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SWV Manager Cory Taylor Gives BOSSIP The Inside Scoop

Bossip Exclusive: SWV Manager Cory Taylor Dishes On The Reality Show, Why SWV Is Difficult, Who Puts On For The Camera & More

Posted on August 15, 2014 - By Bossip Staff

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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 an executive producer and cast member on their reality show SWV Reunited, just before season 2 aired. During our detailed interview, he gave us the scoop 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 WE tv. 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 were 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 choice at the time but it was the only one who showed interest, and you know, they WERE gone for 15 years. So no one else were really biting for SWV at the time and 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 done 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.

How has it been getting them back into the feel of being a group after so long apart?
A lot of people don’t know how to deal with SWV because sometimes they don’t operate as a group, they operate as three people in a group.

I’ve been able to handle them but it is still difficult because their minds are trained to operate one way. It’s also difficult because there’s always been a friendship with me and Coko and so every time I make a decision for the group, they think that it’s based on Coko and not based on the whole group and that’s not the case. It’s just that they don’t see what happens behind the scenes before the decision is made. These girls always have three different opinions. They never think as a group. Everyone has different ideas as to how they should sound, how they should look, how they should be.

What are some of the most difficult aspects of managing SWV?
A lot of people don’t know that SWV actually live in three different states and they have three different personal lives and it’s hard to get them to do certain things like come together for rehearsals or do interviews because they all have separate schedules. But, it’s a sacrifice and sometimes they forget that it’s a sacrifice for everyone. But, you know, if you’re gonna be in a group, then that’s what you have to do.

Sometimes these artists don’t understand that, it’s not that you’re not a great artist or that people don’t love your music, but you’re older artists now. So people in the 30-40 year old age range who grew up on your music, they’re not running out to buy records. Maybe a single but, it’s just not common these days for them to run out and buy your entire CD. SWV is older now and they are competing with a LOT of other artists so sometimes they don’t fully understand how things have changed and how things are working now.

As a cast member on the reality show, are there any misconceptions from the show that you’d like to clear up?
I am still the manager for SWV, I am the executive producer of SWV Reunited and I was never demoted. And if that did happen, I never knew anything about it. No one knows what the future holds but currently, I am the manager. Jeff Robinson is no longer involved with the group.

One other thing that I want to be very clear is that SWV has been able to make a great comeback and be where they are now after that come back because of the work that I put in. Of course, they’ve done a lot of things before Cory Taylor came on board, but again, a TV show, a record deal, I put these girls on tour, I kept these girls working, I put them on Soul Train, Black Girls Rock, they were nominated for a Grammy. They’ve done a lot of great things within this comeback because of the footwork that I did.

It sounds like you feel that you don’t get credit for the work that you put in with SWV. Is that true?
I think what I have done has been tainted. I think sometimes people don’t understand the work that a manager actually puts in. When you’re working with artists who have had prior success and are trying to make a comeback, you have to almost be like a telemarketer for them. You have to sell them because the phone is not always ringing. It’s a little bit easier now because they have a TV show and they’ve made some noise, but it wasn’t always like that.

Cory went on to elaborate in detail about the current status of his friendship with Coko and whether or not she’s really the most difficult to work with, how he really felt about them seeking new management last season, why they need to step it up and always wanting them to win in the end. Keep flipping to read the rest.

So you feel unappreciated…
At times I do. And sometimes people feel like the need to be patted on the back but, no, I’m not that type of person, that’s not what I’m saying. But don’t let someone else come in and try to take credit for something that they had nothing to do with. To me that’s just……. foul; there’s no other word to describe that. People don’t know that your job as a manager; you also have to be a counselor, you have to be a sales person, you have to be a negotiator..there are so many different job titles, 24 hours a day.

As their manager, what do you think they could do more of to help them get where they want to be?
You can have the best management in the world, but the artist has to get it and they have to operate on one accord and work just as hard as the manager. A manager is only as good as the artist that they’re working for.

They have to work more as a team and be open to new things. When you keep doing the same thing over and over again, you’re gonna get the same results. I work with three artists from the 90s and I’m also the founder of the RnB Spotlight national showcase I do in NYC that’s inspired by a 90s music.

I work with Carl Thomas and I also manage Meelah (formerly of 702), who is now on R&B divas. I get asked often why do I continue to work with these type of artists and I always say, I am a fan of 90s music. I love the 90s music. There’s something about that music that’s timeless. So much of this new music now, there’s no substance in it. It’s here to day and gone tomorrow and you don’t even remember it. These artists made some impactful records and done some impactful things and their music will forever live on. And that’s why they’re able to work.

You and Coko seemed to have a separate friendship apart from SWV; talk a little about that.
There is a bond….Coko and I have a brother and sister relationship. When I met Coko, SWV was not together and she did not have a solo record deal and we just became cool and she became like family to me because I was able to see her growth and I was able to help her get back to what she loved to do. She liked how I worked and she liked how I made things happen so she asked me to come and be apart of the group’s reunion so, I became their manager.

She is portrayed as the “diva” and the “difficult one” of the group on the show. How much of that is accurate?
Coko is the lead singer of the group and she is also an only child. As the lead singer, anyone who comes in to work with SWV, most times, they tend to cater to the lead singer. As an only child you are usually accustomed to always getting your way. And to be honest, many times, if the lead singer doesn’t want to do something, then it’s not going to happen.

So, she has diva tendencies, but I have to add the only child thing and the lead singer thing together to understand Coko.

Reality shows have a reputation for damaging relationships. Has your friendship with Coko suffered at all since the show started?
Coko will always be family to me. The same love that I have for Coko, I also have for Lele and Taj; I love them all equally.

Doing the TV show with her and what happened with the management switch, it did put a rift in our friendship. She did apologize for what happened and I accepted her apology but, when you have to re-watch it and know that millions of people are watching, it makes you re-live what happened. I’m going to get past it but [them going behind my back to seek new management] was honestly something that….I can’t believe that it happened, still.

A big part of last season was the groups decision to seek new management. How did you really feel when that happened?
I felt 100% betrayed. It’s not what you do but it’s how you do it. I just felt betrayed.

Finally, Cory revealed some of what fans can expect from season 2, who in the group switches it up when the cameras are on, and why SWV is here to stay. Peep the final page to read the last of our interview.

What’s the most challenging part of being an executive producer and a cast member on the show?
You never know what’s going to go on. A lot of times people are one way when they cameras are off and then they turn into someone totally different when they cameras go on.

Which of the group members switch it up the most when the cameras are on?
It’s kind of hard to say….they all do, really, at some point. I mean, Lele is pretty much the same both when the cameras are on and off. I’ll just say that sometimes people get camera bold when the cameras are on. They get this separate strength from somewhere [laughs].

Do you think the show has helped or hurt the SWV comeback?
I think that the show has been a blessing for SWV and I’m happy to see that they’re getting the attention that they deserve. At the end of the day, I had SWV’s back and I still have their back and I’ve always wanted them to win. But they have to want themselves to win just as much as I do and in doing that, they have to be ready for the challenge and ready to work.

What can you tell us about season 2 of SWV Reunited that premieres on August 14th?
There’s a lot of entertaining and dramatic moments. There are a lot of tear jerking moments. There is a side that people are gonna see of Lele with her daughter that is going to touch a lot of hearts because it’s just a very real moment and a real situation that happened.

What is one thing about you and one thing about SWV that you want fans to know that they may not know just from watching the show?
The girls love me and I love them. We have a lot of great moments. Sometimes the bad moments get magnified more than the good moments but, we do have a lot of great moments.

And as far as SWV…I want people to know that they are here for the long run. I think that they’re finally starting to realize that the success that they had back in the 90s may not be the same success that they have today, but they are certainly a group that is still able to attain success.

They have their ups and downs like any other group, but they have made a commitment to each other to work through whatever so, they will remain SWV.