About this episode
Domino is a member of the legendary Hieroglyphics crew but usually plays a behind-the-scenes role as a producer and manager. He's the only member of the Oakland-based collective to come from San Francisco, where he gravitated away from the typical Bay Area rap scene towards more East Coast influences. This led him to Groove Merchant Records and meeting New York A&R Dante Ross, who introduced him to Del The Funky Homosapien. Since then, Domino played a major role in Souls of Mischief and Casual getting major label deals, then launching their own Hieroglyphics Imperium label. For over 30 years, he's been making a living from music and helping artists navigate the ever-changing landscape of the industry.--For promo opportunities on the podcast, e-mail: info@historyofthebay.com--History of the Bay Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ZUM4rCv6xfNbvB4r8TVWU?si=9218659b5f4b43aaOnline Store: https://dregsone.myshopify.com Follow Dregs One:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1UNuCcJlRb8ImMc5haZHXF?si=poJT0BYUS-qCfpEzAX7mlAInstagram: https://instagram.com/dregs_oneTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@dregs_oneTwitter: https://twitter.com/dregs_oneFacebook: https://facebook.com/dregsone41500:00 Introduction02:08 Valencia Gardens08:25 Early demos18:50 Groove Merchant25:57 Dante Ross & Del31:23 Managing Casual37:17 What makes a good manager?48:04 Joining Hiero50:09 Jive & Elektra1:03:06 Going independent 1:14:12 Industry changes1:21:26 Near-death experience 1:30:34 Longevity1:36:52 New music