He was broke before Gaga, his wife pawned her ring, he was struggling, and then…

This was after going to Job Corps for a year and getting his GED, working for DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince after getting a record deal and failing. He was a concert promoter, he met Puffy, he interned for the Bad Boy, and what was his one big break…HE DIDN’T HAVE ONE!

You think it’s about getting that job, meeting that person, that your life will work if you do, but usually…

It does not, you just have to keep on keepin’ on.

Being Lassiter’s assistant and listening in on his phone calls gave Troy an education, he learned that it’s not all business, that you’ve got to be a person first, and be liked.

And after managing Eve and selling out to Sanctuary and going independent once again, Troy met Gaga and won.

But it wasn’t easy, cowriters and the label wouldn’t let her keep her best songs, he had to fight for that. And they had to prove to radio she was a hit via socials. But once it started to happen…

Troy was called up to Silicon Valley where he met the truly rich. Where no one would look him in the eye in a sea of Asperger’s, and it was not a zero sum game, but one where everybody could win, and then he came back to L.A. and started working at Spotify.

Well, that’s a fast overview of an almost twenty year career, and he was only spending two days a week in the Valley, but Troy believes the good times are just beginning, there’s a lot more people to reach with music, and the data doesn’t lie, it’s all about personalization, making people feel the site is a club they want to belong to, and helping artists along the way. By paying them every month and…

That’s right, artists need cash, and Spotify can provide it, providing an intermediary doesn’t get in the way. Times are changing. Labels, managers and streaming companies will not look the same in ten years. Spotify is connecting tours and superfans to sell tickets. Radio is fading, the majors still play to it, but is it to their advantage?

It’s all about where we are going, not where we’ve been, one must not think with the old mind-set, with the old metrics, the first week means nothing and a million streams is nowhere. But Spotify editors are finding unsigned acts to trumpet constantly, and Troy’s phone is ringing with labels that want to sign them.

And…

Troy sat there for two hours, answered not only my questions, but those of the audience, he was open and honest, and if you think that Spotify is the devil…

You shoulda been here.

P.S. Troy got the biggest response when he said that Netflix was kicking the music industry’s butt. He meets with labels who keep telling him about acts they’ve broken. And then Troy tells them to get a car and drop said act in front of a school and see what happens when another car pulls up with a cast member of “Stranger Things,” all the students are gonna rush to the actor. That’s right, those kids are ubiquitous, known by everybody, the supposed new hit acts…not so much.