"Eminem's manager Paul Rosenberg shares Shady XV insight, plans for label after release"
DETROIT, MI -- To call the last 15 years Paul Rosenberg has spent with Marshall Mathers (a.k.a. Eminem) "a wild ride" would be an enormous understatement.
Rosenberg has been Eminem's manger through his addiction, recovery and reflection during the period and saw his friend go from selling $6 cassette tapes on the city's west side to international "Rap God" status.
Stress was inevitable, but at no point did Rosenberg, also the co-founder of Eminem's Shady Records, give up or walk away from his friend.
That unconditional bond has fueled the success of their label — with a roster full of successful artists like Yelawolf and the Slaughterhouse supergroup — and the highly anticipated Nov. 24 release of Shady XV, a double-disc album.
"There’s a lot of land mines out there," Rosenberg said of the industry. "There’s a lot of sharks, a lot of dishonest and untrustworthy individuals and organizations.
"So the fact we were able to make it through together and have our relationship get stronger through the whole process is I think is a big part of why we were able to grow this company."
MLive.com caught up with Rosenberg to get some insight about his relationship with Eminem, Shady XV, what the future holds for the record label and more.
Feel free to share your thoughts about the interview in the comments section below.
Much has been said about Eminem's work ethic now that he's sober. What kind of effect has it had on the Shady Records label and roster full of talent?
His work ethic sets the standard for everybody on the label. I think that how hard he worked to regain his footing as an artist after he got sober really continues beyond that because of how important he thinks it is to sort of maintain his presence in the music scene for his fans. His work ethic is really a reflection of that desire to continue to maintain a standard.
He goes to the studio like most people go to the office. So five days a week, typically Monday through Friday, he’ll be in the studio. It’s not quite nine to five — the hours tend to be quite longer — but he’s there everyday. And that is hopefully what people see when they come work with him, how serious he takes it. He’s extremely passionate about making music. I don’t think he views it as punching the clock or anything like that, but it takes a lot of work to be as productive as he is and to maintain the quality that he does.
You said in a recent Rap Radar podcast you hope there will be at least another 15 years of Shady Records. What kind of plans do you have for the label?
I don’t think our tastes are going to change that much. Because of that, I don’t think it’s going to reflect a big change on the label and a direction. But hopefully in the coming years we’ll be able to sign some new artists and get some young guys to carry things forward.
Slaughterhouse is a rap supergroup at a time when there really aren't any. What can fans expect from them in 2015 with this new album and what makes what they do work?
I think what makes it work is that they’re such great rappers in a technical sense. For me, when I listen to them, I get excited to hear their verses because they’re so packed with punchlines and interesting things to say and what I’d call ‘Oh shit!’ moments. That’s the kind of group they are and that’s what I look from them — this really high level of rapping and lyrical abilities and writing. That’s what they’re going to continue to do. That’s not everybody’s thing, but that’s what we love and it’s what their fans love. So we’re going to continue to move that forward. I think the sound of their next album is going to hopefully be more cohesive than the last. They worked with a smaller team of producers and have producer Just Blaze overseeing the whole thing. And I think it’s going to have a more formatted, cohesive sound.
Shady Records' initial focus early on seemed to be Eminem and the people that came up around him in Detroit. What kind of message do you think this successful label with Detroit ties has sent to those locally looking to get in the music business?
It’s sort of shown what’s possible. Not everyone is going to have the kind of career than Eminem has, but it’s possible to find your own lane, have your own success and make something of yourself coming out of Detroit or any place else. So if there’s any kind of inspiration for artists, or for people who want to have a record label, that’s incredible. That’s what we got from Rick (Rubin) and Russell (Simmons) and Def Jam. We looked at that and were very inspired by what they did and the story that they built. If we can set another example by creating our version of that, then that’s a wonderful thing.
Ever get pressure from people in the industry to scale back on the Detroit focus for the label? Ever get people in the industry telling you you're going to alienate fans outside Detroit with such a local emphasis?
His work ethic is really a reflection of that desire to continue to maintain a standard." - Paul Rosenberg on Eminem
There certainly were times where people thought it was too insular and we were too focussed on our own thing. But I think that’s what really makes us unique. Rather than not really have a plan, we built the core of the label with Detroit artists and the guys that Marshall came up with. So it certainly has some people on the sidelines going ‘Ah, well that’s too Detroit or that’s too Eminem.’ but that’s OK. Not everybody is going to love everything. We do what we enjoy doing in terms of the kind of artists we sign and what works. And hopefully people will continue to like and appreciate that.
How do you describe the bond Detroit seems to have with the label, Eminem and yourself?
Detroit is this symbol for the underdog at this point. And I think Marshall, his career and his story has really paralleled that in terms of his own struggles and his recovery. I’m not just talking about his addiction, but his struggles to become a respected and recognized artist. It wasn’t easy. People look at it now and say ‘Oh, he’s just a big superstar, he goes out and makes music they play on the radio and he sells tons of records.’ But there was a time where he wasn’t taken seriously as an artist and he had to work really hard to gain people’s respect literally by getting in their faces and rapping.
He had to prove he was greater at that. And for me, personally, being a guy coming from Detroit who wanted to be a music lawyer and break into the music business, it was seen as a real long shot, too. Not too many people can take that path and really make their mark in this pretty small industry compared to others. Not too many people can do it coming from a place where they didn’t come from an Ivy League school, they don’t have the connections to get a job or have a really wealth background. We both had to struggle coming out of Detroit to earn people’s respect and sort of take our position in the industry.
There's been talk of bringing back The Hip Hop shop in Detroit, the place yourself and Eminem frequented to learn about the city's battle rap scene. Any chance of Shady Records getting behind a Hip Hop Shop revival?
We’d certainly support it. Retail operations aren’t really our core business, so I wouldn’t want to step into something that I’m not really experienced at or have proven myself in. If the right people came along and there’s an opportunity to get involved, we would certainly support it. I think times are are very different now and the type of store there needs to be would have to be very different than it was in the mid 90s. But the essence of what it was is something that I think still would ring true for people. There’s a place for it if it’s done in the right for — for sure.
I read an interview where you said getting to know Eminem when he got sober was like getting to know a different person. What has that process been like?
It’s not a different person, per se. But he’s a much different version of himself. I think it’s important thing for anybody too sort of look back and realize how they got to where they are. And I think when Marshall goes back and revisits the Dresden house or talks about or goes to visit places like where The Hip Hop shop was … it’s cliche, but you have to know where you came from to know where you’re going. I think it’s really good for your psyche and your soul to remember what got you here.
Did you still that "Infinite" cassette tape you bought from Eminem for $6 when you met him?
I don’t know if I have that copy, but I do know I have a copy of the cassette for sure.
What have you learned about loyalty all these years as Eminem's manager and co-founder of the 15-year-old Shady Records?
I don’t think loyalty is really learned. I think loyalty is a trait. I think you can learn about loyalty by how you move and whether you behave in a loyal fashion or not, and the effects that it has. I think for Marshall and I, and for this to work and get to where it is, we really had to believe in each other. And a big part of that belief has to be loyalty. But beyond that, we just had to sort of stick to what was core to who we were and and what we’ve believed in because it’s been a crazy ride.
Just for me to hang on however I did for Marshall when his star started shooting up into the sky is a pretty remarkable feat in itself. There’s a lot of land mines out there. There’s a lot of sharks, a lot of dishonest and untrustworthy individuals and organizations. So the fact we were able to make it through together and have our relationship get stronger through the whole process is I think is a big part of why we were able to grow this company.
You're looking for more talent for the label?
We’re going to keep our eyes open because if something comes along that’s great, we’re not going to pass it up. There’s never a time where we’re not look or saying ‘We have we have and that’s that.’ You never know what’s going to come along.
Any thing you'd like to set the record straight about? Any misconceptions about Eminem, the label, the label's vision, etc. that need to be straightened out or really bite at you?
There’s so many misconceptions about Marshall. I don’t think I have enough time to discuss those. But the thing that really gets me sometimes is that music has become so disposable in a sense now. People are so used to having instant access and gratification to things. They are pretty spoiled. I’m not crying about it, but I don’t think that people really realize the amount of work that it takes to get things to the point we take them to until they are ready to be released and consumed. When people are just really, really sort of … I don’t know the word for it … when they’re not respectful about of the process, that bothers me. It was it is. You can’t really expect people to look behind the door, but it takes a lot of work for the magic to happen. And I just wish more people would realize that.
