Thursday 20 December 2007

The spin doctor

DJ Toomp
Def Jam, the leading force in the rap industry, offered a production deal calling for Toomp to create 10 to 20 songs for the label roster. "I always knew Toomp was on the verge of exploding" as a major talent, says Def Jam's Shakir Stewart, who helped broker the deal. He points out that the song deal didn't guarantee studio sessions with top acts; it was up to Toomp to network and capitalize on the opportunity.

West and Toomp's "Good Life" single sits at No. 7 on the Billboard singles chart. Jay-Z's American Gangster, released Nov. 6, opened at No. 1 on the album charts, and Toomp's "Say Hello" is one of its highlights. In the coming months, he's slated to go into the studio with Nas and Mariah Carey.

Toomp's next goal is to secure a deal with Def Jam for his production company, NZone Entertainment. He's grooming a new crop of acts, including the songwriting team Six20, and rappers Kenoe and Suga Suga. "Hopefully we can do even bigger business," Stewart says. "If Toomp brings in the right artist that fits our machine, I would eventually do a record label with Toomp, if it made sense."

A few weeks later, Toomp gets the really big news - confirmation that after two decades as a journeyman, he's as hot a commodity as he's ever been: The Recording Academy announces Dec. 6 that Kanye West is up for eight Grammys and, for his work on Graduation, Toomp has a share in three of the nominations.

(extract from Creative Loafing Media - Heroes of Mariah)



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