It’s not everyday in this business that you get to interview someone who has actually inspired you so I was can honestly say I was very lucky to get the chance to interview MempHitz recently. Moving from Memphis and taking a chance at following his dreams Hitz landed an Internship over at Artista and  worked his way up to become A&R to VP of A&R over at JIVE Records. Hitz defines the phrase “Hard Work” in my eye’s. An with my personal career stating off the same way with an internship given to me by Big Chuck over at Poe Boy Music Group and then me leaving Florida for New York chasing my dreams as well I can personally  relate to  MempHitz entire story. So before you judge and book by it’s cover definitely take sometime out and read a page or two and you just might learn how that person made through his or her struggles which is exactly what MempHitz has been doing his entire career and the scariest thing is he’s just getting started. Switching lanes and starting his own company Hitz Committee, MempHitz is ready to take on his latest challenge as CEO and “Do Work“!

24: You definitely define the meaning of “Hard Work ” going all of the way back to when you started as an intern at Artista to now being the Vice President of A&R at Jive Records. But I wanted to ask you about that day at that meeting LA Reid was having when you raised up your hands and took on the Young Bloods project that no one else seem to want to take and you helped put out the best Young Bloods project to date. At that point though did you ever think you would be where you are today?

MempHitz: That was a long time ago, but no man. All I knew was that when I came to New York I said to myself that any opportunity that came my way I was going to jump in it. Their was opportunities that came my way in the past and I kind of waived them off and I started to learn that opportunities don’t really come back knock on your door again. I never knew what the results were going to be, but all I knew that someone was knocking at my door and I answered it and I’m so glad I did. I’m so happy I did because it helped me get to where I’m at now. It’s like you said I went from being a nothing just trying to get into a label to being on the label and interning for them, then becoming an A&R. But even with all of the success I had so far it still never stops. Now I’m trying to go from being an A&R to a CEO. It’s a new challenge all over again. it’s kind of like I’m an intern all over again.

24: Your definitely an inspiration to myself and a lot others so I wanted to know who inspires you and makes you want to take everything your doing and your career to another level?

MempHitz: I have two different influences and one being my parents. Definitely, my dad when he was alive because I got to watch him be a CEO and how he just made it work. He got helped from where ever it came from and though he never got to see the success of him being a CEO but him and my mom always had that successful spirit. I would always him them talking about their next idea and next project and that just kind of inspired me. So when I grow up I just took on that whole mentality and way of thinking. I also had my mentors I was looking at from the TV such as  Puff, Baby & Slim, J Prince, Irv Gotti, etc. I would look at them and see how they were the face of their companies and I would say to myself I want to be the face of my company. At one point I had a dream of being an artist and a CEO like Jay-Z. I’m a mixture of a lot of great CEO’s that came before me. I never really watched rappers or singers because 9 out 10 if I was watching anyone it was the CEO and I was trying to find out who owned the company. Who was the face of the brand and Jermaine Dupri got me into branding. An now I understand what branding is now and the more successful in this business I’m becoming the more my branding techniques have become as well.

24: You have worked on a lot of great projects so far in your career as an A&R so if you had to single out two projects that means the most too you which would it be?

MempHitz: I would say Young Bloods because it was the first project I ever got to touch, J-Kwon because it was my first signing ever and I’ll say T-Pain because that’s the biggest thing I’ve been known for discovering to date as an A&R. That’s a real hard question though because all of the projects I have been apart of has sentimental value to me. I’m sorry, you asked me for two and I gave you three.

24: It’s cool and I really appreciated your work on the “UGK” project as well.

MempHitz: That was crazy because I got to meet Pimp C and Bun B who I grew up listening too and I look up and I’m in the studio talking to them. Listening to them tell me old stories about when then they first got signed to me growing up and them influencing me and they taking notice that I was from the south and their music was inspiring to me and the bond that it created. They was happy someone was in the building that grew up with their music and I had a great time working with them both. I’ve had a lot of memories and experiences that I wouldn’t give away or trade for the world. An when I think back now, if I would had never got on the plane and sat on my ass and not left Memphis I wouldn’t have none of these stories. So when opportunity knock you have to answer that door man!

24: Right now K.Michelle is definitely making her name known in the industry and her single “I Just Can’t Do This” was huge so I just wanted to know how did you link up with her and what made you sign her?

MempHitz: I linked up with K.Michelle actually in the office. We link up in the Jive Records office, I’m not exactly sure what she was there for but I was in my office and at the time I had my jewelry on and it said my area code and I was walking through the office working on some T-Pain stuff. I saw this girl and she was looking good and I was like damn, who’s this girl? She walked up to me and was like what’s that on your neck and I was like my chain and it’s my area code “901”. She like like I’m from Memphis and I was like I’m from Memphis(lol). She asked me what I was doing their and I told her that I work here and I left Memphis a couple years ago. Then she asked me if I was that Hitz dude that signed T-Pain and I was like yeah. She said to me, your about to listen to me sing right now! She grabbed me by the arm puled me in a room and stared singing and I signed her on the spot. I was like you aint going no where. Your not leaving this building until I sign you. I could not believe that this voice was coming out of this girl.

24: Outside of K.Michelle for the readers I wanted you to give them a little rundown of your roster that everyone should be on the look out for from Hitz Committee?

MempHitz: Right now Tydis he’s a 17year old rapper out of Dallas. He’s actually been with me for a while now even before I signed K.Michelle but sometimes with a rap artist it task a little longer to get that sound or that song and that following that you need to be successful. The Party Boyz who are bringing just that, when they step intuit he building it’s “Party Time”. I’m not trying to get too fancy with them. I have a new signing by the name of Mr.CG. I hooked up with him from my man Troy Hudson who use to play with the Timberwolves, he has his own label so I hooked up with him through that. He’s a real young wild, vibrant kid who makes all types of music. Also Master Shortie who’s from the UK and a new signing who I’m showcasing now by the name of Courtney Hart out of New Orleans, she sings. At first when I was coming into the game I was trying to be the new Bad Boy, but I just learned I’m a mixture of things. My company is a little Bad Boy, a little LaFace. I’m more into these singer than rappers. If it’s not fun or heartfelt and saying something I’m just probably not going to deal with it if I feel like I heard it before.

24: Your also on BET “The Deal” so let me know how did that come about because it’s real rare that your VP of A&R at Jive Records and on “The Deal” usually it would be a VJ doing the show?

MempHitz: One day I was just sending out emails and on my blackberry and I got a message from Steven Hill and I’m thinking to myself who the hell is Steven Hill. At the time I was still on the come up and new to the building and the message said have I ever met you before? An I’m like who the hell is this asking me have I ever met them before, so I said no. So I asked what’s up and he explained to me who he was and stated that he was the program director of BET. I realized who it was and he mentioned that he kept hearing all this stuff about me and that he wanted to meet me.  He asked me when I could come to his office and I told him now! So I went over to his office and he asked me where did I come from and I started to tell him my whole story and my struggles. He asked me if I ever thought about being on TV and told me to give him a couple of days and he would build a show around me.  I came out the office calling my mother and agreed to do it. I met Diamond Kuts on the set and they pretty much just threw us on TV. I have never had any TV training or anything, they never gave us any training. They just put us in a room and said the show would be called The Deal and “Action” and my and Diamond just started talking. An until this day people ask me why are y’all on so late and what’s going on with the show because we was on right before 106 & Park at one time for about two weeks. What I came to find out was that they just threw us on TV with this show and I’m not sure if that was a good thing for us or a bad thing. But I do know I got a gorilla style training for being a TV personality(lol). Where still on to this day, they just sent us our signing for our third season and they say where getting good ratings for our slot at 3am which I’m still trying to fix and I don’t understand. But I still have a lot of my focus on my music and trying to become a CEO to be reckoned with out here. I’m all for it but it’s not like a job I went and applied for it was something I was called and asked to do. It’s like a hobby, but I love it and I can’t even say anything bad about it. I love and I’m thankful for the opportunity.

24: Years from now when it’s all said and done what do you want people to say you brought to the music world?

MempHitz: I want people to say that I was in the music world. I don’t want them too look at me and say all I ever did was music, I’m really trying to be a Mogul. I want to be know for someone who did more then just music. I want to venture off and open up people mind to different things and new challenges. I want people to say he does music but he does this over here too and he does this over here and he helped these people that was less fortunate over here. I think when you die, it’s when the topic comes up about what you did and what you did while you were here. So at the end of the day outside of having fun and taking care of my family it’s all about who I helped while I was here.

24: What’s next for you for the rest of 2010  going into 2011 for you and your company that everyone should be looking out for?

MempHitz: You know, just all of my records from K.Michelle to The Party Boyz, Master Shortie, Tydis, Mr.CG and the third season of The Deal. I just finished taping a show with my girl Claudia, we just finished taping her show  and they already trying got get her to do a second season and we not even finish taping the first season yet just because of the footage they’ve seen. An I’m just finally happy to have a woman on my team man that’s my partner! Living this life, I’ve had my share of women and to have a real one finally that’s doing her own thing and has her own TV Show. I’m looking for big things in 2011 to happen because I’ve really been working out here and I’m a man of “Respect” and I feel like It’s time for mine.

24: Any final words for the readers?

MempHitz: If you know what you came here to do stay focus and do it, and don’t pay any mind to those people telling you can’t do it because they just wish they could do it like you.

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