By Aurelio Mitjans

Executive Spotlight

Mickey “MeMpHiTz” Wright, 29, is inside Atlanta's Silent Sound studios working with Jacksonville native, Filipino/Italian songstress, Asia Cruise on her debut, Who is Asia Cruise? (HiTz Committee/Jive). It will be executive produced by Wright and T-Pain. The first single is “Selfish” (written/produced by CornerBoys) and the follow-up is the T-Pain-written/produced “Boyfriend.” Wright has been VP of Urban A&R since 2006.

In his younger days he and a couple of friends would send what they believed were rap demos to New York hoping for callbacks. Maybe the label didn't pay the phone bill, or perhaps the demo got misplaced.

A teen MeMpHiTz ran Memphis streets looking to get it, whatever “it” was. “Even though I was in a religious family, I had my own little plans to get money, fast money.”

He had four brothers and one sister. Dad was a deputy sheriff and later owned a print company. “I got my entrepreneurial spirit from my dad. He hated working for other people.” Mom worked everywhere from shipping to utilities and even had her own paper route, which had her up at a pleasant 4 a.m.

Then it happened. It was 2001.

“My dad was kidnapped and murdered, and at that time I was about to have a daughter. … I learned all this on the same day.”

MeMpHiTz realized living in an 8Ball & MJG song probably wasn't the best idea. So, he went to get it.

“It” was in New York.

People said he was crazy; he would get killed. “It's going to be better than getting old and dying in Memphis and never seeing nothing else,” states Wright.

He attended the Institute of Audio Research, then landed an internship at Arista. He'd work hard to be able to sit in on meetings—way over there in the corner—and receive the side eye from L.A. Reid.

Then during one meeting, Jermaine Dupri gave the hungry kid a shot to work a YoungBloodz project. YoungBloodz weren't keen to the idea of an A&R intern. Then Wright returned with the WMD known as “Damn.” L.A. Reid's side eye vanished. It probably morphed into a wink or a steak dinner or something, along with a spot at the big people's table. After JD confirmed “Damn” was a hit, Wright did a three-minute private touchdown dance in a nearby bathroom. His days as an intern would soon be over.

He soon signed J-Kwon and brought in another hit record with 2004's “Tipsy” (#2, Billboard Hot 100) and the gold album, Hood Hop .

Then things at Arista began to come apart. Reid tried to bring Wright to Def Jam with him.

But it was 2005 and Wright formed his HiTz Committee via a joint venture with Jive. The hit single by Huey, “Pop, Lock & Drop It” (#6, Hot 100) from the album Notebook Paper was its first result, though album sales were less-than-extraordinary. Huey's currently working on his sophomore set with production from Polow Da Don and DJ Toomp, and MeMpHiTz appears on Huey's “G-5” remix alongside T-Pain, who is also at work on his next opus.

“It” was now at a restaurant in Miami. Wright had no idea it was coming.

“This guy walked up to me. At the time I didn't know who he was. His name was TJ.” TJ told him about this guy from Tallahassee. After riding around Miami for a little he listened to a CD TJ gave him. “I heard “I'm Sprung,” and I was like, ‘Wow! What the hell is this?'”

Initially, T-Pain didn't want to be an artist. “He just wanted to write the songs for Akon.” Wright, however, convinced T-Pain to create for himself. “Akon told me he was trying to sign him. … I told him, ‘That's cool.' As soon as he finished that I wanted to sign him to Jive.”

“It” (or T-Pain as he is known in some circles) would eventually be on 11 #1 songs in one year according to Wright, which is just plain not fair.

Now Mickey “MeMpHiTz” Wright is focused on his imprint. Along with Huey and Asia Cruise, Hitz Committee signees include rappers Chip Tha Ripper from Cleveland and Trai'D (pronounced “tray-dee”) from Dallas.

Wright also has Hollywood plans. He has one studio commitment to produce a comedy and has met with Paramount. “I always wanted to make movies,” states Wright.

MeMphButtsInSeaTs doesn't have quite the same zing as MeMpHiTz, but anything is possible. Just tell him he can't do it.

Folks back home did.

Liar, liar, pants on fire.