You mentioned earlier that you didn't see people making House Music records. Is that why you never got involved in production?

I probably did the second House record produced, which was "Undercover". Jesse obviously did the first one, and I did the second. I think the experience of doing that session knocked me out. Plus, I just went in a different direction with my life and my career. I knew that one of my greatest attributes was picking music rather than making it. I never really dove off into it like a lot of other DJs.

See, I'm a DJ first. It kills me sometimes when these musicians wind up becoming DJs. Obviously, they make good records, but that doesn't mean they're a good DJ. And when people go to see them at a party, they might walk away disappointed.

Any good DJ thinks he's the best DJ in the world. I think I'm the best DJ in the world. I think any good DJ, when that's his craft, is going to feel that way. You should be competitive, but not cocky. I don't think I'm the best DJ in the world and no one else is at my level or anything. I love to hear other DJs play. I always go out to hear other DJs play.

Here's an example of what I'm saying. Frankie Knuckles - he's a good friend of mine, and he's an excellent DJ. When he got to the Warehouse and started drawing the crowds, I'd go down there and listen to him play all the time. If he was playing something, I'd always ask him what record it was if I hadn't heard it. He'd tell me, and also tell me where to get it.

Now when I first met Frankie, he had no idea I was even a DJ or knew the kind of crowds I was DJing for. As just an ordinary person to him, he treated me with respect, not even knowing who I was or what I did. That's something that shows you his character and what kind of a person he is. He came from New York and spun at a lot of big clubs there before he came to Chicago. I imagine he could have come with an attitude. But he was very nice and was always very approachable, and to this day we're good friends and I love him. When I find DJs who are cocky and don't want to talk to people who might ask them about a record - well, to me they're just losers.

I know I'm a legendary DJ from the length of time I've been around and what I've done throughout the years. But don't treat me one way and someone that's just trying to get into the game another way. You need to treat all people with respect. I treat every DJ, new or old, the same way. You never know who's going to be that new hot kid. Right now for instance I have a great relationship with Quentin Harris. He came into my office and I had no idea who he was. He said he wanted to do some House Music. We have a great relationship. If I would have treated him like dirt, I wouldn't have that relationship with him right now. You never know who that person might be.

So let's talk about your second career and rising through the ranks of the music industry. I assume your first job in A&R wasn't as Senior Vice President for A&R at Jive Records.

No, it was a long road. But House Music has gotten me into everything, and it got me into Jive Records. Before I was with Jive I was at Trax Records with Larry Sherman. I picked a lot of their classic songs like Marshall Jefferson's "Move Your Body," Adonis' "Too Far Gone" - stuff like that. At the time these were hot records over here but the were like pop records overseas. Jive wanted to find out who was picking all of these popular House records out of Chicago and came and met me. At the time I was managing Adonis and he had a hot record, and I knew Marshall and we had a hot record over there. They wanted me to come work over there. I brought Mr. Lee with me and did the Get Busy record.

Then they had this rapper named Will Smith, the Fresh Prince, who was coming off a record that bombed - I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson. They were doing a new record, so I said "Send him to Chicago, I'll see if I can get some of my guys, some House Music producers, to work with him." He came here and did the Summertime record, which wound up being a huge record for Will Smith - I think he was the first rapper to win a Grammy. Then we did Boom Shake the Room and Ring My Bell, which were both huge records, especially overseas, for Will Smith. So we kind of brought him back from the dead.

Then Jive told me they wanted to get into R&B. I said all right, there's someone in Chicago who might be a good R&B person for you guys. So I turned them on to R. Kelly, and the rest is history.

What's your official role right now?

I've been with Jive for eighteen years. I've proven myself throughout the years, because as an A&R person, you're only as good as your last record. I've had a lot of success with a lot of projects with the label.