SWV Manager Gives BOSSIP Inside Scoop On The Group Reunion And Reality Show 2014 has been the year of the R&B comeback thus far for some of our favorite soul-singin’ groups and solo artists and among those making a triumphant return was none other than powerhouse 90s girl group SWV. BOSSIP had a chance to catch up with SWV’s manager Cory Taylor, who is also a cast member on their reality show SWV Reunited , just before season 2 aired and he gave us the 411 on everything from who was really behind their comeback, how the girls are with each other when the cameras are off, how he really felt about being temporarily replaced last season and more. Check out our exclusive chat below: So what’s the story behind how the SWV Reunited reality show came about? You know, I’m glad you asked because sometimes people look at our lives on reality TV and they try to judge us and they don’t really know what happened and what’s really going on. They see 10-15 minutes and they think that they know us. I was actually the one who was responsible for securing this show with WeTV. I received no response from BET or TV One and Centric kind of gave me the run around. I called WE TV and they really weren’t biting at first until I actually brought SWV out so they could meet them. It was they day after they released their “I Missed Us” album and I was confident that the girls would be able to sell themselves (for the show.) They do have three different personalities but, they are likable and they’re really like your average New York chicks. People like SWV because they’re real, they’re raw and you never know what’s going to happen or what they’re going to say. So I was confident that they would sell themselves and that’s exactly what happened with WE TV. Were there any challenges with securing the show given the groups’ hiatus? Well, I brought them to Entertainment One but, we didn’t really get the support that we needed from the label with the show because…well, I’ll just say that the label took a chance with them. SWV was gone for over 15, 16 years and, a lot of times, artists from the 90s are used to do things a certain way. You know, back then there was more label support and more people that would just give them what they needed, but it’s a different day now. The artists have to work just as hard as the manager or you will not survive today. You really have to be on your grind. You have to do interviews and stay on social media and rehearse and always think about ways to reinvent and enhance your brand. And a lot of the artists from that era, they don’t get it. They’re used to doing things one way. How did the SWV group reunion come about and what was your role in that ? Their last manager left abruptly and there was really no concrete plans in place. So, they needed someone to step in and keep everything going and so, I did just that. I’m the one that secured the label for them. Now, it may not have been the best label but, you know, they WERE gone for 15 years. So no one was really biting for SWV so, I had to create a buzz and get people talking. When Chris Brown did the “She Aint You” record and sampled Michael Jackson and SWV, I reached out to his team about them collaborating and they really weren’t 100% on doing it so, I just had it one myself. And what happened was, it spread like wildfire. After that, they got the opportunity to go overseas on tour and I had VIBE to film it and also around that time, the “She Aint You” remix with Chris Brown and SWV was released and it also spread like wildfire. And that’s what really solidified the deal with Entertainment One and Mass Appeal. Cory also opened up about the difficulties of working with the ladies because they tend to not operate as a group, why his friendship with Coko has suffered because of the show, not feeling that he gets the credit he deserves, Lele’s relationship with her daughter and more. Hit the flip for more from our interview.
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Bossip Exclusive: SWV Manager Cory Taylor Dishes On The Reality Show, Why SWV Is Difficult, Who Puts On For The Camera & More
