Sunday, July 13, 2008
Quick, Q&A
Catching up with Michael Mauldin
A Quick Q&A
Mauldin Brand Agency/Artistic Control Group
Entertainment mogul Michael Mauldin might be one of the busiest men in Atlanta. Mauldin, who heads Artistic Control Group and Mauldin Brand Agency, an entertainment marketing and management group, got his start driving a van and managing his son, Jermaine Dupri. Between jetting to L.A. and New York, Mauldin, a former executive with Columbia Records and Dupri’s So So Def label, sat down with The Sunday Paper to talk about his early days, his projects and hip-hop’s influence on Atlanta.—Gray Chapman
Q How did you get your start in the music biz?
A I grew up as a musician and an artist, playing in a lot of local bands. I came down to Atlanta years ago and got involved with several local bands—and I just happened to be that guy who had a van. So they would put all their equipment in my van and I’d hustle their equipment around. Shortly after I started doing this, the gigs started happening, and I quickly became what we know as a roadie. I got more involved in the behind-the-scenes work and did it for a couple years, and then in the late ’70s, through the suggestion of an attorney here in Atlanta, I decided to start my own business. So I created a company that specialized in putting crews and staff together to go on the road with other acts. One thing led to the next, and as I continued to develop my skills with management of artists and how to get more involved on the record side, eventually I worked myself into serving as a producer of shows.
What are some of your big projects?
The Scream Tour is big. This will be the eighth outing of the Scream Tour. We started in 2001, and typically pretty much every young, urban-leaning artist from Bow Wow to Chris Brown to B2K to Ciara has been on that stage at some point. We’ve even had a lot of the main celebrities today make special guest appearances on the stage of Scream, whether that be Usher, or Kanye West, 50 Cent, P. Diddy, T.I.—they’ve been on stage at some point. Another big project I have is a new young artist named Malik. I also work with the Otis Redding estate; we’re working on a book and a film about Otis’ life.
What are your thoughts on the hip-hop industry in Atlanta today?
The hip-hop movement has had a tremendous effect on Atlanta, in every element, because hip-hop is a lifestyle, not just the music. A bunch of these guys now have apparel companies, and a lot of different things going on. I don’t think it’s going to die down—I think music changes so much, so you will find different flavors. I’ve been watching the growth—and I’ve gotta tell you, it’s that influence. The music is bringing more people to Atlanta, and bringing more money to Atlanta. You can see the movement in music, in film, and Atlanta just carries that weight.
Any favorite venues?
I love the Fox Theatre—it has all the history, and I’d have to say that’s the venue for me. I travel a lot, so I don’t get a chance to spend a lot of time here and figure out what the local spots are, but I’d have to say that’s my favorite. You play the Fox Theatre to a good house, there’s not a better feeling than that. A lot of the tours that we do are arena tours, where you’re talking about more than 7,000 or 8,000 people, but I still like the intimate, personal spaces. SP