ Def Jam.



Having already successfully launched your other ventures, why did you decide to start RPM Management?

It interested me. I've always worked with managers on the promotions side of things, and it was something I knew I could do, especially with the background of working at a record label and knowing how to break artists. So what better thing to do than have your own artists to break?



How do you balance all of your many ventures?

Like any CEO of any major company. The same way [Elektra Entertainment chairman/CEO] Sylvia Rhone or [Island Def Jam Music Group president/CEO] Lyor Cohen has to balance dealing with the different departments in their respective companies. Basically, I have separate staffs that work on the magazine, the marketing, and the management firm.

My partner [Lylette Pizarro] and I are still completely involved in the day-to-day process. We make all the decisions and execute a lot of the bigger projects.



What has been your proudest moment in the business?

When I decided to do the Mixshow Power Summit and it actually worked. It was a chance I took, and I invested my own money. So that and the day I decided to start my own business. I'm very proud of what we have right now.



Does the music industry truly understand the power of the mix-show DJ?

I think the labels do, because they all support the conference and they're all involved in things we do with the DJs. They know that they need [the DJs] to break those records on the streets. Those particular acts they need to start from the bottom up and build. It's not working a record by going straight to pop radio and working it down.



What does the future hold for the mix-show format?

A lot of these mixers aren't only popping up on traditional urban radio. You also have them popping up on satellite radio. XM Radio already has a mix-show format. In New York, you also have mixers who spin on [cable channel] Music Choice. So you have these DJs popping up all over the place.



Given the current industry climate, what does the future hold for your various ventures?

We just want to maintain what we have and not become too spread out. The management thing is something new, but it's something that came to us organically. It's not like we were out there looking to manage artists and approaching them. We just saw artists that we felt had a lot of potential.

rashaun hall