Music Exec Ray Daniels Explains Why He is “The Tradition Referee”

Ray Daniels, a well-respected music govt who’s been within the business for over twenty years, is entering into the podcast area. Because the founding father of R.A.Y.D.A.R Administration LLC, Daniels has aided the careers of Beyoncé, Ciara, Rihanna, Usher, Future, Miley Cyrus, Adam Levine, Chloe Bailey, Latto, Saweetie and lots of extra. His different titles embrace A&R, guide and dealer, negotiating publishing and artist offers equivalent to YouTube sensation NLE Choppa. Now, Daniels is pushing his new podcast, The GAUDS Present.

It isn’t the typical music-based present. As an alternative, it’s hosted by somebody with years of perception and data, particularly in the case of the label system in Atlanta. In somewhat over a yr since its launch, the present has collected greater than 10 million month-to-month views, with excessive profile company equivalent to Joe Budden, Dame Sprint and Grasp P.

View this submit on Instagram

A submit shared by Ray Daniels (@raydaniels)

The GAUDS Present, which stands for “G.O.A.T.s and Underdogs,” contains Daniels’ perspective on each. Whereas he sees himself as a G.O.A.T. (Biggest Of All Time), he wakes up on a regular basis feeling like an underdog, which solely fuels his hustle.

AllHipHop spoke with Ray Daniels nearly to debate his new present, the which means behind it, juggling each careers, managing Theron Thomas and extra.

AllHipHop: How’s Atlanta treating you?

Ray Daniels: It’s good.I simply acquired again from the Grammys. I like it right here. I’m a really well-known determine right here, so it seems like residence. I like it right here. All over the place I am going, I get handled with love. So I like it. [laughs]

AllHipHop: Congrats in your new present, The GAUDS Present. What does it stand for?

Ray Daniels: GAUDS is an acronym for G.O.A.T.s and Underdogs. My thought course of was lots of people out right here see themselves as G.O.A.T.s, lots of people see themselves as underdogs. However you don’t get to G.O.A.T. standing until you’ve gotten that underdog mentality. That’s the way you change into the G.O.A.T. It was an effective way of bringing the world collectively. 

AllHipHop: When did you first give you that idea?

Ray Daniels: I used to be on the telephone with a pal of mine. She stated, “Man, some individuals out listed here are G.O.A.T.s. Some individuals are underdogs.” My podcast was initially going to be known as Black Gold. Then I used to be like, “Nahhh.” G.O.A.T.s and Underdogs, that’s one thing. That might be a dialog starter. 

I assumed I needed to be Stephen A. Smith, that was my objective. I’m a Sportscenter, ESPN fanatic. You finish your night time with sports activities, you then get up the subsequent morning, they speak about it for 4 hours straight and we by no means get bored with them discovering angles. Man, perhaps I may do this for the music? So the target was to do The GAUDS present the place we talked about GOATs and underdogs, High 5’s. That was initially the plan, however it turned it into no matter it needed to show into. I cherished it as a result of it was natural.

AllHipHop: Would you think about your self a G.O.A.T. or an underdog?

Ray Daniels: I believe I’m a GOAT. I’d think about myself a G.O.A.T. however based mostly on the place I began and the place I’m at. It has nothing to do with how the world sees me, it has all the things to do with how I see myself. I consciously noticed myself on a path to a world that I didn’t wish to be in, and I decided when nobody thought it was good. And right here I’m. Due to that, I’m a G.O.A.T. 

However I get up every single day and I hustle like an underdog. That’s why it’s Monday at 6 p.m. and I’m within the workplace like, “Let’s go.” There’s no one right here on the workplace however me. I wish to be the primary one right here, the final one to go away. I would like that to be how I see myself. I’m dedicated to this. 

AllHipHop: The present has been getting an enormous response. What would you attribute that to?

Ray Daniels: More often than not, if a man like me does what I do, that often implies that I’m finished. I’m out the sport. Why it really works is as a result of I’m the primary hybrid participant in music. Joe Budden might be the closest as a result of he was a rapper whereas he was a podcaster, however the podcaster was working a lot better for him. That’s most likely why he chased that one down, clearly. 

For me, the rationale why the present’s working is as a result of I’m talking a few sport that I’m at present taking part in, at a really excessive stage. It’s not like I’m like speaking about one thing after: Hey, that is the way it was. No, I’m saying that’s the way it was and that’s how it’s now. As a result of I’m on the frontline coping with. I believe that’s why it’s working. 

AllHipHop: Who’s been your favourite visitor?

Ray Daniels: That’s an important query. My favourite interviews is artist highlight. The entire company that I’ve interviewed on artist highlight has meant one thing to me. I don’t actually wish to ask individuals their enterprise. You do that, we don’t gossip in our world. It’s a really arduous line to experience whereas talking on one thing, with out coming off like gossip. My objective is to return off with an genuine voice, ask me questions that common individuals would asking me and I’m going to reply it. And if it’s good, I’ll put it up. That’s how I began. 

I didn’t launch the podcast until the top of August 2022. I began placing content material up March 2022. From March to August, in every single place I went, individuals stated, “Congratulations on the podcast. Oh my God, I like it.” That’s how I knew individuals was filled with s###, as a result of there’s no podcast. It’s simply me speaking on the web and on my Instagram, that’s the one place it’s. It’s not on YouTube nowhere. I’m like okay, let me simply begin one. A minimum of construct a enterprise, and that’s what I’ve been at. 

AllHipHop: How are you liking this podcast area?

Ray Daniels: Effectively, I didn’t prefer it at first. As a result of my cause for doing it was to get a job. It wasn’t to become profitable doing podcasts; that wasn’t my objective. It was the job. However, I discovered individuals actually responding to what we have been sharing after which the aim advanced. I wound up getting followers, getting those that f### with me and everybody began to take discover. I needed to do one factor and did a complete nother factor, I’m excited it labored out that method. This isn’t nothing however God’s plan. As a result of I don’t even know the way I acquired right here. And it’s known as The GAUDS Present. 

AllHipHop: You communicate lots in regards to the music business. The place do you assume the music business is lacking the mark proper now?

Ray Daniels: I communicate lots about it. I used to be very fascinated with this enterprise. My solely objective was to offer it as a lot because it gave me. That’s actually my objective. I wasn’t alleged to be no one. For me, this enterprise saved me. My solely objective was to make it really feel like I appreciated it. God despatched you a blessing. The best way you acknowledged that blessing is by doing good by it, in order that was my solely objective. Let me do good by this music enterprise that individuals are telling me I needs to be in, and I needed to study it. I didn’t wish to be in it, I needed to study it. 

You’re a journalist. You perceive you wish to be the man that does it, however doesn’t perceive nothing about it. How do you make it higher should you don’t perceive the way it works? How do you make it higher should you don’t perceive what it’s? You must, and that’s all I did. I dived in. What I spotted was nobody else was diving in. All people else was blissful being profitable, residing. They was blissful, we’re within the twelfth grade now. It’s up! Man, I wish to go to school. I don’t wish to go away college. That’s what occurred. 

I’d be within the room talking, it hit me that nobody knew the reply. They’ll ask questions like, “What’s improper with this?” I knew the reply instantly, and nobody knew it. The largest curse about this enterprise is that they don’t put the precise individuals in place. They put the those that make them really feel the rightest in place. Whenever you begin understanding that this enterprise doesn’t assist individuals who wish to do proper by it, it truly is there to take care of. 

I assumed it was a vessel for all of us to get to our desires, however there are some individuals who deal with it like “s###, I like being a gatekeeper for this s### and being profitable off different individuals’s desires.” I didn’t wish to be that man, in order that’s how I acquired right here. I discovered it. I didn’t cheat it. I’m not going to b#######. I’m not going to do it soiled. I’m going to do it proper by the chance that’s positioned in entrance of me. I’m a testomony that should you do proper, good issues occur. 

AllHipHop: How do you stability your position as a supervisor and music govt and your position as a podcast host?

Ray Daniels: I solely movie on Wednesdays. I don’t deal with no enterprise for the podcast. None. I can’t afford it. I can’t have the podcast and run my firm. It’s unattainable. I solely movie on Wednesdays, and I movie everyone on the identical time. I’ll include a change of garments. My content material workforce, I pay full time. In order that’s one other factor I did. I do know the error most artists make. They arrive into this sport, for lack of higher phrases: they bust their nut all in sooner or later, then they fight to determine the right way to get some extra power. They’re like “man, I busted it!” 

For me, I didn’t wish to be that man. I didn’t wish to bust my nut in sooner or later. I needed to study what I used to be doing, the right way to do it proper. How one can honor the place, and that’s the place I’ve been at. I wouldn’t need nobody who works for me, begin a brand new interest and that takes up half the time. I give the podcast 20% of my time, however it’s authentically me. That’s the way it works.

I didn’t wish to cheat, and that’s actually what my objective is. I didn’t wish to cheat the sport. You’ve been doing this, you understand how this s### is. Those that say “man, he solely acquired paid as a result of he was such and such somewhat particular person. He solely acquired there as a result of that man put him in place.” I by no means needed to be that man. I needed to be the man that acquired there, and everyone round stated “he deserved it.” As a result of in the event that they thought I deserved it, they’d most likely carry alternatives to me as a result of they’re like “you need to be right here, and I do know you’re proper for the job.” 

In comparison with the place we at the moment are the place we’re giving alternatives to those individuals, and the enterprise is struggling as a result of all these guys are doing is hiring their associates. Who makes them comfy, and that may not be the perfect particular person for the job. However I additionally perceive their perspective as a result of if I’ma rent any individual, I’ma rent somebody who’s going to return in and shield me. I’m not going to rent no one who’s going to return in right here and attempt to take my job. 

So I perceive that perspective, however it must be a give take. It must be “properly then let me discover the perfect particular person for the job that I additionally belief.” It may’t be “I belief this particular person 100%, in order that they get the job.” And that’s the issue with the enterprise. There’s no thought leaders. All people’s a crew of those that’s searching for one another, giving one another info. F### that, I wish to be a frontrunner. I’m a frontrunner. I wish to do proper.

AllHipHop: I interviewed Theron Thomas lately. He simply gained Songwriter of the 12 months. How’d that really feel?

Ray Daniels: I may take you to it, as a result of it was the best second of my profession and his. Theron and I, we don’t actually chase accolades. We didn’t actually chase Grammys, we didn’t chase nothing. As a result of we couldn’t chase something that we couldn’t management. Think about going to the Grammys and shedding like, “rattling, perhaps subsequent yr.” No, I wish to know the right way to win. Theron is a really deserving particular person of the chance, however the cause why he’s so deserving is as a result of he by no means cheated the method. 

When he was a success songwriter, as a substitute of claiming “I’m a success songwriter, I’ma do it my method.” He stated, “I wish to study this.” And he did. He grew to become an important songwriter, and he was rewarded with the best reward you can provide anyone that does what he does. To me, that was a testomony that God is actual. For those who honor your half, and don’t fear in regards to the consequence, you bought an actual good probability at getting all the things you dreamt of. 

AllHipHop: How early did you discover him?

Ray Daniels: I’ve identified Theron since I used to be an intern. We’ve been associates for 20 years. I’ve been managing him for 18. He was working at Get together Metropolis, that’s once I began managing him. It was humorous as a result of while you’re broke and beginning out, you don’t have time to sugarcoat issues. So once we mentioned a possible workforce up the timing method earlier than we initially began working, it wasn’t proper and Theron was very targeted on his work as a performing artist (we have been each lifeless broke) and I needed to reduce to the chase and stated,  “I ain’t gon’ lie man, you and your brother’s music sucks.” [Theron randomly calls] nonetheless, I cherished him and he was past gifted as a author and when he explored that avenue – we made it work and the remainder was historical past. 

I by no means knew a man that deserved it greater than he deserved it. I by no means knew anybody that labored as arduous and took as a lot s###, and was so blissful being Batman to everybody’s Robin. My solely factor I needed was for him to be his personal Batman, however he stated “Ray, I’ma do it the way in which I do it. I’m simply glad that the sport acquired me,” as a result of they didn’t all the time obtain him the way in which he deserved to be. And that’s the trustworthy reality. 

AllHipHop: What else can we anticipate from you? Something you’re excited for with the present?

Ray Daniels: What you may anticipate is to see extra content material that might be edu-taining. My objective is to assist those that appear to be me, assist those that appear to be you, assist people who find themselves not the favorites once they stroll within the room in America. That gotta show they’re not. They gotta show that there’s one thing extra earlier than they’ll even get the rest. 

To me, that’s my objective. Count on extra breaking apart the system. That’s what I wish to do. I wish to break the system and put it again collectively once more. I wish to Humpty Dumpty this s###, put it again collectively once more the precise method. With the precise individuals in energy, doing the precise job. That’s why I name myself the Tradition Referee.