Behind every great success, there is always an unpublicized testimony filled with trials and tribulations. In recent times, what is the biggest hurdle that you had to overcome?
Well, I just think this whole situation with the label – that was a big struggle, I was about to completely walk away from the music business. I went to Australia. I was completely beat up. I went to Bondi beach and I sat there. I literally went away – not run away, but I had to get away to really make the proper decision. I had to put myself together. When I went to Australia, I went to a radio station. Somebody recognized me and said, "You want to come to my radio station? What are you doing out here? What's next for you?" I said, "I don't feel like I'm going to do music." I was talking really crazy. Then the fans called in and I promise you I probably got 15 minutes of the most aggressive lashing of why I should have never said that. They were like, "Man that was the most selfish thing you said. Don't you know what your music has done to my life? The music you're responsible for helped me in a positive way. How could you take that away? God gave you that ability. How could you say you're going to stop it?" That was crazy. This was Australia. A particular fan said, "You need to learn to love music again. You need to get the love for the music part again. You let the bull of the industry get to you instead of what was the real reason you were chomping it in the first place." It was crazy to hear these from fans. I was like, "Okay. When I thought people weren't listening, they really are listening." You just got to give them something to listen to.
I said, "Okay. You know what, Slim? Instead of doing it, do it big. Go Frank Sinatra style, do it your way." So instead of just getting a regular major deal, I said "Oh, no. I'm going to get my own label deal. I'm going to do it independently. I'm going to start all over again. I'm going to reinvent myself. Everything that people were telling me not to do, I'm going to do it. When they frowned at you before, you smile back at them. When they curse you, bless them." God bless them. Pray for them. Now when you're rising, it's a great uncomfortable feeling – not on my end but on the end of the people that I look at. They know what they said to me at the beginning. The same people that wrote stories on me and said, "He's washed up. He's this and that." When "So Fly" hit the Top Ten, then what happened? Now, I'm all about being consistent and really making this label to be the next Def Jam, the next Interscope, the next Arista – that's what I'm trying to do. I'm on that goal right now and I'm just going to keep it consistent. I'm going to keep it moving.
Article comments
1 - MissTheda
Clayton, Thank you so much for your great interview and the support of Slim