JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Mark Curry, author of Dancing With The Devil: How Puff Burned the Bad Boys of Hip-Hop
(New Mark Books)
(One of the first ten people to comment on Mark Curry’s author interview will win a FREE copy of Dancing with the Devil from JoeyPinkney.com)
He has recorded with the biggest stars in the music business. He wrote many of the hits that made Sean “Puffy” Combs one of the richest men alive. On the surface, the multi-million dollar empire that Puff built looks like the stuff of dreams.
But after working with Puff for a decade, Curry discovered that Bad Boy Entertainment is not, as Puff promised, a place where dreams come true. No, rather it is a shell game comprised of contracts designed to rob artists of their time, dreams and publishing rights.
Dancing With the Devil reveals startling new details about key events in the fast paced, controversial (and sometimes deadly) world of Hip-Hop. In revealing the dark side of the industry, Curry hopes to provide a road map for reforms necessary to prevent artists ending up in poverty, in prison or in the grave.
“It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.” —Ecclesiastes 7:5
Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Dancing With The Devil?
Mark Curry: Music is truly one of the most powerful tools we have to teach the world. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. That’s what the music industry is now. It has fallen on hard times. Lust for power and money, it’s all greed. The industry is a shady business ran by crooks. I decided to write a book about it and the Devil is in the details.
To walk a mile in my shoes may be the best way to understand my emotions, perceptions and motives for writing Dancing with The devil. Joyful Music is a Powerful Heart Medicine and heartsick music can be infectious and poisoning. Hip-Hop used to be called “edutainment” because most rappers crafted their lyrics intelligently. Once it attracted your attention, it taught you knowledge and obedience.
I don’t even think the best artists are running anymore.
JP: What sets Dancing With The Devil apart from other memoirs by people who have experienced the entertainment industry?
MC: What makes my story different is what makes me who I am. My knowledge is from first-hand experience, and what I witnessed in the industry is how they attempted to pull the wool over my eyes as if I was a blind sheep.
I’ve dealt with “Puff Daddyâ€, one of the most powerful figures in the business, and not to many people can say they have. I viewed it from a different standpoint. I’m commanded to tell what I’ve witnessed, AND NOTHING MORE!
JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to Dancing With The Devil getting out to the public?
MC: More doing and less talking is always best. I didn’t complain about much because there was no one to complain to. The spirit of the good God dwells in me, and I traveled deep into my inner being and spoke with him.
We all are either children of God or of the Devil. Some people are EVIL by nature because it’s their character. I consciously reject EVIL and accept GOODNESS. I didn’t write the book to bring Puffy down. I wrote the book to educate those that are trying to get UP! Through my relationships, as I call it, “being connected to the true vineâ€, I was able to write this book and release it on my own.
JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish Dancing With The Devil?
MC: “Every story has an end, but in life, every end is just a new beginning.” Timing was very important in this process. I had to go from the middle to the end. The end didn’t come until I realized who I was dealing with, or should I say who I was “dancing” with.
I knew that nothing good can come from something bad. That’s what Bad Boy Entertainment was, just a dark cloud hovering over my life. I had to move that mountain to clear my path.
JP: What’s next for Mark Curry?
MC: I plan on working with other aspiring artists and writing more books. I once was lost, but now I’m found and happy today. I have so much more to talk about. I’m glad that I learned the tricks in the industry, and now it my job to expose the foolery.
No man with a dream should have to travel this road that leads to nowhere if you read Dancing With The Devil and understand what you’re reading.
http://www.markcurrybook.com/
http://twitter.com/markcurrybook
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