iF: You received the Greater Houston Knowles: You know, we just do a just want to keep it good ‘ol boy. It
Partnership International Executive
of the Year Award in 2007. Can you
tell us what led to that award?
Knowles: You know I sold Music
W
Walking into the offices of Music World Entertainment in Up-
town Houston Texas was an especially exciting moment for
me as an artist in Houston. In its 25th year, Music World Entertainment con-
tinues to add its rich legacy and history as one of the most successful independent labels in
the world. Right here from Houston, Texas — awe-inspiring to anyone. I have admired and
enjoyed all of the talent I see represented by the array of #1 records and coveted interna-
tional music industry awards on display in front of me. I take a deep breath as I realize this is
probably only a fraction of what they have. I am greeted by Corey Mason, our International
Correspondent, who has arranged this interview for us with Mr. Mathew Knowles, visionary
founder of Music World Entertainment, which is comprised of: Music World Gospel, Music
World Music, Compadre Records, Music World Kids and Music World Properties. We walk
back into Mathew Knowles’ office, which has an amazing view of Memorial Park, and more
books, magazines, awards, and posters that I’d like to look through for days. A few mo-
ments later, Mr. Knowles walks in with a few of his staff and immediately puts me at ease
by catching me off guard. He leans in and says, “I’ve never done this before”, immediately
lightening the mood in the room. We settle in the sitting area and our conversation begins.
World in 2002 for 10 million dollars
and 30 million in stock to Sanctu-
ary, which was the largest Indepen-
dent Record Label and Manage-
ment company in the World. Then I
became president of a division with
170 employees. I brought on-board
five black managers. One is Troy
Carter, who has served as Spotify’s
global head of creator services since
June 2016. I mentored him. Carter
has managed Eve and Lady Gaga.
Mary J Blige’s husband, I bought his
company, then I bought the kids that
had D12 and then we also had Mary
Mary along with Destiny’s Child, So-
lange, Lyfe Jennings. So we had like
an All-Star cast! And that was just on
the management side. Then I did the
O’Jays last album here, Earth Wind
and Fire’s last album here, Chaka
Khan and the London Symphony,
Kool and the Gang, and so I got the
award because I’ve sold more records
outside of America and have brought
more awareness to Houston than any
one person that lives here. Did you
see those awards and plaques outside?
They are from all over the world!
kind of reflects where our country
is today. When they say we want to
“make America great again” what
they’re really saying is “we want to
make America white again”. In this
whole thing of entertainment, there
is an element of racism.
iF: So, you feel that we need to do a Knowles: I talk about it in my
iF: Yes, very much so. It has also
been true of the musicians I have
known that they wanted to promote
love and unity through their music
around the world.
iF: So, essentially you took Houston
and its talent all over the world?
Knowles: I guess you can say that. better job promoting art and music in book, “Racism Through the Eyes
Let me share with you, the biggest
mistake if you saw Berry Gordy’s play
about Motown, is when he moved to
Los Angeles because then his artists
got exposed to “Hollywood”. If he
had stayed in Detroit, he would have
kept his artists. I stayed in Houston
because I didn’t want to be in New
York or Los Angeles, and Houston is
halfway.
iF: : There is a large music scene in
Houston. I feel Houston has a great
music family.
40 iF Magazine | September 2018
poor job of marketing entertainment
in Houston. Period. It starts with city
government, HoustonFirst, etc. They
don’t get it! I mean we have a tun-
nel system that is five miles of space
that could be turned into an enter-
tainment destination with a blink of
an eye but nobody’s getting it, so it
closes at 6:30 and on the weekends it
could be a destination. You know At-
lanta has an underground where they
have entertainment.
of a Child.” I talk about the music
Industry, because at Columbia Re-
Knowles: Absolutely! I think when cords, I was the manager of a white
you look at our population and the girl band and a white boy band, and
companies here like Rap-A-Lot, one I know how their recording budgets
of the largest rap labels, Music World, were twice as much as their “Urban”
some of the country and Téjano art- counterparts, their marketing bud-
ists that are from here. We have a gets were twice as much, their ad-
music scene but we let Austin take vance that they got for signing was
it over. It should be Houston instead twice as much, from the beginning. I
of Austin. They had the President of didn’t like the segregation of having
the United States at SXSW, Jimmy an “Urban” division or black division
Kimmel did his show live from Aus- and then a Pop division, which really
tin, because nobody gets it here in was black and white you know, it’s
Houston because the good ‘ol boys segregation and some record labels
iF Magazine | www.iFMagazine.net
41
Houston?