Britney Spears Justin response? Aurelius landed the *one* producers kill for. Man who would have guessed?

from Mtv:



If the variety of producers she's working with is any indication, Britney Spears' next record will be her most adventurous yet.

Sure, mainstays Rodney Jerkins and the Neptunes are again logging time with the pop princess (see "Britney Spears To Work With Rodney Jerkins Again"), but she has also recorded with Ashanti producer 7 Aurelius and the Matrix, the production team behind Avril Lavigne's hit singles. And don't forget Fred Durst (see "Britney Spears And Fred Durst Shack Up ... In The Studio, At Least").

Both 7, who also worked on the latest Tupac album, and the Matrix have done three tracks with Spears and are hoping to do more.

"I'm doing something for her, something really ridiculous. [A] record I'm going to do for Britney is going to give Justin a reason to cry," Aurelius said, suggesting a song that answers Timberlake's "Cry Me a River," which is widely believed to be about Spears. "It was her people that came and sat down, played me a lot of stuff she did. We sat down and talked out ideas and I got to working on stuff. It sounds crazy."

Spears has said she may explore her hip-hop and rock influences on the follow-up to Britney, but the Matrix's Lauren Christy said that's not exactly the case.

"It's definitely not anywhere near Avril," Christy said. "It's really hard to put it in a box. It's not really R&B-based or dance-based, it's just really good songs. It's not done in a rock way at all, though."

Christy, a former pop singer herself, likened the album to Madonna's Ray of Light, which is fitting since Spears has met with William Orbit, who produced that album, and is said to be working with Mirwais, another Madonna producer. And Durst described his work with Spears as having a trip-hop vibe, like Madonna's "Frozen."

"It's got a really good groove," Christy said of Spears' record so far.

"She's taking it to the next level in her career," the Matrix's Scott Spock added. "Madonna constantly takes what's in the club and puts what she does on top of it and makes it mainstream. I think Britney is starting to embrace that concept where she's looking to work on different stuff, instead of using the same familiar, and applying it to her."

The Matrix have been presenting Spears with songs already written for her, as they did with Lavigne, but she has been active in tailoring them to suit herself, especially the words.

"Lyrically, it's a little deeper, just a little more grown up, but not trying to change the world or anything," Christy said. "The great thing about Britney is she really knows what she wants. She knows if she's trying something on that doesn't fit right for her. She's like, 'No, that's not me.' She's not one to strap on some sort of fake image."

Christy is particularly excited about a track called "Shadow." "She just kills it," the British producer said. "It's amazing. I was really impressed with her vocal ability on it."

Although Spears' album will be different, Spock said fans need not worry. "I don't think they will be freaked out or upset," he said. "I think they'll be really into what's going to happen."

Britney's spokesperson would not confirm the producers for the still-untitled album but said it'll probably be out in October.


also from Page Six of NY post which I found February 03
a good article on 7 aurelius




Fri Feb 07, 3:06 AM ET

SO Seven dropped into my home. Don't know Seven? How backwards, uninformed, out of it, old-hat, passed over, gonewiththewind can you be? I'm embarrassed for you. Truth is, until this 6-foot-3 black dude with platinum hair and black spike driven into his lower lip loped into my library, I didn't know who the hell he was either.

The Wall Street Journal calls him "the next generation of moguls." Hip-hop hot-shot producer for Ja Rule, Eve, Mariah, Whitney, Jay-Z, Tupac, Janet Jackson, he's the one J.Lo thanked in her MTV Awards acceptance speech. Responsible for the year's top singles, like Mary J. Blige's "Rainy Days," Ashanti's "Foolish," Alicia Keys' "Always on Time."

One of seven, born Marcus Vest in Lexington, Ky., the seventh month of 1972, he believes seven is a mystical, magical, spiritual number. Surviving what he calls "the longest boot camp ever," he's been homeless, a dishwasher, dirt-poor, sleeping in porno houses. Business-savvy today, Seven Aurelius, as he's now known, is opening his own The Seventh Sign label.

He's also, as we speak, rejuicing Britney Spears. Britney Spears??! "Yeah," he grins. "She's looking to go street." I ask, like what particular street? Over white wine, Seven says softly, very softly, "Hey, we can always fix it in the mix." Visit for more:




So, is Seven a hard worker? "I work 20 hours a day. I only sleep on planes and at stoplights. Music is my mistress."

He whispers. I barely hear the guy, and we're sitting so close I can share his giant silver right wrist cuff bracelet with amethysts and moonstones in the number 7.

"I don't do diamonds anymore. In the Diamond District early on, I went for about 147,000 pounds in weight. Everything was lost or stolen. Last year was all ice. Diamonds in teeth, cars, all over your hands. That whole Ice Age thing is behind us. It's the first fantasy phase. I'm away from that. No longer my mindset.

"My first money bought my mother a house. And I snuck a few diamond earrings in for my grandmother. Those two people keep me grounded. Your real wealth is in the grounding.

"I don't focus on money. But when you're successful, you need to make sure the paperwork is right so everything sticks."

His bread is definitely sticking. We are not talking pool-table clothes here. In a "fusion at its height" outfit, diamondless Seven was not exactly understated. Embossed black leather pants with giant white buttons up the sides. Leather jacket with big "7" on the back and shoulders, huge white block letters on the front reading "Pre-Crime Division." Bandanna, earrings, multiple rings, double bracelets, two-fingered gloves, boots from the skin of stingrays, the numeral "7" in MAC cosmetics across his cheek.

"This is minimalist, not freaky. We have to up the paint because we rose from ghettoes and inner cities. None of us ever had an option before to drive a Mercedes. Music's been the bridge we drove over from poverty.

"Flashy and stylish, that's our voice, and we have something to say. The first black moguls were Puffy and Babyface. And Biggie and Tupac. I'm the stage for the next generation because everything changes. Music changes. I remember when stations wouldn't play pop, then they wouldn't play rap. I grew up listening to The Doors and Led Zeppelin. Music goes in 10-year loops."

About J.Lo: "Her ass is phenomenal. It goes out and then it has, like, a balcony in the middle. Distracting as hell."

About Mariah: "I was on guard. All this security around. Then I went downstairs, and it was just her. And she was great. Nothing too hard for her. No matter how often I wanted to redo it, she did it."

About working with these divas: "If they want it their way, I don't usually say, 'Your way sucks.' I just say, 'Let's put both ways up and hear which has the better vibe.' "

So what's next for Seven? "I wrote a movie, 'Better Days,' about a man from the country whose upbringing brings him down but who finally gets himself up. I'm financing the whole thing." And in the lead, Denzel? "No. Me ... And I'm moving here to New York, the greatest city alive. You just have to come back to these streets."

This guest was wedged into one safe corner of my home which is under construction. My Yorkie, who'd accidentally romped into wet cement, jumped onto him. Jazzy's paws are now inlaid, perfectly implanted in gray cement on Seven's handmade, custom-tailored, high-class embossed black leather pants. The cement has hardened, and it's there forever.

Mo' props 4 posting this. Can you link the previous post you made about him?? Its seems that I can't find it.

http://www.prince.org/msg...&tid=38349


Before I start a new Aurelius track the lead single for Foxy Brown.

You can hear the funky rhythm guitar with the Prince influence in it. With his protege singer "M" who is puerto rican. That is the first album coming out on his label the M project this year...

http://www.y2hiphop.com/a...edaman.ram





I will come back with a list of links for Articles and Interviews.

The Wall Street one is important to see what it is he did for himself. After reading that you really do believe "7" there is something to this number for him. I think he couldnt ask for a better setup to being a superstar producer like the Neptunes or Timbaland. Maybe I will transcribe the Wallstreet one on this thread and just keep adding to it when I find more links.
So this will just be the official 7 Aurelius thread. And when things happen I will just add to it.

Im also thinking of doing something like taking all the great Aurelius produced tracks and renaming them on Soulseek so his name is right next to the mp3. So people know and Im thinking of putting together the best ones so cats know...





I think one important thing to catch is how he is playing on the weird vibe like Prince is. People listen more when you act different. And that Page Six interview proves it.



Heres a interview transcribed from a friend online you begin to see how aware he is of where he is at. He isnt taking it for granted like a youngster would be.

7: The Struggle Is Everything?
AQ: So, 7 what is the one thing that you're the most proud of?
A7: Survival. I have to thank the most high for getting me through what
I call the 10-year boot camp. For me it was about what I was willing to
accept what was part of the test.
Nobody did me any favors. I was living on the streets, sleeping on the
beach and then going into meetings with people trying to get my shot. At so
many points I had to say to myself that I'd rather die trying than give up.
Look at me now. My life is crazy and because of what I've been through I can
say and feel it when I say it that I have earned it. I appreciate this.
AQ: Cool, so it means more than you could say I would assume to be able to
get these stories across to people.
A7: You're exactly right and I also think that its really important for
good people?creative people to hear someone like me say ' hold on.' Because
there's so many talented people out there who will give up right before they
get their break and after having so many doors slammed in my face I feel
it's part of my thing to let others know that they can do this or anything
they want to if they just hold on.
(Comedian) Jaime Foxx was the one who really told me ' man you got talent.
You can do this. You can do it." So I feel like even if its through you that
I need to return that favor with someone else.

A7: How He Got The Hook-Up
AQ: After all of your troubles, what was the thing that broke you?
A7: I met Irv (Gotti, CEO Murder Inc) and he promised to check me out and we
never really got it together the way that I had hoped so I just took the
initiative and took it to him.
I just made up my mind that it was my time to really grab a shot and I
did and he was open to seeing what I could do and I blew him away simple as
that. I think a lot of that has to do with me having my own sound. I do my
thing and you can hear that on anything I've done whether its J-Lo or Ja
Rule.

AQ: You've pretty much ran the charts since you got on especially when it
comes to that r&b/hip-hop mix.
A7: It's just the spices. I say a prayer before every session so that it
will be blessed and I just put my heart and my soul into it and the results
happen.

7: Frontiers
AQ: So man what are the next steps for you?
7A:Well, man I just started my own label, which I have to thank God for.
I've got some songs on a lot of people's records coming up. I've got some
work on the new Ja Rule, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey
albums. So it's been really crazy for me putting all those projects
together.
I also have my own album coming out but I don't know if that will come out
here. It's really weird. Its got some guitars in it and it's really crazy
and funky and strange.
I'm definitely going to put it out in Europe. I think that it will be
received well there and if it seems like there is a demand for it then
onwards and upwards over here.
Growing up, my idol was Prince so you know where I'm going with that if it
wasn't for him I never would have gotten into this.


7A: I went through a lot of shit and I've done a lot of shit so my I
can't say I don't feel complete. But, I do want to keep it going. I think
when people see songwriters or producers or whatever they don't feel as if
we are as much a part of the music as the actual artist and that is so
wrong. A good producer will always leave a little bit of their soul on
everything they touch.

He looks like Prince,,,esp with the 7 on his face(rhymes like *slave*).

Harlepolis said:

He carries the 7 with everything.

But who is gonna say it doesnt work?
Ever since its been Murder Inc to Mariah Carey to Whitney to Britney. Alot more people are gonna pick up his story.
Rolling Stone,XXL,The Source,WallStreet,NYPost

These are some big ones

Heres another article from Seattle Times last year:

The Next Thing
7 is a lucky number for R&B stars

By Melanie McFarland
Seattle Times staff reporter

There was a time when pop-music producers were cloaked behind the musician's screen. Only the most devoted fans and avid combers of Rolling Stone knew the names making the stars shine. The rest of us just jammed out to the tunes.

No longer — not since P. Diddy was known as Sean "Puffy" Combs. These days The Neptunes, Rockwilder, Jermaine Dupri and Missy Elliot are held in the same high regard as the artists to whom they've lent their golden touch — Mary J. Blige, Tweet and Jay-Z among them. The hot production crew right now is Irv Gotti's Murder Inc.

But the bigger news is that Murder's hottest star, 7 Aurelius, is rising in his own right. 7 is the man behind the catchy pop tunes on R&B artist Ashanti's debut album, a CD that has made her one of the hottest divas of the past year. He's polished tracks for Ja Rule, J. Lo, Eve and Janet Jackson, and has a reputation for combining melodious bubbly pop music with a sexy, jagged edge.

He is also very confident of his talents. Just to prove he's got chutzpah, he's even working with the more notorious luminaries in R&B. His highest-profile client other than Jackson? The flighty Mariah Carey. Next up with him in the studio: Whitney Houston.

And to lacquer his image as a risk-taker, he's even gone on record with The Associated Press, saying he'd like to sign "American Idol's" eliminated Pink doppelganger, Nikki McKibbin, to his new label, The Seventh Sign. Talk about testing your Midas touch. Whether he sets a gold standard, well, that's something to watch for in the coming year. Don't be surprised if 2003 is the magic number for 7.

Oh in case you didnt know theres another song he did for Eve called "U me and She" I want to hear it. Because I liked the two tracks he had on there.

BTW he produced a song 4 MC called "Tiger Eyes" but it will be released at her upcoming "Party" LP.

I want his site to be up. Whoever is the webmaster needs to activate it this month.



Tiger eyes hmmm

I read a Story on Him in the SOurce last year where He mentioned MJ&Prince as His Main influences&says He wishes He could work with both circa 84-85.Irv Gotti got 7 really cheap from J Prince from Rap alot Records.long story but Irv got over on him big time&7 is finally able to do His thing.I wonder if He is on the tracks that Irv has done with Michael Jackson thus far? time will tell.

I think he is just starting. Because of the time he put in he understands how to make a career out of it. I think its smart he has his own label as well instead of just being employed by other labels.

I think he will get his chance to work with Prince because of his boldness in fashion and confidence in himself. Im not sure how music inclined he is but will see. I want to see how he debuts with Spears and how he is going to match Timbo with "Cry me a river"

Does anyone have the credits for The Fast and Furious soundtrack? I want to know what Aurelius did on that.


Thanks if you can help

Im also looking for "Eve" track "U me and She"

Heres a update, Like I said I will be updating everytime I see something new 7 related. 7 Aurelius on a article about his label "7th Sign" It's good to hear he is gonna have support for his debut project. Busta and Janet tracks?
Damn...



Former Murder Inc. Producer 7 Launches New Label //
Former Murder Inc. producer 7 Aurelius has launched his own label 7 Signs and is being highly recruited to join the umbrella of several majors. 7 said, “Lyor Cohen [Universal Music Group] has definitely stepped to the plate with a wonderful offer, and Sylvia Rhone [Elektra] and Jimmy Iovine [Interscope] have come to the plate as well… the Universal Music Group to me is actually top of the
game so we gonna see what happens but its looking very optimistic.”

7’s first artist “The Letter M” is expected to drop her debut album this summer and will also be featured on Foxy Brown’s first single “I Need A Man” from her forthcoming album. Produced by 7, he added, “It’s gonna be kinda like “Ain’t It Funny” with Ja-Rule and Jennifer Lopez…It’s coming out on Valentine’s Day and they killed it…”

Aurelius, who produced Tupac’s latest hit “Thugz Mansion” has upcoming projects with Busta and Janet Jackson.

Another update:

this one is a old interview from 4/12/2002

I will try to transcribe the wallstreet one soon.

As a super producer who scored 5 number one hits this past year 7 AURELIUS has become one of the hottest track makers on the pop/R&B scene today. Don Sill checks out the goosebumps.
04/12/2002
“It’s not gonna be good unless I get Goosebumps,” says 7Aurelius about his music, “I gotta get Goosebumps off it or it don’t go out, simple as that. I just know that if it gives me those Goosebumps then its most likely gonna effect somebody else. At least that’s how its been for the last year or so.” 7Aurelius has had enough Goosebumps to know what he’s talking about. As a super producer who scored 5 number one hits this past year (Jennifer Lopez’s “Ain’t It Funny” and “I’m Real,” Mary J. Blige’s “Rainy Dayz,” & Ahanti’s “Foolish”), he has become one of the hottest track makers on the pop/R&B scene today thus providing his fair share of Goosebumps for the masses.

7Aurelius, ‘Sev’ as his good friends call him, is no stranger to making music. He came up through Rap-A-Lot Records where he layed down thick beats for gangsta rappers in Houston, Texas. He considers his time there as a “boot camp” of sorts because it was there he learned the ropes and was taught the game. Although nothing spectacular was ever released, it was still vital experiences that helped shape, train and prepare him for the next level.

In 2001, Sev’s life would change forever after a chance meeting with Murder Inc. label head, Irv Gotti. He met Gotti at a party and began connecting with some ideas. Sev would move to NY to work with Murder Inc. and ultimately be catapulted to the big leagues. Under Gotti’s wing Sev began banging out tracks for Ashanti’s “Always on Time” and “Foolish” then he laid down the music for J-Lo and Ja Rule’s “I’m Real.” Those tracks would earn him a name in the industry as a hot major player and sought after producer.

Since then Sev has earned the title as ‘The King Of Divas,’ and has worked with some of the biggest names in R&B, from Janet Jackson to J-Lo and Alicia Keys to Ashanti he has helped shape their material into pop music masterpieces. His secret behind his tracks he says, “you just gotta stir it up. You definitely gotta stir it up sometimes just to get it poppin.’ I custom fit the tracks to fit the artist, I want my sound to be unpredictable and I want it to form fit the artist. Ultimately, I’m just the stage and there the star, they shine. I just want to be the best stage for them, to showcase them and make them look their best.”

Sev is also very spiritual in the studio, known to light up candles and incense to set the ambiance for creativity. “I have to have candles, incense and flowers and different things like a fog machine’s and stuff like that,” he says. “I like to set the tone and usher in the spirit.” He also likes to usher in beautiful women for inspiration as well, “It all helps the vibe, its all about the vibe, without a good vibe you might as well just pack up and go home. Beautiful women enhance my vibe, I bring in girls into the studio for a while just to hang with me because their presence brings a different energy.”

Sev has just finished working with Mariah Carey in the Bahamas on her comeback album, “Charmbracelet.” “Mariah was definitely one of the easiest artists to work with,” raves Sev, “she’s all about the vibe and all about what feels good. It was real basic and nice, once we got down there and got into the studio she was with it. It was real cool, just me and her and a microphone, it was a phat vibe.”

Sev has grown tremendously since his early days at Rap-A-Lot and has branched out and started his own label, “The Seventh Sign.” The first artist he signed is pop singer, ‘M.’ “She’s gonna be a real serious problem for a lot of the competition out there,” says Sev whose Goosebumps were probably flaring as he spoke of his new artist. “She’s beautiful, she’s from Puerto Rico and she’s my main focus right now, all my hot stuff is going right to her. ‘M’s’ first single will probably start leaking out around New Years Eve and the album should be dropping around March.”

Sev’s also working on a few singles for Janet Jackson, one for Whitney Houston and a couple of tracks for Jay Z’s new album “The Blueprint 2”, as well as a duo album for Ja Rule and Nas. 7Aurelius’ plate is as full as his pockets and as one of the hottest new producers on the scene today he’s certainly stirring things up just like he said he would

We should try to get Aurelius on Prince.org to do a interview and explain what was it that made Prince make him want to be a success and try to innovate in this game.

Heres another brief article from Crosstalk magazine. Some good advice on music business and producing.
Im gonna transcribe that Wallstreet one for cats to see.
We got a good thread of articles going. This one will have to hold you until I do.



http://www.musicconnectio...stalk.lcgi



Working Magic For Divas J. Lo, Janet, Mariah



Asked about his incredible run producing no less than eight Number One hit singles in 2002, Marcus “7” Aurelius simply says, “the goosebump factor.” Elaborating on this not completely quantifiable aesthetic, he adds, “Whoever I’m working with, no matter how many takes I need to get the perfect vocal performance, everything has to come down to that. My job is always to orchestrate the artist’s vision and help tell their story. Customize it to fit her personality. Each singer’s vision has a distinct beginning, middle and end.”

There’s a good reason why he says “her” as opposed to using the masculine pronoun — he’s got a unique reputation for striking gold with so many popular female performers that even his press materials call him “King of Divas.” He was thanked by Jennifer Lopez early in her acceptance speech at the MTV Video Awards, and his recent hits have included J Lo’s “Ain’t It Funny” and “I’m Real Murder,” Mary J. Blige’s “Rainy Dayz,” Ashanti’s “Foolish” and “Unfoolish,” Eve’s “Gangsta Lovin’” featuring Alicia Keys and Keys’ own “Down for You” and “Always on Time.” In recent months, he also complete five tracks for Mariah Carey, several for Janet Jackson, one for Whitney Houston and — finally breaking the gender barrier — a few for Jay-Z’s new album The Blueprint 2. Then there’s Ja Rule.

“I love women, just adore them, and I love the vibe a great female singer can create in an artistic environment,” he says. “I don’t think I designed this incredible run this way and I think in years to come, I’ll show that I can do a wider variety of artists. The reality of the business is, if artists see that you’re successful at one thing, they’ll want some of that for themselves. My main thing is always to focus on the individual. If I’m working with someone new, my job is to help create a professional persona. If they’re established, I’m there to enhance their better qualities. I never want my sound to be overbearing, because then those important things get lost.”

One of the young divas in training that Aurelius is helping to develop is a 19-year-old singer named “M,” whose debut recording will be out this summer on his new imprint label The 7th Sign. He had been looking for a young artist who embodied many of the qualities he admired in the famous artists he worked with and M’s style and charisma reminded him of a cross between J Lo and Ashanti. When he says, “I was affected by her,” he’s talking major goose bumps. Sometimes Aurelius will start working with an artist from the songwriting up, but M came in with over 50 songs she had written.

“My job was to bring her into the fold and help build her ideas of who she was and what she wanted to convey,” he says. “I’d customize the tracks to fit her personality and have her come in and lay down a rough vocal. Then we’d see how that would fly, and we’d record those tracks several times to get it right. The key was to master those vocals, not going back and using ProTools, just having her nail it and get the great performance. It’s all about honing in on those qualities. I think in her I have found an amazing artist.

“It takes patience to build a career,” he says, “and I like to think of myself as a Svengali who cares enough about my artists to dedicate that time to their growth through all of its natural stages. Anyone can have one hit single, and two means you’ve got something. But it’s the second album that often makes or breaks the career. It’s important that the same group of visionaries are intact for the first three albums. Then you’re following through on the whole vision.”

Just like I promised. Dig this Harle and others interested: the Wall Street article. It is pretty in depth. This is a great thread to get acquainted with.

I had to go to the library to get a xerox of it. Anyways Im going to promote 7 Aurelius on my site I think. If I am feeling his vibe. I apologize for the spacing. I think because I word wrapped it in the notepad it came out like this.


Heres the Wall Street article transcribed this evening.

from January 21st, 2003:

Young Hit Maker Pursues Novel Path to Musical Stardom

Producer 7 Aurelius Tries Leap Out of the Control Room And Inton the Limelight.

Paying a Call on Mariah Carey

by Jennifer Ordonez

Studio City,Calif-It was approaching 3 am when the right "vibe" struck the music

producer known as 7 Aurelius. A portable fog machine poured mist into a rented recording studio

he has swathed in crushed velvet. "The spirit", Mr.Aurelius announced, "is running amok"

Mr Aurelius was recording "I need a man" sung by a 20 year old beauty queen from Puerto

Rico who aspires to stardom under the stage name "M" Her album will be the first to be released

by Mr Aurelius's new 7th Sign Records and he sees big marketing possibilities in "7" launching

the career of "M". Or as he likes to put it, "the number presents the letter"
When it comes to creating hits,Mr Aurelius knows whereof he speaks.
The Tall bleached blond 30 year old has coproduced hit songs for the likes of Jennifer Lopez,Ja

Rule and Eve. For 23 weeks last year,songs he co-wrote,and coproduced graced the No.1 spot on

Billboard's Hot 100 chart.
Still, few outside the music business recognize his name, and Mr Aurelius is intent on changing

that. To that end a videographer pointed a camera at the floor.

And at the beginning of the song,the producer is heard speaking a single word into the

microphone :"Aurelius"
Not too long ago,musicians were the stars of the music business. Producers,with rare

exceptions,labored behind the scenes. But these days a new breed of producer has learned to spin

hit-making acumen into fame,fortune and influence,sometimes rivaling the performer at the

microphone.

Part of the reason is that music industry is desperate for hits. Sales have dropped

steadily two years in a row. That means some record company executives are spending less time in

the studio and more time in their offices managing their sagging balance sheets. Producers with

their own venture labels,have filled the vacuum and are often responsible for figuring out how a

performer will be sold to the public.

For Music companies, it's a risky business. If costs are too high and hits don't

materialize,losses can mount quickly. The companies, already predicting cost cutting and fewer

releases this year, are scrutinizing joint venture deals carefully. "Their risks are

significantly higher, so you can't be friviously wrong." says Lyor Cohen,chief executive of Def

Jam Island Music Group, a unit of vivendi Universal SA. Still,producers who consistently please

fickle audiences get super sized deals from hit hungry record companies and often command

thousands of dollars for a few days work.

Warp Speed

And a few days is often all it takes. Producers create songs using advanced digital

technology. Lots of songs are driven by "beats" or electronic riffs, and are based of recordings

of old hits interpeting anew in part to avoid having to make certain royalty payments. Many

producers are in essence packagers. They sometimes lack musical training but are adept at

stitching together songs that sound familiar to listeners.

Now these producers are using their new clout to create their own brands. They write the

songs, they produce,sing the choruses and show up in music videos. Sean "P-Diddy"Combs parlayed

his success as a producer into a performing career. He now has his own line of clothes and other

ventures.

The new album "Irv Gotti Presents the Remixes" features artists Mr Gotti has produced

such as Mary J Blige. But it is Mr Gotti in white gangster attire,on the cover.
Perhaps the most visible producers today,are the Neptunes,two guys from Virginia Beach who have

produced songs for Britney Spears,NSync and others. They have their own band,NERD. Pharrell

Williams, a member of the team,has sang on albums such as Busta Rhymes and Snoop Dogg.

"Producers have turned into the Don King's of Hip Hop" says Kevin Liles,president of Def Jam/Def

Soul records.

Going for the Gold

That is the kind of status Mr Aurelius aspires to. But Until recently most of his work

has been done under the auspices of Murder Inc.,a joint venture of Mr Gotti and Island Def Jam.

He was paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for his work but didn't always receive credit,he

says.

Now he hopes to persuade a major music company to fund a label of his own. Mr.Aurelius,who

changed his name from Marcus Vest,says he has made his first million. But he is now shopping for

a joint-venture deal that would provide about 10 million for overhead,marketing and talent costs

over a 3 year period. Ultimately, he sees himself as a producer,label head and star performer,

complete with a clothing line emblazoned with the Number "7".

To make that happen, he must capitalize on his recent hits. "You only have a certain

amount of time" says Peter Lopez, Mr.Aurelius's attorney. "Everyday counts everyday you wait

you're losing money." There are other up-starts hungry to launch themselves from nothing-just

the way Mr Aurelius did two years ago, when Mr Lopez says his client made "just enough to rent a

small apartment and eat at Macdonalds."

Mr.Aurelius discovered music young,playing keyboards,drums,horns and the guitar at a

Pentecostal church in Lexington KY. When he was 11 years old, a newspaper ran a photo of him

after he won a contest impersonating Michael Jackson. "I was an instant celebrity and it began

to stir something" he says.

When brandishing a sequined glove lost it's charm,Mr. Aurelius worked at a guitar shop and met a

local musician, who let the teenager use his home recording studio. By high school graduation Mr

Aurelius was producing and playing his songs, for anyone who would listen, including comedian

Jamie Foxx,then performing nearby. After Mr Aurelius moved to L.A. in 1998, he looked up Mr

Foxx, who helped him gain access to the entertainment world.

At Hollywood parties, he carefully plotted his encounters with entertainment types.

Befriending actor Tyrin Turner, of the movie "Menace II Society" he followed him to Houston,

where the actor recorded some songs for Rap A Lot Records. Mr Aurelius started producing for the

company,earning $1,500 a song.

His life changed in the fall of 2000 where Mr. Gotti visited to attend a birthday party

for a radio programmer. Mr Gotti,29,had produced a handful of top 100 hits for hip hop stars

including Jay-Z and Ja-Rule. A New Yorker whose real name is Irving Lorenzo. Mr Gotti adopted

the last name of late mob boss John Gotti.

At a party Mr. Aurelius played some of his songs for Mr. Gotti,who suggested they get

into the studio sometime. Mr. Aurelius didn't wait for a formal invitation; he surprised Mr

Gotti by flying into New York unannounced. About nine months later the team had it's first big

hit, a song for Ja Rule called "Always on Time" that went to No.1 on the Hot 100 chart.

Surrounding himself with flowers and incense,Mr.Aurelius says he brought a soothing

atmosphere to the Crack House,as Mr Gotti's studio is called. But that's not all he did. He

co-wrote songs and, since Mr Gotti is not a musician, translated his ideas into music,adding

live instrumentals and flourishes to hard edged songs, Mr Gotti oversaw other producers but

rarely did hands-0n studio work.

That,too, is a departure from the past. It used to be that many producers were

musicians,such as Phil Spector,who became a brand name at a time when most producers were not.

Mr Spector's lush layering of music in the 1960's was known as the Wall of Sound. Now, producers

can build careers on their ability to relate to artists and cleverly package songs.

"Songs used to have something to do with chords and melodies and those things" says

veteran producer Jimmy Jam, who has worked with Janet Jackson, and is an admirer of Mr.

Aurelius. "Now it's beats. The term 'producer' is used a lot more loosely.

Computerized studio technology means that songs can be written and recorded in a few

hours. The upshot is that producers can build careers very quickly. "It's like if you can't do a

song in two days,you're a punk." says Quincy Jones, who for 40 years has produced and arranged

songs for stars ranging from Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson.

Although Mr.Aurelius is a musician, some of his writing is derivative. He sometimes

holes up in his studio and uses other artists recordings to help him conceive new songs. On a

recent evening, he popped discs by Prince,Phil Collins and Norah Jones into a cd player before

settling on "Cherish the Day" a song by pop vocalist Sade. His fingers moved across the

keyboards composing a melody that was similar,but different-the key, he says,to creating hits

that will resonate with listeners. Twenty minutes later, it was a "beat".

A Parade of Hits

Together, Mr.Aurelius and Mr Gotti put together one of Mr Gotti's biggest hits, a remix

of Jennifer Lopez's song," I'm Real" built on a interpretation of a 1978 song, "Mary Jane" by

Rick James. Mr Gotti says the remix was "made up in 5 minutes. We sampled the drums,laid the

bass,did the flute and percussion. Done."

J-Lo's records not on Mr Gotti's Murder Inc,, but on Sony Corp's Sony Music

Entertainment, which retains the producers on a free lance basis. Sony paid them an

approximately $125,000 advance for "I'm real"

To make it to the top, most producers have to develop their own stars and form their own

labels. Murder Inc. got a big boost from Ashanti's first album. Primarily produced by Mr Gotti

and Mr. Aurelius, it opened last summer at Number 1, selling more than 3 million copies in the

U.S. This month,Ashanti received 5 Grammy Nominations,including one for Best New Artist.

Last Summer Mr. Cohen,Island Def Jam's chief executive, wanted to persuade Mariah Carey

to sign a deal with the label after she had been dropped by Sony. He dispatched Mr.Aurelius

with hired musicians and more than 20 crates of instruments to her rented home in the Bahamas,

where he recorded several songs. "I understood that Mariah needed a track that made her sound

expensive again." Mr.Aurelius says Ms. Carey eventually did make a 20 million deal for her own

label venture with Island Def Jam, and Mr.Aurelius has a song on her recent released album.

But Mr.Aurelius felt he deserved more credit than he was getting. When Mr Gotti's songs

in April took the three top spots on Billboard's singles chart, Mr. Aurelius received little

recognition, though he says he did much of the work on two of them. Mr. Gotti was lauded by

Billboard for being the first producer in nearly 25 years to pull off such a feat.

Last August, when Ashanti won entertainer of the year at the 2002 Soul Train Lady of

Soul Awards, Mr. Gotti escorted the singer to the ceremony. Mr.Aurelius, who co-produced most

of the songs on the album, watched from television. "They were thanking everyone, but they

didn't thank me." he recalls. "Suddenly, everybody caught amnesia."

Mr. Gotti minimizes Mr.Aurelius's contribution to Ashanti's album. He says, "7 comes up

with a lot of ideas, but I took a chance on a guy that was unproven... It's my ship. I'm Irv

Gotti, and he's 7 that no one the f- knows."
The federal bureau of investigation is looking into whether Mr. Gotti has received money from

convicted drug dealer Kenneth McGriff, according to a person familiar with the matter. Earlier

this month agents seized documents and computers from Murder Inc.'s Manhattan offices. Mr. Gotti

declined to comment.

Late last summer,Mr.Aurelius decided to leave Mr. Gotti's fold. "Just for the history

books, I couldn't stay under his regime." he says. Mr. Aurelius has hired a publicist and a

cameraman is chronicling his life for a DVD. Todd Moscowitz, a former island Def Jam executive

who co-owns a management company is running the business end of Mr. Aurelius's label, 7th Sign.

Mr. Aurelius is considering a movie about his rise that would, of course, star the producer

himself. Meanwhile, he's hunkering down in the studio. His first independent effort, a song on

an album of the late Tupac Shakur's work, opened at Number 50 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.

So far Mr.Aurelius says he has invested more than $150,000 in studio time and other

expenses in hopes of impressing music company executives with songs by his star artist "M" whose

real name is Miredys Peguero. He's also working on his own album. Last week he flew to Milan to

attend a Versace fashion show and network with fashion types that might invest in his clothing

line.

"The main thing," Mr. Aurelius says "is pioneering the 7 Aurelius brand into something

people will buy"

up for those that didnt see

Trickology said:

Heres a shocker. I read on a anti war site that 7 Aurelius remade "Walk on a Wild Side (Georgie wants to go to the army" for Lou reed as part of Lou's statement about the war.

When I read that I was like,,, "Whaaat?"

But its listed on a few sites.

Update:


#1.

Along with the producers R Kelly,Jimmy Jam,Wyclef,Andre/vidal ...

7 Aurelius lands a spot on new Def Jam Patti Labelle album.


#2.

New article in Vibe magazine this month on 7 Aurelius
He is decked out in a shirt that says "Precrime Division" in a mock Minority Report photo shoot.

and he mentions at school he was a loner and killing it at band classes between school and briefly talks about what he did of June/July 2003 when Murder Inc wasn't crediting him properly. It mentions the soundtrack to his bio film will be his debut solo project and it will be a chance to hear him sing. He also says don't expect this producer to do the typical producer things.




#3.

Also 7 Aurelius remake he did with Lou Reed of Wild Side is out on his site with a 1 minute clip. http://www.loureed.com,



Peace

Another update:

7 Aurelius has landed the first single for Tamia called "Officially missing you" her lp is due out July 15th

It looks like our spidey senses were right,harle.

Anyone got a link to the song?