At this point who doesn’t know about one of Hollywood’s biggest movers and shakers, Mav Carter? Founder and CEO of the Springhill Company. Executive producer of hit shows like Top Boy, The Shop, and The Crossover. Childhood friend of LeBron James. One of the four horsemen. Now, add host of his own interview series to his lengthy resume. Mavericks with Mav Carter will see the biggest names in entertainment sit down with Mav as he explores what makes them tick and what’s gotten them to this point. Curiosity is what sparks this new interview series, and EBONY sat down with the ultimate maverick to hear why it was time for his own show.
What’s the difference between Mavericks and The Shop?
Maverick Carter: I would say The Shop, even though it’s set up like an interview, isn’t. It’s more of a conversation that zigs and zags. I’m bouncing off my co-host, Paul Rivera, and reacting to what the guests are saying. The Shop is more like a topical conversation show, I would say, where Mavericks is an interview where I’m trying to use my curiosity to understand and go deeper with every guest who comes on.
The series’ first guest is Kerry Washington, why was she the ideal guest to start your show with?
Maverick Carter: I thought she was the perfect guest. She’s just an amazing human, an amazing actress and someone who is amazing at her job. Kerry is a very special human being, very special woman, and having her as she was getting ready to launch her book was very important to me because she is someone that myself and the audience can learn from.
What are your top three Kerry roles?
Maverick Carter: My favorite is when she played opposite of Jamie Foxx in ‘Ray’ as his wife. Then ‘Django’ and ‘Scandal.’ Those would be the three that would be in my top because Jamie is obviously one of the great artists and performers in our life, and she went toe to toe with him in both of those. It was fantastic seeing them play off each other. And obviously, Scandal is one of the greatest TV series ever.
Why did you choose Jeezy to be the rapper you interviewed?
Maverick Carter: I’m a kid of Hip-Hop. I would not be here on this phone with you today and the job that I have without Hip-Hop. And I thought, Jeezy, who I’m a fan of as an artist, but also as someone who really knows his journey from this guy who was in the streets selling dope to being a rapper. That’s kind of the traditional rapper story, but Jeezy really made a concerted effort to keep growing, keep elevating himself, and he’s not afraid to talk about that.
What’s your favorite Jeezy project?
Maverick Carter: I think his first album is one of the greatest albums in hip hop, Thug Motivation 101. The album bumps top to bottom, no skips. I think his catalog is, again, is up there with the greats. Obviously, Put On is amazing, where he raps, but his adlibs on Can’t Tell Me Nothing are the greatest decent adlibs added to a song ever.
Being a Black executive producer, what do you feel like was the hardest part of getting into that space and excelling?
I think the hardest part is something you hear a lot of still, sometimes it’s hard to convince the powers that be to tell the stories that we often gravitate to or want to tell. SpringHill is a content company and we need to partner with distribution companies like Netflix, Apple Studios, Warner Brothers, or Disney to get out the stories we make, like a Top Boy. You still kind of sometimes get people, and I don’t even think it’s malicious or anything, but they don’t want to do it because they’re nervous or scared they won’t make money. It’s not as loud as it used to be, but there’s still some convincing to do.
Mavericks with Mav Carter will premiere biweekly Wednesdays on the Springhill Youtube page. You can watch the debut episode with Kerry Washington now on YouTube!
