Sha Money XL: I Spoke To Jam Master Jay The Day He Died

Sha Money XL

He helped bring rapper 50 Cent to the mainstream and has produced numerous tracks including "Poor Lil Rich", "Beg For Mercy", and "This Is 50", and is the founder of Teamwork Music Inc. After Interscope granted 50 Cent his own label in 2003, Sha Money XL was president of G-Unit Records until 2007 . He has produced singles for other artists including Slim Thug, Cormega, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Young BuckLloyd Banks Juvenile, Scarface and four tracks from a 2Pac album, Pac's Life. He most recently became Sr. Vice President of A&R at Def Jam in May 2010 and Executive Producer for Big K.R.I.T.'s #1 debut Hip Hop Album, Live from the Underground and signed 2 Chainz to Def Jam in February 2012. In May 2013 it was announced that he has been named EVP of Urban A&R for Epic Records leaving previous work at Island Def Jam. Biography Born in the 2-11-76 as Michael Clervoix, Sha Money XL is a first generation Haitian American; and like the majority of immigrants growing up in Queens NY, it was a struggle. “Being from Haiti makes it natural for me to do anything and everything to survive and strive for more,” the industry heavy weight explains. Sha was exposed to the drugs & crime which ran rampant through the streets in the 80's; but more importantly, he was introduced to Hip-Hop. “Walking down Hollis and Jamaica Ave, seeing Run, Jam Master Jay and DMC in their Benz, being the first to ever go platinum and being from my stomping ground was a great inspiration to me,” Sha divulges. “I was surrounded by a lot of successful rappers, LL Cool J, Salt and Pepa, Onyx and industry vet Steve Stoute in my neighborhood which was very motivating.” From an early age, Sha displayed an above average talent playing the piano. It was through this undeniable talent that at the age of 11, he preformed at the legendary Carnegie Hall in New York City. But when he hit his teens, Sha opted to trade in his 88 keys for two turntables and a microphone. He became a well respected DJ & M.C. in his neighborhood. For all be it a brief period, Sha fell prey to the streets. The attraction of fast money and ‘hood respect replaced the appeal of the vinyl and the Mic he had once cherished. But 1996 saw Sha take some time for reflection and once again he was reunited with the talent he had abandoned. Trying to find himself, Sha went from DJ to producer/engineer during this time, spending countless hours’ fine tuning his skills. Enrolling on a marketing course at NYU Sha was given the opportunity to intern at DEF JAM under Industry vet Julie Greenwald & JMJ Records. It was through his time at JMJ that Sha would meet and establish the foundations of a friendship with a young 50 Cent. Sha continued to work as a producer and to promote his talents, branding himself as he worked with Queens underground MC’s such as Cormega, Mobb Deep, Onyx and Tragedy. Success was always in Sha’s sights but just never in his reach. 50 Cent success But after years of learning to understand and adapting to the politics rife within the music industry, Sha found himself working alongside 50 Cent again. “50 didn’t trust a lot of heads, so I had no choice but to fill in the blanks,” Sha divulges when talking of the duo’s working relationship. It was through his union with 50 that Sha got first hand experience at multi- tasking. “You have to be self made, self motivated and be able to multi task, as the industry will only move when they see, hear and believe in your passion,” he clarifies. He was the engineer, the A&R, the manager, the executive producer, & the guerilla marketer when he and Curtis Jackson commenced their attack on the music industry. No job was too big for this burgeoning entrepreneur in preparing 50 Cent for his inevitable success. “We had a belief in each other, I was the ‘people’ person and he was the magnet that brought people in; I was the glue that maintained the relationships.” So needless to say it was during this period in time and through his unquestionable thirst for triumph and recognition that Sha Money XL emerged as one of the music industries hardest working personalities. Bringing 50 Cent to the mainstream and having proved himself as a force to be reckoned with Sha Money XL was finally at a place where he could call the shots and determine his destiny. Working on branding G Unit globally as well as the Worlds biggest Hip-Hop icon came easy. After four years as the President of G Unit Records, overseeing over thirty million albums sold and directing the day to day lives of Young Buck, Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo and DJ Whoo Kid, it was time for the once producer to familiarize himself again in what he considers his safe haven; the studio.Throughout his tenure at G Unit, Sha had constantly maintained a balance of executive and producer. He Co-Executive produced and produced on the majority of the albums released through the label. Money Management Group As 2007 started and Hip-Hop was moving in leaps and bounds Sha felt he needed to do something different, yet ironically similar to what he had made his name from. Sha masterminded his Money Management Group, a fully fledged management company which beyond boasting an abundance of talented artists and producers has years of industry background to its credit. Able to brand, market and promote its artists as well as handling the daily tasks of management Sha’s company is without question at the forefront of production management. Currently MMG sustains management responsibilities for artists and producers including Hi-Tek, The Bizness, Keykat Productions, Jake One,and Dangerous LLC. “I wanted to be able to open a lane, keeping all producers informed, you know something like a mentorship program which the industry no longer has,” he breaks down. But Sha knew it would be impossible for him to provide the guidance he wanted to give producers with on his own. “When I was starting out I went to every conference, to know and meet who the main players were.” It is this ideology and the fact that he has actually been in the shoes than many find themselves in today that encouraged his new venture. Determined to reach producers globally and give them an introduction on how to break into the industry which he had labored relentlessly for, he and his team came up with The One Stop Shop Producer Conference (OSS). “Now I am one of those players and I am fully aware that I have to open a lane for the new talent to get in; One Stop Shop is all that,” he concludes. The first OSS was held in Sha’s adopted residence of Phoenix, Arizona in 2007. It attracted over 700 international aspiring producers. They were given the opportunity to mingle and network amongst their peers, label execs and A&Rs; showcase their beats and gain invaluable advice from the panels. The first OSS was so successful that Sha opted to make it an annual event. This year the popularity of OSS was no different. It is only getting better. March 2008 saw producers such as Swizz Beatz, DJ Premier, 9th Wonder, Denaun Porter to name but a few make the pilgrimage to Phoenix to rub shoulders with up and coming producers from all around the world. With sponsorship for the conference coming from companies such as Microsoft, Traxxpad, ASCAP and Shade 45 it is obvious that established vendors such as these share the vision that the Money Management Group have worked so hard to depict. It is through his Teamwork Music Company that Sha Money XL the producer maintains an ever increasing discography. He has credits on albums from Slim Thug, Snoop Dogg, Juvenile, Busta Rhymes, Stevie Wonder and of course the entire G Unit roster. Sha has worked on soundtracks for movies, such as Get Rich or Die Trying, where he held the title of Music Supervisor and video games, Bullet Proof and Freestyle Basket Ball. Sha currently is Sr.Vp of A&R at Island Defjam and so far signed Big K.R.I.T. and 2 Chainz. There is just no stopping when you travel in the lane that Sha is positioned in, you have to stay up to keep up. With an enigmatic personality and seasoned business acumen this is a new chapter where he maintains the controls. After three years at Def Jam, Sha Money XL is heading to Epic Records as Executive Vice President of Urban A&R as of May 2013. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia https://twitter.com/SHAMONEYXL