Famed music executive Steve Rifkind spoke about his massive success with Wu-Tang during an exclusive interview with VladTV, as he explained they were the first group to get him his first big check. Afterward, Steve said he renegotiated his deal with RCA and signed Big Pun.
When asked about signing Pun, Steve revealed that he didn't hear the late rapper perform in person, and he signed him off of a freestyle. It was during this time that "Still Not a Player" came out, and Steve told DJ Vlad that the track and video were finished within 48 hours of him hearing the song.
SRC and Loud Records founder Steve Rifkind was behind some seminal acts of hip-hop's "Golden Age." Here, Steve reflects on his experience with Wu-Tang Clan and Mobb Deep. He takes Vlad through the stages of Wu-Tang's early success, starting with the songs "M.E.T.H.O.D. Man" and "Protect Ya Neck," to the fracturing of the group into solo acts. Steve also talks about the phenomenon of Mobb Deep's "Shook Ones, pt. 2."
