In this latest installment of our series talking to growing executives, there is a moment or, most commonly, both, where we speak with Carl Samuel, Senior A&R Manager at Columbia Records UK and manager of rising Brighton rapper ArrDee…
Carl Samuel may just be starting to trouble the charts as a Senior A&R Director at Columbia UK, but he has enjoyed success as a manager for a few years and in life before, he made more of an impact as an artist than a decade ago.
He explained, “I was the first MC to do a fun house song. I made a record with Katy B, called Speak to me it was one of the first UK pop songs that was really, really big.
“I am also part of the Crazy Cousinz collective, with Flukes and Kyla. They did Would you mind and To go [Do You Mind was later heavily sampled by Drake for his 2016 hit, One Dance]. It was the summer of 2007 – 15 years ago, wow what a wild…”
Then he took it to another level with the release Exalted anthem (the video, shot in Aya Napa, features Skepta, Tinie Tempah and other major UK rappers at the time.)
“I’m going back to England, giving everyone a song; No one cares. I dropped the video; everything has change. The whole scene of the vibrant house is even more exciting. I’ve been getting domestic up and down bookings for two or three years. “
Later, however, he decided to step off the stage, away from the limelight, and instead build a career behind the scenes, first as a manager, then as an A&R label (and remains the manager of the key client, ArrDee).
Samuel’s first signing for Columbia, Liverpool rapper Hazey, peaked at number 11 with his first single, Packs and Pills. ArrDee, meanwhile, went Platinum and played arenas.
His manager confidently predicts that he will become the festival’s featured figure next year and then go global the following year.
And if you think that’s ambitious, wait until you hear Samuel’s plans for his own career…
Why did you stop MCing and move into event management and eventually the A&R arena?
Because I’m tired of my own homophone, to be honest with you [laughs]. Garage and funky house use the same lyrics over and over again. Crowds don’t want to hear anything new, they want to hear what they know. Can only go so far, I want to go to the next level.
What was your first move?
I started managing AJ & Deno, people I used to meet Instagram. Their first song did pretty well, and then their second song, Londonreally blows up, it ends up in Platinum.
Then I found EO. I watched his song German above YouTube, grabbed him and said we would make this a proper record. We went to Columbia, Ferdy [Unger-Hamilton] signed it, bang, song Platinum again.
Amelia Monét started dating EO, I sang a song with her called Worst – that was also signed with Columbia. I thought, okay, every day is fine.
Then Covid hit. What do I do? No gigs, no money – but studio time. I thought, you know, I need a rapper, a British rapper.
I have a small studio in Woolwich and I have an engineer, a guy from Crawley. He started saying, ‘I know this sick rapper from Brighton, this guy’s name is ArrDee (pictured), to be honest, he’s sick.’ I’m like, ‘Anything, anything.’ But then I saw him on Bl@ckbox, and you know what, he was very, very sick. I have him in the studio and he’s my life partner… [laughs].
What was your first impression when ArrDee arrived at the studio?
I thought he was very talented, but will the UK absorb this profound rapping talent? I told him he had to be a little bolder and a little more forgiving. Going in that direction changed his life and mine.
How quickly did you become his manager?
Within a week of meeting him. It’s been a year and a half, he already has two Platinum records – The flowers and Oliver Twist – plus him on [Russ Williams and Tion Wayne’s] Body. He played Wembley Stadium, O2 Arena…
How you get ArrDee login Island Profile?
Every brand wants to sign ArrDee. I know Sam Adebayo from the scene, from German day, and he – and Island – made the best offer, as simple as that.
How does it work out there?
All is well, because he really has three A&Rs, three people are looking for him, guiding his career.
What’s next for ArrDee?
Over the next year, ArrDee will be the focus of festivals in the UK, and then two or three years from now he will be a global superstar, 100%.
How did you end up at Columbia?
During Covid, I talked to Ferdy and I told him we should work together more. He agreed and offered me a Senior A&R job at Columbia. So I moved on, but I told him straight up, ‘Ferdy, I’m not going to sign any act that I think is okay; I would sign plays that would blow up in no time. ‘
I see Hazey (pictured) doing Packs and Pills go virus. I knew we had to get him in the studio. We brought him in and we did the whole song reasonably well. This is my first signing and it’s already 11th in the rankings. I thought, you know what, this is good, this is very, very good.
When and how did you find Hazey and what made you want him to sign first?
I saw Hazey for the first time in February, and I immediately thought he stood out like a star. He’s from Liverpool, he’s very refreshing. I want to sign with artists who bring something new and different. A lot of rappers in the UK are ‘bad man, bad man’, but this is different.
Everyone wanted to sign him, but from the start he was like, Carl, I come with you.
What in Colombia made you want to join the team?
Columbia is the best brand in Sonyheaded by one of the best entrepreneurs in the industry, Ferdy.
They have the best artists – Harry Styles, Adele, Calvin Harris; They are about careers. They’re not about singles or tracks, they’re about building artists the right way.
What makes a good A&R person today, what is the most important skill?
A good A&R person must know exactly what is going on on social media, which is very important right now. And, of course, you have to know a quality song. It doesn’t have to be what you like, you have to know what the kids like.
How do you spot talent?
Connections are important, people matter, but it’s all about social media right now. I could spend all day on my phone today and I’ll find someone worth following. It’s the game, really.
And is TikTok the main place to look?
Now is, yes, but I look everywhere. I search on YouTube, SoundCloud, everywhere. You can’t just look at TikTok, because everyone sees it. With labels, if something shows up on TikTok, everyone sees it and there’s a bidding war. That’s not A&R, is it?
I started ArrDee when he had 6,000 followers, now he has 1.1 million. I must know something! [laughs].
Once you’ve signed a contract, what’s the most important thing you can do for an artist after that?
What I say to young artists is, okay, you’ve got a deal, but this is where the work begins. I also always tell them: don’t buy too much stuff, and try to stay away from smoking weed. I am serious!
I’ve managed and worked with a lot of young artists, I’ve seen good times and bad times. I’ve certainly seen things go wrong too many times. And it always involves weeds, girls or their friends telling them crazy things. Ignore all of that.
Is it difficult to convey that message?
Really hard. I was 28 when I signed my first contract and I made some mistakes. Imagine you are 18 years old, with double money – two hundred, three hundred thousand dollars. What will you do, go home and read a book? Are you not you? [laughs].
Have you done any contracts recently that you can tell us about who may not have even released any or announced music yet?
I haven’t signed anything since Hazey, because nothing stands out. There are a lot of good rappers out there, a lot of good singers, but more than that, you need to stand out and not just say the old stuff, gangs, gangs, gangs. I understand it, but it gets boring.
Take a look at 6ix9ine. What made 6ix9ine stand out? That’s because he’s a crazy guy with colored hair. You can’t see him without wanting to know, who is this guy?
You have to get people to hit share. If they don’t hit share and they don’t talk about you, then damn you.
I don’t contract anyone just for the sake of it. I got to see more than just being a good artist – and I got to see someone who aspires to it as much as I do.
What would you change about your business right now, what do you think is unresolved?
Too much TikTok, that’s the problem. I love TikTok, they support us a lot, but everything can’t rely on TikTok. It makes everyone laazy. It’s more or less related to having a meme and going viral. Great, but
what next?
So far, have you had a mentor in your career?
Honestly, the only guide I’ve had so far that’s really, really helpful, is from Ferdy. He is the one who showed [me] It takes 10, 15 years to be an artist, not two or three years.
And Colin Basta, to be fair, because I’ve seen him go from artist manager, to lead man at Universalof the distribution company, plus he has another thing coming up soon. I want his career! [laughs].
What is your ambition?
I’ll have the biggest record label and management company in the world, along with Sony, in four to five years’ time. That’s it. Remember I said this.
And in that I will have pre-built consulting services for all my artists. I think all the artists under the age of 25 in the industry today need advice.
What is your advice to a young executive just starting out?
If you don’t have a heart, don’t even think about it. This industry is tough and you have to be fully involved in it. You have to be in it
and committed as the best artists. If you’re half-hearted, if you just want to make some money and play around, you’re not going to get anywhere. Make sure you are ready and tough, because this industry is not a game.
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