24/7. So, all of my projects keep me up at night. Like right now, I'm working on this R&B artist by the name of Javier. That's the one that I'm actually in full production with right now. I'm in the mixing process now. He’s kinda the one that's getting my primary focus at the moment. He's actually in town, so I'm mixing his album now. We're getting ready to start on another Chingy album, so I'm gonna start being busy with Chingy probably the beginning of May. I have a dancehall artist. I've finished his album, but we are just in the process of figuring which single we want to go with; and I just signed two new acts -- a young male R&B artist, and a young male rapper. So, right now I have five projects I'm juggling and that definitely keeps me busy.

HGEN: Do you ever work on the albums simultaneously or take on one at a time?

DARIUS JONES: Actually, they're all going to overlap. They're definitely going to overlap. I'll probably be done with Javier by the time I start on the other ones fully, so that'll be one out of the way, but I will be juggling four others simultaneously.

HGEN: Who do you think is the next big star on your roster?

DARIUS JONES: Hmm. We have a few promising young up and coming artists that it's hard for me to say which one. We have this artist by the name of CJ who's incredible. He's like a young Marvin Gaye. He's incredible. So I definitely believe he's one of our stars, and this other young artist that I signed, he's definitely a star. He’s like a young --  a ghetto singer that’s just a real street R&B singer. He's a star. The kid's a star.

HGEN: And they're going to be released when?

DARIUS JONES: If not this year, early next year. And this southern rapper I did a deal with, through Tony Draper who actually started Suave House Records. He had 8Ball and MJG and Tela, and I did a deal with him. He has a young rapper that's incredible as well. I'm really excited about all of our new up and coming artists.

HGEN: Which artist do you not have signed at Capitol that you wish you had signed to your label?

DARIUS JONES: Wow! That is a very, very good question. That is a very, very good question. Does it have to be a new artist or just any artist?

HGEN: Any artist.

DARIUS JONES: You know, Ludacris. I'm a huge Ludacris fan. I think he's probably the best rapper that we have out right right now. He's so clever. He never compromises who he is. He sticks to what he is and he wins everytime. He's so consistent. If we could sign Ludacris to Capitol, I would be the happiest A&R person in the industry.

HGEN: So, typically, do you sign someone for so many albums or so many years.

DARIUS JONES: It's albums. Actually, the legal department negotiates all that. It varies from artist to artist.

HGEN: We've talked a lot about rap. I'm going to ask you a question that's been asked for the last twenty years --  do you think rap music is here to stay?

DARIUS JONES: It hasn't gone anywhere in twenty years and it's not going anywhere. Rap is here and it's here to stay. It just changes. It changes with the times.

HGEN: How would you describe the impact of rap on our culture?

DARIUS JONES: I would say that it is the most popular genre of music right now.

HGEN: So what is your response to those who say that hip hop and rap music have taken black music backwards, because of the violence, and depiction of women and black men?

DARIUS JONES: As far as the female issue -- being derogatory to women, I'm not an advocate of that; but I understand why rappers use those types of words, because they're basically just describing the type of women they see and deal with on an everyday basis on the streets. So if they might be acting like a "bitch," then they feel like they need to call them that. Personally, I would never call a female that, but I understand why they use those terms.

HGEN: So rappers talk about their everyday experiences. I recall some years ago there was a big outcry against Ice-T regarding his verbal assault on the police in one of his songs. I remember saying that while I did not endorse shooting the police, I thought that Ice-T was talking about his experiences with the police and how he felt about the treatment meted out to him, as an African American. Many people just didn't seem to get that.

DARIUS JONES: Exactly. That's why everyone needs to really get back to basics with music, because at the core of music, all there is, is an expression of a person's experiences. That's all they're doing, just telling you their story. And you know you can't get upset at an artist for painting something that they feel or for the way they want to express themselves...you can't censor that. How can you censor someone's expression? How can you censor a way that a person is expressing themselves? As long as they are not hurting anyone physically, then it shouldn't be a problem. It's art and that’s all music is...art.

HGEN: Just like they say that television and film influence people to do things they see on the screen, do you think that music influences kids --  for example do you think that urban music influences young men to view or refer to women as "bitches" and "hoes" and all that stuff?

DARIUS JONES: I wouldn't say it more or less influences. I just think that what it does is says what kids are already thinking. Because the things that the person that's rapping is experiencing, nine times out of ten, the consumer that is buying that artist has been experiencing the same thing. So, it's like they're living through that artist because they're feeling and understanding the exact same thing --  the story that the artist is telling. I wouldn't say it influences, it's just expressing what is already being felt by the consumer.

HGEN: Eminem…the white rap artist who's taken the rap world by storm. Your thoughts?

DARIUS JONES: Eminem is one of the greatest rappers to ever live --  white, black, Asian, Hispanic, whatever. He's one of the greatest rappers ever. If you just strip him of his race, he's just a rapper. Look at him just for his ability. He's so clever. I'm not biased. I'm not a racist at all. I look at stuff for what it is. He has such a way with words, and he knows how to turn something serious into something comical, but still be able to get his point across. He's one of the greatest and that's how I look at it.

HGEN: Many artists like Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube have branched out into film and television as actors and directors. Do you think that branching out into other areas of the entertainment industry has hurt or helped their careers?

DARIUS JONES: I definitely feel that it's helped their careers. The life span of a rapper is very short, so if you want to continue making money, you will definitely have to branch out into other arenas because the life span of a rapper is two, three albums --  three albums max. So, if you want to keep making the type of money that you're used to, you'd be smart to branch out into other forms of entertainment. I definitely feel that it helped their careers as far as exposure. Now you know, Ice Cube at one point, he was considered a militant black rapper. Now, he's doing children's films.

HGEN: Yeah. Now, do you think that has hurt his image, especially with his last movie, "Are We There Yet?"

DARIUS JONES: No, I don't think it's hurt his image, because as long as he keeps it urban, he still has his credibility. And he still does his music. He hasn't changed his music. As long as he doesn't go out doing movies about moving to the suburbs and doing movies that the urban community can't relate to, he'll be fine.

HGEN: Now, Will Smith has received a lot of criticism about being too soft core. What's your take on Will's music?

DARIUS JONES: Personally, I'm not a huge fan of Will Smith, but I understand what he does. He's a mega movie star, a worldwide superstar and there's a fan base for what he does; and as long as there is a fan base for that, he needs to keep doing what he's doing. I'm not opposed to that. A lot of people in this music industry get mixed up about things that should not really be about personal opinion, it's really about what the consumer feels. It doesn't matter what I feel about a certain song or a certain album, because I'm not the target audience. All that matters is that as long as there is a fan base for it and there are people out there that like it, yeah, keep giving it to them.

HGEN: What does the success of Usher mean for black people?

DARIUS JONES: I think it means a lot. I call Usher the new Michael Jackson because he's been catapulted into that rare area where few artists are able to reach. He's in that worldwide superstar, megastar area. It means so much to black music that the number one artist in the world is black. So, it just shows that urban is here and we're really the number one type of music that's getting a lot of focus and attention.

HGEN: What do you define as urban music?

DARIUS JONES: Urban music is music that is created from the soul and it is solely based on the life experiences of the artists that are singing it.

HGEN: Would you say that it is reminiscent of blues, because blues has been described like that, too.

DARIUS JONES: Yeah. I think hip hop and R&B are all derived from blues and from all of the…

HGEN: Pain?

DARIUS JONES: Yeah, and suffering of slavery. Hip hop is all derived from that. It's basically the same thing. It's just an expression of what the individual is going through at the moment.

HGEN: You mentioned Michael Jackson. Some people seem to think that he's washed up. Do you think he's washed up and what advice would you give to him if you were handling his career right now --  what would you say to him musically?

DARIUS JONES: I'd hate to say that Michael's washed-up because I would never say he's washed up vocally. I would say that the music industry has changed so much, it's more about marketing now. And being that he's had the skin problems and things like that, in the climate that we're in today, it would be very hard to market a Michael Jackson. Because everything is so about visibility these days in music, he's really not marketable by today's standards.

HGEN: Usher has said that Michael is his idol and I think Brittany Spears has as well. Does he still have influence on, and the respect of, up and coming artists?
 

Michael Jackson

DARIUS JONES: Definitely. Michael Jackson is the greatest artist that has ever walked this earth. And I don't think that there will ever be anyone greater than Michael Jackson. What he's done is second to none. No one will ever do what he's done. He touches every gender, every race, every nationality, every religion. Everyone on this planet knows who Michael Jackson is. You can go to a village in Kenya and ask who Michael Jackson is and they'll know who Michael Jackson is. I don't think anyone will ever have that type of influence on the world as an artist, ever, ever again. He's amazing. And it's sad that he's going through everything that he's going through right now. Because as an artist, he's the greatest ever. Ever. There will never be another.

HGEN: What would you like to say to him right now, specifically in view of what he's going through…what words of advice,
support or whatever, would you like to say to him?

DARIUS JONES: I would just like to say to Michael Jackson, "Keep your head up. I'm one of the people who really believe that you are innocent. Just keep your head up, stay positive, keep God first and believe me, the truth will definitely come out." I am a huge Michael Jackson fan. Huge. Huge! I have a CD in my car --  it's not in my changer right now, but it's in my car --  Thriller, the greatest CD ever. "Michael, you're the greatest. Love you Michael."

HGEN: So, Capitol Records has produced artists such as Snoop Dogg, Frank Sinatra, the Beatles, Tina Turner, Pink Floyd. How did a label that has become so successful with such famous pop bands get into hip hop, R&B and rap music? And NWA I believe.

DARIUS JONES: NWA started out at Priority and we merged with Capitol in 2001 to become the urban department, the urban division for Capitol. So that's basically how Capitol Records got into the urban business. Before, they had Hammer --  this is prior to my working here --  they had Hammer and a young artist by the name of Sammy. But they never had a full-fledged urban division. They just had a few urban acts here and there. But in 2001 when we merged with Capitol, we actually became a full-fledged urban division for Capitol Records. That's how that happened.

HGEN: Since you're a diverse company now, what do you think the focus of the label will be? What will the label expend its energies on in the future?

DARIUS JONES: It's hard to say right now, just because the climate changes so often. We just kinda have to go with the flow and just see whichever way the climate changes in the music industry. Right now, I would say that probably the fastest growing genre music is reggae tone. Reggae tone music is really, really, really rapidly growing, so I would probably say that would probably be the next genre of music we would maybe take a stab at.

HGEN: What exactly is reggae tone? Is it like Shaggy's music?

DARIUS JONES: No, that's dancehall reggae. Reggae tone is Latin-based. It's like dancehall reggae music with a Latin feel to it. It's Latin artists basically doing their thing, rapping or doing the reggae tone thing over a dancehall driven production.

HGEN: Let's talk about iPods. Do iPods and mobile media really pose a threat to the music industry, and if so, how?

DARIUS JONES: I don't think iPods pose a threat as far as album sales. I'm in the streets. I ask kids and different people throughout the world their opinions about different things in the music industry and one of the questions I ask them is "do you still enjoy going to a record store and buying an album?" The majority of them have said yes, because they want to be able to open the package, check inside and see which producers worked on the album, which producer did a particular song. I just think that that's a part of the whole process of being involved, being a part of the album…that is, actually having the album, the art work and all that. That's an art form in itself. It's like you are part of the movement if you have the actual album. You get to know which label they're on, which producers they worked with, which studios that they worked in…stuff like that. People really want to be a part of that. They want to know that. So, I don't think iPods pose a threat.

HGEN: So, is Capitol doing anything about illegal downloading?

DARIUS JONES: Yes, well, maybe not, I'm not sure about illegal downloading, but I know that as far as burning CDs, we have hyper protected CDs so you can't burn our CDs.

HGEN: How do you counter bootlegging overseas, especially in Asia?

DARIUS JONES: How do you counter that technology? Know what, you can't. You just gotta kinda roll with the punches. As they develop technology that surpasses ours, we just kinda gotta keep up with it.

HGEN: This seems to be a real problem in Asia.

DARIUS JONES: Yeah. Technology-wise, they're probably ten years ahead of us and it's just up to us to try to keep abreast of what's going on and just kinda roll with it. There's nothing we can do to prevent it --  to prevent them from developing the technology. We just have to be able to roll with it when it comes

HGEN: What do you think about satellite radio and will terrestrial radio become obsolete?

DARIUS JONES: I don't think it will become obsolete, but I'm a huge fan of satellite radio because it's like the purest form of public expression. It's like cable TV, with just music and radio. You can say what you want and do what you want. You're uncensored. I love it. I love it. I think it's definitely the future. But I don't think it's going to make normal radio obsolete, because you still have parents that don't want children listening to derogatory lyrics and profanity, so normal radio definitely won't become obsolete.

HGEN: Is the effect of regular/normal radio decreasing in breaking new artists in different music?

DARIUS JONES: That's a tough one. I really feel that just the music industry in itself is becoming really redundant. There's so much copycatting of other artists, it's become redundant. And radio is not really doing anything to help the cause. That's really a good question. I wish radio would embrace newer artists more than they do now, because people get tired of hearing the same old stuff; and when a new artist does peek his head through, nine times out of ten it's because they sound like this other person, so we're going to play them. Most people say that it's really up to the record labels, and to some degree, it is our responsibility to help change the direction of the whole copycat thing -- this artist sounds like this one -- but it's radio's responsibility as well; because if something sounds like another, they have the right to not play it. So, they [radio] definitely have a huge factor in this equation as well.

HGEN: Would you say that payola is still going on in one form or another in the music industry?

DARIUS JONES: Yeah. Ahhhh! [laughs] I decline from really discussing it, but I definitely know it's still going on.

HGEN: What is the best way you would advise a new artist, with no representation to break into the music industry?

DARIUS JONES: It's tough. Probably, the best way, in the climate that we're in today, is to really, really focus on building your story from the street level. If you are just trying to gain access to an established act that already has a fan base that you can attach yourself to, hopefully that artist takes a liking to you and you guys can work together. Then they can help develop you and that artist can introduce you. If you can't do that, I would definitely start from the street level and just hit the clubs...

HGEN: Build your fan base?

DARIUS JONES: Yeah, build your fan base. Start from the streets, the clubs, at the radio, hit the local mix-show DJs, hit them up with your vinyl and hopefully they'll embrace it and really want to play it. But you definitely have to start from the ground up. You can't just start by trying to go straight into a [major] label and say "Hey, I want a deal."

HGEN: So, with the record labels not accepting unsolicited material from artists and all the difficult hoops and hurdles that artists go through, how can an unsigned artist get your attention?

DARIUS JONES: The best way for an unsigned artist to get my attention and more than likely any other label person's attention is to start their own movement. Don't focus on trying to get a deal with a major label. Focus on building your name in the streets and focus on getting your records played in the clubs and just getting your name out there in the streets and basically, we'll find you. When you start going, people start talking about you. We hear about that. So, that's the best way to get a label's attention because when they just come in and say, "I'm hot. This is my CD," we're like, yeah, okay, the person before you is hot and the person before them said the same thing. So, you have to do something that actually gets our attention.

HGEN: What do you think of shows --  talent showcases --  like American Idol?

DARIUS JONES: Up until this past season, I wasn't really a huge fan. And honestly, I'm still not a huge fan, even though Randy Jackson is my man. I love Randy Jackson, that's my "dawg." I'm still not a huge fan, but when Fantasia won, I started to like it a little more, because to me she's probably the best idol thus far. She's already platinum. She's successful. Her album is incredible. And to me, she represents every average black woman in life, every young black woman in the neighborhood, in the urban community. That's what she represents and people have bought into it. That particular demographic of people have actually bought into her. So, to me, up until last season, I wasn't into it. I really wasn't a huge fan of Reuben. I never bought Reuben. I never believed in Reuben and Kelly Clarkson isn't my cup of tea.

HGEN: And what about Clay Aiken? He just seems to have blown up all over the place.

DARIUS JONES: Yeah, he has actually, but then, he's not really my cup of tea either. But I understand why people like him. He's a really good guy that's marketed to just average everyday people and they bonded with him, just like Fantasia. And like Fantasia, average people like him because they feel like that's them, and they're living vicariously through him. They're like "If he can do this, I know I can." They buy into him and that's how Fantasia won. The average black woman in the neighborhood looks at her and feels like "oh, that's me."

HGEN: Do your peers at other labels look at or scout the show for possible talent to sign?

DARIUS JONES: I can't say for sure, but I doubt it.

Hgen's Sandra Lord and Darius Jones share a laugh [Photo by Donald Harper (c) 2005 HGEN]

HGEN: I noticed that you are featured on the Music Industry Hookup. Are you affiliated with them?

DARIUS JONES: I'm not affiliated with them. They call me once or month or so and I do these "question and answer" things with them. It's like an online panel, a conference call. There are different people across the U.S. on there. They ask me questions and I answer them and enlighten them on the music industry.

HGEN: What made you want to get involved with that entity?

DARIUS JONES: I just love to talk to people. I just really enjoy what I do. It's fun and I just feel like there are a lot of people who want to break into the music industry and since I'm fortunate enough to actually work in it, I feel like if people have questions that they want to ask me, if I can answer them, I'd be more than happy to answer them.

HGEN: A form of giving back?

DARIUS JONES: Exactly.

HGEN: Who are the people who helped you along the way you would have to thank, especially if you were receiving an award today?

DARIUS JONES: First I would like to thank Andrew Shack and Wendy Goldstein. Those were the two people at Capitol Records who really believed in me and helped me to get to where I am today. I'd like to thank Big Bob Francis at 55 Entertainment for being such a great mentor to me. And L.A. Reid. I don't know L.A. Reid, but I'm a huge fan of L.A. Reid. I believe he's probably the greatest music executive to actually work in this business, so I thank him for setting an example for young black music executives…And my mom, for believing in me. Thank you mom, I love you.

HGEN: Where do you see yourself in five years?

DARIUS JONES: In five years I see myself becoming the head of an A&R department and having my own production company, through whichever label I'm working for, and honing my acts through this label as well as working with the acts that are already on the label.

HGEN: I see you as a mogul in the making and I have no doubt you will continue to scale the heights in the music industry.

DARIUS JONES: Thank you. I appreciate that.

HGEN: Hollywood Global Entertainment Network [HGEN] -- specializes in global networking for people in the entertainment industry, allowing people around the world to connect and do business together. In your opinion, how important is networking in the music industry?

DARIUS JONES: Oh my Gosh! Networking is the building blocks of this business. If you're not able to network, you need to find another profession. It's all about who you know. That's everything.

HGEN: Have you really found that to be true --  all about whom you know?

DARIUS JONES: Oh, definitely. It's all about who you know. Cause you will be totally unable to finish an album if you don't know anybody. You need to know which producers to go to for a specific sound. If you don't know these people -- say if you want your artist to work with a certain producer --  you may not know any way to get to that specific producer. Networking, that's how I was able to succeed thus far. It's just me networking, getting out, traveling different places, going to different industry functions, just meeting people and it just escalates from there. It's basically definitely the building blocks of this business. Without networking -- if you're not able to network -- you don't need to be in the music industry.

HGEN: What do you like to do in your spare time?

DARIUS JONES: What I like to do in my spare time, which is not very often, is actually relax and just watch ESPN. I love ESPN. Also, every Sunday I try to play basketball with my family --  my brothers, my cousins, my uncles and so forth. I try to get together with them and play ball. That's pretty much it. I don't have a lot of spare time, so when I do, I try to use it wisely.

** [We arranged a photoshoot with Darius playing ball with his friends and family, but a rainy Sunday foiled our plans and led us back to his offices at Capitol Records, then on to the recording studio, where we concluded the our interview]

HGEN: You are going out of town tonight for two weeks, do you want to tell us about it?

DARIUS JONES: I'm actually going on a trip to Atlanta for a couple days. Chingy, the artist I'm working with presently, has the first single to the Fantastic Four soundtrack that's coming out to the movie that's coming out this summer. We're actually going out there to mix the song so we can get it to the movie people so they can import it into a few commercials they're doing. They have this huge campaign with the NBA where it's going to be the theme song for the NBA playoffs this year. So I have to go out there and mix that and get it to them so they can get all that going. Then from Atlanta, I'm going to Miami for the Radio One Springfest. Chingy is performing out there along with Faith Evans. It's a radio conference where all of the major radio stations out there --  the Radio One stations -- have a huge weekend in Miami where they have a bunch of large artists go out there and perform. From there, I go back to Atlanta to mix another song for Chingy's album that we're doing. We're probably just going to mix it and put out, just so he can have a song out before the album comes out. Then, back to L.A. after that...start all over again.

HGEN: Do you regret not pursuing a career in the medical field, or do you feel you're doing exactly what you were meant to be doing?

DARIUS JONES: (Laughs). I don't regret not pursuing a career in the medical field at all. For one, it wasn't fun. When I realized that I wanted to make a career change, it was solely based on me enjoying what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, and honestly, with all my heart, I felt that I would not have enjoyed being a physician for the rest of my life. I definitely feel like this is my calling, because once I started pursuing it, everything just happened. Things just started happening for me. So, I definitely feel like I'm doing exactly what I should be doing.

HGEN: So you can't wait to wake up in the morning to see what the day brings?

DARIUS JONES: I just can't wait to get to work. I go to sleep in a hurry to wake up to actually go back to work. I LOVE what I do. I can't wait to wake up to see what the day brings.