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What inspired you to create Theindustrycosign.com?
Big Ced-I was actually
1/3 of The Crusade (thecrusade.net), another
website that was started by Ray Tamarra and Tim Moore
which basically was a newsletter turned into a site.
Tim Moore suggested I join the site since I had no online
home since I was laid off from Vanguarde Media. At that
time, I was doing a column on the impact247 website
supported by Impact magazine. I had a large following
and I joined with another email newsletter, The Cube,
with the original person who started Soul Purpose,
whom some may say started it all. The person who I was
doing the newsletter with, in my opinion, didn’t like
the fact that I may have been a little more popular
than him and I decided to take Tim up on his offer and
join The Crusade. After about a year and a half,
the site was going nowhere. Every suggestion I had to
build on it was never taken into consideration. I felt
my creativity was being stifled and my 2 partners were
preventing me from growing, thus the site not growing,
so I decided to leave than stay there and be unhappy,
although I was the main reason people were coming to
the site! After almost a year, Tim and Ray bumped heads
and Tim approached me about doing a site and this is
when I felt I could do the type of things I wanted to
do with The Crusade, but to do it with my very own site,
The Industry
Cosign!
What do you think helped the site become so popular?
Big Ced-Well, I
have a lot of ‘friends’ in the entertainment industry
so it was natural that I let them know what was going
on! I have been told that what I write, people think
about and I am quite up front with my words, but I am
tactful in what I write about. I also believe that the
world is diverse and so is the audience, so the writers
and contributors have to be as well. I want people to
come to the site and enjoy what they see and read about.
I also want them to be informed with what’s happening
with and in the urban audience. The photo gallery is
popular because we are usually at the right events,
events that are normally exclusive and the place to
be and we are usually there to photograph the people
and the event so it lets people know that we are in
the know! I also feature a diverse group of people with
my Wise Words section, which showcases executives
in their own words with the quotes and/or words they
live by which give people an insight into who that executive
is. The 5 W’s is another favorite section that
allows small business owners to let the audience know
who they are and what they do. And of course, artist
interviews, news, varied newsletters and the like. There
is something for everyone on the site and we haven’t
touched the tip of the iceberg! And I think the photo
of me and my smile adds something to it as well!
Do you thinking living near a major metropolitan
area helps you to get more exposure for the website?
Big Ced-Oh definitely,
I am in New York City! You
can’t get any better than that, honestly!! This is the
Mecca of entertainment, politics, fashion and sports!!!
What are your long term goals for the site?
Big Ced-To make
it the best possible urban site ever created! For any
and everyone who wants to deal with an urban audience
to have to come through the site somehow! I want The
Industry Cosign to be an umbrella site for many
different diverse sites to be part of a large community.
As times change, people’s tastes change, so I want to
always matter in terms of people coming to the site
and using it as a resource.
Can you share some of your personal highlights related
to the website? Is there an interview that is especially
memorable or a feature story that was especially well
received?
Big Ced-Well, just
seeing the numbers grow each month is very good to see
and witness! To have people email me from different
parts of THE WORLD, complimenting and appreciating what
the site gives to people. This site was created for
this audience, it wasn’t created for me, it was created
for them! Well, I just recently interviewed R. Kelly
for the site and people were pleasantly pleased about
that, although that may have been the least favorite
one I’ve done thus far. But I have to say Ludacris,
who is one of my favorite artists, was a good look for
the site and we had an interesting conversation. Most
of my Ceditorials (It Needs To Be CED) are well received
as I am always trying to make a great conversational
piece for the people to talk about and comment on. Whatever
the issues of the day are, I usually try to write about
it. I am proud of my writings as I get requests from
other publications to run them. You can also see my
writings on daveyd.com, allhiphop.com, urbanmag-online.com
and whoever else gets a wind of my words. I have seen
my articles on sites I’ve never heard of, but as long
as I get the proper credit, it’s all good. Oh, how can
I forget my Whatever Happened To…..? column. That is
ALWAYS well received!!
You have a lot of guest writers on your site? This
is rather unique. What inspired you to allow guest writers
to contribute?
Big Ced-As I stated
earlier, diversity is what makes the world go round!
When I was on The Crusade, Ray didn’t want anyone else
writing for the site (actually, I don’t even think he
wanted ME to write.) and I disagreed with that. I vowed
that when I do start my site, I will open it up to ANYONE
who had something to say. When I write what I want to
write, with no restrictions, I have fun with it! I also
find when I give people the option to do what they want,
they are more willing to contribute. I also want people
who are just starting out to have a way to build their
clips so they can submit to the bigger and more well-known
publications. I think it’s dumb for some magazines to
deny good writers a forum because they haven’t had the
work yet. How can you get the experience if you can’t
get the experience? And plus, I think there are so many
talented writers out here who deserve to be seen and
my audience is quite large and would appreciate something
different. Why be like any other publication? So, my
theory is, if you have something to say, say it on The
Industry Cosign!!! And plus, I’ve also found that many
publications, writers and/or editors are threatened
by real, fresh blood. I welcome it! If someone can challenge
me to step my game up, then I want them on my team!!!
What are some of your favorite websites?
Big Ced- Allhiphop.com,
daveyd.com (which
is the reason I contribute to these 2 sites!), I know
I am going to miss a few! But I also enjoy reading individual’s
blogs! Anything that can keep my attention. Right now
as I am writing this, nothing that I go to regularly
comes to mind, except maybe craigslist.org.
Sorry to the other sites I do support.
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Your site is especially unique because it’s “The
Industry Cosign” and you cover many facets not just
music or movies. What led you to create a site that
embraced the entire entertainment industry (including
news, sports and politics)?
Big Ced-My
reasoning is that I didn’t want to be pigeonholed. As
an example, allhiphop. Well, they can’t cover anything
that isn’t really hip-hop. I know they do, but I’m using
their name as an example. The urban field is diverse.
My partner, Tim Moore, wanted to name the site, The
Cosign. But I thought that was too bland and I knew
we would cover the industry. We are about the entertainment
industry in general. The thing is that entertainment
transcends everything. And we are about the industry.
The good thing about the name is that it doesn’t specify
a particular industry, so realistically; we can cover
the automobile industry, the fishing industry or the
gaming industry.
I read in your newsletter that you attended a barbecue
at 50 Cent’s estate. How was that?
Big Ced-It
wasn’t as hot as I would have liked it would be. Maybe
since I’ve been to so many events over the years, nothing
really impresses me that much. But, I do have to say
that he was very accommodating and cordial, which is
what I didn’t expect. The food could have been better
and the women there were bland! I expected the type
of women you see in his videos, but I guess they were
busy that day!
Are there any 4th quarter 2005 music releases that you
are anticipating?
Big Ced-No,
I frown upon music nowadays because it’s the same thing
amongst the same artists! Maybe if Redman comes back
as hungry as he was for his first album, then I would
love to hear it.
Be sure to visit http://www.theindustrycosign.com
 Interview
copyright Dorrie Williams-Wheeler, and Thabiz.com 2005
Dorrie Williams-Wheeler is the author of Be
My Sorority Sister Under Pressure and the Unplanned
Pregnancy Book for Teens and College Students. She
is the founder of Thabiz.com
and Imissthe80s.com
and writes for the Rap,
Teen, and
1980s section
at Bellaonline.com. She is an ASCAP member as a writer
and a publisher. Please contact Dorrie for advertising
inquiries, lyric writing inquiries, reprint rights,
paying
entertainment jobs, or general comments.
Visit Dorrie on the web at www.sparkledoll.com
or e-mail her at webmaster@thabiz.com.
May not be reprinted, copied or distributed.
Interview copyright Dorrie Williams-Wheeler, thabiz.com
Sept. 2005
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