Producer and Director of The Murder Inc. Story featured on BET, Michael J. Payton was able to get connected to Irv Gotti for a discussion that would then lead to creating the docuseries. Payton had already created an unauthorized doc about the major record label that boasted some of the best talents in the record industry (Ashanti, Ja Rule, and Charli Baltimore just to name a few), and it was that film and tenacity—and social media savvy—that got him to catch Gotti’s attention.
Payton began his journey to becoming a director and producer from another heavyweight hip-hop champ early on. Once Payton completed high school, he was awarded a scholarship from The Shawn Carter Foundation, a foundation founded in 2002 by none other than Jay-Z and his mother Gloria Carter. This sent Michael J. Payton on a path to entrepreneurship, film, and an interview with the one and only Jay-Z himself for the docuseries, The Murder Inc. Story.
Congratulations on the docuseries for Murder Inc. That’s incredible, and such a milestone. How was it for you when Irv Gotti responded to your unauthorized documentary by wanting to work with you on what would become The Murder Inc Story?
It was incredible for Irv to reach out and ask me to be a part of his official documentary. The crazy thing is, the day that Irv reached out to me on Instagram was the same day that I laid my mother to rest. As an only child, my mom was my everything. So I was torn up that day. But Irv reached out to me and offered me this life-changing opportunity to work on his doc. So for me, I cannot begin to explain what that feeling was like when he responded to the unauthorized doc. It was truly a blessing in so many ways.
You were awarded a scholarship from the Shawn Carter Foundation created by luminary figure, Jay-Z and his mother, Gloria Carter while attending SFSU. How has this inspired you to create positive change within your field and for kids like you in the community you were raised in?
When I was growing up, and as a student of hip-hop, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter was one of my heroes. So to get his scholarship was phenomenal; and then to get to interview him for my first television show was just out of this world. So knowing the impact that you can have on a young person’s life and in achieving their dreams is something that I carry with me as I navigate this business. For me, Jay and others in hip-hop really gave us the blueprint on how we can leverage our influence to elevate our culture into space that we never could have imagined. So that is my mission; to use whatever platform I have to not only inspire others but also to try and address the root causes of the issues that my community is facing.
What was it like working with Irv Gotti and getting to collect gems for the docuseries from figureheads in the industry?
Irv is truly one of one. He speaks his mind (sometimes to a fault) but he always keeps it real and drops so much knowledge. You know, Irv is actually the very reason I became involved in the entertainment business from a young age. When I was about 11 or 12 years old, I was the biggest Murder Inc. fan – I loved Ja Rule and Ashanti (I told myself I was going to marry Ashanti one day – that didn’t quite work out lol). But I really became enamored with Irv as an executive, a producer, as well as a video director; I did my research and realized that he was the boss. I thought it was so cool and intriguing that he had all these artists on his roster and he was the one calling the shots, that it inspired me to get into the music business and learn everything from music to video production – and that’s ultimately what led me down the path to where I am today. Irv was a huge influence before I had ever met him.
What were the wildest moments during filming, if any?
There was a lot of BTS drama putting this series together. I have to say that probably one of the craziest moments filming had to be when I was interviewing Nick Casavettes, the legendary actor and director of The Notebook, Alpha Dog, and a ton of other classic movies. He is also a great friend of Irv’s. Anyway, we have Nick in the chair and he is ready to do the interview, but the executives from BET were holding up us rolling cameras because of some minor technical stuff they wanted to change. We thought it was only going to be a few minutes pause – it ended up being about half an hour! Nick got superheated and was ready to storm out of the interview. I had to make the call to just roll cameras and shoot the interview in spite of the executive’s notes. We pulled it off. Nick was great because I probably would have just left if it were me!
Did you get a chance to get some sage advice from Jay-Z and/or Irv Gotti? If so, what was the best piece of that advice from them?
Honestly, Irv and Jay have taught me so much just through their actions. Just being in their presence and seeing how they move and operate is enough advice for me lol. But I can specifically say that what Irv has taught me is to always bet and believe in yourself, even when no one else does. And always fight for what you believe in; do not give in to the status quo – that will get you nowhere. What Jay has taught me through proxy is also to bet on yourself, but also think bigger, dream bigger, and surround yourself with excellence.
Was there anything that you weren’t able to use for the docuseries that you wish you had been able to use?
I wish that we had more time to fit in more stories! When you are doing a show for TV, you only have roughly 40 minutes of run time when you factor in commercials. So we didn’t have the space to go as deep on some stories as I would have liked to, but we still told an incredible story. The other big thing that was definitely missing from the series was an exclusive interview with Ashanti. I reached out to her and basically begged for her participation. But her team shut it down – which I understand given the circumstances.
As a fan of Murder Inc., what was your favorite song from the record label?
Oh man, there are so many CLASSIC hits from Murder Inc., but I am a deep album-cut type of guy. So I have to say – if I only could pick one – my favorite record from Murder Inc. would be Ja Rule’s “6 Feet Underground” which came out on Rule’s second album Rule 3:36 in 2000. That record is over 20 years old but it is a monster!
Michael J. Payton founded his company CSUITEMUSIC LLC and continues to create through his company in regard to films. He is making sure he leaves a lasting impact in his community with CSUITEMUSIC LLC and creating opportunities as he does. With business, policy, and community on his mind, while he does, Payton is one to watch in the industry and beyond.
