Organized Noize’s documentary, The Art Of Organized Noize, made its debut at SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas this weekend and Organized Noize producer Rico Wade details why he, Ray Murray and Sleepy Brown walked away from $17 million of their production deal with Interscope Records.
Scheduled to make its debut on Netflix Tuesday (March 22), the Flava Unit-produced film shares the history of how the Dungeon Family producing trio came together at the bottom of Rico Wade’s mother’s basement, nicknamed The Dungeon.
Organized Noize is responsible for curating the sound of Grammy Award-winning group OutKast and also for giving TLC its biggest hit to date, “Waterfalls.”
“It’s the only time in history that a Hip Hop act won a Grammy for Album of the Year,” L.A. Reid says in the documentary. “A Diamond album mind you is a direct result of Organized Noize.”
Originally signed to La Face Records, Interscope CEO Jimmy Iovine took interest and signed the trio with hopes of them creating more hit songs like “Waterfalls.” Iovine and Wade rarely saw eye-to-eye, causing the group to walk away from $17 million dollars after not being able to deliver.
“The Interscope deal was a $20 million dollar deal,” Rico Wade says in the film.
The group received about $2 million dollars of the deal according to Wade.
Rico names creative differences between himself and Sleepy Brown, as well as Ray Murray‘s dissatisfaction, as reasons for the decline of the Atlanta producers’ stardom.
OutKast’s decision to self-produce and leave Organzied Noize off their Grammy-winning album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below also had an affect on the production team.
“Them niggas actually said out they mouth they wanted to do this album by they selves,” Rico says in the film. “That was arrogant as shit. I gave you an opportunity.”
However, OutKast’s 2014 reunion tour has caused some renewed interest in Organized Noize, as the sound they created is making its way back to the forefront.
“This is our second coming,” Sleepy Brown says in the documentary. “We better take full advantage of this one.”
Organized Noize has recently worked with J. Cole and Dom Kennedy, and more recently Big Boi on his upcoming project. They are also credited for the development of Future’s career.
“I will protest if they are not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,” says Puffy who directed Andre 3000 and Big Boi‘s first music video, “Player’s Ball.”
The film also features OutKast, Ludacris, CeeLo Green, 2 Chainz, Future, Goodie Mobb, Metro Boomin and others commenting on how Organized Noize’s influence impacted their music careers.
The Art of Organized Noize trailer is as follows:
Organize Noize real legends in the South ,I salute ????
this is snipa phil bother rico wade shut down dungeon family
why are rappers so keen bout getting into the rock n roll hall of fame? they should rather `protest` for a hiphop hall of fame… and besides that it just had its debut why it needs to be in any hall of fame before it actually reached some fame. i hate this demanding mentality
To whom should they protest to?
to themselves… ive marked it as `protest` because the correct word should be implementing… its been quoted from the text above
Blacks invented rock and roll so what’s the problem with them trying to get into the hall of fame?
Because the creation of it has been whitewashed & more white artists are added than black and many more are overlooked. Hip hop legends could very well create their own hip hop hall-of-fame.
Organized Noize LEGENDS
Organized Noize are very overlooked when people talk about producers in the game. Their beats were on point.
Legends no doubt!! I gotta check for this documentary as well as the Stretch and Bobbito joint.
Typical of people who think they are greater then the greatness they will ever achieve. They walked away from 20mil, did they think another 50 mil each was sitting for them at Epic or Warner? idiots. Kids get an education so you don’t make dumb decisions like these proud high school drop outs
Instead of taking shots at their levels of education as if they aren’t brilliant musicians; watch the documentary. They didn’t cite wanting more money as being the reason why. They actually said something along the lines of the money being a distraction of sorts & creative differences between the 3 of them and Jimmy.