Scott Storch’s Empire Falls…
By Evelyn McDonnell of The Associated Press
Just a few years ago, Scott Storch was one of the top producers in pop music, living in a $10.5 million mansion on an exclusive Miami island, driving a phalanx of luxury cars and dating the likes of Paris Hilton and Lil Kim.Nowadays, Scott Storch, 34, is missing in action. He owes over $500,000 in real estate taxes and had a warrant out for his arrest when he failed to show up in court in a child-support case last month. He has not had a top 10 hit in three years. He still has his waterfront marble mansion, but his lawyer, Guy Spiegelman, says Storch is attempting to refinance it after a “catastrophic occurrence this year” resulting from “mismanagement.” Storch no longer works with his old manager or publicist. He hasn’t talked to either of his children in months.Replete with tragic details and bad behavior, the ballad of Scott Storch may be the swan song of the bling era, a riches-to-rags tale of excess, poor decisions and a hobbled music industry.Raised in South Florida and the Philadelphia area, Storch is a high-school dropout from a broken, middle-class family who turned serious musician chops and intense ambition into a high-flying career. Vanessa Bellido met him when they were both in high school and he was a talented keyboardist.”He always knew what he wanted to be,” she says. “He would play the piano unbelievably. He was like, ‘I’m going to make it, I’m going to make it.’ Even at 15 he was an old soul. Real smart, real different.”While still a teen, Storch was a founding member of the Roots. He produced their breakthrough single “You Got Me,” which helped Philly’s acclaimed live hip-hop band win a Grammy, and gave the sandy-haired Jewish producer serious hip-hop credentials. Deciding he preferred studios to touring, Storch moved to Los Angeles to work with Dr. Dre. There his keyboard loops helped form the basis of such hits as “Still D.R.E.” He produced seven tracks on Christina Aguilera’s “Stripped” album, including “Can’t Hold Us Down,” which featured Lil Kim.Storch decided to return to his Florida roots to, as he has said, build his empire. Beginning in 2003, the hits rolled in: Beyonce’s “Naughty Girl,” Terror Squad’s “Lean Back,” 50 Cent’s “Candy Shop,” and Chris Brown’s “Run It.”Storch had the quintessential producer’s talent for coaxing career-making performances out of both veteran and new artists.”When we created that ‘Baby Boy’ record, Sean had only worked with Jamaican producers,” says Atlantic Records chairman and CEO Craig Kallman, referring to the 2003 single by Sean Paul and Beyonce that Storch produced and that helped to make Paul an American recording star. “Scott was able to adapt himself to the sound of Jamaica but also to contemporary R&B and hip-hop. He was able to straddle both lines.”And yet there are similarities in many of Storch’s records: sinuous keyboard riffs that reveal Storch’s interest in Middle Eastern melodies coupled with thumping, staccato beats. In 2004, everyone wanted the Storch sound, and he reportedly commanded $100,000 per beat. An extensive Rolling Stone profile called him “hip-hop’s Liberace” and said he had earned $70 million.”The people who have always been on top of the production game — Timbaland, Neptunes, Swizz Beatz, Scott Storch — they all had their own sound,” says the Miami-based producer Infamous, whose own recent work on the Lil Wayne and Jay-Z track “Mr. Carter” has made him the producer of the moment. “When their one record took off, everybody wanted a record that sounded like that.”Fame brought added responsibilities: In 2004, Storch reunited with the child he had fathered 12 years earlier with Bellido. He moved Bellido and their son Steven to South Florida: Bellido calls it “one of the happiest times in our lives.”Three years later, the producer began paying for another son, the now 2-year-old Jalen Daniel. Bellido and Jason Setchen, the lawyer for Jalen’s mother, Dalene Jennifer Daniel, both say Storch was inconsistent but not a deadbeat dad. “Once able to get his attention, he stepped up to the plate and did the right thing across the board,” says Setchen.Other producers were as hot as Storch in 2003 to 2005. But dating movie stars and heiresses, and conspicuously consuming, Storch flaunted his multimillionaire status like a hip-hop Gatsby. Many say the fame went to his head. He had a public flare-up with Aguilera over the cost of a private jet to fly him out to produce her ‘06 album “Back to Basics.” He also traded insults with fellow hitmaker Timbaland, who called Storch “just the piano man” in one track.Storch’s career had some serious stumbles: He was supposed to help his then-girlfriend Paris Hilton become a music star, but he said his songs for her were deemed too sexual and not released as singles. He signed reality TV show star Brooke Hogan to his Storch Music Company label and produced eight of 12 tracks on her album “Undiscovered,” but the record flopped.Storch has continued to work with top-name artists, including producing tracks on recent albums by Mariah Carey and Fat Joe. But he has not been able to crack Billboard’s Top 10 since 2005.Storch has paid neither his 2006 nor 2007 real estate taxes. At the start of this year, he stopped paying child support for both his kids and fell into several months of arrears before being sued by both mothers in separate cases.It’s unclear just why Storch fell so far so fast. (The producer did not return repeated requests for an interview.) “There was some mismanagement and some other errors. He got jammed,” Spiegelman, his lawyer in the child support cases, says. “I don’t think he’s going down, I just think he’s having difficulty. It’s a cash flow problem.”But both outside observers and people who know Storch see other factors at play besides mismanagement. When Storch has been sighted recently in public, he has looked gaunt and unhealthy. The producer was a flamboyant smoker of marijuana; in 2004, he was fined for possession of marijuana and paraphernalia.”If he’s got managers and accountants and various investors looking out for his interests, it would be hard not to notice that money wasn’t coming through,” says Debbi Gibbs, president of Just Managing, a company that manages producers.Career-wise, Storch may be a victim of his own success. The public is known to grow tired of the same old sound. “Most producers outside of a small number who focus on trying to be hit makers try to focus on new creative collaboration with whatever artists they’re working on,” says Gibbs. “That’s when that magic happens and hits you didn’t see coming come. Anyone who tries to create a hit formula is doomed to very short term success given the fast pace of musical taste.”But Storch built his name on numbers as much as on skills. He may not have adapted to the changing economy and the downsized music industry.”Costs have come down because it’s an absolute necessity. We’re certainly not able to spend beyond what our budgets are for making records,” said Kallman. “If a producer’s out of our price range, we’ve gotta move to another producer. There’s always new people.” The executive says Storch has not produced any recent Atlantic tracks but that they have “been talking.”Storch seems also not to have saved for a rainy day — a fatal mistake in pop music. “There’s no 401k plan in the music industry,” says Infamous. “You can’t be stupid and just throw your money away.”Those who have worked with Storch and those who have only heard his music think he can have a comeback. Infamous theorizes Storch may be purposely cooling things down in order to come out strong with something new: “Scott is definitely talented enough to say all right, it’s time for a new Scott. His track record alone speaks volumes.”The producer has left a trail of debt and bad feelings behind him. The big spender developed a reputation for arrogance; many see his failure to care for his offspring, while still tooling around in a Ferrari, as particularly reprehensible. Yet the people who have personal reasons to hate the player don’t.”Scott’s not a bad person,” says Bellido. “I know he loves his son. He’s been irresponsible.”Storch hasn’t shown up for his court cases, but his lawyer has said he will meet his financial obligations. He paid the money he owed Daniel and the arrest warrant was vacated. “I’d like to see him do the right thing so we can move on,” Setchen says.Bellido sees Storch’s lifelong materialism as his Shakespearean flaw. His identity is so wrapped up in his riches, she fears, that he is ashamed to appear publicly and clean up his mess.”I think he’s embarrassed,” Bellido says. “I don’t think he’s going to be right until he has his money.”
OMFG this is long… A-d-d.
Anyway… his flash, shit talking ass. I dont feel sorry for him. Celebies hire all of these personal people to manage their fucking money while they buy Gucci and Louis and pose for pictures driving rented Lambos.
How about YES take financial advisement but learn to manage you’re own shit!!!!! Dont point the finger when that ass is broke and you’re taking pictures with my tuition on your fucking pinky ring!!!
Man listen… thats what he gets! And I hope that ass gets jail time… El stupido!
OH OH
There’s no 401K in the music industry
HELLO!! HELLO!!!
But how fucking hard is it to open a CD account?! Cut the fucking shit. Another problem… cheerleaders making excuses for the fuck ups of these millionaires. There are FREE classes on this shit. But no0o0o0 … they’d rather buy a Maybach. A MESS.
Wow, talk about reprinting a whole article. Crediting the author and other referring sites would be nice also… this is actually an Associated Press article that has appeared in major newspapers.
TMA didn’t quote the source true…
But on the net usually means it was found ON THE NET.. Its not like they’re claiming they wrote it. Be easy
Remember when this first broke? I said he was gonna run and hide, not from the creditors but F.O.C. (Friend of The Court/Cunt) there I said it Bam, and no it didn’t feel good lol, but this cat is in a poop storm on a paper plate in the middle of the mohabi, life is about to take a drastic change for Mr. Storch oh yeah dat’s right, and it’s cold and lonely at the bottom what a shame. I wonder how much that crib is gonna auction for?…………..
Shaz
@theHustlerHer
sure… ON THE NET may imply that this was found, but if you look at the category listing for “On The Net” it is simply a collection of random things floating online. I can think of other words for publishing a complete article without acknowledging the original source or author. Some call it plagiarism or just plain irresponsible, but this is exactly the reason why “blogs” and urban news sites struggle for credibility… time to step it up. There is no excuse for this.
For those that care about integrity, the original author is Evelyn McDonnell of The Associated Press.
I also might add that unauthorized publishing of complete text is a huge no, no. Not to mention it can cause all types of negative repercussions including contributing to a poor reputation and the infamous Google duplicate content penalty.
Whoa, whoa whoa what’s up wit the FCC up in here, damn is it really like that?…………
Shaz
There is indeed SEPs (self employment retirement plans) equivalent to 401K for the self employed, including those in the music industry! Please don’t be fooled that just because your employer is not contributing to your 401K that means it does not exist.
I mean we all have to learn how to handle our finances at some point. Nobody can do it for us and there is no “plan” per se, but you must take control of your own life and future. There are too many resources out there to just straight up ignore your own reality!
I only think its more funny because he isnt black.. rude but oh well. We always here the black celebs going through this type of thing.
@ I see – i believe this is one of the rare occasions where TMA did not mention the source/author. But for all other things sources && authors are mentions.. Mr. Storch is not that important of a factor to be up in arms about the source not being mentioned. But thank you for posting the name of the writer and the source… feel better?
pla·gia·rism Pronunciation[pley-juh-riz-uhm, -jee-uh-riz-]
–noun 1. the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one’s own original work.
source: dictionary.com
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006
no where does TMA claim ownership..
@ I See… I totally see your point. But up in here, we don’t go off like that. All you had to do was email them and I’m sure it’d have been fixed… for real. Usually, they’ll say props to so in so… or whatever. and to keep it 51-50, I’ve never even noticed an author when a AP article was used. It uaually just says Associated Press. But, yes, point taken. I just think u spazzed real quick.
@ Justruth… was that at me? I have two 401ks… one that actually needs to be rolled over. So in no way I’m I lacking in that area.
But what I meant when I quoted the article was… do artists have 401ks? If they do… then damn I stand corrected. But I didn’t know getting signed to Def Jam came with health, dental. Disability, accidental death… etc… nevermind a 401k. But I love to learn new things everyday.
I am talking abt on the artist side. Not on the corporate side of things or the inter office side of things.
@BAM!
Did you really just pull out a Random House definition of plagiarism? As I said earlier “Some call it plagiarism or just plain irresponsible”. If you want to get technical, I’m pretty sure we can all agree that this was not an authorized reprinting and thus “irresponsible”. On the other hand, by reprinting the entire article without reference to the author or source, the intentions of TMA could be debated with some calling it “plagiarism.” Plus, at the header of the article it clearly says “By TMA”, which DOES in fact imply ownership. Simply filing under the category of “On The Net” does nothing to state that this article appeared elsewhere or that it was written by someone unaffiliated with TMA.
Furthermore, this article has been referenced by numerous blogs and sites over the past week before TMA apparently picked up on the story. Perhaps TMA stumbled upon this on their own, but that’s also debatable and highly unlikely.
@theHustleHer
I can understand that you “don’t go off like that” here, but has blogging really resorted to copy & pasting newspaper articles? There is absolutely nothing unintentional or accidental about copy/paste posts and articles. I think this goes beyond an courteous email for correction, especially considering that you yourself are apparently somehow affiliated with the site and still, after all this debate, the issue has yet to be corrected or officially acknowledged. At this point it appears that neither the commenters nor those running the site are concerned so I’ll leave it alone, but it’s really a shame that how this has been handled.
@ i see
Sir/Ma’am .. yes i did pull out a random house definition.
& All posts note who infact posted it. Even the ones that state sources and/or authors, beneath the title will still say who posted it.. so would it imply ownership then? even if the author/source is mentioned? Instead of getting your Al Sharpton on in here .. be of service, email TMA & tell them to edit it.. it will do more good that way.
@BAM!
Yes, you are correct, all posts feature “By [author name]“, even those that reference another source at some point in the post. The point that was made by my previous statement is that by neglecting to credit the actual author, the implication is made that TMA has written the article.
With regards to your comment about “getting my Al Sharpton on”… your response and quickness to defend the unscrupulous posting habits of TMA does not surprise me. Considering that you have been interviewed by TMA in the past and theHustleHer writes for the site, your opinion and defense of TMA isn’t exactly unbiased, is it? Only someone directly affiliated with this site could even attempt to make the argument that this type behavior is ok.
I’m sure that anyone who has taken the time to properly research and author a relatively lengthy original article can appreciate my perspective.
PAUSE.
I see you’re new to the site. I am a COMMENTOR that is NOW (has it even been three days, people) affiliated with the site. If you check the blogroll… I too have my own blog. Actually… I have about 5 of them… or had over the course of the last 7 years.
I cite every spot I take ANYTHING from just because I dont need the hate mail… and or RANDOM people commenting and blasting my shit for an overlook. The “By…” just means someone posted it. And I feel like you coming in here going off and refusing to send an email to the person who runs the site is like a person sitting on the couch bitching about politics who’s not registered to vote.
No blogging is not copying and pasting articles. But if you’re familiar with the audience here… they’re more fond of quick articles (as in Im sure more people read YOUR COMMENTS than actually read the article in its entirety.)
Anyway… I’m not trying to even argue over this shit. I agree with you, the article should have been cited. I just don’t agree with the way you went about BLASTING it.
And I guess I’ll sign this one MIMI since because I post on here as theHustleHER, I’m somehow of a biased opinion. LMFAO… as much as I go back and forth with the rest of the cool people here… I’m biased now because I blog here. Imagine.
M [dot]
And TMA interviews anyone who posts here on the regular!!!
OH MY GOD speaking of RESEARCH… why not do some before you blast us for not seeing things as you do. Try that… seriously.
Ok so I thought abt this aftr replying on impulse.
I think u should jst email them. I think the difference between views is, you’re kinda pissed abt it like TMA was fronting like they wrote that. Which, I’d never have concluded. Also, this was posted as news found on the net— which seems to be implied to be… idk. I dont think TMA had malicious intentions with the repost or the lack of citation.
How did I miss this drama???? wow!
Thank you I See for pointing out the fact that the author was not credited. It was not an intentional omission, and there definitely was no intent to imply that anyone involved with TMA wrote that article. It wasn’t posted by me so I can’t say exactly what happened, but I can assume that it was an oversight.
As a few people stated, you could have just sent an email and it would have been corrected (as it is now that I have seen this) instead of going straight to WAR with the site.
thanks again
@theHustleHER
Judging from your charged response, I guess I touched on a nerve. Perhaps I should have sent an email… maybe, maybe not, but your personal attacks are certainly unwarranted.
I find this practice copy/past blogging to be highly offensive and my past experience has been that an email typically does not help in cases where entire articles are copied (case in point, the post content has still not been altered even after adding sources). It goes far beyond merely citing the author and source… entire articles should never be reprinted. I’ll stick to ethics and won’t even start on the technical search engine penalties that come into play.
Also, a link should be pointed to the source where it is published as I’m pretty sure this was not “borrowed” from an AP feed. The very act of copying and pasting someone’s article is essentially stuffing this site with copycat material. Typically it’s considered to appropriate to summarize in your own words w/ original commentary and with a link to the original source.
@Todd 1
I appreciate your updating the author and source, however, publishing a complete article from another source is still not appropriate and performs a great disservice to your readers. I didn’t mean to go to war with the site. I was simply explaining my perspective after perceived attacks from site contributors and others attempting to defend why posting the article was ok.
I’ll leave this alone now.