Nick Raphael of London Records explains how he signed the well known hip-hop artist Jay-Z, why most aspiring musicians are extremely unrealistic, how a great talent will not sell if they are unlikeable, and why any success in music, film and life is accomplished as a team.
“A good week is when the public hear the artist on the radio, TV or internet and tell you they love them as much as you do.” (02:52) – Nick Raphael
“Seeing someone playing in a pub, and then two years seeing them perform in an arena, is fulfilling beyond belief.” – Nick Raphael (05:11)
“The Beatles couldn’t get a record contract.” – Nick Raphael (06:57)
“Trust me, I nearly got fired over having Jay-Z on my label.” – Nick Raphael (07:59)
“At the time I felt like the biggest bluffer in the world.” – Nick Raphael (14:43)
“It normally costs about half a million pounds minimum to bring an artist to market.” – Nick Raphael (27:07)
“I was earning more money than the guys that were running FTSE companies.” – Nick Raphael (39:16)
“Every success in music in film in life is a team. Very rarely does anyone ever achieve anything on their own.” – Nick Raphael (45:30)
“There’s no ‘I’ in Team but there’s a ‘U’ in Cunt.” – Nick Raphael (45:46)
“If you are unlikeable you can have the greatest talent in the world but no one’s going to buy your records.” – Nick Raphael (50:46