Grammy-winning producer Randy Jackson is probably best known as a judge on American Idol, but he has worked with some of the biggest artists in the music industry – Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks, George Michael. Randy loves dance music and started the dance label Dream Merchant 21 Music with the debut release being “Strobe Light” by American Idol alum Kimberley Locke.
DJ Ron Slomowicz: You're working with Kimberley Locke on the “Strobelight”
project. Out of all the American Idol artists, why have you chosen to
work with her?
Randy Jackson: I started this dance label Dream Merchant 21 Music
about nine months ago, and I was looking for the right artist because
I love singers. Kim’s a great singer, and I was looking for somebody
that was really embraced by the dance community already. So she had
already ventured there, loved it and loves it. I love dance music- I
love all kinds of music but I love dance music and I wanted somebody
that loved it that I wasn't trying to convince. I know you're an R &
B person or I know you're a pop person or a rock person and hey, let's
just try and get some money and do a dance song. Authenticity is big
to me so and she loves dance music, I love dance music, she's a great
artist and so it was a great fit for me.
RS: That's really real. What other artists are you working with
on this project and this new label?
Randy Jackson: We have a Latin girl group coming out next called FMF.
It’s three girls and they're dancers, singers, and really dope
talented performance artists, almost not like Gaga but sort of in that
style. They have an amazing show and we've got an amazing song coming
in about four or five months.
RS: Are there any other American Idols you're working with?
Randy Jackson: I do some co-management with Brooke White, she's not
doing dance music. You never know, there may be somebody from the
last season or the next couple of seasons that I work with.
RS: There have been several American Idols like Blake Lewis,
Julissa Veloz, who have embraced dance music, why do you think there's
such an obvious path from American Idol to dance music?
Randy Jackson: I don't know if there's an obvious path. I think
you've got to love it. That's my whole thing, do what you love and
you'll probably do it best. A lot of them just love all kinds of
music. I know Blake loves dance music, so it’s an easy fit for him.
You're not going to see every Idol embrace dance music because some of
them love country or they love rock or they love something else.
RS: What's your take on taking songs that are pop and country and
making them dance. How do you feel about that?
Randy Jackson: I love it, man. As I said a couple of days ago in the
conference here at WMC, if it’s a great song then it can fit in any
kind of genre. I'm hardcore about great songs because I love songs.
My first taste of dance really was in the Sylvester era and I loved
him. He was an unbelievable singer, an unbelievable performance
artist, and had great songs. I'm just trying to bring that back. I
want to see all the DJs and all the dance crowd embrace the song so
they can blow it out the box so it’s a worldwide smash as opposed to
just being in a smaller community.
RS: I love what you're saying. In the dance world, who do you
see as some of the better song writers and songs?
Randy Jackson: It’s kind of hard right now. I really love what
Guetta is doing and the Swedish House Mafia. I think there's a lot of
DJs that are embracing songs and it's probably DJs that are really
musically talented, but also love to play a good song with a good
hook. Not only a song with a good hook, but a song that's saying
something. I love great singers, so when you have Jocelyn Brown and
Snap and all of that was great and just ruled the world, there were
great singers singing great song. That's why I love Kim, because she's
a real singer. So I mean if anything for me, I want to bring real
singing back, big voices over great music. That marriage to me is
like out of this world.
RS: What would you like to say to the dance people out there?
Randy Jackson: Yo, keep it moving baby. Let’s keep it aggressive,
let’s keep it interesting, let's bring the songs back. We can rule
the world, and we will.
Interview conducted March 2010.
