"Had you left yet?" Ryan called the staff at Atlantic Records. Scooter sat across from him, with Trey on the other side.
Compared to when he'd first come in, the man now had an iced coffee in his hand.
"Then don't come to Nashville for now. Something's come up, and I'll be... away for a few days for a competition. A school football game," Ryan explained.
After hanging up, Ryan looked much more serious than before.
"Where were we?"
"The contract term. No other record label owner in the world would offer you terms like these," Scooter said, lifting his porcelain cup.
"Why do you say that?"
"I need an opportunity—a chance to make a name for myself in the industry," Scooter said unhurriedly.
"You've already made a name for yourself, haven't you?"
"Only in Atlanta. You might not know this, but the situation there is complicated. I can't make much headway there, so I have to look for opportunities elsewhere," Scooter continued.
Ryan got the picture. This two-timer wanted to do something big, but he didn't have the opportunity.
"Actually, you're just a bonus. I signed another kid. He's very talented—more talented than you, but he needs time to train, at least a year. I set up a joint venture with Usher for his sake."
"And you can fill the gap for me during that year. Rather than watch you join Atlantic Records, I'd rather swoop in and get you first. The contract term is my strongest bargaining chip."
"What's your relationship with Puff Daddy?" Ryan asked.
"I occasionally help him throw parties and entertain white guests who aren't that close to him."
"And how did you meet Usher?"
"At DJ Drama's birthday party. That was the first time I met him. Are you done, Officer Ryan?" He raised an eyebrow.
"I don't want to get mixed up with people from Atlanta," Ryan said.
"You know quite a bit. Don't worry, you'd be signing with Schoolboy Records, a company based in Los Angeles," Scooter said.
Considering that Scooter was about to betray DJ Khaled, a close friend of Puff Daddy's, he was unlikely to bring Ryan into Atlanta's scene anyway.
"I'm done with my questions."
"I'll give you three days to think it over. Then I'll send a company representative to sign you," Scooter said, getting up to leave.
After he left, Ryan discussed it with Trey.
"How much of what he said do you think was true?" Ryan asked.
"Half true, half false. But the contract terms will be written down, so he can't fake those. He looks pretty young—he can't be thirty yet, right? And he managed to start an imprint under Republic Records. That's suspicious. Maybe he's the son of some big shot," Trey said.
"I hope he is," Ryan said, shaking his head.
Trey had a point. Scooter's rise was suspicious. By comparison, Scott Borchetta had at least been president of DreamWorks Records and had spent years working at record companies like MCA, MTM, and Universal Music Nashville. This "Scooter" was just a party promoter, so how had he managed to stand shoulder to shoulder with Scott Borchetta in only a few short years?
Ryan returned to his study and searched online for information about Scooter. He found the name only in an article about Jermaine Dupri. Jermaine Dupri was another powerful Black music executive in Atlanta. When Dr. Dre was just starting to make a name for himself, Dupri's teen hip-hop group Kris Kross had already hit number one on the Billboard charts. But Dupri didn't win his first Grammy until 2006, as a songwriter and producer on Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together." In the meantime, he'd launched the careers of many Black hip-hop artists, and he'd been Janet Jackson's boyfriend since 2002.
Scooter had started out working at Jermaine Dupri's record label.
On the surface, Jermaine Dupri was the one who'd discovered Scooter, but he was nothing like L.A. Reid. Dupri's own label, So So Def, was still bouncing between the major music groups. How could he have helped Scooter establish an imprint under Republic Records?
There had to be some other big shot behind him.
But Ryan had no way of finding out who that person was. Instead, he called Marvin. The agent worked at WME and might know something Ryan didn't.
"I've never heard that name, but I think you're right. A young white guy couldn't make it in Atlanta without powerful backing. There's only one explanation: the music group's management is all white, and they need someone like themselves who can get along with Black people. That makes it easier to manage things. Remember, in hip-hop, Black people do the shouting onstage, while white people count the money behind the scenes."
"So, in other words, some big shot had Jermaine Dupri bring Scooter into Atlanta's scene, and Scooter was the 'envoy' sent by the white upper management?"
"That's just a theory. I can't guarantee it. So, have you decided to work with him?"
"Would that affect our partnership?"
"I don't have a problem with it. I'm only finding you performance opportunities, after all. As long as the other guy doesn't mind. But I should be upfront with you: from now on, I'll give priority to DJs from Atlantic Records. You'll come after them."
Business was business. Marvin had to look out for his own interests, and Ryan couldn't really object.
After hanging up, Ryan called someone else—someone he'd only just removed from his block list.
"I want to talk to Scott."
"You're joining Big Machine?" Taylor seemed to be having dinner at home; Ryan could faintly hear her parents in the background.
"No..." Ryan told her about Scooter.
"Only signing for a year? He must have a fallback plan. He'll pressure you into renewing when the time comes, and then you'll be in serious trouble," Taylor said without hesitation.
She had far more experience than Ryan when it came to signing with record labels.
"Like what?"
"For example, he could have dirt on you and threaten to release it if you don't do what he wants, destroying your career. Or he could set a trap in the contract. The simplest thing would be to restrict your performance rights, so you could never perform your own work in public—even if you made it yourself. He could also take control of the master recordings."
"Wouldn't that happen if I signed with another record label, too?"
"That's why you need a lawyer who specializes in this kind of thing to review the contract. My dad's friend happens to be coming to Nashville. He's on vacation, and he's an expert. He checked my contract, too. Also, you have to retain the rights to your songwriting. That's crucial," Taylor reminded him.
Ryan thanked her.
"So, don't go looking for women you don't know outside anymore," Taylor whispered at the end.
She was clearly worrying about Ryan too much.
"Of course. I don't count, though." Before Ryan could react, she hung up.
Before you continue