EMI

Yeah.

Both with EMI Music.

That's right.

That's right.

It was because what I wanted to do was so specific and it was so limited, the number of outlets that could actually prepare me for that.

So, two and a half years in, right when I'm basically about ready to give it up because I can't borrow any more money from my mom or my sister, right, I end up getting a call from somebody at EMI Music, Capital Records Version, the TMI Latin, right? And it was a gentleman who was the head of operations at EMI but had been the head of director of finance while I was at Warner.

And when the chair opened up, the position opened up, he said, hey, you know what? There's this guy across the street – or across the street from each other – that's worked for free for two years and hasn't complained.

Let's get him in here for an interview.

A lot of people lost their jobs.

So that's how I got the job.

EMI Latin, which is Spanish Language Division of Capitol Records.

This is Miami.

And so I was being drawn more and more and more into this community.

Dean Cameron was the president of EMI Music Canada and was a friend and a mentor to me.

And I went to Dean in the fall of two thousand and two and said, I'm leaving to start my own music company.

I feel like I can do more from an independent perspective, so I'm gonna go do that.

And Dean was so gracious and magnanimous with me.

He says that, "Sucks for us you're leaving.

How can we help?" I said, "Well, wanna give me a distribution deal?" [laughs] So he gave us a distribution deal with EMI Music Canada.

He gave us a $50,000 rolling advance, and every time we recovered it, we got another $50,000.